Beauties and Beasts

Chapter 49: brought to you by babeh sneks

I don't wanna do laundry. Can't beat my, can't beat my, no you can't beat my leather shoes. But laundry must be done, for I am of the noble, glamourous breed called: housewife. I'll housewife you ALL in the crust!

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As the eggs neared their hatching day, Shay spent more time in the den. Curtis, who was holding off hibernation through sheer will, had not the awareness to argue the fact and nearly included Shay in the cramped confines of his coils with the eggs. Over the course of the two months they had grown even larger in size till they reached the size of grapefruits, thinning their leathery skin.

It was on his last hunting day, while Shay was in the den, that the first egg began to shiver.

It was dark in the den, as once it got colder Curtis began keeping a thick fur mat over the hole. But Shay could feel the vibrations against her stomach. She longed to push open the mat to let light in, but refrained, knowing her babies would be especially vulnerable to the cold. So, instead, she held still, full attention to the minute shivers of the eggs.

If she had been expecting an explosion of movement, she was sorely disappointed. Time passed and the eggs would fall still for long moments after minute shivers. She heard small, wet noises, but otherwise felt no little bodies or heads or splitting shells. She had never seen anything hatch in real life, let alone snakes, and she wouldn't be seeing anything now in order to protect them.

Curtis took longer to hunt in the cold. Thus, when the flap opened, she was only minutely surprised to see Ryan poke his head in.

"It's snowing. You've been quiet and haven't eaten, I wanted to ask if you would like some golden root tea to warm you up."

The warmest place in the house outside the actual fireplace had to be the den, but she didn't mention that as Ryan had never been allowed down here. She didn't need Curtis to tell her this was his safe place, and another male's scent would not do.

"They're hatching," she said softly.

She couldn't make out his features, though she heard his intake of breath.

"Do you want me to fetch Neara? Curtis should be back by now."

"No. We have to keep them warm, and she's afraid of snakes anyways." She adjusted beneath the blankets, feeling something wet touch her bare stomach.

Ryan nodded and slipped out, replacing the mat. A bit of cold draft sunk down to her and Shay reflexively coiled about her eggs, resulting in more touches of wet along her thighs. To give more warmth she had taken to leaving her skirt off and wearing only her top and panties to incubate the eggs.

Sure enough, only a few minutes passed before Curtis slipped under the fur mat, coiling his body above it beforehand to limit the amount of cold that entered, but blocking the light. She could only feel the satin ribbons of his hair and smell his concentrated rosemary musk. At his cold touch, she cringed back.

"You're freezing!"

"I can smell the fluid of their eggs. You should let me take over in case they don't recognize you and bite you."

"Then let them. You'll freeze them."

Curtis let out a low ruff of displeasure. "Even a baby has enough venom to kill a full grown beastman. I will not risk--"

"And you have the antidote. Besides, why would they not recognize me over you? My scent is all over this den as well, and they've heard my voice."

Curtis fell silent, though even that tingled with his displeasure.