Chapter 21: Submission
Ulfr was meeting Sally in the large public square today to resume her tour of his world. At her request, he had been showing her around for many cycles, enjoying her company and increasing comfort with his presence. This time, he planned to show her more of the glory of Yautja civilization in a way that he was certain she would enjoy. After this last morning of seeing the city, he would take a small jumper from his ship and explore the jungle edge with her. She would see the intelligence of Yautja agriculture, and he would set down in the fields to let her taste various fruits fresh from the vines and trees. Then, he planned to take her into the jungle to observe the wildlife and beautiful flowers. They would make their way to a most sacred place, the first temple to Paya, built back before record or memory. There, they would wander the stony ruin and he would interpret the crumbling murals and statues for her, showing her the roots of his history. He clicked quietly to himself in anticipation of how impressed she would be with the account of his most ancient civilization and the opportunity to be alone with her again.
He had approached the High Council to request that he be allowed to be her solo assigned guardian for this afternoon's trip and had filed his flight plan with them. Since no one else knew where they were going, and it was doubtful they would encounter any other Yautja, the Council had agreed. After all, Ulfr would be a formidable foe for anyone seeing to harm the Matriarch. As a side benefit to being alone with her in a remote environment, he also knew that he would be a little more relaxed around her, and perhaps that might result in greater relaxation in turn on her part. He longed for her to be more comfortable around him, for things to be like they were before when she seemed to look up to him and trust him completely. Although he had doubts that trust could be completely recreated, Sally would not remain in mistrust of him due to any lack of effort on his part, he determined.
In the city's park-like central open space, vendors were setting up their stalls for a day of marketing fresh produce, forest nuts, freshly butchered game of all kinds, cloth, soft furs and tanned hides, the inevitable collection of deadly sharp blades and rings to decorate locks. With all their technology, the Yautja still prized fresh real food, and handicrafts. Ulfr had not attended an open market in some time, and looked forward to buying whatever the Matriarch admired this day. Plenty of trade jingled in his pouch, and he wondered what she would fancy. In his flights of speculation, he did not see her approach accompanied by her guardians from behind the row of cloth vendors. She stopped when she saw him and took in the foreign beauty of his tall, muscled form, covered only with loincloth and minimal weaponry. He had soaked earlier in the morning, and then had an aseigan help him with rubbing a light ointment onto his skin to protect it from the drying Yaut sun. It left a healthy glowing sheen that showed the perfection of his physic as every movement rippled in the golden sunlight.
She walked nearly up to him before he realized her presence. Noticing this, she wondered what had him so engrossed that he missed her approach. Very unYautja, she thought, but then realized that here on his home world might be the only chance he ever had to let his hair down, so to speak. She gave him a smile, and took his proffered arm easily. "Good morning, Elder," she beamed, alert to Yin and Yang taking their stance a bit away from her, and giving the Elder sideways glances as they allowed Ulfr to reassume his favored position.
"Good morning, Matriarch," he returned the greeting with face slightly extended in a show of welcome. "You are ready to begin another cycle of your tour?"
"Yes, I am excited to see more about your world!" The sparkle in her eye was genuine. She had spent so much time playing hostess on her world, she was enjoying being the guest and learning more about this alien culture.
They walked among the stalls with Sally admiring and trying to see everything. Nothing was uninteresting to her. She tasted bites of exotic fruit and nuts that Ulfr peeled or cracked for her as needed. She ate only small bites of everything and Ulfr consumed the rest for her. In the lock ring aisle, she examined the metal bands, holding them up to the light, turning them in her nimble fingers to see from every advantage. She asked many questions, wanting to understand the characters etched on each one and when and why it could be worn. She nodded her understanding as the Elder explained some of them. He ended by saying that the rings were often gifted by others on special occasions.
He braved the softness of her lengthening strands with a fingertip and asked, "When your length is greater, perhaps you could fashion a lock and wear one of these."
"I could," she seemed suddenly shy, "if I were honored to receive such a gift. But what worthy prey could I conquer to obtain one?"
"There are other reasons to be gifted them," he offered, "There are things that you have already done that are ring worthy."
"Thank for that Ulfr. Perhaps one day someone will give one to me." She blessed him with an upturn of her mouth that he recognized as a 'smile', and signified that she was pleased.
After a quick tour of the weapons vendors, where Ulfr purchased a throwing weapon of many curved retractable blades made of an unusually dense metal, they went to the cloth, leather and fur vendors. Sally's eyes went wide as she ran her hand over the many soft furs, supple leathers and textured cloth. The fabrics were subtle and some actually drab. No chartreuse or fuchsia excited the eye here. She held up a cloth that was an unusual subdued shade of teal green complementary to her eyes. The varied fibers held differing heat-reflective properties, but Sally's eyes only saw the texture and color. "What do you think?" she asked him.
