Beastmen Love

After seven days, they have everything set to start going to the ocean and meet Beau. Tyr insisted on making Astri and the cubs use the royal litter, so they’re safer and will not be seen easily.

Tyr also insists on accompanying them to the ocean with 30 of his soldiers, he wants to be sure Astri will be safe on those ships and if they can trust Beau for real.

Shung and his family came to bid them farewell. The atmosphere was one of mixed emotions—excitement for the upcoming adventure, but also a touch of sadness at the temporary separation.

"I know you’re strong and capable of protecting yourself, but let your males do that. Don’t put yourself at risk. Do you understand?" Fraz says, making Astri giggle.

"Sure. We will come back soon. When you less imagine I’ll be playing with your cubs too." Astri’s words made Fraz emotional, then she hugs Astri tightly.

Shung also hugs Astri, wishing her a safe travel and good luck on their mission. Knowing she will be probably facing hard times, but really praying for her safety.

"I’ll take care of him." Shung says to Astri and she understands he’s talking about Dieg.

"Thank you. Don’t forget, we will be always on your mind." She says.

He understands that she means Claud and she will be checking up on them from time to time. Knowing that somehow they will keep in contact is making him feel calmer.

——

Inside the litter, the cubs fell asleep with the movements of the litter. Astri also takes the opportunity to sleep, since she has been planning and projecting many things. From creating new beds to toys for the cubs to play with and not feel so bored.

Claud lets her use his lap as a pillow, brushing her hair slowly as she sleeps. He can’t deny that even knowing more than anyone else there how important this task will be, if he could he would not take her anywhere.

From time to time, her spouses would poke their heads inside to check on them. At night, Wayde plays with the boys to wear out their energy. Astri watches them loving Wayde even more.

When her other mates notice her staring at Wayde with loving eyes, they start to play with the cubs too, and Astri laughs. Yuki finds Tyr not so far and starts to whine in Astri’s arms.

Astri puts Yuki down and watches her crawl to Tyr’s direction. He smiles at her and carries her.

"Hello, my best friend. Could you gather some intelligence for me?" Tyr asks Yuki, who just answers with "tata, pfff, prrruu".

Astri chuckles, watching that little meatball looking at Tyr as if he was her favorite toy. Then Tyr stands up and shifts to his lion form, impressing Astri who never saw his lion form. He’s tall and his mane is golden and full like his hair in human form.

Tyr lays down and Yuki plays with his mane, hugging like he is the fluffiest plush toy. Astri can’t deny she also wants to touch and feel if he’s fluffy like Wayde is.

"You little traitor. You can’t go play with unmated males like this. Boys! Take her back." Lee says after realizing where Yuki was.

Elias and Kai ran to Tyr and actually jumped on him playing fight. Tyr makes sure they don’t bump on Yuki, and let the boys jump on him as much as they want.

"Look at those traitors." Wayde says.

"It’s like Astri said. Cubs have the purest energies and they like who has a good heart. He’s good. Even if I don’t want him as Astri’s male." Claud affirms.

"We don’t have good hearts?" Zin asks.

"Of course you have. They’re just more attached to anything that is new to them. That’s all. Don’t think too much about that." Astri answers.

When the boys are tired of playing, Astri calls them to sleep in the litter. She goes to take Yuki, who is almost asleep on Tyr’s front leg.

"Come, sweetheart." Astri softly says and holds Yuki, laying Yuki’s head on her shoulder.

Astri looks at Tyr, who is watching with a tender face. She made his heart jump when she touched his long mane.

"Thank you." She says in a low voice.

He couldn’t hold himself and rubbed his snout on her face a little.

"Don’t thank me for taking care of my future cubs." He says, even if only lions would understand him, he wished she could understand to watch her reaction.

She brushes his mane a little and then leaves to the litter with Yuki. Tyr is happy, apparently, his female liked his lion form and he’s beaming.

On the next day, everyone is walking in silence or chatting in a low voice. After lunch the cubs and Yuki were having a hard time taking their nap, so Astri started to sing and that amazed everyone there.

