Page 11 of Flower of Seshana (Tales from the Darvel Exploratory Systems #1)

Chapter

Eleven

“ C arnality?” Kethan quietly hissed upon returning to their nest. He stared at his nest brother incredulously. He had been correct the first time; the male was crazy. “What exactly are you planning now?”

“Just some encouragement,” Quillen replied without bothering to lower his voice in the least. Alexandra glanced back at them, pushing her glasses up her nose with one finger as she gave them a curious look to which Quillen replied with a flirtatious grin, his gavo fluttering. “Since our Alexandra is feeling a little bold at the moment, it is good to seize the opportunity. Is that not right, Alexandra?”

A bright pink hue rushed into their flower’s cheeks, but her lips curled in shy agreement. “I admit that I’m a little curious to see what you intend. From my perspective this is all a little unexpected.” Her lips pinched together slightly in the fascinating way that only her malleable mouth could do. He wondered how that mouth would feel against his scales and felt his primary cock thicken within his sant. “I’m curious about something, though. As this comes on the heels of your conversation with Therxian, what did he mean by getting your nest in order… and what is an ashlava?”

Kethan felt an uncomfortable dip in his stomach as Quillen gave him an annoyed look.

“You did not even attempt to prepare her in regard to your intentions when you brought her here—not even a little?” the male demanded. “Even a Seshanamitesh would understand the implications of being carried off by a male of the Vahel but you knew she was unaware of our species. All of our efforts—and she had no idea!”

“I had intended on speaking of it at a later time,” Kethan admitted, his gavo flattening with embarrassment. “The timing just never seemed to present itself. But you are right. As I brought her here, it was my responsibility.” Drawing in deep breath, he turned to Alexandra and held out his hand for hers. He was absurdly pleased when she trustingly placed her hand in his and closed his fingers around her tiny digits. “Ashlava means queen of the nest,” he murmured. “Although I offered to show you the Zir because your interest pleased me, it was not without ulterior motives. We do not keep the unwilling, but from the first breath of your pheromones, I knew that I wanted you for my mate and intended to make every opportunity of our time together to court you.”

To his relief Alexandra did not withdraw her hand, but he did not relish the shock on her face.

“You wanted me to be your mate?” she squeaked, and her eyes shot over to Quillen. “And you?”

“It was my intent from the moment I saw you in Kethan’s arms,” he affirmed with a smile. “And I have only become more certain with every passing day as the bond grows strong between us.”

“Bond?” she echoed in a whisper.

“Our pheromones reacting against each other, drawing us closer,” Kethan affirmed. “We have scented you?—”

“Oh, gods,” she whimpered. “You smelled… that?”

Quillen’s wing extended to brush her back as he gave her a sympathetic smile. “It is difficult to hide things in such close confines, and it is part of our nature to scent and respond. Is it not for your species?”

“Not really,” she muttered. She twisted her fingers nervously in front of her. “I… I am not sure what I am ready for. What you suggest is… well… illegal on Earth and all twenty of its colonies.”

“Illegal?” Kethan blinked in disbelief. “Your people have laws regarding… mating?”

He glanced over at Quillen but even Quillen looked taken aback by such a concept.

“How disgustingly primitive,” the male commented as he bared his teeth in distinct distaste. “The Vahel have not had mating laws since the cataclysm. There are laws to protect those among the Vahel, but mating is the business of each nest alone. As is how they mate. Other than the blessing before the mating flight, no one interferes.”

Kethan’s gavo flicked in agreement but, now that the subject of the mating flight came up, he was suddenly distracted by thoughts of all the possibilities in which they might join with her.

“Focus, Kethan,” Quillen hissed, and he came back to himself with a startled snap of his gavo and an embarrassed smile. The male huffed before turning back to Alexandra. “You are not ready for the mating flight, but there are ways to enjoy until then.”

That caught her attention. She blinked rapidly as her eyes darted back and forth between them.

“Enjoy?” she repeated in another adorable squeak, her cheeks darkening from pink to a deep red of his favorite flower. No, that was not correct—his Alexandra was his favorite flower. “Now I really want to know what you have in mind.”

So did Kethan, though he was beginning to get ideas.

Quillen hissed with the chuff of his laughter. “Do not look so scared. You will only enjoy it, and it can help you decide whether you wish to play by your people’s rules… or ours.”

