"Good morning Ben," Marissa purrs gently
in my ear. Feeling her warmth pressing softly against me under
the sheets, I open my eyes to be greeted by her smiling visage;
a grin playing across her muzzle, her green eyes regarding my
warmly.
"Good morning," I smile, then quickly lean
over to kiss her gently, my hands playing down the furry contours
of her back.
Disengaging slowly from the kiss, she replies "we
need to get going... We've lost a full day, and should get back
on the road soon." Then grinning at my noticeable disappointment,
she finishes, "besides, there'll be plenty of time for more
of that later..."
After playfully bathing one another, I slowly dry
her off with a big fluffy towel, marveling once again at the fur
beneath my fingers. Like before, during the rainstorm, her fur
looks a little strange when wet, as it plasters slightly against
her, but it's in no way unattractive. Enjoying the task of toweling
her off, she is soon fairly dry, but the motions of the towel
have severely mussed up her fur.
Seeing her standing before me, with her fur puffed
out in its state of disarray, I stifle a giggle at her almost
comical appearance. She flashes me a confused look, and I quickly
apologize. "I'm sorry Marissa... it's just that you look
so different with your fur like that... I'd never thought about
how it would look after getting it wet... I didn't mean to laugh
at you..."
"It's okay, your looks still surprise me some
too... although, now I appreciate just how unique you are..."
Beaming at this, "would you like me to help
you groom?"
"Yes, that would be wonderful... It's always
easier with someone else, especially on the back."
Taking her brush, and slowly working it through her
fur, brushing out the tangles, she begins to purr. Running the
brush down her back, in small, tight strokes, her purrs pick up
volume, rumbling deeply through her. Leaning against her slightly,
snaking my arm around in front, I lightly rub her belly, as I
continue grooming her back. At this she turns her head, looking
at me with deep adoration, her face a mask of pure contentment,
as she continues to purr deeply against me.
Finishing her back, I quickly and thoroughly brush
her legs and feet, before turning back to her tail and hind-quarters.
Lavishing my attention on her tail, I slowly brush along its entire
length. Her purrs deepen even more while I'm doing this, as she
hikes her hips back and up slightly, following the flow of my
brush strokes.
Enjoying the effect my ministrations are having on
her, I finish the job, and eagerly walk around in front. Throwing
my hand around her waist, grabbing her firmly, bringing my lips
to hers, we share another deep kiss, feeling her furry body purr
against me.
Letting the kiss die down slowly, she then pulls
away, looking at me, and noticing my obvious eagerness. "Ben,
we don't really have time for this... We should get going as soon
as we can..."
Looking at her crestfallen, she gives me a warm and
understanding look, then continuing softly. "I know how much
you'd like to... and I do too, but we've already lost a lot of
time... and I'd like to get out of here as soon as possible...
I promise, we'll have fun tonight... Okay?"
Disengaging myself from her, and nodding disappointedly,
I mumble "okay" somewhat grudgingly.
Softly stroking my side, "come on Ben... you
can wait that long can't you," flashing me a gentle smile.
"I just don't want to spend the time it would take to do
a thorough job right now..."
I'm forced to grin back slightly at this, still feeling
a little disappointed, but also appreciating the humor. Seeing
my smile, she continues, "that's better... It'll be worth
waiting for... Thanks for grooming me, it felt wonderful... but
I'd better take care of the front myself... Otherwise you'll have
us here all morning..."
We both break into a small case of the giggles at
this, enjoying the warmth of our closeness with one another. As
our chuckles die down, she slowly lets go from me, and steps back.
Surrendering the brush to her, she begins to slowly brush the
fur of her arms.
Watching her as she deftly maneuvers the brush through
her mussy fur, I stand there gazing at her exotic beauty, awash
with adoration and excitement. Noticing the effect her grooming
is having on me, she grins broadly, flashing me a devilish smile.
Then stepping back even further, and putting on a show of it,
she thoroughly tackles her arms and legs, then slowly running
the brush through the fur of her chest, abdomen and belly.
Driving me crazy, she teases me for several minutes,
while I watch, my gaze locked on her, my eyes probably glazing
over, with a silly grin washed across my face. Then finishing
the job, she quickly and deftly tackles the fur of her face and
her hair, until she is once again in a state of pristine appearance.
Placing the brush down on the table, she walks slowly
toward me. Reaching out her arms, she grabs me on the shoulder,
pulling me toward her, locking her muzzle to my lips. Giving me
a quick, deep kiss, she pulls away just as quickly. "It'll
be worth waiting for Ben... Now let's get dressed." My breath
taken away, I nod, shaken, and after a moment's hesitation, move
to my pile of laundry and begin donning the days attire.
After dressing and loading up our packs, we strap
them on and make our way down stairs. Once again, as it's early
morning, the inn is deserted. However, as soon as we've entered
the room and set down our packs, sitting down at an empty table,
the little ocelot quickly appears from the kitchen, as if he'd
been waiting for us. He looks both relieved to see that we're
finally on our way out, and apprehensive at having to deal with
both of us yet again.
"Good morning," his voice is controlled,
but also with a slight hint of tension in it. "I assume you'd
like some breakfast, is there anything special I can get for you?"
