“Right, the Infala.”
“Ah, so you know of it? The bonding rune that binds you to your mate?”
“A friend back in the Dohrag camp explained it to me, though the whole thing still sounds kind of out there. We usually go on a lot of bad dates, have some mediocre sex, and then, if we’re lucky, find someone we can tolerate. The whole true love thing? We hope for it, but the reality is we know it’s a bit of a pipe dream. The tattoo thing, though? That’s just weird. No offense.”
“I understand it is unusual for your kind. But you are now residing within the Dotharian Conglomerate, and you will be provided with your runes, as required by law. Soon you will havean Infala of your own. Whether or not it leads you to your mate, well, that is another thing altogether. But let us chat, you and I. Tell me about yourself. About your life before the Raxxian abduction. And I will tell you what I can of this world. I am sure you have many questions to ask.”
10
Zepharos had left his unexpected encounter with the new human arrival in a state of confusion. He hadn’t felt like this, well,ever, if he was being honest about it. Normally, if he wanted a woman, he said and did whatever he needed to have her, and more often than not, he was successful. But this? This encounter had left him feeling torn.
“What is wrong with you, Zepharos?” he grumbled to himself as he hurried back to his home. “You are not like this. You want a woman; you make it happen.”
But deep inside, he knew that was no longer the case. His Infala had actually matched, and that core shift had changed him. He had actually found his bonded mate, something he’d long since given up hope of. But then, against all known history and contrary to the Infala bond, she had shunned him, forced their Infalas to un-pair.
It was a physical and emotional distress that had left him in a state of mind he was quite unfamiliar with. Torn. Confused. Sad. Yet even so, his body still reacted to the sight of this delicious new arrival no matter what his pigments might have said, and it left him with an ache in his groin.
“Ridiculous,” he muttered, hiding his erection as casually as he could whilst making his way to his front door. “Unbelievable.”
He pushed the door open and stepped into the familiar security of his domicile. It took all his willpower not to slam the door behind him. Gently, he closed it, then strode to his bed, pulling off his shirt before flopping down on his back in a frustrated heap.
He stared at the ceiling, the pain in his lower gut persistent even in a reclined position.
“Damn it,” he said, sliding his hand into his waistband and wrapping his fingers around his erection, pulling it free in a fluid motion.
He began stroking himself, pumping his hand firmly up and down his shaft as images of the half-undressed newcomer flashed through his mind. Her supple skin, the curve of her ass as he applied the lotion. She didn’t need him for that part. She’d been toying with him, and he knew it. His cock throbbed harder. He was usually the one doing the toying, and having the tables turned was surprisingly arousing.
His hand moved a little faster, adding a slight twist to his grip as he coaxed the pre-cum out of himself, pressing up along the underside until it ran out the tip. He used his natural lube to the fullest, coating the head of his cock as he slid his grip higher, the electric jolts from his rough hands sliding across the sensitive flesh increasing with the new lubrication.
“I should have taken her. Shown her who I am. What I can do,” he muttered, imagining what might have been. How he could have pulled his cock free and stepped close, resting it against her lips until she opened wide and sucked him deep. He grinned at the thought, his pulse quickening. “Yes, like that,” he said, visualizing her tongue swirling against his length.
Another thought arose and fought for valuable headspace. What about that magnificent ass? She’d wanted his hands on it, clearly. But what if he had pushed farther? What if he’d slid her bottoms down in a quick motion and straddled atop her closed legs, angling his cock just right as he lay his weight atop her? Hethought how it would feel, pushing into her from behind, his pre-cum lubricating the way until his cock slid between her soaking lips. He would bury himself into her to the hilt, pressing his pelvis against her ass as his cock was swaddled in the wet comfort of her feminine warmth, her pussy wrapped around him like a tight glove.
“That’s right,” he hissed, his hand moving faster as his balls pulled closer to his body. “You take it. You take it all.”
His pulse was now thundering in his veins, his ears hearing the steadythump, thumpof its beats as he pictured their bodies intertwined. His grip tightened, squeezing his cock the way only he knew how, his orgasm forcing its way to the surface with every pull and stroke.
In his mind the scene was so clear. So erotic. The woman face-down beneath him as he thrust into her with long strokes, his cock glistening with her wetness as he plunged deep over and over, slapping against her ass with every stroke, her pussy clenching and twitching as her climax built in unison with his. And then, when she could wait no more, he would unload himself into her, a hot gush of cum filling her until she screamed.
Zepharos’s cock spurted repeatedly, sticky-hot jets of cum landing on his chest, neck, and even his face, as his legs and belly locked up tight while he rode out his orgasm. He squeezed his cock hard, but the jism kept pulsing out, coating his belly until at long last his muscles relaxed.
He slowly released his grip and took a deep breath.
“Shit,” he muttered, looking at the sheer quantity of cum he had sprayed himself with. Apparently, the woman had gotten him more worked up than even he had realized, and this release was the culmination of that.
He grabbed a towel and wiped himself off then headed for his shower unit to properly bathe. He’d needed that, he realized. Not just the physical release, but also emotional. He hadn’t thought about it, but since he had been forcibly denied his mate, his libidohad vanished, and he hadn’t so much as masturbated once in that time.
Shalia had managed to reawaken that part of him, the assertive masculine drive that was normally at the front of his mind but was now lingering in the hidden depths. And while he was most definitely still hurting from his loss, he was nevertheless grateful to her for what she had unknowingly done. She had proven to him that, while he might be suffering, he was still alive. Still a man. And one day, gods willing, he would feel that incredible Infala bond he had only had the briefest of tastes of once again.
For now, he would breathe in and breathe out, taking every day as it came to him. Zepharos rinsed off and lay back on his bed, drifting off into a relaxed nap, his mind at ease for the first time in days as he finally enjoyed the brief respite of a dreamless sleep.
11
Days passed in the Oraku village, and the newcomer was afforded ample opportunity to meet more locals and take in the sights of the immediate area. Interestingly enough, Zepharos was tasked with playing tour guide on several of those outings. Whether Rohanna and Tikanna were testing him in some way or if they just felt he would be a good escort, Shalia didn’t know. What was clear, however, was that while his attraction was without doubt, this bad boy of the village was putting in the effort to be on his best behavior.
Rohanna mentioned it one afternoon in passing when she bumped into Shalia in the street. There was a curious look in her eyes when she heard the reply to her query about the man’s behavior. That he’d been a perfect gentleman, or, at least, as much as someone of his ilk could ever be, had seemed to take her by surprise. Pleasantly surprised at that. From that point on, she tasked Zepharos with teaching the latest human to join their village more of the Oraku ways. And, amazingly as it seemed, he was up for the task.
Equally surprising, especially for Zepharos, was that in having discourse with a female, engaging in lengthy discussions while teaching her the myriad things she simply didn’t know about thisworld, the two were actually becoming friends. Yes, he found her attractive and still had periodic thoughts about all the fun and naughty mischief they could get up to, but it was tempered with something new. The enjoyment of a woman’s company for more than physical reasons.
