A couple days later Alice Winters was looking out of the small window of her berth in the Cassiopeia, awe written all over her face. They’d been on approach to the Event Horizon for more than fifteen minutes and she hadn’t looked away once. The name of the ship stood out proudly in white against her dark gray metallic body. At almost two kilometers in length and over five hundred meters wide, Alice was given a good few minutes more to look over the ship itself before the ferry slid into its berth in hangar D-4. Alice knew from the blueprints her father provided that the ship itself was split down the long end into five different major columns, A through E. Regardless of column or section, the crew quarters, bridge, mess hall, and other frequented areas were all towards the center of the roughly cylindrical ship, allowing them the strongest gravity provided by the fusion reactor and warp drive core, which ran the length of the ship front to back before terminating in the main thruster array on the aft end of the ship. The fore of the ship was capped by a single, massive, circular shuttle bay which, unlike the hangar Alice was now in, was close enough to the end of the core to experience approximately normal gravity. As a result, unlike the other hangars that meant that the shuttles took off through the “roof”, not the sides. Zipping up her duffel, Alice opened the door to her berth and joined the orderly procession of people that were leaving the Cassiopeia via the rear cabin door.
“Ah, the unintended consequences of having a seat at the front,” Natori mused from behind her.
“Good day, Admiral. You’re well?” Alice responded politely, casting a glance over her shoulder.
“Thrilled, Alice. It’s no exaggeration to say I’ve been waiting for this moment for close to two decades. Such is life, though. No matter how quickly our technology advances, it’s no match for the wonder of human imagination.”
“You should put that on a calendar,” Alice joked, earning a smile from the admiral.
“Do you think I’d look better in the dress blues or a pilot’s suit?” He asked, putting on a great show of being deep in thought. It was easy enough for Alice to pick up on his self-effacing tone.
“Stick to the quotes I think, Admiral. I’m sure your wife would appreciate that as well.”
He nodded as though having just received great wisdom. “Yes, you’re probably right, Miss Winters. I must say, my parents appear to have named me aptly.”
“What’s that, sir?” Alice asked, caught off-guard by the change in topic.
“Natori means bird, in Kenyan. And yes, I get that look a lot. I know it’s also a company that produces intimate garments for women. Today though, on this day of flight, I hope to change what people think of when they hear that name,” he declared grandly, a misty look in his eyes. “Might I ask what you’re most excited for?”
“You mean other than the possibility of encountering a new alien species?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Definitely the warp pipes,” she said with a smile.
“The what?” Kaczynski asked, wondering if he’d somehow missed the addition of an element of his ship. Alice waved her hand as she looked for the right words.
“I don’t know what the ship designers call it, but the transit system that moves people and cargo along the length of the ship. It sounds like a blast!”
“Ah yes. I prefer air hockey tree myself but that’s a bit literal, isn’t it?”
“Can it really get you to any sector of the ship?” She asked as they finally reached the exit of the ferry and pushed off; floating toward the wall mounted people movers. They were slim belts of rubber that constantly moved in one direction, taking along with them any crew member that touched them and held on. It took Alice an uncertain moment of flexing the muscles of her right arm, but she eventually achieved the necessary muscular tension to allow the device to carry her along to the elevator that would take them into the belly of the ship and back to gravity after three days of weightlessness. When they were safely within the elevator cabin, Kaczynski struck up their conversation again.
“Yes, Miss Winters, every major section of the ship in each of the five columns has a tube station, fifty in all plus a few extra for cargo holds and the like. I had initially hoped a spiral pattern could be implemented for its elegance, but the military minds pointed out that it was most susceptible to compromise.”
“If the current system goes everywhere it probably looks more like a termite mound. Not elegant, but probably a lot more robust,” Alice posited, able to employ a bit of what she’d learned from her father without revealing that she had the Event Horizon’s specs on her personal device. The admiral nodded as the two of them and the others in the elevator came to rest softly on their feet and the car halted at the final deck before the reactor levels which were, of course, restricted.
