The Keepers Collection

by Pepper North

  Pien blushed and pulled at his, too. “I’m having trouble adjusting too. I lived in Sweden. Where are you from?”

  “Russia. I will say this is a much easier life here on Nrantia. I may just go crazy though. Are you learning Nrantian?” Rux asked, running a hand through his light brown hair. “I’m pretty good with languages, but it’s tough.”

  “I’m the worst with languages. When the translators are turned off, I’m going to be totally lost. Huma and I are coming up with gestures to communicate with each other. Do you think there are many people here from Earth? I’m hoping there aren’t too many from Sweden, but it would be great to know I’d have someone to talk to when the translators are gone.” Pien shook his head sadly.

  Rux looked over his shoulder surreptitiously to see if the Nrantians were watching. Both had turned around to be able to watch over their humans. “He never stops watching me. He never sleeps. I keep thinking that I might be able to get away, but it’s like he’s two steps ahead of me. I’m going to just talk to you. I hope you won’t judge me too harshly. I know Aste is a guy. I’ve never dated a guy, hooked up with a guy, hell, I’ve never even thought about being with a guy. But Aste, he just plays me. My body keeps reacting to him. I’m not sure what to do.” Rux looked stricken.

  “What would you like to do?” Pien asked softly.

  “The weirdest thing is I know I could be happy with him. He seems to care a lot about me. I don’t know why his big purple mass is attractive to me, but it is. Already, I’m the center of his world. I’ve never been that important to anyone. I like it,” Rux admitted, looking down.

  Pien smiled at him. “I know what you mean. Huma treats me like a kid, and my mind doesn’t like it, but inside I really do.”

  “Really? You aren’t just saying that to make me feel better?” Rux looked at him with suspicion.

  “I’m not lying to the only human I’ve met on a whole planet of huge, purple, furry creatures. Thanks for being honest with me. I was starting to question my grasp on reality,” Pien admitted, looking at the ground before reestablishing eye contact with Rux. “Hey, you think we should have a secret human handshake or something?” he asked, trying to lighten the mood.

  “Do you think we should move closer, so we can hear what they’re talking about, Huma?” Aste wondered as he watched his human carefully. His hand almost itched with the feel of Rux’s white bottom beneath his palm. He had not anticipated the strong desire to please his human charge sexually. His neeblings were reacting to Rux with as much fervency as his human’s penis. He’d kept them tucked into his body afraid to scare Rux with the evidence of his desire. He had read the incomprehension on Rux’s face at first when the human had become aroused at Aste’s touch. If he read Rux’s expression now, the little human was acclimating to the desire. Perhaps the time was growing closer to reveal his own desire to Rux.

  “I think, just like their Keepers, our humans need a chance to interact with each other. Let’s give them a little privacy. I have a feeling that we will soon learn the results of their conversation together,” Huma smiled at Pien and Rux as they began some strange ritual that included hand clasping and fist-bumping with roars of laughter. “What in the world are they doing now?”

  “I have no idea.” Aste grinned at her enjoying the sight of their Littles playing well together.

  Huma decided that her fellow Keeper had been practicing his human smile in secret as well. It really was a handy expression.

  Chapter 37

  Soon, Rux and Pien had exhausted their supply of energy. Aste said his goodbyes to Huma and patted the yawning Pien on his blond curls. He scooped Rux into his arms and froze as Rux wiggled his body to lay curled under Aste’s chin holding two fingers on one of the big Nrantian’s hands next to his chest. Aste wrapped his extra arms around his human to hug his body to his fur, realizing that he’d never survive the loss of this precious armful. His eyes lifted to Huma’s and saw the emotion reflected in her eyes as she nodded in comprehension. Being a Keeper was more than they had expected.

  Aste watched Huma lift Pien into her arms, and he nodded. Turning away to stride toward his home, Aste was glad that they had decided to bring the humans together on a regular basis. Not only did the humans need each other’s support, but the Keepers also needed the time to interact with each other. They would welcome others into their group as the humans arrived.

