RAST

I have vague memories of rituals from my homeworld. Of priests and incense, fires and chanting. Of temples and prayers. I do not remember much about these things, just glimpses through the fog of my destroyed mind. But I think they must be important to Aahm, and so I will participate in them.

I will do anything she wants if it brings her to challenge.

We re-enter the small, boxy room with the water, my mate’s gentle hand leading me forward. Inside, it is dark, and I wait to see her actions. There is a ritual to this, I think, though my lust-clouded mind cannot comprehend it. She is human, I remind myself. Their ways are strange. I wait patiently as she releases my hand and moves to the counter, making a spark of fire and coaxing it atop a pillar of wax.

Is that all she wants? I can give her more fire than that. I lean forward and gently blow on the pillar, a steady stream of flame that melts it down and makes the wax trickle in rivulets.

My mate exclaims something in surprise, then giggles, shaking her head and pulling me away. Is this not part of the ritual, then? I will follow her lead.

Just as long as she keeps laughing, her smile bright instead of sad.

She moves toward the water-box and turns a knob. Rain sprinkles down from the top in a steady pattern, and Aahm turns to look at me. She is so beautiful that she makes my chest ache. Show me how I can claim you, I demand silently, reaching out with my mind to try and connect with hers. There is nothing there to latch on to, which makes me feel hollow and angry all at once.

But then she gives me another soft look and I feel a fierce, possessive surge rush through my body. I want to press my mouth to hers and mate it, like we did last time. She does not reach for me though, so I suspect water is part of this ritual. I rush into the spray, my clawed feet sliding on the strange, smooth basin the rain falls into. I remember something like this from home…a bath. But baths have water in them and this one only catches water. Another human oddness, I suppose, and reach for Aahm.

My female makes a small sound of protest as I pull her forward. She stumbles a little, but I am there to catch her, and then she is in my arms, sputtering as the rain pours into her face. She is covered in many of her thick, strange, body-covering skins this day, and as I watch, they soak up the water. Time to remove them, then. I want to feel her slight body against mine, like the last time we did this ritual.

She goes very still against me, her body trembling as I push the top layer off of her body. She does not fight me, but I do not sense her fear-scent, either. It is as if she is waiting for something. But if she will let me do more, then so be it. I push the heavy white skin off of her body and it falls to the bottom of the basin with a wet thud. Now she is in her lighter skin, the one she wears daily. It covers her from neck to mid-thigh, sticking to her body as it soaks up the water.

I hate the sight of it. It is another barrier that keeps her from me.

I glance up at my female and her eyes are on me. Her lips are parted, her wet hair plastered to her head. The look on her face is one of anticipation, of sweetly mingled fear and arousal. I put one of my blunted claws to the neck of her skin, waiting to see how she reacts. She gives the tiniest of shudders, and I smell it, then—her arousal scent.

She likes this.

I grab a fistful of the skin and bend down to tear it with my teeth. She gasps, remaining completely still next to me as I rip the skin away from her body, baring it to my gaze.

Now, I tell myself, I will gaze upon my mate’s body.

My Aahm is not naked, though. She wears another bit of material over her loins and another across her breasts. She is gasping now, trembling in my arms, leaning heavily on me. If she put her hand on me and asked me to stop, I would in a heartbeat. She knows this. I have stopped before.

I wait to see if she will do such a thing. If she will stop me and end this courtship.

But she does not. She simply watches me, waiting.

I reach up to the strange triangle-shaped skins covering her breasts. Her mouth is open, lips parted as she pants. Her arms go around my neck to steady herself, and I bite away the strange material covering her breasts, then slide lower so I can bite away the other bits.

A little breathless moan escapes her, nearly drowned out by the water that spills over our heads in a steady downpour. But I am attuned to my mate, and I hear it. I hear every little sound she makes, every gasp, every sigh, everything. She is not afraid of me this day. She does not like the blood I am covered with, but there is no fear in her.

If she will let me win her challenge, I will mate her this day. Let me be yours, I silently entreat. Choose me. Challenge me.

Her fingers work in my hair, and she clings to me even as I rub my face against her lower belly. She smells delicious here, a hint of sweat tingeing her skin and adding to the delicious aroma of her musk. The material between her thighs hides away all of her sweetness, and I snap at it with my sharp teeth, shredding it and pulling it away from her body like cobwebs.

