“I think I will tell the Mother about you now.”
The words came a little more quietly than usual, and that alone was enough to make Juno shift her attention away from the screen.
They were curled up together on the couch, Niv’s larger frame wrapped loosely around her while one of Juno’s arms rested across Niv’s middle. The movie was playing in front of them, The Fellowship of the Ring, one of Juno’s favourites, and this was actually the second time Niv had watched it with her.
She seemed to be enjoying it more this time around. The first viewing had been filled with constant confusion, especially over things like why there were small humans and also humans with pointed ears and why some of them lived in holes in the ground. Juno had ended up pausing the movie every few minutes to explain things, doing her best to break down concepts like fantasy races and storytelling in a way that made sense to someone who had never been exposed to any of it before.
This time, though, Niv seemed more comfortable with it, even if she still asked questions here and there. Juno didn’t mind in the slightest. If anything, she found it kind of endearing.
The past few weeks had settled into something warm and easy between them.
Since Niv had met Barry and Lou, things had only gotten smoother between them. There had been days where Juno would head into town on her own to handle errands while Niv stayed behind in the forest, and other days where the two of them simply wandered together beneath the trees on long, quiet hikes, talking in Niv’s halting way or just enjoying each other’s presence. And then there were the nights, which were rarely quiet at all, filled with laughter, closeness, and more than a little passion that neither of them seemed to be getting tired of anytime soon.
Somehow, without either of them really noticing when it happened, things had started to feel… domestic.
Niv spent most of her nights here now, in Juno’s den, and it no longer felt strange to wake up with her wrapped around her.
Juno paused the movie as the weight of Niv’s words sank in.
“Oh?” she said, tilting her head slightly to look up at her. “Will you be okay?”
“Yes?” Niv replied.
Juno frowned faintly.
“Why did you say that like a question?”
Niv hesitated, her ears lowering just a little.
“I… the Mother will not be happy,” she admitted slowly. “I might have to have big rock time.”
Juno blinked.
“Big rock time?” she repeated, trying to make sense of that.
Niv shifted slightly, pulling Juno a bit closer against her side as if she needed the contact.
“Punishment,” she clarified after a moment. “Sit alone. Think. Long time.”
Juno’s expression softened into a frown.
“How long will you be?” she asked.
Niv’s arms tightened around her a little more firmly.
“Be back in day or two,” she said. Then she hesitated. “If unlucky, will be more days.”
Juno leaned into her, resting her head more comfortably against Niv’s chest.
“I hope it’s something that doesn’t take too long,” she said quietly. “I’ll miss my cuddlepuppy.”
Niv’s tail gave a slow, content flick behind her.
“Hope too,” she murmured, her voice softer now as she held Juno just a little tighter.
Their evening passed by easily, slipping from one quiet moment into another the way it always seemed to when they were together. The movie eventually ended, but neither of them had really paid attention to the last stretch of it, too caught up in each other’s presence and the comfortable warmth they had settled into on the couch. At some point they had moved to the bedroom, and the night followed much the same pattern as the ones before it, soft at first, then much less so, until they finally drifted off together.
Morning came a little too quickly.
Niv was already awake by the time Juno properly stirred, though she stayed where she was for a while, watching her, committing the shape of her face and the slow rhythm of her breathing to memory before she had to leave. Eventually though, the time came.
By late morning they were standing at the front door.
Juno had walked her out, arms wrapped around Niv’s middle in a tight hug that she didn’t seem in any hurry to let go of.
“I’ll grill up some things when you get back,” she said, her voice a little quieter than usual as she leaned into her.
“Hot meats,” Niv repeated, clearly pleased with that idea.
“Yes, hot meats,” Juno said with a faint smile. “I hope it goes well. I’ll get some work done while you’re gone so I can maximise Niv time when you’re back.”
Niv huffed softly at that, then gently pried herself free from the hug. For a moment Juno thought she was about to just leave, but instead Niv shifted her weight and lowered herself down onto one knee so that they were at the same height.
The movement still caught Juno off guard every time.
Niv leaned in without hesitation and pressed her lips to Juno’s.
The kiss was warm and steady, far more confident than it had been when they first started. There had been a lot of trial and error early on, a lot of awkward moments and uncertain movements, but that had long since given way to something much smoother, something practiced and familiar.
They had gotten a lot of practice.
When they finally pulled apart, Niv lingered close for a moment.
“Be safe,” she said. “I go see the Mother.”
They kissed once more, slower this time, like neither of them quite wanted to be the one to end it.
