Chapter 5

Irina was upset.

"Blood? You fed me your blood?" The look on her face hurt Yelzin, a grimace of pure disgust to match the vitriol of her words.

He was frightened. Irina was an extraterrestrial. Her goal was to leave Strine, and if she knew his secret, knew the secret of all Strinee…

"Yelzin?" Irina's voice pitched high, frantic.

His mind raced, working through his options and not finding anything good. He did not wish to lie to her, hated to see her upset. Those deep brown eyes pleaded with him, wrinkling her lovely face. Irina pressed her hands against his chest, grasping tufts of brown fur in her fingers .

If he hid the truth, she would surely die. Irina had already been weak, even before the plants had made her ill.

Now, she could barely hold her head up. But if he told her… if she shared what she learned about him… it could mean very bad things for Strine.

The Strinee had successfully evaded Coalition dominion for many years now. It was fairly simple when your species had few cities, most choosing to live independently in the vast forests and plains.

Of course, they had been monitoring the Coalition's grip on the galaxy, bringing worlds into its fold in the guise of protection and peace. Telling Irina the truth could destroy them all, a single action with the potential to rewrite his entire world. It sent a shiver through his body, the gravity of the matter making him tremble.

Still, the look on Irina's face utterly wrecked him, too pale, too gaunt. He couldn't live with himself if he let her die here in his nest, in his arms.

Yelzin made a decision, though he did not know if it was the correct one.

"Yes, Irina. I fed you my blood. The blood of the Strinee…" he trailed off, but still she glared at him, piercing him right through his heart. "Our blood has certain… healing properties. Properties that would be taken advantage of if this information was revealed to your Coalition or any outside entities."

Yelzin let the statement sit, scrutinizing her for a reaction, any reaction . It was wrong to reveal this information to an outsider; it put him and every Strinee in danger.

And yet, he believed he could trust her, at least with this. Irina's face wrinkled, her protruding nose twitching. Her chest heaved, as if she had exerted herself greatly.

"You healed me with your blood?"

"Of course, I did. I could not just… let you die. Not if I could help. It is improper to share our blood with other species, but… I supposed since you were unconscious, you would never have to know."

There, he had told her the truth. Most of it, at least.

Yelzin didn't tell her that seeing her in pain was agony for him, almost as much as when she bared herself to him at the pool. Irina's smooth, pale skin set his bones aflame, the mating urge coursing through every vein in his body after years of trying to deny himself. He had wanted to ignore the spark he felt, but now the urge raged through him, threatening to consume him.

Irina touched his hand, slowly grasping it in hers. She bit her lip as she looked at him, running her thumb along his claws.

"Your secret is safe with me, Yelzin. I would never tell anyone, risk you or your people."

Yelzin believed her. He had no reason to, still did not know why she had crashed on his planet, why no one appeared to be looking for her. But he believed her.

There was a kindness in her eyes, even if it was marred by an underlying darkness .

"Would you like me to feed you? It will be… different… while you are awake."

Irina seemed to consider it, an internal battle taking place behind those beautiful eyes. She took a large gulp of air before nodding. Desperation etched her face, a hunger that Yelzin could almost mistake for something else. He tensed his muscles, willed himself to stay in control.

He needed to stay in control.

"You may feel powerful emotions when I feed you. The blood works quickly, will give you a rush of… exhilaration."

That was a bit of an understatement. Yelzin recalled the blood frenzies of his youth, mating orgies that lasted for weeks at a time without reprieve. But he was older now, wiser. He could control himself for the both of them.

"Feed me, Yelzin. I'm starving. I'll be fine, I promise," Irina murmured, her lips pursed delicately.

Yelzin nodded. He knew she was right. She would not survive much longer without sustenance.

Irina's heart raced as Yelzin positioned himself beside her. The way he gazed down at her, she hated that it made her stomach flutter, excitement replacing any disgust from before. He'd said it would be best to remain lying down, but this position felt dangerous, Yelzin hovering over her with those glimmering red eyes.

Why was she excited about this? Humans did not drink blood, at least not any culture she had heard of. And what did Yelzin mean when he said she'd be… exhilarated?

The desperation was strong enough that none of that mattered, the hollow pit in her stomach screaming for something, anything .

Yelzin nodded at her, then brought his wrist to his mouth. With a tear, he bit into the flesh, fangs coated with blood as he held his arm out to her. The smell was… intoxicating, metallic and sweet. Irina leaned forward, pressing her lips to his furry wrist and sucked in a small gulp, her mouth immediately coated with sticky blood.

The effect was instantaneous.

