by Octavia Kore
She’d seemed afraid of him when he’d returned to the outpost, and if the female had any sense of self-preservation, then she would continue to be cautious. In his guardian form, Zaheer could easily crush her soft body in his jaws.
NO!
Just the thought of any harm coming to her made his beast furious, and that drove him crazy. What was it about this outsider that made his guardian react like this? There had been two other females in that group, but neither of them caused this protectiveness to well up within him. Yes, the female’s mental voice was… pleasant, he would give his beast that, but everything else about her was strange and repulsive.
Unlike Krunkeeli females, this outsider’s body was covered in the finest smattering of fur he’d ever seen. Her nose protruded too far, her eyes were eerily multi-colored, and her ears were short and rounded at the top. The majority of her teeth were blunt, with the exception of two dull little fangs. This female lacked all the usual appeal of their females, and still his guardian was practically crawling out of his skin just to touch her.
When he’d come across her in the forest, Zaheer had no choice but to see her through his beast’s eyes, but now, back in his true form, he was faced with just how strange this creature was.
She is hideous, Zaheer said
She is not hideous, she is beautiful, his guardian insisted. Ours.
Zaheer’s lip curled in disgust, and he dug his fingers into his thighs to keep himself grounded. He doubted this female would even be able to fight for a place in his pack. Weak. Fearful. It was written all over her face, and it repulsed him. So why then, when she looked at him, did Zaheer feel the rays of the sun warming him? Why did his body tremble and his thoughts go fuzzy when he breathed in her scent? When his fingers brushed over her smooth skin, Zaheer’s heart had raced so hard and so fast that he feared he might drop dead at her feet.
The fur covering his torso rippled, and without looking down, Zaheer knew patches of dark shimmering skin were appearing. Mine, his guardian growled. Zaheer glanced toward the female, afraid she might hear him, but she remained asleep. I want. I need, the beast whined.
Without realizing what he was doing, Zaheer pushed away from the wall he’d propped himself against and crawled over to the female, his movements silent. He stopped in front of her, his head tilting as he watched the rise and fall of her chest.
Beautiful. Mine. Ours.
Zaheer blinked at the desperation and longing in his guardian’s voice, and just before his fingers could make contact with her skin, he jerked away. Gods above, if he didn’t regain control of his guardian, he was going to cross lines that could lead him to damnation and ruin.
“My vows are sacred,” he said to the quiet room. “I spoke those words before my Alpha, my gods, and the High Priest. I am honor bound to keep them.” Celibacy was just one of the prices the chosen paid for the honor of housing a guardian. Up until this moment, Zaheer hadn’t considered that to be much of a sacrifice, but the tightness in his chest when he looked down at the alien female gave him pause.
As if sensing his presence, the alien stirred, her lids fluttering open to reveal the rich brown color in the center of her eye. She was looking at him, and he wished desperately that she would close them again. A smile tipped the corners of her lips, but it disappeared the moment she attempted to move her arms and legs.
“Seriously? How long are you going to keep me tied up?”
Her voice barely registered in his mind before his guardian was surging up within him, clawing its way to the surface. Mark her! No one will dare to touch her then.
His guardian had clearly gone mad. No one would touch the female because he wasn’t going to let anyone get close enough.
Let her mark us with her scent so that no one can question who we belong to. We will wear it with pride, the beast hissed, excitement radiating along the bond.
Zaheer did his best to mask his emotions as he tamped the guardian down, but with the way the alien’s eyes moved over his face, he wasn’t so sure he’d been successful.
She is ours!
No! She is alien, strange, Zaheer growled. His nostrils flared as he drew in a deep, calming breath. Well, it was meant to be calming. Her scent, the same one he’d tracked in the forest, filled his nose and lungs as the fur on the back of his neck lifted. It conjured up images of home, of the one he’d shared with his mother and father before the priests had come for him. She smelled of the flowery pajoo incense his mother burned as she sat on the floor weaving her baskets while telling him stories of their ancestors and the creation of the forest.
Scenting her isn’t wrong, his guardian whispered.
He was already breaking the rules by staying in the dwelling alone with the female, but surely simply smelling like her didn’t go against his vows? There were so many more important things he should be doing, like finding Tratek and listening to what he had to say about the priests. When Zaheer returned to the temple after leaving Ivnalth with the alien females, he’d been unable to locate his pack member. The priests reassured him the male would be returning soon, but it only stirred his suspicions.
Tratek, however, was more than capable of taking care of himself, and if the priests were telling the truth and the male was simply completing a task, he would take Zaheer’s interference as a sign that his alpha had no faith in him. Instead, Zaheer had made his way back to the outpost, unable to rest knowing she was out in the forest.
Tendrils of excitement and fear wrapped around him as he closed the distance between them, contracting and squeezing Zaheer’s chest as he reached down to lift her into his upper set of arms.
“Hey!” she said out loud before reverting back to her inner voice. “Don’t touch me! Put me down, you––” The female went silent the moment he shifted her higher and nuzzled his face into her abdomen.
