Red: A Dystopian World Alien Romance

by S. J. Sanders

  “My pleasure shaft only does so when both are submerged at the same time,” he replied. His entire felt completely lax. Arie turned into him and smiled up at him.

  “I am certainly glad we gave it a try then. In fact…” she trailed off as her eyes moved up to the other side of the cave. She bounded to her feet and stepped over to him, any lingering exhaustion forgotten as she rushed to the other side of the cave.

  “Kyx, you got me a tree!” she exclaimed happily, pulling the other male in for a kiss as the tree wobbled slightly within the mound of stones he had stacked around it.

  Rager frowned at the mess in front of him. The entire floor of the cave was covered in pine needles, the tree had drastically reduced the space, and Kyx was suffering from a heretofore unknown allergy to pine sap. He should have known the male would do something stupid when Arie had spoken fondly of Mother’s Night, an occasion that occurred on the solstice night at the end of their own observance of the Withering Days. Unlike the Ragoru’s solemn observances that remembered the dark fathers tempting the Mother of Life, focusing on the fertility and new life kindled within darkness over seven days, humans seemed to focus on the rebirth of light within a single night. Human observances seemed far more… merry, with feasting and decorations, among which was a tree.

  Arie talked longingly of the pine tree she and her mother would bring into their home and decorated for the occasion. He’d thought the entire thing absurd at the time, and he still wasn’t convinced, although he was warming to it as he watched their mate happily string red rowan berries on a thin leather cord. Naturally, Kyx had taken it upon himself to surprise their mate by uprooting and dragging a sapling into their temporary den while she was distracted.

  Rager’s mouth curved at the memory. It had been a particularly satisfying rutting. Although he’d been angry at his brother’s interruption, he hadn’t been able to maintain his ire long when her body began to rhythmically pulsate around him, drawing him into his own inferno of bliss.

  Kyx could have put a hole in the cavern wall for all that he would have cared at that point.

  The tree probably wouldn’t necessarily have been a bad idea if they weren’t attempting to winter in a small cave rather than the den they’d spent three revolutions shaping as they planned for the family they would like to have. It had a huge antechamber with a hearth that took up nearly an entire wall, and six sub-chambers. In that den, they would’ve had plenty of room for Arie’s solstice tree. He imagined any rogs they might have would probably enjoy it.

  Just the thought of little ones made his heart lighten with happiness. Not to mention that Kyx would have had a better chance of not coming into contact with the gods damned thing he insisted Arie must have.

  He’d adamantly refused to let Rager throw it away when, just hours after hauling into the cave, Kyx broke out in a rash. It wasn’t visible, but Rager had been able to feel the raised bumps when he ran his fingers through his fur. Kyx had wanted to keep it from Arie. He hadn’t counted on how observant their female was.

  She’d watched with narrowed eyes as Kyx scratched his arm, and immediately dragged the smaller male over to the pile of furs. After discovering the source of the problem, she’d proceeded to coat his hands and arms in a white sticky substance that crackled over Kyx’s fur as it dried. He’d been mortified. It didn’t help matters any when Warol, coming in from scouting, took one look and laughed his fool head off. She’d sent him straight back out to scavenge for anything small and colorful that could be hung on the tree.

  His misdeed repaid in his findings, Warol crouched beside her as she looked through his basket, while Kyx reclined on the furs watching from a safe distance. Despite being coated in white residue, the male’s good temper had returned, and he was amusing himself by watching and shouting suggestions to the pair by the tree. Rager settled on the fur next to him, the mellow atmosphere lulling him into a peaceful doze—until their mate shrieked with joy and jumped to her feet.

  She hugged Warol quickly and held up her prize: a small green plant with tiny white berries. Rager frowned. It seemed like a lot of fuss over a tiny plant. His eyes widened when she held the plant over Warol’s head where he was crouched and leaned forward to plant a kiss on his lips. The tiny leafy plant inspired kissing?