"That would be pleasing on you."
"Hmpf! Only pleasing? I shall search for another," she teased.
Catching up the cloth she cast aside, he boldly stated, "You would look better than pleasing wearing this. Let me obtain it for you, and have it made into clothing. It would give me pleasure to do this."
"I would be honored by your gift, Ulfr."
After the entire market had been studied, the Elder brought her to his ship to obtain the two-person jumper craft. Yin and Yang nodded to her and Ulfr and abruptly left. She hesitated before boarding watching her twin protectors depart, as she remembered all that had taken place here. It had been nearly thirty cycles, but it seemed a much longer time since she had lain with Sig'dan, discovering mutual joy. And her session with Ulfr and Sig'dan seemed a distant memory now. She was relieved to discover little of the fear and tension left inside her as she boarded the Elder's ship and followed Ulfr to the small craft bay.
Ulfr assisted her into her seat in the jumper and then climbed in himself. He expertly directed the small craft out of it's ship bay and then taxied on a cushion of anti-gravity to the take-off point. Sally's stomach did flip-flops as they took off and hurtled into the atmosphere of Yaut. Ulfr did not climb too high, as he wished for her to see the countryside that was rapidly approaching. He banked lower over the green belt of food plants thriving in their tended fields, and set down gently on a knoll.
"That was an awesome landing!" Sally exclaimed, barely feeling the three point vertical touch down.
Pleased that she had noticed his skill, he opened the small hatch, allowing them to leave. He went first, holding an upright palm as her signal to stay, and from long habit scouted the area for any sign of threat. Finding none, he beckoned the female to join him.
The air was sweet and fresh with the scent of ripe fruit carried by the breeze. They went first to the long rows of trellised vines where the Matriarch spied a familiar fruit – Naxa. It grew in great clusters on the robust tendrils. Each vine easily ran fifty feet on the trellis in both directions. The leaves were small and complex, rather like an Earth fern. Sally tasted the fresh Naxa, picked, peeled and offered by the Elder, finding it delicious on her tongue. Reaching the edge of the Naxa rows, they entered what could only be described as an orchard. In her enthusiastic exploration, Sally ran ahead to a large tree hanging with red orbs that she had never seen before. The fruits were slightly oblong, their skins smooth and bright, and each a deep rich dark red. She picked one up off the ground, almost able to see her reflection on its surface. "Is this edible, Ulfr?"
"Yes, but let me pick you another. Since that one has been on the ground, it may have been colonized by life forms, much like your insects." She dropped her prize immediately, not wanting to encounter alien bugs, then watched as he reached up into the branches and grabbed another of the beautiful fruits. Handing it to her, he said, "Eat it, there is no need to peel."
"Shouldn't I wash it first? You know, to remove the pesticides and such?"
"Pesti…cide? The fruit is good as it is. There is nothing harmful to wash off." With that he picked another for himself, and cutting it into pieces, offered some to her in his palm before popping the rest into his mouth.
Sally took a piece of the moist cut fruit from Ulfr's giant fingered serving plate, and took a bite. It had the fleshy crispness of an Asian pear, but sweeter, reminding her of a very ripe banana. Finding the taste exceptional, she ate the rest as Ulfr cut up the first fruit he'd given her and they shared it. Soon nothing was left but the cores.
She mused at the quiet and gentler side of Ulfr that appeared in this place. There were no other Hunters to defend against, no one to interact with except her. A part of him had become more open and less on guard, although she knew that he was constantly on the alert for anything even in this tranquil setting.
"There is a seed in this center that is left," he said, going to an open spot between some of the trees and scraping a shallow in the ground. Noticing what he had come to recognize as an inquisitive look on her face, he said. "I came here as a pup. My Bearer taught me that nothing should be wasted." In the shallow, he placed one of the cores, gently covering it over then giving it a pat. "Yaut will sprout another tree here where we have shared its gift of fruit. We must find a place to plant the other one."
Sally joined in the hunt for a suitable site to plant the second core, wondering if any of the large trees had been planted by Ulfr-child. They walked through the pastoral setting of spaced trees whose roots lay underneath a soft grass-like feathery groundcover that beckoned to bare feet. Ulfr stopped to remove his sandals, amusing Sally as he wiggled his great clawed toes in the greenery. Not knowing what bugs hid in the cover, she decided to remain shod. As they continued, Sally stopped to examine any insect-like creatures that she spied resting on tree trunks, or flying above the ground. All fear and bad dreams were forgotten as she was enthralled by her finds, and ran ahead of her guide. Entertaining himself by imagining mounting tiny insect-like heads as trophies on the wall of her quarters, he watched her examining all of the nature of Yaut as though she were a young pup out for its first hike.
