Chapter VII
The next few days pass quickly. Mariam helps Sable build her stamina with daily walks, and each day, she grows stronger.
By their fifth day at the safehouse, Sable tells her that she feels strong enough to spar with a dummy for a bit, if Mariam will accompany her.
Given her accelerated healing, Mariam can believe it; Sable’s wounds have become nothing but angry pink lines on her tawny skin, scabs and cuts all healed up.
“Of course, Sable; I’m actually curious to see you use all that muscle,” Mariam teases, patting Sable’s brawny arm.
Grinning, Sable flexes to show off more. “I’d be happy to show you. Maybe I can even convince you to let me give you some pointers, eventually.”
“Maybe so.” Mariam leads the way to the training grounds out the back metal double doors, reminding her of where she went to elementary school.
She glances behind her the entire way to ensure Sable is still there.
Sable offers a small smile each time, giving way to a growing look of amusement each time she checks.
As the two step into the crisp outside air, Mariam notes that fall has reached this area sooner than back home. Orange leaves from the woods at the terrace margins have skittered into the courtyard, crunching under her boots and swirling into the air with each gust of wind.
She takes a seat on a bench in the southeastern quarter of the courtyard, near the back wall of the safehouse building.
Curious looks from the Reapers follow Sable as she plops a dummy down nearby.
Yet, no one says a word to her after she meets their eye.
Mariam imagines she gave them a look, but decides not to ask.
She does raise a brow as Sable also wheels over a divider made of white-painted wood panels, keeping herself from the view of others. Everyone but Mariam.
She watches Sable produce a fighter’s cloth from her jeans pocket and wrap her hands in it. Then she strips her shirt off and places it on the bench next to Mariam.
~§~
Sable grins as Mariam’s blue-gray eyes grow wide as dinner plates, trying and failing miserably to stay leveled at Sable’s face. As Sable turns and walks towards the dummy, she flexes her back muscles and earns a soft gasp from Mariam.
“S-Sable, what’re you doing? You’ll catch a cold!” But there’s no real weight behind the scolding. No, Sable can tell Mariam is enjoying this as much as she is.
“I don’t want to have my shirt getting caught as I work,” Sable replies slyly, throwing her a grin over her shoulder.
Mariam’s face has gone a bright red, all the way down her neck…
I’d like to follow it down and see just how far that blush goes.
Sable’s blood ignites as her inner wolf looses a savage howl.
It wants Mariam; it wants to devour her.
Together, they wonder what her mewls would sound like when Sable has her at her mercy.
Thrump. First hit into the dummy. Sable feels her sore muscles liven at the heat flashing through her body from the thoughts swirling in her mind.
Gritting her teeth, she begins to set a tempo.
Punch, thrust, kick, high kick, punch. All the while, she can feel Mariam’s eyes locked onto her, burning into her.
Her little human, already so taken with her.
Maybe Sable’s just as taken with her. Her spirit, her kindness…
Sable craves more of both. She craves her.
~§~
Mariam watches the afternoon turn to evening as Sable trains.
She makes her take breaks often. There is some small talk on each break, a shared look, a gentle touch.
Mariam’s body is still churning with nerves and heat by the time they grab their dinner at the cafeteria.
And with Sable’s shirt back on her body, Mariam can see where the sweat from her workout pulls it taut to her muscles in certain places.
Mariam spends dinner on the edge of her seat.
How could Sable be so sexy without even trying?
She can barely reserve enough focus to eat, let alone keep up with what Sable is saying.
Afterward, in a daze, she leads the way back to their room.
Mariam turns the handle and opens the door, glad to escape the inquisitive gazes of the others sharing the safehouse, to finally have Sable in private.
“Are you tired?” Mariam asks as she puts her bag down on her cot, then frees her hair from its band. The straight, mousy brown locks fall around her shoulders, and, self-conscious that they probably look awkward in the back, she fluffs them out.
“Mmmm,” is all Sable replies. Mariam laughs, slipping out of her jacket. She has only a tank top on under it. She tosses the jacket towards the desk, where it slumps lazily over the back of the desk chair.
“Too tired for complete sentences?” she teases as she opens a dresser drawer, contemplating what to wear to bed. Preferably nothing.
“Something like that.” Mariam is surprised to hear Sable’s voice coming from directly behind her head. Before she can turn, two strong, callused hands grip her waist and pull her back against Sable’s chiseled stomach and the softness of her breasts.
