by Dixon, Ruby
I groan at the image. I need to handle this, handle myself…
Frantic, I look around for something, anything that will ease my need. There is a snowdrift not too far away, butting up against the cliffs. Good. Perfect. I race toward it, and when I approach, I dig out a narrow hole at hip height, using my fingers. Shame burns through me as I free my cock from my loincloth and then thrust it into the snow.
It feels nothing like I imagine my mate would…but I use it anyhow. I thrust and thrust against that narrow hole, wishing it was warm and had give, like I imagine my sweet human's cunt will be. I have never touched a female, never mated, so I can only imagine. It does not take long for me to come, and with a low growl in my throat, I clench my fist against the nearest rock and spurt hot seed into the snowbank.
I do not know how I am going to last. I can only hope that a sa-kohtsk is near. Very, very near.
3
NORA
I clutch the fur blankets to my chest, not sure if I'm still hallucinating or if this really is my new reality.
"Come," the man (actually I guess he's not really a man, he's an alien) near the entrance to the ship ruins says. He points at the hole in the ceiling. "Give me your foot and I will lift you out."
It's colder than a witch's tit inside this damn ship. I can't imagine voluntarily going out into the outdoors to watch a hunt of some kind. I absolutely do not want to go, but Georgie is smiling encouragingly at all of us and making sure our boots are laced tight and we're covered in furs.
Furs. Leather boots. Because even though I'm sitting in the ruins of a crashed spaceship (hallucination number one), the people that are rescuing us are spear-toting blue barbarians (hallucination number two). I'm surrounded by strangers and I've been told that I was going to be a sex slave in space, but I've been rescued and now I'll be living the rest of my days out on an ice planet instead of back on Earth.
It's…a lot to process.
I pinch myself as Georgie ushers us toward the entrance. My arm throbs from where some strange metal device was cut out. It looked like a tiny button just under the skin, but I sure don't remember it being there. One of the girls—Kira, I think her name was—has some weird metal contraption in her ear and a worried look on her face. She says the aliens are coming back, which has Georgie and the blue guys worried. Me, it hasn't sunk in yet so I'm not panicking. These big blue dudes are the first aliens I've ever seen, so another set on their way doesn't exactly fill me with terror. It still feels like a dream.
Some of the girls are badly wounded, so I guess I should count myself lucky that I'm only naked and wearing borrowed clothes instead of sporting a broken leg. As far as I know, I haven't been raped by any aliens, either. So…lucky.
Or hallucinating. It's too weird to be true, and I worry that I'm definitely hallucinating. Someone on the subway smoked a bowl of something weird and I sat too close to them. It rubbed off on my clothes or something. It's a stretch, but then again, so is aliens.
And ice planets.
The big alien gestures impatiently at me. "Time to leave."
I clutch the strange clothing tighter against my chest. None of it fits right. I'm swimming in an oversized tunic and pants, and the boots flop on my feet. But considering that I woke up naked? I'll take it. I hesitate for a moment longer, then give the alien my hand. The moment I put my boot onto his leg, it's like I'm flung into the air, only to be caught at the top by another alien.
The bitterly cold air practically smacks me in the face, sucking my breath away. It howls, too, loud and overwhelming. I whimper, staggering, and big hands straighten me out. "The cold will get better soon," the alien holding my waist murmurs. "I promise this."
I look over at him in surprise, because it's an awfully nice, understanding thing for someone to say. Half the time, these aliens are looking at us with impatience, like they don't understand why we're freaking out. I want to grab the vest of one of them and scream, “Of course we're freaking out! You would be too!”
