Chapter 6

"Irina, you are awake."

She supposed she was as she blinked sleep from her eyes, the bare skin of her back pressed tightly to Yelzin's warm chest fur. He was petting her again, his other arm hanging over her shoulder so his thin wing acted as a blanket.

Yelzin nuzzled the back of her neck with his snout and she was disturbed by how… right… it felt.

What's worse was the fact that when she thought about last night, she had no regrets. Sure, she was a bit sore from the… vigorous activity, but it was nothing unbearable. The barbed penis had been a shock, but the Strinee's apology had abated he r distress, most of which had been fear disguised as anger.

"I am so sorry," Yelzin said, his voice a soft whisper in her ear.

Irina noticed he was trembling slightly and she couldn't tell if it was from anxiety or… arousal. She wasn't ready for another round, not yet, but the idea didn't completely turn her off like she had thought it would.

Keeping her eyes on the thatched wall in front of her, Irina responded.

"I forgive you. You tried to warn me, but I didn't care. I'm equally at fault."

It was simple, but it was the truth. She wouldn't have taken back that experience, not for anything.

The way Yelzin's blood coursed through her was, well, more than exhilarating . The way he cradled her as he fucked her, their bodies flush, was pure ecstasy.

And now her stomach was no longer grumbling.

Irina wondered how long it would be until she needed to be fed again. Not that she was excited about the prospect. Not at all.

Yelzin made a low hum, and she got the impression he didn't quite believe her.

"Are you in pain?"

A mental scan of her body told her there was some soreness, but no true discomfort.

"No, Yelzin, I'm fine."

He sighed and squeezed her closer.

"I am so relieved. I did not wish to do harm. It was wrong of me. I could have really hurt you. "

Wrong . Yes, it was wrong, but it wasn't because of Yelzin. Things were different for Strinee. He was probably not used to the awkward morning after, at least not in the same way Irina was.

She wriggled around so she could look at him, his snout inches from her face. Despite everything, her heart fluttered as he wrapped her in his furry embrace, and she hated herself for it.

This was wrong.

Irina was a criminal, a criminal who would certainly have people looking for her. She had no business imagining what it would be like to stay on Strine, no reason to. She was better off alone.

Besides, Yelzin was an innocent bystander, an upstanding citizen as far as she knew, and she had no plans to drag him down with her.

"Is that going to happen… every time you feed me?"

Irina swore she saw a smile pull at Yelzin's mouth before he responded.

"No, little one. I will take better precautions next time. I can drain my blood and leave it for you to drink alone. That would be better than me being there with you." Yelzin paused, glancing away so he no longer looked into her eyes. "I thought I could control myself around you, but… I cannot."

Irina still didn't quite understand what that meant, but surely it was just because she was the only Cognizant in his vicinity. It couldn't be because of… her.

"If there even needs to be a next time… you should be satiated for at least a few days. "

The hut was silent as the implication hung in the air. Yelzin knew she wanted to leave, and he didn't sound quite so pleased about it.

When he released her, lumbering out of the nest, her attention turned to the dried blood swiped across her bare skin. Yelzin's blood—that which had turned them both frenzied last night—covered her breasts and neck, streaks of red mixed with white across her inner thighs. She noticed the way his eyes widened for a split second before he turned away, didn't miss his body trembling, as if he were barely hanging on to his composure.

Somehow, the thought of him losing control and ravishing her once more was…

No, that would not happen. It was wrong, Yelzin had said so himself. He probably regretted last night, and that was fine. Irina's only goal was to find a way off this damned planet before the Coalition came to drag her back to Oblivion.

"We should get you cleaned up," Yelzin said quietly, his back still turned.

The air was slightly cool, stiffening Irina's pink nipples as she pushed her way out of the nest.She crossed her arms over her chest, though it seemed silly when Yelzin had seen every bit of her last night.

"I suppose so," she said, standing before him.

Yelzin turned, his eyes roving quickly over her bare form.

"Come with me. "

Memories of the previous night gnawed at Irina as she bathed in the pool, washing blood and seed from her body. Yelzin sat on the bank, grooming himself by brushing that long, pink tongue over his fur. She observed him, trying to ignore the heat flushing her as she remembered the sensation of that tongue running all over her body and mouth.

Yelzin still seemed mortified by what had happened last night, if the slumped shoulders and frown meant anything. Perhaps Irina had let her anger and fear get the better of her when she yelled at him.

Her mind made up, she exited the water, not bothering to cover herself as Yelzin watched her approach. She sat cross-legged in front of him, a sheepish smile on her face.

"I'm sorry I freaked out on you last night. I was just… surprised by your dick. Is there a reason it's barbed?"

Probably a rude question, but curiosity outmatched decorum. Plus, xenobiology had not been her strongest subject.

Yelzin yelped a laugh, and she was happy to see him smile again.

"You truly wish to know, little one?"

Irina nodded, unable to stop herself from glancing down at his crotch, which earned her another bark of laughter. Yelzin looked around, as if considering her question, but turned his attention back to her.

