With a muttered oath and no patience for human silliness, he pushed onto his feet and was at the human’s side within a few very short strides. It balked, but didn’t have time to react before he leaned forward and ripped off its ridiculous hooded cloak. The cloth tore and scraps of fabric floated to the ground.
His breath caught as a mass of hair the color of sacred flames spilled out everywhere in wild curls. The face, now that he could see it, while still oddly flat, had a soft shape to it, rounding out with prominent cheeks before terminating in a pointed chin. Pale pink lips were drawn down into an unhappy look, and fear flashed in the dark blue of its eyes.
His gaze trailed down, taking in the delicate neck that sloped down into round shoulders. He didn’t recall ever seeing such a delicate human, even at a distance where harsher features were less distinguished. The body swelled at the chest and again at the hips in a fashion that triggered a warning of recognition in his mind.
Kyx breathed in awe as he arrived at the same conclusion simultaneously. “It’s a female human. I’ve never seen one before.”
At that, Rager, who’d begun to doze in a corner of the cave, drew up and came up beside him. The female hunkered defensively down into herself as they surrounded her. Kyx took that moment to lean in and inhaled.
“I do not know how I didn’t notice before,” he mumbled aloud to himself. “She definitely has a warm, sweet smell typical of females. It is different from the pheromone markers of a female Ragoru, but distinct from the scent of the human males whose trails we often cross.”
The female squeaked when Rager scented her and growled cautiously in the back of his throat. Warol couldn’t blame her. Rager was a big bastard even among their own kind. To a tiny human female, he was probably terrifying.
Scratching the scruff at his neck, Warol looked at her thoughtfully. “Do you suppose the humans will be out looking for her? We have never seen or caught scent of a human female before. I always presumed they kept them safely sequestered. That is what I would do, with such a fragile creature for a mate,” he observed.
“We should keep her,” Kyx offered, his tail brushing his hindquarters cheerfully.
Warol rolled all four of his eyes. “And what if she has a mate? He could be out there looking for her now with a pack of other males. What do you think they would do if we were caught with her? No, it is better to leave her with the humans,” he said firmly, as he ignored the beacon of her hair.
Rager said nothing, but Kyx glared at him. “There is one way to find out,” he snapped before switching from Ragii to human speech. He inched closer to the female. She stiffened with alarm and her eyes widened, but she didn’t otherwise move. “Female, why are you here alone? Where is your mate?”
The slender arched stripes of hair on her brows pulled down as she frowned. She shook her head, sending her curls flying around her. They caught in the light of the fire as if she were a spirit. “Mate? I am not joined with anyone.” She paused and then added, “I am no threat and didn’t mean to infringe on your territory. I lost the path. I’m traveling through the great woods to get to Old Wayfairer Citadel on the other side. My grandmother is there.”
Kyx fell silent. Warol couldn’t tell if it was from disappointment that the female had family waiting for her, or if he was busy strategizing. Warol wagered his next portion of sweetmeat that it was the latter. Rager, however, frowned down at her with distrust. Warol shared the sentiment. The female was a peculiar thing, almost cute once you got past the odd appearance of the species, but something didn’t seem right about her story.
“Humans should not be in the forest alone,” Rager all but growled.
The female ducked down further and pinched her full lips together until they were compressed in a thin line. Warol felt the bizarre urge to tease her lips and lick at the seam with his tongue until she released her iron clamp on them. He shook his head to clear the image from his mind. What was coming over him? His fur stood on end and he growled low in his throat as he slid a few steps away from her. Maybe she had some skill with enchantment.
She bit her lip—what he guessed was a human show of nerves—before replying. “Usually humans do not,” she admitted. “I did not have any other options, and I meant to stay on the merchant’s trail.”
Rager’s ears tilted toward her and he breathed in deeply as if to ascertain her honesty. His face relaxed only slightly but he nodded at length. “It is a long way through the forest. Several weeks, I believe. You will be safer in our company until we can deposit you there,” he decided.
Warol wanted to groan. They were supposed to be finding their mate and instead they were rescuing and escorting a thankless human. He wanted to be balls deep inside a female, not acting as protector to this one.
Rager barely repressed an irritated growl at his second. Warol was sometimes too impatient for his own good. Rager often found it an amusing contrast given the other male’s spiritual proclivities. Most of their number who were what they called ivorul, the spirit hands, were mild in temperament and as patient as the sun moving on its eternal slow rounds through the heavens.
Warol was none of those things. Their situation was only making the matter worse.
The frustration was understandable. Rager had promised they would find a mate this season; it was unfortunate that this task was proving harder than he’d thought it would be. None of them wanted to put off their hunt to guard a human. Yet the idea of moving on and leaving the female to her own devices didn’t sit well with him.
Kyx whined, a low rumbling sound in his throat. “I still think we should keep her,” he muttered in Ragii. “A human female around is better than no female at all, and I am tired of looking at your faces every day.”
He silenced the male with a look and returned his focus to the little female. He couldn’t exactly keep calling her female or human indefinitely. Weeks of that would become annoying fast.
“What is your name, female?”