Instead, I just stare at the nice guy. The alien down below was dismissive and abrupt. This one stares at me. Hard. He sets me down carefully and stares at me for a moment longer, then rips his gaze away. As he does, he rubs his chest. I continue to watch him, even though he's deliberately not looking at me. These aliens are tall and muscular, as if they've never had a lazy day in their lives. Everywhere I look, it's pectorals and delts and biceps and obliques, all so perfect they could be made of marble. These men are all blue skinned, too, though the one up here was slightly paler than the others. Large, curling horns frame their heads, and some arch into the air. To a one, they have thick black hair, and most wear it long and braided, like the one standing nearby. He's covered in furs, but the hand that brushed mine felt warm and friendly, even if it only had three fingers and a thumb.
Oh, and they have tails, too, because of course they do. Every good hallucination should have a tail, I think.
"Over here, Nora," someone calls. I don't know anyone's name yet, but I obediently head over to join the women, because they're standing near a tree that might block out some of the horrible, wailing wind that rips at my hair and clothes.
As I step forward, my boots sink into the deep snow and I shudder. It snows at home, but not like this. At home, this would be a whiteout situation. Here, the aliens are wearing loincloths and the occasional fur tossed over their chests as if it's just another day. They haven't blinked an eye at the snow pouring from the gray skies. It worries me that this is normal weather for this world, and if it is…yikes.
Then again, it's not like I can leave, right? I screw up my face, determined not to scowl as I approach the other women. It won't do any good, after all. I can be as upset as I want, but it won't change anything, so I might as well try and get along.
"Is everyone up here now?" Georgie asks as she approaches with the last of the stragglers. "Is everyone warm enough? Does everyone have shoes?"
"What if we have shoes and fur and we're still freezing our tits off?" I ask.
She gives me a wry look, but I notice her jaw is clenching like she's trying not to let her teeth chatter. "I'm told it'll be better once we get the khuis."
Right. The parasite that everyone says we absolutely have to get or we'll die. I open my mouth to complain about that, but then one of the girls near me breaks off into a racking cough, practically doubled over, and one of the big alien men races over to pick her up. Okay, maybe we do need that thing to live. I hug my furs closer, trying not to show my worry. This is all a lot to take in. A whole lot.
Georgie counts heads, and as she does, the big, scary-looking alien she says is her mate comes to her side. He puts a possessive hand on her shoulder. "We must go. The sa-kohtsk is near."
She nods. "Everyone's here. Okay, guys. It's just a short hike. If you can't walk, someone will carry you, all right? Don't be afraid to speak up if you're having trouble. If we're all good, then let's get moving." She gives us all a bright smile, as if it's taken care of, and then starts walking.
I stare after her as she heads down a rocky, snow-covered slope. "She's joking, right?" I whisper to the woman next to me. "I hope she's joking."
"I don't see a trail," the brown-haired gal next to me agrees. "But it beats staying here, right?" She shrugs and walks forward.
I'm not so sure it does. As I hesitate, I watch the brown-haired woman follow after them. As she does, one of the aliens peels off from their group and moves to her side. She stumbles a little in the snow, and he's right there to offer her a hand. Ah. So that's how it is. Even if we wanted to stay behind, I'm not sure they'd let us. Someone would “help” us move along. I purse my lips, watching as a few of the more injured women—including the cougher—are scooped up and carried forward.
"Do you need to be carried?"
I yelp in surprise, turning as a big alien suddenly appears at my side. It's the one wearing the furs, the guy that stares a lot. He's dressed more than any of the others, bundled up in layers. His long black hair
is pulled back in a tight, long braid at the back of his head, but he has a nice enough smile…for an alien. He's smiling at me right now as I stare up at him.
"Should I carry you?" he asks again when I don't speak up. "Are you injured?"
"No," I admit. "Just cranky."
"Crank-ee?" He thinks for a moment. "I do not have this word."
"It means I'm in a bad mood."
"Why?"
I shoot a look over at him, wondering why he's so chatty. "I mean, you wouldn't be thrilled if you were in my situation. Look at where we're at. And the whole parasite thing? I'm not sure—"
"Ho," barks one of the other male aliens. He glares at the one trotting next to me and gestures that we should move up. "The female needs to join the others."
