Beauties and Beasts

Chapter 67: brought to you by horsies

A visit to a sheep village for rice and other veggies in return for the last energy crystal that Curtis had been hoarding who knows where, and some doctoring from Harvey. Horseman MMA finals. The jazz. And I restuffed my beloved giant pikachu from '99! Pikachu is reborn!!!

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Shay wanted to see a horse beastmen. After Curtis's description, she wanted to see a baby horse beastman even more. And since she had to put up with three days of rough travel in the spring chill with three grouchy toddlers and half a dozen horny and possessive men, she thought she very well earned a break.

Her mates weren't exactly against it. They knew she was a conscientious female and had worried themselves that she had been under too much stress. However...

"One of you has to stay behind with the kids. I'm not going to trust anything less than one of you to keep them safe, and I can't very well walk into town with three female cubs, all obviously mine."

Harvey, Parker, and Muir gave Ryan and Curtis a wide berth, the first two holding Dawn and Sky respectively. Luna was behind Shay, practicing her walking, unconcerned with the violent glare down between her father and his fellow husband.

"I am the boss," said Curtis. "I am stronger."

"This isn't a matter of strength, this is a matter of attention. To protect Shay's soft heart we can't let any male even try to pursue her, and some don't care if you're strong."

"Then I'm a feral, and they'll naturally fear me."

"More like they'll take it as an even better excuse to steal her away. No one believes that a female could love a feral. I'll take her--"

"You are practically a feral--"

"They'll think her a witch doctor. It doesn't matter how beautiful they find her if they think she's going to birth their children amongst ferals or use them for medicine."

"And they won't try to kidnap her from you because...?"

Ryan smirked wide, his white teeth contrasting with his dark skin. "Panthers are well known to be beloved by their witch doctor. You know yourself the stories of curses and poisoning to whoever harms a panther."

Curtis scowled. "Among the ferals."

"And among the villages as well." Ryan flicked his tail, far too much like a satisfied cat with a mouse beneath its paw.

Curtis lifted himself higher, towering over Ryan, looking down his nose at him.

"Winter has made you cocky," he hissed.

"Thank your kids for that. Kind of hard to have a phobia of snakes when you have to sleep with them every night."

Curtis's lips curled, flashing fangs.

Seeing her husband's long red body coiling for a strike, Shay figured she should step in. "Ryan has a good point. Nobody wanted to mate his mom because of her status. We can even roll Harvey or Parker in charcoal so they look like panthers too."

"Oh! Me! Me! Me!" crowed Parker.

"I can earn some food for us by doing jobs in town," said Harvey. "There is always a desperate need for a doctor."

Poor Muir just sulked, eyes to the ground, having no excuse to come with whatsoever. A few of the baby snakes coiled at his feet, looking at him in a way that made Shay wonder if they pitied him.

As one last ditch effort, Curtis said, "If anyone tries to so much as talk to her I can just kill them. I can kill the whole lot of them with ease."