Chapter 29: Nick Returns
A few days later Nick returned with the salt and the group of beast men who went with him.
He went into the room and looked for Amber first. He missed her so much while he was away. Tom and Ray also missed her, but Nick was traumatized from the time she disappeared.
He always worried that she would disappear again without warning. He wanted to spend as much time with her as he could.
Amber was taking a nap and Oliver was hugging her to keep her warm.
He woke up when he heard Nick and the others enter the room.
He greeted them quietly with a nod so he didn't wake Amber. He carefully moved away from Amber and covered her with a fur blanket.
Amber shifted a little in her sleep but didn't wake up. When she rolled over Nick noticed her new Eagle mate mark on her right shoulder.
He was a little sad at the thought of sharing his mate with another male, but he knew how special she was. She would need a lot of protection.
Tyler was a good beast man and could help protect her. Tyler came back from his hunt and carried a few small birds and a basket full of eggs.
Tyler froze for a second when his eyes met Nick's. Nick just nodded at him in understanding. They silently accepted each other.
Oliver breathed a sigh of relief. He was worried that Nick would be upset and kill Tyler. He knew how much Nick loved Amber.
He also knew that Amber was special and needed lots of protection. For now the more mates the better.
Once the castle was built they would have their guards who would guard their Cheetah Queen.
The beast men all moved away from Amber so they could speak without waking her up. They still stayed in the room to watch over her. Fred was still out gathering tomatoes for Amber.
Tyler started by explaining how they became mates. He made sure to tell Nick that he asked permission first. Tom was jealous of his friend.
If he had been here instead of Tyler maybe he would be her mate now. He was the one who introduced them. He wanted to be her mate since he first met her.
Ray was also jealous and a little upset about going on the trip. He wanted to stay with Amber and protect her. He wanted to be her mate.
Nick told them about the progress of the trip. Amber's salt extraction techniques worked well. They brought back 5 giant stone tubs of salt!
This would be enough salt for the entire Beast City for 5 years! He was now the richest king in the Beast City!
Nick had convinced about 20 Cheetah males to move to the Beast City. They were mostly single beast men. A few females wanted to move to the Beast City, but most were comfortable in their caves in the Cheetah village.
He didn't want to move too many females before the cold season. It would be more hassle to try and get everything ready. Maybe next year they will move when it is warmer.
For now, Nick wanted to focus on building the castle to keep Amber safe. He wanted as many guards as possible. All of the 20 Cheetah beast men who helped him build the castle would be guards.
Amber woke up from her nap and heard them discussing the plans to build the castle. She was excited to see Nick and the other 2.
She stretched and yawned when she sat up. Then she smiled at Nick and tried to get up to go to him. He met her quickly with a hug.
Her scent soothed his restless heart. He breathed in her neck and she laughed. It tickled her.
Amber laughed and hid in his chest. Nick was happy to hear his mate laugh. Amber looked up at the other 2 beast guardians and smiled at them.
"Welcome back. How was your trip?"
Nick responded, "It was very successful! We got enough salt for the entire Beast. It's for 5 years!"
Amber was surprised at the news! She didn't expect the salt-making techniques to be so effective!
She asked, "Where is it now?" Nick replied, "I left it with the Lion King for now. I will give him some for letting us stay here. I brought 20 beast men from the Cheetah village to help build the castle. We should have it completed before the cold season."
Amber was surprised at the progress that Nick made. She was happy that they would be able to move soon and have enough salt.
She told Nick about her plans to plant a vegetable and herb garden at the castle.
Of course, he would gladly help her with anything she wanted as long as it was safe for her.
He decided to address the new mate mark. He told her, "I know about you and Tyler. I know he will help protect you."
Amber felt guilty. She told Nick, "I'm sorry. It just happened."
Nick responded, "I know. It's ok. It's a female's choice who she mates with and it is normal for a female to have multiple mates. I trust Tyler to protect you."
Amber felt relieved that Nick wasn't mad. She was starting to understand this world better. It had been months abs she was still here. Amber was starting to wonder if she would ever go back home.
Nick noticed her baby bump when he hugged her. He placed his hand on her stomach and it brought her out of her thoughts.
Amber looked into Nick's eyes. He was happy that she had gained weight. The more weight she gained the better her chances of survival during the cold months.
Amber told him, "Oliver said it must be a male because of my appetite." Nick agreed with her. He was excited to see if the cub would be his.
He would still help her raise the cub no matter who the father was. He loved Amber and any of her children.
At that moment Fred came back with a basket full of tomatoes. Amber was excited and told them, "I created a lot of new dishes while you 3 were away. I can show you a new one now with tomatoes."
The beast men were all excited to try Amber's new creation. Oliver already knew what she wanted and started to prepare the tomato sauce.
Nick watched each step carefully to remember how to make it for Amber next time. She seemed to like this food.
He noticed they used wheat flour to make stings and boiled them in water.
He asked, "Do you like the wheat? I can get some more for you. No one likes it and only saves it for emergencies. Only if all the other food is gone will beast men eat it to keep from starving to death. Most females refuse to eat it."
Amber explained, "Wheat is really good if it is prepared correctly. When it's ground up into flour it can be used in so many different ways. Remember the tortillas I made? Those had wheat flour."
Nick and Ray nodded in agreement. They remembered the tortillas. Tom didn't care for it and would rather leave it for Amber to enjoy.
Amber told them about the new recipes she had created while they were gone. She told them she would make them again if she got more wheat.
Nick could buy all the wheat in the entire city with a small bowl of salt. He would buy as much as she wanted.
Wheat stores for a long time without going bad. That is why it was saved as a last resort during the cold season. Most beast men would rather have salt.
Nick even planned to teach them how to turn meat into jerky to help preserve it longer. Of course, this would also help his business in the long run. He was now the biggest salt supplier in the city.
They all watched in anticipation as Oliver and Fred prepared the food. The smell of the sauce and the meatballs were tantalizing their tastebuds.
Soon dinner was ready and Oliver scooped a bowl for Amber first. Amber thanked him and explained to the other males how to use a fork. Barry passed out the forks and stone bowls.
They each made a bowl of spaghetti and started to eat. It was an explosion of flavors! They were all amazed by Amber's recipe.
Nick vowed to get all the ingredients she needed to make this amazing dish as much as Amber wanted. He would gladly trade salt for wheat.
Next year they will plant an entire field of wheat. It was easy to grow. The problem was that it only grew in the spring and summer.
He couldn't wait till next year! They were going to make so many new recipes.
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