Chapter Eight

Several hours after our shopping trip I found myself nestling into one of Rel’s sofas upstairs in his apartment, while he changed out of his work clothes and made us drinks. I mulled over how to discuss certain topics with him, especially since there seemed to be promises of something a little more intimate for the night.

I looked up, sensing movement, to find Rel approaching with our glowing drinks and some snacks on a tray. Then, my attention shifted to the clothes he had changed into. Simple, loose lounge pants and a formfitting t-shirt. Decidedly not Lynir’s designs…but still enticing thanks to the way the fabric pulled across his muscular arms and torso.

“You said you had more details to discuss with me?” Rel set the tray on the low table in front of me before gracefully striding around it to join me on the couch, his tail vanishing as he went to sit.

“Yes but… What was that? Where did your tail go?” I shifted toward him, checking to make sure it hadn’t shifted to the other side.

“You hadn’t noticed any of us do that before?” Rel mused, leaning forward to grasp his drink. “We are quite proficient at shapeshifting. Using it to remove our tails when sitting or in bed are the most common uses. Most human-made furniture lacks any thought for those of us born with tails.”

“I…hadn’t thought of that,” I admitted, continuing to study him. Then, I grimaced. “Where to even begin with what we need to talk about…”

“You may as well be straightforward,” Rel mused, swirling his drink loosely in its glass.

He had a point there. I nodded, deciding to speak plainly, “Alright. The cultist and Aldiner both answered many of my questions…” Over the next while I explained to him the discussions I’d had with the odd pair, including Aldiner’s odd display of terror regarding his ‘boss.’ Finally, I worked my way around to what I really wanted to talk about. “I also asked them why one of the cultist’s ‘vessels’ called you his king.”

“You do love chasing forbidden knowledge.” Rel sighed before shifting so one of his legs was pulled onto the couch, and his torso was turned toward me. “Since you suggested we speak privately, I assume you received an answer.”

“The vessel sensed immense potential from you and immediately assumed you’re a Ter’suline,” I stated, watching as Rel’s pupils shrunk and his eyes narrowed. He remained silent, so I proceeded to tell him the details of the discussion, including my exchange in which the cultist suspected I had some latent understanding of Syldran. By the time I finished, Rel had sunk deep into thought. “Oh, and…I think it’s important to note that the cultist mentioned something about one of the first kings being traceable as a direct R’selkti ancestor. Between that and Syldra’s current culture… Aldiner and the cultist both seem worried.”

“If that’s true, a vengeful faction could call for a bloodline purge…” Rel murmured, his eyes ticking back and forth. “Even with no proof such abilities are hereditary, the paranoia regarding Ter’suline…”

“You need to discuss this with Jysel, too. Since you’re identical twins, I think there’s a good chance you would both have that power.” I leaned in and placed a hand on his forearm. “Even if you’re not, there’s the risk that the vessel you encountered could be a talker, or that other people could leap to the same conclusions. Protecting yourself—”

“Protecting myself will be easier when we decide how to deal with your predicament.” Rel grasped my hand and lifted it to his face, resting his cheek against my palm. His eyes slid closed in seeming contentment as he continued, “Ter’suline or not, I intend to join with you and help you grow. The first step is finding a way to get you off this planet—which may require you play along with Citomy’s attempts to ‘give’ or ‘sell’ us to you.”

“That’s—” I started to protest.

“—one of several options that Jysel and our respective halves of the clan have agreed to,” Rel interrupted, opening his eyes to search my face. “We are working on other threats first. The dumped prison ship, whoever keeps trying to poison your team, whoever has been directly interfering with communications within the Resonance Project HQ…”

“Communications?” I frowned, before promptly nudging him in the chest with one finger. “Hey! Wait a minute, back to Ter’suline—”

“There isn’t much else to say, other than to promise I will be careful.” Rel caught my wrist in one hand and pulled me across his lap in one motion. He let me shift onto my back but applied just enough pressure to my waist to keep me from sitting up, a devious smile spreading across his face. “Now, was there more, or can we turn our attentions to more personal matters?”

