WARREK

I manage to make my way to Suh-mer’s hut without dropping any of the gear overflowing my arms, a small feat in itself. Once there, I drop my burdens and glance around the hut. Suh-mer has cleared a large portion of the floor. Baskets are stacked atop one another in the corner, and supplies have been lumped together instead of spread out. There is room for a fire pit and for us to stretch out in the furs. She has been hard at work, and I am pleased. Suh-mer is not one to sit around and wait for others to do things for her. She is full of action; it is another thing I like about her.

She is also hugging her arms and doing a little half-dance that tells me she is very cold. I pick up one of the furs and move to her, draping it around her shoulders. “I will make you a fire.”

“I would love a fire.” She beams up at me.

Then I shall make it the best, warmest fire I have ever created, I decide. And the quickest, because I do not wish for my mate to suffer from the cold any longer than she must. She is mine to care for, and I want everything to be perfect for her. I drop to my knees and begin placing the gathered stones in a ring to capture the ash, then pull out my fire bundle and begin to build a fire.

“I guess I can make the bed,” Suh-mer says breathlessly, jumping to her feet. “It’ll probably be good for me to keep busy while you do that, because I’m getting all nervous, and I know I shouldn’t be, but I am.” She gives a little laugh at her own words. “I guess because we’ve been anticipating this for a while, right? Or at least, I have. And now that it’s finally here, I’m all jittery at the thought. It’s silly, of course, because we’ve touched each other in all kinds of ways. But this just feels…”

“Bigger,” I agree, not looking up from my work.

“Yes. Bigger.” She shakes out the furs at the far side of the hut. “And I guess everyone’s going to know what we’re up to the moment they see we’ve claimed a place of our own. I probably shouldn’t care about that, but it makes me blush. I suppose that’s normal, though. All newlyweds go through that kind of thing. Not that we’re newlyweds,” she adds quickly. “I don’t want you to think that I’m making this out to be more than it is. We’re just hooking up, right? Right. So if things don’t go the way we want, no harm done either way. We’re both consenting adults.”

She talks with great speed, and I sit up, frowning. She is very nervous. To be with me? I do not understand why. “What is this ‘noo-lee-wed’?” I ask.

“Oh, um, it’s nothing. Just a term humans use.” Her words are quick.

I wait. When she does not offer, I add, “If it is nothing, then say what it is.”

Suh-mer takes great interest in smoothing a fur blanket. “It’s, you know…”

“I do not.” Her reluctance to speak of it worries me.

She makes an exasperated sound and then blurts out the rest. “It’s when humans decide to get married. Newly married people are called newlyweds. Married’s like being mated. But I know we’re not mated, so—”

“We are,” I tell her calmly. “Do not worry.”

“We are?” She looks astounded. “Since when?”

“Since I have decided.”

“Dude, you can’t just decide that! What about, you know,” She drops her voice. “Cooties?”

She uses the human word for khui. “If one of us resonates, we shall deal with it then. I will not live the rest of my days waiting for it to happen. I wish to be with no other than the one that holds my heart.”

“That’s me?” she whispers.

“Of course it is.” I bend low to blow on the fire.

Suh-mer gives a happy squeal, and in the next moment, I feel her arms go around my neck, and her light body clings to my back. “Oh my god! I love you, too, Warrek! Why didn’t you just say so? I’ve been stewing for hours wondering if we were done now that we were home! I didn’t know what to think!”

“Why? What has changed?” I pat her arm, turning my head so I can rub my nose against hers. Or try to, anyhow.

“Everything? Nothing? I mean, we’re back at the village. I thought maybe it was just a travel booty-call sort of thing. Not that you’re the type to do a booty call, but I didn’t know what to think when we got back and you disappeared on me.”

“I had to talk to the chief.” I stroke her soft, soft arms. “Let me finish building this fire and I will show you how much you mean to me.”

“Oh boy, why does that sound so sweet and yet so dirty?” She slides off my back and saunters over to the furs, taking off her boots. “Can I get naked?”

“The thought pleases me very much,” I tell her, and fight the urge to adjust my cock in my loincloth. Fire first. Warm my mate, then warm her with my body.