Then Niv stood back up to her full height, towering over Juno for just a second before turning and stepping away from the house. Within moments she had slipped into the treeline, her form disappearing between the trees until there was nothing left of her but the faint sound of movement that quickly faded into silence.
Juno stood there for a while longer, staring at the spot where she had vanished.
“Fuck, I miss you,” she muttered under her breath.
She hadn’t expected to get this used to having someone around.
The house already felt quieter without her.
After a moment, Juno sighed and ran a hand through her hair before turning back inside.
Oh well.
She had work to do.
It had been many sleeps since Niv had last seen the Mother, enough that she had stopped counting them properly somewhere along the way. Each passing day had made the absence feel a little more noticeable, a quiet pull at the back of her mind that never quite went away. This visit was long overdue, and now that she was finally on her way, she could feel a growing sense of anticipation building in her chest. She missed the Mother.
The journey itself was not a short one. She moved easily through her own territory at first, her body slipping between trees and over uneven ground with the kind of practiced grace that came from years of familiarity. The scents here were known to her, every path and shift in the land something she could navigate without thinking. Eventually though, the subtle markers of her domain began to thin, and she slowed slightly as she approached the edge.
Crossing out of her territory and into the neutral zone always carried a different feeling. It was not dangerous exactly, but it was a place where things were less certain. The scents here were mixed and faded, belonging to no one and everyone at the same time. Niv kept her senses open as she moved through it, ears flicking and nose testing the air as she passed through unfamiliar stretches of land.
After a time she reached the river.
Without hesitation she stepped into it, the cool water rising around her legs as she waded through. The current tugged gently at her, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle. By the time she reached the other side, droplets clung to her skin and fur, catching the light as she climbed back onto dry ground.
From there, she continued on. The light orb in the sky had begun its slow descent by the time the first clear signs of the Mother’s territory appeared. She slowed as she crossed that invisible boundary, her posture shifting slightly as she entered the space with a mix of respect and familiarity. Once she was fully within the Mother’s territory, she finally stopped.
The journey had been long, and even she needed a moment. She stood still, drawing in a deep breath as her chest rose and fell, letting the familiar scents of this place settle over her. Then she tilted her head back, opened her maw wide, and let out a loud, warbling call that echoed through the trees.
It was not a threatening sound, nor a challenge. It was a greeting from the Daughter to the Mother, a way of announcing herself so that the Mother would know who had entered her domain.
For a few moments there was only silence, then a similar call answered from the distance.
Niv’s face broke into a wide grin at the sound, her ears perking up as warmth spread through her chest.
Without another thought, she pushed forward into a run, her body moving quickly and eagerly through the forest as she rushed toward the Mother’s den.
She rushed toward the den with growing excitement, her pace quickening the closer she got. The path there was one she had taken many times before, even if it had been far too long since her last visit. The trees grew thicker in this part of the territory, their branches weaving together overhead and casting long, shifting shadows across the forest floor. Eventually the land began to slope upward, forming a low hill, and nestled into its side was the den.
It was not immediately obvious to anyone unfamiliar with the area. The entrance had been dug deep into the earth and partially concealed by roots, brush, and the natural curve of the hill itself. To an untrained eye, it might have just looked like another patch of uneven ground among the trees.
Standing in front of it, however, was a figure that was impossible to miss.
She was large, even slightly taller than Niv, with a presence that seemed to fill the space around her. The moment Niv saw her, her entire face lit up.
“Niv!”
“Mother!”
They both moved at the same time, closing the distance between them in a matter of seconds before crashing together in a tight embrace. The impact was solid, but neither of them minded in the slightest. Arms wrapped around each other as they immediately began to nuzzle, pressing close and breathing in each other’s scent in a familiar, instinctive greeting.
“I missed you,” Niv said warmly, her voice full of affection as she leaned into her.
“I missed you, little—”
The Mother stopped mid-sentence, then pulled back slightly, her expression shifting as her nose twitched and her eyes narrowed.
“Unfamiliar scent on you,” she said slowly. “Not male.”
Niv’s ears dipped just a little as she looked up at her, suddenly a bit more uncertain.
“Is… found bond-mate,” she said, her tone turning sheepish.
The Mother’s gaze sharpened immediately.
“No,” she said, stepping back slightly as she sniffed the air again. “Smells… human.”
Niv hesitated for half a second before nodding.
“Bond-mate is… human.”
The Mother’s face twisted into a snarl, her lips pulling back to reveal sharp teeth as a low growl built in her chest.
“No!” she snapped. “You lie! My Niv is not a stupid head!”
“Juno is very nice!” Niv shot back, her own posture stiffening as she bared her teeth in return. “You will like her!”
