Today on "Muscle Licking": Shay realizes her overprotective males chased away the mail man, get in a fight with Neara about leaving, and a baby starts to shed.

_________________________________________________

"...Why is Neara's house empty?"

Her cool tone betrayed the utter panic popping into being.

Curtis and Parker, who had accompanied her, stiffened.

"I'm sure she wasn't kidnapped," said Curtis hurriedly. "There's no signs of a struggle."

"Winston became the new Tiger King," said Parker, more calm, but still tensed as though for battle. "I...I thought you knew."

"And you let me walk all the way over here without saying anything?"

"I thought you knew!" he repeated senselessly, losing his calm.

"Knew what?"

"Whether she'd gone with him or not!"

"How the hell would I--ugh, I don't have the energy for this." And she didn't, still being on her period. Though the cramps had eased up, only being back-bendingly awful in the beginning and near the end, it still left her feeling bloated, fatigued, and craving all the Hostess treats she couldn't have. "Stop looking like I've beaten you, it was an honest mistake. Curtis, would you be willing to carry me to Tiger Castle? I still feel awful."

"You should stay home then." But he picked her up anyway.

"What about me?" asked Parker plaintively.

"Since I don't know where the Tiger Castle is..." said Curtis with the tone of a forbearing parent.

It wasn't until they reached the road that they saw Harvey heading that same way. Even from a distance he stood out in his white clothes, and even if he wasn't wearing those white clothes, he was the only beastman that didn't instantly change directions on seeing Curtis.

"I'm assuming you're heading up to see your friend," he said.

Shay scowled. "You knew?"

Her sudden aggression startled Harvey.

"I'm sorry, knew what?"

"That Neara had moved to the Tiger Castle?"

"I-I just found that out today." He paused. "Ryan did chase away a tiger who came to visit the other day."

As she often did around these boys, she slapped a hand to her forehead and slid it down her face.

"Freaking animals," she muttered.

"She called me to treat Rosa and her mother, who had their tongues cut out by the Ape King."

Shay stiffened. "What?!"

But she was the only one caught off guard. Parker and Curtis, the latter which learned the whole 'try-to-kill-Shay-and-Neara' story from Ryan on a report-like basis, looked satisfied.

"It's the least she deserves for trying to kill you," said Parker.

"Am I the only one who thinks it's obvious he wanted to make sure they couldn't tell us something?" she sighed. "Whatever. We're leaving this place as soon as I figure out Neara's plans. Freaking Ape King. Freaking Ryan."

Curtis seemed especially pleased by her last curse to the point there was a happy flick to each back and forth swerve of his tail. He even nuzzled the top of her head.

Since he had other clients to check on anyway, Harvey left them there and Shay, Curtis, and Parker continued on to Tiger Castle, which was adjacent to Leopard Castle.

Seeing the top tower of the square Leopard Castle reminded Shay of the writing on the walls Parker had mentioned, and Parker happily planned on taking her there after their visit to Neara.

The Tiger Castle, like the other four castles of the city, had been built with a basic rectangular shape, with the floors getting smaller as they moved up. It was built of the same extreme craftsmanship as the houses, with precisely cut and smoothed stones. A roaring face of a tiger was carved on either side of the wide, doorless entrance. Perhaps it had doors at one time, maybe even a portcullis. There were markings on the vast stones of the doorway to indicate such.

They attracted the stares of the tiger beastmen that were around either working, guarding, or in one old man's case, loitering.

"It's her. I've only heard rumors."

"Whoa. How can such a beauty exist?"

"Do you think she'd..."

"Such pale skin and big eyes."

Shay sighed. "Do they not know how to whisper, or do they want me to hear everything?"

At once, the room went silent.

Curtis smirked and nuzzled her head again.

"You, my love, are endlessly entertaining."

"Glad I can amuse you."

The poor guards at the foot of the stairs didn't know whether they wanted to cower, gawk, or appear threatening. Shay amused herself with watching their ears flicker in confusion. She sure loved those kitty ears. It made her wish she had brought Ryan to ride and pet, though she had picked Curtis so she could catch up on lost time. So, to satisfy her itching hands, she wrapped her hands in Curtis's thick, satin smooth hair. If she ever had a daughter with this hair, the beastman world would completely forget about Shay's beauty.

