Moonlit Offering

Will A. Sanborn

8/21, 8/28 - 8/29/01

I sighed softly as I closed my eyes and let the stillness of the night surround me. The cool night air felt good against my fur. The nights were getting colder, but for now I was perfectly comfortable without a jacket. After the hot days of summer, the change in the weather was welcome. This was always my favorite time of year too, near equinox. The slight hint of crispness to the air seemed almost magical, especially on a night like this one. I opened my eyes and smiled as I looked up at the waxing gibbous moon, knowing it was invisibly creeping towards fullness.

Change was in the air, it was easy to smell as I drew a long, slow breath in through my nose. It seemed a little strange to have my life staying static while the seasons made ready to change around me. For years I'd been used to returning to classes, marking the new year in school, but things were different now. With four years in advanced studies under me, I'd finished my course-work and had been devoted to pure research for over a year now. I sighed again. The routine was starting to get to me. The work was interesting, but devoting so much time to one subject could get tiring. Then there was the fact that it was so opened-ended. Even with my advisor's help, the end wasn't in site yet. It'd be at least another year and a half before I could have everything done and I could move on.

I missed the life of general studies sometimes. That'd been fun. Not that I didn't get a chance to enjoy myself now, but my research did keep me busy. I didn't get to mix around with a lot of the students outside of my department either, and that was a small bunch. Besides them, I only saw the students I helped teach, and going over course notes and homework problems wasn't exactly social interaction.

As I looked up at the moon again, it felt so strange not to be changing with the world around me. I didn't like this feeling of being stuck, even if it was only a slight one. I also realized how much I still missed Sarath. When I was working, it helped keep my mind off of her most of the time, but not always, and even after these few months, I still thought of her some nights. We'd been good together, but it didn't work out. Even if my research hadn't been there, it wasn't meant to last. She'd only moved a couple of hours away for her job, but that'd been enough to cause a gulf between us, as our lives drifted apart. It'd been good while it lasted at least.

I sighed for the third time and shook my head. I needed to get a hold of myself. I'd come out here to clear my head after a long day of work and I didn't need to get my thoughts all muddled. I'd taken the walk to enjoy the night, and I that's what I was going to do, even if I had to force myself. As I looked around, scanning the field I'd come to, I tried to take in the quiet of the night. The warmth of summer had passed and the insects were no longer out, so the peace was disturbed only by my soft breathing. It was several days before the full moon of the equinox, so there was no reason for anyone else to be out here tonight. Even then most folks recognized the holiday in bars or at dinner parties, perhaps with the last outdoor cookout of the season. Hardly anybody actually went out into the wilderness for it.

I thought of how it must've been for our ancestors, knowing the days were getting shorter and the nights colder. It meant hardship, but also longer hours for night hunting, a tradeoff for losing those warm days of summer. Not that we needed to hunt anymore, and I certainly wasn't one who enjoyed the sport. Still, as I stood out under the stars of the night sky, I did wonder what it might've been like. Even though the moon wasn't full, my eyes had adjusted to the night, and its brightness lit up the grass of the field well enough. I took another deep breath into my lungs and savored the magic of the season. I smiled as I felt my tail move behind me as it wagged slightly. Even with my life static as it was, I couldn't help but feel the possibilities of change the season offered.

I'd been feeling a little lonely before, but the solitude of the evening was actually helping. I was glad I hadn't bothered to stop into a bar and had come out here instead. I stared up at the moon. It was so beautiful, and again I thought of how it used to rule our world so much more. I thought of the old myths I'd read about, the twin goddesses, the sun and the moon. They were fun to read, and out here under the moon's light, I could loosen my rational mind a little. The sense of magic and wonder I was feeling, had been missing in my life for awhile, so I decided to indulge some idle fantasies.

I looked at the moon and thought of the dark goddess, she was neither benevolent or evil, like the world itself. In some ways she was a lesser deity than her sister, the sun, but in those old tales, she'd shown the power she held over her domain. Her influence waxed and waned with the seasons, but now as the nights were growing longer, she'd be coming back into control again. Her jurisdiction was not just of the night, but of the world itself, as the weather grew colder. She was nearing fullness too, and soon at the equinox she'd take over for the sun as the dominant power.

I smiled as I thought about that. I knew the tales were only metaphors thought up long ago to explain how the world worked, but they still had an almost lyric quality to them. It was nice just to take a break for a flight of fantasy too. As I pondered the dark goddess, I thought about what it would be like for her. Even back then the night had always been more of a solitary time, and now that hardly anybody went on moonlit hunts, it seemed even more lonely. I enjoyed the peace I had alone now, but thinking of the moon, left alone, mostly forgotten, a small sense of sadness crept over me. My rational side scoffed at the notion, but I still couldn't help it.