  It was time for his human’s nap. As he walked, Aste considered the merits of Rux napping in his crib. With a human grin, he decided that maybe it was time for a Nrantian to take a nap, too. His little human would sleep comfortably in Aste’s bed as well. He patted Rux’s cushioned bottom. It seemed like a new quobon would also be necessary. Perhaps, he should delay in wrapping a fresh one around his human. There would be time for that after his nap. He thought he remembered a theory that all humans needed some bare time with their skin uncovered to support their health.

  Chapter 38

  Pressing her hand against the glowing pad at the entrance of her home, Huma sniffed her human quietly. Pien needed a bath. She cradled him against her chest and carried him to his changing table. Undressing him gently, she picked him up and carried him to the bathing chamber.

  Holding him gently to her chest, Huma sealed the door, and the liquid began to fill the chamber. Pien looked panicked as the fluid began to rise against his body. Huma rubbed his back and held him firmly against her body. “It’s okay, Pien. We’re just going to take a bath together. The fluid will stop soon. Just hold on to me,” she soothed. She began to spread fragrant cleanser on his skin. Holding him securely with one arm, she started cleaning his arms and back. Once the water stopped at her chest level, Huma leaned the more relaxed Pien back, so she could clean his chest. His nipples clenched tightly as her fingers brushed across them. He groaned as she lightly pinched the dark pink buds. Huma enjoyed the feel of the lean muscles of his chest. Her Pien was not muscle-bound like Aste’s Rux. He was slender but so strong. His muscles earned by hard work instead of long hours at the gym. She could feel his body lengthening and growing with his arousal. She gave him a few minutes to recover by cleansing his neck and face. She pinched his nose and warned him before dunking herself down into the fluid to rinse the suds from his face. His grin of surprise upon emerging made Huma’s heart stutter. Her Little was so precious. Using two hands to soap his blond curls, Huma enjoyed his low sounds of enjoyment as she cleaned his hair.

  Another dunk and a grin later, Huma leaned Pien back to lay cradled against her body on his back. She held his eyes as she started first with his toes and calves. Laughing as he giggled when she tickled his feet, Huma moved up to wash his thighs. All sounds ceased from Pien. Huma’s eyes flew to his face to make sure he was okay. She relaxed when she saw his bottom lip trapped between his white teeth and Pien’s eyes frozen to her hands cleaning his inner thighs. She allowed her fur to brush his testicles.

  “Huma, please,” Pien begged. His penis felt like it might explode. When he felt her fingers move to clean between his buttocks, Pien clenched his anus against her brushing caresses. He groaned as he felt a slick finger begin to press insistently into the small opening. “Huma!”

  “I need to clean your bottom, Pien. Relax and let my finger inside,” she encouraged, pressing her finger relentlessly inside. “That’s it, Pien. You want to be all clean for me, don’t you?” Huma leaned down to take his lips, pressing her tongues inside just as her finger slid deeply into his body.

  Pien froze as he remembered that she had two tongues. He had thought maybe he had imagined two. He could feel them swirling in his mouth. The unique feeling was stimulating. He pressed his hips forward involuntarily, trying to press his penis against her warm fur. “Huma!” he moaned loudly as a furry hand wrapped around his penis. His eyes rolled back in his head in pleasure. She was surprised to feel his hand wrap around hers, holding it in place. “How can I give you pleasure, too?” he asked, searching her face.

  She leaned forward to kiss h
im deeply as she slid her finger slowly in and out of his body. “I would love to feel your touch on my receiving channels.” She moved him to lean slightly away from her torso, and she ran a finger down the center of her abdomen opening a fold in her fur. Huma held Pien’s hand above this opening. “You do not have to touch me if you would rather not,” she reassured him. She allowed his hand to pull hers to the opening. His fingers probed through her sensitive tissues, circling around the twin openings into her core.

