She glanced back a few times, but he was gone. She slipped onto one of the side paths and went deep into the woods, unbuttoning and unzipping as she went.
She leaned against a tree as she slid her fingers around her clit. She was soaked. Never in her life had a kiss done that to her.
She rubbed her fingers against the tiny nub and shivered as a tiny murmur of an orgasm rippled through her. Insufficient.
She heard a sound behind her and tensed, but Tyron wrapped around her and slid his hand over hers. “Let me.”
She paused and then moved her hand aside to rest on top of his as he stroked her clit until she was rising on her toes.
She whimpered, and he pressed a soft kiss to her neck that turned into a slow licking nuzzle as the noises she made kept time with his fingers.
When he slipped a finger inside her and then a second, he whispered, “I wouldn’t be able to do both in my natural form. They are fused and have claws.” It was over for her. She threw her head back and moaned as he finger-fucked her while his thumb pressed her clit.
She gripped his hand and the tree in front of her as her body clenched around his fingers, and she let the waves roll through her. She slowly slumped in his arms and panted for breath.
She could smell him. It was distinctly Tyron. It was male, open ocean, and cold wind. It was wrapped around her now.
Mara was blushing as he slowly stroked out every aftershock her body was willing to part with.
He licked at the spot he had been worrying on her neck, and he chuckled. “Sorry. I appear to have marked you.”
She didn’t know how it was possible to get hotter, but her face tried. He licked up her neck, across her jaw, and tilted her face toward him for a kiss. She tried to dodge, but he gripped her head and held her. The kiss was deep, and she whimpered in his grip.
Her body didn’t have any reservations, it heated at the stroke of his tongue, and his fingers eased in and out of her slowly. In under a minute, she was rocking her hips against his hand, and his tongue was driving her insane.
She tried to close her thighs, but his hand kept them parted, and this time, his fingers reached deep and found her g-spot. With rapid motions, she was bucking and arching against him, his hands at her head and crotch supported her as she writhed. Mara heard her own frantic voice, and when she screamed into Tyron’s mouth, he took it as his due.
She hung in his grip, limp and sated, but when he raised his head, she could see he wanted more.
He sighed. “May I invite you out on a date tomorrow night?”
She was dazed. “What?”
“A date. To get to know me better. Arabella says that it will help for the full moon.”
He released his fingers from her with a disconcerting slurp and lifted his gleaming hand to his lips.
She felt hollow, empty, intrigued, and mortified as he started to lick his hand clean. She shuddered and asked, “Help, how?”
She pulled her clothes back into position and zipped up.
“To get us familiar with one another, and she also has insisted that I inform you as to my member, which I have already done.”
Mara nodded. “That you did. I am having trouble with the mental image, but I think I get the idea.”
He murmured, “I can show you. It is the part of us that only scales down when we take on our other form.”
She let out a strangled, “Not today.”
“Picnic in the moonlight tomorrow night?”
“Uh. Sure. What time?”
“I will pick you up at seven at your cabin.”
“Okay. What should I wear?”
“Something you can walk these paths in.”
She nodded. “Right.” She looked at him calmly licking his hand. “Aren’t you done yet?”
“You were extremely slick. It is rather encouraging that you respond so well to me.”
She nodded. “Happy you think so. So, at the ball, I am guessing you don’t actually dance.”
“Not above water, no. I have a pool for my dates. I haven’t used it in ages. I should get them to change the water.”
Mara laughed at his frown of concern before he licked between his fingers with focus. The sight of the point of his tongue caused her to clench, and she started to ease away from him.
“Um, I don’t breathe underwater.”
“That is taken into account. Don’t worry. You will survive the ball.” He finished licking his hand. “And now, I can track you in any body of water around the world. Not that you will run. You don’t seem like a runner.”
“Wouldn’t I have to be a swimmer?”
He chuckled. “You would indeed.”
She nodded and eased a little further until his hand tightened in her hair.
“Where are you going?”