"Is the Tiger King's female, Neara, here?" Parker asked. "Tell her Shay's here."

The guards exchanged glances, probably to debate whether they wanted to be at the beck and call of these strangers--or maybe to decide which--before the right, one with gray hair and white and black striped ears, ran up.

A minute later, Neara came running down, nearly tripping several times in her haste.

"Whoa, man, don't kill yourself," said Shay, smiling. "I'm sorry I didn't come earlier, Ryan scared away the messenger you probably sent to tell me I'd moved."

"Oh," Neara hung on the side of the steps, breathless. "So that was it."

"What, did you think I was mad at you or something? Whatever for?"

"Because..." Neara looked down, blushing. "Let's not talk here. Come upstairs. Let me show you my new living space, it's pretty cool."

"I don't doubt it. Freaking castle. Everything's freaking today." She considered getting down, but Curtis began climbing the stairs anyways.

The tiger guards gave his weaving, huge scaled tail a wide berth.

They went up and up. With each level Shay grew more excited, not only with the fact it was a castle, but because it made her feel...modern. Height was skyscrapers, parking garages, helicopters.

At the top story they turned into the smallest floor, which once more had two bedrooms branching off from the main room, as well as an archway leading onto a balcony. A firepit was in the center. Shay tapped Curtis's shoulder to put her down and ran out to the balcony, where she instantly climbed onto the wall to observe the sheer drop below as she hooked her fists onto her hips.

"Yes, yes, perfect for surveying the plebs down below and cackling."

"Get down from there!" cried Parker and Curtis at the same time.

Curtis's arms flashed around her and pulled her down.

"I wasn't going to fall!" she cried.

From the archway, Neara shuddered.

"You're crazy," said Neara.

"I was just appreciating your new crib. Can't beat a castle. Totally jealous, though not of the trip up those stairs. What if you have to pee in the middle of the night?"

"There's a lavatory on the floor below."

"Lavatory...you mean a hole in the floor that somehow connects outside?"

"...Yes."

"Sweet. Poop hole."

Parker chuckled, because he knew how to appreciate eight-year-old humor, but Neara only smiled, still wan and pale.

Shay looked around. "Where's the hubby and lambs? I want to pet those beautiful poof balls."

"He took them to the fields," she said. "Shay, are you really not mad?"

"What for? Guys, I'm probably going to be a while, why don't you go beat those bums downstairs at rugby or something."

Parker fist pumped hard. "Yes! A win in your honor!"

"Forget my honor, just stop hovering and go play."

Curtis hesitated as Parker ran past him.

"I'd...rather stay with you. I'm not interested in playing anyways."

Shay suspected it had to do with the rule of playing strictly in human form as well as his desire to be with her. Curtis wasn't confident on his human legs, as he showed by being in half animal form most of the time. "Alright. Come closer, let's cuddle. But yeah, Neara, why would I be mad? Because you got a castle?"

She looked away, pulling her fingers. "Because I...I'm not going with you."

That gave Shay pause, which was long enough for Curtis to lift her like a doll and set her in his coils. Neara very forcibly did not look at the snake half of his body like she usually did, which slightly irritated Shay. But she quickly smothered the irritation. She couldn't expect Neara to get over her snake aversion like Ryan had his. Still, Curtis was a person, an amazing, intelligent person at that, not something to be looked at like a pest.

"Yeah, I was wondering with the whole castle move." Shay folded her arms about her middle, anticipating the knot of anxiety writhing into being. "Neara, I'm not going to ask you if you're sure. I know you've thought about it. But, is it more than just not having enough mates to guard you and your kids?"

"I just don't feel safe leaving the city and bumming it in the wild. It's hard enough living without modern conveniences and we could get sick or worse and I don't feel like the whole Ape King situation is completely helpless, and I can't just ask Winston to leave now that he's the Tiger King--"

"Somehow I doubt he cares as much as you think he does."

"Well I care," Neara's hands tightened about each other, turning her knuckles white. "And even with your mates, it's still safer here for you too. What if another feral kidnaps you out there?"