A soft buzzing filled his ears as her scent flooded him, and he breathed deep against the strange material she wore. Zaheer could feel his guardian purring, something he’d never experienced before, and fought the urge to slide lower still, to the place at the juncture of her legs where her scent was the most potent. That wasn’t going to happen, not just because her legs were bound together, but because he had a feeling that would do more than lead him down that path to ruin. What waited for him there would do so much more than merely break his vows; it would destroy them and him.
It would be worth it, his guardian purred. Worth all the shame you are so scared of. This female is worth everything.
Even if she really was worth it, Zaheer doubted she would allow him. He frowned at the black material that covered most of her body, annoyed that his scent seemed to fade from it the moment he moved away. His guardian strained within him, desperate and hungry. With a frustrated growl, Zaheer dropped her down into his lower arms, ignoring her gasp before burying his nose into the crook of her neck where her pale flesh was flushed pink.
She was soft and warm here, and before he could think better of it, Zaheer slid his tongue up the column of her throat, committing the salty taste of her flesh to his memory. The sharp sting of her short nails digging into his shoulder as she tightened her grip had him pulling back. Did she also wish to mark him? The thought thrilled his guardian.
Zaheer carefully cradled the back of her head, bringing her close so that he could rub her protruding nose along the underside of his jaw and into the tuft of fur around the base of his neck. The alien female made a throaty, muffled sound before pressing herself closer to his chest. He felt the warmth of her breath on his fur as she took over, and allowed his eyes to hood for just a moment as his guardian basked in the pleasure these simple touches brought. Even though he didn’t see the appeal of this being, he was oddly satisfied.
“Okay, good spider… guy… alien.”
Spider? “What is spider?” Zaheer asked, cupping her face to hold her still when she tried to pull away. The female didn’t respond, but she did pat him on the head as if he were some sort of animal looking for praise. “Is
this some word of affection or perhaps an insult?”
It sounded like praise when she said it, but he’d watched mothers pat their pups like that when they were entertaining them. Why didn’t she answer? As Alpha, Zaheer wasn’t accustomed to waiting for a response. His pack members trusted and confided in him, and here was this little alien female who made him feel all sorts of strange and forbidden things. Why did he care whether spider was an endearment or an insult? He’d hardly known her for more than a day and already he was seeking her approval.
“I have already heard you speak so I know you are capable of responding.” Zaheer frowned as he watched her eyes drift down toward his lips. “Are you listening to me?” She blinked up at him when he stopped, and Zaheer canted his head. What was so fascinating about his mouth?
The female’s shoulders sagged as she leaned back, and the dejection he saw in her face tore at something within his chest.
“Can you hear me?”
Like every other time she’d spoken to him through his mental link, Zaheer ignored her and pretended not to hear. He wasn’t ready for this alien to know that he understood her.
“I don’t know why I keep trying. I can’t hear you when you speak and you can’t hear me like this. If you spoke a language I knew, I might be able to read your lips, but that seems like a lot to expect from aliens.” The female blew a short stream of air from between her lips before raising her bound hands to scrub her face.
She couldn’t hear him? Did her ears not function as the Krunkeeli’s did? Liquid filled her eyes, and she sniffled softly as she turned her face away from him.
“At least I knew what the Grutex wanted with me. I’ve got no idea if you guys want to eat me or breed me, and I can’t even communicate enough to ask.”
The female was broadcasting her thoughts to him, but Zaheer wasn’t sure she was actually speaking to him any longer. He shouldn’t keep listening, but he found himself unable to stop.
“They took so fucking much from so many people, and I guess I should feel lucky that all they took from me was my hearing, but…” The female looked up at him, her eyes glassy as liquid streaked down her face. “I wish I could hear you.”
This was the reason she was broadcasting her thoughts with little to no direction? She reached out, clutching his forearm in her hands, and Zaheer’s mind went fuzzy. With her scent all over him and the sensation of her soft, smooth flesh on him, he was finding it incredibly difficult to concentrate on the things he should.
What was it he was supposed to be doing?
Zaheer looked down at her hands, and his eyes strayed toward Ivnalth’s web. The alien female had been bound this entire time. When he’d entered the dwelling they used as an outpost, his cousin informed him that the alien had only just woken up, which meant she probably hadn’t been able to relieve herself yet. Was that even something these aliens did?
She’d enthusiastically eaten the meal he’d brought her—after she’d stopped trying to kick it from his hands–and it had given him a strange and annoying sense of satisfaction to watch her enjoy it. He shouldn’t care what this being needed. No, what he should have done was to dispose of her and the other outsiders just like they did with every threat. He was a guardian. His stomach shouldn’t drop at the thought of her discomfort. He couldn’t seem to quell the urge to see all of her needs fulfilled.
Guardians didn’t cater to outsiders, and they certainly didn’t keep things from the priests, but imagining himself handing her over, or letting any of his pack members do so, made him feel sick to his stomach. No, she would stay right here for as long as it took Zaheer to figure out what he was going to do with her.
Zaheer reached down and hauled the female up, throwing her over his shoulder.
