Amber was thinking about her return trip to the beast world. She still didn't understand why she was the only one who could travel to the beast world in her dreams. She had no control over it and didn't know if she would even go back when she fell asleep again.
She thought about packing a backpack to get ready for her return trip. If she did go back this night, she wanted to bring over a few things such as soap and a few changes of underwear. She knew she would be fine without them, but it would make the beast world more comfortable for her.
She went to the bathroom with her backpack. Nick had already explored the bathroom, but Blue Tang was curious. He followed her and observed everything. Amber noticed Blue Tang was still damp with seawater.
She helped him with the shower. "Where were you? Why are you all wet?" He smelled like the ocean. Blue Tang responded, "I went to explore the ocean here. I found an abandoned Merfolk tribe cavern."
Amber was stunned, "There used to be merfolk here in our world?" Blue Tang nodded, "It looks like it has been abandoned for many decades, maybe centuries. There were signs of a mermaid cavern."
Amber was surprised to hear about this ancient mermaid cavern. Maybe all the fairy tales about mermaids started a long time ago when they were still around. She thought out loud, "There are many different stories about mermaids in my world. Maybe they were real once upon a time."
Blue Tang just nodded and wondered what happened to the ancient merfolk. Maybe they died out without a mermaid. He was glad he found Amber and hoped to have a female child with her soon.
He couldn't let the same thing happen to his merfolk tribe in the beast world. Amber showed Blue Tang the hot and cold knobs and how to use the shower. She showed him the shampoo and body wash. He was interested in them but didn't use them.
Amber took his wet clothes to the laundry room and started a quick wash. She would let him wear one of her brother's sets of clothes until his clothes dried. They would be small on him, but it was better than walking around in a towel or naked.
Amber started to pack some essentials as if she were going camping. Nick and Jasmine noticed and Jasmine asked, "What are you doing?" Amber replied, "I'm packing in case I go back to the beast world tonight. I want to bring a few things with me if I can."
Nick noticed what she was packing and couldn't help but think that they did not have those things in the beast world. Jasmine noticed her bringing soap and informed her, "Did you know that you can make soap from simple ingredients?"
Amber and Nick were instantly intrigued. Jasmine pulled up a video on her phone and played it for them. It showed different types of soap made from scratch. Nick noticed many of the plants that were used to make the soap. He didn't know why Amber wanted it, but he would make sure to gather the ingredients for her.
Amber wrote down the steps and ingredients in a notebook. She knew she wouldn't have internet in the beast world, so even if she took her phone it would eventually lose its charge and be useless.
Nick was interested in what Amber was writing. She noticed him watching her and promised, "I will teach you to read and write if you want." Nick nodded and looked at her like she was a genius.
His mate was the smartest in the world! Amber packed a few books and some blank notebooks, pencils, and pencils. She brought her colored pencils and watercolors. She knew how bored she got in the cold season.
She planned on introducing art and literacy to the beast world. She packed some playing cards and dice. She could also teach them a few games. Soon Amber's backpack was fully packed.
She spent the rest of the night with her sister looking up useful videos on how to make things from scratch that may come in handy in the beast world. She looked up cosmetics and beauty products as well as food and essentials.
While they were busy looking up videos, their Mom returned from the store and started to cook dinner. Her brother was playing another game after he gave up looking for his remote. He told his mom about it and she told him she would let him buy another one with his allowance.
She tried to instill some responsibility in her children. If she just bought it for him, he would not learn to appreciate it. She called for the girls, "Dinner's ready."
Amber and Jasmine looked at each other with the same thought. What are we going to do with these beast men? Amber looked at Nick and Blue Tang and asked, "Can you both hide in the backyard until after dinner? I will bring you some food later."
Blue Tang and Nick nodded and informed Amber, "We ate fish earlier. There is no need to give us more food." They didn't like the salty and over-seasoned food in this world. They were used to bland foods.
They went to the tree in the backyard and climbed to the top. They would not be as noticeable up there, but could still keep an eye on Amber. Nick transformed into his cheetah form to blend in better with the shadows.
Blue Tang was like a fish out of the water, but he hid in the shadows better than could be expected. They used their enhanced vision and hearing to know what was happening inside the house.
Amber's mom made a pasta dish with chicken and garlic. She made some ginger tea for Amber to help with her cramps. Amber felt bad for lying to her mother, and she drank the tea in silence. Her brother was complaining about his game remote and Jasmine was trying to change the subject.
It was a typical family dinner in their house. Amber's father was not around, so it was just her mom, sister, and brother. They were a happy family. While they ate, Amber wondered what her other family was doing in the beast world. She wondered if she would see them later tonight when she went to sleep.
She finished eating and helped her sister with the dishes and cleaning up the kitchen. Her brother took out the trash. The chores were divided among the children evenly.
The beast men outside wanted to help but knew Amber didn't want them to be seen by her mother and brother. Soon everyone was getting ready for bed. Amber snuck outside and brought some food for the beast men. Even though they said they didn't need it she didn't feel right letting them go to bed without dinner.
They tried the food and found it to be a little too salty and flavorful, but good. Nick mostly ate meat, so he didn't care for the salad and pasta. Blue Tang liked the salad. He was used to eating fish and seaweed. He usually ate kelp and other sea vegetation.
Amber had her backpack and brought it with her outside. She slept next to Nick on the tree branch. She felt safe and secure with her mates next to her. Nick made sure to hold her close to him in case she disappeared back to the beast world.
Blue Tang held her hand while he stayed awake to keep watch over her. He knew this world was different than the beast world, but he didn't let his guard down. They still had dangers in this world. He could feel it.
He didn't know what killed off the merfolk in this world, but he didn't want to take any risks. He would keep watch for the night. Jasmine had already hugged her sister and wished her a safe trip.
They discussed it a little after dinner and Jasmine remembered her grandmother saying they had some magic in their family. She wondered if that was the reason Amber was able to travel between worlds.
When they were younger, Jasmine and her sister pretended to be witches and cast some simple spells. One of the spells was a love spell. Jasmine wanted to find the perfect man for her who would never cheat or abandon her as her father did.
She thought she got her wish with her boyfriend. Maybe this beast world was the answer to Amber's wish. She had multiple men who would never cheat on her or abandon her. Jasmine was happy for her sister as long as she was happy.
She just wondered what would happen tomorrow when she woke up. Would Amber come back with more tales of the past year in the beast world? She fell asleep thinking about the next day.