by Sabrina Kade
“I am fine.” I hiss before Phoebe grows curious and turns around. “Let us go.”
Another smirk passes on Drazal’s face, but he is kind enough not to point out my throbbing cock to the pale-haired human. She continues to chirp loudly again about wanting to see a dilewiler, and I cannot help but grow angrier at her stupidity. I knew humans were arrogant, but I certainly did not picture anyone wanting to come across one of those wild beasts in the humid, damp forest.
“You don’t have to do this, you know.”
I wince when the soft sound of Ellis’ voice pierces against my ear again. I had no idea how different she would sound this close to me. I never want her further away from me than this if I can help it.
“Do what?”
“Carry me. My legs are short, but they work, you know.”
“I am aware your legs work, but we are approaching dangerous territory.”
Her arms tighten around my neck. It is not a pleasant sensation, but I allow it. “Why are we going toward danger?”
“We have to get there to set up the trap. I thought we mentioned this. Ellis, you do not have to worry. I will keep you safe.”
She’s shaking, but I don’t point that out. “I’m not worried.”
“Do not lie.”
She stiffens. “Alright, I’m a little worried.” I clear my throat. “Terrified. Alright, you poopsicle? I’m terrified.”
This word. She says it often. Poopsicle. Perhaps it is a term of endearment. I can only hope.
“Either way, if you want to be strong for when we set up the trap, shouldn’t you be saving your energy?”
“I will be fine. You weigh nothing.”
She stiffens against me. Her nipples prick against my bareback. “Nothing, huh? That’s not good.”
“I meant no disrespect, Ellis. You know that.” I feel her relax against me. Those amazing breasts press against my back, and I have to suppress the groan building in my throat. Having her this close to me is not endangering me physically in anyway. But if I am not able to calm down my cock by the following afternoon, it is going to be quite difficult to kill. I close my eyes and keep moving, feeling her movements. “I have told you before, Ellis. I do not mind your lack of height. I do not mind your face. I know these are things you worry about with the others, but you do not need to worry about them with me, yes?”
My eyes trail back to her. I wish I could see her face, see the look in her eyes as she mulls over this statement, and I worry I’ve said too much.
I always think she is testing me. But here I am, testing her.
After a few tense moments, I can no longer take the silence.
“If I have said too much, then please, let me know. But do not allow my thoughts to wander while you remain quiet.”
“You didn’t say too much.” Ellis’ voice is soft. I wonder if she sees or feels something in the forest I cannot, but before I can ask, her cheek rests between my shoulder blades. She is blazing hot against me. Is she sick? Have I made her physically ill with my words?
“Ellis—”
“You know,” she interrupts. “I do worry about that a lot.”
“Worry…”
“About being short,” she continues as I keep a lookout ahead on Phoebe and Drazal. “And looking too young. Everyone always says these things are awesome.”
“You do not think so?”
“Not really. And I don’t think other people would love it as much either if they had to live with it for more than a few days. Yeah, it’s okay at first, but after a while, it’s embarrassing.”
She starts to trail a few fingers up and down my back as she continues speaking, and I’m all but holding my breath to maintain control. She is making this very difficult. And she is also making my cock very hard. I hope Drazal and Phoebe do not turn back. They shouldn’t because we are approaching the dilewiler territory, but Phoebe may want to talk to Ellis even though I am carrying her.
Luckily, the pale-haired one and Drazal are out of sight as they cross over the second triss. I assume they will wait for us there. For now, I have a few more private moments with Ellis.
I cherish every one of them.
“Blythe said she was jealous of me. I know everyone has their own insecurities. She thinks she’s too sexy looking and her boobs are too big. But at least she looks like a woman, you know? All you guys wanted her when we first got here.”
“I didn’t.”
She squeezes me again. It’s a pleasant pain.