“Um… There was that discussion, what I already covered, and…” I did my best to regain my composure, even with my pulse roaring in my ears. Rel made no motion and didn’t change his expression, yet my heart rate continued to increase. I couldn’t clear my head enough to come up with whatever topics I might have wanted to discuss. “I…think those are the only developments I’m aware of?”

“Then we should see about understanding each other better,” Rel suggested, his piercing gaze fastening on my face. “I will give you options. One, we bounce different ideas between each other and ask questions to learn more. Two, I expose you to some of the media from Syldra that I enjoy, and help you learn more of our culture. Three, we skip the formalities and explore just how much you remember about your body.”

My heart did a maneuver I had no name for, heat rising to my face. “Isn’t that a little blunt?”

“That isn’t a no,” Rel pointed out, but he made no move to act upon it. Not even a twitch of his fingers against my waist. “What are you comfortable with?”

“What am I…?” I blinked at him, taken aback by the question. Even with what I knew of Syldrari, I hadn’t anticipated a continued focus on what I wanted or was okay with. It was so contrary to most human behavior I observed while working, or otherwise read about, that I had to take a moment and consider my answer. “While I’m obviously attracted to you and want to see where your damned teasing will take us, I don’t think I’m comfortable enough with myself to dive into that headfirst. I barely understand my own anatomy right now, let alone that of Syldrari.

“Which is a long way of asking…can we watch a movie or something first?”

Rel laughed and slowly shook his head. “I wasn’t sure if you were going to have the courage to respond honestly. I’m glad to see you’re breaking free of the limitations that the humans tried to teach you.

“Of course we can watch something first. And, if you’re still feeling unsure…we can wait. Or, you can let me teach you. I’m patient…and training you to please me is something I will enjoy.”

“Thanks for being understanding…” I grumbled, glancing away. Embarrassed and aroused was a terrible combination.

Rel helped me sit up, though he kept me close to his side. He made a motion with his free hand and levitated our drinks from the coffee table over to us, then another motion caused an unfamiliar metal rectangle to slide out of the ceiling near the opposite wall. A material that moved like liquid filled the frame, and it flickered to life with colors and an unrecognizable ambient sound.

“Can you read it?” Rel inquired, alternating between highlighting two triangles filled with symbols.

“No, I get a vague sense of meaning but…they’re cut off, I think?” I frowned faintly at the screen, feeling Rel shift to look down at me. “Like part of the text is missing.”

“Copy it down,” Rel stated, floating over pen and paper. “We should check to be sure.”

“Okay.” I did as he asked, copying down the highlighted line, and trying not to mess up too much. “Done.”

“Done? But…” Rel eyed my bad sketch, then the TV a few times. “Let me see… We will find a film that has a, ‘for human eyes’ version.”

“That’s a thing?” I asked skeptically.

“Yes, we have AI programs that convert our visual arts to the human vision spectrum,” Rel murmured distractedly, scrolling through a list of many, many images. “A documentary, or a movie?”

“What do you want watch?” I countered.

“You,” Rel stated. “Choose a documentary if you wish to learn history, or a movie if you wish to learn more about our modern culture. Under the circumstances, I’d recommend a movie.”

“Mhm. Let’s go with that, then.” I nodded, deciding to ignore his first answer. It could’ve meant too many things and asking for clarity would go places I didn’t feel immediately ready for.

“Genre?” Rel questioned.

“Hmmm… Not comedy, I don’t think I’ll ‘get’ the humor.” I tapped my fingers against my glass, mulling it over. “Actually, I’m going to go with the assumption that Syldrari have more genres than humans do. What’s your equivalent of an action movie?”

“Our equivalents…” Rel eyed me, letting the correction hang in the air for a moment, “…have more…depth. Films come in multiple parts because stories must be told in full detail, touching on all aspects of life. I can find you our version of an ‘action’ movie, of course, and we can begin watching the first part.” Rel paused and looked at me inquisitively, “Is it alright that I have my arm around you?”

