Chapter 41: brought to you by catering

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Incubating babies! Another fuzzy joins the family! And you should probably work out or clean your room or something.

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Before exhaustion took her whole, Shay scooped out each egg from the basket and placed it against her lax, stretched stomach in the bear fur. Then she curled about them, pulled the fur blanket atop them all, and passed out. She hardly heard Curtis's questioning, nor felt his fingers across her face.

When she woke up sometime in the afternoon the next day, she saw the eggs nestled against her stomach and chest, curled in by her arms and legs, and had a bit of a panic.

"Curtis!"

The red snake wrapped about her woke with a start. In an instant, its head flicked to Curtis's torso.

"What?"

"Why didn't you stop me? What if I'd rolled over them in my sleep?" Just to make sure that hadn't happened, she set to rechecking each one. Their leathery shells had hardened as she slept, to her relief.

Curtis relaxed. "Love, you would have done no such thing. They're fine."

Ryan, who'd been sleeping in his own cozy nest in the corner, lifted his panther head and gave a great yawn, showing off all his teeth, before getting to his feet and transforming back to a human.

"If you're awake, Shay, you should eat," he said. "Growing eggs took a lot of weight off you."

Shay had noticed that herself over the course of the month. Back in her own world, she would have been pleased with how slender her thighs and arms had gotten. It was amazing to her that, despite how much she ate, she still got so skinny.

But now that she was awake, she was hungry, and for the foods she usually enjoyed.

"Could you make me some rice with some fruit? I still feel all sore from last night."

"Of course." He leaned in to get her a peck on the forehead before stepping out of the bedroom.

She watched him as he left, smiling. After spending a month working closely with Cutis, Ryan's fear of snakes had visibly weakened. He no longer trembled or had his ears and tail constantly tucked in. He'd even willingly let himself brush against Curtis's scales so he could reach her this morning for the kiss.

As she thought about it, she remembered a conversation she had overheard a few nights back when the two had thought her asleep.

"I wouldn't cry if you died, but you're not too bad, cat."

"I wouldn't hesitate to take Shay for myself, but you've had your uses, snake."

"Hmm, I think I've had more than "uses" for your sad life. If I had never taken her to begin with, you would have never met her."

"And without me, she would have died in your arms."

"...I guess trades begin here, then."

"Pardon?"

"In Shay's world, how males tend to their females without the help of other mates is by trading skills. If there be another day where I have the chance to have her to myself I want to be able to care for her well, without needing another's rescue, so I will start here. You will serve as a reminder of that goal. Every kiss you give her, every night you love her, will be fuel for my ambition."

"...then it shall be mine as well."

Now that she'd had her eggs perhaps they'd get underway with those grand schemes of theirs. She looked forward to seeing how they would grow and hoped there'd be ways for her to help along the way. Most of all, she hoped that wherever their goals took them, it would make them happy.

Hugging her eggs, she laid her head back down.

"Curtis, how do I incubate them?"

His tail scooped about her, the tip sliding beneath her chin to begin parting her from them.

"You will do no such thing. I can do it."

She pouted as he scooped each egg back into the fur-lined baby basket. "Am I not big enough?"

Curtis let out a low chuckle. He never moved beyond that, and she wondered just how marvelous it would be to hear a full belly laugh from him.

"Incubating is a lot of work," he said. "You've done your part in birthing them, now let me do mine. It will be easier for me with my sense of temperature anyhow, and I can use that fine den you so carefully crafted for me."

Shay blushed. "You're the one who dug it. I just lined it with stones and put those nice grasses in there."

"And it's the most comfortable den I've ever had, and rife with your wonderful scent."

Even as he said so, he picked up the basket of eggs and made his way to the corner across from Ryan's nest, where a large hole, just big enough for a woman to squeeze into, had been made in the stone foundation.

"Hand them to me after I go in," he said, setting the eggs beside the hole and turning into a snake to more easily slip in.

Shay rolled to her hands and feet just to cringe as her stomach muscles and hips protested. After giving herself time to brace herself, she crawled over and waited until a white hand reached out from the darkness. Carefully, sealing each one with a kiss, she handed him the eggs.