  “Nrantian females have a bundle of nerves on each side of their two channels. These respond to touch just like a clitoris is pleasured in humans. That’s it,” she moaned, encouraging as Pien’s fingers began to caress her erotically. She continued her caresses while allowing him to explore her body as well. A final squeeze on his penis combined with a plunging thrust into his rectum catapulted him into an orgasm. She allowed her body to meet its climax as well. Huma leaned her forehead against Pien’s as she signaled the fluid to drain and recycle. The bathing chamber began to swirl with warm air to dry their bodies gently.

  When they had recovered, Huma carried Pien to his nursery. After wrapping a fresh quobon around his hips, she placed him in his roomy crib. “Sleep, little human. It will be time for you to eat soon. Allow your body to rest.” She covered him tenderly and watched his eyes drift closed immediately. The fresh air, play, and pleasure had zapped his energy completely. She fastened the transparent shield over the top of the crib to seal him safely inside and left the room with one last smile at his position on his tummy with his padded bottom pointing up slightly.

  Chapter 39

  That greenness after an interesting meal offering new Nrantian foods to Pien, Huma heard a loud commotion outside their home. She looked out the viewing window but could see nothing. She had heard from those settled close to her that some creatures that ventured out during the greenness were becoming bold and attacking homes. She did not wish to alarm Pien or make him worry about his safety. She decided to go look around briefly outside, leaving quickly so he would remain inside. There were no creatures that could harm a healthy Nrantian, but a human who was less powerful would quickly be overwhelmed.

  Casually, she wandered to the glowing pad. The minute she placed her hand against the door sensor opening the path outside, Pien darted past her into the greenness. Quickly following him, Huma called his name desperately. She had to find him quickly and return inside. Pien did not answer her. She searched the darkness looking for a hint of motion that would alert her to his location. She yelled again, “Pien, this isn’t funny. Some animals would harm you in the greenness. Tell me where you are.” No answer drifted back to her.

  Suddenly, an ominous rustling came from her right. Huma darted toward the sound. She found Pien a short distance away. He had backed up against a varitus plant, guarding his back against an attack from behind. He was armed with a pile of unripe varitus berries and was pinging them off his attackers with amazing accuracy. Huma gasped. There wasn’t just a single attacker but three wyfters spread in a semicircle around him. She could also see a furtive motion behind Pien that appeared to be a fourth joining the party.

  Huma didn’t call his name again. She didn’t want to distract him from his efforts to keep the wyfters at bay. These Nrantian fowl had fragile bodies but strong claws and beaks. Singularly, they would have never attacked Pien. In a group, however, they were extremely dangerous. She rushed at the three wyfters in front of him and caught two in her lower arms. She twirled these quickly, severing their heads from their bodies and tossing them aside. She flexed her strong thigh muscles and threw herself past Pien to tackle the creature attacking from behind. Immediately dispatching the third wyfter, she whirled to run back to Pien. She stopped in her tracks to see Pien standing behind her holding the final wyfter limp by its neck. She grabbed it and threw it far away. The carcasses would bring more greenness creatures. They needed to get back inside immediately. She hugged Pien to her body and ran as fast as possible to the door. Pressing her hand against the glowing screen, she hesitated only long enough to allow the door to open before rushing inside. She leaned her back against the sealed door and felt a large thump as something slammed against the barrier. That had been too close.

  Slowly she moved Pien’s body away from her. She examined his body from head to toe, noting the scratches on his arms and chest and the abrasions on his feet from being barefoot. Shock was beginning to set in for the Little. He had fought bravely and survived long enough for her to find and rescue him. Now, that he was inside, she could see him replay the size and ferocity of the animals that had attacked. She pulled him to her warm chest and began to make comforting sounds all Nrantian mothers used to soothe their young.

  She carried him into the nursery and held him in her arms as she gathered the supplies she needed to clean and disinfect his wounds. The scratches were the most concerning. Wyfters were known to carry diseases and for the germs that accumulated on their claws. He didn’t have any bite marks, thank the pinkness, she thought to herself as she sat in the gliding chair and tried to comfort him and treat his wounds simultaneously. Already he was showing the signs of an infection as she felt his temperature rising.

