She sat down and watched him as he worked, making frequent trips to the ground for more vines and saplings. He really was incredibly strong, bending thick branches out of shape and into the new ones that he wanted. He’d saved her life today. He’d taken her to water and now he was building them shelter. He’d put himself between her and danger twice already. He’d gotten her through. Without him, she wouldn’t have survived. She would have broken, and suffered much worse than she had. And he didn’t have a reason for doing any of it. They didn’t even speak the same language.
She climbed to her feet and approached him where he worked. He looked up when she touched his back and ran her hand down the fur that covered his spine, slipping her nails in to drag against his skin. He shivered and closed his eyes, hanging his head. She bent so she could continue on to his tail, running the soft, smooth length through her hand until she reached the end. She lifted it and placed the very tip in her mouth, licking the ends of the furry point. What the hell was she doing? She didn’t know. Seducing an alien as best as she could guess how.
Gron stared at her with hungry eyes, then reached out to brush his knuckles against her cheekbone. He was murmuring something that she was sure was very sweet and complimentary. They seemed to be on the same page, and she smiled. She hadn’t thought she was attracted to him, or that she had feelings for him, but that was in the cell. How could she have? In captivity? But now the night was all around them and full of stars, and the breeze rustled the leaves, and instead of being the only two people in a small metal box, they were the only two people in the world.
She reached out for him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her breasts against his chest. She wanted to kiss him, but she didn’t know if he knew what that was, so she slowly brushed her lips against his cheek, placing little butterfly kisses until she reached his mouth. He hadn’t fought her off or moved away, so she kissed his bottom lip, then his top one. He leaned towards her, clearly interested in what she was doing, so she sealed her lips over his. The difference in the shape of his mouth didn’t make that much difference after all. After a moment, he began pressing back against her lips and she allowed herself to soften entirely against him. And then paused. She could feel his dick against her, not reacting at all to what was going on.
That was a big hit to her confidence. She wouldn’t normally expect her kiss to get a guy hard, but she was naked and so was he, and they were skin to skin and fur, and she’d put his tail in her mouth, and his dick wasn’t even curious as far as she could tell. She broke the kiss and looked down. Yup, nothing.
“Gruth?”
She looked up at his face again. He was looking at her as if wondering why she had stopped, in confusion and concern. “Um...” Don’t you want to have sex with me? She pointed at his dick. When he realised what her problem was he fidgeted and began pulling her off him. “Gron!” she complained. Had she just fucked everything up? She wouldn’t have pointed at a human guy’s dick if it wasn’t working! She should have known better. How unsexy was that? She should have just reached down and helped him along, kept kissing him. Now he was hurt. God, she’d fucked up.
He stood up and looked like he was going to leave her.
“Gron, I’m sorry!” She hoped he could understand her tone at least, her expression.
He looked at her and said something that could have been anything, like I’m sorry too, or Fuck you, bitch, or I’ll be right back, then jumped from the platform and disappeared into the forest below.
Chapter 14
Gron swung down to the jungle floor, then stopped, not really knowing where to go. He leaned against a tree for a moment, resisting the urge to look up at where he knew Gruth was to see if he could make her out, see if she was okay. He’d let her down. She had wanted to mate but he wasn’t primed for her yet. She must be disappointed that he was taking so long. In his tribe, it took about three days of the Queen touching him for a male to become primed, so that the Bond wouldn’t be made frivolously or accidentally. He thought of what it would be like to become primed after a single night of touch, only to be rejected by the Queen the next day, and shuddered. That would be a cursed life. But perhaps Gruth’s tribe was different.
He had slept with her in his arms only one night. Before that he had avoided her touch and the Bond it might start, but he could fight it no longer. He had been so miserable, thinking all was lost after their captors had attacked her, but then he woke up with her before him, asking for his touch, her body bared to his eyes. Oh, he was weak, but he did not regret it. As soon as he had made the decision to Join with her, he found a peace he had never known. To be Chosen, to belong to a Queen as part of her entourage, as her Consort, gave his life a purpose beyond anything he could have hoped for in his old tribe. He even dared to think he might stud for her, that she might let him become a Prime Father. But he should not think of that; that was her decision and hers alone. He should just be grateful she had Chosen him at all, and he was. And she wanted to mate, so he would know that pleasure too.
But he could not, not yet. He cursed his slow body. Why did he feel the fire in his blood if he could not satisfy her? It seemed cruel. Perhaps he should go back and have her touch him more, all over, all night. Perhaps that would speed his priming. Perhaps he could please her in other ways. He looked back up at the tree where he had left her, but no. He would not disappoint her again, would not show her his shame again, not until he could undo it and give himself as the male she wanted. He knew he had to sleep with her in his arms again tonight. He just hoped she hadn’t changed her mind by the time he got back.
He began hunting for more reeds and vines he could use in the building of their shelter. He could do much better with the materials provided by the jungle at home, but he would make do, for her. He kept his eye out for anything that they could eat as well, but so far he had not found anything. He would have to find something soon. They should move on soon as well, if they did not want to be caught again. They had not gone far enough to be safe, and their captors would know to look for them near water.
