Beauties and Beasts

Chapter 42: brought to you by creepy old men

Neara is pergant/pregante/preganant with twins, fends off a parade of would-be suitors, and runs away to Camel Hump Valley (Don't worry, she comes back). We apologize for late update, but really it's our laziness in not wanting to open up the MASSIVE story in google docs and wait for it to load up all the pages...it's about 800 right now.

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Winston and Theo arrived just in time to greet the Ape King at the door. He stared at them vehemently, anger clouding his eyes as he gazed at Winston's marks. He inclined his head to Theo and said, "It's good that you have been accepted. Is it your offspring she carries?"

Theo looked down and stammered, "She's pregnant?"

The Ape King nodded. "It's why I'm here. I came back from the house of Shay, although unfortunately she had already given birth. I wonder if Neara's fertility is as extraordinary as hers..." He shook himself and knocked.

"Who the hell is out there at this time of night?" Orson yelled. He stomped through the house and answered the door. "Who the hell are you?"

"I am the Ape King. I'm here to check on Neara's pregnancy. It's customary for the best doctor in the City of Beasts to attend to the pregnant females."

"She already has a doctor and a damned good one too." He scowled, then wiped his face. "I'm sorry, I'm very disoriented when I wake up. Please come in." He opened the door and stood aside. "Neara, the Ape King is here to see you." He looked at Winston and raised an eyebrow. "Hell of a time for you to show up."

Winston let out an involuntary growl as he stepped into the house, his eyes glared daggers at the two wolf beastmen and they stayed outside.

Neara stumbled from the bedroom wrapped in her cloak, her eyes wide and her mouth tight.

The Ape King smiled and gestured towards her stomach. "I am here to check on the welfare of the children in your belly. Please, remove the cloak."

She shot a glance at Winston and gently shook her head.

He walked to her side and barely suppressed another growl, "She doesn't want you prying into her fertility. Collect your beastmen and leave."

"Oh, but it's a service I give to all females. In case you didn't hear us speaking outside, I've just come from Shay's home. She's given birth, and she allowed me to examine her womb." He gestured to her again and rain dripped from his long hair to the floor. "Please."

Neara pulled the cloak away from just her stomach and winced as pressure filled the room. She groaned a little and pressed her lips together even tighter.

"That's enough." Winston placed his hand in front of Neara's stomach and pulled her back.

The subject of his ire fell to the floor, his eyes and mouth wide with shock and sweat beaded on his bald forehead. "That's... it can't be." He stood and adjusted his tunic. "I'd thought you were from the Fox Clan with your beauty, but that fertility... it's the same as Shay's! I haven't felt..." He wiped his forehead then his tiger-skin loincloth. "There are two in there, both strong. Exceptionally so. You must be proud, Winston."

Winston nodded and tightened his grip on Neara. "You will be going now."

"Yes, of course. Good night, Neara." He nodded in her direction and passed by Orson, who kept his eyes on the ground, and Theo, who almost shook himself to pieces. "I will be following the wellbeing of your offspring closely." He stepped outside and after a whispered discussion with the beastmen outside, walked away.

Neara enfolded herself tightly in her cloak and looked nervously at Winston. "Why did you lie?"

"I didn't lie."