Zonaton (12 page)

            "Otherwise it would take a long time to walk that distance."

            "No, not really. Yes, it's a goodly distance from the base of the mountain to the village, but it's a decent walk. And it's flat land most of the way. I sometimes jog it."

            "So you live on the mountain? That's unbelievable."

            Emmala peered at the young man. For some reason, he seemed insistent on learning where she lived, but she took it for curiosity. After all, Zonaton had told her a Paired couple were considered a unique phenomena by the villagers. "Not on the mountain. In it. In a cave about midway up the slope."

            He gave her an incredulous look. "You have to climb the mountain to get to it?"

            She had to laugh. "It's not that difficult. There's a small trail leading up to it. Zonaton carved it out for me so I could come and go when I needed, and he wasn't around." She gave a little wave of her hand toward the craggy range. "It's not hard to find. There's a big rock of alagalite sitting at the base to let me know where it begins."

            "Wow." The single word was enough to make her blush.

            Hawse looked good, standing there in the morning sunlight. He looked strong and virile, with his green shirt stretch tightly across his chest. Her eyes dropped unconsciously to the bulge becoming more evident between his legs, and her thoughts momentarily left her.

            "Been picking?"

            She blinked and re-directed her attention to his face. "What?"

            He smiled, pointing to the pouch. "Have you gotten the last of the berries?"

            Emmala glanced at the bag she held against her thigh. "Uhh, no. Not yet. I just arrived."

            "Mind if I help you?"

            Before she could answer, he bent over a nearby bush and started to pluck the fruit that was still edible. She chose the bush at the other end of the short row and worked her way toward the middle, toward him. She noticed him dropping the small white star-shaped fruit into the makeshift pocket he made by lifting the bottom of his shirt. Beneath the fabric, his abdomen was tight and smooth. Beautiful. She must have stared too long at it because a hand suddenly waved in front of her face.

            "Hey. Em."

            Lifting her face, she nearly bumped noses with him.

            "Mind if I put this into your pouch?"

            His eyes were mesmerizing. It was almost as if he could see through her, all the way into her mind. Could he read her mind? Could he sense what she was feeling? All those funny little tingling sensations moving into her lower belly, until her inner thighs became sticky?

            Hawse tilted his head slightly, but his eyes never left hers. His lips pressed against her open mouth, and Emmala melted. Warm arms embraced her, pressed her along his hard body, and she closed her eyes to luxuriate in the touch.

            Hard. Soft. Warm. Her mind swirled at the contradictory sensations coursing through her. She let herself become lost in his arms, unaware of him lowering her down onto the pale blue grass until she felt the turf beneath her. Opening her eyes, she stared up at him leaning over her.

            "Bet you've never been kissed like that before." Hawse smiled. Unable to help herself, she smiled.

            "It was nice."

            "Nice?" He pouted, but she could tell he was being playful. He was so much like her mysterious lover who came to her in the cave. But there were also many differences. Her silver white lover appeared in the darkness. Hawse appeared in the light. Her lover kept her from the cold. Hawse was also part of the warmth. But instead of a blanket on the stone floor, she had the sweet smelling grasses and dark sod.

            For the briefest moment, her conscience berated her for her thoughts, for what she wanted to do.
It wouldn't be right, having two lovers...would it?
Yet, she couldn't ignore or dismiss the wonderful feelings he gave her. Too bad she couldn't share something like this with Zonaton. If he were human, her life would be complete. She wouldn't need to find out what sex was like with Hawse, although she would miss seeing her mystery lover. She may not know his name, or where he came from, but in so many ways he reminded her of Zon.
I have to be happy with what I have. With what we have, because that's all we can expect.

           
"Hey. What are you daydreaming about?" Hawse jested in a soft but roughened voice.

            "About what might happen between us."

            He scoffed jokingly. "About what
might
happen?" Then grinned.

