Chapter 25
Kam’s gaze skipped along the trees, the fresh powder of snow making them sparkle in the daylight. They had settled into what Uma called “camp” earlier than usual, but Kam was enjoying the new sedate pace they had set over the last couple of days. They still took turns carrying Uma to make for easier and quicker travel when she didn’t insist on walking on her own two feet, but there was a new spirit of closeness now that seemed to reduce some of the urgency Kam had been experiencing. The citadel was less a threatening shadow seeking to draw them back and rip their female from them, and now something lost in the distance and obscured by the thick cover of trees. Soon the trees would thin out, of course, but at that point the citadel would be nothing more than a mark on the landscape, its power and influence unable to touch them.
Unfortunately, at that point they would be getting closer to their destination and the moment where Uma would try to leave them. That that did not leave him much time to convince his triad brothers to accept Uma. Vrin was a hard enough sale, but he was more worried about Laro as he was the one who would actually be making a move on behalf of all of them. What if he decided not to? Although Laro had been the one to push the hardest for them to find a new mate, he was not entirely convinced that his brother was able to put himself out there and display for another female.
Especially not after what Ekeren did to his cock. It was not terribly mutilated as Laro liked to think, but the three long scars along its length were vivid and a constant reminder to the lead of his inability to breed his mate. That he also bore terrible scars on his face and body just made the matter worse as far as Kam saw. It was hard to miss the way Laro shrank back and tried to cast the scarred parts of his body to a less visible angle. Despite the male’s strength as a lead for their triad and seemingly limitless patience, he was more damaged than Kam had realized when it came to interacting with an interested female.
Kam snorted softly to himself. By the way Laro acted, he likely was not even aware of Uma’s interest. Outside of offering her comfort the other night, the male barely touched her unless it was his turn to carry her. That said, Laro had to be blind of eye and nose to miss it. Although her need was unmistakable whenever one of them was carrying her, the way she watched them now made Kam’s tail curl with excitement. And it was not just moody, broody Vrin who drew her appreciative stares—although it was enough that over the last couple of days the male was strutting around like a brightly feathered bird. No, she watched all of them with the same interest, but of all of them their lead seemed the most unaware of it, and that was not a good thing if the male were to make a decision and take action before it was too late.
That meant that when it came to their triad’s lead, he was going to have to work on him. Kam smirked to himself as he waited from where he was crouched by the fire, his eyes drifting along the trees and ridges of rock, searching for said male just as Vrin stepped out from among the shadows. The male scanned their small camp, resting for a moment on the fire, and Uma seated languidly on the rocks near it, before turning to Kam as he walked over and tossed some hoppers onto the snow.
“Laro has not returned from hunting yet?”
“Not yet,” Uma replied, propping her feet close to the fire. She tipped her head back and offered him an amused smile. “It looks like you won the blue-ribbon prize.”
A sly smile hitched the corners of Vrin’s mouth, and Kam chuffed quietly to himself, pleased to see that his brother was feeling flirtatious. While things seemed to be progressing slowly with Laro, at least that was a good sign of things falling into his plans as far as it came to Vrin.
“Can I choose my prize?” Vrin countered. “I do enjoy the hunt. We could make it interesting.”
“If you still wish to hunt, then go find some more hoppers or something larger than we cook into travel rations,” Laro growled as he emerged, a young broad-snouted rutter gripped in one hand. He tossed his catch to the ground beside Vrin’s catch. “She is not here to be terrorized for your amusement.”
Kam made a face at Laro’s back. He had terrible timing. If he had been gone just a little longer, then perhaps there would have been some progression between Vrin and Uma.
“Terrorizing?” Vrin scoffed but moved over to pick up a hopper, unperturbed. “It would have nothing to do with terror, unless she enjoys that.”
Uma hid a smile behind her hand, but Kam noted that it did not escape the male’s attention and Vrin grinned over at her even as she wagged a chiding finger at him. Laro, however, barely glanced their way as he found a comfortably place to sit and dragged the baby rutter over with one of his lower hands and tore open its belly with his claws, giving the abdomen a cracking rip. Uma jumped slightly at the sound, her brows rising as Laro worked quickly and efficiently to clean the animal while Vrin began stripping the fur hides from the hoppers. Uma made a face at the hoppers—some humans have a strange softness for little furry creatures—and leaned forward facing Laro, her arms resting across her knees.
