I stared at Olix’s receding back in disbelief as he walked out of the room with the soiled blanket. Where the fuck was he going? He was his people’s top Hunter, the Spear of the Andturian clans. Surely the smell of blood wasn’t turning him off? This whole mess had started so awkwardly, finally gotten great, and was now going down the toilet at neck breaking speed.
I hadn’t expected much out of my wedding night, certainly not to be enjoying intimacy with a lizardman, and least of all for him to get me off like a rocket after he’d shown so much cluelessness. But his willingness to learn and to let me show him what pleased me had deeply touched me.
I liked that it had provided me with the excuse to explore his body in a way I wouldn’t have dared otherwise. Best of all, he’d seemed to enjoy some of the ways I touched him. I also especially loved that, once he’d gotten the gist of it, he’d taken over and applied what I’d shown him. However, he hadn’t simply copied me, he’d actually paid attention to my responses and reacted accordingly.
Olix appeared to be an attentive and generous lover. With time, my husband and I could have a very healthy and enjoyable sex life—and even life in general. But not if he took off on me right in the middle of the deed.
I strained my ear to catch any sound that could reveal what he was up to. Not knowing what to do with myself, I contemplated putting my negligee back on, not that it had seemed to impress or entice him in any way. However, since he had asked me to stay still until he returned, I reluctantly complied. As much as I disliked a bully or bossy person, I did like a take-charge kind of a man.
The door suddenly reopening startled me. Although it had felt like forever, Olix had barely been gone a couple of minutes. My annoyance instantly faded the minute I saw him approach the massive, circular bed. The muted lights from the glowstones that illuminated the room played on the green scales of my husband, giving them an almost dreamy aura as I watched his defined muscles ripple with each of his steps. The feel of them beneath my palm rekindled the flame that his fear about my virginal blood had somewhat doused.
I forced myself not to stare at his still extruded and still fully erect shaft. Olix was seriously well endowed. I may not have had penetrative sex with anyone, but I’ve had some heavy petting with the couple of men I had considered having a serious relationship with before realizing they just wanted a side piece. My husband had them beyond beat in the girth and length department.
However, size wasn’t the only difference. While the general shape was comparable, the top length of his shaft had some sort of a hump that was bound to give some extra sensations, and his entire penis was covered in a layer of soft scales. They reminded me of the ones that covered the thick, dreadlock-like strands at the back of their heads that they called quills. A strange name considering they were very pliable and felt more like soft leather strands.
As Olix stepped down into the bed, my inner walls clenched in both fear and anticipation. It had hurt a little when he had first started inserting himself. But it had been mild, thanks to the care he had displayed, despite my stupid body fighting him. I hadn’t even felt the breach of my hymen. In truth, while a part of me was relieved not to have sex while bathing in my own blood, the other wished he hadn’t cleaned me up and hadn’t stopped. My blood would have served as additional lubricant and, by now, he would be fully sheathed.
Without a word, he settled over me again, although his eyes locked with mine sought to validate that he still had my consent. I spread my legs and wrapped my arms around him in response. He kissed my lips like he had done previously before starting to push himself inside of me. I loved that kissing was becoming a reflex for him or that he was at least making a conscious effort to do it. He’d seemed so turned off the first time. But I loved kissing.
It burned again as he slowly made his way inside of me. However, he appeared to produce a natural lubricant of his own that was easing him in. I tried to ignore the discomfort between my thighs and focused instead on his lips and tongue on my neck. The small scales around his lips gently scraping my skin resonated directly in my core. To my major relief, although narrower and longer than a human’s, Olix’s tongue wasn’t forked. For some reason, that would have freaked me out. And its rougher texture felt amazing against my skin, and especially the way it had teased my nipples. Right now, it was doing wonders on the particularly sensitive spot in my neck.
I was half-sighing, half-moaning with pleasure when my body suddenly gave up the fight and yielded. Olix went from halfway in to fully sheathed. That burned and drew a startled yelp out of me. My husband froze, his head jerking up as he looked at me with worry.
I smiled reassuringly. “You’re in,” I whispered. “Good job.”