Then I thought how the moon must feel lonely just like me, as I missed Sarath, and she didn't even have an old lover to pine for. No, that wasn't true, I thought, as I remembered one of the tales in the book. There was Lakosha, the strong and handsome son of the chief who'd given himself to the moon to help his tribe. It'd been a lean year, with the prey thinning out due to a drought earlier on. They knew that if the winter was too hard, it could mean bad times for them. The oracle had divined that only by making the dark goddess care about her people could they be sure that she would see them through the cold days ahead. It was decided that a sacrifice would be made to her, a youth from the village would go to the moon, to be her consort. By taking him as her lover, she would then care for the plight of his tribe, and make sure that the winter was not too rough for them. As the son of the chief, Lakosha had taken that duty upon himself, probably to the disappointment of at least a couple of the young females in the village, if he really was as handsome a specimen as the story made him sound.

It was a beautiful story. He wasn't killed in a bloody sacrifice, instead he'd journeyed out to the wilderness, to lay himself naked before the moon and he was taken to her. It'd worked too, that winter had been much milder and shorter than usual, and no one had been lost from starvation or the elements. She must've been quite satisfied with the gift of a lover her people had given her. Lakosha had stayed with her as her consort for the rest of his mortal life. He'd known he wouldn't be able to return, and had still given himself freely too her; his submission had softened her heart that winter. He was still mortal though, and his life was limited, so in time, he'd had to leave her. It was said that when he passed on, the following winter was very harsh, as the goddess mourned her loss and inadvertently punished the world in her sadness.

I noticed my eyes were watering slightly in spite of myself as I thought of it. It sounded so sad, and I thought of Sarath again, and imagined what it would be like to miss a lover forever, not just the space of a few months. I knew it wasn't real, but the sadness still called to me as I looked up at the moon.

"I'd be your lover..." I whispered, as I idly pondered the prospect of two lonely people finding each other on a night like tonight. I chuckled as soon as I said it. I shook my head, and flattened my ears ever so slightly, feeling a little silly for even saying it. Then just as quickly, another thought came over me. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea at all. Why couldn't I do that?

I looked around, and all was quiet. I was all alone, and it sounded like fun. The magic mood of the evening crept over me and spurred me on, as I hesitated a few moments, and wondered if I should do it or not. Even as I thought about it, I could feel the tingles of excitement rippling through me. I hadn't done anything like that since I was much younger, and as I thought about it my interest grew. It'd been a busy week too, and I realized that I hadn't taken the time for any stress release. Just toying with the idea had got me excited, and felt a need stealing over me. If I didn't do it now, I'd certainly want to help myself out when I got back to the apartment. I might as well enjoy it in the beauty of the outdoors. The more I thought of it, the more it just seemed to fit, that, and I felt my desire growing. I hadn't been this excited for awhile, so I figured I'd better take advantage of it.

I opened my muzzle slightly, showing my teeth a little in a wicked grin. I felt my tail come to life at the thought of it, and I knew I was going to go through with the idea. I gazed up at the moon again, and whispered softly, "I offer myself to you tonight, if you'll have me..." I felt my ears twitch a little and couldn't help showing a sheepish little smile at the silliness of it, but I also felt another twinge of excitement as I said it. This was going to be fun.

I turned from my what would be my celestial lover, just briefly, and knelt down to pull off my shoes. The grass felt good on the pads of my feet as I stepped out of my footwear and onto it. It was cool against my flesh, but not cold. I stood up and my pants came next. I paused, to stretch out the tension, then reached back to undo the clasp of the tail-hole. I let out a breath as I then unhooked the clasp in front and parted the zipper to ease the garment down my legs. I could feel the cool night air against more of my fur now, but I shivered in anticipation, not from the temperature. The weather seemed about perfect for it, with just a twinge of coolness to heighten the sensations.

I could feel my growing erection pushing against my shorts, but I ignored it for now. I focused my attention on my shirt instead. I moved my hands to the buttons to undo them with slow, deliberate motions. I smiled up at the moon as I revealed myself to her a little bit at a time. I reached the last button and eased my shirt open, feeling the caress of the night air against my chest. I closed my eyes, with my face held up to the moon, as I slowly peeled the shirt off my shoulders and down my arms. I could hear my breath quicken, and my heart beating harder in my ears. The possibilities and anticipation poured over me, and I kept my eyes shut, soaking up the moments for as long as I could.