“Quite so, Miss Winters. For now though, I must leave you. The bridge and the ship-wide PA system are in sector nine, towards the aft of the ship. If I recall correctly most crew quarters are towards the fore?”
“Yes sir. I’ve been assigned to sector B-2, civilian quarters,” Alice confirmed.
“Then safe travels to you all. I’ll be speaking with you shortly,” Natori said, hopping into a person sized pod destined for the aft of the ship while a queue formed for pods heading to opposite. Alice could already feel the butterflies fluttering in her stomach, long before she even sat down in her first ‘warp pipe’. She clutched her bag tightly to her chest and shrieked with glee as the pod zipped through a system of tubes that were maintained at almost full vacuum. After arriving at the station for B-2 and getting her bearings she headed for her assigned room, a walk of only a couple minutes. She was about to revel in the fact that she’d been given a tiny but private cabin when a pleasant chime sounded throughout the vessel.
“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,” Natori’s voice came through the PA system. “What’s that, Cassia? It’s 11:59 ship time? Very well. Good morning ladies and…Cassia you were just stalling for time weren’t you? Ladies and gentlemen it’s high noon and I bid you all welcome to the Event Horizon. This is Admiral Natori Kaczynski speaking. As of this moment all crew and passengers have been accounted for and we will be setting sail for the Sol warp point in exactly one hour. Before we do though I must have your undivided attention, as there are two matters that must be discussed. The first is that joining us on our voyage will be a Ghaelen emissary, Qul’Roth of Ghaela.”
“How do you do? I’m Alice of Earth,” Winters muttered under her breath, mocking the Ghaelen convention to introduce themselves as members of their planet. A babble of discussion had commenced outside in the corridors as other researchers and their families discussed the announcement. Kaczynski continued.
“As many of you are likely aware, the Event Horizon consists of a handful of important systems co-developed with our Ghaelen partners. He is here to observe their function and to act as a representative of his species in any galactic affairs this vessel may have the privilege of participating in. Additionally, it is my great pleasure to inform you all that in reciprocation, various diplomats from Alpha Division will soon find themselves stationed on Ghaelen ships as ambassadors and emissaries. Please introduce yourself to Qul’Roth when you get the chance, and I hope you can all appreciate how important this arrangement is for the joint advancement of our species.”
“Joint advancement my ass. Talk about a glorified spy,” Alice muttered, pleased to hear snippets of conversation from the corridors that confirmed her sentiments.
“Unfortunately, now comes the bad news,” Natori said, aware that much of his crew were likely wondering what could be worse than having a space elk breathing down their necks. “When you were all recruited for this voyage you were told that we would be following an established scouting path, one that was blazed by the crew of the Lancer, an Omega Division scout ship. I regret to inform you all that the Lancer has gone missing.” Natori paused as the cabin around Alice fell eerily silent. No one in the neighboring rooms or hallway was speaking. “In light of this development, this ship and her crew have been selected to carry out a great endeavor. We will be conducting the first interstellar search and rescue mission in the history of our great species, following the Lancer along her most recent deployment path and determining the cause of her disappearance. I understand that this is not the mission that many of you signed up for. If for any reason you do not wish to participate, please inform Cassia, my shipboard VI, via the ship’s intranet. Then please proceed to hangars D-1 through D-4 if you wish to return to Earth orbit. The central hangar at the fore of the ship will be running shuttles back to Luna base for the next hour until the Event Horizon departs for the Sol warp point. I want to be perfectly clear that I will personally ensure no one suffers professionally or otherwise if they choose to leave us here. Please make your decision within the next sixty minutes. If you would excuse me, I must have a discussion with a mildly perturbed Ghaelen. Thank you, and I look forward to working with you all. Kaczynski out.”
Alice nodded and sat down on her bed, looking at the panel that served as a ‘window’ of sorts into whatever outside world she chose. After linking her personal datapad to the room’s systems she selected a natural view and was greeted with a sliver of the moon as well as a backdrop of stars. Through her open door she could hear the arguments of families and the muttering of crew members. No matter how many chose to leave, she knew there was only one path for her. Where are you now, little bro? Please be alright.
