by Aubrey Ross
“Don’t hide your reactions from me. What’s making you smile?”
“This makes it seem like we’re playing doctor, and I’m feeling especially naughty.”
Lust blasted his composure and he momentarily lost his rhythm. “Speaking of naughty, we need to discuss your punishment.”
“You didn’t tell me not to come,” she objected, but mischief brightened her eyes.
“Why did you apologize if you’d done nothing wrong?” He pulled out and mustered his sternest expression. This might be playful, but the lessons were important.
“Because my pleasure belongs to you now, and I come when you decide I deserve it.”
“Or when you genuinely need it or whenever it pleases me. The important thing is I control your pleasure and you deprived me of that privilege twice. Do you disagree with anything I’ve said?”
She remained on her back, arms over her head, legs draping his arms. “No, sir.”
Despite the words, she didn’t sound quite convinced. Cream made her folds shiny and gleamed on her inner thighs. A rivulet of pearly liquid trailed out and disappeared into the crease of her ass. He closed his eyes against the temptation. He’d just begun to earn her trust. Nothing would compromise the progress they’d made.
A idea took shape within his mind, a creative, titillating taste of the pleasures he intended for them to share. “Turn over. Draw your knees beneath you, then spread your legs far enough for your feet to dangle off each side of the table.”
Her eyes widened with uncertainty, but she rotated her torso and he helped her turn over. Then he stood back and watched her position herself as he’d described. Her slim body was folded nearly in half, ass in the air, forearms on the table. She was craning her neck so she could see him, but he couldn’t allow even that. She needed to realize she could trust him even when she couldn’t see what he was doing.
“Lower your head and close your eyes.”
Only after she’d complied did he continue. He stroked her body, massaging tense muscles and caressing smooth skin. Working from her shoulders down to her delightfully curved ass, he gave the tempting cheeks a firm squeeze, then headed up her other side to her shoulder.
He dragged the fastener off the end of her braid and unwove her hair with his fingers. Color came alive within the thick strands, crimson and copper and gold. He spread the thick mass over her back and rubbed her skin with its softness.
“I’ve never seen your hair unbound before. It’s lovely.”
“Thank you, sir.” Her response was stronger, her tone even.
Moving closer to the foot of the table, he rested one hand on the small of her back and caressed her ass with the other. “Have you earned punishment?”
“Yes, sir. As soon as I saw your expression, I knew you were struggling for control just as hard as I was. I selfishly chose to come rather than waiting for you.”
Pleased by the detail in her answer, his determination faltered. What if pain extinguished her excitement rather than intensifying the burn? She was his mate! He would not cheat her out of new experiences because he was afraid.
Reaching between her legs from in front, he lightly caught the puffy little nub between his thumb and his first two fingers. She tensed, then relaxed as she waited for his next move.
He rubbed the ass cheek nearest him, a subtle warning of his intentions, then he gave her two firm swats with his free hand. Her clit twitched wildly and cream quickly covered his fingertips. His inhibitions flowed out in a tingling rush. She was truly his mate, made for his touch, ready to experience life in all its savage glory. Apparently she wasn’t the only one who needed to learn how to trust.
Her other cheek looked pale and neglected as brilliant color blossomed on its twin. He echoed the stroke on the other side and her response was even more astounding.
She let out a keening cry and raised her ass higher. “Are you close, my love? Should I let you come?”
“Please, sir. I don’t want to disappoint you again, but I’m no good at this.”
“You are amazing, sweetheart. Come.” He gently tugged on her clit, ensuring her obedience, but he needn’t have bothered. She shuddered and cried out, then shuddered some more.
While her afterglow still smoldered, he moved to the end of the table and pulled her toward him. He used the foot control to lower the table and pulled her right onto his waiting cock.
She tossed her head, fiery hair whipping about her shoulders. Her head was supposed to be down, but the sight was so glorious he didn’t remind her. The snug heat of her passage gripped him firmly, caressing him with heat and pressure.
Her bright red ass cheeks drew his attention to the deep crevice between. Gathering cream from her folds, he traced a path to her anus. She shivered and stilled, instinctively lowering her head.
“We will share every pleasure we can imagine, but I’ll never cause you undue pain.”
“Isn’t it supposed to hurt the first time? That’s part of the thrill.”
Her conclusion shocked and thrilled him, but he couldn’t bring himself to hurt her that badly. “Not without a proper lubricant. Even if I eased my way inside with your cream, your body would dry out as soon as I started to move.”
“You clearly know more about it than I do. I bow to your expertise.”
She was obviously curious and he refused to disappoint her. Dipping back between her legs for more cream, he circled her anus as he resumed his strokes.
“I thought we were going to wait for that?” she whispered. He eased his middle finger past her sphincter and she gasped.
“Cream works well enough for some light play. We’ll just have to wait for the rest.” He used synchronized strokes for a while, then switched, pulling his finger outward as he drove his cock in. This seemed to drive her crazy. Her hands gripped the edge of the table and she cried out with each rotation. “Come, love. You’ve earned it.”
