Devoured

by Evangeline Anderson

  “But what if the girl he just devoured while he was in dr’gin form was her best friend or her sister and she just watched him eat her up?” Becca protested.

  She kept remembering the long, lithe beasts made of scales and feathers she had seen on Pax. Dr’gins reminded her a little of the stylized papier-mâché dragons you saw during the Chinese New Year if they had somehow come to life. Their graceful bodies whipped through the air as sinuous as snakes, seeming to break all the laws of physics with their perfect movements. They also had long sharp talons and spiked tails—not to mention huge, leonine heads with knife-like teeth and long, red tongues. She couldn’t imagine watching something so deadly kill someone she loved and then be expected to mate with the male who kept it inside him a minute later. It would be unthinkable.

  “That would make for a very awkward mating,” Far remarked.

  “It is more than awkward—it is often quite savage,” Truth said in a low voice. “The act of mating—of breeding his female—is what brings the two halves of a Rai’ku male together. When she accepts him she is accepting both the male and his dr’gin with all of its untamed, voracious appetites.”

  “That’s awful,” Becca exclaimed. “So she watches him kill someone she loves or at least knows, and then she has to have sex—really rough sex—with him immediately afterwards?”

  “The male does not hurt her on purpose,” Truth objected. “Well, unless the person or persons he ate in dr’gin form has a cruel or sadistic personality. That is yet another reason why females are preferred as sacrifices during a first turning. They generally have milder temperaments, which keeps the savagery of the first breeding at least somewhat in check.”

  “I know all of this is commonplace on Pax but I must agree with Becca that it seems…extremely harsh. Is the female allowed to back out of the relationship at all?” Far asked.

  “Never.” Truth shook his head firmly. “You forget, Brother, we are talking about Pax here where females are severely undervalued. Any female refusing to mate with the male whose dr’gin had chosen her would likely be jaeled to death by the entire village.”

  “Jaeled? What’s that?” Becca asked.

  “The jael is a hard, heavy nut that grows on the jaelos bush on Pax,” Truth explained. “It has sharp, stiff, poisonous spines growing out of it on one side. The entire village will take the jaels and cast them at the offending female until she dies either from blood loss or a fractured skull. Even if she doesn’t die of those things, she will still succumb eventually—the poison in the spines will begin to eat away at her flesh until she collapses and no one will help her.”

  “Sounds like a savage and brutal punishment simply for not wishing to mate with someone,” Far said frowning.

  “It is,” Truth said. “But it’s necessary.”

  “What?” Becca said angrily. “How can you say that? What a load of misogynistic crap!”

  Truth shook his head. “I can understand why it sounds that way to an outsider but it is not so, Rebecca. A newly transformed male who has just transitioned from dr’gin form back to his normal form is in a very precarious position. If he is not able to mate with the female his dr’gin has chosen for him, he will revert back to dr’gin form and become a D’fex—a rogue dr’gin. He will lose himself completely in his animal form, his mind will be gone, and he will know nothing but hunger and the urge to hunt.”

  “That sounds bad,” Becca admitted reluctantly.

  “It is,” Truth said grimly. “A D’fex is a dr’gin stuck forever in that first, mindless form. And he already has a taste for sentient flesh so the village is his primary target. Many will lose their lives before he can be killed—and all because he didn’t mate when he had the chance.”

  “But say everything goes well and the newly transformed male does mate in time,” Far said. “After that first transformation, a Rai’ku can think just as well in his dr’gin form as he can in his other shape—correct?”

  Truth nodded. “Exactly.”

  “But they’re still so big and scary. Do they change back and forth around their females? Do they ever injure their females when they’re in dr’gin form?” Becca asked.

  Truth shook his head. “Almost never. Whether a dr’gin is savage or tender depends upon the temperament of the male whose other half he is. As a matter of fact, it is said that some are more gentle in their dr’gin form. They are more…what is the Earth word…?” He frowned. “Oh yes—more cuddly.”