“I’m not scared,” she denied. “This is just very embarrassing to talk about. I don’t exactly possess a wealth of experience here.”

Kethan tipped his head. “Vahel only gain experience with those they intend to mate. You will be our first experiences.”

“Oh… Really?” she replied in a small voice. “I wish I could say the same.” The last was said so low that he almost did not catch it, but he fought back a frown when he heard the note of regret in her voice.

He did not wish for her to feel remorseful about anything when it came to their joining.

“Our people are different,” he reminded her kindly. “The instinct to mate is strong in a Vahel when they meet a potential mate they are interested in. We decide very quickly. As I see it is different for humans, I understand that you would be slower to choose your mates and consider many factors before accepting or rejecting them.” He cocked his head in consideration. “I can see the advantage in this. A rejected male who has already begun to bond… it is dangerous.”

She paled noticeably. “Dangerous? How dangerous?”

Quillen shrugged his wings. “In the worst cases males have died, and sometimes those who survive live such an empty life that they go through a period wishing that they had died. Rejection is not all that frequent,” he rushed to assure when she began to look ill.

“But not before going mad from separation, if it happens at all,” Quillen added. He smiled at Alexandra’s growing look of horror. “Not that it is going to happen.”

“It will not happen,” Kethan agreed as he shot Quillen a warning look, to which the male flattened his gavo apologetically.

“Okay.” Alexandra drew in a steadying breath and slowly let it out. “Perhaps let’s just get back to carnality part.”

Quillen’s gavo snapped and he glided forward until he was right in front of Alexandra, his much larger frame towering over her despite resting lower on his tail. “Do you trust me, ashlava?” he murmured.

Alexandra’s head bobbed and her hands went to her upper covering. “L-let me do it, okay?”

Kethan slid forward so that he was at her side, lowering his head as he watched her small fingers fumble briefly with the material before drawing it completely over her head. His breath caught at the sight of her breasts. Although they were partially obscured by the scrap of fabric that cupped them, they appeared enticingly soft. Females among the Vahel had breasts as well, of course. Unlike many creatures on Seshana, the Vahel nursed their young from birth, and females preferred to cover their breasts with intricately adorned woven cloth and thick ropes of beaded necklaces compared to what Alexandra wore. And yet there was something about Alexandra’s breasts that he found especially appealing.

Without a thought, he reached out and brushed a finger along the bare swell of her breast. Soft and warm beneath his fingertips, there was a surprising plushness to it without the protective scaling that was common to all Vahel. He hissed in awe as he continued to pet her, running his fingers back and forth across the top of the breast as Quillen mimicked the flow of his caress along her other breast. Kethan could see the nipple straining just below his fingers within the cloth, begging for attention. He was not one to deny his mate. His eyes slitted with pleasure, he ran the tip of a claw very gently over it, his breath catching when it hardened further.

Making an impatient sound in her throat, Alexandra stepped back. “Wait,” she panted. “Let me just—” Her words stopped as she reached behind herself and released the covering.

The material went slack around her chest, and she shrugged it off with a small sigh of relief. And what a delectable sight she was. Her brown nipples stood out in taut points, the perfect little morsels to tease with his tongues. Quillen trilled and he echoed the sound as their tails wound rapidly across the floor, bringing them to her side and catching her between them. Their hands stroked over her bare breasts, dragging over her nipples in circling touches. Kethan experimentally gave her breast a gentle squeeze and plucked at the nipple carefully between his claws until she hissed with pleasure.

The sound made his cock jump with pleasure within his sant, and Quillen trilled again before dropping his head to catch her nipple between his tongues. Alexandra’s lush little body arched in reaction. It was so exquisite that he could not stop his primary cock spilling from his sant.

His beautiful flower.

“Oh fuck.” The sound of her gasp danced over his scales, and he looked up to note the direction of her gaze. Her eyes were glazed with desire that deepened despite the hint of unease at their depths. “Oh fuck,” she repeated, her tongue passing over her lips. “Okay, no problem. I can work with this.”

“You do not need to work with anything. Not right now,” Quillen rasped, lifting his head from her breast. “You are to just enjoy.”