He relaxed slightly, but not fully. “Are you all right?”
“Yes,” I said with a nod. “You’ve done really well.”
This time, he fully relaxed and smiled, the most adorable mix of relief and pride descending on his alien features. To my pleasant surprise, he didn’t start moving right away. I didn’t know if Andturian females also needed a moment to adjust to their male’s girth, but Olix waited, covering my face and neck with kisses. Only when, with a will of their own, my inner walls began contracting around him did my husband start moving inside me.
Holy fuck! I had feared the scales of his shaft would wreck the soft lining of my inner walls, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. It was the most exquisite sensation, overtaking the underlying discomfort of feeling so incredibly stretched and full. And that hump on the top length of his member? Did I ever feel it! It seemed to undulate almost like a wave, massaging an incredibly sensitive spot inside me with each stroke.
The uninterrupted series of moans flowing out of my mouth were quickly joined by the growling ones from Olix. One look at his face completely messed me up. My man had stopped kissing me. Eyes closed, teeth clenched, his features constricted as if under extreme pain, Olix appeared to be fighting not to lose control due to excessive pleasure. I could feel him pick up the pace, taking me deeper and harder, only to emit a frustrated grunt and rein himself in.
A part of me wanted him to throw all caution to the wind and let his passion run wild, and the other feared he would destroy me. Still, in no time, he was vigorously thrusting into me, head thrown back while emitting that sibilant hiss mixed with a rattling sound that had creeped me the heck out at the spaceport. This time, it was sexy as fuck.
My skin felt feverish as liquid fire ran through my veins. My entire body began to shake with my impending climax. Then Olix called out my name followed by a series of words in his native language. I didn’t know what he had said, not that it mattered. But the almost feral passion with which he said it sent me over the edge.
I shouted as violent spasms took over me. My erratic movement impeded Olix’s possession of me. He slipped an arm under my right leg, lifting it, opening me wider to him and restraining some of my shaking. And then he went to town on me. I couldn’t say whether he had fully lost control or simply given in a bit more, but he pounded into me with wild abandon. Although it hurt a little, the pleasure of his scales and hump were driving me to the brink of insanity. I never fully came down from my first climax before he wrested another from me, this time, joining his voice to mine.
Olix slammed himself home, and his seed shot out violently inside of me. It was surprisingly hot, not so much it burned, but enough to notice. He didn’t move, although a series of spasms shook him while he continued to fill me with short spurts of his essence. When he finally appeared to reconnect with reality, he looked at me, shock descending on his features as if he was just now remembering he’d been brutally plowing into me.
“Did I hurt you?” he asked, almost panicked.
“Are you kidding? That was amazing!”
His jaw dropped and, for a second, he stared at me as if he wanted to make sure he’d heard right. When I beamed at him, the pride and joy that descended over his features turned me upside down. I realized then that, like me, he hadn’t expected much good to come out of this night.
“I am glad I was able to satisfy you, Susan,” he said in a deep, grumbling voice filled with emotion. “I have never experienced this much pleasure with a female. You are a wonder, my mate.”
Okay, now that messed me up big time. I didn’t even know what to say, not that I could have spoken a word my throat was so constricted. But Olix didn’t appear to expect an answer. His shaft still buried deep inside of me, he turned us over. Lying on top of him, I felt incredibly vulnerable and yet completely protected. He extended a hand towards the big fur at the edge of the bed and while pulling it over us, his tail flicked over a blue stone embedded in the floor next to another pair of colored stones by the bed. All the lights turned off.
Purring with contentment, I rested my head on my husband’s chest while the heat of the fur settled over me, and his tail wrapped around my legs. I didn’t fully know what the future held for us, but after our rough start, I was starting to believe we would make it.
I woke up feeling wonderful—although a little sore south of the border—the divine mattress and cushions around me feeling like a nest of clouds. To my great disappointment, Olix had already left. It shouldn’t have surprised me though. There was a six-hour difference between my native region on my homeworld and Monkoo Valley. I would therefore be jetlagged for a few days before adjusting to this new time. The shading still active on the window made it hard to know the current time.