“Hm? Yes?” I gave him a puzzled look in return.

“I want to be sure you don’t feel that I’m disrespecting you or your personal space,” he explained with a relieved smile. “Ours is both a visual and physical species. A lot of our body language is displayed through touch, not just our glow. We hold ourselves back on human planets, but, in private…”

“I don’t have any issues with you touching me. If I change my mind, I’ll say so,” I informed him. “Considering I haven’t balked at you kissing me…”

“Point taken.” Rel promptly lifted me up and set me in his lap, nuzzling his face into my shoulder. His arms wrapped around my torso as he let out a contented sigh, and I tried my best not to spill my drink everywhere. “We’ll watch this one, then. It should give you a good mix of information.”

“What’s it about?” I asked, watching as the lights in the room dimmed and Rel shifted me a little to the side in his lap.

“In human terms, it is about a Lun’iri warrior and his service to his sister’s clan—and the conflicts that ensued when he fell in love with a queen from an enemy clan,” Rel answered, letting his hand rest on my thigh. “It is based on actual events, so it should give you some insight into our culture, politics, technology, and warfare. It should be a ‘safe’ way for you to witness how our full combat armor looks and functions. And…it has a good story, too.”

“Mm. I look forward to it.” I nodded and promptly shut up, not wanting to talk over anything as he navigated through several prompts and to the movie itself. While I hadn’t spent any time watching human films, I had to assume that part of the point was to be quiet so all parties could pay attention to what was going on.

“You can rest back,” Rel murmured, tapping a finger against my thigh once. “You’ll get stiff if you stay like that.”

“Oh…like this?” I hesitated before resting back against his chest, my head by his shoulder. When I inhaled, the distinct, cologne-like scent I’d detected on several occasions filled my senses to a far less severe degree, confirming my suspicion that it was him. The fresh, bright, and alluring aroma was entirely foreign to anything else I’d smelled on Creshe. Yet, certain notes felt vaguely familiar.

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The movie began to play, and I switched my attention to that the best I could. As we watched, I realized I could hear his pulse behind my head. Where his hand splayed across my thigh, I couldn’t tell whose heartbeat I felt. His, or mine. A simple, somewhat innocent meeting of skin that made me wonder just how we had grown so comfortable with each other. Made me wonder what it was he wanted from me. With how complex Syldrari were, was it safe to assume he wanted more than physical satisfaction?

Given our interactions and his words, I believed so. Yet, some part of me worried that I might be proven wrong. Or, that I might lose what little control over my abilities. I bit back a sigh, the realization hitting me. I was the source of my hesitation. I had no way to know if I could control any of my abilities amid pleasure…and I didn’t want to cause harm to Rel if I couldn’t.

Well, aside from the other problems. Had I ever had sex before? What would please either of us? How much did he expect of me?

With difficulty, I forced myself to refocus on the movie, even as his fingers began to subtly pet my thigh in a comforting, rhythmic way. If he’d heard my thoughts…well, at least he had more context of my concerns without me having to find the courage to voice them aloud.

It took a little while, but the movie eventually grabbed my attention and I found myself watching intently as the hero found himself caught between his controlling sister and the woman he loved. The queens couldn’t come to an amicable agreement, leading to war between their respective star systems.

As the soldiers were preparing their equipment, including armor similar to the biological thing I’d seen Jysel wear once, Rel paused the movie and let out a small sigh.

“We should leave it there, for now. This first part has another three hours,” Rel explained without prompting. “Should I see you back to HQ…or will you be staying the night? You know my opinion. The choice is yours.”

“Ah…” I hesitated, a mixture of embarrassment, insecurity in my power, and desire welling up. “I…have some concerns, but I would like to stay.”

“And I’m more than happy to help with those concerns,” Rel stated, raising his hand from my thigh to my jaw, turning my head to look at him. The expression on his face, that deliciously mischievous smirk, made my chest tighten and flutter. “We can start…sweet, if you will. Gentle…exploratory…learning. That is, if I have your permission.”