“You know what? I believe you.” She giggles against my neck, her warm breath finding its way between my scales. “But no, that’s not what I mean. All my life, I’ve heard how great it is to look young. And in some ways, it is. In other ways, it isn’t. Since I became a space whore, I think things have gotten worse.”
“You’re not an entertainer anymore.”
“You don’t know that.” Her voice turns sad, and suddenly it dawns on me how easy it would be for me to prevent her from spreading her legs for others again.
Prince Korben didn’t just want me to keep her safe during this assignment. He wanted me to keep her safe forever. If I Choose her, Korben will do everything in his power to get her to stay beside me. This realization washes over me like the Tion’s disease, and I swallow hard, about to let her know she isn’t going anywhere.
Perhaps now isn’t the time.
I slow my walk, giving Ellis time to say what she needs to express.
“Some aliens liked their humans looking like kids. Despite everything, there’s not a lot of us under the age of eighteen. Can you imagine the excitement some aliens had with finding a human who’s of breeding age but looks like a fucking cherub? I was in high demand.”
I hiss lowly in my throat. I do not understand this cherub, but I think she speaks of looking young again. I also think of the perverted aliens who pleasured her because they could sate their disgusting desires legally and without shame. I never want Ellis to have to endure this of degradation again.
“You are safe now, Ellis.”
“Yeah. For now. But who knows what’ll happen after this assignment ends, you know? You think this isn’t the first time I thought I found a safe place? Some Entla telling me he would never let me go? A Draken claiming he was different from the rest of the monsters? Please. This is certainly the closest I’ve ever gotten to truly believing my self-inflicted nightmare is coming to an end, but I’m not an idiot. The only person who’s safe here is Blythe. Even York worries about her future on Hethdiss, and she has a partner. Besides, no one actually wants an itty, young faced human for a serious partner. I’m a fetish now.” She wilts against me, and I have to stop the rage from coming through.
I need to distract her before she shatters before the trap is even set up.
I try to remember some of our past conversations. Ways she used to distract me. Perhaps, I can find a way to distract her?
“Do you think someone who thought of you only as a fetish would want to kiss you?” I ask carefully, stopping at the top of the second triss. Phoebe and Drazal are a few paces ahead of us, not enough to be completely hidden from my sight, but I’m not sure if I care.
“That depends on where,” Ellis says dryly.
I lower my pack and swing Ellis around, so she’s facing me. Her chest presses against mine. Her face is so close I can immediately taste her surprise, not to mention her arousal.
“What are you doing?” she gasps. “Shouldn’t we…”
“A few moments will not affect anything,” I say shortly, trying to gather my nerves. I haven’t initiated something like this in a long while, and now, with Ellis in my arms, I ask myself, why not? She feels amazing in my arms. Light and soft. And yes, she looks young, but she is still a woman. An intelligent and attractive woman. A woman I want only for myself. “Answer my question, Ellis. Would someone kiss you if they only thought of you as a fetish?”
She snorts again. “And I already answered you. That depends on where.”
Ell
is is light enough that I can hold her up with one arm and use my other hand to touch the slight crease in the center of her lower lip. A burst of arousal hits my nostrils as I drag the tip of my finger over the soft, pink flesh.
“There.” My voice is husky and soft in my ears, but Ellis’ grip tightens around my waist. She feels… right. She belongs here. With me. Right now. There isn’t a hint of disgust in her scent. No pity. No shame. No ulterior motive. For whatever reason, a higher power has sent this incredible being to me and into my arms. She looks at me as though I am beautiful. She looks at me as though she would never think of testing me. She wants me. And me wanting her will not make me weak. It will make me strong.
I find her eyes in the settling darkness, and though the pale-haired human is chattering in the distance, I can also hear Drazal. He is telling her to stay away. Thank you, brother.
