“Come, my Purrsong,” he murmurs, nuzzling my cheek. “Let’s dry off and get something to eat… unless you’d rather skip straight to dessert.” His voice drops to a sultry purr, his golden eyes gleaming with mischief.
***
Something tickles my ear. No—it's more like a breath. I struggle to pull myself out of sleep, only to realize he's actually sniffing right behind my ear now. And then he goes in for it—one long, raspy lick, right on the spot he apparently finds especially delicious.
“Enough already! I'm all stiff!” I mumble, my voice still groggy.
“You'll get used to it, don't worry!” he replies cheerfully. “But for now, I didn’t wake you just to ravish that gorgeous body of yours again—though the temptation is very real. The sun's barely up, and we’ve gotta move. I don’t want to take any chances.”
I sit up carefully, fully aware of every muscle that got far more of a workout last night than it’s used to. They’re all letting me know about it now. But as my beautiful Sadjim just said—I’ll adapt. You hear that, muscles? No more lazy lounging. You’ve got yourself a personal trainer now.
I shiver slightly—not from cold, but from the thought that far from being disappointed, Prax already seems eager to repeat everything we did last night. And as he said, time’s ticking.
I make a beeline for the shower and return five minutes later, clean and dressed respectably. He scans me with that usual sharp gaze of his, and I don’t miss the slight pout that pulls at the corner of his mouth.
“Something wrong?” I ask, checking my clothes and fussing nervously with my hair.
“Hmm, nothing that can’t be fixed,e he replies with a playful glint, stepping closer.
He cups my cheek and tilts my head to the side, exposing the back of my neck. Then he leans in again and gives me another one of those warm, slow licks just behind the ear.
“There. Much better,” he purrs, clearly satisfied. “I like when you smell like me”
“What, you gonna pee on me next?” I grumble for effect, even though deep down I secretly love this possessive side of him.
“How barbaric!” he exclaims with a look of mock horror. “We are not dogs. Didn’t you know that feline species have very sensitive noses and absolutely despise such disgusting smells?”
“Forgive me, oh great and noble Sadjim!” I say, hand to my chest in mock reverence. “I didn’t mean to insult your refined sense of hygiene. I’ll refrain from such remarks in the future. Still, you have to admit—it’s kinda weird to lick my ears all the time.”
“Let’s be precise, my Purrsong. It’s not your whole ear—it’s that little patch of skin at the back of your neck, right here, where it’s thin and extra sensitive. It holds my scent like a charm. And besides…” He leans in a little, voice dropping. “You didn’t seem to mind it so much last night.”
I can feel myself blush at the memory of his many affectionate attentions.
He chuckles softly and presses a bowl into my hands.
“Here. I picked every ripe raspberry I could find. I noticed how much you liked them. I added a kiwiberry too. I saved some for the road. Now, let me connect and leave a message for your brother.”
“Okay!” I say with a mouthful of berries.
I wolf down the fruit he so kindly gathered for me, brewing myself a small infusion as I watch him sit down and compose his message.
Hey Human,
Your sister and I are back in permitted territory—just long enough for a shower and to stock up on plant-based food for Neela. We’re at the second outpost from Cydonia. So don’t waste your time tracking us through the first one—we skipped it. I’ll try to erase our trail here, but it’ll be harder.
We’ll be back in restricted territory in under an hour. I’d rather face wild animals than the cunning humans chasing us. Don’t worry about your sister—she’s doing fine. I’m watching over her.
As for your kind little message to me… I’m afraid it came a bit late. And about that ridiculous idea of turning my magnificent fur into a rug—well, I could tell you exactly where you can stuff it, but I wouldn’t want to offend your delicate sensibilities. Just know that no sane Sadjim would ever dream of peeling your skin to decorate their home floor—it would be in very poor taste.
Take care of your little family and leave a message here for your sister.
Prax
I flinch slightly, realizing Prax has no intention of hiding our… adventure from my brother. Then again, I remember exactly who I’m dealing with—someone honest, someone who sees no point in twisting the truth.
What we did wasn’t shameful. Far from it. It was beautiful. Powerful. And we’re not done yet. Kiran will have to deal with it. And Prax is smart to let him know from a safe distance. My overprotective brother will have time to process—and I’m counting on sweet Meghan to knock some sense into him.
Besides, I’ve known Kiran all my life. Sure, he grumbles and barks a lot, but he’s formed a strange, solid friendship with Prax. If he didn’t truly respect him, their relationship would look very different.