When I opened my eyes, the gentle glow of the moon was there once again to meet my gaze. I smiled, feeling a little coy and playful. I stretched my arms over my head and stood up on the pads of my feet slightly. Standing there, clad only in my shorts, I offered myself for the moon's approval. I glanced down and noticed the dark blue fabric of my shorts stood out against my fur, and I liked how I looked. My fur was normally a dull brown, not the gray or silver which is the standard of lupine beauty, but now that my body was bathed in the moonlight, my fur shone with a pale gleam.

"Do I meet your approval, Dark Goddess" I whispered, no longer feeling silly for indulging the fantasy. I already knew her answer as well. I brought one of my hands down to caress the fur of my neck. As my fingers trailed down my chest I sighed. My hand played along my belly for as long as I could manage it, and I shivered again as I prolonged the anticipation.

I couldn't keep it up for long, and my hand eventually strayed inside my shorts. I forced my fingers to keep clear of my cock, but they found the underside of my scrotum as they eased along my leg. I let out a soft moan as I gently cupped and caressed my balls through their light cover of fur, and felt my erection straining against the soft resistance of my underwear. I tried to hold onto the sensations as long as I could, drawing them out. I knew this was going to be good.

I withdrew my hand eventually. I'd delayed things long enough, it was time to fully offer myself up to the moon. I brought my fingers to the waistband of my shorts, after first running them along the outline of my buttocks through the fabric. When my fingers grazed against the underside of my tail, another moan escaped me into the silence of the night. I made quick work of sliding the last vestige of clothing off of me, feeling it brush down across the fur of my legs. Then I laid myself down on the cool grass, spreading my legs open, as I exposed myself to the light of the moon that fell across my body.

I gazed up at the moon for a moment, then closed my eyes, as my hands found the sensitive spots of my neck and belly once again. I couldn't stop them, soon they ventured further downward, and it was past the time for resisting. I surrendered myself to the moment, and moaned again as my hand dropped to fondle my balls once more. Tingles of energy radiated through me at my touch, which was as gentle as a lover's. My other hand stroked gently up from my sheath, to then trace along the length of my erection as the pads of my fingers traveled over my sensitive flesh. When they reached the tip, it was already slick with my excitement. I let out a long, slow breath as I rubbed the pooled liquid over the head of my cock.

I moaned again. I enjoyed hearing my voice against the silence as much as I reveled in the sensations of my touches. Another shiver traveled through my body as I imagined a phantom lover joining with me. I could envision the goddess crouching above me, teasing me with her hands, as I toyed with myself. She would take me, make her hers for the evening. I could almost feel her pressing over me. I cupped my hand around my sex, squeezing with my fist, as I imagined her straddling me. She'd slide over me, pushing me into her, riding me just like Sarath used to do at times.

I felt a small twinge of regret at thinking of Sarath, but it was joined with the longing and heat of the moment. Memories mixed with the fantasy. My mind wandered and I remembered the dark gray of her fur. I could picture her above me, she could be my dark goddess, for tonight. I sighed again as thoughts of our time together washed over me. I gripped my cock tighter and slid my hand along its length.

I closed my eyes and the images fluttered around my consciousness. She was there, as was the goddess. They were the same, then separate, becoming one again as my thoughts became more fluid and urgent. She was above me, they both were, taking me as I offered myself to her tonight. I breathed heavy as I imagined her taking her pleasure with me. I glanced up at the moon, through half-lidded eyes, then closed them again to let the fantasy take me deeper.

I moaned as my hand pumped up and down my sex, my cock slick with excitement. Every motion plucked at my nerves and I felt the tension growing. I tried to pace myself, to ration out the pleasure, but my desire spurred me on. My hand moved with more urgency as I gave myself to my phantom lover. My other fingers found the tender flesh of my balls and began to massage them again, now with more insistence. The moment froze as another shiver of sensation gripped me. I imagined I heard the goddess whisper in my ear, that it was time for me to perform for her, and then it was upon me.

I let out a low, barely audible growl as the climax washed over me. I clamped my hand down firmly, feeling the tremors pass through my body. Surges of desire, excitement and tension grasped me, and my muscles tensed in glorious abandonment. I was lost in the moment, my breath held back, my mind going briefly blank as the fantasy images dissolved into the spurts of passion they'd called forth.

