My body is screaming out for it and my mind is completely on board as well, but it's my heart that tells me to wait.
I let out a long groan of pleasure and frustration all mixed together, and then reply.
"I can't believe I am saying this, Drasuk, but I want to wait. Jumping straight into that is exactly how I would usually do this. Move as fast as possible toward release, make sure you get your own in return, and then scramble away as fast as my legs can take me."
He lets out a huff. "My legs are faster. You would not get far before I captured you and had my tongue exactly where I want it."
I let out another long moan and clench my thighs hard. "Fuck. Stop it, you are not making this easier."
A rumbling chuckle tinged with his satisfaction rises, and his spines shift to show just how pleased he is to see me squirm.
The bastard.
"Dammit, Drasuk. What I'm trying to say is that if you want a bond with me, then I think we are going to have to do things differently. Which means we stop at second base and walk around with a bunch of raging lust. Like hormonal teenagers."
After a long blink, he speaks. "Repeat that in words that make sense, female."
"I want to leave oral sex for another time, even though I am ridiculously aroused and really want to know what your cock looks like and then make you cum all over me."
He coughs out a breath, his spines going wild as his hide twitches. Seeing him fighting for control is satisfying revenge.
After a long moment, he gains back speech. "I can't say I like the walking around with raging lust plan, but any path toward a bond is the right path, no matter how uncomfortable."
I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding and feel something in my chest loosen. The fear of taking that road he mentions is still high, but having made the choice to walk down it to see where it leads, I feel lighter than I have in a very long time.
I don't bother analyzing it. I just enjoy the feel of his hands as he pulls me up against him so we are facing each other, then let out a long, contented sigh when he runs his hands along the spikes of my back.
I do the same for his side, not able to reach all the way around to the larger spikes. From the long breath he lets out, it is enough. We lay like that, letting each other know how we feel with our hands for a long time.
Eventually, I drift off, confident that Drasuk will keep me safe.
***
I wake up cocooned in the warmth of his body. I search for any regrets and find none. The raging arousal is still there, of course, but I'm glad we didn't do what I first proposed. Looking back, it would have been an empty moment.
I can tell by the way my skin has new areas of tightness that my little manticorid blood shower had its intended effect. I poke Drasuk awake, and he grumbles at me.
"Don't tell me what you see. I want to go have Ree tell me how I changed."
He cracks open an amber eye, then it pops open with a look of appreciation before roving his gaze over me. From the look on his face, I assume he approves, but he doesn't tell me.
It's surprisingly hard not look at your body when getting up, but I manage it.
Our movement must wake up Thivoll, because I hear him murmuring to Ree to wake up. A moment later I hear her screech out in alarm.
"It's beautiful, Ree. Truly lovely, you don't have to hide your face," Thivoll says in a soothing voice.
Oh, this is going to be fun. "Are you two dressed?"
A moment later, I remember our guys don't wear clothes, but Ree gets my point. "You can come in."
She's huddled up against Thivoll with a look of horror on her face. Weaving next to her is a tail. A quick look over to Thivoll confirms it isn't his.
"Thivoll's right. You are completely rocking that new tail, Ree."
"I would say more like weaving it, Kira," Drasuk offers in way of correction.
He mimics the movement with his own tail with a pointed look.