Oh, but bringing her to water had been rewarding. He had never seen anything like it. She was... beautiful. Where he came from, the Queens were beautiful for their size, their strength, their power. That was not Gruth. He could not explain why she was beautiful, had not thought she was until then. The beauty of the Queens back home made a male stand up. Gruth’s beauty brought him to his knees. She was like a small flower that you found hidden beneath a leaf that you knelt down to see, or the birds that stand in the water that take flight if you move even an inch. He could not touch these things, usually. They existed outside of his world, his life. But Gruth wanted his touch. The thought sent another tide of fire through his blood as he thought of all the ways he might touch her and what she would feel like.
He could see her bones, but it only added to her beauty somehow, because he could see that it did not make her weak. She was not sick. She was strong. When she played in the water, her arms above her head, her breasts high and her back arched, that was the first time he cursed his maleness for being still. She had asked for him then too. Knowing she was ready but he was not was torture. If he could have willed his body to hardness for her, he would have, even if it would not have produced offspring for her. He desired her, like he had never desired anything.
Why had he wasted time in their cell, he accused himself. He should have started the Bonding then. He could have already given himself to her if he had. He touched his lips where she had pressed hers earlier. He did not know why she had done that. He wondered if she would do it again.
He went to the stream and drank more water, hoping to cool the fire at least when he was not with her. He had been distracted from drinking his fill when she had been before him.
He must finish the platform in the tree so they could sleep safely, and he must find food. If he brought food for her, she might think he still had worth while they waited for him to become primed.
He searched
for as long as he could, as far as he could, but he did not want to go too far from her or leave her alone too long. She was not from the trees. She might fall. And she could grow cold without a pelt. Eventually he found a tree that sprouted nuts in a tight bundle, and he folded as many as he could carry into a large leaf along with the vines he needed and held the edges in his teeth so he could make his way back to Gruth.
When he dropped back onto the platform he had yet to finish, Gruth was sitting safely by the trunk, knotted up into a tight ball, which usually meant she was cold. She looked up when he arrived with relief plain on her face. He went to her immediately to show her the nuts he had found and to warm her if she would let him. She bared her teeth in that strange way she had when he indicated that she should eat the nuts. His tail twitched on the branch beside him as if it remembered how it had felt when her tongue had just so barely touched his fur.
She ate almost half of one of the bundles before she looked at him and gestured that he should eat, so he did. Then he would finish the platform so they could sleep, and tomorrow he would carry her further into the jungle.
He worked while she finished the nuts. When he was certain the platform would take their weight, he spread it with leaves and held out his hand for her. She took it and climbed out to where he was, and followed him in lying down. Again she tucked her back to him and he offered her his arm to rest her head on. The leaves made the platform the most comfortable thing he had slept on since he had been taken, but he still didn’t want her to sleep away from him. He spread some of the large leaves over them before settling.
Gron remembered how she had pressed her lips to his face, and he copied her, pressing his lips to her shoulder. She looked at him then, and shifted her hips slightly so that her flank brushed into his lap, but then she moved away again, laying her head down and closing her eyes.
“Please be patient,” he whispered to her as he brushed the hair from her face, “Please wait.”
Chapter 15
Gron woke her the next morning when the first thin light of dawn was stretching from the horizon. He pressed his fingers against her lips and pointed into the forest. She couldn’t hear or see anything, but she guessed that he could. Time to move on. The fear she’d thought was behind her crept back. Last night she had thought they were safe, free. She should have known they wouldn’t be let go that easily. She still didn’t know why they had been taken but if they’d had value before, they were a significant investment now. Ruth couldn’t imagine that it was cheap to fly across the universe.
At least they didn’t have anything to pack. She simply watched as Gron disassembled the platform he had made, then climbed onto his back so he could carry her through the forest. Ruth was distinctly aware that they had no idea where they were going or what they were heading towards. She felt that they must hit some kind of civilisation eventually, a native population, and she seriously doubted they would have a friendly reception if they did. She had no idea what kind of forest they were in, either. They could be swinging through a park in the middle of a city right now. Or they could be on a planet completely devoid of life except for the aliens chasing them. There might be vicious giant monsters on this planet, or winters so harsh they couldn’t survive. She should have known better than to think they were safe, but last night, she hadn’t even thought of returning to Earth.
Gron moved fast to put as much distance between them and their pursuers as possible, and they travelled for what felt like hours. Ruth couldn’t believe that they could be caught when they never touched the ground to leave a trace, but what if the aliens had a tracking device? She pushed that thought away. She didn’t want to consider that they might never be free.
Gron eventually stopped by a stream mid-morning so they could drink. Ruth saw some berries nearby, but didn’t want to risk it. She was so hungry even the ration-loaf seemed appetising now, but she had no way of knowing what was poisonous and what wasn’t. It was a miracle she wasn’t reacting to all the different plants around her, though there seemed to be remarkably few bugs, which was a blessing. She supposed they could kill an animal, and that might be all right. Meat was meat. As long as it wasn’t a scorpion or something, it should be fine. The only problem with that plan was that she hadn’t seen a single other living thing.