Curtis's arms tightened about her. Thankfully, he said nothing, probably feeling the tension.

Shay frowned. "And I still think it's more dangerous for me here. You forget, my mates are ferals. Everyone is eyeing them as threats since they're seen as exempt from the law. Now that my babies can leave the house I'm afraid of people stumbling upon them and killing them for just that reason. Nobody here," and she looked at Neara pointedly. "Likes snakes. They don't care what kind of people they are."

"Are you saying I don't--"

"--And you're forgetting the rabbit tribe too. Once they figure out just how often we go into heat there's no telling what they, or anyone else, will do to get to us."

"And there's no telling how many people would defend us either! Winston is Tiger King now, he could defend us!"

"Why? It isn't like you're going to become his mate anytime soon."

Neara flinched. Her expression fell carefully flat and she took a calming breath.

"I could just kill the Ape King," said Curtis, as though offering to take the trash out.

Neara gestured to Curtis, nodding emphatically. "There! Problem solved."

"Did you seriously just say you're okay with murder?"

"No, it's just--look, this is a different world. Different feelings are involved. And on that note, since it's a different world, you're not going to have to worry about your kids for long anyways, they're leaving for the wild soon--"

"No they aren't. That's for Curtis and I to decide, not you."

"Fine! But he's probably going to let them go while you're not looking anyways because you're too clingy and think your ways are better than who knows how many hundreds of years of culture! If you think you're being a good mom by leaving with them rather than just raising them as snakes are supposed to be raised, you're not! You're being selfish, just like you're being now with me! I have to stay, and you're leaving even though we only have each other!"

Shay could feel Curtis turning to stone just as she had.

"Neara," said Shay, calmly. "We don't just have each other. We're a part of this world now. We have--"

"Then why do you keep trying to copy and paste our modern world into your family? Maybe you wouldn't feel so much pressure to leave if you tried to blend in rather than--"

"Neara, I've been wondering this for a while, but do you think you have postpartum depression? You've been kind of off since you had the lambs--"

"Excuse me?" Neara jumped to her feet. "You're really going to use that? Just because I don't agree with you?"

Curtis's snake-body beneath her shifted. "Shay, let's go."

"Yeah," said Shay quietly.

Neara stood in place with her jaw clenched shut, eyes bright, as she watched them go.

An acidic quiet laid over them as they slid down the stairs. Shay's throat had gone hard and tight, and her chin kept trying to wrinkle in on itself.

"Curtis," she said softly. "Am I...really being a bad mom by not letting them go yet? Am I just b-being selfish?"

He sighed. "No. Quite the opposite."

"But if letting them go is better for them--"

"You're trying to do what is best for them based off of what you know, not just off of what everyone else says." He leaned her head beneath his chin. "Even I...even I have had thoughts otherwise. When I took them hunting I didn't even know where to start. No one had taught me to hunt, it had all been instinct, but they still listened so avidly to what I had to say and when they came back to show me their kills rather than just eat them...like little offerings, wanting me to be proud..."

His voice wavered. Shay smiled, her eyes burning.

"It was unlike anything I've ever experienced, ever thought to experience." He rubbed his thumb against her temple. "I wanted to teach them more, show them more, take them swimming in the clearest water and show them the joy of racing through the trees in a heavy rainstorm, show them--show them more that would give them that gleam in their eyes again."

Tears budded out and she pressed her face against his neck to hide them.

"I'm glad," she whispered. "I'm so glad. I just want you and them to be happy. That's all I want."

"I know, my love," he kissed her brow. "Don't let words spoken from the heat of a moment overrun the words carefully considered over a long time."

She sniffed. "You're so crazy smart, Curtis. It's super sexy."

"I've been meaning to ask, what is sexy?"

She smiled against his neck. "Sexy makes me want to mate with you."

The pleased rumble in his chest made her laugh, but she still ended up crying anyways and she didn't pull away until they arrived home. She left Curtis's neck and shoulder moist with tears, which he took the opportunity to wipe from her face.

Ryan, who had been scraping a boar hide in the yard with handfuls of lye tree leaves, frowned.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Neara does not wish to come with us, and because Shay isn't staying she thought it apt to insult her skills as a mother."