"No," Marissa replies, "whatever you
have made up will be good... We're in a hurry and would like to
get going as soon as possible."
The little cat looks very relieved at this, and scurries
back to the kitchen. Watching him dash off, grinning slightly
at his comical actions, then turning to regard Marissa, I hesitate
slightly and then reach out to take her furry hand in mine. She
looks back at me, then smiles warmly at this, reaching out and
cupping it with her other hand, surrounding me in her soft grasp.
"You're a good mate Ben... You're very devoted,
and I like that."
Seeing me beaming at this, she continues, "I'm
sorry about turning you down back there... I almost got stuck
here for a rather long time, and I'd just like to get out of this
town as quickly as we can..."
"I guess I understand Marissa," my voice
soft and a little self-conscious. "Just as long as we can
be together enough after this..."
Giggling slightly, she responds "of course we
will... Your eagerness is enjoyable, and you're a very good lover
with me..."
Blushing and beaming simultaneously, I'm relieved
that we're alone in the inn. "Thank you... and I hope we
can be happy these next few weeks together..."
Squeezing my hand gently, "it'll be nice traveling
with you... I don't know what we'll run into out there, but I'm
glad I'll have you with me..."
Before long, the innkeeper returns with our food,
interrupting our quiet time together. Setting our plates down
on the table, along with a pitcher of fruit drink, and a couple
of drinking bowls, he quickly departs. However, before leaving,
he casts a strange look at us, surprised by our closeness, maybe
a little angry that this funny-looking alien could win the love
of such a beautiful woman, and definitely jealous that my fighting
prowess had brought us together. Feeling sorry for the little
cat and all that he's been through, I try and avert my gaze from
him; Marissa simply ignores his stare.
Eating the simple meal in silence, just enjoying
each other's presence, we're soon finished. As soon as we're done,
the innkeeper returns, eager to have us on our way. "Will
that be all, is there anything else you want?"
"No, we'll be on our way now," Marissa
answers, retrieving several more coins from her pocket. It seems
to be more than she gave him two days ago, and as she hands it
to him his face lights up with astonishment. "You've been
a good host to us... This should help with the cost of what was
broken in the fight..."
"Thank you ma'am," he stammers in surprise,
"if you ever come this way again, we'll make sure to have
a room for you..." Bowing slightly and appreciatively, he
turns and heads back out of sight, with Marissa grinning as she
watches him leave.
Donning our packs again, the weight comes as a small
surprise to me, my back having enjoyed yesterdays vacation from
it. Adjusting the pack, it soon settles in though, and we're off
on the journey once more.
Walking out of the inn, coming outside into the warmth
of the sunny and clear morning, I look up, smiling at the beautiful
day before us. There are several felenzi out, going about their
daily lives, and as we walk by they give us curious looks, from
a distance of course. As with Marissa's hometown, nobody bothers
us, and it feels rather bizarre to be watched as we make our way
down main street.
People hush as we walk by, staring at us, but of
course not directly so. It seems everyone has heard of us, and
decides it's wise to leave us alone. It's strange, to be revered
like this, but it's also an ego boost, trying to keep my grinning
at a minimum. The people we walk by step aside, giving us a wide
girth, and averting their eyes, that is until we've passed, then
they usually turn their heads slightly, watching us out of the
corners of their eyes.
I'm tempted to take advantage of the situation, but
it starts to make me feel a little nervous myself, and getting
out of here quickly would be nice. About halfway through town,
we pass a black smith's shop, and who should be there but our
cougar friend from the day before. Walking by, trying to pick
up our pace slightly, as my pulse begins to quicken, he turns
and notices us leaving town.
For what seems like an eternally-long moment, his
gaze is locked on me, as his cold yellow eyes regard me with steely
anger. Feeling my pulse race, I'm sure this will come to another
fight, and with everyone watching, the chances of them ganging
up on us are pretty good. However, a moment later, his expression
seems to be tempered with signs of respect, fear, and resignation,
as he nods ever so slightly, dropping his eyes back to his work.
Stifling my sigh of relief, 'I hope we can get out of here quickly...
I don't want any more close calls like that.'
Nearing the edge of town, there are still a few people
watching this weird spectacle approaching them, pulling off to
the side, out of our way. There is one woman, a tall calico cat,
wearing a simple country dress, trying to pull her small daughter
back towards her. Her grip comes loose though, and the little
girl, her fur marked with large gray and white patches, wearing
a pink dress, comes barreling towards me with youthful speed and
vigor, oblivious to the perceived danger and the onlookers terrified
stances.
Everyone is frozen in place, unable to move as they
watch the scene unfold before them with apprehensive expressions
painted across their muzzles; not daring to confront the situation,
fearing what I might do to the kitten. Nobody is near enough to
intercept her anyway, even if they could, and within moments she
comes to a stop before us. Looking up at me, her eyes wide with
curiosity, she innocently asks "who are you?"
Her simple question breaks the tension for me, and
I feel a smile creeping across my face. However, noticing the
frightened onlookers, I have to act quickly, before they decide
to do something to stop this threat and things get messy.
Bending down slowly, so as not to offset the balance
of my pack, I come down on one knee and smile at her, looking
at her face to face. The people in the crowd are watching us nervously,
but my stance seems to have the intended less-threatening effect
on them. "Hello there," smiling at her, "I'm from
a long ways away... I'm a human."