"If you must know, it is for reproductive purposes. Strinee can get quite frenzied while answering the mating urge. The barbs are so the females do not run off to find new mates after we've copulated. A biological imperative."

Irina considered this. It seemed so… gruesome, but who was she to judge.

"So, they come out every time you orgasm?"

"Yes, Irina."

She knew she was entering dangerous territory, but when had that ever stopped her before? A distinct lack of knowing when to quit is what got her into this mess in the first place. What got her into all of her messes.

"Even when you masturbate?"

Yelzin cocked his head to the side with a snort. "Masturbate?"

Irina narrowed her eyes.

"You know, pleasure yourself ." She nodded knowingly, but he just shook his head. "Wait, Strinee don't masturbate?"

"No. We only seek pleasure from others, as a way to quell the biological imperative that runs through our blood."

So that's why he was so eager to fuck her. He'd said it had been years since he last answered the urge to mate. Even with her dry spells, she always had her handy toys to release the tension.

"Do humans perform self pleasure?" he asked.

Now it was Irina's turn to laugh.

"Yes, we do."

"How? "

Yelzin's face was so sincere as he cocked his head, his question so earnest she couldn't help but smile.

"With our hands or a… device of some sort."

She examined his face, trying to gauge his reaction.

"Can you show me?"

Irina sputtered a cough, not expecting that response. The way he looked down at her was so innocent, despite what she knew he was capable of. Heat flashed between her thighs, the understanding that this was a bad idea titillating her more than it should have.

"Why do you want me to show you?" she asked, her lips pursed into a smirk.

Yes, this was a bad idea, something she should not even be considering. Yelzin was barely hanging onto his control, his arms wrapped tightly around his knees as he rocked himself back and forth.

"I wish to see you in a state of bliss, Irina. I was unable to fully appreciate my time with you last night in the condition I was in."

Irina's heart fluttered, though she tried to contain her racing thoughts.

"Why would you want that?"

The chilly air had grown warm, the light breeze tickling Irina's bare skin as the melodies of birds and insects surrounded them. The sun warmed her pleasantly, though the additional warmth of Yelzin's presence was undeniable.

He sighed, though his gaze didn't leave hers .

"I did not wish to mate with you simply because you were the only one available. Of course not, and I am sorry you believed that."

He reached forward and ran his clawed fingers through her hair, sending electricity down her spine.

"I enjoy your company. Strinee are isolated by nature, but… I have never been able to conform. It is why I stopped taking mates. It was too difficult… being forced to leave them."

The weight of the words dug deep into Irina's bones. Yelzin was confessing something, just as he had trusted her with the truth about Strinee blood. He felt different from the rest of his people, something Irina was all too familiar with.

This was why she preferred working with computers, why she'd spent her entire childhood—and adulthood—behind a console. Computers were easy to understand. If there was a problem, Irina could debug the code to fix it. People were confusing, valuing conformity and cruelty over what was right.

But what was Yelzin trying to tell her? That he didn't want her to leave him too? How could she stay on Strine when there were people after her? People that could hurt him, hurt the Strinee if they learned of the healing properties of their blood.

Oh, she knew that the Coalition would take full advantage of this planet, these people, if they had half a chance.

Would it really be so bad? To show him how she experienced pleasure, just one more time, before she attempted to leave the planet .

Irina uncrossed her legs, setting her feet on the soft mossy ground so Yelzin had a good view of her. A flick of his pink tongue across his lips, and she knew she had his full attention.

"You are a beautiful creature, Irina," Yelzin murmured, a rapturous gaze focused between her legs.

Tentatively, she pressed her fingers to her clit, gauging his reaction. Yelzin's nostrils flared as he examined her, chest heaving ever so slightly as she rubbed in circles. The seed of pleasure blossomed quickly as she pushed a finger in, thrusting it in and out while her thumb still vibrated her clit.

There was something erotic about having a captive audience.

Irina's breath hitched as she added another finger, a low groan emitting from Yelzin's chest. His claws gripped into the mossy ground at his sides, his eyes wide at the view of her fucking herself with her fingers. His mouth gaped slightly, the sight of his fangs making her stomach do somersaults.

This was dangerous, she was aware, but she couldn't stop herself. Maybe she wanted him to pounce on her, the way he had done last night. Her time here was limited, after all, and she had no qualms with casual sex. Her permanent implant made her infertile, so it was all in good fun.

And now that she knew what to expect, the barbs wouldn't be such a nasty surprise. There was something pleasing about the way it had connected them, a feeling she was increasingly eager to experience again as she pleasured herself under his ecstatic stare.

Yelzin reached his hand forward, and she stopped, frozen. He crawled over her so that his face aligned with hers, and she could see the restraint tensing every muscle in his body.

"Are you alright?" she asked, her voice breathy as she resumed the lithe movements of her fingers.

He didn't speak for a long time, just stared down as his body shaded hers from the warm sun. Yelzin trembled like he would collapse at any moment, his hands planted firmly on either side of her.

"I can control myself," he said, but even he didn't seem so certain if the flashing in his eyes meant anything.

His pink tongue protruded from between his fangs, brushing across her mouth and jaw.