I bit my tongue to refrain from making a, ‘get on with it already’ quip. The longer I saw his self-confident expression, the more I wanted to throw caution to the wind. “You have permission, Rel.”

“Good… Thank you.” Rel’s smirk grew as his fingertips traced down the front of my throat, his lips brushing against the side of my neck. “Stand up.”

Mildly puzzled, I did as he asked, and he got to his feet as well. After a murmured request, I turned to face him, studying the unfamiliar gleam in his eyes. He lifted a hand to my face and drew me closer, his lips parting as he studied me in turn. The distance closed, his lips meeting mine with a hunger that didn’t match how cautious I thought he was being. A thumb tugging at my chin drew my lips apart, and his sweet tongue slithered in, the partially pliable nodules massaging against my more human tongue.

I…wanted more. Of everything. His touch, his tongue, his body. I wanted to writhe with him until our scents were indistinguishable from each other’s. Unfamiliar emotions and sensations ran through me as he enveloped me in his arms, tracing his thumb down the back of my neck and spine.

He withdrew from my mouth, burying his face in the crook of my neck. He squeezed me toward him with one hand grasping my ass, his tongue and teeth getting equal time lavishing my neck, seeking out sensitive regions as I squirmed against him.

Then, suddenly, I felt warmth from his thumb on my back and my dress unstitched itself along one seam and dropped to the floor around my ankles. Before I could question how in the fuck he had managed that, he stepped back just barely and guided my hands to the waistband of his pants.

“Lesson one,” Rel informed me, his voice surprisingly level, given how overwhelmed I already felt, “undressing your partner is far more entertaining than using wardrobe modules. Undress me.”

“Uh, how—?” I cut myself off upon hearing how damn horny I sounded.

Rel leaned down and cupped my chin, a sly grin on his face. “Try that again.”

“I…don’t know how to do what you just did,” I answered hooking my fingers under his waistband, his tender skin tempting me to just rip his clothes off.

“Which is why I’m wearing human clothes, Salaith-daiyr. You’re overthinking it. Just…act. Guess what will entice me.” Rel pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside. “There—one less piece to worry about.”

Entice him? I hesitantly undid the buttons of his trousers, keeping my attention on his body language as I ran my fingers down his carved abdomen and hips. Concern I might embarrass myself warred with my growing desire, causing my heart to race and making me mildly dizzy.

I…wanted him. That was certain, so that was what I had to act on. Right?

Carefully, I slid my fingers down his hips, taking his pants with them and slowly lowering to my knees as I did so. His glow shifted between blue and pink wherever I touched, giving me the idea to lean in a little closer and give the sensitive skin where thigh met torso a tentative kiss, then nip. An action that, to my delight, caused his glowing patterns to erupt in a display of brilliant, pink and then a rich blue. Feeling rewarded for my attempt, I worked his pants the rest of the way down his legs, peppering his hips and thighs with nibbles as I went.

Once his pants were off, he settled on the sofa again and made a motion with one finger, lifting me into the air. “Come here.”

I expected him to drop me directly in his lap, but instead he set me to his left, with my right leg draped over his leg. His arm wrapped around my waist, his hand sliding up my stomach to trace beneath my breasts.

“Now then…don’t be shy. You need to learn about masculine anatomy, don’t you?” His teasing tone elicited a brief pout from me. He gently guided one of my hands down between his legs. At the same time, his free hand snuck around my side to slid down to my slit, his fingers tracing over it but not prying any further. “Regardless of sex, this area can be dizzyingly sensitive. If you want to lure out my cock…”

Unfamiliar emotions whirled through me as he pressed my fingers into his alien anatomy. Though it was a slit, there was no clit. The first thing I felt was a slippery opening. Rel shuddered as my fingertips pressed against the delicate membrane. There was a shifting of skin, and his dick slid out of its sheath into view.

