Coral

Drasus woke me twice in order to mate again. A feral need he had to fulfill, and I was more than willing to grant it. He's awoken something in me long dormant, far too long.

But I'm sore. It was only to be expected I suppose. You can't exactly go from virgin to experienced in a few hours and the way we both went at it…I'm surprised I didn't rupture something.

Still, as much as the Sarkarnii are impressive in how they can change their form, I'm well aware of the miracle of the human body, and it seems mine performed some major gymnastics.

Drasus stretches out languidly with me on top of him, smiling like the cat who has the cream. His long hair flows over his shoulders and I comb through it. He makes a deep comforting noise which comes from the pit of his stomach.

"Do you want me to braid it for you?" I ask. "You used to wear it braided."

His eyelids flicker as I run my fingers around his ear, touching the bright metal piercings as I pull his hair to the side. He suppresses a groan.

"I think I remember something," he says as I start to braid.

It's something I've not done since childhood and it's strangely comforting.

"What do you remember?"

"We're looking…for something," he forces out.

He eyes me expectantly.

"We agreed to come into this cave system to look for a control room, where your fellow Sarkarnii believe we can activate a mapping system which is keyed to Sarkarnii and human DNA," I say quietly.

It's a lot of information for a Sarkarnii with a wonky memory.

Drasus grunts, and he almost sounds like his old self. My heart stutters in my chest. I didn't want to admit it to myself, but I rather like seeing Drasus' wild side, the one hidden under a layer of grump and injury.

Injury which no longer seems to bother him. Presumably because he's been able to shift.

Ask me how I know.

A little shiver of delight pulses through me and Drasus' nostrils flare.

"And just how is this map keyed to our combined DNA?" he asks, voice loaded with sin.

"I don't know. It's something the species who originally inhabited the prison maze, or rather the moon upon which it's built, chose to do. They never expected humans and Sarkarnii to meet."

A big hand wraps around my waist and I feel a tail curl around my ankle.

"Not possible. I might not know much, but I know our stars are our stars and we were always meant to be together," Drasus growls. "We would always meet, always mate, and I would always rut for you, my Coral."

"I like your certainty."

"You like more than that about me." He grins and squeezes my arse cheek.

I mock gasp at him. "Why, Drasus? What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying you love my cock, and my cock loves you," he growls. "It particularly likes hooking you and filling your womb until you can't take any more."

New Drasus has no filter. None whatsoever, and I believe it might have gotten worse since we did the deed.

"We still need to try to find this control room. The others are relying on us. If we do activate the map, the Sarkarnii can finally leave the Kirakos."

Drasus' brow draws down. "Other males?" He shows a lot of fang.

"Your fellow warriors," I say evenly.

The grunt I get from him is every bit old Drasus, but the familiarity is good.

"I don't want you near other males," he grumbles.

"We have to find the control room first." I smile.

I never put myself down as a woman who liked a possessive male, but it feels good having Drasus on my side.

"I will ensure you find it," Drasus says. "And I will keep all other male Sarkarnii away. If any even look at you, they will lose their lives."

Okay, maybe not that possessive.

"Perhaps wait until you meet them…again before you decide to kill them." I pat his chest and tie a little rag I've found around the end of his braid. "In the meantime, I want to help my female human friends by helping them leave this prison, so…"

Drasus gives me a blank stare. Only the light dancing in his slit pupils gives him away. "So, we're going to have to leave here."

Hands grip my upper body, and Drasus captures my lips with his. Once again, I spiral into the dominance which is Drasus' mouth. He can really, really kiss.

"I mean it," I mumble against him.

"I know, little flame. Believe me, there's nothing I want more than to find this control room." His hand drifts over my body, down over my buttocks until he slides it between my legs. "Almost nothing." He grins at me.

Looks like our search might take a while.