-----
“A storm is coming, Russell. Felen is waking up. We need to make camp, now,” Veera warned, looking to the east as threatening clouds darkened the skies. Winters checked his visor.
“Damn, it’s just above freezing too. Alright, let’s get to it.” At his command the two of them hefted their packs high and turned away from the river. They’d been following it west since they left the village and it had proven as good a guide as they could ask for. Unfortunately the area they were travelling through was a low plain, one that would surely get soggy in the rains and snow melt. After about ten minutes of hiking north they entered an area of denser woodland with sloped ground beneath.
“How about this one?” Veera suggested, pointing to a thick trunked tree that provided a dense covering of branches along its length. Even with its leaves shut away for the winter they were confident it would deflect enough rain so that a fire could burn. Winters nodded and they unshouldered their gear, with Veera taking Fenrir to forage for deadwood while he pitched their tent. He started by weighing down a large, stitched leather sheet. So long as the snows remained on the ground, melting and leaving the earth saturated and wet, it would be necessary. Above it he secured a skeleton of bone and wood, lashing it together with leather straps before draping their tent over it and pulling tight. He’d been rather poor at it the first day, even with his survival training, but Veera had helped him navigate his way through the particularities of Cauthan craftsmanship and by the third night he was most adept. After stashing their supplies inside and laying out their blanket of ursae fur, Winters unbuttoned his cloak and removed his left gauntlet, the only piece of armor he’d brought with him.
“Hey, Io? Time to wake up,” he said kindly, waving as the blonde AI roused herself from slumber and blinked up at him. “I’m going to see if I can catch anything. Storm’s on the way. Let Veera know where I’ve gone when she gets back?”
‘As you wish, sir. Please take a cloak.’
Winters nodded and grabbed his old chesko cloak, turning the thing inside out before grabbing his fishing rod. He turned back to Io before heading down the hill to the river. “You doing alright?”
‘It’s not nearly as bad as I thought, sir. It is rather simple, really, the synthesis of what I already know into structure, into words that humans can process. I do so hope we’re discovered,’ she said with yearning. He nodded.
“If they do, Beta’s going to slap a doctorate or five on you before we even get back to Earth. Be good, alright?”
‘Stay dry, sir. Farewell.’
-----
Veera looked out from under the tent flap as the rains began in earnest. A light drizzle had accompanied her on a second foraging run for more fuel, but had permitted the fire to burn large enough under its shelter that it was well situated to survive the oncoming downpour. She and Fenrir dried quickly within their tent, the young hyrven curling up in the corner of one of the blankets and resting his tails over his muzzle. “It’s been a long day, hasn’t it?” Veera asked him softly, happy for a chance to rest her own feet as the sound of rain grew louder against the taut leather above. “I hope Russell isn’t gone too long. Felen always seems to be in a foul mood when he rises from sleep.” After a few more moments of worry her ears twitched and swiveled, picking up the scraping of his boots nearby. Veera crawled to the far end of the shelter and poked her head out, finding a soaking wet human looking down at her. She could see his teeth chattering.
“Russell Winters you get in here this instant! Actually wait!” She commanded, pulling back the blankets so that Winters could sit his soggy self on the leather base. “What were you thinking, Russell? You’re soaked to the bone!”
“Counterpoint,” he replied as best he could, his shivering ribcage making speech a bit difficult. “I got us fresh dinner.” He presented her with three fish hung together on a small strand of fishing line, a sight that had Fenrir lifting his head in interest while Veera ran a hand through his wet hair. She nuzzled him, worrying at how cool the skin of his cheeks was to the touch.
“And Fenrir and I thank you for that, Russell, but you need to get out of these clothes now,” Veera instructed. His cloak had withstood the rains initially, but by the time he’d made it back his extremities and lower body were all soaked through. It was enough to get his temperature dropping. Placing the fish aside, she helped him out of his cloak and shirt first, allowing him to undo the laces of his boots and remove them before tugging his pants off as well. She couldn’t help but glance down for a moment.