The first third of his long appendage glowed the same colors the rest of his body displayed, gradating back to a mix of skin and glow the closer to the bulbous base that seemed to lock him out of retracting his penis.

Curiosity taking over, I ran my fingers carefully over the various fleshy ridges and nubs accentuating his shaft, my mind whirling with thoughts. How much of it could I fit in? Was the bulbous ‘knot’ something I could stuff inside myself too, or was it to keep his dick out for easy access? How would all that texture feel writhing inside me?

“Use your words not your thoughts,” Rel groaned, drawing my attention up from the set of nubs I had just run my fingers over. “You can grip tighter than that. You’re almost tickli—”

A deep, delicious moan escaped him, making me twitch in anticipation. It hadn’t occurred to me he might be vocal. I ran my fingers over that same spot again, firmer this time, causing his dick to twitch and arch in my hand, and another sound of pleasure to escape him.

It was like music to my ears. Now, I had a goal: find out what other sort of delightful sounds I could elicit from Rel’s lips.

“It bends?” I asked when his dick flexed again, his toes curling against the floor

“Mmn, yes.” Rel’s breathy voice sent a jolt through every erogenous part of my body. “Not enough to be prehensile, but enough to provide intense, aimed pleasure. A demonstration you’ll receive in due time. But first…” Rel’s fingers slid through my slit, before pinching my clit between two knuckles and applying enough pressure to startle a whimper out of me, as I reflexively closed my legs and lifted my knees toward my chest.

“That’s a little mu-uhch…fuck.” I shuddered against his hand and bit down on my lower lip, yet another shiver rocking me when he laughed. That damned deep, sensuous laugh.

“This will be—” Rel cut himself off when my pile of clothes rang. He shot the pile of cloth a foul look…but then an evil, evil smirk slid into place. “Answer it.”

“Uh…” I shot him a suspicious look as he let me stand up. Once I’d retrieved the communicator and confirmed the caller, I brought it to my ear. “What is it, Zafir?”

If Rel’s expression hadn’t already indicated I was in trouble, it sure did now. He levitated me again and set me in his lap, his dick curving upward to rub against the length of my slit. His hands made their way up my torso and to my breasts, his grip firm. I twitched against his shaft, then outright shuddered when his fingertips traced over my nipples.

Fuck. It was like my body was fifty times more sensitive when he was touching me, instead of me touching myself.

“We have a problem, you’re getting called back to deal with it,” Zafir stated. “A disturbance arose near the Brihlan sector, and Aisu is still out of commission. You need to deal with the troublemakers. …put Rel on.”

“…sure?” I asked, even as Rel plucked the communicator away from me. I managed to choke back a squeak as he pinched a nipple with his free hand and tugged. For a moment, I lost myself and rocked against his shaft, desperate to find a way to get it in from my position. His grip was just firm enough to keep me from raising my hips, keeping me from what I wanted.

“You have awful timing,” Rel informed Zafir, before falling silent to listen. When he spoke again, it was to say, “I can return her in a…mostly working state. When we’re finished. Send her team to buy time. They should be earning their keep.”

Rel turned the communicator off and tossed it back to my pile of clothes with a huff.

“Shouldn’t I…? H-hey! What? Wait—” I yelped as I levitated into the air again. This time, Rel didn’t set me down immediately. There was a hungry, predatory shine in his eyes as he stood up. A dribble of glowing fuchsia liquid leaked steadily from the tip of his dick.

“I won’t send you off without reward…but we will have to make this quick. If I must take care of myself after you leave, so be it. I will leave you to decide what you’re comfortable doing.”

“That’s a little vague,” I pointed out tracking his movements as he stretched out on his side.

“I’m going to make certain you don’t leave here dissatisfied.” Rel shot me a confident grin before motioning me over…and not setting me down at all in the direction I expected. He drew his long tongue along my inner thigh as he pulled my legs into the position he wanted them in. “Do as you like.”

Do as I…? Oh. I eyed his dick, which now seemed intimidatingly large. There was no way I could fit much of that in my mouth without hurting him. Or me.