"Up ahead," she called to him, pointing the way. "We can plant the seed there."
He joined her in the small clearing and bent to scrape a spot. She placed her hand over his saying, "Please, let me." He wordlessly acquiesced, and stood, watching her small hands work a shallow in the rich soil. Her petite flat nails darkened with the richness of Yaut under their tips with her efforts. Satisfied with the depth of her scrape, she reached to him silently asking for the core. He placed it, and she dropped the promise of new fruit, bringing the ground to cover it with long sweeps of the sides of her hands. Patting down the soil she looked up at him exclaiming, "My first alien garden! I feel like Eve or something."
"What is Eve?" his deep voice queried.
"Eve is a who, not a what. Eve is the name given in ancient stories to the first woman, the first female of our kind. She and her husband, her mate, lived in a garden. They disobeyed their God, and were cast out of the garden of paradise into the world, where they then had to work to grow their food."
Ulfr listened with interest, wondering at the origins of their two species, "We have an old tale that is much like that. I will take you to Paya's Great Hall, one day, if you like, and find it for you."
"I would like that very much."
They walked back to the jumper, not talking, just enjoying the sunshine, the plants, the fresh air and being relaxed in each other's company. Once inside, Ulfr throttled the jumper back into another take-off, swept over the red fruit trees and aimed for the verdant edge ahead. Sally kept her head turned and nose pressed to the window, watching the patches and rows of the agricultural area end in a rough line against thick deep green.
"We are going to the jungle?"
"Sei."
Ulfr piloted down to another soft landing in a clearing barely large enough to fit the jumper in. He left the little ship, and checked carefully for any danger before allowing Sally to leave.
"Are you always this protective?" She joked, but found security in his shield.
"Always," he said most seriously. "There are fierce creatures here, but do not worry, with me you are safe." She noticed that he had packed more weapons on his body than previously. "Come, follow." He trekked off into the growth, moving his massive self silently along a barely distinguishable trail. Sally followed, trying to make as little noise as possible.
It was hard for her to keep up with him, not because he moved quickly, but because she was trying to see everything. Great plants with huge leaves surrounded her, some with yellow or golden flowers. Thin tree-like plants reached up to the sky and branched into only a few limbs as they soared, each limb sprouting numerous hair-like green projections. She saw small four-limbed creatures with long greenish body locks high above among the limbs, looking and chattering at her. She stared intently at them and wished to see one up close. She could have sworn they had mandibles!
The Elder slowed, waiting for her to catch up and without asking, took her hand. She looked up at him with just a glint of worry on her face. He reached for her hair and longingly tousled it, then let her go and began walking again.
Soon, they reached the ruins. Sally was astonished as she took in the great white stone structure with many huge toppled blocks that had tumbled down through the eons as the jungle encroached. A great number of the stones were still standing and made what was left of the tall stepped pyramid that reached through the trees. "We have these on Earth," she gasped, tilting her head back to gaze at the very top.
"Sei," he gave a muted trill. "Can you guess who helped your race build them?" He pulled up a hologram of the building's structure on his wrist com, testing to see what paths would be safe for them to enter. "Come," he asked with a soft voice. "Let me show you the most ancient and sacred of our history."
She walked beside him into the darkness through a partially caved in entrance at the pyramid base. He carried an artificial light source and held up the bluish beam as it cast into the hallway, showing great statues of Hunters bedecked in armor and blades. The dark, crumbling stone statues lined the hall on either side, standing as colossal guardians of the secrets of long ago.
Ulfr and Sally walked the hallowed hallway, neither one speaking. The ghosts of Hunters past lay palpably heavy in this place and did not want to be disturbed. At the end of the hall, the beam gleamed off a glistening white statue that sat upon a stone bench; its smooth alabaster-like finish almost glowed in the light.
Sally marveled upon seeing it was a Yautja female. Her broad shoulders were bare, and long locks bearing many rings cascaded down from her head. Her face bore the same tusks as the Hunters, but they were smaller, more feminine, and her chin was less pronounced. The places where her locks left the sides of her crown were smoother and not as thorned or bumpy as the males, and on her bare chest were borne two proud breasts, neither small nor large, but perfectly proportioned to her size. Her torso slimmed at the waist and then brought the eye to travel down the edges of a loincloth that graced her slightly wider hips. Her lean, well muscled thighs were exposed and gracefully slimmed to strong knees and attractively rounded calves. Her toes and fingers ended in the same claws as the males, but they were thinner, more graceful and delicate. Sally looked over at Ulfr who was lost in admiration of the figure.