"A hooman?" she asks, uncertain, mispronouncing
the word the way kids often will.
"That's right," giggling slightly at her
pronunciation, "we're on an important journey..."
"Really?" her eyes growing even wider,
looking rather cute.
"Yes... and we're magicians too... Would you
like to see a trick?" She nods eagerly at this; glancing
around the crowd, they seem nervous at this prospect, but putting
on a gentle smile seems to set them slightly at ease. Then turning
back to the girl, slowly bringing up my right hand, while my left
one still carries some of my weight, I hold the palm in front
of her. Then slowly curling my fingers, the familiar glowing ball
materializes.
At this, her eyes grow wider still, gazing at me
with awe. As the ball begins to rise above my hand, hovering a
few inches above it, I concentrate harder and faint colored swirls
begin to appear. Giggling in obvious delight, she watches the
swirls slowly rotate as the small sphere turns in front of her.
Letting her watch it for a couple of minutes, delighted by her
attention, I finally ask "do you wanna see something really
neat?"
She nods enthusiastically, "okay then, reach
up and touch it and see what happens." Glancing at me with
uncertainty, she hesitates. "It's okay, it won't hurt you...
It'll be a neat surprise." My smile seems to reassure her,
so she slowly reaches up, and tentatively touches the glowing
sphere with a single finger, her claw slightly extended.
As she breaks the surface, there is a slight audible
pop, much like that of a soap bubble, and the sphere dissolves
in a small flash of many colors. Where as before I had quickly
dispersed the energy, I use more control over it here, making
it last a little longer, so the effect is not as bright and easier
to see. She jumps back slightly, emitting a small squeak, but
then quickly giggles at me. "Oooh... That was neat... Can
you do it again... Please?"
"No, we need to get going... and your mother
is worried about you... Maybe if we come to town again... but
for now you should go back to your mother."
She looks a little disappointed, but is still rather
excited. After a quick "thank you," she darts back to
her mother, who is looking frazzled, but much relieved. Getting
back up on my feet, with a little help from Marissa, so I don't
lose my balance, we then continue walking.
Passing by the woman, the little girl is excitedly
talking to her. "Mommy... he said he was a hooman... and
he was a magician and everything... Did you see the trick he did
for me..." Looking at the woman, she regards me with a mixture
of relief, surprise, awe, and perhaps even a little bit of interest.
As we're walking by, I nod briefly, smiling at her, and she returns
a smile of her own, which is relieved and confused.
A few minutes later, we've pretty much left the town
and the crowd behind us. Looking over at me warmly, Marissa speaks,
"Ben, that was sweet, what you did for that kitten..."
Smiling back at her, "well, she was a cute kid,
and I figured that would be the best way to make everyone at ease...
It's nice having an appreciative audience too..."
Walking onward, feeling rather happy, we continue
down the road, walking through the cleared countryside. We pass
a few farm houses, seeing a few people out working in their fields,
but nobody is really near enough to see us walk by, and we all
go about our business. It feels good to be back on the road again,
especially on such a beautiful day like this, and with such a
beautiful traveling companion.
After about an hour and a half, we start to approach
the wilderness once again, as we prepare to leave the large clearing
around the town behind us. Passing the last farm house, which
seems to be momentarily empty, nearing the edge of the lightly-packed
woods, I notice something a little startling. "Marissa, the
road stops up ahead... what are we going to do?"
"Yes it does Ben, this was the last town in
this direction... This area hasn't really been explored too much
yet, it's the open wilderness... Which is one reason that the
source of the disturbances coming from out there is rather distressing..."
Hearing her say this sends a couple of small shivers
along my spine. Always before we had been near the road, which
even out in the wilderness had helped give some semblance of civilization.
But now we were about to leave even that last vestige behind us.
"I don't know about this... What are we gonna do now? I mean,
how are we gonna find our way? And I don't know if I like the
idea of wandering around in the woods like this..."
"Hmmm... Yeah, it is a little unsettling...
but things will be okay... You've shown that you're very good
at fighting, and your magic is coming along well too... Not to
mention that I'll be there to back you up... We can follow the
river for the most part... Then when we get close enough, we should
be able to find our way there using our magic and intuition to
guide us."
"I guess so... it's still a little weird though..."
Walking a little further, the road slowly vanishes beneath our
feet, blending in with the grass of the field. Walking the last
one hundred feet or so, angling over to the small river which
had been following the road a short distance away, we're soon
confronted with the wall of trees.
Stopping briefly, looking into the wilderness, it's
not so bad. The trees are fairly lightly packed, and the sun easily
shines down between the branches. Actually this looks kind of
nice; yes it's still a bit foreboding, but she's right, we can
take care of ourselves. 'I know we could handle anybody that came
after us, hell, we were doing a pretty good job of it at the inn...
but what if it isn't a somebody, but a something? Who knows what
we're gonna run up against when and if we finally reach what we're
looking for?'
Shuddering ever so lightly at this, trying to push
these thoughts away, I glance at Marissa. She too seems just the
slightest bit nervous. 'Oh come on Ben, this isn't like when you
were a kid and you'd let yourself get all scared over your imagination...
why don't you imagine all the fun you're gonna have with Marissa
instead...'