Wading through the cushions, I reached for the stones embedded on the floor by the bed and waved my hand over the white one, lifting the shading on the window. It revealed the beautiful flower garden and green area between our house and the neighbor’s. The brightness outside surprised me. By the looks of things, it was probably close to noon.
Groaning inwardly, I crawled out of bed, quickly tried to give it a semblance of order, then donned a robe before exiting the room. While unsurprising, I was further disappointed not to find Olix in the living area. On the table, a nice breakfast had been left for me consisting of crunchy, slightly sweet cereal-like grains with nuts and fruits, and a thick smoothie-like drink. Even though there was probably more than I could eat, from what I had read about the Andturians, this was a somewhat humble portion, especially since it didn’t include any meat. And yet, my gut told me they had been generous with me.
Kayog’s words about the situation of the Andturians kept replaying in my mind. Olix’s short speech when thanking the other clans for their generous contribution to the feast further reinforced my belief that I could be of great help… if they let me.
I quickly showered, loving the stone design that created the illusion of a waterfall. The toilet was a different story, though. From what I’d seen so far, my new people didn’t possess a single seat with a backrest—ditto with the toilet. It was merely a cylindrical stone seat, hollow in the middle, in a corner of the room. With the damn thing being slightly wider than a human toilet—the hole as well—I had to be extra careful sitting at the edge not to fall in. I felt like a child transitioning to grown-up toilets after completing my potty training.
At first, I had wondered at the lack of backrest everywhere, then I remembered their tails. During the banquet, I had noticed that all of them either tucked it under their benches if they were standing on legs, or curled it around the base to avoid people inadvertently trampling or stepping on them. I would have to sweet talk someone into making me a special chair that I could lean back in to relax.
When I walked out of the house, the village was bustling with activity. The large plaza, where my wedding had been held last night, appeared to have been transformed into an outdoors workshop. Males and females were all working in a relaxed atmosphere, crafting a variety of magnificent objects, from jewelry to housewares and weapons. At the far back, a couple of forges had been set up. Zoltar was currently working at one of them, while Olix stood nearby, talking with a few other males. I didn’t know whether to make my way over there or leave him be for now.
Yamir—my mother-in-law—spared me from further pondering by abandoning whatever task she was doing and coming my way as soon as she saw me. Her broad grin and the pride displayed on her face instantly put me at ease. Last night had been such a rollercoaster of hits and misses that I had not quite known what to expect this morning.
“How are you feeling, Daughter?” Yamir asked as she came to a stop in front of me, her golden lizard eyes giving me an assessing look.
“I feel great, thank you. And after such a wonderful feast last night, I had not expected to be able to eat anything, but that breakfast was so good I devoured it all,” I said with a smile.
Although Yamir smiled, a sliver of worry flashed through her eyes. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Was it too little? Do you still hunger?”
“Oh no!” I exclaimed, shaking my head. “It was more than enough. In truth, it was a bit too much. I do not have a very big appetite.”
Yamir’s shoulders relaxed. That drove me to prod a little further, hoping not to offend her.
“I understand that the food situation has been getting a little challenging in the region of late,” I said carefully. “Is that true?”
She nodded, her face taking on a serious expression. “Hunters have been having a difficult time finding game in their usual hunting grounds. Something is causing a migration of the herds. They have to travel farther now and compete with other predators in those new areas. The situation isn’t dire,” she added quickly as if fearing her words had frightened me. “There is enough for everyone to eat. We’re not starving. Olix will be leading another great hunt in a week.”
I nodded and smiled to show I wasn’t concerned at all. “During the feast last night, there were many delicious side dishes with various roots and vegetables,” I said nonchalantly. “Where did those come from?”
“Our Gatherers harvest some of them in the forest and by the river. The rest, we trade for with other species in the monthly public market,” she replied.
That piqued my interest. “The public market?” I asked.
Yamir nodded. “The first day of every month, a large outdoor market is held outside the spaceport. All the native species bring the various goods they have to offer for sale. The majority of the customers come from the tourist resorts that have been built on our homeworld over the past few decades, as well as a couple of new communities that we have allowed to settle on our planet after their own was decimated by natural disasters. The main refugees are the Bosengi. They are very wealthy and have this silly propensity for flaunting their wealth by acquiring expensive things that can help further display their status.”