            She lifted her arms in silent invitation, and Hawse lowered himself on top of her to kiss her again. This time, however, he integrated his body along hers, shifting his hips until they burrowed between her thighs, pressing that thick bulge in his pants against her mound.

            This was completely new to her. The sounds, the smells, the pressure of his body. All of it was like nothing she had experienced before. She liked the way he was making her feel, and the way her body reacted to his felt right and good. But as he tried to slip his tongue into her mouth, she recoiled slightly. Hawse stopped and reared up his head to gaze at her.

            "What? I thought you liked it."

            "I do. I mean, your tongue. It's...not what I expected."

            "You mean you've never been kissed?" He grinned. "I kind of like it."

            "Like what?"

            "The notion that I'm the first man you've kissed."

            She started to tell him he wasn't the first person to kiss her full on the lips, then thought better of it. Maybe it would be wiser to let him go on thinking he was.

            He dipped his face again to cover her mouth with his. She got a brief whiff of something unpleasant before he plunged his tongue past her teeth. Immediately, she gagged at the invasion. Shoving him away, she rolled onto her side, coughing and gasping for air.

            "Hey. You all right?" Hawse sounded genuinely concerned, and he patted her back until she was able to sit up.

            Emmala gave him a weak smile. "Sorry. Look, could we start off easy and gradually work up to the hard stuff?" she suggested.

            "Yeah. You're right. Someone like you needs to learn the ropes first, right?"

            She stiffened as his hand moved from her back, around her waist, and up to her breast where he lightly squeezed.

            "Do you like that?"

            Yes, she did, and she said so. It felt more like the kind of tender stroking that her cave lover gave her. The kind of touching that made the itch inside her build into a need, then a craving. When he slipped both hands underneath her top and clasped both breasts, she moaned with pleasure.

            Hawse lifted her top, hovered over her for a long moment, then lowered his face to take a nipple in his mouth. The shock that flashed through her body made her arch her back. Her hands found his head, his hair, and she clutched two handfuls of it.

            He was relentless, sucking and cautiously gnawing her tightening buds. Pinching and rolling one while he tongued the other, then switching sides. Emmala writhed beneath him, until he slipped one hand inside her pants and grasped her between her wet thighs.

            Burying his face against her neck, Hawse gasped as he rubbed himself hard atop her pubic bone. "I want to fuck you, Em. Can I fuck you?"

            His words drifted into her mind like smoke, barely registering. The feelings racing through her body were indescribable. Unimaginable.

            "Em?"

            "What?"

            "Let me fuck you."

            "Oh. Okay." She was lost in the maelstrom of delicious sensations that left her hungering for more. She had no idea what fuck was or meant, but if he was asking if he could give her more of these wonderful feelings that made her crave for more, then her answer was yes.

            He lifted himself and grasped the sides of her pants to jerk them off. She looked down as he also removed his breeches. When his erection sprang forward, her eyes widened.

            Hawse looked into her eyes and grinned. "Ready?"

            "Yeah."

            Grabbing her legs, he spread them apart, and Emmala lifted her knees, placing her feet flat on the warm grass. Now she knew what he meant, and she closed her eyes to savor what would come next.

            This was the way it was with her cave lover. Hawse would give her the sweet release she enjoyed, this time made especially pleasant with the warm sun shining down on them, and the fragrant air gently blowing over their bare skin.

            Pressing his face to her mound, she heard him inhale. "Aww, you smell great. I promise, this is going to be a great fuck. You're going to enjoy it."

            She smiled again as he balanced on one arm and reached down between them to grasp his erection. Placing it between her legs, he dropped over her chest and began to scoot forward, sliding his straining dick against her lower lips. Closing her eyes, Emmala waited for him to enter.

            Sharp pain streaked through her, and she gave a little cry.

            "It's all right," Hawse quickly assured her. "Holy crap, you're a virgin! Just hold on, Em. It will just hurt for a little bit."

            The pain increased. Jerking her hips away from his invasion, Emmala raised up on her elbows. "Stop! Stop hurting me!"