They were perfect for each other, she thought. She took in the white giantess again as her eyed roved back up the statue. She stopped and looked more closely at the face. The eyes were the bluish green color of the Yaut sky!
"She is beautiful," murmured Sally.
"She is," agreed the Elder as he surprised her by bending down upon one knee in submission to the statue. Then, raising his light, he shone it to the right of the great female and revealed another carved form. This one was of shining black, like volcanic glass, a noble Hunter poised on bended knee in homage to the Honored Matriarch. His eyes, Sally noticed, were a deep golden hue and from his neck collar hung an angled stone.
"He is Cetanu, the Dark Hunter, Elder of Death. He is her consort and submits to her, however, he is the only one who can court her and cause her to submit in turn to him. She is Paya, the Mother of all. She and Cetanu spar and mate, and produce all that is. What is grown in life is then claimed by death, yet in living and dying, more life comes forth."
Sally, staring at the figure of the God of Death, was trying to keep from hyperventilating. She'd seen this nightmarish figure before! She closed her eyes and saw the black pursuer from her dreams, who threatened to take her life to pay for honor.
"Ulfr!" She anguished and sat down on the floor, her head on her knees, taking in gulps of unsatisfying air. The Elder was beside her in an instant and knelt down.
"Sal'lee, what is wrong?"
"The Dark One! He is the one who hunts me in my dreams. Forgive me, but I must get out of here!"
She stood shakily and was about to try and flee on unsteady legs. Judging her fear, the Elder quickly slid his arms beneath and around her, cradling her in safety from the pyramid. Stopping by a tiny trickle of water springing forth from the rocks, he sat her on a mossy bank and placed himself on a smooth rock lower down, but still beside her. From this angle he could look at her nearly eye to eye. The strangeness of worry filled him as he waited for her to calm herself and breathe normally again. He pondered how it was that Cetanu had decided to haunt the Matriarch's dreams - had she studied him and perhaps forgotten?
"Are you alright now?" he questioned, concern smoothing the chafe of his voice, when her gasping stopped.
"Yes. Thank you, Ulfr. I'm…embarrassed to…to be so fearful because of a dream."
Stroking her hair, the Hunter soothed her, "It would seem that of us have bad dreams at times; you are not the first to be chased by Cetanu. And, in time, he will catch you, as he catches us all."
Sally heard the humor intended in the last remark and smiled at Ulfr. She felt comforted in his presence. Watching the diminutive fount make its cascade down the rocks, she ventured her calmer voice.
"You have had bad dreams?"
"All beings, it seems, have fears," he replied, ignoring her question.
"May I ask you another question, Elder?"
"Sei, you may."
"Do you miss your own kind? To mate with, I mean." She looked at him expectantly and with perhaps renewing trust.
"In purity, I do," he almost sighed. "I am fortunate to have had that experience. Many have not."
Sally continued, "She looked so regal, what we on Earth would call a Queen. What do you miss about her, about them?"
Ulfr sat back upon his elbows and looked up into the canopy overhead, uncharacteristically feeling the need to talk and share his innermost self with this human female.
"Their great strength. To mate them was a true challenge. In heat, they would look for the greatest Hunter, and tease him with sight and scent, until you were nearly made dishonorable with want. Then, you subdued them with all your skill and strength. If they broke your grasp, not only were you unworthy to father their pup, you risked injury or your life. If they broke your hold before you entered and had them in true submission..."
Here, he nearly stopped talking, losing himself to memory. "If they could break your hold, they would be so angry that you could not placate them! I have seen great Hunter's bodies tossed and broken by their wrath," he steamed.
"Did that ever happen to you?" Sally asked, in wonderment at such personal details.
"Once, when I was only in my second season of mating. Still a mere pup!"
"Tell me," she begged.
The Elder repositioned himself for greater comfort, as if they would be here for a time, and looked far off into the jungle.
"There was great glorious female, a granddaughter of the Clan Matriarch, who thought herself so desirable – and indeed, she was. Her locks came to the middle of her back. They were so long you had to move them aside with your face to tusk her.