"Are you going to just stay down there then?"

"Yes, until I have to come out to hunt. It will be easier when the rainy seasons ends and I can hibernate."

"When will they hatch?"

"In about three months, so in the middle of the cold season."

"Will I...will I not be able to see you much then?" her chin wobbled. It seemed much too sudden.

At the tightening of her voice, his head and shoulders came out, barely clearing the edges of the entrance. The utterly tender smile he gave her as he scooped her lovingly into his arms were enough to melt whatever strength she had left.

"You may come in to sleep with me whenever you like," he murmured. "And I will still need to come out to hunt."

Shay held her chin to stop it's whimpering and said, as sure as she could, "If you need a break I can incubate them. I'll just hug them all under a blanket in the den. That should work, right?"

"Yes. But I will endeavor to not make you do that unless necessary. It is easier for me to be underground than you."

"How'd you decide that?"

He tapped the side of his head. "My inherited memories. My mother loathed being underground, so father tried to build dens in hillsides, even if it meant they'd be colder. That is probably why she got sick."

Shay scowled. "Didn't you notice how long I spent down there lining that place with stones?"

"I thought--I thought you were enduring the discomfort for me..." he flushed and looked to the side. "Are...are you saying you...like it?"

"It's certainly cozy. Can't say I can handle it as long as you, but I can take it to cuddle babies. I could go all night easy, since I'd sleep."

Curtis stared, then put on his soft smile she'd come to recognize as his 'lovey-dovey' smile.

"You really were made for me."

She made to return the smile, but it fell away quickly. "Are you really going to sleep all wint--cold season? But we've only known each other for two months, at most."

"And we have the rest of our lives to know each other." He kissed her brow, then her lips. "I'll be right here, love. I'm not leaving you." He hesitated. "Will you...will you protect my den?"

"Of course! You protect me, I protect you!"

He looked about ready to melt.

With that, and another deep kiss, he let go and slipped back down into his den.

Shay found herself kneeling there for a moment longer, partly wishing she had kept at least one of the eggs to incubate (aka, cuddle) for herself, but risking the egg's well being wouldn't have been worth it.

Ryan found her still kneeling there, the soles of her feet already white from cold.

"Shay, come to the fire. Your food is ready. You should put some of the fur clothes the snake made you on, it's cold."

She nodded before moving to stand, though her abused hip and stomach muscles struggled against her. Ryan leapt forward to help her. He carefully supported her into the main room before going back to the bedroom to return with a full leather shirt, a heavy fur shawl, and leather skirt lined with yet more fur, sewn into the edges like ruffles. He had sewn the fur in great triangles, giving the skirt the body Shay had desired.

As she gave a cautious twirl in it, she had to smile. "I feel like a Russian princess."

"Russian?"

"They are a hardy people from my world who live in a land with very long, harsh winters." She sat down on the padded fur rug next to the fire, happy the lye scrub she had come up with had left the stone floors so clean her feet weren't dirty.

Once he'd situated her with food, he sat behind her and pulled her into his chest, adding his warmth to the already toasty layer of clothing. But having so little body fat on her and spent from giving birth, Shay found herself not overheating in the least.

"It's nice only being pregnant for a month, but I wish I had babies to cuddle for all the effort," she said after swallowing a mouthful of rice. She'd almost forgotten what it tasted like, and it was lovely.

"Panthers are only pregnant for three months, and you'll have fuzzy little cubs to cuddle right away." She could feel his grin next to her ear. He had used the word 'fuzzy' on purpose, knowing how much she loved his fur.

She gave a happy squirm. "Fuzzy babies! Eee!"

Ryan laughed, a far more light and carefree sound than Curtis's quiet chuckle. "Don't let the snake hear you say that."

Once she had finished eating, she commandeered Ryan's lap and, using a beautifully polished bone comb Curtis had made for her, carefully combed her hair. He and Curtis had become fond of doing so, for as they did the oils from her scalp would be spread down to the rest of her hair, making it gleam and soft as silk. When she bathed she tried to keep the soap to her scalp and spare the rest of her hair, leaving Ryan or Curtis's combing to keep it clean.