            "Shh! It's all right. It's supposed to hurt the first time. Trust me." He moved himself between her legs again and attempted to penetrate her, but it was too much for her to bear.

            "No! Stop! Stop it, Hawse! It hurts!" She scrambled backwards across the grass, which angered the young man.

            "Hey! No,
you
stop it! Stop being a tease, Emmala. You said you wanted to fuck. You can't just change your mind right in the middle of it." The young man glowered at her and reached for her foot, snagging her by the ankle. She kicked to release herself, but his grip was too strong, and she felt herself being dragged toward him.

            Rolling onto her stomach, she kicked again as she struggled to get away from Hawse and the pain he inflicted on her. Digging her fingers into the grass, she tried to pull herself away, but Hawse's hold on her leg was too strong. He yelled as he tried to grab her other foot.

            "Hey! I told you it'll only hurt for a moment!"

            "I don't want the hurt at all!" she yelled back. "I don't want your fuck! Go away!"

            "No!"

            A rough hand caught her other foot, and Emmala felt herself being hauled backwards. Her hand struck something hard. Instinctively, her fingers grasped the handle of her knife as Hawse threw his arms around her hips and shoved her up against him.

            "You said I could fuck you, and I'm going to fuck you. Let me take you from behind. It probably won't hurt as much that way."

            "No! Stop it, Hawse!"

            Bringing her arm down, she shoved the blade into whatever part of his body it would reach. The knife plunged into his upper thigh, and he squealed high and loud. Hawse angrily slapped her hand away from the weapon before he grabbed the handle to yank it free. She caught the glint of the knife in the corner of her eye when he flung it away.

            "Fucking tease! Attack me, will you! Telling me stop when you said you wanted it! Don't you tell me to stop, you fucking tease!" he growled, ramming his hips against her buttocks.

           
"No!"

           
She had no idea she screamed inside her mind. She dug her fingers into the ground and she kicked backwards to keep his hands from getting a strong grasp. One foot connected somewhere, and she heard him yelp, but in the end he was too strong, and quickly overpowered her. She felt him trying to shove himself into her as more bright, burning streaks of pain tore through her.

            She had no sense of time or place anymore. The sunshine and warmth had been replaced with blackness and fiery agony as Hawse tried to plow into her, but the damage to his leg was too much. He struggled, trying to hold on to her despite wound in his thigh. Emmala continued to fight him as warm blood coated the backs of her legs and buttocks, and more splattered the soft grass like red rain.

            There was a scream. It took her another second to realize it hadn't come from her.

            Suddenly, the pain was gone. The heavy weight holding her down was gone. The arms and hands bruising her flesh were gone. A shadow passed overhead, and a moment later, a beloved scent spread over her as Zonaton covered her with one wing.

           
Emmala! Emmala, speak to me.

           
"I...hurt." She was crying, her voice hitching with the tears. "Take me home, Zon. Take me away from here." She lifted her arms, and the geron tenderly cradled her against his chest.

            She turned her head to see Hawse lying on his back, looking as if he had fallen asleep, except for the shaft of flesh starting to sag from its upright position in the middle of his groin. There was no missing the bloody streaks coating his upper legs and lower belly. From the way the wound bled, it looked like she might have nicked an artery.

            "Is he...dead?"

           
He sleeps for now, but when he awakens, he will have a lot of explaining to do. Hold a moment.

            Zonaton reached down to grab the two pairs of discarded pants. He handed the smaller set to Emmala, then tied one leg of the other pair around the knife wound to act as a tourniquet. Hawse didn't move or react.

           
That should hold him until he returns to the village to seek medical attention.

            Turning his back on the young man to block her view, Zonaton caressed her cheek with his knuckles. Emmala looked up at him, wondering what he would say. Wondering if he would condemn her for her actions, or if she would be punished for what she'd done. Instead, he leaned forward to nuzzle her temple.