Author's notes: this story starts in the middle of chapter eight of the previous story.
….
Clawdeen and Toralei had been talking for some time as the party continued around them. Clawdeen was attempting to get rid of Toralei by telling the werecat about a hunting trip she went on with her dad and brothers.
"And that's how you skin a deer with your teeth," Clawdeen finished.
"Cooooool," Toralei said in fascination.
Well so much for that plan, Clawdeen thought to herself. But as long as Toralei is here, I might as well deal with something that's been bugging me for a while.
"Do you remember the conversation we had after you tried to make me break up Clawd and Draculara?" Clawdeen asked.
"Yeah. What about it?" Toralei asked.
…..
(Begin flashback)
Toralei went over to Clawdeen in the halls of the school.
"I heard Clawd and Draculara are still together," the werecat said. "I'm disappointed that you decided to back down."
"Good: that means I did the right thing," Clawdeen shot back.
"I want you to consider something, Clawdeen," Toralei said as she went up to the werewolf and put her arm over Clawdeen's shoulders. "Think about we could do together: my feline cunning and your canine ferocity combined with... whatever the twins bring to the table. We could be unstoppable."
While Toralei was talking, she lowered her hand across Clawdeen's side.
"Pass," Clawdeen said as she shrugged Toralei away from her.
…
(End flashback)
"It seems weird to me," Clawdeen continued, "that you tried to talk me into joining you after I told you off like that."
"Not really," Toralei said. "I was trying to salvage any chance I had of turning you against Cleo: what's so weird about that?"
"The part where you got all touchy with me," Clawdeen said with a glare indicating that she wanted an explanation.
"You imagined that part," Toralei explained and Clawdeen kept glaring, showing that much like earlier in the evening, she was not buying what the werecat was selling.
"And why would I do that?" Clawdeen asked venomously as she cocked her hip to the side.
"Because you have repressed, lesbianic feelings for me and don't know what to do with them," Toralei offered as an explanation and Clawdeen continued her glare of 'I know you're full of shit, so why don't you just come clean'. There was an awkward silence for a while.
"It was worth a shot," Toralei said as she slumped her head in defeat. "As you've probably figured out by now, I'm the one with lesbianic feelings."
"Wow," Clawdeen said as she put her hand on her forehead. While she figuring out how exactly she was going to handle this situation, her acute werewolf nose picked up a scent she thought she recognized. She took a few sniffs and was not happy to discover who the scent belonged to. "There is great evil among us."
"Oh, Nefera's here," Toralei said as the speakers cut out. "There are a few words I've been meaning to share with her. We'll pick this up later."
Unfortuately, you're right, Clawdeen thought as Toralei went to face someone whose narcism made Cleo seem humble by comparison. She knew that for there to be any chance of lasting peace between her friends and Toralei, the werecat's feelings for her would need to be addressed.
...
Later that night, the party had ended and everyone went to their respective homes. Clawdeen and Howleen were in their room, getting ready for bed.
"That was a great party," Howleen said jubilantly. "Any chance I can come to more of your friends' parties?"
"Probably," Clawdeen said. "Cleo and Toralei just settled their crap with each other: anything's possible."
"I had no idea that it would go as smoothly as it did," Howleen said. "Of course, I also had no idea I'd hit it off with Purrsephone as well I did either."
Clawdeen had changed into her pajamas and decided to give Crescent a few strokes before going to sleep. Her parents and siblings thought it was weird that she wanted a cat as a pet but Clawdeen didn't care. She didn't have any of the old hangups when it came to werewolfs and werecats and judging by what Howleen said earlier, neither did she. Clawdeen was very glad to hear that considering what she was about do in regards to Toralei.
...
The next morning, Clawdeen had gotten Toralei's number from Purrsephone. She texted the red-haired werecat that she wanted to talk about the matters at hand in person. After receiving Toralei's address, Clawdeen made her way over there. She knocked at the door and was greeted by a lizard woman with olive green scales wearing a black, flower print dress (which had a slit in the back for her thick tail).
"I must have the wrong address," Clawdeen said. "I'm looking for Toralei Stripe."
"You have the right house," the lizard woman said a bit of an Asian accent then turned around. She went to the living room, found Toralei sleeping on the couch and shook her awake. "Someone's at the door for you, sweetie."