“Um, back to my place for a change of... everything.”
He chuckled. “May I escort you back?”
“I... sure.” She looked directly at him. “Are you going to let my hair go?”
He tangled his fingers in it and then slowly let it slide free. “For now. I like it. It is fun to play with. It will look amazing underwater.”
“Is that going to happen?”
“Yes, but as I stated, your inability to breathe underwater has been taken into account. Don’t worry about it.”
He offered her his arm, and she wrapped her hand under his forearm. She gripped him firmly. It was safer to know where his hands were.
He led her down the hill, and their silence wasn’t tense. She was still reeling from the effect he had on her senses and the faint throbbing between her thighs. Every step was a reminder, and she swore she could still feel his fingers moving in her.
He took her directly to her cabin, and she was unsurprised that he knew where she lived.
“Here you are. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day off. I will see you tomorrow.”
Mara was expecting him to come in for a kiss, but he merely removed her hand from his arm and looked at her with a smile. “Uh, until tomorrow then.”
She frowned and then reached up to grab his shoulders, and she kissed him again. It wasn’t wise, it wasn’t smart, and it was impulsive, but when his lips were on hers again, she sighed in relief. The pleasant press of his lips against hers was delightful, and she held onto him until she heard a gasp. Blinking, she slowly softened the kiss and backed away from him. His smile was gentle and smug at the same time. He cupped her jaw. “Tomorrow at seven.”
She nodded. “Tomorrow at seven.”
She turned and walked into her cabin, seeing Lolly staring at Tyron. When Mara closed her door, he walked away. She could see him through the window of her living room.
The moment he was out of view, there was a knock at the door. She opened the door to Lolly and was pushed inside. “Tell. Me. Everything.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be working tonight?” She headed into the bedroom and changed quickly. She came out in a loose dress and clean underwear in under a minute.
“It’s quiet. The boss sent me home.” Lolly grinned. “The true question is what you are up to?”
“What do you mean?”
Lolly lunged forward and grabbed her arm. “Oh, my god. He invited you to the ball next week.”
The dark green band was held up at eye level.
“Um, yes. And a date tomorrow.”
“Oh, wow. You two looked cozy.” Lolly pulled her to a sofa and sat her down.
Mara’s heart was still pounding, her skin was tingling, and her new panties were in serious danger. “Cozy is a good word for it. Have you ever been invited by someone from the scary levels?”
Lolly shrugged. “Not invited. Barely even seen one. Commander Tyron is about the only one who associates with the human population directly.” She smiled. “Mind you, I hear that the mayor finally has a missus, and they had a baby. I haven’t seen it, but then, I don’t get into town much.”
“And she’s human?”
“She’s human. She used to work at a coffee shop.”
“Wow. Well, I was given a briefing on what to expect, so I guess it is just a matter of waiting for the night in question.”
“You have to tell me how he asked you.”
“Um, I had tried to walk away from him, so he wrapped his arms around me and slapped the cuff on me... which I guess is true to type.”
Lolly laughed.
Mara kept all mention of the hand inside her jeans to herself. She also didn’t mention the aphrodisiac in his saliva.
They talked about dating the monsters in the time around the ball, and it turned out that Lolly got around. She had gone to two balls that she could remember getting invitations to, and then, she started dating, and the invitations stopped.
Mara looked at her wristband. “Dating stops the invitations?”
“If you choose a bunch of different monsters in the same week, it does.”
“Oh.” Mara was pretty sure she couldn’t do that. She was a serial monogamist. She could only concentrate on one guy at a time.
They chatted about the variety of penises that the locals sported, and Mara was eventually left alone to read a book with her mind filled with tentacles and giant claws. Ovipositors were best left to science fiction, plus her link didn’t give her any information on it. She tried.
Mara went to bed, and her hand slid between her thighs more than once before dawn woke her.
She got up, made breakfast in the kitchenette, and then did some yoga on the back porch. The housing for the workers was top-notch. They were snug, five minutes from work, and on an amazing hillside with views to die for.