She looked at him blankly for a minute as if she weren’t sure whether she would honestly answer him. Then she turned her right shoulder up in a half shrug. “Arie,” she mumbled.
He contemplated the name and decided he liked the sound of it. Arie was close to the word arel, meaning ‘little song.’ Knowing that some of the smallest songs among his kind were often the most aggressive and lively, among them being the war song and the mating song, he wondered if this would prove true for the little human as well.
“I am Rager. This is Warol and Kyx,” he said. Despite her obvious fear, the female inclined her head in greeting to both of the other males. That didn’t, however, keep her from fidgeting with an obvious case of the nerves.
His fascination for the human was disconcerting. Ever since he picked her up and held her against his body, some spark of him was turned constantly toward her. He felt entirely unbalanced for the first time since reaching maturity. He did not know how he should feel about it, how it would affect his dealings with her, or whether it be for the good or ill of their triad.
Rager turned away and stalked back to his comfortable corner where heavy pelts remained piled during their absence. He settled into them with a long sigh before looking over at the female and his brothers.
“Enough foolishness now. Let’s sleep,” he barked before settling down onto the fur, his back turned to them. He didn’t know if he was fooling anyone. He suspected he wouldn’t be resting well any time soon with the warm bundle of femininity distractingly close. As he fell asleep, he was still marveling at just how peculiar that was.
5
Arie curled up on her side on the pallet of pelts the Ragoru had made for her. The furs smelled like them, and for some reason it was strangely comforting. She entertained the thought of fleeing once they were asleep, but thought better of it. She had no idea where she was in the forest, had limited provisions, and would be alone in a hostile environment. It would be foolish and probably suicidal to run away when the leader of the males offered to take her to Way
fairer Citadel.
Although expressing curiosity over her, and some bad manners from the silver one, the Ragoru didn’t threaten her or try to harm her. Since they were a different species, she was relieved she didn’t have to worry about being harassed sexually as she might if she’d been traveling alone with men. Logically it made them the safest traveling companions now that it seemed clear that they weren’t interested in outright killing her as she’d initially thought.
Two sets of amber eyes glowed at her eerily in the low light of the cave. They blinked at her before slowly drifting shut. Unlike Rager and Kyx, who both now slept easily, the yellow eyes of Warol shone at her, unblinking, without any sign of exhaustion. If it weren’t for the fact that the large black male was clearly the one in charge, she might have been concerned. Mistrust was spelled out clearly for her in every tense line of his body and in his focused glare.
Well, that was fine for him. If he was determined to stay awake all night watching her, Arie wasn’t going to lose any sleep over it.
She turned her back to him. She could still feel his eyes burning into her flesh, and she shivered despite herself. The last thing she wanted to do was show any further weakness in front of them. Although they agreed to help her, they were still predators and would likely respond instinctively to a show of weakness or fear. She’d done too much of that already. She was surprised that they’d been inclined to help her at all given the way she’d practically trembled like a scared rabbit in front of them.
Their actions didn’t quite mesh with the reputation of the Ragoru for being wild, savage creatures who delight in tormenting and ripping apart weak humans. Men in the tavern would whisper about how the scent of fear drove them into a killing lust. They certainly had plenty of opportunities to torment and kill her. The worst that had happened was at the beginning, when Warol had pounced on her when she’d emerged from hiding. Yet even then, despite nearly scaring her to death, he hadn’t actually tried to hurt her.
Another shiver racked through her; this time due to a cold breeze that slid over her. She mentally cursed Warol for shredding her cape. Not only did she no longer have the protection of her hood, she was also freezing. Arie attempted to burrow deeper in the pelts. She was envious of the thick fur of the males. No doubt they were able to sleep comfortably.
She turned her head just enough to eye Kyx, who slept the closest to her, and debated moving closer to him to share his body heat. He’d been the friendliest of the three; perhaps he wouldn’t mind having a human snuggled up against him. She shifted as if to rise but then flattened herself against the floor, her courage withering up and blowing away with the cold wind. Arie tucked her nose under her arm and huddled into herself.
A raspy sigh sounded from nearby and she heard someone shift. A warm body flopped against her and curled around her side, a thick tail fell across her hip, and four arms surrounded her and tucked her against a warm belly. She wasn’t sure which of the males had her, but at that moment she couldn’t care less. She was blessedly warm. She froze warily as a nose tucked in against her neck and then slowly allowed her muscles to relax when it became apparent that he was only cuddling in deeper around her.
The warmth eased into her body like a drug and she felt her muscles become languid. For a moment she imagined that this was what bliss felt like. She couldn’t remember ever feeling so comfortable. She yawned and her eyes, suddenly heavy, drifted shut.
The pitiful shivering of the human curled into him eased as he settled beside her. If it weren’t for the fact that he’d been responsible for damaging her covering, he wouldn’t have felt inclined to warm her. She wasn’t his responsibility. Warol hoped the human didn’t expect him to warm her every night. He wasn’t one of their furry companion beasts. He absolutely did not find her scent comforting as it surrounded him, nor did he enjoy the way her body perfectly cradled into his own. There was absolutely nothing enjoyable about curling up together.
