Egaran Stars - 40. Galen- Craving Sorrow

Galen stirred a pot of noodles slowly, listening to the droning hum of the Xanar’s machine. Relys had been working on Reinard for hours, which struck the Egaro as odd. There wasn’t really that much Faro to dye.

“If we’re trying to hide him, should he really be working at a porneo?” the tiger asked, looking over at Themis.

“Of course. No one expects a Faro to be working at a porneo, no matter how desperate they are. And I can almost guarantee that the Faro he will look like would be more at home in a porneo that any other Faro. They’re known to be eccentric.”

“You seem to know a lot about Faro,” Galen frowned, turning off the stove. “Do you know if they have heats? This morning he was all over me.”

“Of course he was. The poor fox probably hasn’t had a proper hug in months,” Themis said. “But as far as I know, no. They’re supposed to take on bits of their bonded, as their bodies change, but I’ve never heard anything about a Faro actively going into heat. And I don’t smell anything on him either. Is that why you weren’t coming in today?”

“Well, that and he was rather sore.”

“And the diaper? Not that I’m judging, but it’s surprising that he actually let you put one on him.”

“I didn’t,” Galen chuckled. “At least, not during the day. He’s been having some issues at night, and this seemed easier than waiting for therapy to work. Plus he looks cuter than a cub in them.”

“Do you blame him for being traumatised?”

“Not at all,” Galen said honestly. “I might ask if I can borrow one of the diapers tonight. How do you deal with the fact that at any moment, a gang of Faro could kick down your door and murder you?”

“Don’t worry, I called someone at the Alliance headquarters. Reinard is considered the last of a clan, and by Faro and Alliance law, he is supposed to be protected. There should be people watching him wherever he goes. Don’t tell him that though; I don’t want him to be worried,” Themis replied.

“I bet they’re ecstatic that he’s fucking an Egaro then…”

“They don’t know. So try to keep the PDA to a minimum. Paternal loving if anything.”

“I can do that,” Galen shrugged. “There’s something about him that makes me want to carry him around everywhere. Even though he’d probably stab me in the back if I tried to carry him outside.”

“Is he still carrying that dagger around?”

Themis let out a quiet sigh, shaking her head.

“I suppose it’s a good thing.”

“What about Cassandra? How’s her heat going?”

“I hope you realise that deal is off,” the tigress said. “You and Reinard are stuck together. I warned you not to mess with him, but no, you had to go in dick first.”

“Themis, relax, I’m not leaving him. I mean, I can’t say the thought hasn’t crossed my mind, but I fully admit that I made a mistake, and I intend to live with the consequences. Even if that means being a pater before I’m twenty.”

“Well get used to the idea. You are officially an Egaran representative to Clan Artego, and you better put your best seed forward,” Themis smirked.

“Ha, you’re hilarious…”

A door opened, Galen tensing up around the steel spoon in his hand. A black and orange Faro entered the kitchen, his entire body drooping in shame.

“Reinard?”

The Faro nodded with a shaky breath, his tail curling around his bare body.

“No hugging,” Relys warned, carrying their boxes out of the room. “Wait for the dye to dry more fully. Another hour at least.”

Reinard looked so lost, scared, and Galen felt his heart shatter into tiny pieces. Gone was the fox blustering about sex and knives, replaced with a Faro who had been beaten down by the universe until he had nothing left to give.

“Themis, was this really necessary?” Galen asked.

“Come on, haven’t you seen the Patrol movies? You always put at least a fake fur patch on the chin,” Themis said. “Besides, you look really good Reinard. A little like someone killed your favourite fish, but the colour really suits you.”

“This is a little more than a patch of chin fur,” Galen said, shaking his head.

The words seemed to slide right off the fox, Reinard climbing onto a chair.

“I know what will cheer you up,” Themis said, pulling a brownie out of the fridge.

“Please don’t. I want to be sad right now,” Reinard said quietly.

“You want to be sad?” Galen echoed in confusion. “Why would you want to be depressed?”

Reinard shrugged, resting his chin on the table. The Faro let out a sigh, closing his eyes as Galen set a plate of pasta in front of him.

“Eat up. You’ll need your energy for later,” the Egaro said.

Reinard just kept laying against the table, his ears nearly invisible against his head. Galen frowned at the Faro, motioning to Themis. The two tigers left the room, Galen shaking his head.

“Seriously Themis, I don’t think this was a good idea. Look at him, he’s miserable. Besides, how are they going to know he’s the Faro they need to protect? He looks nothing like the Reinard I know.”

“Trust me, it’s been taken care of. Besides, the change is only to his fur. His cubs will still look like him. Well, the original him. We just need to get him through the adjustment period.”

“And how exactly do we do that with someone who seems to thrive off his own misery?”

“I don’t know,” Themis admitted with a sigh. “I’m doing everything I can to keep him alive and it just seems to be making things worse.”

“Something tells me my dick isn’t going to help much with this.”

“You never know until you try. Though I’d wait until later. I don’t think he’s up for making cubs right now.”

Galen glanced back at the Faro in concern.

“Yeah, I think you’re right.”