Chapter Six #3
“I was his practice baby, volunteered by my family, when he wanted to learn about childcare. I watched him with his babies with my own eyes. He’s a diaper changing machine.”
The woman was scandalized, but Moira returned to her table, washed her hands, and then dove into her favourites. Nelwyn smiled, and he began to eat as well, mimicking her as he followed the movements of her hands. Borwyn did the same.
Moira felt she was being watched, and she saw Rache and Eden at their tables. She washed her hands again and went to show them what to eat and how to eat it. How to mix flavours on the leaf in front of them, to wad into a ball, and pop into their mouth.
Eden smiled, was a bit more awkward, but when she and Krossos had the hang of it, Moira glanced over at the royal table. “You guys already know how.”
There was laughter, and she went back to the Wyns and settled, washed up, and got back to business. Warm bodies pressed against her thighs, and she looked down at the young panthers pressed against her. “Hello, guys. I met your parents.”
The young ones happily leaned against her.
Nelwyn smiled as he ate. “You seem to have admirers.”
“They are girls, so don’t worry about it.”
Borwyn looked at the cats and smiled. “They are young.”
“Yes. The plan is going to be to move some males from a large cat rescue out here, and the ladies will have to show them how to use the manners of the island.”
She kept eating and then offered some shredded chicken to the teen kittens. The ladies delicately took the meat with lovely manners.
She looked at Borwyn. “So, have you free-run in a jungle before?”
“No, but I am looking forward to a practice session if you will be generous.”
“Tomorrow. I don’t want to try to climb on a full stomach.”
Nelwyn chuckled. “Tomorrow. Ten in the morning?”
She groaned. “You are harshing my first moments on the island, but sure.”
Borwyn smiled. “We promise to give you a rub down after you show us the pulse of the island.”
Moira looked at him. “Fine, but don’t get fresh.”
A familiar face with her own pregnancy bump knelt down. “Nice to see you again, Mimi.”
“Serin! Congratulations. Who is the father?”
“Deno. Spirit of the island.”
Moira looked at the Wyns. “This lady is Serin, life of the islands. Deno is the spirit of the islands, and Kekoa is the bedrock of this island in particular. Oh, this is Nelwyn and Borwyn. Nelwyn is my boss. Was my boss, and Borwyn has a garage but is looking into boat repair.”
Serin grinned, talking to Borwyn about a few island-owned businesses on the shore that were up for grabs near a sheltered cove. He leaned forward with interest and asked about environmental polices and means of moving oil and gas to the repair depot.
Moira smiled and got up, walking over to Alohi. “So, squirt, how are you feeling about all the changes?”
“Mimi?”
“Nice guess.”
He snorted. “You are the only person who ever called me squirt.”
“I thought it was a funny play on words.”
Alohi got to his feet, and Moira stood, two inches taller than him. “Heh. Short.”
He hugged her. “Funny. Are your ears sensitive?”
She leaned away from his hand. “Yes!”
Moira frowned. “Wait. Narro is part of your grouping. You should know about the ears.”
“He scares me a little.”
“Good. You are far too eager to bully Haravin. I am guessing Narro keeps you from getting all the attention all the time.”
Alohi blushed. “I hate that you know that.”
She grinned. “Secret keeper who blabs a lot. That’s me.”
“Oh!” Alohi muttered.
“Hey, Nelwyn.”
“How do you know it’s me?” The tone was amused.
“He would be more aroused than afraid if it were Borwyn.”
Nelwyn murmured, “Why?” His hands stroked her arms.
“Because you give off arm-cracking vibes. Doesn’t bother me, but Alohi is delicate.”
“Ah. Rache and hers have entered the race on Wednesday. This will be interesting.”
“Do you think they will win?”
“Probably, unless there is a swimming component.”
She grinned. “I can haul you two along if need be. Do they have density issues?”
“No, but I don’t think any of them are ready for open water.”
“Okay. Well, I am certified for water rescue. I can haul your bloated corpse to the shoreline.”
She turned to look at him with a grin.
“Corpse?”
“I am out of practice. I might have to reread the manual.”
He snorted and kissed her forehead. “Do that tonight.”
She grinned. “I will see if I can find it. Where are you guys staying?”
“The hotel.”
“Oh, they have fluffy towels there.”
“Do they? I am glad that it is where we are staying. Where are you?”
“My grandma’s house.”
“Alone?”
“Well... yes.”
He looked at her and sighed. “You should not be alone.”
“Why not? I have been for years.”
“Not as you are. You have to adapt to the changes, Moira.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Fine. I will get a cat.”
“May we stay under your roof, Moira?”
She gritted her teeth and used the manners her grandmother had instilled. “Yes?”
He laughed. “That sounded like a question.”
“Take it or leave it.”
“I will take it.”