"Irina," Yelzin breathed, and she knew what he was asking.

She parted her lips for him, and he entered her mouth, wet kisses running along her tongue and teeth.

A moan escaped her lips as she flicked her tongue against his, a mirrored groan rumbling from Yelzin's throat.

Irina slid her fingers out, running her hands up his furry stomach and chest, wrapping them around his neck and pulling him closer. He removed his tongue from her mouth, gazing down at her with glowing eyes .

"Irina," Yelzin said again, almost as if in warning this time.

Her entire body trembled, nerves dancing with electricity as he crouched over her. They waited, eyes locked in hushed anticipation, before Yelzin made his move.

Slowly, he slid down her body, pressing his snout against her in what Irina could only assume was his version of a kiss. She whimpered, holding his face in her hands as he rolled his tongue across her entrance. Her furrowed brows must have revealed her unconscious anxiety, because Yelzin paused.

"I can control myself, little one."

Irina nodded, no choice but to trust him with how desperate she was for his tongue. Strangely enough, she did trust him. Yes, there was a bit of a mishap yesterday, some confusion, but he hadn't hurt her. He wouldn't hurt her.

Yelzin spread her legs gently as he massaged her thighs. Without breaking eye contact, he slid his tongue across her already slick entrance, once, twice, before pressing his way in. Irina gasped, still gripping his face as she desperately tried to stop herself from bucking into him.

Yelzin's tongue was slick and firm, thick and almost cylindrical. Rhythmic flicks ignited the warmth within Irina, his maw enveloping her core, fangs grazing the sensitive skin of her soft stomach.

Irina moaned as he pleasured her, eyes rolling when he curled his tongue and hit the perfect spot over and over again .

A blaze of fire burned in her core and she focused on the sensation of Yelzin between her thighs, his fangs pressing into her stomach and forming pinpricks of blood.

Euphoria flickered, a sensation of overwhelming weightlessness like she was floating in zero-g. The writhing of Yelzin's tongue was unlike anything she'd ever felt, his gaze so pure, so exalted, that it made her want to cry. He gripped her ass, thrusting her against his mouth, forcing his tongue deeper.

Irina pulled his face to her body as she came, hips rolling into him as his tongue wriggled inside of her. Deep growls vibrated through him, matching her moans.

If this was wrong, why did it feel so right?

Being one with Yelzin was unlike any experience she'd had with another lover. Even without the blood frenzy, there was a connection she couldn't deny. As her body went slack, he removed his tongue, retracting it as his chest heaved.

Irina took in gasping breaths, eyes wide as she waited for his move. He crouched over her spread legs, his tongue still lolling between his parted mouth, fangs glinting in the dappled sunlight.

He looked every bit the predator, and she was his prey.

"You should go," Yelzin growled, his eyes narrowed to hers.

"G-go?" she mumbled, slowly sliding herself away from him .

The look in his eyes frightened her, her lazy post-orgasm bliss replaced with a rush of anxiety.

"Go back home. Now . I will… return later."

She slowly sat up, then stood, backing away towards the entrance of the clearing.

Yelzin still crouched on all fours, ruby eyes scrutinizing her every movement as he spoke through gritted teeth. "Do not run."

Don't run? What the hell did that mean? Irina entered the dimness of the forest, not turning until she could no longer see Yelzin. She resisted the urge to run, gripping her hands in fists as she glanced over her shoulder every other second, certain she would see him in pursuit. Dizziness threatened to overwhelm her as she stumbled into his hut, collapsing in a heap on his nest.

Irina curled into a ball, wrapping her arms around her knees as she waited for Yelzin to return.

Anguish. It was unbearable.

Yelzin crouched on all fours, claws digging into the soft moss and revealing the black dirt underneath. He gasped in a breath, earthy and fresh, though it did little to settle his discomposed mind.

Sinking to the ground, he wished the soft earth would swallow him whole, would quell the pain that shattered through every bone in his body .

Her scent still enveloped him, musky and bittersweet, tempting him to madness. Yelzin had taken many mates, and none of them had ever tormented him quite like Irina.

Irina .

This was not the normal mating urge. The typical dull ache had not bothered him much in the past few years, even if a female Strinee was in his territory. It had been seven years since he had heeded the call, raised his offspring, and moved on. Not the same biological imperative he experienced in his youth.

No, this was wholly different. Yelzin was desperate to cling to Irina, not just her body, but everything about her. He could not imagine what agony he would feel when she left him, because he knew that was what she wanted.

Everyone left him. It was the way of things.

Yelzin saw the pain in her eyes, and it went beyond the confused feelings she clearly had for him. Everything from the joy when he held her to the fear that flashed through her was adulterated by pain, anguish obvious in every word she spoke, every expression which wrinkled her beautiful face.

He made his decision. While he still had the opportunity, he would show Irina what life on Strine could be like, the majesty of his planet, the bliss of a quiet life.

A quiet life with him . Perhaps there was a chance he could convince her to stay .

For now, Yelzin just needed to control himself long enough to check on her, to make sure she was safe.