Karen Yuletide, not knowing what else to do, collected her things and walked away from Liz Brookshire, so she never saw her alleged rival for Peter Talbot's affections get up and leave.
Instead, Karen started heading for her lone class of that Wednesday afternoon and was quickly greeted by her fiance.
"So, how did it go?" asked Peter, now walking along side of his lady.
"I'm sure you saw, and possibly heard, for yourself," she observed, knowing what Peter said before about a were's keen hearing even in their human form.
"Only out of concern for you," admitted her future husband, "but I was asking in regards to your opinion."
"Oh. Actually, a lot better than I thought it would. Liz didn't make a scene. Then again, what could she do?" Karen asked in return.
"True. Hopefully this will stop her from doing anything else to try and hinder our romance, let alone interfere with our future. If not, there is still Friday night," added Peter, while affectionately putting an arm around his fiance.
Karen leaned against him as they walked and said, "Part of me wonders if maybe it would be a good idea to do it now."
"That can be arranged, if you wish, but it wouldn't be as romantic as the weekend I have planned."
"I know. It was just a stray thought, but part of me is starting to believe that the sooner I become a werelioness, the closer I become to being your werelioness."
Peter stopped and looked at her. "Whatever you wish, I will honor."
"That's sweet," said Karen, before kissing him on the cheek. "But I don't want to spoil your plans for this weekend. Besides, my werelioness birth control pills are back in my dorm room and I haven't even taken the first one yet."
"Well, despite what we have planned in regards to the rest of Liz's punishment, I wasn't planning to take you right here in the middle of the campus," Peter pointed out to her.
"I know silly," Karen said with a smile, before they resumed walking.
It was a couple of moments later when Peter said, "Despite the short time we have actually been together, I feel like I have known you practically my entire life and can say with complete confidence that I believe there is something else bothering you too."
"Kind of," admitted Karen.
"What is it honey?"
"Well," she began, stopping to answer him. "It's not really a problem, but I was kind of surprised that the other ladies were so... open about the possibility of sharing each other's... company, if you know what I mean. Let alone having a chance to be with the new lioness in such... intimacy."
"Does this bother you?" Peter asked. "You can always politely refuse. No means no, even among weres."
"It's not that. Although I can still count the total number of times on one hand, I'm not a virgin when it comes to enjoying another woman sexually. It just surprised me that they could discuss it so openly and causally, as if talking about the weather or something else common place."
"I see. Well, besides having higher libidos, weres do possess a more frankness when it comes to adult subjects like sex," explained Peter.
"Like some European cultures?" wondered Karen.
"Exactly."
"Your mother was the one that first mentioned that when a werelion is busy with other members of his harem, that sometimes the lionesses that aren't involved at the moment do tend to see to each other's needs."
Now it was Peter's turn to blush, which Karen smiled at while waiting for him to respond.
Finally, Peter said, "Weres do not believe in or practice incest, but I have seen interactions among the women while the male of their group is busy at pride meetings. Even among the traditional lions, females do seem to outnumber the men, hence a lion having multiple partners to begin with. But I've explained before that despite the fact that while you may not be my only partner sexually, you shall be my only wife. Besides, there is no rule that says your... extracurricular activities have to be exclusively with lionesses."
"I never considered it from the other angle, and it's not even a question of who I'd be with, lion or lioness," said Karen. "It's just that while I've accepted having to share you from time to time within werelion society, until now I've never really thought of being shared too, let alone possibly enjoying myself while you're... busy."
"While werelions and lionesses are not swingers by the traditional definition of the term, we do have what you would call open marriages. If this bothers you, I could always—"
"No," said Karen, interrupting him. "I don't want you to change anything. Then you risk altering the man and lion I love. As long as you don't have a problem with me being with other women or men while you're unavailable..."
"Our ways may seem strange to an outsider, but to another were, let alone another werelion, they are perfectly normal," explained Peter. "I love you Karen Yuletide. Whatever my libido and responsibilities as the werelion prince of Moon Lake may say, you are the only one who shall ever occupy my heart or bear our cubs. If you wish, I will abdicate and give everything up just to be with you."
Karen looked at him with a tear in the corner of her eye. "I'm not Wallis Simpson and you're not Edward the VIII, but I do love you Peter Talbot and I want to be with you until the end of time."
With that, she kissed him.
The kiss was long, as romantic and passionate as a kiss could be in public.
When their lips finally parted, the couple stared at each other with a new and deeper understanding of their future spouse.
Karen Yuletide was late for her next class, but she didn't mind at all as her fiance walked her the rest of the way there.
MEANWHILE...
Somehow, Liz Brookshire managed to hold it together until she entered the closest ladies' room and occupied an empty stall.
The moment Liz shut the door was when she sat down on the toilet without having to do any 'business' and started crying.
Liz continued crying until long after she physically ran out of tears.
What the hell is wrong with me? With Peter? Liz wondered, grabbing some toilet paper to dry her eyes.
"Do you truly love Peter? Or do you just love the thought of being the prince's princess and potential future queen?" she remembered Alberta asking.
If this isn't love in my heart, I sure don't know what the fucking hell it is.
"For what it's worth coming from me, I don't hate you. In fact, I kind of pity you," Liz's alleged rival for Peter's heart had told her.
My mother... thought Liz, recalling what Karen had said afterward.
"Part of every girl's life growing up is stories about a handsome prince finding his one true love and sweeping the girl off her feet. Sadly, real life and fantasy don't always agree. Peter found his lady. Unfortunately it wasn't you."
Is she to blame? wondered Liz, reaching for her handbag to retrieve her cellphone. Or my own stubborn stupidity?
Either way, Liz finally worked up the confidence to place the call.
"The Brookshire residence. The lady of the house speaking," announced Agatha Brookshire, answering the household landline.
"M-mother?" began Liz.
"Yes dear. Are you all right?"
"Mother, I—" said Liz, barely able to keep from crying again before she explained everything that happened.
When she finally finished, Liz said, "Peter and this commoner seem as happy as can be. Like you and dad were before he passed away. So what do I do now?"
Agatha Brookshire thought long and hard before responding to her daughter's question...
TO BE CONTINUED...