A Novel's Beast World

96. Grouch

1/? updates for today September 30, 2022.  Sorry for the delayed update everybody.  I have several more chapters written that just need some editing and maybe proofreading to fill in any inconsistencies I may have left unfixed.  Hopefully, I will have another update or two for today.

 We left at the crack of dawn and I was cranky. No, I was fucking wronged. No one should have to wake up before the sun. No one.

I rubbed the half-crusted, half-goo, eye snot from my face and glared at the sky like it was responsible for this injustice. Smash stumbled around like me. He clearly agrees with me on a spiritual level.

"You can sleep as we go," Alec said in a rare moment of consideration and care. Too bad he was on crack if he thought this land-bred bitch could sleep while flying. The friendliest response I could muster was pinching his arm. I was so ticked off by my lack of sleep that I couldn't appreciate how thick and fine that arm was. I hate early mornings.

We got ready to depart and I gave the castle and my family a once over. Maybe it was good that I was grouchy enough to set the place on fire. There was no room for worry or sadness, only bitchiness and pure violence.

We were all set for take off when Brock ran up to us, holding up the show. He's got to realize I'd sooner rip his head from his neck than make conversation. If he doesn't, he will soon. Fortunately or unfortunately, he just stood there. Winston growled at him like I was going to. Arguably, he pulled it off better than I could.

Brock flinched and dropped his eyes to the ground, but did not back off. "Tiger king. I respect you and understand, but you should also understand," he began and lifted his eyes up. "You cannot stop me from pursing Drew."

Maybe if I had a full night's sleep of ten hours, I would've felt some butterflies at that. Maybe if we weren't running from an inevitable catastrophe, I could stop and think about his shitty confession for real. Sadly nothing was on Brock's side. Not me, the sun, possibly life, and certainly not Winston and Shuu.

I was nearly in a mood to see blood and forgot to discourage any big dick contests. Rowan caught all of our attentions and motioned for us to get our asses in gear. Winston dropped it and said, "You're with me," to Brock.

I'm so glad that's settled. Now, let's fucking move. The sooner we go, the sooner we arrive somewhere I can sleep. I managed to smother the irrational anger in me long enough to give the boys a kiss each. "Stick with each other," I said with as much motherly emotion I could muster. It wasn't much.

Hiro looked at me and I caught his eyes. If I was in my right mind, I'm sure I'd have a stupid and completely avoidable issue right now. The fam is right, I'm making this way more difficult than it has to be. He's coming along and we'll figure everything out as we go. There. Problem solved. Time to move on.

"Be careful," I looked at both foxy boy and my leopard man who almost dragged my mood out of the mud for a hot second, but alas, it was fleeting. I would still like to rip a head off to commemorate our move anyway. Not Harvey or Hiro's of course.

I climbed into my portable hammock and got as comfortable as I could, which wasn't. I felt like a bug stuck in a spider's web or a fish being hauled off to its death. The cushions Alec added to make me more comfortable were smothering me instead. I grumbled and cursed as I tried to find a position that worked.

Once I stopped moving, Alec took off. Rowan was already in the sky. Once Alec steadied himself, he flapped onwards. Shuu and Harvey's group followed after. Winston and Brock remained behind. Now that Brock insisted on joining the party, Winston had to make sure the remaining tigers could handle evacuation without their second-in-command.