She says something, stroking my hair. This “Sahm” word. It is not my name, so I pay it no mind. Instead, I watch her body and her scents. They tell me she likes this, so I will continue. I nuzzle the soft skin of her belly, taste the fascinating floss between her thighs. It is almost like a shield, and I find that amusing and fascinating and arousing all at once. I want to taste under it, to learn her secrets.

My mate gasps when I rub my nose against her lower fur, the curls that hide her cunt. Her hands roam over my head, as if she is not sure where to put them, and when I look up, she licks her lips, panting and full of need.

I want to put my mouth on hers again, like we did yesterday. The mouth mating, where my tongue thrust into her mouth over and over as if it were her cunt, claiming her as my own. I loved the taste of her like that. I slide back to my feet and she cups her wet hands on my face, rubbing at my jaw. Her hands come away pink, and I realize she is washing away blood.

She does not want me to wear the blood of others when I come to her. I understand this. I lift my head up to the stream and scrub a hand down my face, wiping away the remnants of my frenzy from earlier. I am glad that this is all she will see of it. She does not need to know my shame. To know how close I was to losing control and leaving forever, lost in violence once more. She is the only thread of sanity I have left and I will cling to her…

Just as she clings to me in this strangely made rainstorm.

I open my eyes and gaze down at her, and she is gleaming wet and slippery, her skin pale shades of pink and white against my warm gold. I imagine the flush that comes over her when she is aroused, and wonder if she will flush all over when she comes.

I should like to see that.

I stroke one hand up and down her arm, as if petting a wild creature. She looks up at me with heavy-lidded, fascinated eyes, and I lean in to mate my tongue to hers again. This time, she does not push me away but welcomes my touch. Her lips part under mine and then I am tasting her again, the slick heat of her timid tongue brushing against my own.

My cock aches with the sweetness of it, and I bite back a growl of ferocious pleasure. I bury my hands in her wet hair, then cup her head, holding her to me as I sweep my tongue deeper into the cavern of her mouth, claiming her here, showing her my desire for her. This is a challenge of sorts, I think. It is not one of claws and fangs, but it is the way I show her my desire nevertheless.

Aahm leans in against me, a small sound of pleasure in her throat as I conquer her mouth, her hands curling around my shoulders. I roam my hands over her body, wanting to touch her everywhere, and settle on the rounded curves of her buttocks. I grip them tight, kneading her soft flesh even as I stroke my tongue against hers over and over again, showing her how great my desire is. How much pleasure I can give her.

How I can make her cunt feel as good as her mouth if she will only say the word.

Aahm's perfume grows stronger, her scent increasing with every moment that passes. I groan into her mouth, fascinated by how quickly she is so deeply aroused. My sweet, perfect mate. I could mate her mouth for endless days and never grow tired of it, but I am eager to touch the rest of her, to taste all of her body now that I have unveiled it. With a sweep of my tongue, I lick her plump mouth one last time and then nip at her jaw with my teeth, showing her that I would take this challenge further, show her the other places I can pleasure.

She sighs and arches her head back, exposing her neck to me with complete and utter trust. I rumble my pleasure at the sight and rub my nose along her jaw, nuzzling her before dragging my tongue along the cords of her neck. So fragile. So lovely.

Mine to protect and cherish, always.

I press my mouth against the soft skin of her throat, over and over, moving lower, to the delicate spread of her shoulders, and then lower still. Drawn to her breasts, I drop to my knees and press my face between the valley of them, then explore her with my mouth. Her skin is incredibly soft, her breasts small but firm. The tips are bright pink, which I find fascinating…almost as fascinating as the cries she makes when I lick one.

She enjoys that, then. Her hands move to my hair and clench, and her head goes back, her eyes closed. She is surrendering to me. If this is a challenge, I have won it. Full of satisfaction, I ignore the ache of my cock and redouble my efforts on her breasts. I caress them with my hands, squeezing the small mounds before teasing the tips. She holds me close and so I lick and suck at her nipples, seeing which touches get the best reactions from her. The sounds she makes drive me to madness, and I live for each gasp, each shudder that ripples through her body. As I touch her, the scent of her arousal grows thicker by the moment.

I have won her challenge, but I am strangely reluctant to cease touching her. I want to keep going. Any drakoni would end a challenge by flipping his mate over the instant she turns to her two-legged form and surging into her. But…that does not fit for my Aahm. She is gentle and delicate. I cannot handle her like I would a drakoni female, who is all warrior. I would hurt her if I even tried. Instead, I want to keep caressing her, to keep licking at her skin and watching the way she reacts, enjoying her cries of pleasure.

Those cries are everything.