Rel’s mouth fastened around my clit, surprising me out of my thoughts and forcing me to consciously think about not squeezing his head too hard with my thighs. He slid two fingers inside, pulling me apart just enough for his tongue to slide in.

He sought out a weakness with his tongue, the nubs massaging over sensitive patches I didn’t even know I had, while his other hand worked at my clit.

Not wanting to be outdone, or have the pleasure be one sided, I grasped his dick and began re-exploring it, massaging my fingers over every little detail in search of what made him react.

A ridge here, a nub there, it seemed as if there were favored sensitive spots peppered all over his shaft and knot. Furthermore, the tip seemed highly sensitive too.

I hesitated for a moment, second-guessing myself. If it didn’t please him, and I found out, I would be devastatingly embarrassed—no matter how willing to teach me he was. On the other hand…I felt like he would appreciate the attention. Or at least the attempt.

Fuck. I needed to find Syldran porn to study.

Deciding to just go with it, I pressed my lips to the side of his knot, then kissed over to one of the spots that I noticed made him twitch. A flick of tongue, a gentle suckle, and I was rewarded with a deep, shuddering moan. It sounded genuine. His glow shifted to one of orange-ish surprise before being consumed by hot pink entirely.

I suddenly pulled away from his dick, gasping and whimpering in surprise as his tongue rolled out of me and his mouth returned to my clit, sucking it much harder this time. Two could play that game.

It became a war of who could elicit a stronger reaction from the other. The more he made me whimper, gasp, and writhe, the more competitive I became.

Even if I couldn’t fit the damn thing in my mouth, that didn’t mean I couldn’t please him. I worked his shaft with tongue, mouth, and fingers, making my way from his knot and up toward the more manageable tip.

Upon reaching it, I ran my tongue up the remaining distance and rolled my tongue as if I was going to take him into my mouth, then gave it a kiss instead. He groaned in frustration and gave my ass a sharp slap.

As his tongue delved deep into me again, making my legs shake and clench, I slowly eased the tip of his dick past my lips, suckling the short portion that would fit without causing either of us problems. To my relief, he tasted much…better than expected. Unfamiliar, but vaguely sweet and not unpleasant.

Further emboldened by his heated moans and his thumb attending to my clit, I licked, suckled, and stroked him, experimenting with what amounts of pressure elicited what noises from him.

Unfortunately for me, he seemed to catch on to the fact that his noises affected me almost as much as his touch did. He became increasingly vocal, occasionally writhing in place as if struggling to keep himself from trying to thrust into my mouth.

Finally, seeming unwilling to ‘lose,’ Rel suddenly emitted a vibration of sound that pierced through me and broke any resistances I had left. At the same time, he sucked my clit into his mouth and hooked his fingers inside me. Causing my entire body to contract and shake as unintelligible moans and whimpers escaped me. My mind threatened to fall into haziness as I continued to shake. It took almost all my remaining willpower to continue stroking his cock while I came.

When I started to taper off, to my surprise, he lifted me away from him and sat up, his breath fast and short as he studied me, holding me out of reach of his dick.

“I…need to let you go to work,” Rel managed to point out, though his fierce expression and bright pink glow made what he wanted to do quite clear.

“Maybe…but…” I hesitated, before registering we were both covered in a faintly glowing film of fuchsia. Sweat? I eyed Rel. A little more than sweat.

Rel closed the distance and pulled me into a deep kiss, his hands gripping both my ass cheeks and squeezing hard. When he pulled back, he murmured, “Come back after work if you can. I need to find a way to take care of myself—you will miss work otherwise.”

I struggled with myself for a moment, but morals won over. People needed help, and I couldn’t endanger Zafir or my team. “I’ll give you a call when I know—if this isn’t another all night mission. Get some rest?”

“We can continue this any time.” Rel cupped my chin, his eyes fiery. “Now, or later, I will explore every part of you to my heart’s content and for however many hours I choose.