Chapter 42 Portal.

Chapter 42: 42 Portal.

The temperature in the room figuratively dropped. Even Ayra’s tail stopped wagging.

"The portals follow you," Elsa stated. Not asked. Stated. She’d clearly been thinking about it, and she was as sure of it as I was now.

"Yeah. Which means wherever I go, interdimensional monsters come along." I took a long drink, hoping the coffee would provide answers. It didn’t, of course. "Sheriff Miller is already suspicious. Those skeletons might have cleaned up the mess, but people notice when their local mall gets a surprise monster delivery."

Ayra’s ears drooped. "What does this mean for us?"

"It means we need to lay low. Stay home, and avoid public places where spontaneous portal generation might cause a scene." I looked between them, trying to gauge their reactions. "I know it’s not ideal—"

"It’s perfect!" Ayra bounced back instantly. "More time alone with Master!"

Elsa scoffed. "I think I’ve amply established that I detest leaving the comfort of our domicile if it means I won’t be carried in your arms."

Leave it to these girls to find the silver lining in self-imposed house arrest. I sighed, but couldn’t hide a smile. "Actually, this could work well. We can focus on training and preparing for when Juniper arrives."

"Oh! Yes. I miss Juniper already," Ayra said, pouting as her tail sank between her legs.

"Right, about that," I continued. "What exactly should I expect from her?"

The look they exchanged was hard to read.

"Juniper is..." Elsa paused, apparently trying to find diplomatic vocabulary. "Serious."

"She’s a bit like you, Master," Ayra supplied.

"Okay, but what IS she?" I interrupted the adjective game. "Another elf? Dog-girl? What’s her species?"

"Oh no," Elsa laughed in a way that didn’t reassure me at all. "Juniper is a bit complicated to describe in familiar terms to a human of Earthrealm."

"With certain unique traits," Ayra added, giggling like she knew a secret I didn’t.

"What kind of traits?"

They did that look thing again. I was starting to hate that look thing.

"You’ll see, my champion," Elsa said in a quiet, cautious tone somewhat unlike her. "The important thing is that she’s our party’s strategist and a master of arcane knowledge. If anyone can figure out why the portals follow you and what to do about it, it’s Juniper."

Welp, that had to be good enough for now. "Great. So we hunker down and wait for her?"

"Yes. And hope your human sheriff doesn’t poke around and cause too much trouble in the meantime," Ayra added.

We migrated to the living room where Elsa immediately claimed the couch and started browsing streaming services.

Ayra fidgeted nearby, shaking with anticipation for some reason.

I soon found out why.

"Master," she said in a tone that was too cute not to make me suspicious. "Since we’re staying home today... perhaps you could fulfill your promise?"

I arched an eyebrow at her. "Which promise would that be?"

The dog-girl dropped to all fours with grace. Her eyes went huge and glossy all of a sudden. "You said you would administer discipline for my failures yesterday! I’ve been dreading what cruel punishment my heartless master might devise..." Her wagging tail completely undermined her words.

As she bent over, her borrowed shorts stretched taut across her rear, showing off an ass so perfect it would make Instagram influencers privately reflect.

The gods of her world had blessed her with a rump that was both athletic and tantalizingly soft-looking, with an impeccable heart shape.

Her tan skin had a peach-like quality, flawless and smooth, and she wiggled it slightly from side to side as if begging for attention.

From the couch, Elsa’s eye roll looked dangerous for her sockets. "She’s been obsessing about that constantly since we rose this morning." Her eyes narrowed as they flicked between me and Ayra’s prominently displayed booty. "I fail to comprehend why my champion should waste his valuable attention on such a display when he has a willing elven princess at his disposal."

"Did you say since this morning? How absurd!" Ayra protested as she arched her back to further emphasize her assets. "I’ve been thinking about it since yesterday!"

Elsa’s expression darkened as she watched me watching Ayra.

She shifted her position on the couch to better display her own lithe form, crossing her legs in a way that drew attention to her delicate ankles and smooth thighs. "Are you quite finished gawking at the canine, Grey? I was rather hoping we might enjoy some quality time together of our own." Her pointed ears twitched.

I sighed, but honestly? There was something weirdly endearing about both their dedication to claiming my attention. "I did promise Ayra, and it seems like she isn’t about to let this go. Elsa, let her have this one. I’ll spoil you more later."

The elven princess’s eyebrows raised together as she appeared to ponder what that might entail. "Very well, champion. Proceed with the discipline."

"Yes! Thank you, Master!" She visibly shook with excitement, the weird girl.

I led her to the couch and sat down, patting my lap. "Come here."

Ayra draped herself across my thighs with the eagerness of someone receiving a gift rather than punishment, positioning her perfectly rounded ass high in the air. I gently pulled down her shorts to reveal a pair of lacy black panties that barely hid anything.

"These look good on you," I observed, tracing the waistband with my finger.

"I ordered them along with the other clothes," she admitted breathlessly.

From her watchful position in the armchair, Elsa made a small sound of interest despite her attempt to appear bored.

I hooked my fingers under Ayra’s panties’ elastic and slowly pulled them down, revealing her bare bottom’s full glory.

Her tan line-graced skin formed two perfect hemispheres with subtle dimples at the lower back framing them like nature’s own artwork.

After appreciating the view, I gently massaged the exposed flesh.

Ayra’s breath caught. "Aren’t you going to punish your disobedient hound, Master?"

I paused. Something in her eager tone made me need to establish clarity before proceeding. "Ayra, understand this. No matter how rough I get, it doesn’t mean I’m actually upset with you. This isn’t real punishment."

"I won’t be fooled," she quipped with a nervous laugh. "Your apparent mercy is but a thin veil over your—"