I drag my tongue over the tip of one breast, nipping at it until it stands erect, the nipple hard against my lips. I do the same with her other breast, and when I am satisfied that they are well-pleased, I move my mouth lower, slicking my tongue over her navel.

Aahm shudders and moans, but she does not release my hair. She pins me to her, silent approval of the way I have won the challenge. I continue on, licking and tasting her skin as I go. I return to the mound of her cunt, the darker golden curls that shield it from my sight. My hands flex on her hips, and then I lift my head to see her expression—

And get a faceful of water. With a frustrated growl, I get to my feet and pull my mate against me, enjoying the slap of her wet breasts against my chest. She makes a noise of surprise, but when I carry her out of the water-box, she wraps her arms around my neck and leans in. A moment later, I feel her tongue nipping at my ear and need bursts through me like an inferno. Her mouth…I have never felt anything so good. I groan and clutch her to my chest, letting her taste me to her heart's desire. My Aahm, my mate. Her little tongue flicks at my earlobe and then she nips at my skin, both tease and caress at once.

It only makes me want her more. With a few quick strides, I cross the room and move to the area she has set up as her true nest, her bed. I set her down carefully on her back, and then pin one arm over her head, as I have so many times before.

She looks up at me, her cheeks flushed and pink, her eyes glazed. Her lips part and she stares at my mouth.

I lean in and press my mouth to hers, mating my tongue to her again.

Aahm moans and undulates under me, arching her hips. She lets her wrist stay under mine, and when I lift my hand, she keeps her arm there.

She has given herself to me.

She has let me win her challenge.

Fierce pride surges through my body, and I want to shift to battle-form and let out a massive current of flame, so great is my joy. I want to take to the skies and fly as high as I can…but then I would abandon my sweet Aahm while she is soft and aching for my body to claim hers.

Grinning wildly, I slide back down to her thighs and press a kiss on the curls over her cunt. My mate. Finally mine, in all ways. All that is left is for me to give her my fires so I can then give her my seed. So long, I have waited…

And yet she is worth every moment of agony.

So I lower my head between her legs and feast upon her cunt.

She gives a startled cry when my lips make contact with her sweet flesh, her legs arching up as if she cannot stay still. Her fingers tighten in my hair, but she does not pull me away. She hungers for this as much as I hunger for her. It is evident in the flow of her arousal, the way she wets my face with her need, the way she soaks my tongue.

I have never tasted anything more delicious or more perfect than my Aahm's cunt. I love her soft cries, the little shudders of reaction that move through her when I explore her body with my mouth. I lean over her, keeping her thighs spread with my hands as I delve into her sweetness with my lips, tasting and licking her folds. I watch her responses, seeing which touches get her to cry out and which ones make her squirm with impatience. She is shy, trying to close her legs around my face as if that will stop me, and I think I am the first male to touch her like this.

The thought is unbearable in its delightfulness. She is mine and only mine. It is the most overwhelming, fiercely pleasurable feeling ever. I will not disappoint her, I decide. She will come and come hard many times so she wishes to mate with me over and over again. Now that she has let me win at her challenge, I shall make things so good for her.

So very good.

I drag my tongue over her cunt, letting it linger on her clit. When I touch her there, her entire body lifts off of the bed, and I know to focus my attentions there. I swirl my tongue over the tiny nub, stroking it and sucking, until she is whimpering and thrashing underneath me. Her thighs quiver as I begin a slow and steady rhythm of flicks with my tongue, determined to make her lose control. The hands in my hair grow tight, her cunt grows juicier with her wet arousal, and still I refuse to lift my head. Not until she comes. Not until she bathes my face with her release.

Aahm's cries grow louder, more intense, and then I feel her entire body tighten up and shudder. A moment later, her sweet release floods the folds of her cunt, and I lick all of it up, delighted. Her perfume is everywhere, and the pleasure it gives me is overwhelming. Even the throb of my cock does not compare to drinking in her flavor. My need does not matter nearly as much as hers. I drag my tongue over and over again, continuing my relentless assault on her cunt. Once is not enough. I want to feel her come again. I keep licking even as her legs jerk and she whimpers, because I want to wring another brutal release out of her.

This time, when she cries out, she tries to pull my face away. Her cunt is pink and flushed with her release, wet from my mouth and her juices both. With a low snarl, I lift myself and pull on her hips, dragging her down on the bed. I push her over onto her stomach and then part her thighs, settling my weight over her. Now I will mount her and—

And there is a hint of her fear smell, even as she pants and arches her hips back against me.