Ryan dropped the hide. "What?!"

"She was just upset," she said as Curtis set her on her feet. She felt like a good stretch, and maybe another massage, was in order. "It doesn't mean anything."

Rather than grace his opinion of that, he just gave a crackling, big cat snarl along with a hard scrape of the hide that nearly tore it in two before leveling his lye and foam covered hand at Shay.

"You are the best mother any of us have ever even heard of. I don't see her giving half the amount of consideration to her fluffy poop stains that you give to your young."

Shay pulled her hands to her chest, as though burned. "Ryan! You don't live with her! You don't see everything!"

"I see enough."

"No you don't! And she hasn't been at her best lately either."

"I'd have to agree with him," said Curtis softly. "Not that I've seen the lambs at all, but from what I've heard--"

"This isn't up for discussion and I'm not comforted." She let her shoulders fall forward, threw her head back, and sighed. "Today sucks. I want fruit. And yes, I know nothing is growing yet so that wasn't a request."

Ryan and Curtis gave her pitying looks.

"Is there anything else I can get you?" Curtis asked. "It is time you ate something."

"I don't feel like eating." But she knew she'd try to eat anyways.

"Shay? Is something wrong?"

Right on time, Joseph chose to appear from around the hut, decked to the knives per the usual, freckled, and ginger ears stiff as ever.

Both Ryan and Curtis groaned.

"Can we just leave now?" Curtis whispered.

"I heard that," Joseph's ears quivered above his flat scowl. "Even if you were to leave, I will follow."

"Then we'll kill you," said Curtis with a cold smile echoed by Ryan.

"In front of your mate, who owes her winter survival to me?"

"Ugh, I ain't sticking around for this." She started on her way towards the house. "Babies!"

Several red darts whizzed through the grass and from the not-chicken coop. She felt her stomach drop.

Sure enough, Freckles and another freckled brother of his came back flecked with gold feathers and looking particularly plump.

"You didn't..."

When their heads didn't instantly drop in shame, she took it as pleasure and got ready to flick some snouts.

The moment he heard Shay's angry scolding about how her animals were her prey and off limits, Curtis zipped over, expression dark, long forked tongue flickering angrily.

The two guilty snakes withered into the grass and the others ran to their mother, hiding in her shadow as best they could since they had gotten too big to pile onto her. Not that Lazy Boy didn't try, but Curtis snapped his fangs in his direction just as his nose met the end of her braid.

Since Dad had the scolding under control, Shay went to counting.

"Six...Seven..."

Plus counting the two troublemakers...

Her heart went cold. "We're missing one..." She looked at the markings and traits, checking off each individual baby in her head, but it wasn't hard to tell which one was missing. "Babies, where's Sky?"

Little tongues flickered to each other, conversing, before a few broke off towards the house, followed by the rest. She trotted after, followed by Curtis who had Freckles and his less freckled brother in each hand, watching on from where they dangled.

"Sky?" she called the moment she was in the house.

The young snakes surrounded the nest in front of the fireplace, where a bump could be seen beneath the covers. Shay darted forward and, to not startle her baby (biting was still a possibility), slowly pulled back the blanket.

The pure red snake beneath tightened, as though to hide from the air. She heard a familiar, faint puttering.

"Oh, baby, why are you crying? What's wrong?"

Her scales looked...pinkish, she realized. She hadn't given it much thought the days before, thinking the baby's coloring had been lightening as she grew. Her eyes, after all, were a lighter color. But as she coaxed the baby's head out to get a better look, the dulled eyes gave set off the first alarm.

"Curtis," she couldn't stop her voice from pitching.

The snakes he held dropped with a thump against the floor and his hands reached around her for the lackluster baby. The baby instinctively coiled about his father's arm like a branch all the way up to his shoulder, where Curtis examined him closely. He rubbed his thumb against his nose.

Something very light pink peeled away.

His frown deepened. "He's shedding."

Shay wilted with relief. "Oh. That's good."

"No. It's bad."

"What?"

"A snake's first shedding is when they mature into adulthood. That shouldn't happen for another five years, at least."

Her body went cold. "Then...then is he...what happens when they shed too soon?"

Curtis's scarlet eyes