No, I can’t imagine what it would be like to be possessed by a Leonid. But I might want to find out...

Chapter Five

He was ashamed. He had acted like a King of old, a selfish King with many Queens to satisfy, hot-tempered and short, thinking only of himself.

Leonids had evolved from that. They were monogamous. They were not feral.

But there was still a month-long heat cycle multiple times a year. For each cycle, a Queen was in need of satisfaction three or four times a day until her hormones settled or conception occurred.

That was the King’s job—providing satisfaction and progeny.

Rupex contented himself that his body was confused and acting on long-unused muscle memory. One particular muscle was giving him insistent reminders. All male Leonids had penile spines. These short, soft, flexible spines were designed to swell and embed into the soft, spongy paradise of a Queen’s walls like they were starcrafts docking, locking them together for long moments where waves of pleasure coated them and endless jets of cum filled her. The fullness of the torrents of sperm put pressure on the already tender, aroused flesh inside a Queen’s tight sheath, causing her to orgasm over and over as she milked her lover dry.

Only after completion would the spines shrink and release.

Rupex wondered how much tighter, how infinitely tighter this human’s sheath would be around him, how full of his seed she would be, how helpless she would be, pinned down by his paws and held captive by his spines...

He had the unmistakable urge to rut.

A sweet, salty smell tickled his nose as the elevator juddered to a halt and opened behind him.

“I-if that’s what your people do to impregnate Queens, who am I to judge? Most human men don’t last five minutes. Daily ‘possessing’ could be a perk.”

Rupex wondered if his eyes would drop to the floor. “Have you no shame?” he asked, practically falling from the elevator in his haste to leave Layla behind.

In answer, Layla looked pointedly down at his crotch.

Betrayer. Rupex was glad that his golden fur hid his blush.

“No more shame than your body.” Layla scoffed as her eyes took their time to travel back to his face. “Look, I’m not a whore. If I were, I’d be living more comfortably—well, probably. But surrogacy is noble. I don’t care how it goes. Plus, you can pay me a surcharge per ‘coupling.’

“No. Per day.” Wait, why was he thinking of this? He hoped the sweet, tempting smell that was familiar yet foreign would vanish and release his fevered imagination.

“No deal.”

“The cost per day would be prohibitive! You know nothing about Leonid lovemaking.”

“This isn’t lovemaking. It’s biology.” Layla argued, crossing her arms under her bust.

It was a small bust, but he suddenly wondered how they would feel. Humans were so soft and so much less muscular.

Is she that soft all over?

“It’s madness.” Rupex stormed off.

His little sweet-smelling shadow followed, tempting him to think lewd thoughts—and to consider her proposal.

How had this happened? They were supposed to be discussing his proposal, a purely business endeavor. Now she had him wondering if it would be possible for them to start tonight if they could agree to terms.

Her voice echoed in the empty tunnel-like corridor of A-Deck, surrounding him, teasing his mind with her words like she teased his nose with her scent. “This is a mad galaxy. Look, daily surcharges and a monthly womb-rental fee. Plus a bonus for additional cubs. Leonids have litters, right?”

“You are a—a cunning female!” Rupex stopped halfway down the corridor to insult her.

Layla shrugged. “I want a better life. This could be my big payout, and it helps you, too. Win-win.”

That shut his mouth. Money was plentiful. He had no one to buy trinkets for. Salaries and overhead for the Comet Stalker had been far below his intake. Credits had flowed freely into his paws as crafts began to fly again, but he had maintained a skeleton crew and taken the long-distance, high-pay jobs few wanted. While many preferred to be “safe,” he preferred to be off-world, and he didn’t care if he flew with few in his pride. The smaller the pride, the better. He’d rather have double the work than risk losing so many.

“What would you charge?” Rupex finally asked.