Beauties and Beasts Pt 2

Chapter 166

In this chapter, we get a sexy, angry Winston and a frustrated Orson who just wants to be left alone to nap but has to deal with his mate being a Main Character. We'd feel sorry for him, but as the mate of a Main Character, he also has god powers so... it evens out.

Winston returned from the ocean with clouded eyes. At first, Neara didn't notice anything; her Tiger mate often stood over her when he returned, checking over her but not interrupting her work, making sure she was really there. This time... he stayed longer.

"You ok," she finally asked when he didn't leave.

"Willem would like to speak with you."

"Tell him to go to hell." Orson's reply over the salt pits was swift and bursting with hatred. "Oh, wait, he lives in the ocean; bastard's already there!"

Neara ignored him. "Do you... do you think it'd be ok if I did?"

The tips of Winston's ears flickered. "You may do as you wish, and I will protect you from the consequences."

"Oh no, no no." Orson's flat feet stomped across the sand and he pointed a finger up at Winston, shaking his head back and forth so hard his fluffy hair formed a cloud. "We're done letting her make decisions for herself. She didn't want to kill him and until she does, he's going to moon around here until he gets another chance to kidnap her. No, no, sorry, Neara, absolutely not. I'm putting my foot down."

"Down where?" She blinked innocently at him.

His face fell. "Just... just down. You can't go see him."

"Because your foot's holding me back?"

"No, it's..." He looked confused, bent towards her, and whispered urgently, "You said it was a figure of speech!"

She straightened her knees and kissed him soundly on the mouth. "It is. I just wanted you closer."

His face remained white although splotchy red marks moved from his jaw to his ears. His teeth ground against each other and angry bashful confusion filled his face.

Winston watched everything passively, ears flicking back and forth as he listened for possible intruders.

"What if he comes on land and we tie him to a rock and Orson pulses his aura at him or something?"

"And what if he turns into a great big fish and we throw him in the fire for dinner?" The Sheep couldn't have been more serious if he tried.

Neara locked eyes with him, then smirked.

He threw his hands in the air with a disgusted groan. "Fine! Have it your way! Tie the carcass-scavenger to a rock and interrogate him all you like, I've never been able to stop you anyway!" He muttered something about how he only let her push him around because she was kind and something Neara didn't quite get. But he stayed until Winston nodded towards the shore where he'd come from and they set off together.

A thump of fear landed in her stomach and another lodged in her throat, both burning. She'd made the wrong choice, hadn't she? It's what she was famous for. Her instinct had been to say no, but she'd thought about how he'd sung to her below the waves and how he'd saved her life with a kiss and she reconsidered. But maybe her first instinct was right and her second instinct was wrong. Then she had a sudden urge to drag them all back to Camel Hump Valley and scour the mountains until she found whatever magical rocks or trees to send them home and she wouldn't have to deal with it. And yet another part wondered if Willem was secretly stronger than all of them, or if he could command the ocean to sweep them all overboard like a water bender...