“You don’t have to do this, Hujun.” Ellis squirms slightly in my arms, but she is not afraid. I would be able to tell right away. She’s aroused, but she wants to be sure. She wants to know I will not push her away again. I could not. Never again. Her eyes lower to my mouth, and I try to remain as still as possible. She shouldn’t want to kiss me. She should be turned off. Afraid. I am not an attractive Sidyth like Prince Korben or Azan, and I’m certainly not heavy in human-like features like my brothers Dash and Exer.
But I care for Ellis. I… like her very much.
But I also know Yayk is clouding her mind. She worries I will take advantage of her. She fears all Sidyths are the same. We all follow our primal instincts to make women weak. We long to humiliate them. We want them to know they are inferior.
Make her wait.
You know she will.
Our women may be the aggressors, but once they take a mate, they lose much confidence. They are not the same. They care only to carry sprogs and ignore their mates. We hate that feeling. We want to ruin it for them. We are not merely passers of seed so females can fulfill their only biological instinct. Male Sidyths can be much more than that. We can give women love and protection if that is something they would ever want. But Sidyth women never want anything more than a sprog to care for.
Ellis wants more. She is strong, but she also wants to be protected. She is brave, but she wants to be held. She wants to be cherished, but she also wants to be respected.
Humans are a complicated breed, but I have no problem taking the time to understand one in particular.
I continue to brush the pad of my thumb across Ellis’ lower lip, wondering what it would be like to taste her once again. Suddenly, I long to dive between her thighs. I want my cock between her folds. I want to fill her with my seed and watch her grow full of my young. Never before have I wanted any of these things. I always thought anything related to women or sprogs would make me weak.
“Would you allow me to kiss you, Ellis?” I try a second time, hoping my different wording will get her to lean closer. I will not push. We are on a mission to kill those who mentioned the name of the Sidyth who tried to rape her. There is a strong possibility she may never look at me the same way again once I take a life for her. I cannot think of those things.
Under the vendas trees and the drizzling rain, I lean closer to Ellis.
“If I kiss you…” she stammers, “… what will it mean?”
“It will mean we are kissing.”
She frowns, but I have warned her many times that I am not known for having a flowery way of speaking. I do not know another way. My family never spoke softly to me. Kind words were only spoken after cruel tasks were completed.
I cannot be the same person I was before with Ellis. I must find a balance.
My brow furrows as I try to come up with better wording.
“You are no fetish to me. You are young looking, yes. You are short, yes. But you are Ellis above all else.” I swallow hard. It’s not enough, but it is all I can give until she sees me kill—
My thoughts are brought to a standstill when Ellis’ mouth slams into mine. I grunt in surprise, staggering into the second triss, but I’m able to keep my footing before tumbling into the dip. Even as she kisses me, I am still concerned with her safety.
The kiss itself? It is like nothing I imagined in my wildest dreams.
Her mouth meets mine hungrily, and she pulls herself more tightly against me as though she seeks to dissolve inside my body. I would gladly welcome her there if not for the fact that it would mean she could no longer shower me with her affections. And I love these affections. Not even my bloodiest kills delivered an adrenaline rush like this. A fresh kill is not the same as Ellis’ lips meshing with mine. A murderer’s head in my fist does not mean as much as her tongue working its way into my mouth. And not even the bloody hills after the dividing fills me with as much joy as Ellis’ enthusiasm. I can hardly believe she wants me this much.
I can hardly believe I have been lying to myself about her attraction to me (and mine to her) for so long.
I grunt, keeping her secure in my arms, and only the trees protect our passion. I do not mind. Phoebe gasps in the distance but let her look. Perhaps she will see this is how a Sidyth can treat a woman. I can hardly believe how instinctual this feels. My body knows what to do. I can feel my hand edging toward her small, yet full breasts, and when my fingers find her hardened nipple, she groans.
“Oh… Hujun.”
Her voice sends shudders down my spine, and I pull my hand away, too nervous to keep going because I will do something wrong. I only want to kiss her now. If I give too much too soon, I will be hurt when she rejects me. After all this time of turning her away, thinking that she was testing me, I am going to be turned down by her in the end. Women do not want a mate who thrives in killing. And I love to murder. Just the thought of taking the lives of those who have instilled so much fear in Ellis makes my cock twitch in excitement.