Slightly forcing a smile at her, I break the silence.
"Well, I guess we should be going... It looks kind of nice...
It should be a nice change of pace..."
Smiling back at me, with just the remnants of uneasiness
darting in her eyes, she nods and leads the way. Following the
river, which is really more of a stream here, only about three
feet wide and about a foot deep, we walk along the left bank and
head into the woods. I feel slight pangs of apprehension, but
these are fleeting; once we're deep enough into the woods so glancing
over my shoulder doesn't allow me to see the clearing anymore,
I become used to the surroundings.
Taking the time to look around and enjoy the view
of nature spread out all around us, I glance upward toward the
canopy of leaves. The deep-blue sky is still visible overhead,
peaking through crevices in the light-green roof, and the ample
sunlight filtering through it looks quite beautiful. 'Hmmm...
this is a nice setting for a romantic picnic...' Smiling to myself,
'I'll have to see what happens at lunch...'
Finally feeling the last bit of uneasiness leave
me, I continue to gaze at the scenery around me and after a few
minutes make another interesting discovery. 'The leaves... There's
none of them lying on the ground...' Normally in the forest, as
I'd known from several solitary walks during the summer and fall,
there would always be some remnants of the last fall's dead leaves
lying around, covering the forest floor. However, here there was
none of that, the woods was simply short grass and earth.
Pondering this briefly, I muse 'of course... She
already told me they don't have any real changes in the seasons...
So why would they ever have any fall? That's kind of weird...
Neat in a way... It must be nice to have it summer all the time...
but I think I might miss the fall... It always has been my favorite
season...'
Breaking my reverie, Marissa lightly brushes my shoulder.
Turning to look at her, while still walking our steady, yet easy
pace, she smiles and asks, "it's pretty out here isn't it
Ben?"
"Mmmm... yes it is... I think this is going
to turn out to be a nice part of the trip..."
Smiling, we continue the journey in a quiet, shared
silence, just soaking up the view and each other's gentle presence.
As we walk along, I'm a little disturbed to find my now happy
thoughts becoming muddled once again.
It seems so nice to finally be with Marissa. All
of the tension of the past week had been spent last night as we
had lost ourselves in one another's warm embrace. The sex had
been exotic, wonderfully new, and exhilarating; feeling her soft,
furry body against my smooth skin had been electric, and she also
seemed to find the experience very novel and enjoyable. I definitely
couldn't wait for a chance to repeat it with her.
It was more than just sex though, no it wasn't just
that I wanted to get her into bed just because she was so exotic
and exciting, there was more to it. Thinking things over, I realize
that from the first day or so, I'd been drawn to her personality
too; she was a wonderful friend, and an even better lover.
It feels so nice to be involved with someone again.
This had been the end of a rather long dry spell for me, having
been alone for what seemed like quite awhile. It always seemed
hard finding someone, and now here she was, and she seemed almost
perfect, as if we were made for one another. This is where things
started getting a little confusing.
'What's going to happen when this whole thing is
over? What am I going to do?' I wonder silently, as my elated
mood starts to cloud over. Even walking with her through the peaceful
wilderness, glancing at her beautiful form next to me, my mind
becomes jumbled with troubling thoughts.
'We've got another three weeks together, but then
what happens after that? I really can't stay here can I? I mean,
she's wonderful, and this promises to be one of the best relationships
I've had... but could I really live here? Could I give everything
up to stay with her? Could I really settle down and live in that
little town with her? It's a nice vacation, but I'm already missing
a lot of modern conveniences, and what about not being able to
see anyone else from Earth again... Is she worth that?'
'Not to mention how all of the other felenzis are
going to react toward me... I certainly doubt that the rest of
the townspeople would go for that... Having an alien mating with
one of their only mages? Would I have to repeat the scene with
the tiger and his friends a bunch of times, fighting for my right
to keep her?'
'I've really enjoyed our time together... and I'm
looking forward to more of it... but is she really worth leaving
everything behind? What happens if it doesn't work out several
months down the road, then what do I do? Hell, what happens when
she decides she wants to have children?'
Feeling my thoughts spiraling further downward, the
doubt within me grows as we walk along in silence. She glances
at me from time to time, and doing my best to smile at her, I
manage to keep her from suspecting anything; at least if she does
have any suspicions, she keeps them to herself and leaves me to
continue pondering my thoughts alone. Left to my own musings,
my thoughts continue to become even more troubled.
'What if she doesn't even feel that strongly for
me? I mean here I am thinking this could be the love of my life...
and worrying about us being tragically separated... and what if
she just thinks it's a novel diversion? How do I know if they
even fall in love here? Hell, they could just choose mates whenever
it suits them, with no emotional connection what so ever...'
'She said she enjoyed her frolics with the cats in
the bar,' and thinking of this gives me a slight chill. I had
pretty much accepted it, given her explanation, but still, thinking
of it was kind of unsettling. 'She said that mating with them
was enjoyable, even though she had wanted to tear their tails
off... Yes, it was all because of their scent... but what if that's
what relationships are to them? What if it's all just pure animalistic
urges, with no feelings involved?'