No. That will not do. I want her to want me atop her as much as I want it.

Very well. I will pleasure her again. I get off of her, and when she tries to get up, I plant a hand on the small of her back, holding her in place. Her knees are on the bed, her cheek pressed to the blankets. I pull her thighs apart, enjoying the sight of the delicate spread of her bottom, her pink cunt wet and inviting. My cock throbs in response, but I ignore it. Ravenous with need, I lean forward and begin to pleasure her again, attacking the flesh of her cunt with my tongue once more.

Her cries turn to screams. Her body jerks with every lash of my tongue, and she floods my mouth with her flavor. Her body quivers with every stroke I flick against her clit, and when that is not enough to drive her over yet again, I slip a hand between her thighs and tease her clit with my fingertips even as I push my tongue into the wet heat of her core. I can feel her cunt clench and squeeze around my tongue as she comes again, and this time when she releases, she's keening a low sound, her entire body trembling.

I press my mouth against the backs of her thighs and her bottom, nuzzling her. I want her to know that she is safe with me. That I only want to give her pleasure. To adore her with my form. My Aahm. I breathe her name and she moans, and as I watch, her pussy clenches, hot and wet and flushed.

I slide up behind her again, letting my cock rest against her folds even as I stroke her hips and back, reminding her that I have her. That I will never let her go. That she belongs to me. This time, there is no fear-scent, only dazed arousal. She looks over her shoulder back at me, such need and dazed lust in her eyes that I nearly spill against one of her tender thighs. When she looks away, I growl low, leaning over her to grab a handful of her hair, anchoring her against me. We will come once more, together. I want her to know it is me when I enter her.

Gasping, she glances back at me, her eyes wide, her breath panting as I hold her captive. “Aahm,” I call in a low, husky voice. I slide my fingers over the folds of her cunt, pleased that my claws are gone, because there is no pleasure quite like touching her. Her hungry cunt clasps at my fingers when I brush over her folds, and it gleams, wet and inviting. I take my cock in my hand and rub the head of it up and down her folds, slicking it with her desire. I am large and she is small, for all that she is wet. With infinite patience, I ease the tip of my cock into her tightness.

She goes still under me, her fingers clenching on the bed, and her body has very little give to it. As I push in, there is a faint scent of blood and I pause, panting, aching to release. “Aahm.” Am I hurting you? Do I cause you pain?

She cannot hear my thoughts, though, and I growl with frustration. I start to pull out, because if this is wrong, I will not do it.

Aahm whimpers under me, and when I meet her eyes, she shakes her head. She bites her lip and gives me a pleading look, then reaches back to stroke my hip. She is telling me to go on. That she wants more. A groan rips from my throat. Was any male ever so lucky? The blood I smell is not because I harm her, but because it is her first time.

No one will possess her like I do. The thought floods me with possessive triumph. My mate. Mine. I croon to her, letting her know that I have her, and anchor one hand on her hip, the other in her hair. She is locked to me, my mate, and when she closes her eyes again, I know it is not because she is afraid or wants to escape…she is letting the sensations move over her. She is lost to pleasure. I want to follow her into that aching darkness, to completely lose myself in her, but I must be the cautious one. Her pleasure cannot turn to pain.

I reach out with my mind, but there is no connection yet. I must give her my fires first, but in my impatience, I try anyhow.

I ease my way into her tight channel, flexing my hips and stroking her skin. She is very still under me, giving only the occasional gasp to let me know she is very aware of my movements. I work my cock in to the halfway mark, and then gently stroke into her. Aahm sucks in a breath, her eyes flying open. She looks back at me, her lips parted in wonder.

I cannot help the growl that erupts from my throat. My mate. Finally, I am claiming her. I pump into her again, surging deeper, watching her reactions. She gasps when I sink in, her fingers spasming against the bed. I go still and she shifts her hips, moaning low.

“Aahm,” I murmur, keeping my own body still as I lean forward and stroke a hand up and down her delicate spine, petting her. I go slow for you, I tell her silently. I will give you much pleasure. Be patient, my gentle one.

She moans, shuddering, and her hips press back against my cock, a silent demand for more. Ah, my sweet, greedy mate. Growling, I let one hand slide underneath her stomach and seek out the tiny nub at the apex of her pussy, caressing it to see how she reacts.

My mate gives a shrill little cry and bucks her hips, taking me deeper. Pleased, I keep my finger pressed against her clit even as I slowly roll my hips forward, thrusting into her again. With each movement, her delightfully tight cunt sucks me a little deeper, until finally I am seated fully inside her. She makes whimpering noises and squirms under my touch, frantic. I notice that her hip movements make her rub up against my finger, and I tease her clit, loving the loud cry she gives when I do so.

