Page 13 of Pleasured by the Panther (The Monstrum Kindred)

MIRANDA

Miranda’s legs still trembled as Korrath lifted her gently from the glowing pool. The water streamed down her curves in rivulets, splashing back into the basin with soft plinks. She clutched at him, a little unsteady, and felt his solid strength supporting her.

“Easy, lovely one,” he murmured, his deep purr vibrating her bones. “ I’ve got you.”

“I know,” she whispered, and let herself relax against him. She had never been with a man who wanted to give her pleasure the way the big Monstrum did. Most human men were just focused on their own pleasure but Korrath seemed to be fixated on hers. It was strange…and nice.

He set her gently on her feet and reached for something that looked like a folded towel—only as he unfurled it, she realized it was a single enormous leaf, veined and supple—the surface soft as velvet.

It glowed faintly with its own bioluminescence, the edges curling protectively as he wrapped it around her shoulders.

“Here,” he said, rubbing it over her damp skin with surprising tenderness. “ The Mother Ship provides all we need. Even linens, when woven properly. But sometimes a fresh-cut leaf is better—warmer and more absorbent.”

Miranda laughed softly, still a little dazed from the intensity of the last hour.

“I never thought I’d be toweled off by a giant leaf on a spaceship orbiting Mars .”

He rumbled with amusement.

“Get used to it. The Mother Ship is alive. Every part of her exists to care for us…and now for you.”

Something in his words made her chest tighten, though she quickly looked away. He wasn’t promising forever—he’d only borrowed her for a day and a night. She shouldn’t start hoping for more.

Not that I would— I don’t even know him!

But that wasn’t quite true, was it? She might not remember any dreams of him, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t had them. At any rate, she felt a connection to the big Monstrum that felt deeper than just a day’s acquaintance.

Once she was mostly dry, Korrath draped the leaf over her shoulders like a shawl and gestured to a softly glowing arch of vines.

“Come. There is someone I want you to meet.”

“Someone?” she asked warily, hugging the leaf towel tighter around herself.

“A friend,” he assured her. “ A tailor. You have your daughter’s Joining to attend on your world, yes? Then you must be dressed properly. Allow me to have something made for you that will make you feel as exquisite as you are.”

Her first instinct was to protest—she didn’t need gowns, she had a perfectly serviceable Mother -of-the-bride dress in her closet back home. But something in the way he said as exquisite as you are made her throat go tight.

“All right,” she said softly. “ But let me get dressed first.”

“Just wrap the leaf around yourself. You’ll be wearing new clothing that feels and looks much better than what you took off shortly,” Korrath told her.

Deciding to trust him, Miranda wrapped the huge leaf around her like a towel, which worked surprisingly well. It covered her from breasts to mid-thighs and stuck to itself like Velcro , so she didn’t have to worry about it falling off.

She was still barefoot, but since the entire Mother Ship seemed to be carpeted in soft, blue moss, it didn’t seem to matter.

They walked together down another corridor, this one darker.

The vines here were thicker and older, their blossoms dimmer—throwing patches of shadow across the path.

The air was cooler, tinged with a faint mineral tang that reminded her of the Lurray Caverns , which she’d toured as a girl on a school field trip.

“This corridor leads to the Dark Side of the Mother Ship ,” Korrath explained as they walked. “ Here , things grow differently—slower, denser. Our artisans prefer it here, for they say the shadows sharpen their skill.”

Miranda shivered, half from the chill, half from nerves.

“And this friend of yours—your tailor—he works on the Dark Side ?”

“He does.” Korrath’s lips curved faintly. “ He has an eye for beauty, and a respect for curves. You’ll be safe with him, lovely one. I would not bring you to him otherwise.”

She glanced up at him. He was still shirtless, his sleek black fur gleaming faintly in the glow of the blossoms, and the leaf-dress suddenly felt woefully inadequate against the sheer physicality of him.

Safe or not, her body was already remembering the feel of his hands…

his voice…the way he’d urged her to let go and come…

No, stop it, Miranda —you literally just came! You can’t be horny again already!

She took a deep breath. They were going to get a dress—that was all this was. A dress she could wear to the wedding.