'She said she liked mating with me... Of course she
did... Just think of how new and exciting I was to her... Especially
since she wasn't overpowered by a male's scent and could experience
things fuller... but what if that's all it meant to her, what
if it was just something that she found really pleasant, but will
eventually get tired with and move on to something else?'
'Of course she's been nice to me, and has seemed
warm and caring... but what if that's all just casual, and sex
just isn't part of that? She's already shown that she may not
be as interested as I am... Why else would she have turned me
down this morning? Is this going to turn out to just be something
at her convenience? She seemed to be having fun as I watched her
groom herself this morning... Maybe she just likes the idea of
having a male so willing to do things for her?'
My thoughts continue on like this for a few hours,
walking beside her in silence. Of course I try and tell myself
how ridiculous some of these worries are, and how I always over-analyze
things anyway, but of course rational and emotional thoughts are
always rather disconnected.
Finally we stop for lunch, having found a small clearing,
carpeted with lush, soft grass and lying near the stream. Taking
off our packs, we both kneel before the stream and scoop handfuls
of water into our mouths. Watching her as she laps at the liquid
in her cupped hands, while the muscles of her legs and back are
accented by her stance, my mind soars briefly, taking in her full
beauty. Unfortunately, these wondrous thoughts are tempered by
the gloomy uncertainties still lurking in my mind.
Taking the food out of our packs, and gathering some
fresh fruit from a nearby tree, we settle down to a simple and
satisfying meal. While I'm eating, sitting there on the warm grass,
with my back propped against my pack, she crawls softly over to
sit down beside me, leaning against me. All of my troubled thoughts
have left me confused, and her actions startle me a bit, as I
feel my body tighten up ever so lightly.
Looking up at me, the smile washed of her face, replaced
with a look of worried confusion, her voice is soft and caring,
yet also bewildered. "Ben, what's wrong?" her eyes focusing
deeply into the depths of mine.
"I don't know Marissa... I'm just worried..."
"About what?" her voice even softer as
one of her arms snakes behind me, caressing my side and pulling
her even closer to me. This sudden movement startles me, as I
feel my body tighten momentarily against her touch, then relaxing
after a couple of seconds.
She looks even more concerned at this, but continues
to hold me, looking deep into my eyes, waiting for my response.
Hesitating momentarily, then letting out an audible breath, my
voice is heavy and a bit nervous. "I'm worried about what's
gonna happen with us? If we are going to be mates... then what
will we do at the end of this trip? I might be going back to Earth
in a few weeks, and where does that leave us?"
"Oh Ben... I've thought of that too... It worries
me, but I don't want it to ruin the time we have together now...
When it does come time do decide, then we'll have to deal with
it ... but please don't deny us this until then... Please be my
mate while we're together..."
Looking into her deep green eyes, I want that oh
so much, if only I can be sure of a few things. "I'm also
confused about some other things too..." She waits, expectantly,
as I get momentarily lost in the depths of her gaze. Then finally
continuing, "Marissa... I don't know how to say this... but
I'm worried about what mating means to you... To most humans,
it's very important, and it's something that's usually only done
between people who really care deeply for one another..."
"So to me, it means a lot... It's something
special that I wouldn't share with just anyone... but with you...
I mean felenzi in general... I'm worried that it doesn't mean
as much... Do you feel as strongly for me as I do for you, or
are you just interested in the physical side of things?"
Reacting quickly to this blow, her pupils widen,
as her ears jump straight up; a look of anger flashes across her
face, calming quickly to reflect deep hurt. Dropping her hand
from my side, she pulls away from me, her eyes becoming a little
cold all of a sudden. "Ben, how can you say that?" her
voice is shaking slightly, surprised and wounded. "Of course
I care about you... I thought I've shown that this past week...
Mating with you was wonderful, and I though you enjoyed it too..."
"I did... but everything's happened so fast
that I'm still confused on a couple of things... I've been falling
in love with you from the beginning, as soon as I got over my
fear and got to know you... I was hoping that things would happen
differently, but when it did happen it was just a lot different
from what I'd planned..."
"The first time, the morning after the three
males got you... it was confusing afterwards... Then last night
it was a lot better... Well it was wonderful It had been awhile
for me, and it felt very nice, and was very fulfilling for me...
emotionally as well as physically... That's what confuses me...
To me it meant a lot to finally be with you like that, but I don't
know what it meant to you... Was is just something that was very
pleasurable for you, or did it mean something more?"
She doesn't answer for a few moments, and her silence
seems to last for an eternity, as her eyes study me, piercing
into the depths of my soul. Finally when she does talk, her voice
is troubled. "Of course it meant something to me Ben... Not
only was it wonderful to mate with you and experience things so
new and differently... but it felt good to be able to give you
what you were longing for... and to do it because I really wanted
to... It also made me realize how much I really do care about
you..."
"I'd felt us growing closer through the journey,
but never thought we'd become mates since you were a human and
all... I'm glad things happened the way they did... It made me
realize that you're not all that different afterall... Then you
come and say something like this... What made you think of that?
Haven't I been acting caring to you?"
Feeling once again like such a jackass, I stare back
at her, as her eyes begin to glisten slightly. "I don't know...