“Hey now! I don’t hear you giggling when it’s inside you,” Winters protested, drawing his arms around himself as Veera positioned his gear close to the fire and returned with one of the blankets from their bed. She threw it around him and hugged him close, purring as he gratefully accepted her body heat. “I’m really happy you still have your winter fur, by the way.”
“Sorry for laughing, it’s just rather cute when it’s all small like that. Maybe I can make it up to you later?” Veera suggested. Winters shook his head, enjoying the feel of the fur of her shoulder against his cheek.
“You already have, love. Thanks. I’m feeling warmer already.”
“Good, now you come sit over here and I’ll get dinner cooking.” Veera continued to exert command of the situation, tossing Fenrir his fish just outside the tent. The little hyrven sniffed it for a moment before looking up at her with expectation in his eyes. Winters couldn’t help but laugh as Veera retrieved the fish. “Really, Fenrir? You’ll chase after every little thing in the forest but the moment we give you a fish you want it cooked?” The hyrven sat patiently.
“Look at the bright side, Veera. If he’s taken a liking to your cooking that’s one less reason to run off when he hits puberty,” Winters joked. “You sure you don’t need any help?”
“I’ll be fine, Russell. I’ve had almost two seasons now of preparing fish,” Veera assured him, drawing her knife and quickly gutting each of them. Fenrir walked over as she did so, sniffing around at the offal. Veera ruffled her feathers at him. “Well go ahead then, it’s not like I’m going to use it. Sometimes he’s just beyond me,” Veera lamented, watching her little pup go after the fish guts when he’d just rejected a full fish moments earlier. Winters just shrugged from her other side.
“They seemed to like ursae guts pretty well too. Might just be a hyrven thing. Hey Io, I guess you might wanna see this,” Winters said, reaching over and tapping his armor. After briefly taking in the scene the AI looked at him accusingly.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
‘It seems stay dry means take a dip in the freezing river. Glad you made it back before suffering from hypothermic shock, sir.’
-----
By the time the fish had been sliced into filets and charred over the fire, Winters was back to his usual self. He’d ditched the chesko blanket, sitting on it instead and wrapping himself and Veera in the larger blanket made of ursae fur. The two of them leaned against one another as they shared heat and their meal with Fenrir back in his corner, having wolfed down his portion once it had been cooked to his liking. “He never ceases to surprise me,” Winters remarked, looking over at the sleeping pup. “Really makes me wonder just how smart hyrven and ursae are. Like what sorts of things would they be able to learn if they didn’t have to spend their whole lives fighting to survive.”
‘No offense, sir, but that ursae was intelligent enough for this AI,’ Io said, enjoying her awake time situated just between her partner and his wife. ‘I suppose Fenrir is proving to be an adorable case study though. Just look at him with his little tails!’
The three of them took a moment to observe the hyrven cub. Between the fire, the rain, a full belly and her mate next to her, Veera’s heart swelled with contentment and happiness. Unwilling to keep it all inside she curled her tail between them and raised it up to Winters face, draping it across his upper lip just as Fenrir had done with his own. Silence pervaded for a moment before the girls burst into laughter.
‘Sir, I daresay you look just dashing with a stripy mustache!’ Io chortled, acquiring her own slim facial decor and twirling it like a circus master for emphasis. Veera was enjoying herself plenty, tickling Winters’ nose with the tip of her tail. She smiled wide as it wrinkled and eventually he had to turn to the side and sneeze. She’d seen him do it a couple times before, but she’d never actually precipitated one.
“Excuse me,” Winters said quietly, about to return to his meal when Veera’s tail cupped his chin instead.
“This is fun,” she explained simply, leaning in for a quick kiss as she began stroking his face with her tail instead of her hands. He broke away a short time later and kissed her nose tenderly.
“Just another perk of being married to a Cauthan,” he said, rubbing at her ears with his free hand and staring out into the rain-shrouded forest. “How do you think they’re all doing back home?”
