It means I don't know how she must have felt.
I take in a long breath. Mixed in with her exotic scent is the aroma of our blood. It sweeps away any remaining qualms I had about killing.
They will pay. All of them.
I growl, knowing just the sight of my sharp rows of black serrated teeth and extended dark claws will make most of the hunters quake in fear, regardless of how much training they bought before coming.
I'm not sure how concerned I should be that this is starting to sound like fun.
Then I imagine genali gray blood mixing with the ever-present pink mucus and a purr starts in the back of my throat.
Maybe it wasn't just my ancestors who were bloodthirsty.
Manticorids are adaptable.
Recently I was an air tech and acted like one. The genali put me on their hunting ground and gave me something to protect and so now they will become the hunted. That makes my lips rise and my teeth bare.
They will never take her from me.
Manticorid males are notorious for quickly identifying a suitable life mate. Though we all recognize there can be many good matches, we tend to pounce on the one in front of us.
There are no guarantees you'll come across another, after all.
As much as I've been trying to talk myself out of it, it explains my continual focused interest. She is just the type of woman I want.
As fierce as she is loyal, with a kind heart.
I never imagined my mate would be on a backward planet. Or that she would be from the more primitive species.
It doesn't matter.
Thela help anyone who tries to harm my little human ever again.
?
Raucous sounds from the trees around us wake me up.
I tense, expecting a hunter to have somehow slipped past my guard, then relax. The small creatures fighting over something nearby have confused whatever part of my brain that scans for threats in my sleep. It's merely a battle for food or nesting grounds.
Ancient instincts can't be right all the time, I suppose.
She must have either been exhausted or humans never move in their sleep, because she is exactly where she was the last time I pulled her close to me.
I look forward to finding out based on repeated exposure.
I'm not sure how much sleep humans need, though clearly more than I do since I remained awake for quite some time after her just listening to the forest and enjoying the sensation of her against me.
The small creatures bring their fight closer to us and it becomes more violent, or at least more vocal. She startles awake after a particularly obnoxious screech, her body instantly tense.
I stroke her hair.
"Do not fear. it's merely a disagreement among local fauna," I offer in reassurance.
She makes a humming sound in response and settles back against me. "What time is it? Nevermind, that's a dumb question. I'm still waking up, sorry."
I feel my whiskers lifting forward in amusement as she mutters and retracts her question a second time.
She must find waking up from her sleep as difficult as falling into it. It makes me want to cuddle her all the closer and be there for each transition to help ease it for her.