"She decided that I was worthy to sire her pup. Sei, I had done well in Chiva, and other hunts, but why she selected me that day, I do not know. She came up to me, alone in the kehrite, filling my mouth and lungs with her delicious scent, and ran her hand over my brow, growling soft things to me. Sal-lee, I was nearly spent just at the sight of her! I moved as the lightning to secure her, but she was fast. Much faster than me! She spun out of my hands and gave me a kick that had me not eating for many days." He clicked his mandibles in amusement and gave a sort of chuffing laugh to Sally's ears. "Every time I saw her after that, I would make a huge go around to avoid her. And so now, Great Sal'lee, you know a story about me that none other knows."
"I am…honored, that you would tell me something…intimate… about yourself." She nodded to him.
A few moments of silence came and went as she gathered courage to speak her mind. She was undeniably attracted to him, even knowing his beastly nature – the predator that hunted, killed and rejoiced in trophies. Yet, this image of him battled with the tender guardian who was concerned for her, who protected and cared. The killer was also the Hunter who hid his trophies of her kind in order that she might not see them and become upset. She knew that in reality, he was not either, but both. If she wanted him, she had to accept the wholeness of him, not just the tame part. And, if she were honest, his strength was exciting. It was difficult for her to express this amalgam of contrasts in words.
"Ulfr, I really like you like this. I mean…I was so attracted to the great Elder that seemed to know everything. But, just right now, you are so relaxed and so…just regular. Not all in charge like before. Do you have any idea what I am talking about?"
"Perhaps," he cocked his head at her. "I know that you were attracted to the mission Elder before...before you saw him take trophies." Only the drip of the small trickling stream could be heard as this wedge between them aired itself in the light of day.
"I was! Honestly, I still am," she corrected herself. "It was just so appalling to see you like that. To see how you enjoyed it. I'm sorry Ulfr, I confuse myself on this! I am drawn to your strength and self-assured manner, your leadership and command of every situation. And…of course…I find you improbably attractive. I mean…you're not my kind…but when I look at you and I'm with you like this…well, how can't describe how attracted I am to you, you know."
"I do know of your attraction to me, Sal'lee. As you know, I am attracted to you also – more than I know how to say."
Blushing, she continued, "I have thought about what you said about Yautja instinct, and how it cannot be changed, and I understand that, even if I may not like it. But Ulfr, I am also still somewhat afraid of you. I find it difficult to feel the same trust, the same connection that I once did back when I was…innocent of what you are. So right now, when you are so relaxed and not in command of an important mission, but just…yourself with me. I like that, and I feel safer with that. If any of this makes sense."
Ulfr rumbled to her, "I try to make sense of you, Sal'lee, just as you try to make sense of me. I will always be who I am. Sometimes I must be the leader, the one who commands, and the one who makes difficult choices. Other times I can be as you see me now and still…there can be difficult choices. And…I will always take trophies…and enjoy it."
"Thank you for trying," she said, and closed the gap by leaning against him. She found the warmth of his arms surrounding her gently, and she did not cringe or try to get away.
"I will always try for you, Sal'lee, remember I am relentless," the low voice softly rasped in her ear, sending more than a twinge of electricity into her. The Elder shifted his mandibles very gently against the side of her head, just moving them against her hair and her ear. His warm breath kissed the flank of her face. He scented the beginning of her arousal, but elected to not chance spoiling the moment by pressing for more from her. Just having her trust him a little again, having her pressed close to him and tasting her scent again – that was enough for now.
"Thank you for being my friend," she said.
Friend. Not mate, or even Hunt Brother, but that odd human word - friend. I shall have to research its meaning in greater depth, he vowed.
Sig'dan was nearly ready to begin ripping the locks from his skull. The ooman female would not be consoled. His seed planted, he would not touch her again, nor would he medicate her. The best he could do was try to speak with her, but when she began her shrill shrieks his hearing could not withstand it, and he left her locked in his quarters. The Guides found his behavior baffling, and possibly worthy of summoning a Healer once they got to their destination, a Healer who specialized in illness of the mind. A sullen Sig'dan sat alone, waiting to reach the Clanship, wondering what he would say to his peers, his Elders, Ulfr, and Sally. The worst thing of all was that he felt dishonored by his conduct.
In the locked room, Mel had wept until no more tears could be found. With aching head and burning eyes, she pondered her misfortune, to be abducted, raped and pregnant in the space of how many hours? Was her family looking for her? What evidence could they find that would tell them what had happened to her? And, what kind of child would be borne of this union? Could she even love it?
She had not eaten any of the food he brought her. Her thirst drove her to the small table and she consumed the water he'd sat there. Dejectedly, she wandered the room and found her way into the sanitary facility. In the mirrored surface there, she saw the face of abject pain, all tear-stained and puffy. She found that water would come from the apparent faucet if she held her hands under it, and splashed her face with its coolness. Then, she smoothed her hair and wondered how she could fight this monster…this thing that had carried her away and fathered the child he said was now growing in her.