“You’ve given us all more than we could ever hope for, Russell. Trust them to use it well.”
‘Agreed, sir. The Cauthan have proven both curious and adaptive. They are far more willing to accept and integrate elements of other cultures, namely yours, than humans are. You can review my findings here,’ the AI encouraged, presenting a thin stack of paper to them both. Winters bent at the waist to read the title.
“A cursory examination of Cauthan culture and customs with suggested applications to ongoing contact and species integration…by Io,” he recited. “You’re not letting this go, are you?”
‘I believe the Cauthan have the potential to be the partner species humanity has always needed, sir,’ Io insisted as Veera curled her tail around her husband’s waist, contemplating exactly what being a partner species might mean.
“We can’t do that, Io, and you know it!” Winters shot back.
‘We can, and we should!’ She insisted. ‘They deserve that much.’
“Even if everything else worked out they’d still have to agree to it. It’s not our call,” Winters countered. To his surprise, Io smiled at him.
‘I believe the king and queen of the village would be rather amenable on that count, sir.’
“Antoth and Ratha…I wonder how they’re getting along,” Veera whispered.
-----(IF FOR WHATEVER REASON YOU DO NOT WISH TO CONSUME SWEET AND FLUFFY PANCAKES, SKIP TO THE LAST LINE OF THE CHAPTER)
-----
“So you’re really going to authorize it, that human contraption?” Ratha demanded over dinner as she and Antoth sat around her table with two bowls of ursae and vegetable stew they’d prepared together.
“I’ve spoken with the disciples of Tyrdus, as well as Xan and Thantis. They’ve all reviewed the plans and assure me that not only is it feasible, we can do it entirely in wood and leather, resources we have plenty of,” Antoth replied, taking a piece of meat into his mouth and chewing as Ratha frowned at him.
“This is an embarrassment to our people, using human inventions like this,” she snapped. He nodded, not rising to her bait.
“Maybe so, but it’s an embarrassment that will spare us hundreds of collective trips to the river to water our crops. Imagine what else we could do with all that time, with all those free hands?”
Ratha sighed as she looked him over, her tail waving lazily behind her. “Sorry, scarface.”
“For what?”
“I know it’s easy for me to sit here and talk about pride when all I have to do is go out and hunt. You’ve got the rest of them to worry about,” she explained, her eyes softening as they reflected on his duty.
“It’s a burden I’ll bear. I miss training that band of idiots, as you called them, but I can do more this way. I won’t reject that opportunity. Besides, Winters bonded with Veera. He’s one of us now, maybe not by blood but certainly by honor. This isn’t shame. Ratha, please. We need this,” Antoth implored her as she purred threateningly at him.
“This has nothing to do with the human,” she insisted, finally realizing what had been burrowing under her skin and stirring within her belly for at least half a cycle. Watching him shoulder so much, sacrifice so much, and still stand proud and strong through it all made her desire things, very specific things.
“I…what do you mean?” Antoth asked bluntly, setting aside his finished bowl as Ratha stood and turned from him, approaching the doorway to the temple and peeking through to the other side. When she looked over her shoulder at him her eyes were lidded with passion, glinting in the firelight.
“It’s time, Antoth. I’m fertile,” she whispered, watching with delight as her mate’s ears and tail stiffened at the news and his spine went rigid. He rose to his feet and walked to her, prompting Ratha to reach up on tiptoe. Instead of taking her into a kiss he kept walking. “Antoth! What the hell are you-”
“Just give me a moment, Ratha. Trust me,” he murmured, his voice as low as she’d ever heard it, thick with desire that had been bubbling for almost an entire season of tender, teasing mornings and sultry, kiss filled evenings. The wait felt like an eternity but he did return, a long length of leather clasped in his paw. Without a word Antoth leaned in and kissed her, tenderly entering her mouth and stroking her tongue with his. It always sent a certain thrill through him, feeling her smooth, powerful canines as they tasted of each other. He delighted in her heavier breathing when they parted, taking her by the hand and escorting her to the bed. “I’ve been thinking…a lot. I want this to be everything for you. Please just trust me,” he requested again, holding out the strip of animal hide to Ratha. She took it curiously from him and watched his powerful body, accented by the dancing firelight as he stripped naked before her. His scars and the muscle beneath still took her breath away, and she inhaled deeply to catch that war-like scent of his. Without a word Antoth held out his arms and crossed them at the wrists.
