by Kora Knight
Alec winced and shook his head. “You don’t want to know.”
“Yes, I do.”
“No. Trust me. You don’t.”
Chet eyed him angrily. “That’s not your call. We have a fucking right to know.”
Alec cursed, squeezing his cock to the point of pain. “Fine. He said it wouldn’t stop until we actually came.”
“Ah, God,” Bailey groused. “I can’t. I tried.”
“Shit,” Zaden ground out. “I did, too.”
“I think it’s safe to say we all tried,” Alec muttered. “But apparently we need a partner.”
His teammates went silent. Just stared at him warily.
“You mean,” Jamis finally dared to clarify. “We need to actually fuck someone to come?”
“Maybe?” Alec answered. “I think? I dunno. I don’t really understand myself.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Chet snarled. “You better be wrong, since all we got around here are guys.”
Gesh strode over with an armful of fruit. “Tukah?” Hungry? He eyed them on the ground. “You all look very… depleted.”
“We all look very tortured,” Chet snapped. “You perv. I should kick your ass for pulling this stunt.”
Gesh grinned and dumped his melons on the ground. “I believe Roni has called first dibs on a skirmish.”
Chet glowered. “You tell him to bring it on. Any fucking time. Any day.”
Gesh inclined his head and sat down next to Noah, motioning for him to enjoy the fresh food. Noah eyed the stuff dubiously. “Thanks, but no thanks. Got a new aversion to fruit.”
Gesh chuckled and leaned back against a tree. “These will do nothing but give you strength.”
“I think we’d rather starve,” Alec muttered dryly, trying to ignore his tingling ass. “Hopefully we’ll get lucky and pass out from low blood sugar.”
Gesh regarded them for a minute, then called to Naydo, ordering him to bring them their rations. “En reesa.” And water, he tacked on, too, as the big male headed for their packs.
Noah cleared his throat and looked at Gesh. “Is it true what Alec said? That we’re gonna have to fuck someone to get this shit to stop?”
Gesh glanced at Alec with a puzzled look. “No. He misunderstood.”
Alec eyed him irritably. “Then by all means, explain.”
Gesh shrugged and stretched out his long, dark legs. “You do not need to fuck another, but you do need another to fuck you.”
Alec’s whole team stopped breathing, including Alec.
“So, we don’t need to come?” Jamis looked confused.
“No.” Gesh shook his head. “You definitely must. It is the only way to find relief.”
Again, the team swapped baffled expressions.
Gash studied them curiously, his brows drawing together. “Do you not have plants like senna`sohnsay on Earth? A fruit where, once eaten, one cannot spill seed until they themselves are filled with seed, too?”
“Uh… Yeah, no.” Bailey shook his head. “We definitely don’t have anything like that.”
Noah frowned. “I don’t understand the point of such a plant.”
Gesh shrugged. “We believe it is Nira’s way of ensuring we procreate. Eating her fruit makes the act more intentional. More deliberate. And the outcome more successful.”
Everyone’s perplexed looks quickly deepened.
“Procreate?” Jamis repeated. “With another male?”
Gesh eyed them more intently, his brows furrowing closer. “Does human life not start with the mixing of seed?”
Noah shook his head. “Uh…No. Not exactly. But I’d love to hear how that works.”
Gesh exhaled as if he didn’t particularly want to go into it. “After a male eats of Nira’s fruit, he soon requires another male to fill him with seed. That seed breaches his inner jewel where senna`sohnsay has made it permeable. Their two seeds mix, which triggers release, and if procreation is their will, they then take their seed to Nira’s womb.” Gesh glanced at each man. “Is that not the way of your kind?”
They all stared just at him.
Finally, Noah answered. “Um. No. We need a man and a woman to reproduce. Our, uh, seed mixes with her egg.”
“A woman?” Again, Gesh seemed mystified, as he had when Alec had spoken of women earlier. Ultimately, though, he let loose a laugh. “That certainly is not the way of things here. Perhaps your bodies are adapting.”
Bailey frowned. “Why would our biology work differently here?”
A second time, Gesh shrugged as he swiped up a fruit. “Maybe the air here, the water, the food, have affected your fundamental functions.”
Alec stilled at the thought. Was that even possible?
