Reedsy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nCurfew had less to do with safety or control of the citizens than an innate fear of the dark. The ruling elite, all grens, instituted the curfew to avoid having to go out in the dark, forcing the working class, including the naturally nocturnal baras, to toil away under the sun. As that sun set, the city was awash in streetlights, floodlights, and the lights from windows where the grens huddled in comfort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Philbert was, to his mind, quite a dashing gren; not too tall, suitably bulky, with iridescent green and gold fur. He cut a handsome figure in his police uniform, and it was only a matter of time until he\u2019d be promoted to a position where he\u2019d never again have to go on night patrol. Just the thought of it raised his hackles and made his large, round ears twitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He settled himself, smoothing his fur with his long fingers and patting his pistol in its holster, imagining her<\/em> inspecting him. Curfew, and with it his shift, was less than an hour away. Philbert made his way to the station, the crowds in his neighborhood growing as people made their way home. Most of his neighbors were baras, as it wasn\u2019t the best neighborhood. They streamed past him, tall and lithe, slick black fur, pointed ears, and every one of them wearing heavy goggles against the light of the sun.<\/p>\n\n\n\nA group of baras was standing around near the station, four males vying for the attention of the female he saw there most days. Screwing up courage he didn\u2019t possess, Philbert approached the group. \u201cHey folks, curfew is almost here. You should probably head home. Wouldn\u2019t want to have to arrest any of you.\u201d He laughed a nervous laugh, hoping they\u2019d take it as a joke rather than the spur-of-the-moment bluster it was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo sir,\u201d the large female said, \u201cyou don\u2019t<\/em> want to arrest any of us. So scared your eyes are all pupil, can\u2019t hardly see the yellow.\u201d The group laughed, throwing their heads back. The males, smaller than the female, had a bright blue stripe at the base of their neck, while the female had none.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPhilbert put his hand on his pistol. \u201cJust trying to be friendly. Don\u2019t push me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHey little guy,\u201d she said, \u201cyou should stay out of female business and leave it to the ladies. Where\u2019s your one and only to protect you, huh?\u201d The group laughed again. \u201cI\u2019m just trying to decide which of my boys I\u2019m going home with tonight, unless you think you have a shot?\u201d The laughter this time was harsh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI said, \u2018Don\u2019t push me.\u2019\u201d Philbert\u2019s grip on his pistol tightened and the spurs on his wrists extended. A firm hand on his shoulder stopped him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMove it along, please,\u201d the tall female gren said. Her brown fur with cream spots was immaculate, her eyes the brightest yellow and her ears had magnificent tufts of cream fur. It was her.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe group left, laughing. Philbert let out a sigh. \u201cThanks, Sergeant Plia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo problem.\u201d Plia patted him on the back. \u201cRina is out sick, so you can work the desk tonight if you don\u2019t want to patrol solo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI can do a solo patrol,\u201d he said, with the most bravado he could muster. She was out of his league for now, but he was determined to change that. Unlike the baras with their harems, grens mated for life, as it should be, and males like Philbert did everything they could to be an ideal mate for powerful females like Plia. It helped that the male-female ratio of grens was close to even while male baras outnumbered females nearly five to one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cClock in and take the down-east foot patrol tonight.\u201d Plia ran a hand along his ear, both calming and exciting him at the same time. \u201cThink you can handle that, Phil?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He puffed out his chest. \u201cYes, Plia… uh, Sergeant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust a suggestion,\u201d she said. \u201cDon\u2019t try to intimidate a female bara when she\u2019s with her harem. Forces her to stand up to you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Philbert nodded. His heart, so light a moment ago at her touch now dropped like a lead weight into his belly. \u201cThank you, Sergeant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By not looking at the sky, Philbert was able to walk his rounds without being too spooked. The massive streetlights and floodlights provided almost as much illumination as an overcast day. The little scurrying animals in the alleys gave him the willies, though. Four-footed, scampering animals that didn\u2019t even lay eggs. Their young came right out of them fully formed, with long teeth for gnawing and biting. Some people kept them as pets, but they were just so<\/em> disgusting.