  Arie pulled back with a giggle. “I can’t believe you found mistletoe!”

  Warol shrugged with a pleased look on his face. “It was high in a tree. I know it is not colorful, but I thought the berries were pretty enough that you might enjoy them for your tree.”

  “Oh, it is pretty enough for the tree, but that is not where we will put it.”

  All three of them watched with interest and no little confusion as she pulled out some more leather cord and tied it tightly as she would any of her other ornaments. However, instead of placing it on the tree, she glanced around the cave before her eyes settled on a spot. She walked over near the entrance and looked back expectantly at her second mate.

  “Warol, lift me up, please.”

  The male complied, lifting their soft mate high in his arms so she was able to reach a protruding edge of the rock. She wedged the cord so it hung off the edge, the tiny plant spinning with the slight draft blowing against it. Its shiny green leaves looked almost cheerful. She sat back against Warol’s shoulder to admire it, patting his arm in a silent signal to put her back down.

  He dropped her down the length of his body, a low growl rumbling from his chest as she slid against him. She gave him a flirtatious look and another kiss as they stood there beneath the plant, her fingers trailing over the fur of his chest and dipping down to his abdomen.

  Arie walked to the fire and dipped a scrap of leather into a bowl to wash her hands before she joined them on the furs. She leaned up against them, looking over the modest cave with a soft shine to her eyes. Rager nuzzled her, aware that she was probably thinking of her mother. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close. He settled supportively against her back, his arms drawing around her. For the first time in his life, he envied humans.

  He would give anything to have human lips. His lips were flexible and had sensation, but while he loved receiving her kisses, his mouth was not made to bestow kisses like hers. Oh, he could tangle his tongue with hers when she pressed her mouth to his, sealing their breaths together, but he wasn’t physically able to kiss like humans could. He dropped his head to her shoulder.

  “Do you miss it?” he asked.

  She looked back at him, her brow furrowing. “Miss what?”

  “Being with a male who can initiate a kiss like you deserve rather than have to wait to receive them from you.”

  Her expression softened. “No, I don’t miss the way human men kiss. Their lips were always too wet and soggy. Your lips are soft and just damp enough to be enjoyable.” She dragged her fingers through his fur before sliding them down one of the numerous braids in his mane.

  “You can initiate a kiss just fine,” she said. “If any of you want a kiss at any time just press your lips against mine, and it will be a kiss to me.”

  He tucked her against him, his heart warm with happiness. She did not see it as something he lacked; she still considered what he could do more than enough to please her. He felt truly blessed.

  Arie settled more firmly against him. “Are there any traditions the Ragoru have for the Withering Days?”

  Warol didn’t even put much thought in it from where he lay near her feet. He gave her a flirtatious look and said, “We fuck.”

  She burst out laughing. Kyx rolled his eyes and shoved their brother with his foot.

  “That is not all we do,” Kyx said. “For those who are mated, it is about wooing our mate, as the Dark Fathers wooed the Eternal Mother. It is a celebration of senses, and being secluded in comfort away from the world. The whole cave smells of burnt offerings, especially of sweet things like summer flowers that have been dried and preserved. You will rarely see a mated family come out of their den during the Withering
Days,” he added with a laugh.

  “My siblings and I used to hide in the farthest sub-chamber we could find away from our parents’ room,” Warol offered with a laugh. It was perhaps the first time Rager had ever heard the male laugh when recounting a memory of his family. Usually all memories were too painful for his brother, but it seemed that there was a certain amount of healing that had begun.

  Kyx laughed and nodded in agreement. “My fathers always try to find the finest hunt with which to impress my mother. Feeding our females is symbolic for Ragoru as a sign of our love and devotion to our family, but it is also a great pleasure for the males.”

  “What about those who are not mated?” she asked with a slight arch of her brows.

  “They give offerings and prayers in hope of finding their own mates… and dream of fucking,” Rager supplied with a grin.

