Curtis thrashed his tail against the dirt floor of the main living space. He was annoyed, greatly annoyed. That winged lion male had been mating with Chiaki every night for the past four days! And even at times during the day! Her scent had been odd for a few days, very desirable. Then he'd smelled the other male on her, smelled his mating scent. It was all over the sleeping chamber they slept in, and all over her! He wanted his scent to cover the female! Why were they mating so much more often?! He smacked his tail onto the dirt again. It was driving him crazy! The cold season was nearing fast and he'd soon become too tired to vie for her attention. What if he fell asleep for the cold season and she left the village for the City of Beasts before he woke back up at the start of the heavy-rainy season?!

Chiaki blushed as she entered the main common room, she knew exactly what had Curtis in a tizzy that morning. She and Qianhuang had been mating every night because her latest period had ended and now she was fertile. Qianhuang was hard to say no to when his eyes had just that right look to them, that hopeful look she couldn't step upon. She couldn't take that look of hurt that he'd had when he found out she had intentionally not tried to get pregnant the first time she'd been fertile. That was months ago. She didn't want to see that same look again.

"Curtis, how do you like the village?" She asked.

Curtis stopped his tail from thrashing. He didn't want to hit Chiaki with it. Plus the smell that had been lingering on her the last few days was less noticeable this morning, irritating him less. "It's been... different." He replied. "The leopards do not seem as aggravated at my presence as they were when I first arrived."

Chiaki laughed. "Of course not, they are getting use to you living here. You haven't hurt anyone. You haven't bothered their females-"

"You are the only female I care about!" He interrupted.

"Yes." She said softly. "I believe you." She saw his red eyes widen a bit, she had surprised him. She closed the distance between them and cupped his face gently. "I really do believe you when you say you have feelings for me."

Curtis placed a hand over hers, his free arm wrapping around her and pulling her against his chest. This was the first time she had initiated any kind of physical touch and he reveled in it. He hated that she smelled like the winged lion male, he wanted to cover up that scent with his own. His tail began to coil around at her feet, pushing her up towards him, bringing her face to face with him. For once he didn't want to push, he glanced at her lips... seeking permission.

Chiaki leaned into the almost shy kiss, letting their lips learn each other. She felt Curtis' hands begin to roam up her back and down her sides. He'd balanced her sitting on his coiled tail. Not holding her in any way, not forcing her to do anything she didn't want. Maybe he had been learning from watching how she and Qianhuang interacted. That you didn't demand, you asked. That you didn't force, you enticed.

"Are we?" He asked as the kiss ended. His hands had found their way under her top and he cupped the mounds that were her breasts in his palms.

Chiaki rested her hands on his wrists, gently pulling them out of her top. "I think we are compatible." She said as she leaned forward and kissed his nose. "Give me just a few more days, okay? We can work up to... the mating."

Curtis coiled the end of his tail around her, as he nearly lost his balance hearing her agreeing to finally be his mate. It was just a few short weeks until the first of the cold season! She would! They would! She would be his mate before the cold season forced him to sleep through several months!

Regaining his balance Curtis began to shower Chiaki's face with kisses. "Yes!" He felt giddy... he didn't think he'd felt giddy in his life before. Even when Qianhuang exited the sleeping room Curtis couldn't find it in him to start a fight that morning.

"I see you have told him." Qianhuang said as he watched the display. He still didn't think the feral beast was worthy of being mates with Chiaki, but the female was the head of the family and who she chose to mate was not up to him. He could of course voice his displeasure and fight with her other mates to form a ranking system between themselves. That didn't effect who the female favored though... and Qianhuang hoped he would remain Chiaki's favored male.

Chiaki was giggling as Curtis' snake tongue flicked over her face, snake kisses. Of course she knew he was tasting her, smelling her, but that was easy enough to put aside in her mind. Animal instincts were strong in the males of this world, they changed into beasts, of course some of the behaviors showed through when they were in human form.

Qianhuang loved to rub his face to hers, and she could turn him into a pile of happy goo by scratching behind his round lion ears just right. And there was a place on his tail that turned him on so much he could go all night long.

And damn, now she was turning herself on thinking about it. And Curtis could smell it on her. His eyes were glazing over. Disengage! Disengage! Chiaki wiggled away from Curtis. "Sorry... I need to bathe!" She quickly exited the house, leaving Curtis there despite her word not to let him out of her sight. She needed to wash away the scent of her arousal, her fertile cycle, the sex she'd had with Qianhuang last night.

When she returned to the house, it was thankfully still standing. That meant that Qianhuang and Curtis hadn't gotten into any big fights. Both of them were still in the house too, hopefully no one had seen her slip away to have a quick morning bath alone. She sighed to herself as she watched the two males size each other up over the fire pit, life was about to get more complicated.