I feed tinder to the tiny flame, making it grow. As I do, Suh-mer hums a tune to herself, and when I glance over, I realize she is under the blankets, undressing. My cock aches harder, and I feel my sac tighten as I imagine her golden skin brushing against the soft fur. She wiggles under the blankets and then tosses her tunic into the corner of the hut. “Oh, I just realized we didn’t put the privacy screen over the door,” Suh-mer tells me. She gets to her feet, fur wrapped around her body, and I realize she is naked underneath. I could peel the furs off of her and bare her cunt for my mouth within a flash.

Mine. My mate.

The ferocious, possessive feeling surges inside me once more.

No other male will ever touch her. Not one of the newcomers. Not Taushen. Not Sessah. It does not matter that we have not resonated. She is mine.

She places the privacy screen over the entrance and wedges it taut in the doorway. I take a bit of leather and use it to grab a couple of dung-cakes, dropping them onto the fire. I am careful not to touch them—I do not want to handle dung and then touch my female. When the fire is blazing warmth, I sit up and glance around. She is still by the entrance, holding the furs to her teats. As I look over, she smiles—

—And drops the furs.

Her naked body is lovely. Bare skin is nothing new to a sa-khui. As a people, we are not ashamed of nudity, and I have seen many of the tribe—both human and otherwise—completely unclothed. It is different for humans, though, and many are shy to reveal themselves. Suh-mer is one of them. Each time I see her bare, it steals the breath from my body. She is delicate and lithe, her form perfect, her teats small and high. She saunters back to the bed, swaying her bottom as she walks past me. It is lovely—all rounded and golden and without a hint of a tail. As always, I am fascinated by the sight of it.

She bends over at the waist, leaning over the furs, and as she does, I see a hint of her cunt peeking through the cleft of her bottom as she bends over. Her teats bounce as she leans, and I do not know what I want to touch first. I want to put my mouth on all of her. “You tease me,” I breathe.

“Yup. You like it?” She wiggles her bottom at me.

I growl low in my throat. Do I like it? I hunger for it—and for her.

But I do not answer her; I will show her instead. I grab her by the hips and haul her backward. She squeals and flails her arms, trying to catch her balance. After a moment, she topples into my lap, a sprawl of limbs and flying, shiny mane. Her teats bounce as she gasps, eyes wide. “Warrek!”

“Shall I show you how much I like it?”

“Yes, please,” she breathes, a smile widening across her face. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”

I get to my feet and carry her back to the furs. Even as I do, she toys with the long strands of my mane, dragging the ends over her skin and teasing her nipples with it. The sight is a fascinating one, and I’m torn by the desire to watch her endlessly or to touch her myself.

The need to touch her wins out, though. I lay her down gently in the furs and nip the budded tip of one teat.

Suh-mer moans, stretching her arms over her head and thrusting them higher. “I thought you were going to go for my butt.”

“In time,” I tell her, giving her nipple a lick. “I am going to taste all of you this night.”

She gives a happy little sigh at the thought. “Mmm, I like that.”

I do, as well. I run my fingers through her shiny mane, spreading it out on the furs around her head like a halo. She has no horns, and while at first I found it strange, now I enjoy that she seems so small and different. I like her differences. They fascinate me and arouse my senses. Her expressions are far more intense than any sa-khui female’s would be; when she is surprised, her brow goes up, and when she is angry, her brow goes down. It does not matter that her eyebrows are gone. It is still easy to tell which touches please her and which do not. She cannot keep it to herself, and it makes it easy to read her.

Like right now. Her hands have gone to my mane once more, and she is watching me with the softest expression, even as she pulls my mane forward and spreads it over my shoulders like a cape. “You’re so pretty,” she sighs dreamily. “And you have the best hair of any guy here.”

“I do, eh?” I nip her breast again, unable to resist.

“You do.”

“And my horns?”

Her little brow furrows. “They’re, um, horny? Big and horny?”

I chuckle at the description. “You do not find my horns erotic?”