Everyone gathered closer to hear her voice more clearly, of course, not trespassing the line of protective spouses around the litter. At the end, everyone relaxed hearing Astri singing, and the cubs could sleep.

When Astri stopped singing, some of the royal soldiers started to whisper. "I think I never saw a female as perfect as Lady Astri. She’s beautiful, smart, have strong litters, kind and full of skills. I heard at The United Tribes that new males started to wait longer to find a female because most of them want to become stronger first to have a chance of calling her attention. Now I understand why. If our King weren’t courting her, I would for sure."

"Me too. She’s the most beautiful hawk I ever saw. I fell for her when I saw her arriving flying to greet our King. I was hoping a strong wind could bring her to land on me."

"Shut up. A female like her is only for the greatest males. Can’t you see? Even the Higher Priest is her male. No one can be compared to him in terms of strength."

Tyr listened to their talk in silence. He doesn’t care if she has stronger males than him, he knows it’s more important her protection than his own pride. He doesn’t judge his soldiers because they don’t know half of what Astri is too.

Every day that he passed near her, watching her, made him sure of what he desires now. He is determined to fulfill his promise and come back to stay with her. He wants to have meals with her and her family, play with cubs, and have cubs with her.

"Is that the feeling all of her males felt? The understanding that they could leave everything to be with her? I’m sure that at least Claud felt that because he risked himself and even exposed his name outside just to be with her.... Yes. I’m in love with her. And I could leave everything that I built for her." Tyr travels in his thoughts.

He finds a spot at night where he can see her in between the curtains of the litter, and her asleep. Every moment that passes is getting closer to her departure but is also making him stronger and more decided of his own decision.

"I’ll be waiting for you here.. Even if it takes forever."

——

On the fourth day morning, they arrive at the beach, Tyr orders his soldiers to stay at the forest guarding them from a distance. As they walk to the beach, the cubs are amazed looking at the ocean and feeling the sand on their paws, making it hard to follow their parents.

Astri looks at the ocean and Nature tells her exactly where Beau is. After some moments, they can see some people coming from the water and walking outside. Beau is very tall like Cyprian, with a lean muscled body and his face is almost angelic.

In the modern world, everyone would call fat people whales, but if they saw that the whale in the Beastmen World has godly features they would be amazed. Beau is wearing a dark blue skirt with white scales around the whole skirt.

The five sea beastmen look at Astri impressed because she’s small compared to all of them. They kneel and bow their heads to her.

"Goddess.." They say in unison.

"Thank you for coming and accepting to help us." Beau says.

"Don’t call me Goddess, please. My name is Astri." Astri speaks.

"No one besides the ones that are on this beach knows who she really is. For her own safety, we keep her identity concealed." Claud says.

Beau recognized Claud’s voice, but after hearing Astri’s voice for real he could confirm that she looked kind. They stand up and nod.

"We understand. Everyone in Aquaterra knows about you because the ancient sea dragon sea can sense Nature and he received the sign that you lived here. That’s how we could find you." Beau says to Astri.

"I understand now.. I hope I can meet him. Nature is telling me that he’s an ancient kind from the sea like Claud is from the land. It will be nice talking to him face to face." Astri speaks.

She presents her spouses and cubs to them, then every one of Claud’s guards. She knows all of their names.

"I am Ferd, a shutome. Guardian of Aquaterra." A man with a long pointy nose, short and gray hair speaks. He’s thin, but muscled, and has white skin too.

"I am Ryan, a manta. Guardian of Aquaterra." A man with very large shoulders and long black hair speaks. His skin is darker, but pale like it is almost gray.

"I am Shan, an oarfish. Guardian of Aquaterra." A tall man like Beau, with a wide smile and short hair with bangs says. He looks like the playful guy from the team.

"I am Hawa, a shark. Guardian of Aquaterra." He’s large and tall like Wayde, but his hair is not as long and is a deep gray.

"Nice to meet you all. Hope we will be good friends. Now! Let’s start! We have a lot to do!" Astri says, excitedly.