Two years he had said, two years. He said he would take me home after that. Is he telling the truth? No one ever sees women abducted by them ever again. She cast herself down on the bed again in anguish and frustration.
More than two days had passed since Sig'dan had taken the female. She had not eaten the entire time. He knew she would not die of starvation in such a short period, but he worried for the developing pup. With his medical knowledge, he knew that if the body thought it was starving, it might unseat the fetus in self-defense and cast it off in hope that by saving the mother, another could be conceived someday. He went into the room carrying a tray of food again, determined that this time she would eat.
Mel was finally asleep on the furs, exhausted from her ordeal, and did not hear him enter. Placing the tray down on the table, he picked up the spoiled untouched food from yesterday and prepared to take it away. Stopping to look at the woman as he was leaving the room, he wondered if there was some way to stop her pregnancy and take her home. It would without doubt mark him a Bad Blood to harm a fetus, but desperation drove him to consider it. As he thought, he watched her breath moving the dark hair draped over her face as she slept on her side facing him. She was as curled as an unborn in her attempt to comfort herself. Sig'dan decided to contact his brother.
In her newly assigned quarters on Yaut, a gift from the High Council, Sally was delighted with the new clothes delivered to her quarters. The teal loincloth and cover for her top were well made and fitted her flawlessly. She admired her clothed form in the mirror and felt a bit giddy with the gift. It was just clothing, she told herself. But she remembered the flirtatious way she'd discarded the cloth, and how Ulfr had caught it, then made a gift of it to please her. Her mind turned to his rescue of her from Paya's ruin, and how he'd held her and the feel of his face upon hers.
The attraction is still there, she thought. Should I nurture it, or starve it by paying no attention? Too late to decide, I fear. How can I pretend to myself that I have not already made a choice?
Then she remembered, Sig'dan returns to the Clanship today! Should I go with Ulfr and greet him? What female has charmed him and returns bearing his child? Giving it more sober thought, how am I going to feel about seeing another woman with him? How much does he care for her? Does that matter to me? The Yautja didn't take permanent mates among their own kind. Is it the same with their human females? I'm sure that he will be unabashed about being with her, even in front of me. In that moment, Sally decided to go. She would attend the welcoming home of the now fully adult Hunter, and be there to support Sig'dan as well as any of his kind.
Ulfr had spoken with Sig'dan and sat down in wonderment as the news was given to him. The young pup had indeed found what sounded like a choice mate, and now she was carrying his young. However, his brother was in great remorse over taking her from her home, breeding her, and now was in a quandary over what to do.
How in Paya's name did Sig'dan ever get such ideas into his head? Not from him for certain. His nest of pregnant females was well stocked. Was it from Sally? They had spent a great deal of time together, but her mind had been broken at the time.
Feeling boxed into an unaccustomed corner, the Elder decided to go to his ship and inspect Sig'dan's quarters. Perhaps there would be a clue there. He was to meet Sally onboard anyway. Once boarded, they would go out to the Clanship still in orbit around Yaut for Sig'dan's welcoming home from his guided mating hunt. Perhaps, after Sig'dan had been congratulated, there would be time to take Sally out to a nearby planet and show her some of the fearsome creatures he had hunted in his youth.
Thumbing the code, the door to what had been Sig'dan's room slid open, and Ulfr entered. He began to walk around, looking for nothing in particular, and noticing everything. His brother was very tidy and had left nothing of his belongings there. The room was as neat and orderly as could be.
Ulfr went over to the used clothing container and pulled it out. Seeing it was empty he went to shove it back in place when it hit him full in the mouth. The aroma of two familiar beings, one Yautja, the other human, not just their scent, but their mating musk was very evident as he huffed the air.
The Elder's crown raised up until it could raise no more, his mandibles stretched out fully as he flexed his back, raised his head and cried out anguished challenge as he tore the door off the soiled clothing container. That pauk-de actually did it! The stupid, c'jit for brains, dishonorable, sneaking, cowardly….PUP! Enraged beyond reason, Ulfr waited for Sally to come to the ship. She may be Matriarch, but she was his!
He stomped around, imagining the pain he would inflict upon Sig'dan and how he would force Sally to yield to him. The image of her bent in front of him while he held her submissive as he thrust into her and then hovered over to tusk her broad back while she groaned and growled in…C'jit! He came to his senses in shock. The female he had pictured so vividly was not his Sally, but a Yautja Sally, with muscled back and mottled skin. And Sally did not growl.
