Random Short Stories

Not That Special [🪽]

The air in the beachside territory was thick with the scent of ocean salt and simmering rage. Sootblast, his jaw clenched tight, stared at the she-cat standing in front of him.

She was a pleasant sight to behold, a Prism with golden shelled fur and eyes the colour of sunlit ice. Her necklace of crystals rested against her chest, giving her an air of regal beauty.

But Sootblast saw red. Red like the blood that pulsed in his temples.

"You're telling me you just...talked? To her?" The dark grey Solar's voice, usually smooth and commanding, cracked with fury.

The Prism, Triggerfish, met his gaze, her own eyes filled with a weariness that mirrored the exhaustion in her voice. "Sootblast, she's a fellow hunter. We just...discussed the best hunting spots in the sun time."

"Discussing hunting?" Sootblast scoffed, slamming a paw on the sand with a muted thud. "You know damn well that's a lie, Trigger. You were flirting with her. You like her, don't you?"

"Sootblast, this is ridiculous!" Triggerfish's voice rose an octave. "I have never cheated on you!"

"Don't lie to me!" Sootblast roared, his face contorted with fury. "I saw the way you looked at her, the way she looked at you. You were practically licking each other's faces."

Triggerfish's eyes narrowed, her patience wearing thin. "Sootblast, stop it. You're being absurd. I have never once thought of ever being disloyal to you."

He didn't believe her. He couldn't.

He'd built his life around the idea that Triggerfish, with her perfect smile and slender form, was a creature driven by insatiable desire, a desire he alone could satisfy. His rank and power would always be enough, a guarantee that she would never stray.

"You're lying," he repeated, his voice dripping with venomous suspicion. "I know you're lying. You've been flirting with all these toms, all these she-cats. You think I haven't seen the way you look at them?"

Triggerfish's claws unsheathed and dug into the glistening sand, her voice tight with suppressed rage. "Sootblast, I have never once cheated on you. You can't just accuse me of anything you want!"

"I know what you want, Triggerfish," Sootblast said, his voice dropping dangerously low. "You crave attention. You need to be the center of every room. You need to be desired. And I give you all that, don't I?"

"You think I'm blind, Triggerfish? You're constantly fantasizing about those she-cats. You think you're so clever," Sootblast sneered, his anger rising like a tide.

"You think you can play these games with me? You think you can get away with it? I'm the only one who gives you what you want. You're obsessed with sex, and I provide it. You wouldn't know real pleasure if it slapped you in the face."

Triggerfish's eyes narrowed. "You know what you're like, Sootblast. You're a control freak. You think I'm some kind of sex-crazed doll you can manipulate."

Sootblast's jaw clenched. He rose from his spot on the sand, towering over Triggerfish, his shadow consuming her.

"I love you, Triggerfish. You know that. I do everything for you. I give you everything you could ever want. Everything!" He said, his voice a guttural cry.

"You think I'm stupid, Sootblast? You think I don't see through you? You think I want your money, your power, your 'love'? I'm not a kit. I'm a full-grown she-cat, and I crave something more than your 'generosity'."