I lay there quietly panting as the tremors died down and left me. I held on to the fleeting thoughts I'd called up, as they slowly retreated back into the corners of my mind. The moment was over, but I relaxed in the warm embrace of the afterglow. Even without a physical lover with me, the release had still been quite effective. It'd been the best I could remember it feeling for some time, and the intensity had left me sated. As I lay there, my hand still gently touching myself, I opened my eyes to look up at the moon. I smiled, feeling refreshed, then glanced down at my body. I'd made a bit of a mess, and as my fingers trailed idly through the residue of my spent desire, I realized it was going to be a little work to get cleaned up. It didn't matter though, and I chuckled at my little predicament. It'd been more than worth it, sticky fur and clothes or not.

I would've lay there longer, relaxing more before getting up and getting dressed, but at that moment a sound caught my attention. My ears perked up and I held my breath, listening. It came again, a muffled sound breaking the silence of the night. I turned towards it, my pulse quickening, and my gaze fell on a small tree standing about ten feet of to my left. Its branches spread out down to the ground, the leaves providing ample cover for whomever might be hiding there. I felt frozen for a moment, my pulse pounding in my ears, before I could get up and slowly maneuver myself into at least a crouching stance.

"Hello?" I managed to choke out, as I felt a different sort of tremor running through me now. I waited a few moments and called out again. I hoped I'd only imagined it, but I was unsure. Finally, I heard ruffling branches, and I tensed, waiting for what might happen. Then I heard the noise again. It was restrained laughter.

My ears flattened as I saw the two femmes emerging from the cover of the bush, their muzzles clenched as they tried to suppress their giggles. They let out a few chuckles as they saw my hands reflexively go to cover up my crotch, but then quieted down as I stared back at them. We all paused, and looked at each other for several heavy moments. I could feel my face burning with embarrassment, as my tail hung limply behind me, but I also felt a twitch of annoyance at being interrupted like that. They too seemed a little nervous at having been caught.

Looking at them, they appeared to be general-studies students, so I had a few years over them. I felt a gnawing in the pit of my stomach over having been watched in such a private moment, but realized I needed to try and retain some of my dignity. I hesitated, then broke the silence. "Well good-evening, ladies... I trust you had a good show." My voice wavered slightly, but they didn't seem to notice. They answered with a couple of nervous chuckles.

I forced a smile, and continued. "Well now, what are you doing out here at night anyway?"

"Just walking" the one with the black fur replied, her voice betraying her uneasiness.

I nodded. "I thought I was all alone out here..."

"Well, that's obvious," the other one, her fur a light gray, was quick to come back with. I had to chuckle at that, and I saw a momentary smile cross her muzzle. Her friend didn't seem to find it as amusing though.

"True enough, ladies." I replied, and I managed to flash them a quick smile of my own. "But on a night as good as tonight, I just felt the moon calling and had to answer her."

"The moon, calling you?" the gray one asked me, with a cute look of puzzled interest on her face.

"Yes, the moon." I hesitated, knowing it was going to sound silly, but then realized it probably didn't matter anyway. "I was lonely, then I thought of the dark goddess and how lonely she must be, and I decided to offer myself to her."

"You're not some kind of a cultist, are you?" This time it was the black-furred femme who spoke, and she looked even more nervous at my mention of the goddess.

"Oh no," I answered with a half-forced laugh. "It's nothing like that, it's just that I was thinking of the old myth of Lakosha, how he gave himself up to the moon. Have you heard of it?" I saw them both nod in faint recognition, though the gray femme seemed more understanding. "Well, when I thought of it, I liked the idea, and as I said I was feeling lonely, and also a little horny, so things just went from there... You know what that's like, right?" Talking seemed to ease the situation, and I felt a glimmer of confidence at taking control of the conversation.

Again, it was the gray femme who was more responsive. She gave me a slight smile as she nodded, while her friend just cast her a nervous glance. Almost subconsciously, I felt my hands moving away from their protective cover of my crotch. I smiled back at her as I placed my hands on my thighs, to give them a better look at me. The pose was not obscene, just confident.

Her friend didn't seem to like that very much, but I caught the gray's ears perk up just slightly as she glanced down at me. "That is a nice story, the one of Lakosha..." she said.

"Kess, I think maybe we should go," her black-furred companion stammered.

"Oh, I don't know..." she replied, looking at me. I caught a gleam of mischief in her eyes.

"No, you ladies can stay longer, if you'd like" I was quick to add in, playing along.

"I don't like this, Kess."