Kethan hummed his agreement around her other nipple, and her strangled moan as her body arched gloriously sent a tremor of desire through him. Her need was so pretty. His tail undulated against her restlessly, coming into contact with her hands. They twitched nervously against his tail before flattening to smooth over his scales in a tentative caress that went straight to his primary cock. He hissed his appreciation, and gradually her touches became bolder as she explored the texture. Her hand froze, however, when Quillen made a sound of frustration as he ran a claw along the upper part of her lower coverings.

“How do we remove these without damaging them?”

Alexandra’s hand slipped from Kethan’s tail, but as much as he mourned the loss, he released her nipple and drew his tongues back into his mouth as he watched with fascination when her hands went to the coverings. They trembled nervously as she fumbled but whatever she did worked because the band loosened, and she pushed them off her hips before relinquishing control to Quillen. The male tugged them the rest of the way down her legs and tossed them aside only to go utterly still with an exhalation of intrigue.

Kethan understood the feeling. Without her covering, her delicious scent was richer, and the headiest perfume was coming from the apex of her legs covered in a small patch of fur. Trilling with interest, he slid a hand down her belly, but her hand covered his, stopping its movement.

“This may be a little less awkward if I’m lying down,” she whispered with a breathy laugh.

He considered and snapped his gavo in agreement. It would be difficult to explore thoroughly with the way she was standing. He wanted to see her sex opened for him. Quillen clearly had the same thought because the male also trilled, but then the sound faded into a hum as the male scooped their mate up into his arms and carried her into their sleeping chamber.

Kethan hurried after his nest brother, excitement burning through him. Grabbing her favorite pillow, he positioned it as Quillen laid her within their bed. He could not believe how beautiful she looked laying there. Her legs had fallen apart slightly revealing a hint of the pink flesh normally concealed from sight. Should he lay beside her? Or should he investigate his favorite part now that he could see it?

“Oh, okay.” She giggled as she rested her hands over her eyes in embarrassment. “You’re like a couple of predators looking for the tenderest piece.” Lowering her hands, she grinned up at them. “Get down here.”

Chuffing his amusement, Kethan lowered himself beside her as Quillen did so on her other side. She was stretched out between them just as she usually was every night, but this was different. Quillen had called it carnality, and at that moment he could not think of any better word as an aching heat burrowed into him and spread through him in a thick wash of need. She tempted not only his desire but his sanity. He was not entirely even sure that he was not imagining the moment or the way she looked with her bare flesh illuminated by the glow of the galthie.

She was… everything.

He sank down with a rattling groan, his mouth grazing her belly. He did not have soft human lips to caress it the way he would have liked, but he brushed his mouth over it and his tongues darted out, the tips of them grazing over her as he breathed in her luscious scent. Her exquisite flavor flooded his senses, and he moved his mouth lower as he laved her flesh, chasing her tiny quivers of pleasure with his tongues.

Alexandra writhed against him, her little sounds stirring his desire to a ravenous hunger. Every moan, every breathy cry tantalized him. And when his tongues reached the perfect flower of her sex—it was nothing short of bliss as she cried out with the stroke of his tongues, flooding them in her nectar. Hunger slammed into his gut as he drank deeply of her pheromone-rich sweetness. His control snapped in that moment so that he devoured her, his tongues plunging into her and dragging over her petals ravenously. He growled against her sex and drew back slightly to make room, and Quillen dragged her leg to the side so that she was more exposed and slicked his tongues against her sex as well.

It was good that the gods blessed their children with long tongues. It made it possible for them both to enjoy her pleasure as they shared her, devouring her with every hungry dive and drag of their tongues against and inside her. A new tension was mounting through her, quivering and dancing beneath her skin. He wanted more of it. He wanted to see what it looked like as it broke loose and shattered her.

The tip of his tail slicked up her body, the pheromones in her sweat coating it intoxicatingly as it slid up to cup her breast as the very tip flicked against it. Her muscles clenched and she jerked within their hold as her cry of pleasure filled the chamber. His tailtip immediately curled around her nipple, and he began to caress and tug on it with every stroke of his tongues. His saliva mixed with Quillen’s, drenching her cunt in their pheromones, drawing the scent of her arousal deeper and making her overflood with a richer essence until she finally shattered with a shriek, her muscle straining as she arched powerfully, her sweetness exploding from her and drenching their tongues.