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIt was on his third trip around the neighborhood when the lights went out. Every streetlight, floodlight, window, and sign went dark. No moonlight or stars, as the overcast sky hid them. Philbert began to shiver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His ears swiveled forward and back, alerting on every little sound. The shuffle of the four-footed creatures, the click of beetles, the sounds of grens in the apartments above scrambling to find candles while the baras in their<\/em> apartments whooped with joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOne sound, though, he wasn\u2019t expecting. She sounded like the female bara he\u2019d encountered in front of the station. \u201cYou okay there, little guy?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His hackles raised and the spurs on his wrists extended, but he felt himself unable to move. \u201cWh\u2014who\u2019s there?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m Lyla, and you\u2019re Phil, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He turned around slowly, unable to see anything. \u201cIt\u2019s, uh, Philbert.\u201d His hand found his flashlight and he turned it on. It was the female from earlier, but she wasn\u2019t wearing her goggles. Her large eyes reflected the light back like warning beacons before she held her hand up to block the light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOw! Turn that thing off! Are you trying to blind me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He turned it off without a thought to do otherwise. \u201cNo, I…, I can\u2019t see anything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, now neither can I. Give me a minute to readjust, and I\u2019ll get you home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIs your ha\u2014harem around?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, they\u2019re being good boys and staying home. Maybe. Or they\u2019re off playing with some other female. Either way, they aren\u2019t here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy are you out?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo you have any idea how rare it is to be able to see the city? I mean really see<\/em> it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cUh, yeah. I used to work days like a normal person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cImagine trying to navigate the city while having a searchlight pointed in your eyes.\u201d Lyla placed a hand on his shoulder. It was far gentler and more comforting than he would have guessed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat would, uh, make me blind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cExactly. Hurts like hell. We don\u2019t have daytime eyes like you, but we don\u2019t make the rules in this part of the country.\u201d She cocked her head. \u201cNow that I can really see you, you\u2019re pretty fancy. I think I\u2019m going to have to call you Fancy from now on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Philbert\u2019s eyes strained, but he was beginning to see at least vague outlines. \u201cI can see a little bit,\u201d he said, \u201cbut not very well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s good. Come on, Fancy, let\u2019s get you back to the station, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAre\u2014are you turning yourself in for breaking curfew?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her laugh was gentle. \u201cNo, silly. I\u2019m just getting the poor male back home before something terrible happens to him.\u201d She rubbed his back, which he found oddly comforting. \u201cI\u2019m a proper female who cares for her males.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Philbert stiffened. Did she just select me for her harem? She\u2019s not even a gren. And those pointy ears, and those eyes.<\/em> He turned to face her, and got as close as he dared, trying to see her eyes. They were dark orbs, not the glowing terrors he had imagined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cLet\u2019s go Fancy,\u201d she brushed his ear as Plia had done earlier. \u201cI want to get you back before I get accused of kidnapping a police officer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Philbert accepted her offered hand, their fingers intertwined, and let her lead him. After a few stumbles on curbs and uneven sidewalks, Lyla put her arm around his shoulder and held him close. Instinctively, he put his arm around her waist and let himself be led. She wasn\u2019t the beauty that Plia was, but there was something about her that pulled him in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLyla, what did you mean when you said your<\/em> males?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nLyla led him to a park bench and sat with him. She faced him, placing her hands along both sides of his face. \u201cOh, little Fancy. Want to join my harem?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, I uh…, I mean…,\u201d he wasn\u2019t sure what he meant. \u201cI\u2019m confused.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, you poor thing. Lyla will take care of you, until you find your one and only, if that\u2019s what you want.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou scared me before,\u201d he said, \u201cbut you\u2019re so comforting. Maybe even more than Plia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe\u2019s the female that has all the males in the station strutting about, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He nodded, embarrassed by the transparency of his gender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019ll never win her over.\u201d She stroked his ears. \u201cShe\u2019s been making nesting eyes at one of the city council.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow\u2014how do you know that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI work in City Hall.