She nodded. “I still want that kitten.”
“Is there a vet or shelter on the island?”
“Just a second.” She turned her head. “King Kekoa, is there a pet shelter on the island?”
He turned and looked at her. “Why?”
“I want a kitten, and yours are too expensive.”
He snorted.
Serin said, “There is one on the large Breakridge Island.”
“Cool. Are they online?”
“Yes.”
Moira pulled out her phone and went looking. She smiled. “There she is.”
Nelwyn looked at the soggy kitten with the collar. “She looks miserable.”
“Yup. Just the kind of project I need.” She tapped a request on the phone. She mentioned the race and wanting to pick the kitten up Thursday if it was still available.
She put her phone down. “Now I wait.”
Borwyn grinned and walked over. “When is the blessed event?”
“Thursday.”
“So, tomorrow you do kitten prep?”
“Sure. I can also show you the old businesses that Serin mentioned.”
He grinned. “Excellent.”
Moira glanced around, and Eden was speaking softly to Haravin, who was stroking her near-term belly slowly and nodding. Rache was talking with Narro, Xeti, and Terus about the dance studio.
Alohi and Kekoa were talking to Serin, Deno, and Krossos. It was quite the dinner party.
* * * *
RACHE SMILED WHEN SHE caught on to the different courtship styles. Terus was foxtrot, moving back and forth, and Xeti was elements of flamenco and rumba. It was why she had enjoyed dancing with him at the club. He worked at it.
Rache was moving with Terus, and he was intent. She murmured, “If you stab me with your stinger, there will be hell to pay.”
He grinned. “I will ask permission. If you take in my venom voluntarily, that should do the trick as well.”
She laughed. “Nice to have an option.”
Xeti took her and said, “How do you feel about the palps?”
“Ah, well, if you have a centaur-type arrangement, they will be on your hands. I don’t think they would fit. Do you go full spider?”
“I can. Both Terus and I have four forms.”
“Delightful. I only have two.”
“So far.”
“Dude, if I turn into a giant scorpion-spider combo, folks will be terrified.”
“I think it would be glorious,” he murmured as they stepped and passed each other.
“I believe you have a biased perspective.”
He laughed and pinned her against him, moving smoothly. “That, I definitely do. So, what are you thinking, half the year here, half the year in the city?”
“I am thinking that my life is there. My job is there. I like both. This is just a holiday.”
He grinned. “I am delighted to hear it. What about your friends?”
“You guys can all teleport, right?”
“Some of us can. Yes.”
“Can you?”
“Terus can.”
She nodded and smiled. “Knew he was good for something.”
Her hand was gripped, and she was spun into Terus’s arms. His eyes were glittering black. “Good for something?”
She grinned. “Oh, the pointy ears work.”
“They do, indeed, so does the tail.”
“Threats?” She arched her brows.
“No, it just seems I need to prove I am useful to you.” He grinned as they moved like old partners.
She smiled. “Well, you move well.”
“And this is with my clothes on. Imagine what I can do naked?”
“How much of naked you is armoured?”
He paused.
“That was not zero.”
He wrinkled his nose as they moved through the steps. “Five percent.”
“Yeah, I am guessing which five that is.”
He grinned. “Really? Do tell.”
She leaned against him and brought her left leg up, caressing him on the way down. “How was that guess?”
He inhaled sharply. “Good guess.”
She giggled, and then he spun and dipped her. When he pulled her up against him, she said, “I need to get some water.”
He laughed, and they joined Xeti, where he was sitting with a pitcher of water. He grinned and handed the cups to them. “So, off to a good start.”
Rache sat down. “Yes, we can all dance.”
Xeti smiled. “You move beautifully.”
“I loved dancing, but when Haravin quit because of her treacherous asshole boyfriend and her equally treacherous best friend, it stopped being fun.”
Xeti watched her sip. “How did it feel at the club?”
“Fun.” She smiled.
Terus chuckled. “Watching you wiggle your skirt up is burned into my retinas.”
Xeti nodded. “It told me two things. The first is that you don’t have problems with public exposure.”
“And the second?”
He leaned in and whispered in her ear, “You don’t mind if people watch.”
She went pink, and he grinned. He kissed her cheek, and she turned her head to him, their kiss getting deeper with his tongue sliding into her mouth in a slow and lazy rhythm that she was feeling elsewhere.
She was draped over him, and her fingers were laced in his hair when they finally parted, breathing heavily.
There was a wave of applause, and Haravin was grinning, leaning on Kekoa while Alohi was holding up a placemat with nine point eight written on it.
She sat up. “Nine point eight?”
Alohi grinned. “You didn’t stick the dismount.”
She looked down, and she was straddling Xeti, and he was smiling warmly. “True. Fair point, but wrong sport.”
Alohi grinned.