Shy no longer, my mate.

Pleased at her enthusiastic response, I sink my shaft deep inside her, thrusting hard. It is the first full stroke into my mate's welcoming body, and when I am seated fully, I close my eyes at the incredible sensation. Nothing has ever felt so good as Aahm's tight cunt quivering and flexing around my cock. I rock into her again and she shudders. Even though I should pace myself, be careful not to get too close to the edge, I cannot help but thrust into her, hard, over and over again. It is like a sickness inside me, the need to possess her body, the need to claim her, to brand her as mine. With every pump of my cock into her, she cries out, and her cunt tightens around me in response.

I feel the pressure growing in my body, feel a ripple move up my spine and know that I am dangerously close to spilling. It is the tight clasp of her heat, the soft cries she makes, the way she wriggles when I rub her clit—all of these things eat away at my resolve until I am a mindless creature, thrusting into her body, seeking the edge.

But I cannot come just yet. Not when I must give her my fires first. If I am to claim her, I must give her the bite that will meld our spirits together…or I must spill my seed on her back, the gravest of insults to a female.

I will never do such a thing to her. Just the thought makes my body clench, my resolve returning. She is mine and I have waited long enough to claim her. I thrust deep, spearing her with my cock, and when I am seated in the depths of her heat, I put my hands on her waist. “Aahm,” I murmur, entreating her to look at me.

She moans, rocking her lovely bottom back against me, making me grit my teeth with unfulfilled need. Not yet, I remind myself. You must claim her sweetness first. I pull her up from the bed, keeping my cock buried deep inside her, and lift her backward until she is on her knees, straddling my lap, her back pressed to my chest. I wrap one arm around her, holding her tight. Her breasts tickle my forearm, but I am careful not to harm her with my spikes as I gently cradle her neck, pinning her against me.

“Aahm,” I say again, and lick her throat.

She moans and says that word again. That “sahm.” That sound that is not my name.

It is time. My fangs tingle, filling with the venom that will bind her to me. I stroke my blunted claws over her throat and lick her skin again, and when she trembles, rocking her hips against my cock once more, I lean in and sink my teeth into the tender flesh of her throat.

My female gives a choked gasp, her entire body trembling and then going still. I stroke her, sliding my free hand between her thighs to play with her clit, intent on her seeing this as pleasure instead of the pain I am giving her. I feel her cunt squeeze tight around my cock, and she shivers in my arms as I let the fires move from my fangs into her blood. This will bring her temperature to match mine, link our minds and spirits for all time, and make it possible for her to take my seed…and bear my young. It is the greatest of honors to give to a female, and yet…I think she does not like it. Her body has gone very still and even my touch on her clit does not bring her pleasure.

That will not do.

I growl low against her throat as I keep my fangs buried inside her. I rock my hips, pumping into her cunt even as I tease her clit. She lets out a little cry, and her hard nipples rub against my arm. I keep moving and then go still, waiting. I'm gratified when she puts one hand on my thigh and digs in with her fingernails, whispering something urgent. I do not need to understand her tongue to know that she wishes for me to keep going.

I do, thrusting into her with as much force as I can, my teeth sunk deep. I am locked into her, even as power flows out of me and moves into her. I can feel my very spirit being sapped of its strength as I bond her to me, and it takes all of my concentration not to spill into her as I fuck her tight cunt. All of my fires must be transferred first; if I hurt her by spilling early, I will not be worthy of being her mate.

It is as if my body can sense my needs. With one final surge, I feel the last of my fires move into her, and I free her throat of my fangs, licking the skin to heal the wound. I press two fingers against her clit, rubbing hard even as I pump into her, and she arches, her back bowing as another orgasm ripples through her. Her cunt clasps me tighter than a fist, and then it is too much.

With a roar, I let my seed release, and with it, all of my strength. I thrust into her roughly, filling her with my spend, the wetness of our joining melding together as we both come. As I do, blackness creeps in around my vision, and I reach out to her with my mind.

There is no connection, not yet, but it feels like the barrier between us is as thin and fragile as an eggshell. Soon, I realize, and the anticipation is overwhelming.

I topple forward, spent, and have just enough energy left in me to push my weight to the side so I do not crush my mate beneath me. The world around me distorts and fades, and I sink into unconsciousness…but before I can, I grasp my mate and hold her tight against me.

Mine.