Chapter 55: Unicorn
Astri feeds the children and goes take care of her garden as they play together under the shade of a tree.
Claud is next to the cubs and Zin is helping Astri. Then Lee comes walking to them, as always wearing beautiful silk clothes and expensive gems to tie his hair.
"Guess who’s back again. Wearing the finest silk. Don’t look too hard, might hurt yourself.." Astri sings and then dances around Lee. "I’m a dangerous male with some gems in my hair. Got to blame on nature!" She sings, making everyone laugh.
Lee grabs her and bites her shoulder.
"Ow! Ow! All right! I’ll stop." She says laughing.
"Don’t have to. I liked the song. You singing for me makes me want to steal you and tie you on our bed." He speaks, kissing her neck.
"Yeah. I noticed. That’s why you’re a dangerous male. Stop it!" She pushes him laughing.
"It’s hard! You’re too delicious." He says and then he sighs, getting hold of himself. "All right. I came to help Zin with the cubs. Claud said he will be bringing you to train your full shifting."
"Oh really?" Astri looks at Claud.
Claud nods with a smile for her. Deep inside he’s nervous, because he will finally have alone time with her.
"I’ll take you somewhere no one will see you, but you will be protected. Eight guards will be protecting us." Claud says.
"All right! I can’t wait to try. I never saw myself in my beast form." She excitedly says.
"I want to see again. You’re so beautiful in your beast form." Zin speaks remembering when he saw her closely, however for a short time.
"Me too. You’re the most beautiful female in all forms." Lee says.
"Once I learn I can try shifting inside the castle for you to see." Astri speaks.
Astri goes feed Yuki again to make sure she won’t feel hungry while Astri is out.
"Remember that mating somewhere even your guards can see is forbidden." Lee tells Claud.
"No one will ever see her body if it depends on me." Claud affirms.
"Good. I’m happy you’re jealous and protective like me."
"He’s not crazy like you and doesn’t have a dirty mouth." Zin sneers.
"Shut up, worm."
Claud chuckles.
"I’m so grateful I’ve fell in love with Astri. It’s good living this kind of conversations. Living like a normal beastman. Feel like a normal beastman." Claud says.
Lee and Zin smile, actually happy for him.
"Astri changed all of us. For the good." Lee affirms.
—--
Claud and Astri walk together to the forest, holding hands. Astri looks around.
"Where are your guards?" She asks.
"Our guards. They’re around us. Preventing anyone to pass." Claud says.
"I see. I will faint like the last time?"
"No. Now you control better your connection with nature. You will do great."
"Was it hard for you to shift for the first time?" She asks.
"I don’t remember quite well. It’s been so long. My father taught me, it’s all I remember." He answers.
"You said you were raised hidden too. Then your father and you moved to the Great Wall Temple after your mother died."
"Yes. We could live hidden in a village until she died. She was a Centaur. She lived for 34 years."
"So young.. Your father must have suffered."
"He did. He died when he was more than 400 years old, but everyday he would remember her."
"I imagine how it will be..." She softly says.
"What do you mean?" He asks.
"Grow old and watch you and Cyprian don’t get old."
He chuckles.
"You won’t get old. That’s something I only told the others, but I didn’t tell you until you asked. Pegasus can live forever if healthy and not killed like your father was." He tells.
She even stopped walking with the shocking news. He stops too and looks at her.
"Are you serious?" She asks.
"Yes." He nods.
"But... then I’ll watch everyone die?.." She asks sadly.
"No. The reason your spousal marks are the same color of your beast mark it’s because you share your energies with your spouses. They will live forever too."
She sighs more relaxed.
"I don’t know about the cubs. Only when they shift that I’ll be sure that all of them were affected by your energy. However Yuki also has the same color of your beast mark. I believe she will also live forever if she lives near you always." He explains.
"So all of our kids might be immortal too? This could be dangerous for them too." She is worried.
He holds her arms and rubs them to calm her down.
"It might be. However, we will raise them protected. You shouldn’t worry too much. They will be happy."
She feels more relieved and hugs him tightly.
"An eternal life is not worth without any of you." She says.
He smiles hugging her back, completely agreeing.
"Before meeting you I wouldn’t agree with that. But now I completely agree. If I don’t have you, there’s no reason for me to exist." He speaks.
"There’s something I want to ask you. I trust only you for this."
He looks at her curious.
"I know none of you will ever let something happen to me. But if someday something happens, anything, I want you to prioritize our cubs. Keep them safe. Make sure they’re fine before doing anything." She says.
"What are you saying? Nothing will happen."
"I know. Just promise me you will keep everyone’s heads in place and will keep the cubs protected."
He sighs, hating the idea of even imagining her being taken away. He nods agreeing, but not entirely sure if he will think straight if something happens to her. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
She smiles in response and then tiptoes to kiss his lips. He kisses her back, hugging her close to him. Promising the world that he won’t let anything happen to her or to their cubs.
He brings her to a lake. There’s a clear area around it and some tall and large trees.
"Unicorns rarely shift. Different from other beastmen, we only shift for survival, to teach our cubs and to our mates. Shifting to a female is the same as telling her we want her forever." He says to her and then he starts to undress.
She blushes watching him. He always wears long vests, but she already felt he had a strong body when she hugs him. He’s not as muscled as the others, but his body is far from someone who doesn’t work out. On the right side of his chest, there’s a mark of a unicorn.
His mark is light blue, and his experience marks are different. He has six but they’re long lines twirling around the unicorn.
He starts shifting and she watches him amazed. He’s a big horse with a long light blue horn in the middle of his head. His color is light gold and his eyes are gray like his human form eyes.
His light blond long manes are straight like his hair.
"You’re... so beautiful." She says, amazed.
"Thank you. But not as beautiful as you." He speaks in her mind.
He gets closer to her and touches her face with his snout. She smiles, passing her hands on his face and then neck, brushing his hair. They pass some time like this, she touching his mane, his fur, and his strong neck.
"You can talk to me because we’re similar?" She asks.
"No. Unicorns and Pegasus can communicate through their minds. That’s why I told you I could teach you someday."
She chuckles.
"I remember."
"Now you try. Close your eyes."
She closes her eyes.
"Take a deep breath.. and relax. Now imagine your four legs. Your manes. Imagine you in your beast form and let the energy of your body flow."
She follows what he says and then her body shines lightly, then it stops shining and her body starts to shift.
"You did it." He proudly says.
She opens her eyes and then looks at herself. She’s amazed! She looks at herself in the water of the lake to try to see more details of her form.
"I’m big! As big as you!"
"Pegasus are bigger naturally."
She starts walking, then running around like a cub learning how to use something. Claud watches her very much in love, feeling actually silly. She tries flying, but not going higher than the trees.
After getting used to herself, she walks back to Claud and rubs her face on his. They share this moment of affection as a Unicorn and a Pegasus. But from nowhere, Astri pushes him to the lake and he falls in the water.
She laughs and jumps in the water too. He grins and moves his head a bit, but that makes a wave of water splash on her. They happily play together, and Claud couldn’t be happier.