Her ass squeezed his finger nearly as tight as her pussy gripped his cock. He closed his eyes and absorbed her pleasure, then prolonged the spasms by slowly drawing his finger out.
She muffled her scream with a wad of her hair, but the sound thrilled Grayson. He steadied her with his hands and pounded into her harder than he’d ever dared before. She was stronger than any human female, strong enough to nurture his seed.
The possibility was so exciting that his orgasm caught him by surprise. He wrapped his arms around her hips and spilled deep inside her, dazzled by the intensity.
Her throaty laughter drew him back to reality. “Why are you laughing?”
“At this rate we’ll never get out of this room, much less create the appearance that we’re sleeping in separate beds.”
He reluctantly separated their bodies and helped her down from the table. After a long, leisurely kiss, he slipped his hand between her thighs and gathered a mixture of her cream and his seed.
She watched him, eyes wide and curious. He’d been careful not to touch her clit or ignite another bout before she’d had time to recover from the first two. He painted her nipples with the silky moisture and she bit her bottom lip. But when he brought a second scoop to her armpit, she caught his wrist.
“What are you doing?”
“Marking my territory.” His gaze dared her to object.
After a brief hesitation she placed her hands behind her head and held her hair out of the way. He covered each of her pulse points in turn, the bend of her knees and elbows and below her earlobes.
“Does this mean I never get to bathe?” She smiled despite the confusion lingering in her gaze.
“It’s more ritual than necessity, but it quiets the cat to have my scent all over you.”
“Our scent. That was as much me as you. I’m willing to surrender control in the bedroom, but our lives have to be shared. I won’t be a doormat for anyone, not even you.”
“I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
* * *
Grayson showed her around the clinic while their passions s
moldered. Sasha couldn’t believe how quickly she was aroused after each breath-stealing orgasm. Ignoring his objections, she pulled on his T-shirt and refused to look at him until he donned his jeans.
“Modesty is a human concept. Morphs spend much of our time naked out of necessity.”
“How does being a morph necessitate nudity?” She followed him back into the reception area, the only room with a table and chairs. They sat facing each other, the span of wood helping them keep their hands to themselves.
“Clothes don’t transform with us. We either undress before we shift or shred whatever we’re wearing, which still leaves us naked when we shift back into human form. It’s just more trouble than it’s worth. Our children don’t giggle and stare when they see a naked body because they’ve never been taught that it’s shameful.”
“They don’t run around naked in the village and you’re the only morph who ever approached me while you were naked.”
“The morphs in the village don’t count,” he grumbled. “They’re more human than cat.”
“Spoken like a true rebel?”
He just shook his head, a lazy smile curving his lips. “I can’t wait to introduce you to Dyauna. I think you’ll like each other.”
She’d heard a lot about the rebel leader, but Dyauna avoided humans like the plague. “Your grandfather said we needed to decide if we wanted to secure a future for ourselves or take on the world. Do you know what he meant?”
“More or less. Ironically it started with Dyauna. She was the one who saw us in the forest and she was the first to suspect you weren’t entirely human.”
“What made her suspicious of my origins? I’m not significantly stronger or faster than others on my team.”
“If this is as big as we think it is, they are probably all hybrids of one sort or another. Was your feline DNA from a white tiger?”
“Yes. And Director Darman confirmed that there’s no genetic connection between you and me, or I wouldn’t be here.”
“Obviously. But the similarity in our genetic profiles explains our attraction. Morphs are always drawn to those who are biologically compatible. The higher the compatibility, the stronger the attraction. It’s a survival mechanism frequently found in endangered species, or so my grandfather tells me.”
“Why do you say morphs are endangered? The colonies are so crowded DOMA has been talking about opening a fifth location for years.”
“And yet it never gets built. Why do you think that is?”
“Funding? They can’t figure out where to put it? I don’t know.”
“They did the math and realized they won’t need it. Our population is shrinking at an alarming rate. Morphs, at least feline morphs, have always been genetically predisposed to producing male offspring.”
She chuckled. “I think you’ve been spending too much time with your grandfather. We simple soldiers would say cats tend to have more boys than girls.”
“There is nothing simple about you, but I’ll attempt to simplify my explanation.” He winked and then went on, “The fact that morphs reproduce in litters caused an unexpected surge when the program began. But by the time the first generation of cubs matured enough to mate it was obvious there were going to be complications.”
“Monogamy flew out the window along with modesty?”
He smiled and reached across the table to entwine their fingers. “None of this affects us, so don’t freak out as I explain it. Morph females generally choose their first mate and then their primary mate determines who will join them or have access to her during her breeding season.”
“Why is it his choice and not hers?”
“Male morphs are dominant and possessive.” As if he needed to remind her. “She has the option to refuse his choice, but if he didn’t have control of the process it would never work.”
“And I’m sure females make subtle, and not so subtle, suggestions from time to time.” A faint smile curved her lips as risqué images teased her imagination.