  20

  Her mates took the Withering Days seriously. That became abundantly clear to Arie when they began to hunt in earnest. Rager, who usually stayed in the den with her while the other males scouted, began to rotate with the others in order to help provide the food gifts for her. The entire experience was proving far more decadent than she was used to.

  They stretched her between them and pulled off bits of cooked meat to eat as they stroked her body with their unoccupied hands. Kyx had acquired oil from his mother that she had made from animal fat, and all three of Arie’s mates rubbed it lovingly into her body. Their own fur became slick with it in places where they rubbed their bodies against hers, which always happened because a good rubbing often led to rigorous bouts of mating.

  Arie reached forward and stroked Warol’s ear between her fingers, making his eyes slide half-mast with pleasure.

  “You guys are doing too much. I wish there was something I had to give you. Humans exchange gifts. It feels awkward that you make your Withering Days all about me.”

  Warol snickered. “You think this is all about you? Trust me, rya, when I say we are getting just as much pleasure out of this. Probably more,” he said as he bent down and licked a scrap of meat off her belly. Arie shivered.

  Kyx leaned forward and nuzzled her, pressing his mouth against her jaw in a proximity of a kiss. She turned her head and kissed him back, her lips curving into a smile against his as he rumbled with happiness. Thanks to Kyx, who’d gone out two days ago and hunted through every oak in the territory, they now had mistletoe not only all throughout the cave, but he had also woven a crown of it for her to wear.

  The crown sat lopsided on her head and was a bit scratchy, but she didn’t mind so long as she only wore it for short intervals during the day. It lent the ‘queen of the day’ feeling she was currently enjoying. She moaned as she felt a tongue caress her thigh, leaving a tingle in its wake. It had been a pleasant surprise to find out post-mating that their saliva not only had healing properties but also left a fizzy tingle on her skin. It made for high levels of pleasure on her part whenever one of them tongued the intimate flesh between her thighs. Even licking her sensitive inner thigh nearly catapulted her into ecstasy.

  “I can’t wait until we have you with us in our den where we should have properly been spending our Withering Days,” Rager said with a growl against her ear, making her shiver in anticipation of promised pleasure to come. Her other mates growled their agreement, their hands stroking with far more fervor than minutes earlier. A claw playfully brushed her nipple, making her arch her back in surprise. She saw Warol smirking at her seconds before he followed that touch with a rapid flick of his tongue over the tip of her nipple. She turned her attention back to Rager, focusing on the conversation on hand.

  “Why… why is that?” she panted.

  “It is your place with us. The den was constructed in the hope of you before we ever met you,” he said, his eyes holding her own. She found herself longing for the place she’d never even seen.

  “Is it nice?”

  “It is a very fine den,” Warol announced with pride. “We tunneled for three revolutions into the nicest hill in our territory. We filled in areas that were drafty, created storage spaces, and smoothed walls. We cut a vent through the roof and built a large hearth to keep our family warm in the antechamber, as well as burrowing into rock to form six additional rooms to give us plenty of space. We then filled it with the softest pelts, and Rager wove some fine floor mats for extra comfort.”

  “That sounds really lovely. When are we going?” She wanted more than anything to be settled with her mates in their new home. She felt a twinge of guilt at how quickly she’d abandoned any interest in seeking her grandmother out, but she knew even trying to visit wouldn’t be safe, especially not for her mates. She wouldn’t put them in any danger if it was in her power to avoid it.

  Rager chuckled at her eagerness.

  “Not for a while yet, rya. It is too cold for you to travel any distance yet. Once the thaw comes and the days are warmer, we will begin to head toward our territory deep in the great expanses of the eastern forests. The trees there are larger and further apart, more pleasant to walk among, unlike the bramble that grows everywhere here. You will like it.”