\u201d She chuckled. \u201cWhen you\u2019re just the bara that cleans the toilets and dumps the trash, you see everything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The clouds parted and moonlight pierced the sky, brighter than Philbert could have imagined. Stars began to peek out from the breaking clouds. He\u2019d never seen anything like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lyla turned her eyes to the sky, the moonlight reflecting bright purple in her eyes, and making her black fur gleam. \u201cI\u2019ve missed this. It\u2019s beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is,\u201d he said staring, captivated by her eyes. He found himself thinking unnatural thoughts about her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lyla turned back to him and stroked his ears again. \u201cI usually prefer my boys taller and thinner, but I think we could get along quite well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou mean that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI do, little Fancy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEven if it means I pair-bond with you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDoes it mean I have to give up my harem?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He laughed. \u201cI can\u2019t believe I\u2019m saying it, but no, it doesn\u2019t. You just feel right<\/em>. I know it\u2019s unnatural, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nShe shushed him and pulled him to a warm embrace. \u201cDoes this feel unnatural to you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He melted into her strong arms, feeling protected, secure. In that moment, she was the female of his dreams; his one and only. \u201cNo, it doesn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They held each other for another hour, until the city lights began turning back on, and Lyla had to put her goggles back on. Philbert\u2019s heart ached when the bright orbs were hidden from his view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, I didn\u2019t get you back to the station, but I kept you safe. Feel better, Fancy?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI do. But you say that like you\u2019re leaving me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m giving you the option to back out.\u201d She rubbed his ears again. \u201cCome see me tomorrow at the same spot you met me. I\u2019ll be alone, and you can give me your decision in the full light of day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Philbert nodded. \u201cI\u2019ll see you then. You should, uh, probably get home before another patrol comes around. Hate for you to be arrested.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know how to stay out of trouble,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ll see you tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the end of shift, Philbert watched the other unbonded males as they reported to Plia. They puffed up as they spoke to her, putting on their most cheery demeanor. Away from the presence of the only eligible female in the station, however, their moods were much more sullen, the blackout having sapped their spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Corporal Keeri, a pair-bonded female, stopped him on his way to make his report. \u201cYou look down, Philbert. If you want to turn the sergeant\u2019s head, you should act more confident. She\u2019s obviously picky, or she\u2019d be bonded by now. Handsome guy like yourself might have a chance if you cheer up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThanks, Keeri, but I heard she already has eyes for someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhere did you hear that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLy\u2014a friend that works in City Hall.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou know, when I bonded, my boy was just like you.\u201d She gave him a pat on the rear before turning her attention to two officers that were fighting with a male bara to get him to look at the camera. \u201cDon\u2019t take his guff! Take those damn goggles off and hit him with the flash until he behaves!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCorporal! Do you have any idea how painful that is for them?\u201d Philbert wasn\u2019t sure where this assertiveness to a female, and a superior at that, was coming from. \u201cIt\u2019s like being forced to stare at the sun!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGot a soft-spot for tall, dark, and skinny, eh?\u201d Keeri shook her head. \u201cFigures. Go see the sergeant and give her your report.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Philbert walked into the sergeant\u2019s office, his head held high, his fur smooth, his chest resolutely not<\/em> puffed up. \u201cPhilbert reporting. No activity in the down-east on my watch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cAnd during the power outage?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUsed my flashlight, stayed to the main roads.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGood job, Phil.\u201d Plia cocked her head. \u201cI notice you\u2019re not posturing. Did you pair-bond and I didn\u2019t hear about it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYe\u2014no, not\u2026 maybe.\u201d He shook his head. \u201cDoesn\u2019t matter. I know you\u2019re interested in someone in City Hall. I\u2019m no competition.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs curious as I am how you know about Gillam, I\u2019m more curious about how you answered my question. Did sweet little Phil find himself a one and only, or not?