"Thanks mom," Toralei said as she woke up, stood up and went over to see Clawdeen. "Sorry I couldn't greet you: decided to take a cat nap. Come in."
Clawdeen walked inside and went over to Toralei.
"This is my mom, Komodoyoko Shishimura," Toralei said as motioned at the lizard woman.
"Your mom?" Clawdeen said in puzzlement.
"Toralei's adopted," Komodoyoko said and then picked up a plate of black lumps from a nearby coffee table. "Would you care for a snack?"
"What are these things?" Clawdeen asked.
"Grasshoppers preserved in soy," Toralei said as she grabbed one and ate it. "They're pretty good."
No way I'm backing down from this, Clawdeen thought, interpreting Toralei's unusual snack choice as a challenge. She picked up one of the grasshoppers and ate it.
"Not bad," Clawdeen said.
"Can you give us some privacy mom," Toralei said, not waiting for an answer as she led Clawdeen to the den and they sat down on two chairs.
"While that was interesting," Clawdeen said, "we need to get down to business. You've had feelings for me since last year."
"Yes," Toralei admitted.
"And you told me that thing about Grizzoli and Biles last night because you wanted to get an idea of how I felt about gayness."
"Also yes."
"Why is this the first time I've heard about this?"
Toralei took a deep breath. "You were on good terms with Cleo," she began. "I interpreted that as you taking her side against me and that talking things out wouldn't get me anymore."
"So rather than try talking things out," Clawdeen began, "you decided to start doing revenge pranks with everyone thinking you were just a bitch." Clawdeen's eyes widened a bit as she realized that her statement could apply to how Toralei handled her issues with Clawdeen, Cleo and Purrsephone. "You have shitty conflict resolution skills."
"I am starting to see that about me," Toralei said. "In fact, Purrsephone and Cleo have shown me just how much can come from a gesture of good faith so I'm going to share something with you: my mom lied to you earlier, I'm not adopted."
"Huh?" Clawdeen said as she took an expression of pure confusion as she tried to put this together.
"This will probably help you make sense of it," Toralei said as she pulled a picture out of one of her jacket pockets. "I should warn you: you may find this to be disturbing."
"Well now I have to see it," Clawdeen said as she took the picture from Toralei. She looked at the picture and was simultaneously hit by both comprehension and more confusion. "You hatched from an egg?"
"Yes I did," Toralei said as she took the picture back. They waited a bit as Clawdeen attempted to understand what she just learned. "That's my only reptilian trait as far as I know, in case you were wondering."
"Good to know," Clawdeen said, starting to snap out of it.
I am so glad Purrsephone didn't leak this to the web, Toralei thought, happy that she defused her problems with Purrsephone before the dark-haired twin pulled the pin on her blackmail plan.
"I'm sorry my mom lied to you," Toralei said. "Saying I'm adopted is easier than explaining the truth for so many reasons."
"I get that," Clawdeen said.
"I should explain my family history," Toralei said as she got up and grabbed a picture from a nearby table. She handed the picture to Clawdeen and she saw that it was of a young Toralei, Komodoyoko and a male werecat who had Toralei's coat and hair colors. "That is my dad. He died about five years ago. About two years ago, my mom remarried to a werecat man named Rio Shishimura. Rio and my dad were friends and coworkers at the same private security company. He had honorary uncle status with me years before my dad died, so there are definitely worse people to be a step-dad."
"This is all fascinating, Toralei," Clawdeen said. "And I'm very happy that you've shared all this with me so I'm going to hare something with you: I am open-minded to liking you back in the way you like me."
"Really," Toralei said playfully. "I had no idea you were into other ghouls."
"No one does," Clawdeen said. "I've kept it to myself for now. And while you are nowhere near as bad as I used to think you were, I want to take things slow. And as long as we're sharing things, tell me why you like me."
Toralei grinned like the Cheshire cat upon hearing this. "You are beautiful, fierce, energetic and from how happy I've seen others around you, a great friend."
It wasn't very visible under her fur, but Clawdeen blushed at Toralei's comment. She was looking forward to how Toralei would express her feeling for her in the future.
….
Author's notes: I'm not done with this couple yet, so things will develop further between them but not for a long time.
Also, I came up with this idea before Freaky Fusion, as you could probably tell.