  “Cuddly? Really?” Becca shook her head. She just couldn’t imagine wanting to cuddle with something as big and strong as a grizzly bear that looked like a cross between a dragon from Chinese folklore and a lion.

  “Yes, really,” Truth said as though it wasn’t surprising at all. “You know how cold it gets on Pax—they have been known to keep their mates from freezing to death if they get caught away from shelter for the night.”

  “Well…” Becca said hesitantly. “Speaking as a female, I guess if hugging in your normal form was completely taboo, you’d take what you could get. Even if it meant cuddling with a monster.”

  “I know how they must have seemed to you while we are on Pax but as long as they mate in time to retain their cognitive abilities, they truly are not monsters,” Truth said. “In fact, there are many positives to having a dr’gin within.”

  “Such as?” Far asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “Rai’ku males are said to have healing in their tongues while in their dr’gin form,” the dark twin continued.

  “What does that mean?” Becca asked.

  “They are able to cure their female’s wounds by licking them—much as a Blood Kindred is able to do,” Truth said. “Some say this ability was developed in case they scratched their mates with their poisonous talons.”

  “But I thought that was why they developed the antidote,” Becca said. She gave a sidelong look at Far. “Which as we know, isn’t always very effective.” The light twin had actually died of poisoning from a dr’gin’s claws and had thenbeen brought back again—either by the truthonium amulet or by the Kindred Goddess—Becca still wasn’t sure which.

  “It’s not very effective if taken too late—the dr’gin’s poison is always deadly if left too long. But it is said that if the wound is cleaned immediately by the same beast who made the scratch, it may heal with no ill effects.” He frowned. “That’s another reason they don’t bother inoculating females against the poison. If the dr’gin who wounds her intends to take her as a mate, he will usually heal her himself. Any of the others who are wounded are considered inconsequential and left to die.”

  “Ugh…” Becca shivered. “I really prefer the Kindred view of women over the Rai’ku one.”

  Truth brushed her cheek lightly with his fingertips.

  “I feel the same way, Rebecca.”

  “But I thought licking and tasting were taboo?” Far said, frowning.

  “The dr’gin is not licking to give pleasure but to heal,” the dark twin said sternly.

  “Un-huh…” Becca murmured sarcastically. “And what if the, uh, wound they need to heal is high up on their lady’s thigh? What then, hmm?”

  One corner of Truth’s sensual mouth twitched up.

  “Now you have hit on the very reason I used to wish I had a dr’gin within myself. I fantasized many, many such scenarios when I was alone in my room as a young male.”

  “I just bet you did.” Becca nudged him with her elbow and his cheeks went red.

  “What can I say? I have always longed to taste a female—even when I would not admit it to myself.”

  “Of course you did, Brother—it is the Kindred way,” Far said. “But back to Garron—what do you think his dr’gin will be like if it emerges?”

  “I am certain Garron’s dr’gin would not be cruel…not after its initial hunger was satiated, anyway,” the dark twin answered.

  “So he won’t be cruel after he gobbles her up. It’ll be kind of too late by then, won’t it?” Becca asked. “Do you think w

e should go down there and try to get him to come back up? Do you think Tess is in danger?”

  “I think if Garron thought she was in danger, he would have come back up voluntarily himself,” Far said.

  Truth nodded. “Far is right. I know my younger brother—he will do anything to avoid harming a female he cares for. Including repressing a part of himself that has been ready to manifest for years now.”

  “Yes,” Becca said thoughtfully. “He told me about how they “gathered the virgins” for him time and again and every time he couldn’t change—couldn’t let his dr’gin out because he was afraid he would harm Nella. But Truth…” She put a hand on the dark twin’s knee. “Garron has been holding that part of himself back for years and you said yourself his birthday—er, name day—is coming. What if when the time comes he just…can’t anymore? Can’t hold himself back?”

  Truth sighed and ran a hand through his short, black hair. “I confess, I have the same fear.”

