Taming Beasts | MxM | Petshop

Part 32

"Wait! He said 'no'?" Leah looked incredulous, and her mouth opened into an O-shape when I nodded. "You're telling me nothing smexy happened that night and you just went to sleep like that and Vince did not, at any point, try to get into your pants again?"

I shrugged. While we didn't just go to sleep, kept awake by either rampant thoughts or tempting arousal, it was true that Vince had merely fondled my ears until eventually, we did fall asleep. The memory awoke a painful longing in my chest, and I felt his finger brush my fur.

"Wow," Leah breathed. For a moment, she was speechless, staring out of the plane's window onto the tiny trees we were flying across. She shook her head softly, and muttered, "This is character development."

Her gaze returned to me. She was smirking now. "I'm not going to lie, Moondrop, I think he might go crazy with this new attitude, and I think he already has been going crazy this past week if you know what I mean-"

I did.

"-but I have never before in all the years I've been working for Vince witnessed a case of him trying to be patient. He discards people like a band hand of poker, and he doesn't like losing."

I nodded despite not knowing what poker was.

Leah took a deep breath, then reached for my paw. Once she held it firmly between manicured fingers, she asked, "Ok, now that I am up to date, how are you feeling about all this?"

I looked aside guiltily, a stifled mewl at the back of my throat. "It is frustrating. Vince is frustrating. It feels easy, but then it is suddenly not."

"I think I know how you feel," she said with a smile that turned into a cheeky grin. "But he's kinda cute when he's all over his head like this, with all that huffing and angry frowning and bulging biceps."

"He is," I admitted and returned the smile. Past her, the plane's window gave a view of endless mountains covered in green forests that stretched further than any place I'd ever seen. It looked like freedom. "I wish he were here, but I'm also glad he's not."

"Makes total sense, honey. Don't worry about that. It's normal. And not just because of Vince's overbearing presence and his ridiculous claim on permanent attention, although that's definitely part of it-" She trailed off and took a deep breath. "Anyway, it is normal. Being around the one you like, or even love, it turns every experience into this shared experience that yes, is so much better, but also so much more, and sometimes that is just too much. Moondrop, you have been locked up for so long, you need to feel your own feelings before you add Vince's to the mix."

"I feel bad for wanting to be without him," I sighed. My ears pushed back slightly, and my eyes couldn't leave the view of the vast landscape below. "But I want to know what it feels like to be free, even free from Vince."

Leah let go of my paw to pet my head. "Again, that's nothing to worry about. I'd even say that's actually a very healthy feeling."

My ears perked up. She knew a lot more about these things than I did, so hearing her say so lifted my spirits. It was tiring to worry about Vince all the time, to miss him and dread him and think about little else. If could just forget about him for a moment, what would I do?

Again, the scenery outside caught my attention.

"Can I go there, when we visit your brother?"

Leah frowned briefly, then followed my gaze. "Outside? The mountains?"

"Yes," I breathed apprehensively.

"Of course! That's the whole point." She clapped her hands together excitedly. "Like I told you, my brother has a big mansion - and with big I mean big - and it is literally in the woods, he owns the woods, and you can just go anywhere you want, whenever you want. You'll love it!"

My nostrils flared, and I thought I could almost smell it. Whatever it smelled like. I realized I didn't know.

It was so exciting. "I want to know more."

"Well, I don't want to spoil too much, but there is a waterfall, and a lake. And you can probably run for hours before you catch sight of another house."

She pursed her lips. "It's super secluded. I sometimes wonder how my brother can stand living out there, but I guess he's always been kind of a hermit, holed up in his room reading books under a blanket all day long. I haven't really told you about him yet, have I?"

I shook my head, intrigued. The whole place sounded too perfect to be true.

Leah hummed thoughtfully. "Well, like I said, he's always liked to be left alone. Complete opposite of me. But he's very smart, and kind, probably the kindest person I know."

She smiled fondly. "I always wanted him to be happy, you know. Being my little brother and all, I felt like I had to protect him, and help him. In the end, he just did whatever he wanted, though, and never listened. He has a pet too, you know?"

"He has?" I prompted curiously, and also nervously. The tip of my tail swept left and right. The other pets I'd met so far had not been to my liking.

Leah snorted. "Oh yes, that damn fish."