Beauty and The Beasts: Rain

56. The Curtain Rises For The Last Time

4/5 updates.  May 26th.

     Over the next month, Rain did not find any fliers that she didn't want to grind into a feathery pulp. She did successfully court the horse male she had her eyes on. He could escape while carrying cubs and fight at the same time if he needed to. He was prone to startling which Rain didn't care for, but his ears were the best among her family.

     Rain's new male was not expecting to be courted by the city's most infamous female. Dakota hadn't been in the city long, but rumors spread fast when males had the hearing that they did. He may have only just gotten his mark, but he was one of the fastest runners in his tribe before it was attacked.

     Dakota always kept his coat healthy and glossy to attract a potential spouse. He just hadn't expected to attract a snake. He was originally off-put by the thought. His instincts nearly screamed at him to run. He did on one occasion, but the female found him again. He felt the sweat trickling down his forehead.

     Dakota shouldn't be picky. He was lucky a female noticed him among his stronger and flashier clan-mates. There may not have been a lot of horses in the city, but the ones that were are far more eye-catching than him.

     In his mating form, Dakota's skin was tanned and his muscles were well-defined, but those were common traits among his clan. His long, black, straight hair was the same. Even his medium brown eyes were common. His pride hated to admit it, but he didn't stand out despite how beautiful he was.

     Even in his beast form, Dakota felt that females believed he lacked in comparison to other horses. His coat was glossy, but dark. Unless the sun was shining on it, he looked black. He did have a white sock and a slim, white blaze on his face, but females tended to not notice. He thought himself as beautiful, but knew the females of his clan didn't think so.

     Dakota tried his luck outside of horse females, but couldn't find many he could court. Most were too small and weak. They would die if they tried to birth a colt. This female, Rain, was strong. He could see her stripes and knew by her presence that they were true. She would survive the birth, even if there were complications.

     Rain watched the male in front of her alternate expressions. He looked ready to run at first, but now he stood frozen in thought. She observed his long dark ears swiveling around on his head and knew that he was constantly alert for threats. Rain figured she chose well for her needs, but her heart wasn't there.

     Rain decided anyway. Her family came first and she wouldn't treat the male poorly. "Will you join my family?" Rain figured she was moving fast, but female's, except Isabella, usually did. It was odd that it took her so long to accept the current males in her family, but then again, she had her reasons.

     Dakota thought about it, but only for a moment. "Yes." He would not get a better chance than this, so he took it. Rain was a beauty like himself. He told himself that he would be able to brag about her to the rest of his kind. He tried to quell the shaking in his limbs as he followed the female to her den.

     Dakota decided he regretted it. Her family was made up of strong predators. He should have expected that, but the thought of having a female clouded his better judgement. Rain didn't give him a chance to back out and their bond was completed that day.

     Rain stretched with a sour expression. That was the hardest she struggled in a long while. The male barely responded to her touch and his fear was almost rolling off of him. She even asked if he wanted to leave. She wouldn't actually force him if he was against it. If he had dared say yes she would have thrown him out. He did not and she hoped he would learn to relax. She wasn't going to eat him, at least not literally.