  “Well, there is nothing we can do about it now tonight with Garron and Tess down on Earth and the three of us up here,” Far said practically. “And Garron’s name day isn’t for a little while yet. Why don’t you use a Think-me to call him after you meet with the Council tomorrow? While you’re talking you can ask him—in a round about way—if he fears he might hurt this girl.”

  “A good idea.” Truth nodded. “The best thing would be to bring him back to the Mother Ship and provide him with several Pairing Puppets he could, er, feed on after his first turning.”

  “Why must it be Pairing Puppets? If the dr’gin is hungry, why not give it a cow or some other large Earth animal?” Far asked.

  Truth shook his head. “If only it were so easy! But the dr’gin must feed on a sentient being.”

  “The Pairing Puppets, while not very bright, do have an extremely limited sentience,” Far acknowledged. “But why must the creature a dr’gin feeds on be a thinking one?”

  Truth frowned. “Because ingesting such a being is what awakens the thinking part of it and allows it to be more than just a beast. And as long as it mates in time and does not become D’fex, it will retain the ability to think and reason.”

  “What about the whole virgin thing?” Becca asked hopefully. “Maybe that lets Tess off the hook. Will his dr’gin leave her alone if she’s been with someone already?”

  “Unfortunately not,” the dark twin said, frowning. “The gathering of the virgins is simply a tradition among the Rai’ku. Females are considered expendable since there are three times as many of them as males. But newly turned dr’gins have been known to eat anyone in their path. They prefer unmated females but their appetites are not limited to them.”

  “It does sound like the Pairing Puppets are still our best option,” Far said. “They look and act and smell like unmated females and they are capable of some limited thoughts—hopefully that will satisfy the dr’gin’s cravings for meat.”

  “But that only eliminates half the problem,” Becca pointed out. “What about after the feeding? When he changes back and needs to mate?”

  Far shrugged. “Another Pairing Puppet I suppose.”

  “What? When he’s dream sharing with the human female?” Truth looked offended. “He couldn’t—he wouldn’t.”

  “That is true.” Far frowned thoughtfully. “A Kindred male who has started dream sharing with the female he is destined to be with has no desire to copulate with anyone or anything else. Not even an excellent facsimile of a female like a Pairing Puppet.”

  “Well, then that’s going to be a problem,” Becca said. “Because I don’t know any human girl who’s going to be down with having sex with a guy after she watched him rip up two or three life-like puppets—which I assume bleed real blood and probably scream real screams—and then eat them. Even if he was in another form when he did it.”

  “There’s another problem with using a Pairing Puppet for the mating,” Truth pointed out. “Typically first transformation sex is bonding sex for a Rai’ku Kindred. Garron couldn’t bond to a puppet—and he wouldn’t want to even if he could.”

  “It’ll have to be Tess then.” Becca shivered. “Although how in the world she can get in the mood for love after seeing his dr’gin devour anyone is beyond me.”

  “There is no reason Tess would have to see the first part of the turning,” Far said quietly. “And do not be too certain about what a female will or will not agree to. Remember, mi’now, you yourself were quite certain you would not want both of us at once.”

  “And now look at the three of us,” Truth remarked, brushing a stray curl from her cheek. “Far and I fill you often and well and you do not seem to have any complaints.”

  “That…that’s different,” Becca protested a little breathlessly. “I mean, at least I have the bonding fruit to ease the way. Plus, the two of you stay in your right forms. Neither one of you turns into a furry, feathery, scaly monster that looks like he belongs in a Chinese New Year parade!”

  “I will talk to Garron about all of this when I bespeak him after the Council meeting,” Truth growled softly. “But for now, I find myself wishing to concentrate on other things.” He scooted closer to Becca and cupped her cheek. “Much sweeter things.”

  “I agree with you, Brother.” Far was suddenly right behind her, kissing her bare shoulder. “You know, Becca,” he murmured in her ear. “We still have an hour or so before the three of us have to be up. We could spend it sleeping…”

  “Or doing other things,” Truth finished for him.

  “That’s true…” Becca had a naughty idea. “I know what things I’d like to do—I want to hear some of Truth’s fantasies. The ones he used to imagine back when he wished he had a dr’gin of his own.” She shivered. “Although God knows, I’m glad he doesn’t.”

