Fred and Tom brought back the cotton and soft leaves for Amber. Nick made all of them who were not her mates guard the outside of the castle until Amber was off her period. He didn't want to risk any other episodes like what happened with Ray.
Amber asked Oliver to see her some underwear to make it easier for her to move around while she was on her period. She explained that she wanted a soft water-resistant material.
They used reptile skins because they were the most flexible. Amber tried not to think about it too much. She just got through the week with lots of baths.
She stayed inside the castle for the whole week to avoid the other beast men. Ray and the other beast guardians stayed outside the castle with the other guards.
Ray was embarrassed by his actions and didn't know how to face Amber again. He had almost given up ever mating with her after he scared her by coming on too strong.
The week passed peacefully and Amber felt like she needed a vacation to get out of the castle. "Nick, when do you want to go to the sea? We should take a family trip."
Nick thought that was a good idea. He wanted to go on a trip with Amber. "We can leave tomorrow morning if you want. It will take us a few days to get there. It will be faster if Tyler flies you there. I can leave tonight to get a head start."
Amber was excited, but also a little worried. "I don't want you to be all alone. You should take some guards with you." Nick smiled. He was touched that his mate was concerned about him.
As a beast king, not many beast men could defeat him. He would take a few guards with him mostly to keep Oliver and Eli safe. He could scout ahead on the trail and find a safe place for them to rest for the night.
It would take a few days on land, but flying could make the trip sooner. After dinner, Nick set off with the others and left Tom and Tyler with Amber. They could both fly together and take turns watching over Amber.
Amber told them to be safe and look after each other. Eli was sad to leave his mother, but excited to explore new places. Oliver gave him a little comfort, "We will see her tomorrow. We are going to scout ahead to make sure it is safe."
Eli puffed up his little chest with pride. He was proud to make sure his mother was safe. Amber laughed and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. She hugged Oliver and Nick and waved at the rest of the beast guardians.
Nick left his best guard in charge of the castle before they took off. He wasn't too worried. He just wanted to make sure their things were still there when they got back.
The next morning, Amber ate breakfast and cleaned up. She was ready to go. They made sure the castle was clean before they left.
Amber climbed on Tyler's back while Tom flew ahead to scout for potential dangers. Amber loved to fly! This time she spread her arms and enjoyed the wind in her hair!
Tyler was happy that his mate was happy. He could feel her emotions through their mate bond. The others could feel it as well, but the farther they were the less they felt it.
Nick could tell they were catching up to him when he felt the bond grow stronger. It was in the afternoon when they met up. Nick found a cave by a safe waterfall. The others were hunting for dinner when Tyler landed with Amber on his back. They had stopped earlier to snack on some fruits and for Amber to have a restroom break.
She was enjoying this trip so far! Eli got excited when he saw his mother and came running up to her. Oliver caught him before he could jump into his mother's arms.
Eli shrieked in protest, but Oliver responded, "You are getting older. You can't be climbing all over your mother. She will have more cubs soon."
Eli looked at his mother and placed a hand gently on her stomach. Amber laughed, "I'm not pregnant yet. Your father is just getting you prepared for when I do get pregnant."
Nick came up to Amber and picked her up. He was excited when she talked about getting pregnant. He was ready to mate again and to have a cub of his own. Amber was caught off guard by Nick's behavior. "Put me down, I have been flying all day. I can walk."
Nick reluctantly put her down but held her hand. Ray was keeping his distance in shame and patrolling the outskirts of their area.
Barry came up and gave Amber some meat and vegetables they found. Fred brought some nuts and berries. "I'm going to keep the nuts and berries for my snacks during my flight tomorrow."
Fred was happy she likes them. "I can get some more for you, the closer we get to the sea the more fruits are available." Amber thanked him and ate her dinner.
After dinner, she walked to the waterfall with Nick and Oliver. Tyler and Tom took turns guarding the waterfall area while Amber bathed. Nick helped Amber bathe and wash her hair. He started to get a little handsy and kissed Amber deeply. Amber finally caught her breath after a few minutes and told Nick to wait, "I'm not comfortable mating outside. We should wait until we get back to the castle."
Nick was reluctant to stop, but he respected her wishes. He leaned his forehead against hers and let the cold water calm him down.
Amber felt bad for not being able to give Nick what he wanted, but she was not comfortable being exposed outside. She wanted to finish her bath quickly and get dressed.
Nick wasn't upset. He was just happy that Amber wanted him. He understood she was shy and couldn't wait until they got back to the castle. He knew she was not from this world and was not as free with nudity as beast men.
He was glad she didn't like to flaunt her body for other beast men. If he could, he would keep her all to himself. Nick just savored the alone time while they finished bathing.
Nick helped Amber dry off and get dressed. He carried her back to the cave so she wouldn't get dirty again. Amber fell asleep quickly. It had been a long day and tomorrow they had the rest of the trip.
The next morning, Amber had breakfast, used the bathroom, and washed up. She flew on Tom's back this time. Tyler flew ahead to scout for potential dangers.
They reached the sea before the rest of the beast men. Amber could smell the salt in the breeze. She missed the beach in her hometown. This beach was beautiful.
The sand was powdery and white. The sea was a beautiful sea blue-green. There were some rocks and cliffs to the right and some mountains to the left. They went to the middle of the long stretch of beach.
There were palm trees for shade. Tyler got a few coconuts for Amber. He poked a hole in the top of the green coconut and Amber drank the coconut water. It was delicious.
Everything in the beast world tasted better than in her world. Maybe it was due to a lack of chemicals or pollution. Everything was organic. She used to go to the farmer's market with her family on the weekend and these fruits were fresher and better.
Amber enjoyed the coconut water while Tom went to find something else for them to eat. He knew the rest of the group wouldn't make it to the sea until night or the next day. He was very fast at flying.
They enjoyed the sand and the beach for a while as Amber collected sea shells. She stayed in the shallow part of the water so her feet wouldn't burn. It was a perfect day. Amber was so busy collecting sea shells that she didn't notice a pair of blue eyes staring at her.
Blue Tang was the strongest warrior in the Merfolk tribe. He spent most of his day patrolling the shores against potential threats. Their tribe used to have a female mermaid, but she was stolen by an enemy tribe.
Their leader went off to rescue her and hasn't made it back yet. It has been years and he is presumed to be dead. Without a female, their tribe will eventually perish.
Mermen were rumored to be picky. They would not accept any females that did not live up to their standard of beauty. This included most of the females from the land. Blue Tang had never seen such a beautiful female from the land.
She seemed free-spirited and easy to please. He was eager to meet her.