“Should I?” A worried look crosses her face. “I mean, they’re great horns, and I’m not trying to insult. I just like your hair so much better. Not that you would look better without horns. I think you look great with them. I’m just not used to judging horns, and I don’t know what a good horn looks like compared to a bad horn, and I’m babbling, aren’t I?” She gives me a chagrined smile.

“You are.” I lean in to kiss her lightly. “But I do not mind it.”

“You’re the only one,” she mutters. “Most people get tired of it pretty damn fast, especially when I put my foot in my mouth, as I tend to do repeatedly.”

“I am not most people,” I tell her with a lick to her navel. She shivers and sucks in as I do so, and it makes me want to taste her there again. “And I like your talking. You can talk as much as you want around me, and I will enjoy all of it.”

Suh-mer sighs happily. “And that’s why you’re the best guy ever. I never feel like you’re just waiting for me to shut up.”

“If you were silent, I would miss your thoughts,” I admit, kissing lower. Her skin is exceptionally soft here.

“Are you sure you’re not crazy? Because I think you’re the only man in the world that would say that.” Her hands stray to my horns, and she holds the base of one tightly as I move lower. She sighs deeply as I nuzzle the tuft of hair over her mound. “If we’re going to take our sweet time, should I point out that you’re going directly to third base? I don’t mind it—I actually love third base—but I thought perhaps I should mention it.”

I do not know what this “third base” is. “I like your cunt,” I tell her. “And I like licking it. I see no problem with going directly to it.”

“Oh boy, I like it when you lick it, too,” she breathes, and her hand tightens on my horn. “I’m gonna shut up now. Carry on.”

I chuckle and give her a long, slow taste. My groan of bliss is drowned out in her cry of pleasure, and she squirms underneath me. I love how she responds, and it fills me with fierce, possessive need. I want to do more. I want to see her arch underneath me, mouth parted as she comes hard. I want to feel her cunt clench around my finger. More than that, I want to sink into her and feel her warmth clasp my cock. I want to fill her with my seed and surge deep into her body. I am hungry to claim all of her.

I let hunger drive my tongue. Each lick, each drag of the tip of my tongue over her cunt, is filled with the intensity rushing through me. I need her, and I have waited long enough. Tonight, she is mine.

“Oh!” Suh-mer cries as I circle her clit like she has shown me. “Oh god, that’s really good.” Her hands go behind her head, and she clasps the blankets tight. Her legs hook over my shoulders, and I can feel her thighs squeezing against my ears. “You’re going to kill me with your tongue. You really, really are. Oh god. Oh shit. Oh, Warrek.”

I punctuate her words with a lick each time. My cock is surging fiercely in my loincloth, and I yearn to take my leathers off and press my skin to hers. Perhaps I want too much, too quickly.

But then she moans again, and I taste fresh wetness on her cunt, and my senses are inflamed once more. No waiting, no longer. She is mine, and with every soft cry of my name, she makes it more difficult to resist.

I want her to come first, I think. At least once before I bury myself inside her. I know from our previous pleasurings that she can come quickly if I touch her just right. So I continue to flick my tongue against her clit even as I press a finger to the entrance of her core. She is hot and slick here, and I ease my finger into her. Her cunt is tight, but the feeling is indescribable. My sac tightens against my cock, and it takes all of my control not to come at once. I grind my hips against the furs as she clenches around my finger. I can now find her she-spot easily, but I wish to tease her a little. I drag my fingertip over it and then thrust into her.

Suh-mer cries out, her thighs clenching my face.

I slide my finger out of her and then thrust in again, enjoying her reaction. When I thrust into her again, I add a second finger, stretching her. My cock is much bigger than my fingers, so I must make her ready to take me.

“Tongue,” she pants. “Need more tongue, Warrek. I’m so close.” She rocks down on my fingers, trying to push me deeper into her. “Need more everything.”

I give her a long, slow, teasing lick. “Does your queen require more…strategy?”

“Warrek, hon, I love you,” she pants. “But that makes no sense. Your queen needs you to stick your big bishop into her. No, wait, a king. Your dick is definitely a king.” She bites down on her lip. “And now I’m using the terrible chess metaphors. Don’t care. I just need to come.”