She had dozed off when a knock came to the door.

"Neara?" Shay mumbled, half-asleep.

"I'll check." Ryan eased off her head from his lap.

But it wasn't Neara who stood out in the cold sleet rain. Rather, it was a balding, middle aged man with a crown of lanky, white hair and a simple kilt of deer jerkin. Behind him stood a pair of young men with matching gray hair and dog-like ears on their heads and fluffy tails poking out from beneath their skirts.

"I heard the female of this home was pregnant," said the Ape King with a friendly smile.

Ryan's tail flicked beneath his tiger print kilt and his eyes narrowed.

"You just missed it," he said. "She's already given birth."

The King seemed to ignore him, eyeing him up and down.

"A panther," he mumbled. "I thought the last of you went extinct with the last witch doctor. I was curious when I saw you at the fertility ceremony. Were they your cubs?"

"And how is that your business?"

The Ape King gave a flattering smile, one Shay recognized from car salesmen.

"I am the Ape King as well as the best doctor from the ape tribe. I personally check on the pregnant females to make sure everything is going well. It is how I support the growth of the City of Beasts and my way of doing my duty to serve and protect those of this city. I only mean you well. May I check your female for lingering injuries from the birth?"

Shay noticed the Ape King's fingers were abnormally long and inwardly shuddered. If there was ever an alien, it was him. She'd never liked monkeys.

But she was also curious about the Ape King's so called power, as well as anxious to see if he was anything of a proper doctor in the case something went wrong with her delivery and she caught an infection. Not to mention snubbing the Ape King could mean problems for them, and they couldn't move anywhere with Curtis in hibernation with eggs to incubate.

"Wait, Ryan, it's okay. Let him in."

She made to move, wincing as she did so. Ryan strode to her side, cupping his hands beneath her elbows.

"You needn't stand," he said.

"It's alright, female. I only mean to check on your womb."

Ryan helped ease her back into her furs and the Ape King knelt besides her.

"If you'd move aside your clothes from your stomach," he said. Though he sounded like a doctor, he still gave off the air of a car salesman to her.

Doing her best not to show her nerves and set Ryan off, she removed the fur shawl and lifted her shirt, revealing her stretched out, empty belly. It was remarkable to her that she had avoided stretch marks. She attributed it to the musty smelling oil Ryan had smeared on her stomach.

The Ape King put his hand over her stomach, not quite touching the skin, and closed his eyes. A sort of pressure moved through the air akin to when Ryan, Curtis, or Winston wanted to intimidate and exuded their strength.

Ryan's black tail lashed.

The older man's brow furrowed, sending wrinkles to his shiny scalp. Then he gasped, jerking back his hand and opening his eyes.

Shay thought the worse. "What's wrong? Am I broken?"

"No, no," said the King with a somewhat forced smile. "I'm just...amazing. Your fertility is phenomenal. You will most definitely be able to get pregnant next year as well. I've never seen anything like it."

"Oh," Shay wasn't quick enough on the draw to figure out what her face should do. She of course knew that, but if the Ape King were able to see just how true...

Ryan, sensing her unease, asked, "If that is all, you can leave."

"Wait, can I see the children? I can check them as well."

"They're still eggs," said Shay. "I gave birth to snake eggs."

"Oh. Well, then they're most likely fine. Snakes are a particularly durable lot." He glanced around. "I suppose your other mate is incubating them. Only two? You should have more mates, especially with fertility like that. I'll send some males to bring food down and you can pick from them."

Shay did not appreciate that. Nor did Ryan, as his hackles rose.

"I apologize, but my married life is none of your business," said Shay quietly. "And you are offending my husband with your suggestions."

The Ape King nodded his head. "Of course, I apologize. You needn't take one of them, it was only a suggestion. You were chosen by a fertility priest, afterall, and with your fertility...I am eager to see the children of that union."

Ryan stood, the air about him throbbing. "Out."

The Ape King stumbled back. His two wolfish escorts who had stood like statues outside the open door until now moved, lips curling back. But before they could squeeze past and get at Ryan, the Ape King waved them off and stepped back.