“Scarface?” Ratha whispered, wondering if he was really suggesting what she thought he was.
“Tie me.” Antoth’s simple command caused the smoldering embers within Ratha’s womb to ignite into an inferno that threatened to burn her alive. The fire in her pit was too hot. Her clothes were too hot. Her nether lips were slick and needy before she even moved to comply; throwing off the leather and fur dress she was wearing and stepping forward so that she was inches from her male. Her keen eyes watched his face, watched his muzzle as his nostrils flared. She knew he could smell her and her desire. It only made her want him more.
“You’re sure?” She asked breathlessly.
“I’m sure.” With his consent given and given again, Ratha looped the leather over and under his wrists; finishing it off in a secure tie that every hunter learned from the time they were cubs. He took her gently by the hand and rotated his body, laying on his back atop her bed and raising his hands above his head the moment he’d helped her up onto him. They visual couldn’t be more clear. He’d granted her total and absolute control.
“Oh, scarface,” Ratha purred, shaking with delight and anticipation as she shifted down his body. She hadn’t considered it before, but thanks to the way Antoth had settled her it was very clear that the position could work quite well for mating. “How did you think of this?” Her keen eyes followed his as he looked away and to the left.
“I may have, uh…inadvertently learned a little something from the human and Veera,” he explained, causing Ratha to sit herself heavily on his abdomen, her tail lying over his stones.
“You did what?” She asked accusingly. He made to hold his hands apart in supplication but the knot held. Ratha enjoyed that very much as her mate tried to explain himself as quickly as he could.
“The morning after the raid I paid a visit to the human and Veera. I was preoccupied and didn’t announce myself. He had positioned her like this.”
“And tied her up too?” Ratha pressed.
“No, that was my idea,” Antoth assured her. She smiled down at him.
“If you put a cub in my belly tonight I might even thank him then. Are you ready?” She asked, running her tongue over her lips as her voice covered him in thick longing. Antoth breathed heavily, expanding his chest as his scars stretched and shifted subtly. Ratha took it all in, fueled her need, watched his scales glint in the firelight. He nodded. Without another word she lifted herself up and back, aligning his hard, throbbing length with her center. “I love what I do to you,” she whispered, lowering herself so that he was just touching her. The fire didn’t die. It surged. She breathed in, heard him hissing in pleasure. She pulled back and gazed down.
“Ratha?” He asked, unable to keep a forlorn look out of his eyes. She cooed at him.
“Don’t look like that, powerful mate of mine. You have no idea how badly I just wanted to let myself go and sheathe you inside me…where you belong. I need more though. I want to give you more.” With that declaration Ratha turned her body and draped her smaller frame across the solid mass of muscle and sinew that was Antoth. Her tail waved daintily in front of his face, directing his gaze lower to where her onyx nether lips were slightly parted and glistening with beads of her essence. Her scent was overpowering the moment it hit his nose. It compelled him to breathe in more, to drown in her, a vicious and hedonistic cycle. Ratha could see the results as his manhood twitched before her muzzle, leaking his own natural lubricant in desperate anticipation of penetrating her, of breeding her. She could feel every shudder and flex of the body beneath hers. “You’re mine,” she growled, extending her tongue and taking a first tentative swipe up his length. She tasted him. It was mild and sweet. She purred.
“Ratha!” Antoth gasped, gritting his teeth as the smooth surface of her tongue had his back arching off the bed and his talons flexing with unknown pleasure. She went in for a second lick, and then a third. In moments Ratha had him twisting and thrashing beneath her, his body assaulted by the sorts of sensations a Cauthan male was never meant to experience. The Huntress couldn’t stop purring in delight, transferring those sensations to him as she oh so carefully opened her mouth and brought him inside. She’d killed chesko, hyrven, and even her own kind, but Ratha had never felt more powerful or more alive than that moment. Her partner tried his best but still couldn’t help a couple jerks of his hips. Oh scarface, you adorable thing… Her intimate exploration of his pillar was interrupted by her mate’s panting voice. He sounded like he was struggling for air.