  When she had treated all the wounds, she laid him on the changing table and raised his legs straight up to press the reading device deep into his rectum. Pien did not fuss about this infantile position, revealing his physical and mental state. Concerning squiggles filled the screen. Several capsules dropped from the dispenser. A glowing red hand appeared on the screen, Huma held her breath as she lifted his hand to press it to the screen. Pien cried out as drugs were injected into his hand. His condition was serious. She held his hand in place until the glowing hand on the screen faded. Then, she pulled the reading device from his bottom and pressed capsule after capsule into his rectum. Finally, she inserted an anal plug into his packed channel to hold everything safely inside, wrapping his bottom with a fresh quobon.

  Only then, did Huma allow herself to react emotionally. She laid the side of her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. It was soft but steady. She was startled when his hand lifted slowly to caress her head.

  His voice rumbled softly below her ear. “I’m sorry, Huma. I didn’t think. Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?” he asked, trying to sit up.

  She straightened and cuddled his body against hers, lifting him to go sit in her lap on the gliding chair. “Little human, you are in big trouble. We will have a very serious conversation when you have recovered. Now, you need to save your energy to heal. You are very seriously wounded.” She held him close to her body, only getting up to place him on the changing table to check his status with the inserted reading device and wrap a fresh quobon around his hips. She kept him very hydrated with bottles of nutritious formula.

  She held him close as he battled alternating rounds of feverish deliria and bone-shaking chills. He talked about the human dogs in the shelter on Earth and many other things that Huma could not understand. Huma’s concerns increased as his body battled the alien germs over the next several lora that followed the attack. She rejoiced and despaired when the reading device sent an emergency call to the Nrantian doctor who specialized in treating humans. She was glad Dr. Irte was coming to make sure Pien was healing. Simultaneously, her level of concern rose to the highest level at the thought that the doctor was needed immediately.

  Dr. Irte appeared in the nursery, using the emergency passcode to enter the house. Immediately, he asked Huma to lay Pien on the changing table. He stripped him of his quobon, leaving him shivering on the table. Working quickly, the doctor placed a band around each of Pien’s hands and ankles before activating them without delay. The bands began to emit a bright, purple light that encircled his feet and hands. The glow moved slowly toward the center of his body. Once at the end of each limb, the lights began to spread across his trunk, ending in the center of his chest. There the lights combined and washed his body with the bright purple light. After a lora, the li
ght receded to a low glow and, finally, faded completely.

  Only then did Dr. Irte turn to reassure Huma. “Tangled with wyfters, did he? Those awful creatures. What was he doing outside in the greenness alone?”

  She looked into his calming eyes, took a bracing breath and explained Pien’s escape into the greenness. She asked quickly, “Will Pien be okay? I’m so glad the system called you. I’ve been very worried.”

  “Your human has been very ill. The illness has been eradicated from his body. I will need to treat him further. The human digestive system is very touchy. We will need to cleanse it thoroughly before his body is able to recover. I’ll start preparing his bowel treatment.” He removed the ankle and wristbands before adding with a sniff, “I think both of you could use a visit to the bathing chamber. Go bathe, and when you return, we will complete the final treatment.” Dr. Irte waved an imperious arm toward the door.

  Huma gingerly picked up Pien in her strong arms and turned to exit the nursery. She could feel Dr. Irte’s eyes as he observed her actions. She squared her shoulders. He was right to watch her carefully. Her human had almost been damaged beyond repair under her care.

  Just as she reached the door, Dr. Irte said to her quietly, “Huma, you have done everything correctly. I have watched the incident reports. Humans are given Keepers for a reason. Sometimes, they act incredibly recklessly. They call it exercising their free will. Even the most vigilant Keeper cannot always deter a Little from making dangerous choices. You acted fearlessly to protect Pien. I was also quite struck with his ingenuity and refusal to give up. Imagine protecting yourself with unripe varitus berries and killing a wyfter with a human’s puny bare hands. I think you two are a perfect match. I’m glad the bonding has already occurred. That will help him recover quickly. Now go! Get cleaned up!”