CHAPTER 3 #2
Mm. Interesting. If it is not conscious, then the horror April felt was real. I wonder if she is suffering from the same mix of annoyance and arousal that I am? Or is she handling this unexpected resonance better?
Skarr makes a dismissive sound. "They might not think it was prompted, but all I'm saying is that I was showing my elite skills when I resonated to Vivi. I'm convinced my prowess had something to do with it."
"If you say so." Chalath's dry tone indicates he's not buying what Skarr is selling.
I'm not entirely convinced either, but it's an idea worth exploring. "Do you think Jason would know?"
"The human male?" Chalath's tone is utterly dismissive. "I doubt he knows anything at all. He was never a gladiator. He was a prize."
"Still, he might know how human females think." I stroke my chin, considering. "He is human, after all."
"Really?" Chalath crosses his arms over his chest. "How much do you know about praxiian females? You're praxiian, yes? So you should know as much as Jason knows about human females."
An excellent point. I don't like Chalath's attitude, though. He's only part of this conversation because Skarr brought him in. "It was just a thought. You can lower your tail...oh, that's right. You don't have one." I give him my most condescending stare. "Flatten your fur instead."
The withering look Chalath sends my way tells me that my barb hit home.
Good. It's another tidbit I file away — Chalath is sensitive about his not-praxiian-enough appearance.
The other male shoots me a glare and storms away toward the Ding-Ding Feast. "Enjoy reveling in your ignorance," he calls. "I'm done."
I watch him leave. Ever the loyal friend, Skarr remains at my side, even though he no doubt wants to go stand near his mate, Vivi, and feed her tidbits or drink in her scent.
Instead, the ssethri splice nudges me towards April's now quiet hut.
"Go flatter her," he says. "Human females are very susceptible to flattery.
Vivi smiles and blushes whenever I compliment her on her obvious strengths.
I'd wager that yours would enjoy some pleasant words...
if you can find anything agreeable about her. "
Taking a step forward, I pause. Skarr is not normally who I turn to for information. For easy conversation, yes. For advice about females...not so much. "She does not care for me. Do you think approaching and telling her the things I find appealing will work?"
"Worth a try." He slaps me on the back in encouragement. "Go on. I must go find my mate. Vivi will want me to tell the others what a grand job she did cooking for the feast."
"I'll catch up," I tell him, and stare at April's hut, my thoughts in turmoil. Worth a try, he said. I suppose that's true. It's not as if we can dislike each other more. I try to think of things that I find appealing about her but...so far, all I've got is her scent.
Her wildly intoxicating, thrilling scent.
Maybe I'll tell her about that.
I take a step forward, and then another.
As I do, the front of her hut comes into view.
With it comes a deep, primal instinct that sweeps over me.
The ravening, urgent need to mark the doorway of her home overwhelms my senses.
I need to cover her home with my scent. I need everyone to realize that this is my territory.
That she belongs to me. That April is claimed.
I don't know why I feel this way, just that the presence of her doorway bothers me deep in my soul, and that it's only going to stop bothering me if I mark it.
And that April will tear my hide off if I do.
Probably worth it.
I approach the hut as silently as I can.
I shouldn't have to sneak up on my mate's home, but I know I'm not welcome.
Doesn't stop me. I creep onto the heavy stone platform that the hut has been built upon.
Some of the older ones are on creaky wood, but the newer huts have a base made of many large stones mortared together.
The hut walls are made of smaller stones, and I run my hand over the mortared bricks lovingly, imagining how my scent is going to mix with hers.
April's aroma is thick here, her hands having touched this place dozens or hundreds of times.
And now in the future, each time she touches it, she'll smell a little more like me...
A pebble breaks loose from the mortar and plinks down to my feet.
It's far louder than any pebble should be.
But perhaps not as loud as the khui in my chest, which decides to sing even louder in that moment. It's been drowning out my hearing all night, to the point that I'm going to hear its thrumming vibrations in my dreams.
There's a scramble inside and the hide that covers the doorway rips open to show April's face as she snarls out at me. "Are you spying on us? Fuck OFF, Chalath!"
"I'm...not...Chalath," I growl back. Her ferocity is enthralling. She looks like she wants to rip me apart with those sad, square little teeth of hers.
She straightens, her eyes widening. "Oh."
And she keeps staring at me as if she's never seen me before.
Her khui sings as loudly as mine, and I look her up and down, appreciating her appearance.
She's taller than the other females, and built more strongly, too.
She looks like she could crush me between her thighs, and I like the thought of that very much.
My cock strains harder against my trou, and I can feel myself leaking against my clothing.
Save it, I think to myself. Save it for her doorway—
A throat clears as we stare at each other. Dawn pushes between us, stepping out of the hut and racing away. "You know what? I think I'm going to go join the party. Let the two of you talk for a bit. Bye!"
I don't bother to look in her direction or to see if she's heading for the feast. I don't care if she falls off a cliff in the next moment.
I just want to keep looking at April. Her eyes are fierce as she glares at me, but she looks me up and down, too, and it makes me wonder if she likes what she sees as much as I like what I see when I look at her.
Her scent changes, ever so softly, and I can smell her arousal. If she were praxiian, she'd be able to smell mine, too. She'd realize just how affected I am by this thing between us. April wets her lips, and I nearly come in my trou at the sight of that bit of pink tongue flicking out.
"What the fuck do you want, pussycat?" She sounds breathless and aroused, her voice muffled with the roar of her khui singing to mine. Somewhere in the distance, a song begins with the festivities, and there is cheering and laughter. I don't keffing care. April doesn't move, and I don't, either.
I swallow hard, wondering how much I dare to answer or if I'm going to scare her off. Then again, something about the challenge in her eyes tells me that she's a hard female to scare. I decide to tell her the truth. "I want to mark your door."
"Mark...my door?" Her confusion is evident.
It figures that I'd have to explain. I rub my hand over my turgid cock. "I need to put my scent on it. Here. On your doorstep."
April's brows shoot up. "Is this a praxiian thing?"
Kef if I know. I shrug, figuring that's as good an answer as any.
Her nostrils flare, and then her eyes narrow. "Fuck off."
She flings the flap back down, intending to end the conversation, but I am not done yet. I put my hand out to stop it from closing, and she glares at me.
I am bent over from how much I need this, need her. I can't walk away from her doorstep, or from her. "Tell me what I need to do, female. What will make you agree?"
April huffs, crossing her arms and scowling at me. "You want to jerk off on my door like some nutjob? Go punch your buddy Chalath in the face. He's a dick."
Does she think I will not? I have a purpose now. Rules.
I turn on my heel and walk away.
...well, more like hobble away. It takes some time before I can straighten, my cock throbbing like a hot coal in between my thighs.