“R-Ratha…”
“Mmm? What is it, lover?” She asked coyly, releasing him and throwing a look over her shoulder. His eyes were hooded with pleasure.
“I want to taste you,” he whispered, pleading with his gray orbs. Having suggested his fingers in the past, Ratha felt a thrill shoot up her spine at the idea of having his tongue in and on her. She threw him a hunter’s smile.
“Keep your hands to yourself, priest of Seil…but I want that muzzle of yours all over me.” Antoth needed no further encouragement, closing his eyes and extending his tongue to stroke up the full length of Ratha’s center. Her surprised yelp turned into a keening wail of pleasure as the smooth muscle easily slipped inside of her, so slick and open for him that she was unable to offer any resistance. Her insides tried their best to grip and coil around him, the sensations weakening her arms to the point that she gave up and rested her upper body atop him. She was barely able to keep her haunches raised so he could keep licking at her. As his ministrations became more and more insistent, punctuated by deep growls of desire as he indulged in her taste, all Ratha could do was pant against his body, her nose resting right up against his shaft and fueling her lust with every breath of his heady scent. She mewled in delight, lazily extending her tongue to lap at the smooth skin of his base and the fine, soft fur of his sheath. With every stroke of Antoth’s tongue the flaming need inside of Ratha burned hotter and brighter, as though Seil itself blazed in her breast. It was only that grand insistence to fulfill her biological purpose that finally drove her to hands and knees again, otherwise content to melt into a puddle thanks to Antoth’s tongue. He said nothing as she turned herself to face him, but there was no need. Their eyes said more than enough. With shaking legs Ratha positioned herself atop him and let herself go, not even the subtle flare of his lower shaft stopping her descent.
“Oh fuuuuuuck!” She moaned in pleasure pain, collapsing forward and digging her claws into Antoth’s chest fur as her center screamed, sending shockwaves through her body. Her mate was gnashing his teeth in delight but he still reached out to her with his voice.
“Ratha! You alright?”
“By the Huntress, scarface…how are you so big?” She moaned, breathing heavily atop his as her body adjusted to his presence inside her. A wave of confused pride coursed through Antoth as he looked down to where they were now joined at the hips.
“Ratha, by the gods you feel amazing but…I’m nothing special I promise.”
“Shut it!” She gasped as her hips twitched and forced the breath from her lungs. It felt like he was pressing up against her diaphragm. “I know what I’m feeling right now!”
“And I know what it looks like in the barracks every so often, Ratha! I’m average at best,” he insisted, not having the faintest clue as to how they were arguing over his size while he was ensconced within her heat. Perhaps the pain of her claws pricking his chest was giving him a moment of clarity. She was looking at him through half open, silver eyes. He saw every emotion there, love and pain and contentedness and lust. “What does it matter, Ratha? You can feel it, right? We fit together.”
Antoth’s words seemed to somehow settle Ratha’s insides. The slowly fading pain vanished and her center established its rhythm. She leaned down close, taking his lips in a kiss as she experienced mating for the first time. “I take back what I said, scarface. This is nice. You did just fine, love.”
He shook his head before kissing her again. “Is that all you want?” He asked softly, wishing so desperately he could reach out and hold her. He held back as she nuzzled him.
“No. Are you ready, my mate?” Ratha asked tenderly, a spark of mischief in her eyes. He purred. With a predatory growl Ratha pushed herself up and off him. Antoth shivered for just a moment, feeling the cold air on his slick shaft before Ratha slammed herself down again.
“Ratha!” Antoth yelled, watching her face contort in a decadent mixture of joy and discomfort.