"I'm going," I mutter, wrapping the furs tighter around me as the wind rips at my face. The guy at my side melts away without a backward glance in my direction, and the one yelling at me scowls until I jog up to reach the others.
Some saviors. I feel like a cow being led to the slaughter.
4
DAGESH
Raahosh and Vektal cast me suspicious looks all through the hike toward the valley where the sa-kohtsk was spotted. I do my best to keep my head down and to steer away from the others, all the while my khui thrums and throbs in my chest, so loud and insistent that surely everyone must know by now that it is me that sings.
I must stay away from the females, lest I be sent away. So even though it is difficult, I force myself not to look at my female, the one that is crank-ee, the one with the sharp tongue and bright eyes. I want to talk to her more, but I tell myself there will be more time once she has her khui.
The females are gathered near a cluster of thin trees as if it will somehow provide them shelter, and only one or two males are left behind to guard them. The rest of us go to hunt the sa-kohtsk, to herd it into the valley and close to the females. The largest, strongest creature in the land, it is tradition for a sa-kohtsk to be brought down for a new birth, and the heart pulled free. Only a sa-kohtsk has many, many khui inside it, and we will take the strongest for a new kit…or in this case, the twelve females.
I glance over at the females even as we harass the sa-kohtsk with our spears. I look for my mate's soft brown mane—No-rah the others called her. No-rah. No-rah. I catch a glimpse of her, that stubborn, unafraid look on her face even as she braces herself against one of the useless, bendy sashrem trees. A female clings to her for support, and—
The sa-kohtsk pauses in its slow gallop, and Zolaya gives me a push, shoving me out of the way moments before the creature can flatten me with his foot. I roll in the snow, righting myself, and my face stings with embarrassment. A kit is hunting better than I am this day. I cannot concentrate, and I do not miss the irked look that Vektal sends in my direction. I am normally the reliable one, the sturdy, capable one that he can count on to do the job without fuss. He will suspect me now, but it does not matter.
The moment my female has her khui, she is mine to claim.
I fall back, letting the others rush the creature, and pretend to circle wide. In truth, I just want to be nearer to No-rah. I am grateful when Vektal flips atop the sa-kohtsk and dispatches it with a well-timed stab to the eye, slicing into the brain. The thing crumples and one of the hunters lets up a cheer.
I rub my chest as Zolaya comes over to me, frowning. "Are you well, brother?"
"I have never been better," I admit. The females are moving, and I want to watch them as they approach the sa-kohtsk. Even now, the others are gathering around it to crack open the ribs and give the females the gift of life. They must hurry, because the khuis will fade and die if we take too long, but the females are in sorry shape. Some of them can barely move, and I jog over to help, only to have Aehako stop me with a shake of his head.
"Give them a moment to breathe, my friend," he says in a low voice. "Your khui will wait a bit longer."
So he knows I have resonated, then. Or he's guessed.
I clench my jaw and glance over at the females. "I did not know it would feel like this," I admit to him, pacing. "I am going mad with it."
"How does it feel?" he asks. There is such curiosity in him. He studies me with fascination, leaning over to examine me as if he is looking for changes. "Like you drank too much sah-sah? Is your cock hard all the time?"
I shove his shoulder when he leans in close, as if he is trying to listen to my chest. "Do not ask me about my cock and then try to press against me, idiot."
Aehako just laughs, delighted at my response. "I merely wish to know how it feels. Mine is silent." He taps his chest. "Come and listen. My chest is as empty as Cashol's head."
I tug the additional layers of furs off and toss them to the snowy ground. It is far too warm to wander about covered up like a metlak, and it does no good anyhow. If Aehako has discovered my secret, he will have told half the hunting party at this point. There are very few secrets amongst our people. "I know what a silent khui is like. Mine has been just as silent as yours through all these many seasons." I rub my chest, because my khui still sings wildly, reminding me that my mate is near. "It is very…distracting, though."
"Which is why you almost let a sa-kohtsk step on you," Aehako agrees. "Your mind is not in your head at the moment. It is in your loincloth."
