Chapter 19

Axon

This was the best day of my life. I did what the hu-man's called a little happy dance in my head. Over and over this week, I've had experiences that I never thought possible, but here I was holding the most beautiful female on Valo Prime in my arms, for a second time.

I prayed the rain would never stop. I wanted to be stuck in this cave forever. As long as Ashley was here with me, letting me hold her at night, there was no other place for me.

Ashley let out a sigh and relaxed further into my arms. I pulled her close and rested my nose in the crook of her neck. I let my tail rest on her thigh, where I wished my hand could be, but that felt too intimate a thing to do as friends. Once we were mates, and we would be mates one day, I'd ask permission to do such things. But for now, I was content like this.

Ashley fell asleep quickly and the little whistling sound her nose made made me smile. I was not ready to fall asleep yet though. I let my thoughts drift back to our earlier conversation about the ruins she had found. None of the elders from either dekes had ever mentioned our ancestors living somewhere other than the valley. Perhaps it was long enough ago that the memory of it had been forgotten. I doubted it could belong to another group of people. If anyone else lived on Valo Prime, we would have run into them by now. You can't spend three hundred years on one planet and not run into your neighbors.

Excitement filled me, as I thought about this ruin. What would we find there? Would it reveal part of our history that had been lost? Could it be possible there were other shifters that were banished before us? All these thoughts swirled around my head as I settled in for sleep. It was with images of old homes covered in vines that I finally succumbed to the night.

The next morning, I was surprised to find that I had not only slept through the night, which was rare for me, but I had actually slept in, again. Ashley provided a comfort to me that I couldn't describe. All I knew was that it had seeped to my very core. Her sweet scent filled my nostrils and her soft body calmed all my nerves.

Her breathing changed, and she began to stretch. Her soft ass pressed even harder against my cock and I had to bite my lip to prevent myself from groaning aloud. Goddess, Ashely was perfect.

I pulled her against me before she could even think about getting up.

"Good morning," she giggled.

"Good morning," I sighed in a deceptively relaxed tone, given the current state of my hardening cock.

"Should we get up?"

"No," I pouted.

"No?" Ashley rolled over to face me.

"No," I repeated as I took in the breath-taking sight of her fresh from sleep. Her cheeks were rosy, there was an indent on her face where she must have slept on a fold of the blanket, and her lips looked as soft as ever.

Her eyes drifted to my hands and her breath hitched as I gently slid my fingers up her arm, past her shoulder, across her neck, and finally to those soft lips.

Her gaze met mine as I ran my thumb across her bottom lip. She'd nearly stopped breathing, as had I. The room seemed to fill with tense anticipation as we stared at each other. Would she let me go further?

"You can kiss me," she whispered in a husky tone that I hadn't heard her use before. It made my cock stiffen even further, which I didn't even know was possible.

"Don't move," I whispered back. I wasn't sure how this was going to go, but I wanted it to be as good as I could make it for her. Maybe I wouldn't go into a sensory overload if she stayed still and if no other part of us touched. It was worth a shot. A shot I was going to take right...now.

I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers, and time stood still. The room went silent, the wind stopped howling, everything around me grew fuzzy until all I could feel was Ashley's lips on mine.

A warm tingling sensation spread from my lips down my spine to the tip of my tail that I belatedly realized was thumping the furs. I didn't care. I was powerless to stop it.

The warm tingle shifted to an urgent cascade of desire. I pulled back and searched Ashley's face for any hesitation, any disappointment, and found nothing but serene joy.

"Kiss me again," she breathed.

I gladly fulfilled her request by leaning down and letting our lips meet again and again. Soft and tentative at first, as I wasn't sure what I could handle. I was also determining what Ashley seemed to like and dislike.

She welcomed my lips each time with enthusiasm, but it wasn't until I pressed my tongue to the seam of her mouth that she moaned.

"Did you like that?" I checked in with her.

"I want more," she nodded.

"Then more you shall have."

I kissed her again, but this time when my tongue slid across the seam of her mouth, she opened for me and let me explore her there.

She moaned louder this time and I dared to put my hand on her hip to see what would happen. The added sensation was pleasant, and thankfully, not too much for me to handle.

Ashley's hips seemed to move against me as if they had a mind of their own, which I took as a good sign.

"Can I touch you anywhere else?" I asked and Ashley's expression of elation suddenly turned downcast as she chewed her bottom lip and looked down at the furs.

"Umm," she began, clearly at war with herself over something.

"You can say no," I assured her as I lifted her chin so she would meet my gaze.

"I don't mind. That's why I asked."

"Oh," she smiled. "You really don't mind if I say no?"

"I really don't mind," I smiled. "Anything I receive from you is a gift. If you'd prefer I keep my hands on your hips, and nowhere else, then that is where they will stay."

"Okay. That's actually what I do prefer."

"Great! May I kiss you again?" I couldn't wait to feel her soft lips against mine.

"Uh, huh," she smiled and then her lips crashed against mine.