Page 8 of Guarded By the Vodnik

Next thing I knew, she lunged for me with a cry. All her limbs wrapped around me with a shocking force, squeezing so tightly, my breath stuttered against my ribs. Her body was like a tight band wrapped around my torso, her invasion into my personal space so sudden, I didn’t know how to react.

I didn’t speak or move. My entire body grew rigid, overwhelmed by the explosion of heat all over my scales. She was scalding, shockingly so, and yet, not unpleasant. I was caught up in sensations, desperately trying to understand what I felt. Tremors ran down my tentacles, which spasmed jerkily with an unfamiliar urge that made no sense.

My body wanted to do something, but my thoughts swam rampant, half-formed and impossible to comprehend. In my bewilderment, all I did was hold still and let the human cling to me while she shook, her chest fluttering with rapid breaths.

Her arms were around my neck, squeezing tightly, her fingertips scraping the scales on my back in a way that sent pleasant shocks to my already overloaded brain. Her legs squeezed my waist, pressed so tightly to my scales, there wasn’t an inch of space left between us.

I absorbed her tremors, beginning to shake, too. My hands were still on her lower ribs, and I jerked them away from her body, spreading my arms wide to avoid touching her apart from where she gripped me.

A sudden, ridiculous fear tore through me. I was afraid if I touched her with a big enough area of my body, she would melt me into nothing.

She was so hot.

And so I floated uncomfortably with my arms spread wide, rigid and confused, while my human principal clung to me, making small noises of distress. When I realized we were slowly sinking lower, I finally remembered she was supposed to adjust first, so I kicked up, the movement jerky and too forceful.

Feeling the motion, she pressed even closer, her entire body grinding into my scales like she wanted to glue herself to me. I swallowed, my unease growing as hot and cold shivers crawled down my spine.

What was she doing? What did it mean?

I didn’t understand her. Was this something human females did? But no, I had enough experience with humans to know this wasn’t the case. What, then? Why did she cling to me like she was terrified to let go? We were strangers. It didn’t make any sense.

But what baffled me even more was that I let her. She held on tightly, yes, but she was still human. It would take one good tug to dislodge her and put her at a respectful distance.

So why didn’t I do it?

I tried to think it through, but my brain kept firing with strange, impossible thoughts that were more shapes than words. I kept still, apart from gently undulating to keep us level. Cold waters pressed at me from every side, calm again now that she didn’t move. She pressed so close to me, it seemed like we were one.

It was shockingly pleasant, that juxtaposition. Her thought-scattering heat combined with the soothing coolness of the lake scratched an ancient itch I only now realized I had.

I hadn’t even been aware I needed this before. To have the warm and the cold at once. Now that I felt it, I was loath for it to stop. It felt… Not quite good. Not bad, either. My thoughts contorted into even stranger, wilder shapes as I tried to puzzle it out.

What is this feeling?

Time passed. Her shaking gradually stopped while my body trembled with small shocks. I felt ridiculous, still holding my arms far away from our bodies, my tentacles spasming with that urge I couldn’t name and was too terrified to act on, because I didn’t understand it.

An unfamiliar hotness gathered in my chest and enveloped my face, something tingly and confusing. It made me want to push her away and hold her closer at the same time. I’d never felt so many conflicting, alien things at once.

I was at a loss.

Yet when she took a deep breath, seeming completely calm now, and loosened her hold, I acted without thinking. My arms shot out to close around her, one below, one above her air tank. A low growl reverberated in my voice sack.

Stay.

She made a surprised sound and squirmed in my hold, which sent more confusing sensations into my brain that was already filled with a cacophony of strangeness.

“Oh, are we supposed to… Is this… Because I didn’t know…”

She stuttered through her words, speaking jumbled, incoherent nonsense that I didn’t focus on, anyway. I was too busy negotiating with my body, which suddenly seemed to have a will of its own.

Let go, I instructed my arms while my fingers spasmed in protest, moving over the smooth fabric of her suit and drinking in her warmth.

She is your principal. And human. This makes no sense. Let go.

“I’m sorry I jumped on you,” she said, finally growing coherent.

Her voice was melodic and low, a bit distorted by the piece of plastic over her mouth. She had a pleasant timbre that flowed smoothly. Somehow, it also seemed warm, just like the rest of her.

I wanted her to say something more, so when she fell silent, I felt disgruntled.

---