  “We also have a great many flowers that grow all throughout the year,” Kyx chimed in. “Rager built a lattice like one his mother had where roses grow plentiful. He pulled his mother’s plants up from around her den and planted them around ours several revolutions ago. I think you will especially enjoy seeing the first early flowers of spring covering our den.”

  “Ragoru don’t plant and garden for food like humans, but we do enjoy pretty things around our homes,” Rager said, his ears cocked crookedly with embarrassment.

  “Yeah, your high protein diet didn’t escape my attention,” she said with a laugh. “But I will need a garden to grow nutritious foods to supplement the meat-love around here.”

  Rager twined the fingers of one hand through hers. “You will have everything you need, Arie.”

  She smiled and brought his hand up to her lips and pressed a kiss against it. “I will have to make certain that you also have everything you need. In fact, I think I’ve thought of one gift of the Withering Days festivities for you.”

  She slid down his belly and wrapped her hand around his primary cock, stroking it a few times before sucking it into her mouth. Rager froze for several beats before releasing a wild snarl of pleasure.

  Kyx loped around the outskirts of his parents’ territory. Even though the little cave he was currently sharing with his family sat on the western edge, scouting farther both provided more food and soothed his paranoia. Kyx always considered Rager the biggest worrier in their triad, but ever since Arie had officially joined their family, he was in a constant state of anxiety—especially after Warol’s attack.

  There was only one thing that was going to make him feel secure, and that was getting all of them far away from the human Citadel and merchant trails and back to their den. The forests that had always felt like home to him no longer felt safe. Although his fathers were in top form to defend their territory, he worried for them as well.

  How long would it be until a brutish young triad or a huntsman came through?

  That was part of the purpose of his route. Now that the Withering Days were finally over, he wanted to visit his parents and suggest they accompany them back to their den. There was plenty of room while they helped to get another den ready nearby. With Malu and Shiri half-grown, and no more rogs expected in the future, they wouldn’t need a large den. They would just require something comfortable, with enough room for his mother’s numerous projects.

  A cool wind caressed his face. Higher in the mountains he knew it would still be icy cold, but the winds whispered that spring would soon return. All they were waiting for was for the snows to clear just enough to make traveling comfortable for Arie, and for his mother, should she decide to come. The sooner they could leave, the better.

  His ears perked forward when he saw his father Korash lying in front of his den sunning himself, the wind ruffling h
is black fur. A white ear cocked toward him, letting him know that the male was fully aware of his presence, but unconcerned. It had been the first sunny day in over a week, and he could see his father fully intended to enjoy every second of it.

  Korash opened one gold peripheral eye. He grunted in greeting, the corner of his mouth tilting.

  “I wasn’t sure if you were still sequestered with your mate or not. Nice to see that you survived your first Withering Days,” he said with a chuckle.

  “I trust you had a good observance?”

  “Ah, yes. Your mother was voracious as always. You know—”

  “Gods, no. Father, I don’t want to hear about you and Mother,” Kyx said, sending his father into more laughter.

  “Sometimes you sound more human than Ragoru when you speak,” his father observed, his eye gleaming.

  He bristled. “I am Ragoru.”

  “You are,” his father agreed. “But you are also part human, even if it is hard to tell. The shape of your head is a bit rounder, your cheekbones more prominent. Even your eye color is atypical for our species. It is okay to be both. Your mother is human, as is your mate. That doesn’t lessen our love for them.”

  “I am smaller than my triad brothers,” he said. “Sometimes I worry they see me as less. I am not as brave as Warol or dominant as Rager.”

  “Yes, you are leaner and smaller in stature, but you have a big heart. You are also very smart and perceptive. You can track better than any of your fathers,” Korash admitted. “Regardless, I do not think your mate is complaining.”

  “What if I can’t protect her?” he blurted out. His worst nightmare.

  Korash tilted his head to one side. “What do you mean, Kyx?”

  “What if something happens and I fail to protect her? And she is hurt or killed? I will never forgive myself if that happened.”