  Truth raised an eyebrow. “Those were very private thoughts you know,” he said softly. “I never intended to share them.”

  “Of course they were, baby…” Becca stroked his cheek. “But you can share anything with us—you know that.” She cuddled a little closer, brushing his arm with her breasts, which were barely covered by her white lace nighty. “Please?”

  “Maybe we could act them out,” Far suggested softly. “Becca could lie back against me and play the part of the wounded female and Truth could be the dr’gin intent on healing her…or breeding her, whichever you choose, Brother.”

  “I choose both,” Truth growled. “But I don’t want her lying back against you, Far. If we’re going to do this right it needs to be more…animalistic.”

  “What…what do you mean?” Becca’s heart was stuttering in her chest as she looked at him uncertainly.

  “Here—I’ll show you.” Truth pulled her up to her knees and reached for the lace hem of her nighy. In one swift motion, he had it over her head, baring her breasts and leaving only her little lace panties to cover her.

  “Oh!” Becca gasped, covering her breasts out of instinct.

  “No, don’t…” Far was on his knees behind her and he pulled away her arms. “You must show yourself, mi’now,” he murmured in her ear. “You must show that you are willing to receive him.”

  “I…I’ll try,” Becca whispered. Truth’s pale gray eyes were blazing like silver fire, making her feel naked and hot all over. He and Far were both wearing their blue silk sleep trousers as always but now, as if by mutual consent, they both slipped them off leaving her on the bed with two very large, very naked Kindred warriors.

  Mother of God, and both extremely hard, Becca thought, her heart pounding. She was really glad at this point that she was eating a daily dose of bonding fruit. If not, she would have wanted to run a mile from the thick shafts rising between her men’s legs.

  “How do you need our lady, Brother?” Far asked, reaching around to cup Becca’s breasts and play with her nipples. “Do you want her on her back with her legs spread for you?”

  “No.” The dark twin’s voice was a low growl. “I need her on her hands and knees with her thighs open wide. I need her ready to submit to my tongue in her pussy.”

  “Oh…” Becca whispered.

  Truth had gone down on her in every possible position by now but his favorite seemed to be lying between her legs while she was on her back. He claimed it gave him greater access and allowed her to relax so he could pleasure her longer.

  But something told her this was going to be different. The dark twin wasn’t interested in a marathon session of pussy licking tonight—instead, this was going to be a rough, fast cunt lapping, something to make her so hot she couldn’t help spreading her legs for his thick cock.

  “You heard him, Becca,” Far murmured in her ear. “Get on your hands and knees and spread your thighs wide.”

  “I…I’ll try. Try to be…to be open for him,” Becca whispered, feeling like her entire body was flushed.

  “I’ll help you, mi’now,” the light twin murmured. As he spoke, he sat with his back against the headboard and helped Becca get on her hands and knees in front of him. She knelt there feeling vulnerable but not frightened because Far was right in front of her—close enough to lean on if she needed him. Close enough to kiss if she just wanted him.

  “That’s good. Just right,” she heard Truth growl behind her and for a moment she swore that he sounded exactly like a beast. A deep shiver ran through her entire body and then Truth hooked his fingers into the fragile lace of her panties and ripped them completely away.

  “Hey!” Becca gasped, looking over her shoulder. “What…what are you…?”

  “Hold her still, Far.” Truth’s gray eyes were blazing as he looked at her. “You wanted to know about my fantasy, Rebecca? Well this is it—I want to lick and suck your pussy until I get you good and wet—wet enough for my cock. Then I’m going to slide inside you and fuck you deep and long and hard. Is that what you want?”

  “I…I…” Becca felt another shiver go through her and she couldn’t tell if it was a shiver of fear or lust…or both.

  “It’s all right, Becca,” she heard Far murmuring as he stroked her hair. “Truth just wants to let his wild side out a little. But I’m still here—I’ll be here with you through it all.”

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