Chet grimaced and rubbed his fly. “Well that’s just great. What the fuck are we gonna do now?”
Gesh looked at him oddly. “The answer is simple. Force yourselves to suffer, or spill.”
Chet glared at him, but didn’t reply.
Zaden asked the next question. “So, if some of us could still come, hadn’t eaten the fruit, we could fix each other without Kríe help?”
Gesh canted his head thoughtfully. “I suppose it is possible.” His lips curved into another smirk. “Perhaps one day you should try and find out.”
Beside him, Noah eyed Gesh’s imposing frame. “It’d definitely make for a better fit.”
Gesh met his gaze. His dark eyes hooded. “Oh, meesha. You and I, we would fit together fine.”
Noah blinked, then quickly cleared his throat. “Don’t think that’s even physically possible.”
Gesh idly fingered Noah’s small, blond ponytail. “I assure you, little beauty, it is.”
Alec and the others watched them curiously. They had this strange yet intriguing dynamic going on. Like some subtle, underlying magnetic pull. Come to think of it, it’d been there from the start, when Gesh first caught sight of Noah’s face. That lingering stare, and all the others that followed, including the ones Noah returned. They both just seemed to always migrate subconsciously to the other one’s side.
Alec looked at Noah. He knew the guy was gay. He’d always been pretty open about it. And of course, as a scientist, he was open-minded, too. But just how far did his open-mindedness go?
Naydo arrived with one of their backpacks and promptly began dumping out its contents. Food rations and water bottles spilled to the ground, along with a bunch of other supplies.
Gesh released Noah’s hair, gave his earlobe a little stroke, then rose back onto his feet. “Eat your food. We continue on our way soon.” He looked at Naydo, who’d sat down next to Zaden. “Let them wade in the river when they’ve finished. Perhaps that will ease them for a while.”
Naydo nodded, watching Zaden snag up a package and rip it open. Zaden regarded him in return as he took a bite. The two just stared until Naydo emitted a pleased rumble and leaned back against a tree. Guess he’d be hanging out until they were done. Alec studied him as they ate, not that anyone ate much. Just a few bites in and suddenly the team seemed oddly, and suspiciously, full. Like the stuff no longer agreed with their stomachs.
Noting that everyone had finished eating, Naydo gave their leash a tug and gestured to the river. “Nenya. Reesa feyah. Bukah kai.” Come. Cold water. Very pleasing.
Bailey was the first to lurch to his feet. “Cold fucking water. I’m down with that.”
Alec stood, too, because he’d have to agree. It definitely sounded refreshing.
The rest followed suit and headed over with Naydo to where crystalline waters awaited them. But as Naydo untied their wrists so they could strip, Chet abruptly stopped moving completely. “Nothing in that water’s gonna attack us, right?”
Naydo scanned the teal depths with a contemplative expression, then shook his head and unfastened his kilt. “No. You should be safe, but I will accompany you as precaution.”
The team swapped tentative looks, but ultimately their misery won out. Wrists rebound and bodies naked, they waded into the w
ater, soft sighs quickly spilling free. It wasn’t total relief, not by a long shot, but any reprieve at all was priceless. Alec moaned as coolness engulfed his junk and eased the needy burn in his ass. God, if only they could stay there forever.
Deeper they descended, then deeper still, until water lapped at their rock-hard nipples. Alec shivered at the feeling. Until now, he hadn’t realized just how fevered he’d been. So good... Aw, yeah. So good…
Naydo brought them to a stop and let them linger. More happy moans, because truth be told, any walking at all was still jarring. Yeah, because of the rope that kept grazing Alec’s nuts, but especially because of his reeling back door.
Not caring about anything but finding relief, he reached between his legs past his balls. Restlessly, he rubbed at his sensitized hole. Gave it what it wanted. Fucking friction. His eyes rolled back at the potent sensation, savoring the feel of his touch.
Yeah… Back and forth… Just like that….
Shit, now it needed penetration. Needed him to breach its tight little muscle and shove a finger inside. Next thing Alec knew, he was spreading his stance and doing exactly that. Ah! Ah, shit! He anxiously pumped, then grimaced in tortured bliss. Because one, he couldn’t seem to reach deep enough, and two, his finger felt way too small. Fortunately, the latter was a pretty easy fix. He sank in a second, and then a third, wincing in raw pleasure as he stretched. Fuck, that hurt, but felt so damn good.