Once she had finished her routine, she knelt and looked out over the hillside and out to the body of water beyond.
Mara went inside and put on a dress and some sandals. It was a good day to walk into town since she would be spending the evening with Tyron.
She hadn’t counted on getting stared at when folks saw her left arm and the dark green band. When a dark-haired woman with a baby smiled at her, Mara smiled and waved back. The woman was seated outside the building housing the mayor’s office, and she beckoned for Mara to join her.
“I see you have a date for the ball with one of the elders.”
“Is that what this means?”
“That is what the dark colour means. Have a seat. I am Arabella, by the way.”
“I’m Mara. I work up at the Seaside restaurant. I walked in today to see the sights and boutiques.” She smiled and sat with her coffee cup. “The tea is better here, but I am a coffee junkie.”
Arabella smiled, and her baby giggled.
“She sounds happy.”
“Oh, she is, and she has her daddy wrapped around her little finger, in either form.” Arabella rocked her baby’s stroller. “And just about all the monsters. They consider her a sign of hope.”
“Hope?”
“That the balls are actually serving a purpose. Harrow has found a mate, and others are finding lovers, so things can’t be all bad. Can I guess who you are going to the ball with?”
Arabella held out her hand. Mara took the hint and extended her left arm.
“Let’s see. Dark green, gold flecks, a lot snugger than most I have seen. Tyron?”
Mara grimaced, and Arabella laughed.
The baby started fussing, and when Arabella took the cherub out and set her on her lap, the pudgy arms reached for Mara.
Arabella asked, “Can you tolerate babies?”
“When was her diaper last changed?”
“Harrow did it ten minutes ago. She’s good for a few hours.”
“He changes diapers?”
Arabella smiled. “He’s tall, strong, great sense of humour, and limited sense of smell. He does all the diapers. Even when he’s monstered out.”
“Wow. Well, in that case, she can come for a cuddle.” She held her arms out, and the baby came over with a smile. Mara settled the visitor on her lap and cuddled the baby with a practiced arm.
“She’s sweet. What’s her name?”
“Bella. Harrow named her while I was indisposed.”
“Indisposed?”
“I was suffering from the side effects of becoming a full citizen. Let’s just say it was not a simple process and a bit of a surprise.”
“Can you be less vague?”
Arabella nodded. “I could.” She looked around and leaned forward, then she said, “Citizenship came with this.”
Mara sat stunned as Arabella grew elegant long horns and her skin grew moonlight pale. “Whoa.”
Bella squealed and kicked her feet, and Arabella shifted back to human.
“I was not supposed to do that.” Arabella grinned. “Not in front of a human anyway. You aren’t supposed to know what the end game is.”
“So, we need to be monsters to have the babies? That isn’t how Tyron described his involved procedure.”
“Oh, how involved is it?”
“It apparently spans two months to get a pregnancy going, and I don’t know how long for gestation after that.”
Arabella laughed. “Less time than you think. Bella was here before I knew it, but Tyron will be at your side every day during that time if you two manage to get pregnant. Even with a match, getting pregnant is not an easy thing. I was the first one in centuries. Or rather, Bella was the first. I am sure a few happened that didn’t make it to term.”
“What would happen then?”
“I don’t know, but I think it might cost the parents their lives. It is an involved process.”
“Well, that is encouraging,” Mara said grimly.
“Hey, don’t knock the constant sex cravings. The guys are more than willing to help take the edge off.”
“Yeah, well, based on how Tyron describes having sex with him... I think friend-zoning him might be the way to go.”
Arabella laughed and propped her chin on her fist. “What happens when he kisses you?”
“Uh, waterworks, but he says that he has an aphrodisiac effect, so it probably happens to anyone.”
“They all have that, or they would never get laid in that form. Hell, they barely get any interested parties who already know what they are. They are stuck with folks who will only touch the human form. That isn’t any fun... well, it might be for a while, but on the full moon, it is a lot of fun to catch what they have to offer.”