Irina's heart raced as she felt the liquid rush down her throat, her entire body quivering. Every nerve was aflame with ecstasy as dizziness threatened to overtake her. She lapped at his wound, desperate for more as Yelzin watched her. She sensed the tension in his muscles, those lithe muscles covered in beautiful tawny fur.

He was beautiful.

More beautiful than any creature she had ever laid eyes on. Irina sat up, vision blurring for a moment before the head rush subsided.

"Do you feel better?" Yelzin asked, his voice gravelly.

Better? Irina felt better than she had in years with the power of his blood coursing through her veins. She moved quickly, sliding her leg over him so she could straddle his hips.

Yelzin's eyes went wide, his claws a sharp grip at her waist.

"I feel much better," Irina purred as she rolled her hips against him, a shudder of flames coursing through her core with the rage of a wildfire.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, her hunger satiated, though another need still unfulfilled.

"Irina," Yelzin whispered, his voice husky and soft. "Stop."

Stop? She didn't want to stop, couldn't stop. Irina rolled her hips again, finally feeling an appreciable mound exactly where one would expect it. So, he did have a…

"Irina," Yelzin murmured again, eyes glistening with an emotion she couldn't pinpoint.

His claws gripped her ass, threatening to tear the heavy fabric of her jumpsuit.

Her jumpsuit.

Heat rushed through her chest, her arms, her legs, sweat breaking out on the back of her neck.

"It's so hot in here," she said as she grasped the zipper, pulling it down, desperate to cool off by any means necessary.

Yelzin grabbed her hand, stopping her as the zipper brushed her belly, his eyes a glow of flames.

"You must stop this, little one. What you are feeling… it is from the blood. Please ."

Yelzin was begging her, and Irina wasn't sure if it was the supplication or the ‘little one' that pleased her so, that made her crave him more than anything else in the entire cosmos.

Nothing made sense until it all made sense.

Irina did the only thing she could and pressed her lips against his mouth, their hands still tangled at her zipper. Blood dripped from her lips and his fangs, sending another jolt of flames through her core, fire dancing between the apex of her thighs. Yelzin's breaths were ragged, and his touch surprisingly delicate as he cupped the back of her head, pulling her closer.

He reached into her unzipped jumpsuit, his enormous hand fully enclosing a small breast, claws scratching at her stomach and collarbone.

A brush at her lips, and she opened her mouth to him as his wet tongue pressed its way inside. Irina was connected to him, connected to the universe in a way she never thought possible. Her body was glowing, and she was hot, so hot, too hot . She cried out as he pulled away, his chest heaving and his eyes ablaze.

"Irina. If you do not stop, I-I will not be able to control myself. I do not want to hurt you." Yelzin's voice was a harsh growl.

Stop? He was asking the impossible.

"I need you, Yelzin. Please."

Irina would beg him if she had to. She would do anything to have him inside her, to let them become one, just as the cosmos intended. He paused for a long moment, his breaths ragged as he clutched her.

It was pure agony .

Suddenly, Yelzin pushed her backwards, and she fell into a heap on the nest.

For a second, Irina thought he was going to leave her, and she almost cried out again, but then he was tearing the jumpsuit off her body, pulling it down over her ample hips and past her ankles before he flung it across the small space.

Free of her clothing, Yelzin overwhelmed her, fully caging her in beneath his broad chest and long limbs. His tongue ran across her lips, her jaw, her neck, her breasts, and he was everywhere.

"Yelzin!" Irina cried, shaking from anticipation, unable to wait a moment longer. " Please ."

A deep growl sounded from his chest as he ran a clawed hand down her stomach and to the wetness between her thighs, leaving a slick streak of blood from the wound on his wrist. She bucked her hips at his touch, whimpering with frantic expectation.

Yelzin paused for another moment, his hands resting on her hips, and Irina was certain she would die without him inside her.

There was an abrupt pressure at her entrance and she looked down to see, well; she assumed it must be his dick. It was distinctly inhuman, long and violet and protruding from a pink opening at his crotch. The base was thick, impossibly thick, and it tapered to a heart-shaped point.

Without ceremony, Yelzin spread her legs, his eyes glazed with lust as he pushed himself inside her. Irina hissed, the pressure somehow too much and not enough to quell the flames licking through her body. The only sounds in the hut were their heavy breaths and Yelzin's whimpers as he strained every muscle, shaking violently as he held himself halfway inside her.

Inch by inch, he pressed into Irina and she cried at the streaks of pain mixed with pleasure. Even when she thought she could take no more, Yelzin kept going, groaning until the bulbous base fit fully inside of her. Irina screamed as he started thrusting, tears streaking her face as the rapture of the moment overtook her.