What the c'jit is wrong with me? Honorable Sal'lee is not Yautja, and not one of my breeders, and I will not treat her as such. She has told me that she will do what she wills, not what I will for her. So be it. But I will still have the hide of that advantage-taking…pup! And Myn'dill's too, for suggesting that I stay away and let Sig'dan be the one to spend time with her! 'Sig'dan is the only one who can work with her,' my backside! Sei, he had worked with her, and more than once as judged by the density of the scent!
Sally's escorts left her at the ship once they were certain she had entered safely. Ulfr and whomever he chose would be her guard on the Clanship. She wondered why Ulfr was not at the door to greet her. Wandering up to the bridge, she found him sitting in his command
chair, monitoring some function on the screen in front of him. He did not raise his head to look at her, and his body was tense as he breathed purposefully. Only one conclusion popped into her head. He knows! He knows about Sig'dan and me. Not one to show her cards, she walked into the control room, "Ulfr, it is good to see you. I am ready to go and meet Sig'dan's mate."
"Why should you go to meet her, when she is already here?" His words rumbled with cold resentment.
Sally did not reply right away, as the chill of being discovered gave way to the heat of growing rage. The knowledge of what she must do came as a heady realization, filling her soul and giving her courage.
Gathering all her strength, she walked up to the sullen Elder who was too upset to be on guard, especially from such a tiny Matriarch. In one deft movement she stepped up on the rungs of the chair next to him, placed her hand on his shoulder and shoved. She shoved as hard as she could, putting all her weight into it, and ended up gently jostling him.
The look he gave her was priceless, as shocked eyes and hovering mandibles clearly indicated, 'What the fuck do you think you're doing?'
"You challenge me?" he whispered, cocking his head incredulously at the woman.
"I challenge you, Elder!"
"But…that would be stupid, Sal'lee!"
"No more stupid that what you are doing right now," she retorted, and then unleashed her full ferocity upon him. "What in Paya's name do you think you are doing? You think it is ok for your brother to pauk me when it's your idea and to the advantage of your mission. But when I decide that I want him on my own, noooooooooooo, you go all offended and pissy! I was hurting, for your information, and your brother? Well…he comforted me. We enjoyed each other. In fact, it was my idea! So, deal with it! I'm not your pauking property, dammit!"
She paused, catching her breath. With each sentence spat from her mouth, the Elder had actually cringed in submissive excitement. Seeing that he would no longer look at her, she reached over, taking his face in her hands.
"Look at me, please," she asked softly. "You know, I don't relish going Matriarch on you, but you asked for it. In fact, I think you enjoy it. And quit submitting to me…I hate it!"
His tired eyes came to life with a glow as inborn deference to matriarchal dominance fed his desire to confront and subdue her. "There is…much truth in your words. Sei, I enjoy your aggression…in purity it arouses me. Yet, Honorable Matriarch, you are ordering me not to submit to you? Do you not see the lack of logic in your request?"
"I do! There is…nothing logical about the way I feel about you. It is beyond logic and robs me of my sanity. I only know what I feel, and I no longer want to run from it. Now, how much time do we have until we go see who-in-hell your brother got pregnant?"
She kissed his clan mark and wafted her lips over one of his brows as he huffed her luscious scent deeply into his mouth. "I'm trying to think of soft things to growl to you, you know." She stared deeply into his eyes, alit with amber fire from within, and savored once more that unfathomable connection with him.
He reached over to her and without asking, lifted her from the chair by her waist and placed her in his lap facing him. "We have all the time we want," he whisper rumbled as he continued locking eyes with her and said the only appropriate thing he could think of, "Matriarch, will you submit to me?" He took her hand and placed it centered on his broad chest. She astonished him by giving a most substantial shove, causing a low, excitingly dangerous growl from him in reply.
"Sal'lee, you should drink the sedistim, the drink you had for Sig'dan…the first time. I will prepare it," he moved to set her down.
"What? I don't need that!"
"Sal'leeeee," came a hiss. He looked at her, tender and fierce in the same moment, "I am not my half-ooman brother. I would never knowingly harm you, but need for you is without measure at this moment and you must be completely ready, completely relaxed. Trust me when I tell you this is required at least this first time…later…we will see. Submit to this."
Sometime later, he lay on the furs feeling more contentment than he could remember in many long cycles. His female was beside him, dozing quietly on her side, her hair tousled and tossed by his own hand, his mark upon her shoulder. Their scents mingled to form a giddy fragrance as he basked, evoking the details of their coupling.