Ryan all but slammed the door after him. "Already assuming that you've accepted the rabbit."

Shay sighed. "Well, there is that agreement the rabbits have with the city. If we don't hold to it..."

"Then we'll just move once the warm season sets in. There are other villages, Shay, we don't need to live here."

Shay wilted. "But...our house. We worked so hard on it."

Looking back and seeing the look on her face, Ryan faltered.

"Aw, Shay...I shouldn't have mentioned something like that right after you've given birth. Your nesting instincts are still in full sway. I can already smell your anxiety. Look, don't think about it. This is your safe place, your home, and you'll be able to take care of your babies, okay?"

Such odd words, Shay thought, when she knew many people back home who would move with babies or not get nesting instincts at all. In fact, instinct was something spoken of in connection with animals, forget humans. And yet, being mated with beastmen, she felt as though she herself had become more animal. As though in proof, his words calmed her.

"I wish I knew what kind of toys baby snakes would enjoy," she said instead. "Curtis lived the tough and rumble life, so not even he knows. How am I even going to know how to raise them if even Curtis wasn't raised himself?"

"You'll figure it out," said Ryan, settling himself behind her again and resetting her shawl, this time around the both of them so his bare chest pressed against her back. "You're smart. And a snake's Inheritance is a remarkable thing. He will most likely remember or know a lot more than even he recognizes."

"Yeah..."

He nuzzled her ear, licking the lobe. "That's right. Don't worry and rest. The sooner you heal..." His mouth moved from her ear to the curve of her neck. "The sooner we can practice for cubs."

Shay shivered. "You're too much. Really." With his low voice and the firm muscles lining her back, and that was without the added weight of his gorgeous face.

In answer, he just purred, resting his face against the side of her neck.

For the rest of the evening, Shay rested and wove baskets, thinking of ways to make thread out of cotton and wool, while Ryan worked in the kitchen finishing carving bricks to make into a fireplace. It would be quicker to have all the materials to make it beforehand, therefore exposing the inside to the house to the cold and wet as little as possible.

Night came and they slept, with Shay delighting in her giant fuzzy cuddle buddy.

The next morning, after having breakfast together, Ryan announced he hadn't mined enough stone to finish the fireplace and, after giving her strict instructions to stay inside the house and close to Curtis, left. Shay found herself enjoying some rare alone time, which she used to try out more crafting and cooking projects.

Not long after Ryan left, a knock came to the door. Wary, but knowing it could be Neara, she cracked it open to find a truly sorry sight.

Parker stood in the rain, his breath making great white gusts and his ears so flat they had vanished into his hair. He had lost weight over the month, much like her, and his hide toga he'd taken so much pride in sewing looked like it had been torn one too many times. How it stayed on, she didn't know.

The yellow eyes that sought hers hung in the bottoms of deep, dark circles.

"Parker," Ache ache, hurt. "Oh, Parker, you look awful."

"Shay..." He dropped to his knees, letting his arms flop uselessly to the size. "Please let me be your guardian. I swear I won't ever ask to be your mate again."

"Parker..." Despite knowing it would be difficult to get back up again due to her sore stomach muscles, she dropped down too. "You silly boy, I just didn't think it would be fair to you, that it would make you miserable, to be my guardian. You deserve to be loved, don't you know that?"

His eyes instantly teared at her words. "There really is no one like you."

And she could see then, in his haggard face, what plagued so many in this world more clearly than ever. It was a starvation, a dying need to be treasured, unique--to be loved and needed.

"Where have you been? Has your mother seen you like this?"

"I'm...I'm too ashamed to face my mother. Last time she told me to stop acting like a kid now that I had a female."

Unable to resist her sympathy, Shay reached out to cup his sad, wet face.

"I think your mother loves you a lot more than you think." She shivered, the cold air rushing right through her spent body. "Come out of the cold. We can talk by the fire."

His face followed after her hands when she pulled them back and the rest of him followed out of the rain into the warm insides. She shut the door behind him and carefully wobbled back to her cozy fur spot by the fire.

"You've lost weight," said Parker, as though waking from a daze. "Wait, you've given

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