She looked at Gron in concern. He was burning way more calories than she was, and had more mass to maintain too. He didn’t seem to exactly have any fat stores either. As she watched him drink, she saw that he also plunged his forearms into the water and held some up to run down the fur on his chest. The day was heating up quickly, and he must be hot, leaping around while carrying her. She waded into the water and stood in front of him. Now was her chance to give the guy a bath.
The water here was much shallower than the stream from yesterday. If it was the same one, they must be upstream, and she wondered if they were following an incline. The water only really came up to her ankles, but she crouched in front of him and held his hands, rinsing the grit and grime from his skin and fur. He didn’t seem to object this time, so she gradually worked her way up his arms, pulling him to sit in the water with her. He seemed bemused as she ran her hands over his legs until the fur was smooth and as clean as she could get it.
Ruth moved behind him to start on his tail which she knew must be in the water too. It was soaked and incredibly heavy, but she worked it through her hands anyway, scratching and massaging it, his broad back shuddering occasionally or twitching when she touched his skin with her nails. When she was satisfied, she cupped water in her hands and poured it down the dusty fur on his spine and over the bare skin of his back, wiping him down. Everywhere she touched he was warm and firm, the muscles creating a seemingly endless terrain of swells and valleys for her to explore. There was a lot of splashing as he vigorously washed his chest and she hesitated. Was she being too slow? Were they still being hunted? But he slowed down and looked at her when he felt her pause, so she smiled and began on his shoulders, pressing hard to squeeze out as much water as possible.
Now the question of how to do his hair. He would have to lie down. She pulled on his shoulders until his head was in her lap. Ruth smiled at him to reassure him as she began gradually pouring handfuls of water through the dark strands, which looked black when they were wet. He said something as he looked up at her, but she just smiled in response. What else could she do?
All considered, it took a long time to rinse all the dust and grit out of his hair and fur and off his skin. When she was done, he looked quite debonair with his hair slicked back off his face, and she bit her cheek not to give herself away. She moved to get out of the water, but his hand on her wrist stopped her. He gently pulled her back down to sitting in front of him, and she smiled. Okay, his turn. She let him cup water over her arms and shoulders, slowly running his hands down her skin, occasionally glancing at her face to check he hadn’t crossed a line.
He said something and motioned her up. She stood and he knelt, and she was suddenly a little uncomfortable that he had such a good view of her crotch, but his eyes were following his hands as he tipped water over her neck. He moved his hands over her chest, his fingers running over her collarbones, and she shifted. Had it been this erotic when she was washing him?
Gron skipped her breasts, which simultaneously surprised and kind of annoyed her, but his large warm hands went around her ribs, stroking over her waist, his thumbs following the contours of her stomach as he watched. He leant his face against her and inhaled as his hands continued down her sides, over her hips and down her thighs. Ruth carded her fingers through his wet hair to steady herself.
Gron leant back again and began scooping water over her calves. The water was cool, but the sun was dappling beautifully through the trees, heating the air and their skin, and Ruth’s heart was beating fast and strong. Gron washed her legs, gradually working his way up to her knees, her thighs. Ruth gasped and swayed. She’d never had a man pay her this much attention, apparently wanting nothing in retu
rn. She couldn’t be sure he knew what he was doing, but he must have noticed how hard she was breathing now.
His hand slid up the inside of her thigh and she closed her eyes, shifting her feet apart for him. He trickled the cool water through her pubic hair and her belly jumped. She wanted to ask him to touch her there but she couldn’t. Instead she felt his fingers gently run through her hair, washing her, and then the weight of his head come to rest against her again, lower this time as he again inhaled deeply. She forced her eyes open. No one had ever done that to her, but it didn’t make her uncomfortable. He was washing her so reverently he was clearly okay with her body, and he was an alien anyway, how did she know what he was doing or what it meant to him?
She could feel his exhale hit her between the legs, and she almost buckled. God, she wanted him. She was so hot right now. Surely he was going to touch her? He couldn’t be on his knees in front of her with his face between her legs and be confused about what was going on, right? She imagined his tongue, his hand, his tail, anything, but nothing appeared to be forthcoming.
“Gron...” she moaned desperately, rocking her hips against him, trying to be as obvious as she could. He looked up at her, his large, dark eyes questioning, burning. “Please, Gron,” she begged. She’d never begged for it before but she’d never been this turned on from so little stimulus before. He hadn’t even touched her clit, or her breasts, or even kissed her, and she felt like she could come from a hard look. As she looked down at him, she watched his tail rise up and curl around her thigh, pulling her legs apart gently. Oh, thank God... The furred end came to rest against her entrance and she clenched involuntarily. “Oh my fuck,” she cursed. Wasn’t that a new sensation? The fur prickled and teased her, not giving her enough to really feel but impossible to ignore.
Ruth's Bonded (Ruth & Gron Book 1) Page 8