After taking the drink, she sat on his lap for a while, facing him, wordlessly touching his face as if to memorize all the structures, her eyes dark with excitement and boring into his. In turn, he had rumbled under her soft touch and stroked her body with long hot caresses. When she had relaxed, he had placed her on his bed, his heart hammering and loins swelling in anticipation of eager softness. She had tossed her clothing to the floor, and sat, with eyes fixed upon his bulging cloth, reaching for him.
Cloth free, he had ripped it to a useless shred, the feel of her hands upon his pulsing skin sent waves of excitement rushing out from his pelvis, and he trembled when she placed her mouth on him. Such a dainty mouth with pink soft tongue could only lap at him. She surrounded him with her moisture, tonguing around his edge, swirling softness over his width.
He caught her nimble face in warm large hands, and urged her back on the furs, then grasped her thighs to widen as she settled. He breathed her in, her humid warmth, and tucking tusks close to face, bent to taste her bounty, unable to suppress the rumble that reached through flesh and made her moan.
She had called his name then, low and breathy as he ran hot nimble strength through her cleft and tasted her swollen bud. His hands pegged her to the bed, containing the hip thrusts her body demanded. She gasped at him, begging him to enter her. Waiting to be certain she was ready; he again teased her softness with the strong thickness of limber tongue. Remembering the pairing with his brother he twitched in anticipation, knowing these cries of need were in response to only him.
Pulling her up onto him with her back laying on his muscled abs, he eased his own back onto the furs assuming the unfinished position that had haunted many dreams. Running his hands over her breasts, he relished the soft peaks coming to stiffness under his touch. Grasping her thighs again, he made room as he felt the curve of her rump on his pelvis. He thrust his hips against her, and then found her mound moist and hot under his hand which sought himself and helped find the way to her portal. Nudging wetness he found unyielding entrance. Her voice urged him on with whines as he slowly eked his way into her. She gasped in pain, but held on to the bracing arm tightly. Stopping upon hearing her sharp intake he waited for her to ease around him, until her smooth voice spoke his name and urged - more and deeper. He then pushed in, copious moisture welcoming his way, and began moving back and forth within her – each push punctuated with a grunt of animal bliss. He heard the moan of his name as she began trying to force herself on him, her back struggling against his hold to arch, her smooth behind sliding against his groin.
His arms surrounded her and held her still against his rocking as he moved slowly inside the velvet passage which became smoother, slickening in her quivering want. Legs bent at the knee, holding firmer, he rounded his hips between her legs to increase his run into her, all the while savoring delicious whining that quickly lowered into groans. Stopping his backing, and pushing, he pressed into her deeply until he could go no more. Undulating, and grinding, he stirred her to greater fits when his forefinger reached into the froth of his work and massaged it into her nub.
He felt her seizing around him as if to pull more of him inside and heard her agonized cries of pleasure that made his dominance nearly complete. Bending his neck down, curling his torso around her, he sought the top front of her shoulder and neatly incised a set of tusks under her skin. Too enraptured to feel much pain, she winced once and then turned her face to nuzzle him. Her blood's sweetness taunted his sponging tongue as he caressed her shoulder, enraptured with the whimper and blood of prey mingling with the aching softness of mate.
Her grasping warmth, her hips that sought to buck under the restraint of his arms, her near growl groans, the delightful tautness of her skin between his teeth had taken him past his ability to hold. Wrapping his arms even more tightly around her body, with care not to break her, he jerked inside, releasing his toothy rut grasp and calling out, prolonged and deep, his conquering ecstasy while pumping her full of his lust.
His reverie refocused as his bed companion stirred from her drowse, turning to him and placing her hands upon his chest. "That was…beyond amazing. Now, can you help me get off this bed? Nature calls and I am not certain I can walk."
"Are you injured?" he asked in very concerned tones.
"Don't think so, just…uh…well-used."
Helping her to the floor he henned her as though she were a chick to the sanitary facility. She walked oddly, rather wide-thighed, he noticed.
"I need your help getting up here, can't make my usual hop." She thanked him with a touch to his face as he carefully placed her on one edge of the relief station and then stood waiting.
"Ulfr, could you please leave me for a few moments? I…um…I can't do this with you staring at me."
The Elder was taken aback, but still feeling his dominance from their sexual encounter, he ventured, "Female – we have just mated. I have seen every part of you that is to be seen. Now you are shy about peeing?"
"No, I'm not shy. Can't you just leave?"
"No, my female – EXPLAIN," he barked.
"Dammit, Ulfr! I can't believe I have to explain this! I have to do more than pee, for Christ's sake, and I believe it would be damn polite of you to leave. I can get down on my own."
He considered, his side-jaws waving in thought, then abruptly turned on his heel, finding something important to do at his desk.