“I’m sure all sorts of compromises are made. I’m just explaining the social framework we operate within.”
She nodded, forcing her mind to refocus on the underlying cause for the sexual freedom. “It keeps the gene pool diversified and keeps the males from fighting to the death over the females. So, why isn’t it working?”
“Last year only one cub in twenty was female and the ratio is shrinking every year. Grandfather has had teams of researchers working on a solution for as long as I can remember.”
“Is this why Sheila was attacked? Was the tiger you challenged trying to claim her as a mate?”
“Tigers and leopards can fuck, but few cubs are ever produced as a result. And when they are, the cubs are sterile.”
“Then why do they bother?”
He chuckled and gently squeezed her hand. “Attempting to stabilize the population isn’t the only reason morphs fuck. Sometimes we simply enjoy the act.”
“I don’t think Sheila enjoyed what happened to her.”
“What happened to Sheila had nothing to do with procreation. Izak is out of control.”
“Izak?”
He sighed, his gaze narrowed with wariness. “Am I talking to my lover or Major Young?”
“Major Young is so far off mission, I suspect she’s deserted her post.”
“Permanently?”
“Permanently.” Saying it out loud helped her solidify the reality in her mind. She was way beyond the point of no return. She wasn’t sure how her future would look, but she would never wear a military uniform again.
“When males are continually rejected as potential lesser mates they become aggressive. Sometimes they turn rogue. Izak has been rejected by every female tiger’s primary mate, so he has no hope of ever producing cubs of his own.”
“It’s hard not to feel sorry for him.”
“That’s only because you’ve never met him in human form.” He heaved a frustrated sigh and rubbed his forehead as he continued. “Last summer he joined the rebels largely to have access to the female leopards.”
“Dyauna is a leopard?”
“Yes, and all but two of the leopards are among her followers. Anyway, Izak had no more luck finding a lover than he’d had finding a mate. He’s mean and impatient, and no female will put up with his personality.”
“Was Sheila his target or was she just in the wrong place at the wrong time?”
“I don’t honestly know. Dyauna could tell you the specifics, but this is a leopard problem now.”
“And Dyauna doesn’t take shit from anyone?”
“Exactly.”
The more she learned about Dyauna, the more intrigued she became. Grayson was likely right. Dyauna sounded like the type of person she would enjoy knowing.
“You refer to the cat in you and the man in you,” she said after a short pause. “I’m feeling a similar duality. I find what Sasha wants is at odds with what Major Young feels compelled to do.”
“Major Young is AWOL. Remember? Never to return.”
“Sasha is firmly in control, but Major Young is stubbornly fighting for survival. I know I’m finished with the military, but I don’t yet see how I fit in to your world.”
“Maybe I can help with that.” He leaned forward and brushed a kiss against her knuckles. Then he scooted back his chair and stood. “This is the ‘secure a future or change the world’ part, and either one will require you to sever all ties with Major Young.”
As if their lovemaking hadn’t done so already. She might be able to leverage what she’d learned about hybrids into a dishonorable discharge, but her career was obliterated. No turning back.
“My father was one of the last males accepted into DOMA’s program. By then a spontaneous ability had begun to pop up in some of the morphs.”
“Your father was a hybrid not a morph, correct?”
“Yes. I inherited my ability to transform from my mother.”
“Go on. I didn’t mean to distract you.”
�
�Just being near you distracts me.” He stood behind the chair he’d been sitting in and rested his hands on the back. “I called it an ability, but it happens spontaneously, so that’s not really the right term.”
“You’re talking about the fact that their cum made certain hybrid females transform into morphs?”
He smiled. “You have a remarkable way of simplifying complicated concepts.”
“And you have a remarkable way of complicating concepts that are actually rather simple. I already see where you’re going with this. Did Darman hype up this ability when he engineered your father?”
“Yes.”
“How many females did your father transform?”
“Eleven. This was before he met my mother.”
She laughed. “I thought morphs weren’t monogamous?”
“It’s a bit hypocritical, I agree. But my father wasn’t a morph.”
“True. Have you transformed anyone?”
“I’ve never slept with a hybrid before, but my grandfather says whatever he engineered into my father’s DNA is still intact in mine.”
“Did your father ever sleep with a hybrid that didn’t transform?”
After a pause he shook his head and admitted, “They all transformed.”
“Then it’s only a matter of time for me?” Heat washed over her followed immediately by a rush of cold. Every time she saw a morph transform it left her spellbound. Was it really possible she would experience the phenomenon for herself?
“Very likely.”
The concept was so surreal, she wasn’t sure how she felt about it. “How does this help us change the world?”
“If you’re willing, my grandfather would like to record your transformation. You will have to be recorded continually until you shift because we have no idea when it will happen, or how long it will take you to morph the first time. You could shift into cat and back before I could trigger the camera.”
“How will this recording benefit anyone?”
“After we’ve edited out anything we don’t want to share with the general public, we’ll leak the file and hope it goes viral.”
“So I’ll have my fifteen minutes of fame. What will that accomplish?”