“It’s fine…Antoth!” She panted. “Let me. I want this!” Ratha insisted, rolling her hips up and off him again before letting her weight fall. Each time he stretched her wide, stunned her body. His pillar pressed against her womb. She quivered with delight. With time the sting faded more and more, turning into a dull ache that made her feel alive as it blended with the unadulterated pleasure of having him inside her. She closed her eyes as she developed a tempo, taking perverse enjoyment in the sound that her sopping lips made as they met his drenched fur each time. She didn’t know how long it was before she chanced a look at her mate again, but the sight took her breath away. His eyes were shut tightly and he’d taken his bonds into his mouth, biting down furiously to stifle what were practically roars of pleasure from the overstimulation of his shaft. “I love you, scarface. Bear it just a bit more for me!” She requested, gasping as she bottomed out again and his teeth cut clean through the leather that bound him. His hands were on her hips in a flash as he lifted his torso upright, holding her in place as every breath he took rumbled with the growls of a Cauthan subsumed in desire.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, looking into her wide, passionate eyes. “I couldn’t take it anymore.”
“You caught me, scarface,” she teased, resting her body fully against his and rubbing his legs gently with her tail. His curled up to meet hers. “What are you going to do with me?” Antoth’s response was to squeeze down on her ass, taking hedonistic satisfaction as he met fur and taut muscle. Ratha rolled her hips forward in response, gasping as her mate finally took back control. She was too far gone to care. “Mmm…do that again, lover.”
“With pleasure,” Antoth purred, finding the sliding of her lips against his sheath to be a delightful new sensation as the tight pleasure of Ratha’s womanhood finally leveled out into a cadence that he knew would have him climaxing soon. “I’m not going to last long like this,” he told her, never stopping the flowing of her lower body over his. Both of them were panting hard, Ratha trying to keep her eyes open and her arms around him as the tightly wound spring of the rough mating she’d given him threatened to snap.
“Antoth, something’s happening to me. It feels like something wonderful,” she cooed, her claws already out and finding purchase against the broad span of his back. “Whatever you do, whatever I say, do not stop what you’re doing to me!” Antoth barely had time to nod before Ratha threw her head back and wailed as months of denial and two cycles of heat were finally sated. All Antoth could do was stare in awe at her beauty as she shivered and shook in his arms before collapsing against his shoulder, utterly spent.
“Ratha!” He gasped, following her into pleasure soon after, holding her in place as his shaft pulsed and spilled his potent seed into her belly. Ratha whimpered into his ear as she realized what he was doing to her, what they’d done together. She found her voice for him.
“They’ll be beautiful. You’ll see, scarface. They’ll be strong and smart, agile and quick. I’m going to give you as many cubs as you can stand,” she promised in a whisper before pulling back just far enough to kiss him gently on the muzzle. “And I will stay by your side as we raise them together.”
Antoth didn’t trust himself to speak. He encircled Ratha tightly with his arms instead, the strength of his hold telling her all she needed to know about how deeply her promise affected him. They didn’t dare separate themselves from one another as he leaned back onto the bed, drifting off into blissful sleep as the fire crackled and burned away the cold.
-----
Antoth woke with a start as the covers were thrown from his body. His panicked breathing steadied as he saw that Ratha was the offender. She was smiling coyly at him, her tail swishing playfully. Without a word she turned and bent over, displaying her center invitingly to him. In moments he was on his knees behind her, leaning over to turn her face towards him. “You’re sure?”
“See for yourself,” she invited teasingly, pressing her haunches back against him and allowing his manhood to slip easily inside her. Ratha hung her head in willing submission as Antoth took her again, driving away whatever vestiges of her fear remained as her tail waved about and her feathers quaked with happiness. With him, at least, she could be both Huntress and mother. She delighted in the subtle rocking of his hips as he tried to recreate her animated mating of the night before, the contours of his shaft easily making it her most enjoyable plaything. “Make sure it sets, Antoth. I want to be holding our child in my arms a year from now.”
-----
Many hundred light years away, the Event Horizon shrouded itself in a warp field and disappeared into the Sol jump point.