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m\u2026 not sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLet me know when you figure it out. Now get your cute little self out of my face. See you at sundown.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOne other thing, Sergeant.\u201d He screwed up his courage and let it out. \u201cKeeri and some of the others are torturing the bara in booking. Purposely flashing the camera in his eyes with his goggles off. I know… baras. This is incredibly painful for them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat took some bones to let me know, Philbert.\u201d She tilted her head and studied him from head to toe. \u201cThank you. I\u2019ll deal with it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She used my full name! And she was checking me out! Do I have a chance?<\/em> Philbert stopped his runaway thoughts. There was no way he could compare to a city council member.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPhilbert tossed and turned for hours before sleep came. He dreamt that Plia came to him with open arms. She embraced him and he felt tense, frightened. When she morphed into Lyla, he relaxed, overwhelmed with a sense of comfort and security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The alarm jolted him awake, and he felt the bed beside him, but no one was there. He sighed as he realized it had been a dream. He shook himself awake and washed up, grooming his fur carefully. Where he had been imagining Plia the previous morning while doing this, he couldn\u2019t get Lyla out of his mind. I would have to share. Can I?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nHe arrived at the station early to wait for Lyla. He smoothed his uniform and fur, and stood tall, his chest puffed out. A sharp whistle caught his attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHey, pretty boy! Wanna ride?\u201d It was a female gren, driving a sports car, her fur grey at the temples. The ring in her ear marked her as a widow, no doubt desperate for a new male to pair-bond with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Philbert shook his head and turned away from her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTease! Pair-bonded boy out here struttin\u2019 like you\u2019re lookin\u2019 for something. Your female should take you over her knee and\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He stopped listening to her and she finally drove off in a squeal of tires. He deflated, his head and shoulders drooped. Who am I kidding?<\/em> Lyla hadn\u2019t been serious; she was just trying to keep him from arresting her. There was no way she was interested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cHey, Fancy. You feeling down?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Philbert jerked to attention and looked up at her. \u201cYou came?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI said I would.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He shivered, his hair fluffing out. \u201cYou meant it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course I did.\u201d She smoothed the fur on his ears. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t have said it if I didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her touch calmed him, and it took everything he had not to melt into her. \u201cWhat if you get tired of me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lyla lifted his face to hers. \u201cI can only promise that I\u2019ll do everything in my power not to hurt you. Except for monogamy. I can\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut\u2026 I\u2019ll be at the bottom of the harem, the last in line for your attention.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not like that,\u201d she said. \u201cSure, there\u2019ll be times when I\u2019m with another boy in the harem, or outside it, even. But I always make time for my males. All<\/em> of them. I have to be honest with you, though\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nHere it comes.<\/em> His shoulders dropped in anticipation of the bad news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cI\u2019m only staying in the city for another year, maybe<\/em> two, before I move back to my mother\u2019s nut farm.\u201d She stroked his ears. \u201cIt\u2019s out in the country, there\u2019s no curfew, and it\u2019s mostly bara, but there\u2019s quite a few gren there too. I\u2019m sure you could get a job in the constable\u2019s office, no problem. Big city police officer and all that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cI want to start on my brood soon, just not in the city.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2014I thought it was going to be something bad.\u201d He stood straight, looked up at her, and puffed out his chest. \u201cYes, if you\u2019ll have me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Philbert fell into her embrace, feeling secure, even as the comments of passing females reached his ears. \u201cDisgusting!\u201d \u201cUnnatural.\u201d \u201cAnother gren male ruined.\u201d He looked up to see her focused entirely on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She whispered in his ear, \u201cYou should get to work now. If you\u2019re down-east again tonight, I\u2019ll see you in the park.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He nodded and left her, feeling light. Plia stopped him. \u201cIgnore the jealous females. If you\u2019re happy, that\u2019s all that matters. So, that\u2019s who you\u2019re maybe<\/em> pair-bonded with?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cYeah. But no maybe about it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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