Around him, the similar sounds of his teammates faded as Miros’ voice filled his head. Specifically, the words he’d murmured that morning about how his dick was in Alec’s future— which Alec presumed meant up his ass. But in this moment, he wanted nothing more. Because without a doubt, Miros could definitely reach deep enough, and could definitely spread him good.
All but delirious, Alec tried to shove deeper, but jerked when he hit something swollen. Swollen and unbelievably sensitive. Inhaling sharply, he yanked his fingers free, eyes snapping wide in surprise. Despite how fucking good that felt, he instinctively knew he couldn’t afford to go there. He’d learned his lesson the night before while watching Gesh and Roni get freaky. Too much stimulation equaled wicked discomfort. No way was he risking that again.
He glanced around, finding his teammates’ eyes closed, their tense brows scrunched tightly together. And just like his had been, their arms were flexing, as if busy working things down below. Shit, maybe someone would actually get lucky.
Alec’s gaze moved to Zaden, who stood the closest. His head had fallen back and his shoulders were bunching from whatever he was doing to his junk. Curious thing, though, was how he was inching subconsciously closer to Naydo. And fuck if Naydo didn’t look pleased. Turning to face him, Naydo waited as Z approached, his golden eyes straight-up smoldering.
Alec couldn’t look away, couldn’t keep from watching, as Z absently drifted closer. Slowly, Naydo closed his big arms around him, making sure not to let their bodies touch. Then, ever so carefully, he dipped his head and breathed against Zaden’s neck. Eyes still shut, Zaden shivered with a moan, his breaths turning instantly shallow. Naydo’s full lips curved. Zaden’s biceps bunched faster, his brows pinched tight in desperation.
Alec’s heart pounded. God, they were less than an inch apart, but Zaden was too out of it to know. Alec should tell him, he knew he should, but he just couldn’t get his mouth moving. Besides that, he also had a curious feeling that Naydo’s intentions weren’t bad. That on some level, the big Kríe was merely captivated. Drawn in some way to Zaden’s energy.
Again, Naydo exhaled against Z’s skin. And again, Z shuddered in response.
Fucking hell. How could such a simple act look so effing erotic? Alec inched away from their two-person inferno.
But then Naydo lifted his hand from the water and bit off the tips of his first two claws. Alec frowned in confusion, but quickly understood when Naydo sank said hand down toward Z’s ass. All while taking painstaking care not to let their bodies touch. Probably because he knew that if he did, Zaden would snap to awareness.
Two seconds later, though, Naydo no longer seemed concerned. Boldly, he brushed his lips to Z’s ear as his lowered arm’s muscles contracted. Looked like Naydo’s fingers just made swift, direct contact to a very specific place.
Zaden jerked with a gasp, but his eyes stayed closed as he fell forward into Naydo’s chest. The huge male purred and pulled him closer. And then, as his free arm held Z in place, his other arm started steadily flexing. Presumably doing only God knew what to Z’s ass with those long, de-clawed fingers. Well, actually, Alec had a pretty good idea, considering the way his friend was suddenly writhing.
Alec cursed, knowing full well he should snap Zaden out of it, but shit, the expression Z was wearing looked so blissful. So filled with a pleasure like nothing else, that Alec just couldn’t make himself do it. Naydo wasn’t hurting Z. He was easing his pain. Or if nothing else, distracting him from his torment.
Again, Alec gripped his own rigid cock, enviously looking on. Watching as his co-pilot twitched and squirmed, rapturously trapped in Naydo’s arms. Alec’s asshole clenched, imagining the pleasure. Zaden’s features pinched tighter. His muffled moans quickened. Did Naydo have one finger inside him or two? Abruptly, Zaden jerked with a stifled grunt. Definitely had two inside him now.
Tiny waves lapped against their fevered bodies as Z pressed his face into Naydo’s chest. Naydo made a husky sound and flexed his biceps faster. Zaden grimaced in ecstasy, mouth falling open. But then he abruptly groaned in pain and bit Naydo’s beefy pec. Alec cringed, knowing why. Z was peaking but couldn’t come. As if understanding, too, Naydo growled super low and hefted Zaden higher up his body. Alec’s eyes shot wide. Oh, fuck. Oh, God. Naydo was going to impale Z on his—
“Whoa! Holy shit!” Bailey barked to Alec’s right. “Something just grabbed my ankle!”