"Come on, Mala, there's nothing wrong with it, and it's safe."

I felt a little bad at that. I didn't want to scare anyone, just goof around a bit. "Of course ladies, I'm not going to try anything."

"I don't care, I want to go now, Kess" the black-furred femme answered back.

"But Mala..."

"No buts about it. I didn't think we should watch him in the first place, and I don't want to stay here talking to him." She paused as if she was thinking, then added "I'm leaving now."

She waited a few moments while we both looked at her, then her friend answered with a simple "fine, then go." She sounded as if she was tired of dealing with her at the moment.

The darker femme looked surprised at her friend's dismissal. She blinked, her ears twitching in confusion, and just looked at her. Then after several moments of hesitation, she huffed in annoyance and turned to walk from us, her tail swishing nervously. She stopped to look back a few times though, before she was gone into the woods.

I was stunned. I looked up at the other femme and my face must have shown my surprise at that turn of events. I hadn't expected the game to go that far. "Are you sure you don't want to go after her?" I asked.

"No, she'll be okay," she replied with a little snort, "she knows the way back to the dorm, and it's not too far from here." Then her voice turned softer. "Besides, I wanted to stay here and talk with you. I liked your story."

I met her smile, though mine had lost a little of its confidence. "Um, okay, but why don't you let me get dressed first."

"Oh, that's not necessary" she replied, and I caught the flick of her ear as she opened her muzzle in a slight toothy grin.

I felt one of my ears twitch at that. "Very well then, we can sit here and talk some more. By the way, my name's Darr."

"Hello Darr, nice to meet you, I'm Kess" she said.

"I'd gathered that," I answered with a smile. "You're very pretty, especially under the moonlight." It was a little forward maybe, but the time for caution had passed.

"Thank you, you're pretty nice yourself."

"You enjoyed watching me, didn't you?" Even as I spoke the words, I couldn't believe I'd actually said it, but talking to her, it felt natural, even though we'd just met. Then there was the fact that the situation seemed to be working its way on me. As I looked at her I could feel my excitement slowly trickling back to life.

She chuckled, "you don't mind do you?"

"No, not really, though you do have me at a disadvantage."

She dipped her ears slightly, and I continued. "Well, do you think it's fair that you've got your clothes on while I don't?" It was my turn to flash a grin at her.

She smiled back at me, "no, I supposed you're right." She was doing her best to act coy, but her act was faltering, especially when I caught her glancing down at my crotch once again. My blood had started flowing down there once more, and the look she gave me, when our eyes made contact once again, sent more tingles of excitement through me. I could feel my sex beginning to stir to life, and knew that my desire would soon be re- awakened. I thought I could smell more than a glimmer of interest from her as well.

I continued to play the game with her, hopeful of the conclusion which was looking all the more likely now. "Well then, Kess, you could let me get dressed and we could go somewhere to talk, or even hang out here... but if you're going to keep me here naked, I think perhaps you should join me."

She just continued to smile at me, so I added "maybe you need to offer yourself to the moon as well."

She seemed to like that. "Me, offer myself to the moon, what would she do with me?" she asked with a coy tone in her voice.

I chuckled and replied. "Well, it's only polite, since you interrupted our ceremony before. Plus, as the dark goddess' consort for the night, you could please her by sharing yourself with me."

"Oh really?" she gave me an mock-incredulous laugh, as her smile widened.

I made an exaggerated gesture of raising my hands above my head and looked up at the moon for a couple of seconds. Returning my gaze to her I said "yes, that's what the goddess would like, you don't want to offend her now, do you?"

She clasped her hands in front of her and knelt before me. The innocent look she gave me made my heart melt. "Well, if that's what she wants, I'm willing to do it for her, and for you." She knew how to play along very well.

I took her hands in mine and she accepted my grasp with willing submission. I moved my face closer to hers, looking into her eyes as she gazed back at me. "You're beautiful" I said and then gave her muzzle a quick lick.

"Thank you" she whispered back, and returned my affections, as her tongue darted over my muzzle.

"Now let's get you ready..."

She gave me an approving nod and I reached down to start undoing the buttons of her shirt, slowly revealing her to the gentle glow of the moonlight. I smiled at the happy turn of events, then paused, thinking. Perhaps there really was a goddess up there who'd been pleased with my offering and had tipped the scales of fate in my favor. I hesitated only briefly, then returned to my work, gently caressing Kess as I began undressing her. Either way, it meant I wasn't going to be alone tonight.


Copyright 2001, Will A. Sanborn - was1@shore.net