“Hey!” she shouted out loud before smacking his back with her bound hands. “What the hell—”
Ignoring her struggles and the strange alien curses she shouted in her mind, Zaheer shifted her so that he had hold of her legs with both the upper and lower set of arms on his left side. He did his best to block out his guardian’s gleeful noises at the contact and shoved the lid off of one of the woven baskets stacked near the outer membrane, pulling out a spare dagger before making his way to the small cleansing room.
“I really don’t appreciate being man-handled––” The female’s angry words died, and her eyes widened when she caught sight of the blade.
Zaheer held his upper hands up, palms out, hoping she took this as a sign he meant her no harm. With slow, deliberate movements, he took hold of her wrists and slid the blade beneath the webbing, severing the threads. The female hissed and her face scrunched up as she ran her fingers over the irritated pink skin. Had Ivnalth mistakenly bound her hands too tight? Their webs had never hurt any of their own kind, but then again they had fur to protect their bodies.
This alien was as fragile as she was strange.
His guardian might think she was the most beautiful creature to ever grace this world, but that didn’t mean Zaheer felt the same way. He refused to acknowledge whatever irritating connection there was between him and this being.
It is undeniable, his guardian said, humor coloring his voice. Tsa.
Zaheer was unfamiliar with the term, but he didn’t like the wistful tone the beast used. Aanih suits this creature far better, his guardian bristled at the word most often used to describe something as distasteful or unattractive. A pair of small feet covered in shimmering black material was shoved in his face, and Zaheer frowned as he pushed them away.
“Hey!” the female protested before leaning back and pulling her knees to her chest once more. She wiggled her feet at him and pointed to her bound ankles expectantly. The corners of her lips tipped up into a smile just before she bared her blunt teeth. Was she… snarling at him? The female couldn’t possibly understand the challenge she was issuing.
When Zaheer mirrored her expression, drawing his lips back over his fangs, the female paled and her eyes rounded like they had when she saw the blade. Instead of the amusement he’d thought he might feel, a wave of guilt and shame washed over him, and he straightened his features before quickly cutting the threads around her ankles.
His guardian’s laugh rumbled in his mind. This thing our tsa did with her lips… you liked it.
I did not, he protested, the lie settling like a stone in his stomach as he watched the female struggle to stand. It was like watching a pup take its first tentative steps out onto a branch and praying to the gods that they didn’t tumble over the side. Wobbling like a newly fledged guardian, the female took a few clumsy steps before her legs gave out. All four of Zaheer’s hands shot out to steady her.
She was going to be injured before she even had the chance to relieve herself. He took back his previous thought; she was worse than a newly fledged guardian. Far worse. The female scanned the small room before turning back to eye him.
“You brought me here to show me your… flower?” She glanced over at the prija bloom in the corner.
Gods above, this creature knew nothing. “First I feed you and now I must show you how to waste on your own? Pay attention, Aanih, because I will only demonstrate once.” He moved to stand above the prija bloom, and pressed his fingers to the area just above the slit hidden beneath his fur. The protective sheath parted and his primary kheti extruded, followed closely by his secondary kheti. Zaheer tried to ignore the female’s soft intake of air, doing his best to pretend she was merely one of his pack members. Krunkeeli as a species weren’t shy when it came to nudity, but he’d never had anyone stare so openly at him before.
Beneath her curious gaze, Zaheer’s khetis began to stiffen, and his guardian purred excitedly. Not only had his beast lost its mind over this female, but now even his body was betraying him. The vows he’d spoken so long ago left no room for doubt or misunderstanding. The things his guardian and his treacherous body wanted to do could never happen.
Zaheer willed his khetis to cooperate, but instead of falling neatly into the dilated
opening at the top of the bloom where he was aiming, his urine splashed against the large red petals. With a squeal, the female jerked back, and she slammed a hand over her mouth as her shoulders shook. She was… laughing at him. Wonderful.
“I’m so glad I could entertain you,” Zaheer grumbled to himself as he shifted and tried again, this time managing to hit his target. Why in the world was this so difficult and uncomfortable? If this was how his body was going to react, it was clear he wasn’t going to make a habit out of relieving himself in front of the outsider.
“Okay, okay!” The female giggled, swatting at his arm as he finished. A smile tugged at her lips, and she nudged him away until Zaheer found himself standing outside the membrane barrier into the cleansing room, his swollen primary kheti still in his hand.
Zaheer had experienced many uncomfortable things in his lifetime, but this situation by far was the oddest. You attempted to relieve yourself in front of a strange, overly curious alien. How exactly were you expecting it to play out? After taking a moment to coax his swollen khetis back into their sheath, Zaheer walked back out to the main room and slipped the spare dagger into the basket he’d taken it from. He debated whether or not he should bind the female once more and ultimately decided against it. If she somehow managed to get herself down the tree and onto the forest floor, his webs would alert him and he’d have no trouble tracking her down.
Using his dual tails for balance, Zaheer moved along the branches of the massive tree before descending the trunk. When his feet touched the ground, he glanced back up at the outpost where he’d left the speckled female. She should be fine on her own for a little while.
Zaheer walked toward the tree where the second pod hung and glanced up into the branches. “Ivnalth,” he called, reaching out to her along the bond they shared. “Meet me below when you’ve finished with the other outsider.”