Yelzin's body was flush with hers, fucking her like she'd never been fucked before, the blood tearing through her body heightening every sensation. A clawed hand was at her throat and a warm tongue on her lips, which she parted for him on instinct.

He groaned into Irina's mouth, slamming into her over and over again with reckless abandon. The heat was becoming unbearable, and she clutched the fur at Yelzin's shoulders, desperate to stay grounded, to stay on Strine while he fucked her mercilessly.

Yelzin pulled back with a growl, baring his fangs and her muscles contracted, tightening around his enormous cock. Irina screamed as she orgasmed, her climax hitting her like a shuttlejet engine, tearing through her body with unmatched fury. She quivered as he pounded into her until he finally came with a loud groan, warm seed coating her insides.

Irina gasped for air as Yelzin lay on top of her, not quite crushing her, but close. They were connected as one as they lay together, their collective breathing slowing back to normal. Yelzin ran a claw through her tousled hair and she smiled at him.

That was the most fucked up and erotic thing that had ever happened to her.

There was a dull ache in Irina's core, but it was worth every moment of euphoric pleasure he had given her.

Finally, she pressed her hands against his chest.

"You can probably take it out now."

Yelzin let out a quick, uncomfortable bark as he stared down at her.

"I-I cannot."

Irina narrowed her eyes, unsure she had heard him correctly.

"What do you mean, you can't?"

Yelzin's eyes widened, and she didn't miss his surreptitious glance downward. She followed his gaze, and the sight was… certainly something. Her engorged entrance, filled to the brim with his bulging cock, his seed leaking down her splayed thighs.

Irina patted his chest again, her voice pitched with anxiety. "Get off of me. Now."

"I-I am so sorry, little one. I cannot."

"What does that mean ?"

Irina was coming down from her high, all her previous lust replaced with the familiar prickle of fear.

"Strinee… we have barbed penises. They extend after sexual climax. "

Yelzin so clearly wanted to glance away from her, but it was difficult when their faces were mere inches from each other.

"Get off of me!" Irina screamed, her fear growing frantic as she tried to push him away.

A familiar feeling was building, one she'd hidden for many years, locked away and forgotten. That uncomfortable sensation of helplessness, subjection, futility, that no matter what she did, she couldn't stop people from hurting her.

It was hopeless. Of course it was.

Even with the increased strength from his blood, she was no match for him. She squirmed against him, desperate to be free, panic overtaking logic.

Yelzin pressed himself harder onto her, taking her breath away and stopping her frantic writhing.

"Irina, please stop. I do not wish to hurt you. I will remove myself once I am able, but it will take time. Just a few more minutes."

"Why the fuck didn't you tell me you had a barbed dick?"

Irina was trying to breathe, though having an enormous alien pressing his weight onto her made that difficult.

"I am so sorry. I-I tried to control myself, but the blood frenzy… Irina, it has been so long since I took a mate. I thought I could stay in control, but I was wrong."

Despite the panic, his soft voice soothed her. She tried to focus, to understand what he was saying. She wasn't in pain, wasn't hurting more than any other pounding she had taken in her life. But blood frenzy? Mate?

"I'm not your mate, Yelzin," Irina whispered, almost inaudible even in the hut's silence.

"Yes, I know. I did not mean that you were, just that—"

"I was the only one available for you."

The silence was deafening as she turned her head, purposefully staring at the thatched wall of the hut.

Minutes ticked by as Irina's mind raced, trying not to let Yelzin's warm fur lull her into a false sense of security. She focused on her breathing as best as she could with him pressing onto her.

She was in control. She was safe. She was not helpless.

Even as she came down from the blood frenzy—as he had called it—she realized she had enjoyed all of what they'd done, was still enjoying it as her anger and panic ebbed away.

There were penis barbs… in her vagina. And somehow, once she'd gotten past the shock, that thought warmed her core, sent jolts of electricity through her. What the fuck was happening to her?

"I am so sorry, Irina." Yelzin's voice was gentle, and she turned back to face him. He reached a tentative hand to her, and when she didn't shy away, brushed his fingers through her hair. "Please, forgive me."

He sounded so sad, pathetic really, and Irina wasn't sure why it made her chest clench. With a groan, Yelzin finally pushed himself off of her and she sighed with relief, his seed dripping down her thighs. He sat back on his knees, a horrified look on his face as he awaited her move.

"I just want to go to sleep," Irina said and turned over, curling an arm under her head.

The emotions of what had just occurred were overwhelming, exhausting, and she didn't want to think about it any longer.

There was a presence behind her, Yelzin's long wing wrapped around her middle as he pulled her flush with his body.

"Goodnight, little one," was the last thing he said as she closed her eyes, though sleep did not come easily.