Beauties and Beasts

Chapter 64: brought to you by stink

Scorpions. Neara becomes cargo because, alas, this isn't a story of a strong, independent female characters, though that's all the rage. Back story for a bun of interest. Canned bean dip isn't real bean dip. Nothing grows faster than the callous on my right big toe. Am I missing anything?

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"There is no female here!" Captain bellowed, his voice easy to pick out in the din. Neara, unable to help herself, army-crawled to the door and peered out.

A sleek black shape wove through the fire on eight legs bigger than her. That was her first heart attack. A long plated snake tail swung through the beastmen and speared itself into the ground. Thick orange poison glistened at the end in a comically large drop and that was her second heart attack. A scorpion feral? How did it smell... well... it had been a long time since she'd had a bath, but she didn't think her odor was that distinct, especially since she hadn't had her period yet.

Rabbit beastmen bounced across the campsite, quickly followed by a wer-scorpion that did NOT look like The Rock. He would have been attractive in her world, but compared to the beauty of the other males, he was definitely below-average. His long black hair swung in the firelight, making it appear blue and purple. A rabbit beastman, maybe the same one who had rescued her, leaped from a nearby rock with his spear angled above his head. It sank deeply into the feral's shoulder and he hissed in frustration, snapping off the end of it with his claw. He jabbed at the rabbit with his tail, but missed when the rabbit dodged around a tree.

"She's nearby..." Neara watched his entire face scrunch and his mouth open wide. His tongue looked flat and black as his lips drew back over his white teeth. "She's nearby."

The rabbit beastmen didn't reply, but redoubled their efforts when they realized he was crawling closer to the tent Neara was in. For her part, Neara ducked back inside the tent, crawling under the furs and trying to make as little noise as possible. She knew nothing about the scourge of Arizona, although she'd heard about their poisonous tails and nocturnal behaviors from her friends in Texas. She had no desires to experience it for herself.

The tent disappeared over her and the light from the campfire danced across her nose. The huge claws reached down and fiddled through the furs until they closed around her. Her throat closed and she tried to scream, but only squeaks escaped. The claws held tight, too tight, and she could feel the sharp edge right above her stretch marks from the twins.

"Found her." The scorpion roared and scuttled off, Neara almost bending in half from the force. He ran into a canyon and stopped to examine his prize.

Neara tried to cover her face with her one free hand, but he pushed it aside and jerked her face to the moonlight. She squinted against his dry breath that broke against her eyes.

"So beautiful. I have taken a great prize indeed." He looked at her with a glint in his eyes, then threw her to the ground. He flashed into a naked human and grinned unpleasantly at her. "You are mine, now. The only mark on your body will be mine. I will cut this..." he flicked Orson's mark with his nail, "off once I have marked you."

Neara pulled her head down and covered her face with her curls. She backed against the canyon wall as far away from him as she could get.

"You think to flee? I won't hurt you. You're the only thing I've ever owned." When she didn't respond, he barked, "Speak! I want to know my star's voice!"

"I have a mate already. I'm not looking for any more." Her voice trembled and fought to break through her hair. It was a lost cause... but she couldn't go down without a fight.

"Soft and gentle like a mouse. This pleases me." He laughed, "You are a great treasure. My last attempt wasn't nearly so stunning. You make the stars freeze in water. Ha!"