I feel bad for even thinking of it... but it's just that you can
act so differently than humans do... and I wasn't sure... Knowing
that mating is usually triggered by the male's scent, I didn't
know if that meant it was just purely physical for you..."
"But we mated last night without me being under
the influence of anyone's scent... and it was my idea... I told
you I wanted to do it... and with you..."
"I know, but..." I manage to stammer.
"I chose you Ben because I wanted to be with
you... because I care about you... I guess with humans, mating
is a bit more emotional than with us... but that doesn't mean
we don't care about our partners... True, sometimes, like with
the males back at the bar, there are instances where we will mate
for the pure physical aspects of it... That doesn't mean it's
always like that Ben... When we're with someone we know well,
mating means much, much more..."
"But, with the males scent... doesn't that mean
you could be made to mate with anybody?" again this sends
tiny shivers through me.
"Yes, and sometimes people will abuse that...
but most of the time it's with people who we know... Even so,
that doesn't mean we aren't capable of caring for our partners...
There are two kinds of mating Ben... Sometimes it's purely for
the pleasure of it... and others are meant to be a deeper experience...
like with you..."
This sends a pang of guilt straight through my heart,
piercing it like a cold iron spike. Perhaps noticing my grimace,
she continues. "We might be different from humans, but we
still have a lot of the same feelings Ben... Just because we have
different mating practices doesn't mean I don't care for you...
We can sometimes have multiple partners, but we can still have
feelings for all of them... Usually on different levels though...
Most of them are just close acquaintances, whom it's nice to share
the experience with, but it's not a permanent arrangement... Then
there are life mates... they are someone that means the most to
you... and when you find them, it's the deepest relationship..."
Letting out another deep breath, "so where do
I fit in?"
"I don't know just yet... I'm a little worried
about what will happen when this is all over with... but I want
to give this a try... You're definitely more than just someone
I'd mate with a few times just for the fun of it all... Forgetting
just how wonderful a lover you are, and how unique it is mating
without a male's powerful scent present... You still mean a lot
to me... In this short time, we've become close... and you fought
for me too... I can't forget that..."
Pausing just briefly, she finishes. "So even
if you aren't a life mate, that doesn't mean you couldn't become
one... You may end up leaving, so that could affect things...
but also, there is a good possibility that we could become a lot
closer in the next few weeks... Will you please give this a chance?"
I can't believe what this beautiful female is saying,
what a change it is having someone so smitten over me. My ego
soars, but again I can't believe what a jerk I've been, and how
I could have thought those things about her. Looking into her
eyes, which are still uncertain and needy, I smile gently and
then reach down to take her hand in both of mine. "Of course
I will Marissa... I'm sorry for not understanding... It's just
that everything has been so different here, and I didn't know
for sure how you felt..." Then, my voice becoming even softer,
"can you forgive me?"
Her face brightens visibly at this, the spark returning
to her eyes and a smile beginning to creep its way across her
muzzle. "Oh Ben... You really are a nice person... I want
to have the chance to get as close to you as possible... so we're
going to work this out..."
Then, taking one of my hands in hers, she slowly
brings it to her muzzle. Sniffing it briefly, she smiles at me
and begins to lick my fingers, as small purrs escape her open
mouth. This simple act lifts my spirits, and all at once everything
is going to be okay. All of the uncertainty, all of the misunderstanding,
all of the hurt disappears between us as she slowly laps my tender
flesh.
After a minute or so, I gently pull away, she looks
startled at this, but flashing her a reassuring smile calms her.
"Don't worry... I just want to do something for you... Let
me make things up to you..."
A peaceful smile returns to her face upon hearing
this, and she lets me lean her back so she's reclining against
my pack. Then crawling down to her feet, looking at her lying
before me, I reach down and begin to untie the laces of her boots.
Undoing their bounds, I soon liberate both her lovely feet from
their confinement. With the cool breeze gently blowing over her
exposed flesh, she smiles up at me as I gently take one of her
feet in my hands.
Looking down at the black "boot" marking
of her foot, I can only think of how adorable it looks, and still
how exotic her digitrade feet appear to me. Slowly stroking her
dark fur, enjoying once again the feel of its softness, her smile
widens, as her eyes close slightly and several more purrs emanate
from deep within her. It feels so good to be making her happy
like this.
Bringing her foot slowly up to my face, while continuing
to caress it, I bring it close to my nose and take a gentle breath
in. Again her scent is clearly present here, musky and with traces
of animal to it, but definitely pleasant and in its own way somewhat
arousing. 'And she says that her scent is even stronger when she's
in heat... I can't even imagine what that would be like,' smiling
to myself.
"Marissa?" she opens her eyes a bit at
this and regards me warmly. "What is my scent like for you?"
"Hmmm... well, it's weird Ben... If I was just
to smell it, it wouldn't have any effect on me... Now with a male
felenzi's scent... when I smell that, there's no helping it...
I want to mate, and I'm very agreeable to anything they would
ask of me... With you it's different... there's no physical effect
like that... but it definitely does something for me... I guess
just knowing it's your scent, and how I feel about you, well it
becomes very likable... and in it's own way it does help to arouse
me..."