And maybe, just maybe, she’d get another glimpse into the strange, wondrous world of the Monstrum Kindred . She had to admit, she found the Monstrum Mother Ship fascinating—she wouldn’t mind meeting more of its inhabitants. As long as Korrath was with her, of course, because all of them were huge.

The corridor widened into a massive chamber, and Miranda stopped in her tracks, her mouth falling open.

“This is the Transport Hub ,” Korrath explained, his deep voice carrying easily in the vast, echoing space. “ From here, we move between the Light and Dark Sides of the Mother Ship .”

At first, Miranda expected something like subway cars or shuttles. What she saw instead made her blink.

The “trains” were… creatures. Enormous , flat-bodied, millipede-like beasts with rows of seats strapped securely along their long backs. Each one was easily the length of a school bus—their shiny, segmented carapaces gleaming faintly under the glow-blossoms.

Dangling from a chain in front of each creature was a silver ball stuffed with long purple fibers. One of the creatures shuffled its mandibles eagerly, clacking them against the mesh as if it wanted to devour the fibrous prize.

“When the bait is raised out of reach, the carpet wole chases it,” Korrath explained, pointing to the ball. “ The wole will carry us swiftly to the Dark Side .”

Miranda’s pulse picked up. It’s like a roller coaster, she thought, a memory flashing through her head of Hanna at seven years old, clutching her hand in line for the Hulk coaster at Universal Studios .

The normally shy and retiring Hanna had been absolutely fearless when it came to thrill rides. Miranda was…less so. Also , it had been years since she’d ridden anything wilder than an escalator.

“You want me to ride that?” she asked, staring at the massive wole’s undulating body.

Korrath’s lips curved faintly.

“It is perfectly safe, little one. Sit with me, and you will enjoy the ride.”

Still doubtful, she let him help her up onto the broad back. The seat was surprisingly comfortable, strapped securely into the creature’s ridged plating. Korrath sat close beside her, his warmth steady against her side.

Then the bait-ball rose, just out of the creature’s reach and the wole surged forward.

Miranda gasped and clutched at Korrath instinctively as the creature raced ahead with startling speed, rushing up the tracks with a clacking sound which must be its many legs moving. The world blurred past, blossoms streaking by in a riot of color.

The wole climbed suddenly—higher and higher—until the ground was dizzyingly far below. Miranda’s stomach swooped and she cried out, clutching tighter. Korrath’s arm went around her waist, anchoring her against him.

“Hold on to me,” he murmured in her ear. “ I won’t let you fall.”

Exhilaration rushed through her, mingled with fear. She pressed closer to him as the wole crested the enormous hill—then plunged down again.

“Ahhh!” The scream tore from her throat before she could stop it. The wind whipped at her hair as the creature dove, rushing through tunnels of glowing vines, skimming water so close she swore she could dip her toes into it.

And then it went up again, climbing and plunging, weaving like some massive serpent through the living corridors of the ship.

Miranda’s heart thundered in her chest, her breath coming fast—but she was laughing now, clinging to Korrath . He held her easily, one big arm caging her protectively, his chest rumbling with what might have been laughter of his own.

By the time the wole slowed and the bait-ball lowered again for it to feed, Miranda’s legs felt wobbly and her cheeks ached from grinning. “

That was—oh my God —that was amazing.”

“Exhilarating, isn’t it?” Korrath asked, his eyes gleaming.

She nodded breathlessly.

“Yes. I haven’t ridden anything like that in… God , since Hanna was a little girl.”

The memory softened her smile, but as she slid off the creature’s back and stood on shaky legs, another sensation replaced her nostalgia.

Her nipples ached—they felt tender and stiff under the leaf dress. And lower… her pussy was hot…achy… wet .

Her face burned as she tried to adjust the makeshift dress around her.

What’s wrong with me? Why am I reacting this way?

It was just a ride—just a thrill. And yet her body felt hot and needy, as if she hadn’t just had an incredible orgasm not even an hour ago.

Get a grip, Miranda , she scolded herself. Stop thinking about it and it will go away.

She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. Right , she was just going to ignore these weird sensations and concentrate on touring the Dark Side of the ship.

Korrath stepped to her side, taking her arm as though nothing was amiss.

“Come, lovely one. It is time to see the Dark Side and meet my friend.”

Miranda let him lead her, her heart still racing from the ride… and from the heat that refused to leave her body.