Arabella’s eyes were bright, and Mara had one thing to say, “The mayor must be exhausted.”
Arabella cackled. “It is an even match. I think that might be why I matched with him. I am not ashamed of my libido. I just didn’t have much chance to go out and find a willing partner. I was always a monster in my own right, even before I got here.”
Bella reached up and grabbed Mara’s hair. Mara smiled and reclaimed it. A shadow crossed the baby’s face, and she squealed and wiggled.
Arabella chuckled. “Speak of the devil. Hello, Commander Tyron.”
Mara continued extracting her hair. She heard his deep voices say, “Ladies. Enjoying the afternoon?”
Arabella chuckled. “It is only just past noon. Why are you suddenly the time commander?”
Mara looked at him quickly. “Good day, Commander Tyron.”
“My, aren’t we formal today?” He crouched next to her and was barely shorter than she was seated.
She looked at him, and he grabbed her head and pulled her in for a kiss. Her body rioted, and it was only her grip on the baby that kept her from knocking him to his back.
Bella cooed happily, and Mara pulled back, blinking to focus her scattered thoughts.
Arabella was amused. “Bella likes the elders. She sucks on Tyron’s uniform all the time.”
Tyron reached out and stroked the baby’s cheek. “Yes, she does. She’s going to be a terror around here when she’s grown.”
“She turns all bubble-gum coloured on the full moons.” Arabella smiled. “A pretty blend of Harrow and me.” She chortled. “Bet it makes you want to have one of your own.”
Mara looked over and said, “Really? You didn’t have a hammer to pound that one in? Take the bait back.”
She tried to hand Bella to Arabella, but the baby arched her back and screamed, going red in the face.
Arabella chuckled. “She wants to stay with you, but if she tries to nurse, I will take her back. She could strip chrome off a bumper with that mouth.”
Mara looked at the now-calm baby and said, “Noted.”
Tyron chuckled and stroked Bella’s cheek again. “Good baby.”
His jaw was an inch from her. “Why is she a good baby?”
He turned his head and murmured, “Because she kept you where I want you.”
He kissed her again, and when his tongue tangled with hers, she moaned. The baby made a happy sound.
Arabella muttered. “Oh. My. God. My baby thinks that horny means happy. Oh, we are going to have to find a therapist or stop our activities with her in the room.”
Mara heard her but dismissed the words as Tyron woke her body with a simple, slow kiss.
“Son-of-a-bitch!” Mara yelped and pulled back as Bella decided it was lunch time, and one boob was as good as the next.
Arabella chuckled and eased her baby away from Mara. “I’ve got this.”
Tyron looked at the baby. “Bad baby.”
Arabella arranged her blouse, and Bella latched on with ferocity. “If you think she’s bad, you should see her dad.”
Mara covered the wet mark on her breast by grabbing her bicep to hide the slobber mark.
Tyron smiled. “I can charge her with assault while trying to grab dinner or something.”
Mara checked inside her dress and saw a bright red mark. “Arabella, are your nipples armour-plated or something?”
“You get used to it. Harrow... uh... helped.”
Tyron snickered. “He finishes what Bella doesn’t.”
Mara frowned, and then, her eyes widened. “Oh.”
“Yeah, so I am going to have to head upstairs. If he doesn’t get his snack, he gets hangry.” Arabella looked to Tyron. “Can you bring the stroller?”
He sighed. “Are you trying to pry me away from Mara?”
“Little bit. You are seeing her tonight, and she is going to need to get something on that nipple.”
Tyron looked like he would volunteer for that job, but Arabella got to her feet, and he sighed. “Fine. I will see you this evening, Mara.”
She nodded. “See you this evening. Oh, at my cabin?”
“Of course.” He smiled.
She got up, carried her coffee, and plucked at her dress as she walked back out of the city and toward the hills toward home. She had to get ready for her date and get some first aid for her nipple. Damn!