There is an insistent edge in her voice, and I realize she is close. I angle my fingers again, making sure to stroke against her she-spot inside her when I thrust. Her choked scream tells me this is what she needs, and I suck lightly on her clit to increase her pleasure.

Her cry as she comes is ear-shattering, and I cannot stop the fierce smile that curves my face. Let them all hear my female come as I pleasure her. I continue to pump into her, making her release last as long as possible. She shudders and falls back onto the furs, limp and panting.

Satisfied that she has enjoyed herself, I get to my feet and begin to strip off my leathers.

Suh-mer opens her eyes and watches me. “Go slower.”

“Eh?” I pause, curious.

She sits up on her elbows, a tiny smile curving her mouth. “I wanted to watch the show. Go slower. Let me enjoy the unwrapping. I haven’t gotten to see much, you know. There’s never been time.”

I realize she is right. In all of our furtive pleasurings, she has not had the opportunity to take my leathers off. Her hands have moved over my cock through the leather, but other than that, it has been all about her. Now she wants me to undress slowly to please her? I like the thought, but I also want to be on top of her, sinking into her.

When I hesitate, she wiggles her brow at me. “Don’t be shy. I’m sure you don’t have anything I haven’t seen before.”

She thinks I am shy? I chuckle and undo the knots at my leather loincloth, letting it and my leggings drop to the floor.

Suh-mer makes a sound of protest. “You were supposed to do that slow!” Her eyes widen and she stares at my cock.

“What is it?”

“I forgot,” she whispers. “You do have something I haven’t seen before.”

I stroke a hand down my length. It feels good, but not as good as being seated inside her would feel. “What is wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong! I just…” She has an embarrassed look on her face. “Sorta forgot about the spur. I’m sure it’s fine, though. If it was a problem, I imagine someone would have said something earlier. And Gail did try to warn me. I just forgot, is all. Looks nice. I mean, not that the rest of you doesn’t look nice, but I’m just being polite. I’m sure it’s a very nice spur.” Her words creep together, faster and faster. “Not that your dick isn’t nice, too—”

“Hush,” I tell her, and gesture at my cock. “Do you wish to touch me and learn me with your hands?”

Her lips part, and then she nods, an eager expression on her face. “Would you mind?”

“If my mate touched me? Never.” Just the thought has my cock aching. As I glance down, I see fresh pre-cum glide down the head of my cock.

She sits up on her knees, one hand going to my thigh. “Do you need a moment?”

I shake my head. I can control myself. I hope. I close my eyes, because the thought of watching her explore me makes me want to push her into the furs and claim my release. I must be patient.

“All right, then.” Her voice is soft and her hand hesitant on my thigh. “Just say something if I do or touch something you don’t like.”

I nod. What else is there to say? My entire body is tense with anticipation. I remain utterly still, waiting for those first touches.

Even so, I am still not prepared. A hand gently touches my sac, and she cups it in her palms, her fingers teasing my skin. The breath explodes out of me, and I groan. My hands clench at my sides, curled into fists so I do not grab her and scare her. The need I feel for her is dangerously close to blazing out of control, though.

“Your skin is soft here, and it feels hotter than the rest of you. Is that my imagination?” She presses something to my thigh. Her cheek? Her teat? “No, I guess you’re the same warmth everywhere. Maybe it just feels different because it’s so close to your thighs.” Her fingers stroke my sac lightly. “Feels different than how I imagined. Does this feel good?”

All I can manage is a jerky nod. “Everything you do feels good, my mate.”

“Your mate? I like that. I think that’s definitely better than ‘newlywed.’” She chuckles at the thought. “But I suppose if we were newlyweds, this would be our honeymoon. That’s a little trip that a newly married couple takes to get away from everyone so they can just enjoy being married. Kind of a celebration of the union.”

“Like when the others kidnapped their mates when they resonated,” I agreed.

“Not quite the same thing, but you’re getting warmer.” Her hands leave my sac and land on my thighs again. “Is it okay if I touch your cock? You look a little stressed. Are you going to blow your wad? Do I need to stop?”