The Beauty's Hidden Beast

55 - Marine Boot Camp (2.2k words)

"Here," I returned Gold the pearl, "Your pearls are considered a courting gift, aren't they?"

Gold opened his palm and waited until I dropped the pearl.

I dropped the pearl, watching as it slowly descended into his palm.

Gold crushed it with his fingers, and the sound of cracking and crunching echoed. He threw the crushed remains on the ground and stepped on them, "It's just an old tradition."

I watched as the crushed remains of the pearl scattered on the ground and wondered how many times he had done this in the past ten years.

Gold sat down and continued watching the scenery. His cold, empty gaze fixated on the lake, but he wasn't really seeing it.

· · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·

We spent a whole month sorting out the details, picking up the right gear, stockpiling, and training the mermen.

While surveying the terrain, I usually spent the night inside the bubble. During breaks, I would teach Gold the formations he'd need to pass on to his mermen. Since we would pass through other beastmen's territories, Muir and Gold needed to be ready to negotiate things with them. Luckily, having a water source nearby was a big plus for everyone.

Right after we returned to the ocean from surveying the terrain, Curtis swiftly slithered toward me. He quickly lifted my veil and pressed his lips against mine in a fervent kiss.

"You're finally back," he muttered against my lips, his hands cupping my cheeks.

"It was just three days."

Curtis looked at me deeply, his fingers caressing my face, "Too long." His arms and tail wrapped around me and pulled me closer to him. He tilted his head and deepened the kiss. His tongue invaded my mouth, claiming and demanding more, leaving no place untouched.

"I'll have to leave tomorrow," he whispered. It was getting cold, and the little snake had to hibernate during the winter season.

"Make me miss you," I said, kissing him back, "So that when you come back, I'll welcome you with open arms and maybe something else."

Chuckling, Curtis carried me deeper into the forest, leaving the rest behind. He didn't care if we were outside or inside or whether he had to use his hands or tail. All he cared about was burying himself inside me and making sure I would feel him every time I moved, reminding me of him for the rest of the day.

· · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·

Curtis's absence hit us hard right when he left. The workload piled up on Vick and Muir, who were already swamped with the construction of the canal.

I wasn't fussy about having my clothes washed, my food served, my bath warm, or my sleeping spot kept tidy, but they strongly opposed the idea of me pitching in and insisted on maintaining their high standards despite the extra pressure.

They couldn't ask Gold or another merman for help because that kind of request would automatically open the door to courting. Friendship between a male and a female was nearly impossible without the male expecting more.

I ended up shifting my focus from household chores to assisting with the canal's planning. This involved calculating the necessary height to ensure the water flowed correctly, estimating the required volume of excavation per section, and determining the optimal distribution of our merman workforce.

To finish the canal in six months, we had to dig through seven kilometers of land every day, or 300 meters every hour. It seemed like an impossible task, but not for the mermen.