Liz Brookshire wasn't happy.
The werelioness paced back and forth across the forest along the edge of Moon Lake College, her fur bristling.
My plan was foolproof! Karen Yuletide should have jumped at the chance to have her heart's desire working in the animation field, but instead she says "No," wanting to stay with my Peter!
She shook her head in disbelief at that.
What human wouldn't have jumped at the chance to advance their career so quickly? And my paws would have been clean too. No harm would have befallen Yuletide, except maybe a broken heart. And I certainly would have done all I could to comfort Peter in his emotional distress after she left.
Then she heard a twig snap, which quickly put Brookshire on the defensive.
With claws extended, she turned to see who was approaching her position, but retracted them upon recognizing the weretiger she was waiting for.
Worse of all, I still have to honor my promise to this cretin and show him an evening of passion for telling that art professor about the alleged job opening to begin with, Liz complained to herself.
Yet as the weretiger approached, she noticed the growing bulge between his legs as his cock hardened at the sight of the sexy lioness before him.
It's bad enough I've got to go slumming, thought Liz, truly believing that being with anyone other than another werelion, if she couldn't be with Peter Talbot, was beneath her. He just better know how to use that properly, because I can certainly use a good rutting right now.
MEANWHILE...
After the post dinner discussion with his parents*, Eric Anderson went up to his bedroom and threw himself into his homework.
It wasn't even 8 that evening yet, and his fiance Julie Stovall wasn't scheduled to make her nightly Skype chat with him until 9.
Besides, doing my school assignments will take my mind off of Julie and Arthur Curtis, thought Eric, as he dove into his work.
There was no doubt in his mind that Julie loved him. Right?
Yet, while he knew other were-mers existed (after all, his future in-laws were were-mers and he became a were-merman to be with Julie the were-mermaid), Eric never thought twice about them until meeting Arthur.
The were-mer was the same age as them, but that was were the similarities seemed to end.
Being a naturally born were-mer instead of an inductee, he was a little taller than Eric with blonde hair and piercing blue eyes.
Eric's eyes had turned a beautiful (in Julie's opinion) shade of blue when he made the change from human to were, but Eric had somehow kept his original brown hair, which allegedly didn't bother her.
"Love At First Sight" and "Destined Soulmates" were proven scientific concepts, at least among the mer. The fact that not only did he take the plunge (no pun intended) but that the couple bonded and were destined to be married and raise a family together** were taken as absolute certainties.
Yet what is it about Arthur that makes me nervous and question my relationship with Julie? Eric asked himself once more, but there was still no answer forthcoming.
Instead, Eric dove into his homework with gusto to take his mind off his troubles.
He had just about finished the last of it when his computer started chiming an incoming Skype call.
Good timing, Eric thought to himself, happy to see it was from his beloved.
But Eric was shocked to see that instead of 9, the usually punctual Julie was calling at a quarter of TEN!
"Sorry I'm late honey," began Julie, staring at her web camera. "Arthur and I got into some serious discussions concerning our oral report due Friday and—"
"It's okay. How are you doing?" asked Eric, wanting pleasant time with his fiance. He'd worry about Arthur again later and discreetly question Julie tomorrow about their "serious discussions".
"Great. I AM going to be a big sister," she said proudly with a smile.
"Fantastic," Eric said in return, although this development would cancel him attending his first major were-mer meeting in the Pacific Ocean with her next summer. After all, even for a were, there was no way her mother would be up to an extended swim regardless of when the meeting was versus when Melissa Stovall brought her baby into the world.
Eric was trying to figure out what to say next when a male voice shouted in the background, "Julie. Time to get ready for bed young lady."
"Okay Dad," Julie said over her shoulder. Then she turned to face her web cam again. "Sorry honey. See you in school."
With that, Julie ended the Skype connection without even blowing him a kiss or placing her webbed hand against the monitor in a parting gesture of their love.
Eric just stared at the darkened monitor.
Then, frustrated, Eric did something he hadn't done in months.
Not since he was a troubled, picked upon kid back in Minnesota.
He laid his head down on his desk and cried.
_____________________________________________________
*In our previous episode: "Patience, Love Takes Time".
**Between our previous episodes "Marco" through "YES!"—tmw.