Warol glanced at Kyx slumbering a short distance away. No doubt if the male had been awake and saw the way Arie had been shivering, he would’ve been happy to curl around her every night to provide her warmth so that Warol wouldn’t have to. To his surprise, the idea of being replaced by Kyx did not come with a rush of relief. Instead, his stomach soured, and he tasted something bitter in his mouth. Warol wrapped two arms around Arie and drew her closer against his torso with a low rumble.
He didn’t want the inconvenience of warming the female, but he certainly didn’t want Kyx to replace him either.
Settling himself more comfortably, he placed his muzzle once more against the crook of her neck and breathed in her fragrance. Her natural musk was so warm and sweet that his body drank it in as if it were the only thing capable of sustaining him. The scent was addictive, and his fur prickled with pleasure. Pleasure hummed through him. It danced over his entire body, and especially teased his balls and cock nestled within its sheath.
He eased himself closer as his nose trailed down the graceful slope of her collar. He was greedy for it, but he didn’t understand why. Was it a mystery of females in general? He’d never been around an unmated female. Or perhaps it was something that human females used to draw in males to care for them. In that moment, he was willing to offer anything to be able to continue feeling the way he was.
He tried not to examine the effect her scent was having on his body until his cocks hardened and extruded swiftly. It was so abrupt that Warol’s eyes widened in horror and scrambled away from the female, putting several lengths between them. He’d never fully extruded before. It was something he had been eagerly anticipating.
For revolutions he had fantasized how their female would be so impressed by his triad that she would eagerly crouch before them for mating as she admired his newly extruded breeding and pleasure cocks.
This was not how it was supposed to happen.
To extrude for a pale, hairless, flat-faced human—he felt horror and shame engulf him. He resolved to stay away from her, but it crumbled as Arie began to shiver again from the cold. He glanced at Kyx and considered waking him, but something instinctual within him rebelled and refused to oblige him. Indecision kept him frozen in place until he couldn’t bear to watch her suffer a moment longer. He wasn’t heartless.
Cursing under his breath, he crawled back to Arie’s side and curled up behind her. He set his arms loosely around her so he could keep his pelvis as far away from her as possible. He closed his eyes, intending to fall asleep when she suddenly shifted in his arms, rolling toward him. An arm and leg were suddenly flung over him as she buried her nose into the thicker fur running down the center of his pectorals from his scruff. His muscles locked in place, refusing to move as she snuggled closer to him, her hot breath fanning the shorter fur covering the muscles of his chest. She moaned in her sleep and he swallowed back his answering groan.
A thankful prayer parted from his lips when she sank into deeper slumber. He didn’t dare move lest she start moving against him again. He wasn’t sure how much more of that he was going to be able to take. He desperately wanted to flee from the cave. It was only by some miracle he finally succumbed to slumber.
The sound of laughter woke Warol. He blinked his tired eyes as a yawn forced its way out his jaws. He scratched at his jaw and looked up to find Rager and Kyx staring down at him with open amusement. He frowned at them in confusion. What was so funny? He glanced down and leaped away as if burned. Despite all his good intentions to keep some safe distance between himself and Arie, he had woken curled around her so tightly that her small frame nearly disappeared beneath him.
An uncomfortably exciting throb drew his attention down to the cocks pushed out and standing proudly away from his body. His ears flattened with humiliation, and he couldn’t help but notice the way that Rager drew away from him in surprise. Kyx, on the other hand, crept closer with fascination. The younger male, his expression flooded with curiosity, stretched out a hand as if to touch Warol’s swollen members.
Ha
ckles raised, Warol bared his fangs and snarled at him, letting Kyx know in no uncertain terms that he was not open to being scrutinized or explored. The male grinned at him slyly but made no further effort to engage. To his relief, upon losing contact with Arie, his members gradually deflated and drew back inside his sheath. Rager coughed and ran a hand through his mane, his other three arms braced against his knees where he was crouched. His pale eyes narrowed intently.
“Did you mate with her?” Rager asked bluntly.
That was not what he’d expected to be asked. Warol stared at him with numb shock as he attempted to make sense of what their triad lead was saying to him.
“Of course not. She is not one of us—she is a human. What you are suggesting would be… unnatural!”
Just behind him, Kyx made a disgusted sound, but Warol couldn’t ascertain what the male was objecting to. If it was over his bodily reaction, he hadn’t been able to help that. He’d been asleep just the same as the other two males. He had a suspicion that the male was offended on behalf of the female.
“Come on. Neither of you can think that is attractive compared to the beauty and grace of a female of our own species.”
Rager frowned but didn’t respond to his query. Instead, he said, “Good. You do not make decisions on behalf of our triad. She is in our company for only a short time. It would be foolish for any of us to get attached to her.” His eyes did not linger on Warol but rather were fixed meaningfully on Kyx.
The younger male’s mouth curved in a cheerful smile as if he hadn’t just been taken to task by their lead for his impulsive nature. With Warol no longer by Arie’s side, Kyx used the opportunity to slide into the opening. Against all logic, Warol felt an immediate burn of fury. Instinct growled at him, insisting that the male was attempting to take his place and challenging his dominance when it came to the female.
Red: A Dystopian World Alien Romance Page 4