“I can’t believe you found a piglet,” she observed with awe. “Piglets this young are usually furiously guarded by their mothers. I would have expected you to be decorated with wounds for new scars after tangling with one of them.”
Laro grunted dismissively. “It would not matter either way. What is one scar or five? It would not be noticeable among all the others. As long as my hide and flesh are not split open gruesomely, it would not even be noteworthy.”
Kam choked back a groan and swiped a hand over his face.
Uma frowned in reply. “Ah,” she murmured. “Well, if it makes any difference, I would notice, but only because I would be concerned about you being in pain. Being gored by a full-grown rutter is no joke.”
Laro’s gaze lifted briefly to her face, his eyes barely focusing on her before dropping away as he grunted again, his head dipping slightly in acknowledgment before returning to his work, entirely oblivious of the way she was watching him, and he prepared the rutter for roasting. It was so pitiful that Kam was uncertain whether to laugh or outright interfere. Finally he stood, spitting the small animal on a thick branch that Kam had not even noticed the male holding in a lax grip in his lower hand. Kam did not care about any of that, however. He was more interested in watching the way her dark gaze followed Laro as the male settled the spit over the fire where Vrin’s hoppers were already roasting.
Kam’s head cocked as he peered over at Laro, a smile curling the corners of his mouth. The male had straightened beside the fire and was stretching leisurely, unaware of the female’s gaze fastened upon him as his muscles worked visibly beneath his hide in the places where the fur was naturally the shortest. And he had not a clue. Kam smirked with amusement and shook his head.
“What are you laughing about?” Vrin asked as he dropped at Kam’s side and handed over a spitted hopper.
“Not laughing,” Kam denied in ragii. “Just enjoying watching the captain.” He cast a sly glance toward his triad brother. “What do you think of her?”
Vrin paused mid-bite to peer at him suspiciously. “Why do you ask?”
“Just making conversation. Why are you so wary?”
“I am not wary—I just know how your mind works. You do not do anything without a reason. And why are you asking in ragii, knowing that she hates it?” Vrin countered.
Kam’s smile widened. So, Vrin was also sensitive to what made Uma happy. That was also a positive move forward. “I am the adorable, fun one. Just ask the captain. Unlike you. I am merely curious about your thoughts since you did not get along at first. In any case, although she cannot hear us clearly over here, such truthful questions between us should not be said in a way that she might misunderstand our intention or feel some hurt from them.”
“Then it is better to not play your game at all.” Vrin lowered his spit to glare at him. “Do not say things if you know that they might harm her, or else I will be inclined to disregard the affection I hold for you and pound you into dust to teach you your error.”
Vrin was threatening to teach him his errors. Kam blinked at him, barely holding back his laughter. This was coming from a male who intentionally intimidated any female who tried to get too close, too fast, to their triad when they were visiting the taverns and mingling among the humans in the citadel. The same male who thought scaring pushy females was a satisfactory way of communicating his displeasure with their attempts. And he was worried about Kam?
“I was just curious about your opinion, brother,” Kam countered lazily and took a bite of the hopper. The fragrant flavors dripped over his tongue, but it was hardly noticeable when he was focused entirely on Vrin and the tiny unspoken responses that said volumes about what he was feeling. Protective. Possessive. Anxious. All of these appeared to be present to some degree in addition to his lust. Was it enough to get the desired result, however?
Vrin eyed him for a long moment before finally grunting. “She is likeable human,” he grumbled and took a huge bite of his food, shutting down the conversation.
Kam glanced between his brothers and smiled secretively to himself. Laro was oblivious but clearly protective given the way he had quickly guarded her against Vrin’s seemingly questionable intentions, and his response to Uma’s past. Vrin was likewise responsive but in denial. It seemed that they would need another push. But how to proceed?
“So, question,” Uma suddenly said, her gaze running thoughtfully over Laro before looking up at him with a smile. “Nothing big, just something that has been rolling around in my mind. When you said that the lead demonstrates for a female... what does that mean?”
Laro spun toward her so quickly that Kam chuffed quietly as the male tripped over his own feet and nearly dropped to the ground.
Laro swallowed nervously as he looked everywhere except at Uma. “You wish to know about displaying?”
