“It helped,” she nods before smiling wide to herself as if remembering something very fondly. “But we’re not here to talk about Mavyx and I… Zyntarr, I don’t feel completely comfortable telling you what you should and shouldn’t do with Bea,” she says, uncrossing and recrossing her legs as she sits on the stooool. “I think that’s a conversation to be had with herdirectly. I could tell you some generic things that human womennormallylike during-” her empty hand waves around between us, “relations. But, if I know Bea, I would think she’s a private kind of person. And she might prefer for you two to discover that on your own if you decide to, without outside influence.” I furrow my brows. She may be correct. The humans do not seem to like to talk of mating activities openly.
Well, except for Chaz-Titi.
Perhaps asking for advice on this subject was a mistake. I decide to change course, and simply ask, “how can I get Bea tochooseme as her mate?” If my weak heart-stars are not enough, then perhaps she can simply decide to be mine?
Ah-Lanah smiles at me. It is not a warm smile full of shine from the midday suns. It is a pitying smile. A smile distorted from the reflection of rippling waters. “Zyn,” she says, tilting her head as she looks at me. “You and I both know that’s not really how it’s done here. And listen, I am all for choice like back on Earth, but I’m just saying, those Goddesses of yours, or whatever it is that decides when and who to turn on those powerful twinkles for?Well,they seem to know what they’re doing. If they turn yours on for some other girl-” I open my mouth to protest that such a thing would never happen, but Ah-Lanah gives me a look that tells me I should hold my words. “Orif some other Trixikka suddenly lights up for Bea-” she reaches over and places a gentle hand on my forearm, her pretty smooth, dark skin somehow making my scars seem even more evident. “I just don’t want either of you to get hurt.”
I am quiet for a time before I remember; “but Aloryk and Poll-ee-”
“Are fucking each other’s brains out trying to get his heart-stars to appear, I know,” she pulls away, sitting back with a smile. “Hey, I’m not doubting their methods, and I’m not sayingyou and Bea can’t also try that. I just want you… well… I just want you both to be happy.And to stay that way.”
I come away from my meeting with Ah-Lanah with less certainty than I had possessed going in. The feeling is…troubling. My tail jerks with annoyance as I walk back through the village. Not annoyance at Ah-Lanah, or her words, truly. I am vexed that she had not seen any indication that the slight fluttering of stars over my heart were what I’d hoped.
They have to be.
Irritated, I glance down at my own chest as I walk, only to snap my head back up and clench my fists at what I had seen. Nothing but the faintest of stars that seemed to die out as soon as they were noticed.
Is Ah-Lanah right for me to be careful with Bea until my stars can shine more clearly? She had said they were powerful. And she would know, what with how she failed at resisting Mavyx’s. Does Bea feel that pull too, I wonder? Will she give into it? Or will she choose me as her mate if my stars never shine bright?
My head is stuffed so full of thoughts, it is hard to decide which to make my focus. But once my feet bring me to my intended destination of the finest metal weaver of the tribe, my chest expands with a deep inhale. I greet the elder male with a nod of my head, my one eye fixing him with a serious stare over the blazing fire in his hut. “Kroyll,” I say, stepping into his forge. “I have need of your craftmaleship.”
Chapter 13 - Bea
“You have awoken.”
The words are spoken in a gentle, deep voice, but I actually hadn’t properly woken up at all. I’d slept so well last night in Zyntarr’s arms, his soft feathers cradling me, giving me a show of slow, colorful twinkles as his stars would gently pulse between bright and dim. It kind of felt like one of those baby night-lights had lulled me into a blissful sleep.
And I’d only just sat up this morning, my eyes still heavy, and my brain still clinging onto the most wonderful dream. I was fully ready to flop back down in Zyntarr’s nest and get a few more minutes of shut-eye before I’d registered that he’s there - filling the open doorway to his hut.
My vision starts to sharpen and all memories of specifics from my dream melt away into unreachable nothingness, only to be replaced by the dreamy sight in front of me.
Zyntarr’s tail twitches behind him, lined by sunlight from the morning outside. He has to duck his head and tuck his wings close to his back to enter his own home, blocking out the light momentarily as he does. His skin-stars burst at his temples and twirl around his bulging bicep only to travel down his forearm to meet where his hand is balancing a carved wooden tray. He brought me breakfast.
Scooting my butt up the nest-bed, I watch as he carefully lays the tray in front of me. It’s piled with colorful fruits and smoked meats. “You’re too good to me,” I tell him, eying the bounty.
Zyntarr snorts. “There is no such thing.”
When he sits, I suddenly find that all my conversational skills flee to the far corners of my mind, just out of reach. What do you normally say to the man who made you come last night? My first orgasm shared with someone else. The man that, if I’m honest with myself, I’ve wanted for quite some time now, but never let myself believe I could have. I settle for a quiet ‘thank you,’ and quickly swipe one of the smaller, sweet nectar berries on the platter. Swiftly putting the fruit into my mouth in place of any expectation to talk.
But where my mouth can’t seem to get it together and function properly, my eyes seem perfectly happy in taking over. In short - I stare as I chew. I stare at this beautiful man, completely littered with scars on his huge, imposing frame. I stare at his stunning, ink-black wings, his huge, sculpted thighs, and that one, perfect, sky-blue eye framed with thick, dark lashes. And… his chest… you can’t miss it on him - it’s broad and just so incredibly…solid. And woefully heart-star-less.
The brief dip at that revelation doesn’t stop me from ogling Zyntarr like he’s carved specifically for my naughty fantasies. In fact, I must spend so long staring at him that I feel like I’ve been caught doing something illegal when Zyntarr finally clears his throat.
It’s only then as my cheeks seem to catch fire that I realize I’d swallowed that fruit a long time ago.
I duck my head with embarrassment, but Zyntarr either doesn’t realize, or doesn’t mind. Instead, he simply asks me, “may I feed you this morning, little Bea?”
I blink back at him, the platter still placed between us. “Uh… ok.”
Zyntarr shifts back a little on his big feathered nest and briefly indicates to his thigh with a quick drop of his gaze.
Oh.
“You… want me to sit in your lap?”
He grunts and nods. “If it would please you.”
Hell yeah, it would please me.