He is not wrong. I resist the urge to rub my cock—not because I cannot control myself but because I am very…aware of it right now. I am very aware of the blood pumping through my veins, of the breeze that makes my loincloth flutter over my groin. I am very aware of how the thrumming song of my khui shivers all the way through my body, especially between my thighs. "I just…I want to touch her. I want to know my mate. I want to hear her speak."
Aehako gives me a pitying look. "Did you not talk to her earlier? She was the one you were gaping at, yes?"
I sigh, thinking of No-rah with her abundant teats and her soft-looking mane. "She was beautiful, was she not?"
"Eh," Aehako says.
Angry, I give him a hard shove.
He tumbles back to the ground and laughs, clutching his sides. "That got you! She must be your mate indeed." He chuckles, utterly amused. "It is not like you to be so sensitive, Dagesh! What has happened to the steady and true hunter?"
I scowl. It is as he said—my mind is in my loincloth. "Why are you being so annoying?"
Aehako sits up and rubs a hand over his shorn scalp. He is the only one of us that cuts his mane down to the scalp, preferring not to wear one at all. "Partly because I am curious…and partly because I wished to distract you while your mate received her khui so you did not panic."
She what?
I whip around so fast that my braid smacks my chest. Sure enough, the females are laid out in the snow, Vektal and Zolaya moving over them. They look like they are sleeping, lined up in rows and not moving at all. Vektal steps away from the bloody chest cavity of the sa-kohtsk and Pashov squats near one of the females. I want to snarl at all of them for standing over my No-rah, for giving her a khui without telling me. I should have been there. I should have—
Aehako is suddenly at my side again. He puts a hand on my shoulder, stopping me. "Save your rage, brother," he says in a soft voice. "No one is hurting her. Our chief will take good care with all the females, because his is included."
"But No-rah—"
"Does not know she has resonated," Aehako says in that reasonable voice. "Give her time to wake up. Let her come to you. Otherwise you will scare her."
I groan, running a hand down my face in frustration. He is right. His words are sensible, but…they are not what I want. I want to cradle her in my arms. I want to be the first thing she sees when she awakens. I want my mate. After so many turns of the seasons alone, with no one to return home to, I want my family.
I do not want to lurk in the shadows, waiting for her to notice me. I want to stand tall and proud next to her. I want to see her smile when she hears her khui's song. Aehako gives my shoulder another friendly pat
, but I push him away. I move over to Vektal, where he sits in the bloodied snow, his hands on his knees. At his side is his mate, Shorshie, her eyes closed and her face pale.
I sit next to him, leaning back on my haunches.
"Was it you?" he asks, not looking up from his mate's still form.
I know what he asks. Was it me that resonated and did not speak up? "Yes," I say. "No-rah is mine."
"Let her approach you first," he says. "The females are skittish. My Georgie is very protective of them. I will not have her upset."
I clench my jaw, but nod. I will sit here and wait. And hopefully when No-rah opens her eyes, she will see me…and she will smile. I have been patient for this many turns of the season. Surely I can be patient a little longer. My hands form anxious fists and I stare at the sleeping females. Worry pounds in my chest. What if they do not awaken? What if they are too old to take a khui? Too sick? What if…I bite back the worried questions that rise to my tongue. Vektal does not have the answers, either. I feel I must say something, though. "I am…overwhelmed," I admit. "I did not expect resonance to feel like this."
He grunts.
"Have you been walking around like this for days now?" I ask, in awe. I cannot imagine. My head feels like a bigger mess than one of Hemalo's tanning pits. My body aches for my mate. My cock…well, I will not think about my cock, other than that it aches, too.
Vektal nods. "You must go slow with your mate," he warns me. "Be very gentle. They are fragile, humans…but the feel of your resonance mate underneath you is worth it."
Careful. His words echo my thoughts. I must be careful with No-rah. "I will remember, my chief. You have my thanks."