She nodded and her eyebrows raised. “Ah, yes. Is that a problem...” she leaned forward and whispered, “because it is some big Ragoru secret? I understand it has something to do with your cock, but I am not sure what the significance is or how it all works in terms of selecting a mate.”
The lead shook his head, his ears flicking nervously. “It is not a secret. It is just difficult to explain to an outsider.” He shifted uneasily on his feet and cast a pleading look to Kam and Vrin.
“We do not display,” Kam reminded him. “We would not be much help explaining it to her.”
That was a lie. It was not that difficult to explain. A male wants to mate, then the cock comes out, but playing dumb was a good way to deal with Laro’s hesitation. A suspicious look crossed the male’s face, however, and Kam got the idea that Laro was onto him. It was immediately followed by a look of resignation, however, as Laro turned once more to her.
“Female pick their mates based on their desirability for breeding,” he instructed gruffly. “This means that the lead male, representing his triad, must allow his cocks to extrude for her inspection. She judges his suitability off of many things, but much of it is by his suitability to her for breeding.”
Her eyes dropped to his sheath curiously, and Kam smiled in satisfaction as the bulge grew more pronounced under her stare. Good. Very good.
“You can just make it come out at any time?” she queried. “You don’t have to get hard or anything first? I have heard that some men can become erect fast, but that is amazing.”
“Ragoru are not human men,” Laro growled peevishly, much to Kam’s pleasure. Was that jealousy? By the Fathers, he hoped so! “Our cocks are different. They have a short bone in the lower part so that it may engorge quickly before extruding.”
“Amazing,” she murmured and, to Kam’s delight, scooted closer. “Can you... I don’t know... demonstrate? For science, of course,” she quickly explained, ears pinkening slightly as she gave them an embarrassed smile. “I actually started putting together a report of things I have observed about your species that might be helpful for the guild, and knowing the signs of mating and courting sounds pretty important. Knowing what to look for in your species and the response of the women will tell us whether to step in or not, or how much to interfere, if at all.”
That was an impressive explanation. And it seemed to be enough to convince Laro because he shifted on his feed and slowly nodded. Kam’s eyes widened in delight. He never thought that the male would agree to such a thing. Extruding was so private and personal among Ragoru that it was only done if a triad was serious about pairing. He had never heard of a lead displaying in order to slake someone’s curiosity. Perhaps Kam just helped give him the push he needed to make some progress after all.
Laro’s tail flicked but his gaze locked on Uma with such intensity that Kam could feel it straight through his pelt and muscle and right down to his own cocks. He could not help but lean forward, and he was pretty sure he quit breathing as Laro’s sheath bulged and swelled further before being pushed open completely by the ruffled dark purple head of his primary cock. Blue seed was already seeping off the slope of ridged petals along its head, and Uma gasped a little as it suddenly thrust out from his body, the veiny, bumpy length of its shaft bobbing slightly, the rounded bulge at its base, something unique to the leads that they developed shortly after forming their triads, promising a potential mate the bliss of being knotted. The scars deeply marred its impressiveness, but it did not detract in the least from the display in Kam’s opinion. He looked just as virile and strong as he did when courting Ekeren. Laro’s secondary cock then shot out, following out from the sheath shortly after, the heavily ridged, bumpy length making its appearance, promising further pleasures.
He was not sure who breathed in sharply then, if it was him or Vrin, or even Uma. Her scent of arousal was thick in the air, her mouth hanging open.
Kam was not certain what suddenly possessed his mouth, and he was even more certain that Bayda, the Dark Father of desire, might punish him for it as the words left his mouth. “Are you not curious to take your research further?” he rumbled enticingly. “For your science?”
She swallowed and the scent of her desire grew thicker on the air until Laro’s pupils blew out and his cocks thickened to their full engorgement. She nodded as she scooted even closer. Laro did not dare to move a muscle. He barely seemed to breathe. Kam was not certain he was able to breathe either as her brown fingers reached for his primary cock.
He groaned and moaned quietly as the pressure with his own sheath suddenly gave way with a quiet pop as the tissue rapidly softened and dilated, allowing his cocks to shoot free. She had not even touched Laro yet and Kam was already engorged and ready to rut.
A quick glance at Vrin verified that his triad brother was likewise ready, his cocks straining as his eyes followed her every motion predatorily.
May Bayda satisfy them all with a vigorous rut and bring them even closer to claiming their female.