~§~
Sable buries her face in Mariam’s hair and breathes her scent in deeply. She now has words to place to the smell: vanilla and lavender. A scent she could get lost in all day if she were allowed. She would proudly have it mix with her own.
“Sable? What’re you doing?” Mariam whispers, her arms curled against her chest.
“I’m going to ask you something, Mariam,” Sable replies softly. She brings her lips to the other woman’s ear. “I want you badly. I crave your touch. I want to sink into your softness for hours tonight. Would you let me?”
Mariam freezes in her arms, and for a moment, Sable is concerned she has read her actions wrong. Misunderstood her words. But then, Mariam sinks back against her with a soft sigh. “I want you too, Sable. I’m not… super experienced with women. I hope that doesn’t bother you.”
Sable’s response is a low chuckle, practically a growl. She kisses the shell of Mariam’s ear, then whispers into it, “Oh, Mariam, I just want you to hang on for the ride.”
Sable turns Mariam to face her and finds those entrancing blue-gray eyes hooded as they turn up to meet her gaze, her lily pink lips slightly parted. Without another thought, Sable presses her lips to Mariam’s.
Her lips are soft, sweet, slightly moist. Sable can’t help the growl that escapes her, nor the way her body presses closer when Mariam whimpers softly.
Sable barely pulls back before meeting her lips again and again.
As the kiss deepens, Sable flicks her tongue over Mariam’s bottom lip, earning her another moan.
Oh, this will be fun. My Mariam is ever so noisy, Sable muses hungrily as she devours her lips.
It’s a pleasant surprise when Mariam’s tongue flicks to touch hers.
They meet in a dance, Sable tasting one part of her.
But it’s not enough. She reaches down to grasp her ass, pulling her hips roughly against hers.
Mariam gasps before moaning, half-hooking her leg near Sable’s hip.
Sable kisses down her chin to her jaw, then down her neck. Mariam’s hand twists in Sable’s short black hair, holding her close, soft whimpers and groans leaving her lips the entire time. When Sable pulls back, Mariam whines her name and nearly stumbles.
“Shhh.” Sable begins to pull Mariam’s tank top off of her, just slowly enough to give her a chance to pull away.
She does not. Instead, she raises her arms and lets Sable pull the garment over her head.
She has no bra underneath, revealing her full breasts to Sable’s gaze.
Growling, Sable strips her own shirt and breast band off, tossing them to the side, and then picks Mariam up by her thighs.
She lets out a low cry, clambering to grip Sable’s shoulders, but Sable lays her down on her cot.
“Stay here,” Sable orders, before going to push their cots together.
~§~
Mariam stares up at the simply gorgeous woman standing over her. Her eyes flit over Sable’s small breasts, heaving as she looks down at her, muscles flexing in her chest and stomach, her face. The way her eyes devour her has Mariam wet and squeezing her thighs together.
Sable clearly notices and smirks, runs a hand over the top of Mariam’s thigh.
Then Sable strips the rest of her own clothing off.
Mariam marvels at her naked form. Her musculature, the way her hair feathers around her cheeks and ears, then the curls hiding her folds from sight…
for now. Mariam pants as Sable closes in again, pressing her lips roughly to hers.
Then she strips off Mariam’s leggings and panties in one go.
Mariam watches Sable’s face as she looks over her curves, the soft fat of her stomach.
Part of her expects to see disgust, but finds Sable’s gaze as smoldering as ever.
“Move over a bit, sweet. I want to get on the bed with you.” Mariam does as she bids, and as Sable moves onto the bed, she slides a thigh between Mariam’s legs.
She holds herself over Mariam with her arms, her muscles flexed and showing her scars more visibly.
Mariam gently strokes those arms, earning a soft groan from Sable before their lips meet again.
As Sable’s tongue slips between her lips to meet her own, one of those strong, callused hands glides up from her hip, up her plush side, to the curve of her breast. She begins to twinge the nipple between two of her fingers, and Mariam can’t stop the moans coming from her mouth, or how her hips buck against Sable’s leg.
~§~
Sable pulls her lips from Mariam’s. For a moment she holds her gaze… then she takes one of her nipples between her lips. She suckles her soft breast, flicking her tongue roughly over it. Mariam’s eyes close and her mouth slackens, whimpers falling from her parted lips.