Their hisses of pleasure rose up as they drank it down and allowed it to seep into their scales, carrying the powerful pheromones deeper within them so that they shuddered and their primary cocks erupted, spilling their seed in copious streams onto their mate’s body and the bedding.

Gradually he drew his mouth away, his tongues dragging around his mouth as he lapped up the last traces of her flavor, and sank back into the bedding beside her. He admired her drowsily and rubbed their seed into her skin in firm strokes as he watched Quillen remove the bedding that required cleaning. He startled with surprise, however, when Alexandra suddenly rolled on top of him, her plump legs straddling him as her cunt rested against his sant. His cock immediately stirred in reaction, hardening so that the tip pressed from his sant directly into her heat. She tossed her head back and moaned as the head pressed slowly into her snug channel, and a shiver rushed through him with renewed arousal. Quillen sat up and trilled with interest, his eyes going to the very place he was connected with Alexandra, filling her instinctively as his cock slowly slipped from his sant directly into her. He was not sure he could have stopped it even if he had tried. There was nothing in that moment but her tight heat.

“Like I said,” she gasped as his cock surged up and plugged her completely, “I can work with it.”

She rocked her hips, her belly flexing as her cunt tugged at his primary cock with each movement. Kethan hissed and his coils curled around her reflexively and dragged against her pelvis in frustration. His instinct to mate was not entirely compatible with her form. She did not have a long tail to twine with, nor did she have a secondary slit like a Vahel female would to receive his other cock that was now fully engorged and ready for her clutch. He growled as he thrust up into her, his upper tail bucking as he drove his primary cock repeatedly into her clutching heat, his lower tail twisting and dragging against her slickened flesh. The end of his tail dipped lower and his cock dragged inexplicably against another hot center. The tip of his tail extending beyond his cock suddenly wound around her, tightening to keep her firmly in place as his tail whipped, plunging his heavily lubricated secondary cock into her even as his primary cock drove deep.

Alexandra gasped and cried out, her channel convulsing around him as she rocked back against him, pressing him even deeper. He hummed as his coils flexed around her, thrusting his cocks in and out, plugging her entirely as he rutted her, forcing his cocks deeper and deeper as they became increasingly engorged. She trembled, her musk thickening, as she moved over him, her body lifting and lowering in a primal dance within the confines of his coils that expanded and constricted around her in turn as he bred her. They twisted together in this dance and Kethan could feel the heat sparking hot deep within his gut. It sparked again, brighter and hotter. And then suddenly it was rising and rushing through him as his cocks jerked and spasmed within her clenching, pulsing heat. Their cries mingled together as she convulsed, her body drawing his seed deep even as cocks released in heavy streams within her that seemed to go on and on as their shared pheromones triggered their release again and again.

His body shook with the pleasure-pain of the last spurt of seed within her. Alexandra moaned and then gasped as his cocks withdrew. Kethan lay there, his eyes sliding shut, uncertain whether or not he would survive mating when Quillen trilled and tugged Alexandra off him. He did not bother opening his eyes—he did not have the energy—but the musk of their arousal quickly filled the chamber as did the wet sounds of their mating. Quillen’s moans as his cocks found their anchorage was nearly music but not so much as Alexandra’s wails of pleasure as the male aggressively rutted her, the wet slaps of their entangled bodies becoming more and more furious until they broke with their own cries as Alexandra accepted her other mate’s seed.

It was good. Kethan smiled sleepily, exhaustion stealing over him. He was half-asleep when he felt Alexandra drop beside him, her sweaty body brushing against his scales. Rather than arouse him, as spent as he was, her pheromones had a curiously different reaction, flooding him with a sense of peace. Yawning wide, he turned and gathered his mate in his arms.

“I’m your mate now, right?” she mumbled sleepily, and his heart stuttered.

“Would you like to be… to both of us?” Quillen asked.

“Of course.” She yawned widely. “Both of you. You and me forever. I never want to leave you,” she whispered, the words ending on a little sigh as she drifted off to sleep.

He knew without a doubt that there would be no survival for him now without Alexandra. As long as he got to hold her for the rest of his life, he would be fine.

“I will not be able to survive without her,” Quillen murmured in a rare show of vulnerability some time later.

“I know. Neither of us would.”