“Humans are bad!” the Mother growled, her body lowering into a ready stance. “No more humans! Stay away from them!”
Niv mirrored her without thinking, her muscles tensing as she braced herself.
“No!” she insisted. “Juno is very nice to me and makes me hot meats and gives me the nuzzles and mating time!”
The Mother lunged. She crashed into Niv with force, driving into her and forcing her back, but Niv somehow managed to stay on her feet despite the impact. The ground shifted under her as she struggled to keep her balance.
Before Niv could fully recover, the larger woman was already on top of her, jaws snapping toward her neck. Niv twisted sharply beneath her, managing to avoid the bite as she planted her feet and pushed upward, using the movement to roll them both over.
A second later, Niv was on top.
“Mother’s sibling son was stupid head!” she snapped back, breath coming a little faster now. “He hunt humans! I didn’t hunt a human! We did gift giving and we den merged!”
“You’re a stupid head!” the Mother shot back immediately, shoving hard against Niv’s chest and sending her stumbling off. She rose back to her feet quickly, a low growl rumbling from her throat as she faced her again.
“I love the human,” Niv said, her voice firm despite the tension. “If that makes me stupid head then I am stupid head! Juno nice! You will like Juno and hot meats!”
“Humans are bad!” the Mother roared.
“Juno is good!” Niv argued right back, refusing to back down. “You like Juno! She sings good and is a good mate!”
For a long moment, the two of them simply stared at each other. The tension hung thick in the air, both of them breathing a little heavier, both of them clearly unwilling to give ground.
Then, slowly, the Mother’s posture began to ease and the snarl faded from her face, replaced by something more tired, more conflicted.
“I just worry about you,” she said at last, her voice quieter now. “You know what humans are like.”
Niv’s shoulders lowered slightly as well.
“I know, Mother,” she said. “But you meet Juno and be nice to her. She is small and nice and she promised hot meats when I return. You come and have some of my share.”
The Mother let out a low huff.
“I don’t like it,” she said bluntly. “But fine. Will check the human out. If I do not like, you must move closer to my territory.”
Niv immediately pouted.
“You will like Juno,” she said with complete confidence. “So is no problem.”
“Fine. Fine. First rest. Stay at my den. Tell me stories of your time. Then go to… human territory.”
“Yes!”
Juno missed having a giant woman to snuggle up with in her bed, and it turned out that she had gotten far more used to that than she had realised. The space beside her felt too empty, the blankets too still, and no matter how she shifted or turned, she couldn’t quite get comfortable in the same way. She ended up tossing and turning for what felt like hours, drifting in and out of a light, unsatisfying sleep that never really settled into anything deep.
By the time morning came, she felt it.
Not exhausted exactly, but off, like something small but important had been missing the whole night through.
Still, she had things to do.
The next day she threw herself into work, figuring that if she kept busy enough she wouldn’t spend the entire time thinking about how quiet the house felt without Niv in it. She sat at her desk for hours, focusing harder than she usually did, pushing through task after task with a kind of determined energy that bordered on overkill.
It was more work than she would normally get through in a week, but if she kept at it, she could clear everything out early and give herself the rest of the week free.
Not that her manager needed to know that part.
She did genuinely enjoy her job, but right now she had much better things she would rather be doing, preferably involving a certain very large cryptid woman and absolutely no interruptions.
As the day wore on, though, her focus started to slip.
The light outside had shifted into late afternoon, casting a softer glow through the windows, and Juno found herself glancing over at the clock on her computer more and more often. Each time she told herself to just keep working, that Niv had said a day or two and it hadn’t even been that long yet, but it didn’t stop the small flicker of anticipation every time she checked the time.
She wondered when Niv would be back.
Whether things had gone well.
Whether she was on her way already.
Then, suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
Juno blinked, the sound pulling her out of her thoughts.
She pushed her chair back and stood up, stretching her arms above her head as she let out a quiet breath before heading out of her office and toward the front door.
Who could that be?
Niv didn’t really knock, she usually just… appeared. So it probably wasn’t her. Maybe it was Barry. The thought made her perk up a little. If it was him, there was a decent chance he had brought something with him. He’d mentioned going out for boar not too long ago, and Juno would absolutely not complain about having some fresh meat to cook.
The idea of making something nice when Niv got back brought a small smile to her face as she reached the door.
She opened it, that smile still there. It vanished almost instantly.
“Hey, Juno,” the woman on the other side said casually. “Long time no see.”
Juno’s stomach dropped.
It was a mousey woman with curly brown hair and a smattering of freckles across her face.
It was Marie.
They had been together for seven years up until eight months ago.
And she had hoped, very sincerely, that she would never see her again.