"It's the same way with me... If I were to just
smell your scent and not know where it came from... well, it would
smell nice... but it wouldn't really do anything for me... but
having it be connected with you... and looking at you while I'm
smelling it... that makes the connection to me... It's not an
all-powerful drive, but it certainly adds to the mood..."
We both smile at this, and then taking another deep
whiff of her beautiful aroma, I tentatively flick my tongue out
across the bottom of her foot. The texture of her fur against
my tongue is still a little weird, but I'm getting used to it;
it's quite exotic. The taste is interesting and rather appealing,
just as exciting as her scent; it's something that will take awhile
to get fully used to, but I'm glad I'm trying it.
Her purrs increase as soon as I begin these ministrations,
and that alone makes it worthwhile, knowing how much she is enjoying
this. Running my tongue gently along the bottom of her foot, going
slowly so as not to dry it out, my senses are overwhelmed by essence.
Moving to her toes, I glide over the first one, delighting in
surprise as my tongue makes brief contact with one of her claws.
It's almost fully retracted, so I barely touch it; it doesn't
scratch at all, just sort of makes its presence known, which just
seems so novel.
Lightly forcing my tongue between her toes, lapping
at her tender flesh there, I'm soon orchestrating deep and wonderful
purrs from her. Paying close attention to each of her four toes,
I slowly work over every inch of her foot, leaving her fur damp
with a slight coating of my saliva.
Finally taking a few last, slow laps along the entire
length of the bottom of her foot, I withdraw and gently lower
her foot to the ground. My tongue is a little dry, but it was
well worth it; her exquisite flavor still dances along my taste
buds as I lick my lips a few times.
She opens her eyes again as I move to lie down beside
her. Reaching out to stroke her back, she brings her own arm around
me and smiles warmly.
"Things are okay now, aren't they?"
"Mmmm... yes they are Ben."
With that she pushes closer to me, cuddling her warm
body against mine. Then pressing her furry cheek against mine,
she slowly rubs it against me, purring softly once again. Moving
slowly downward, keeping her fur in contact with me all the way,
she brings her muzzle down to the base of my neck, where she begins
to nuzzle.
Licking me gently there, I feel a few gasping moans
pour forth from my open mouth. Her mouth opens wider and I can
feel her hot breath on my skin, tingling my senses, as she presses
slowly against me. Then, without warning, pain shoots through
me, as her sharp, carnivorous teeth pierce into my tender flesh.
My body goes tense almost instantaneously, as I struggle
to get away, my mind flooding with panic. Trying to sit up quickly
only forces her jaws tighter around my neck and another bolt of
pain stabs through me. Letting out a muted scream, I try and force
her off of me, but her jaw is locked onto me and her body weight
keeps me pinned.
My hand which had been gently caressing her back
is now desperately digging into it, and as my mind screams out
in terror, multiple neurons firing at once, I bring it up to her
head. Trying to pull her muzzle off of me will be next to impossible,
so acting more on impulse than anything else, my hand goes to
her ear, giving it a firm smack.
Boxing her ear does the trick, releasing me from
her steel grip. As her head comes away from my neck, I fall back
on the grass, looking up at her, terrified, confused, and panting
heavily. "Dammit Marissa... What the hell's going on?"
My harsh question cuts through her, and her composure
shatters; her confused look quickly replaced with one of guilty
sorrow. "Ben... I'm sorry..." her voice cracking slightly
as her eyes begin to water. "I didn't mean to hurt you...
It's a way of showing affection..." By now tears have formed
and have begun to trickle down the fur where the side of her muzzle
reaches the rest of her face. As she continues, her voice is marked
with sobs, her body shaking slightly.
"It's just that... I'm used to doing it to other
felenzis... With their fur it takes more strength... I didn't
realize your flesh was so tender... Then I got scared and couldn't
stop myself... Oh Ben... I'm sorry..."
With that she collapses against me, her head resting
on my chest, as her body continues to be wracked by heavy sobs.
Momentarily at a loss for what to do, feeling her hurt, only dimly
aware of the throbbing in my neck, all my attention becomes focused
on helping her, relieving her or her torment. Hesitating only
briefly, my hand then goes to gently caress the back of her head,
gently stroking her hair.
This helps to calm her, and as a couple of minutes
pass, her crying slowly ceases. Looking up at me, she sniffles
slightly, regarding me uncertainly with her green eyes. Continuing
my soft caresses, I gently state, "it's okay..."
"But... I hurt you... I'm sorry," her voice
still cracking lightly.
"Shhh... I know you didn't mean to... It's just
another silly mistake..." Then smiling at her, I joke "consider
it payback for my blunders..." She smiles at this, and then
sniffling again, seems very much relieved. Bringing my hand to
her face, I gently touch her cheek, damp with her tears. Stroking
her softly, continuing to reassure her, I add "we're still
learning about each other... but we can work through times like
these."
We stay like this for a few minutes more, as I softly
caress her cheek, all of the turmoil seeps away from her; soon
she is pressed firmly against me, softly purring. Then realization
darts across her face as she quickly lifts her head, startling
me slightly. "Oh... I forgot about your neck... It needs
healing attention..." Then looking up at me a bit sheepishly,
she asks "could I use my tongue first though?"
