Chapter 451: Bored

Chapter 451: Elaris

I look at the identical pair of black fur and laugh.

"Someone enjoyed Moonfall," Eric says.

I roll my eyes and he smirks.

He is leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, looking far too pleased with himself.

"What is that on your legs?" He asks. "Did the trees attack you?"

I look at the faint scratches. They are now pink and will probably be gone in a day or two.

"Stop looking at your sister’s legs," I say.

His face scrunches in disgust.

"Gross. Did you have to say it like that?"

I stick out my tongue at him. I am never mature around Eric.

I try to respond when a ball of black fur slams into my body.The mini panther looks at me aggrieved. She changes in my arms.

"Mum is bullying me," Lyra says.

"Is she? My poor child." I hug her.

"Serves you right," Eric says.

"How is it my fault?" Lyra cries.

"There was this time when I tried to change your diaper and you peed in my face."

"Did not."

"And this other time you—"

She jumps out of my arms.

"Do not run naked in human form! Wear some clothes!" I shout after her.

She is being chased by Eric, who is telling embarrassing stories. She shifts midair, jumping down from the stairs. My heart jumps, but I remember who she is. As expected, she lands on her feet.

I head back to the room. There, buttoning up a shirt, is my mate.

I stop.

She looks up.

"You are staring," she says.

"You are beautiful," I say.

"Really?" She rubs her chin thoughtfully. "I always thought I was more handsome."

"That too," I say.

She laughs. It is a warm, genuine sound.I love it so much it warms me from the inside out.

She finishes buttoning her shirt and walks toward me. I do not move. She stops in front of me, close enough to touch.

"Did you sleep well?" she asks.

"Like a pup after a long day of hunting butterflies," I say. "I do not even remember how I got back."

"In my arms, obviously." She pulls me closer by my waist. "I had to wait for the knot to go down, and go through a maze of naked sexing wolves, and this white fog, and somehow make my way back. You trust me too much. I could have gotten us lost in that place."

I smooth out the non-existent wrinkles on her shirt.

"I do not know," I say. "When I am around you, I feel like everything is going to be okay."

"What am I? Your superhero?"

"Are you not?"

She smiles. "I can be anything you want me to be."

She rubs her nose against mine. I lean on my tiptoes to kiss her. She is so tall sometimes. Or I am so short sometimes.

She meets me halfway.

Her lips are soft.

Her lips are soft. I wrap my hands around her neck. She pulls me closer and kisses me deeper, before pulling away.

"I have errands," she says, rubbing my lower lip with her thumb. "I will never leave if I do not stop."

I nod, dazed.

She kisses my forehead and pulls away.

"Wait!"

She pauses.

"I searched all the channels, and I can only find human content." I motion to the large TV in our refurbished room that looks like it belongs in one of those human magazines. "Where is my show?"

She tilts her head.

"Yes, my show. The one with the red-skinned people, with the one eye and wings... uhm... yes... Endless Skies!"

She opens her mouth and closes it.

"Give me a moment," she says.

She walks toward the TV.I follow and watch from behind her. She pulls out some disk that looks out of this world from thin air and connects it somehow. She reboots the TV and hands me the remote.

I quickly scroll through the now familiar channels—weird-looking beings, some human, some not. There are thousands of channels, but I know the one I am searching for. 5677.

There it is.

Endless Skies.

I go through the episode information.

"No!" I gasp. "She had a child! That cannot be! He died!"

I stare at the screen, my mouth open.

"Surely it should not have been that long since I last watched?"

Daphne stands up.

"My beloved, the last time you watched, you were a mermaid. It is safe to conclude that some time may have passed."

She tries to kiss me. I shove her away.

"I have a lot to catch up on," I say, walking to the bed.

I hear Daphne grumble.

"What did you say?"

"I said I am glad you have found your show."

I know that is not what she said. I growl at her but pay her no mind.

I settle into the bed, pulling the blanket over my legs. The opening credits roll. The familiar music swells.

***

Lyra

I lick my fur and keep an ear out for any sign of movement. I shift my weight to my other paw and pause when I hear something move...

It was a lizard.

It darts across the rock in front of me, small and green and entirely unbothered by my presence. I watch it for a moment, my tail flicking with mild interest.

Besides, lizards are yuck. But that does not mean I do not like killing them.

I search after it. It catches me and runs faster, darting through the bushes, climbing trees. But I am on its tail.

My paws pound against the earth. The wind rushes past my ears. The lizard is fast, but I am faster. It darts left. I cut right. It scrambles up a tree. I leap and catch the trunk, claws digging in.

I climb.

The lizard is above me, frozen, its tiny chest heaving.

I pause.

I look at it.

It looks at me.

It is small. Green. Scared.

Hmmnn...

I kill it anyway.

It falls to the ground, limp and still.

I watch it for a moment.

I am bored again.

I see another one.