Zaden snapped to awareness, then jerked in alarm, finding himself caged in Naydo’s arms. Naydo snarled, clearly frustrated, but let him go to turn and scan the waters.
Distracted by the sudden threat of danger, Alec nervously searched his surroundings. Not that he knew what he was looking for. Naydo did, though. Alec could tell by his expression. And the Kríe did not look happy.
Great.
Clearing his throat, Alec continued to look around. “Uh, correct me if I’m wrong, Naydo, but you suddenly look concerned. Please tell me your rivers don’t have piranha.”
Naydo paused to frown at him. “Piranha?”
Alec nodded. “Flesh-eating water creatures that travel in large numbers?”
Naydo grunted with a nod. “Ah, yes. We have those. But that is not what I search for.”
Alec swapped disturbed looks with Zaden and the others. Because, honestly, what the fuck could be worse than piranha? His heart sank as more possibilities came to mind. Alligators. Anacondas. Leeches. Eels. Suddenly, their river break didn’t seem all that smart.
“Then what exactly are you searching for?”
“Oonmaiyos,” Naydo muttered, starting them toward shore, eyes still scanning intently.
“Oon-what-ohs?” Bailey frowned. “What the fuck are those?”
“Water nomads.”
Chet scoffed. “What, like half man, half fish?”
“Yes. And a species with whom we do not get along.”
Bailey’s eyes went wide as they reached the bank. Then a huge smile spread across his face. “Holy son of a wombat-crazed whore. A merman just touched my leg.”
The science trio instantly fell into conversation, while Alec, Chet, and Z looked less enthused. But as they reached their clothes and started dressing, Roni’s warning bellow seized their full attention.
“Bellacoy! Tacha! Aussa shawní!” Flyers! Quickly! Into the trees!
Immediately, every male dropped whatever he was doing and scaled the nearest stalk. Naydo, however, stayed with Alec’s team, ushering them away from the river.
“What’s going on?” Jamis blurted, nearly tripping.
&nbs
p; Naydo grinned as he gestured them behind a tall bush. “Watch, little one, and see.” With deft agility, he climbed the trunk beside them and quickly tied their leash out of reach.
Jamis craned his head back, calling up to him with a frown. “But—”
“Stay here. Be quiet. And do not let them see you.” And just like that, Naydo was off to join his pack, moving like a wraith through the trees.
A few seconds later, Alec heard the grating shriek of something big back at the river. His eyes shot wide when the creatures dropped into view. They were the same three dragons—or at least the same kind—that attacked their ship and caused them to crash.
“Son of a bitch,” Zaden murmured in awe. “Those fuckers are even bigger than I remember.”
Chet whistled low. “Look at the size of their jaws.”
Noah shook his head. “Look at the size of their wings. No wonder they didn’t follow us into the trees. They’d never have the space to lift back off.”
The beasts touched down at the water’s edge where a few Kríe stood as bait. Patiently, methodically, they lured the flyers in, away from the open river into tree cover. The huge creatures lunged, jaws snapping at the Kríe’s heads. But before they could let loose another mighty squawk, the rest of Gesh’s pack descended. With perfect precision, they dove from the treetops, landing atop the flyers’ broad backs. The beasts reared back, but the males clung tight, even as taloned wings sliced their flesh. So fiercely focused. So deadly determined.
Captivated, Alec watched as the pack worked as one. Plunging daggers deep for makeshift anchors while shrewdly slashing every strategic location. Wing junctures, leg tendons, up under the ribs. Buying time until a Kríe reached their throats. The flyers thrashed and screeched. Their jugulars spewed, showering everything around them in blood.
The scene was incredible. Ferocious. Intense. Not to mention horrific and grisly. One thing was for sure, though. After this display of primal dominance, had Alec not already been sporting a boner, he definitely would’ve had one now.
Lasting a total of maybe five minutes, the takedown was over like that. Victory roars and celebratory howls tore through every inch of the forest. So bad, Alec wanted to go over and get a look.