"Please do..." and with my simple approval,
she moves her muzzle to the deep bite wounds. Gently gliding her
tongue across the cuts, my skin cries out lightly, but even so,
the feel of her slightly-rough tongue gently administrating its
attentions to me adds pleasure to the pain.
Lying there, enjoying the melange of sensations as
she dutifully attends to my wounds, I close my eyes and fully
soak up the entire experience. Soon she brings her fingers up
to caress the bite mark and within moments has it healed. Opening
my eyes to look at her with adoration, I softly ask "now
will you try it again... Please?"
She looks rather surprised at this request. "You
want me to do it again... Are you sure?"
"Yes Marissa... Just be more gentle this time...
You know how tender I am... so don't break the skin..."
Nodding, she begins to nuzzle the base of my neck
once again, slowly licking and warming me with her hot breath.
Then feeling her mouth opening wider and her teeth coming down
on my flesh once again, I'm momentarily apprehensive, but forcing
myself through this, I put my trust completely in her.
Her teeth come in contact with my skin and she begins
ever so lightly applying pressure to them, going very slow and
cautious. Nearing the breaking point, she backs off slightly,
and gently begins to nibble. The sensations are so strange, there
is some pressure but no real pain, just slight pricks from the
tips of her teeth. This surprises me, but I realize that I'm finding
this not only rather interesting, but also a little erotic, as
she nibbles at my neck. There's something in having her so close
to hurting me, yet holding back that really excites me. Also,
the sensations of her teeth lightly exciting the sensitive skin
of my neck is actually quite enjoyable.
As I let out another couple of moans, she responds
by purring, her chest rumbling deeply against mine. She continues
her strange foreplay for a few more minutes before slowly easing
up, then pulling away to look once again deeply into my eyes.
"Mmmm... That was wonderful Marissa... It's
a nice way to show affection."
"It serves a purpose too... or at least it used
to... Just like rubbing our cheeks against someone... It releases
some of our scent... Not only is it showing our dedication to
our mate, but it's also a sign of trust... Lowering their defenses
to us... Knowing we could hurt them, but showing that we don't..."
'Hmmm... marking territory... a show of control...
very feline, but also kind of neat in a way... it's not without
it's sensual aspects though...' Smiling at her, "will you
let me do the same for you then?"
Nodding eagerly at this, she quickly rolls off of
me, lying supping and at my disposal. Crawling over toward her,
until I'm crouched above her, I bring my mouth down to her neck.
Breathing heavily on her fur, she smiles at me and closes her
eyes. Then bringing my mouth down to her flesh, I open it and
placing my jaw firmly over her, begin to bite down.
This is one of the oddest sensations I can think
of, having a mouthful of fur like this, but it's something I could
get used to. Biting down, feeling the resistance slightly, I'm
a bit unsure of what exactly to do. As if sensing this, she softly
instructs, "bite down harder Ben... I can hardly feel it..."
Complying dutifully, she soon lets out a satisfied,
"oooh... Yes, right there... Now just take quick, small bites..."
Doing this elicits several more purrs from her as her contented
smile begins to widen. Nibbling on her like this is very strange,
but also very exciting, again it's a whole new area for me.
Continuing like this for a few minutes, my jaw soon
becomes tired and I have to ease off. Pulling away and looking
down on her, she opens her eyes and grins. "That was very
nice Ben... You're a quick learner."
Laying down on my side next to her, I smile and reply,
"well, now there's something I'd like to show you... It's
one of the ways humans show affection..."
Her eyes lighting up with anticipation, she rolls
over to face me, her arm draping over my side. Putting my arm
around her, lightly caressing her shoulder blade, I bring my mouth
to her muzzle. Kissing her lightly as we'd done before, a single
purr escapes her; the sensations of her thin lips and furry jowls
are comfortable and familiar.
As she lets herself get lost in the gentle kiss,
I lightly begin to force my tongue against her lips. Sensing this
she stiffens up lightly; stopping my invasion, I softly caress
her back and ease her back into relaxation. Then gently applying
pressure again, she parts her lips and lets me in. Feeling my
tongue glide against her teeth sends an electric shiver through
me, feeling their sharpness lightly prick at me.
Then running along the smooth side of her mouth,
she lets out a small purr, getting accustomed to this strange
intrusion, discovering its pleasantness. Hearing her audible pleasure
pushes me onward, navigating over to her tongue, forcing mine
against hers, enjoying the feel of her somewhat abrasive surface
against the slippery smooth texture of mine.
Soon she's learned from my example and is gently
fighting against me, as our tongues begin to intertwine and wrestle
one another. Caught amidst the pleasure of the kiss, our hands
are soon roaming up and down each others backs; mine quickly goes
to the root of her tail, a region which I love showering attention
on. She hikes her hips slightly at this and begins purring louder,
her purrs gently vibrating both of us.
Lost in this deep and loving embrace, we continue
at this for some time, until I finally pull away. Catching her
breath, she pants, "oh Ben... That was wonderful... Nobody's
ever done that to me before..."
Smiling at her, I softly reply with a gleam in my
eye, "we've still got a lot to learn about one another...
and I'm really looking forward to that..."
Copyright 1994, Will A. Sanborn - was1@shore.net