I hate that, but I try not to focus so much on murder, but the woman in my grasp.
I hope she does not reject me.
I will not tease myself too much.
“We should set up for the night if this is what you are going to be up to, brother,” Drazal calls from the further down the triss.
Ellis gasps in surprise, pulling her lips away from mine. Her cheeks are pink like the freshest banbask. The scent of her arousal is so thick I would be shocked if Drazal could not smell it as well. There is indeed a large enough smirk on his features. Is he looking to steal my excited mate?
“Relax, brother,” Drazal assures me as though reading my thoughts. “I am happy for you.”
I grunt in response, looking thoroughly at Ellis.
“I forgot we’re not alone,” she says sheepishly.
I nod, and I cannot help but stare more closely at Ellis. She looks flushed and aroused. Is it possible that she is this attracted to me? Such a thought leaves me breathless. And though I can see Drazal setting up a dwelling for the night, I am not quite ready to release Ellis.
“I like you in my arms.”
“Like I weigh nothing, right?”
I frown, boosting her up closer to my face with a gentle cupping of her soft behind. “You may weigh close to nothing but you feel like everything.”
Her eyes widen as though she cannot believe my words. I am not a well-spoken Sidyth. I like my words to be concise with little room for misunderstanding. And though I am indeed still following these rules, my speech sounds… almost elegant. Like something Prince Korben would say. Like something Azan would say, and he is a master of over thirty universal languages.
Once the dwellings are set up for the night, I’m surprised when Drazal takes Phoebe’s arm and yanks her toward him.
“I think you and I are spending the night together, yes?”
“Are you sure you’ll be alright?” Ellis asks, finally standing upon the earth. She eyes the set-up dwelling warily. “I don’t mind sharing with Phoebe.”
“No,” Drazal says. “Tomorrow will be busy. Get your rest.”
Then they’re gone. I�
��m surprised the pale-haired human did not put up more of a fight considering her obvious interest in Iriel. But I am also happy to see this.
“If you are not comfortable sharing a dwelling with me tonight, I understand.” I turn my chin down toward Ellis. She looks small on the ground next to me. I’m surprised at how much I already miss her in my arms. I gently brush my fingers against her exposed shoulders hoping to capture her attention, but her eyes are set to the dwelling as Drazal and the pale-haired human climb inside. I hear her say sharp words to Drazal, but he mentions that his intentions are honorable.
I wish I could make the same promise.
“No, it’s okay,” Ellis says quickly. “And it’s not you! Phoebe’s just so young, and I don’t know anything about Drazal—”
“He is one of Prince Korben’s loyal followers. You do not need to worry about him taking advantage of her. I would never allow them to share a dwelling if I felt Drazal would attempt anything improper.” I lower slightly, kissing Ellis on the temple though my back cries out in pain from the awkward angle, and so I quickly bend back to my natural height. “I know how much it would bother you, so Drazal was the right choice to bring. He would never do anything to the pale-haired one. I promise.”
I half expect her to continue arguing, but to my shock and excitement, she sashays toward the dwelling.
Our dwelling.
The one I will be sharing with her tonight.
I observe her, paying close attention to every drop of rain that falls against her hair and exposed back. I want to kiss off every one of those droplets because the rain gets to kiss my Ellis more than I do. I am jealous of rain. How odd.
She turns slightly, looking at me over her shoulder right before she falls onto her knees and climbs into the shelter.
“You’re not going to let me spend the night in here all alone, are you?”
Her tone is teasing, but my cock jolts upward in response.
I swallow hard and follow her wordlessly.
I wish there were a way to tell her she has nothing to worry about. Not tomorrow. Not the day after or the day after that.
This woman owns my heart, body, and soul.