Despite the obvious criticism in her voice, Yamir didn’t express disdain but more amusement in the face of a behavior she clearly considered as silly. However, this interesting tidbit of information had not fallen on deaf ears. I would dig further into that public market business.
I cast an assessing glance at the Andturian working on the plaza, my wheels spinning.
“Should I presume then that all the crafting ongoing right now aims at preparing goods for the next market?” I asked.
“Yes,” Yamir said, puffing out her chest with pride. “We are crafting the finest items for convenient use around the dwelling, elegant adornments for the body, and exquisite weapons, both for hunting purposes and to be used in ceremonial settings. Not only do we use unique and highly resistant materials, but we also craft them honoring centuries old techniques and traditions.”
I bit the insides of my cheeks not to smile. You’d think she was doing a sales pitch. She didn’t have to convince me, but I could relate to this kind of passion about a craft passed down from generation to generation and that you devoted your own life perfecting.
“That’s wonderful,” I replied with sincerity. “I hope to learn more about it in the future and maybe even try it out myself.”
“We will be happy to teach you,” Yamir said with approval.
“Do you ever sell or trade some of the food harvested by the Gatherers?” I asked.
She looked at me as if I’d suddenly grown a second head. “Absolutely not,” she said firmly. “We have to be careful in our harvesting not to deplete the area too quickly. Therefore, our vegetable consumption is controlled. With the scarcity of game lately, we have overexploited the natural resources of the forest. We could not afford to sell or trade these precious resources.”
I licked my lips nervously, grateful for this opening onto the subject had been itching to broach ever since my arrival here.
“Yes, that is sensible. However, although I haven’t had a chance to have a close look at them, you appear to have vast lands behind and around the village,” I said nonchalantly. “Have you ever considered growing that produce there instead? That way you’d have plenty to eat and to sell or trade with?”
Yamir recoiled and gave me a shocked look as if I’d said something highly offensive.
“Absolutely not! We are Hunters, not Farmers, she exclaimed, her voice dripping with disdain. “Surely you wouldn’t suggest turning my people into dirt diggers?”
I stiffened, feeling deeply offended by her words.
“First, I’m not trying to turn anyone into anything,” I replied with a slightly clipped tone. “Second, what’s wrong with being a farmer? You do know that I am from Meterion, one of the major farming colonies of the solar system, right?”
She pinched her lips and had the decency of looking somewhat embarrassed, realizing how offensive her words had been to me. “There’s nothing wrong with your people doing what they do,” Yarmir said coolly. “But our people are Hunters, and my son is the greatest among them.”
“Fair enough,” I said, swallowing back the urge to snap at her. “But what’s the point of hunting if there are no animals to hunt? Hunting is a gamble. Farming, when done well, is pretty much a guarantee. Considering the difficult times our people are facing, don’t you want to consider options that could make sure we won’t starve?”
The savage expression that descended on my mother-in-law’s face twisted my insides. Her green scales taking on a pinkish—not to say reddish—hue was all the warning needed to know I better retreat immediately before I pushed her too far.
“You will not put crazy ideas into my son’s mind, do you hear me?” she hissed with such venom it took all of my willpower not to run for the hills. She took one menacing step towards me. “Olix is facing enough challenges right now without you making him look weak. Once before, off-worlders nearly destroyed our people by turning us into dirt diggers. You will not enslave us again.”
On these harsh words, Yamir turned around and stomped back to the small table she had been working at amidst the others. Every single pair of eyes was locked on me, curiosity and worry shining within in equal measure. A female whose name I didn’t know asked Yamir a question as soon as she sat down. By the annoyed, dismissive gesture my mother-in-law performed, I could only guess the female had inquired about what had just happened, and that Yamir had refused to answer. No wonder, if she felt this strongly that my hint about the people farming could so severely undermine Olix’s standing.
The challenge I faced was going to be far greater than I had anticipated.
