Page 9 of K'Vella

I enjoy when a male feels like he can be his authentic self with me, just as I hope to find a male that I can be that way around. Plus, it'll take much more than that to scare me off. Varon males can be rough and demanding, especially if they allow themselves to lose themselves in their female.

"Do you think you could help me find some of these resources?" I ask, looking up at him with my most innocent expression.

I want to see if I can get him to flush a little pinker before our journey to my room ends. I've always enjoyed teasing males, and I hope Holoth is a male who enjoys being teased.

"Yeah, sure, uh, I can help you with search words." He rubs the back of his neck harder and doesn't look over at me. It's quite impressive how much he's attempting not to look at me.

"Are you sure you don't have something in mind?" I ask, pouting softly. "I'm sure you know of good educational resources. Whichever is your favorite will be perfect for me."

"My favorite?" He coughs into his hand, and a look of relief flashes on his face when he stops in front of a door. "Here's where you're staying," he says too quickly. "It's my room, but it's filled with my smell. It'll help your body grow used to me. It's said to help females conceive."

The door slides open, and I'm met with a slightly messy room that has Holoth's eyes widening. He steps around me, muttering apologies as he starts tidying the room. The bed is a sort of shallow bowl set into the floor. Inside is filled with a soft-looking mattress covered in a plethora of furs, pillows, and blankets, begging me to curl up in them.

"You may do what you want with the nest. Females of my species are particular about them, but I don't know if that calls to you. As you can see, I'm not particular about it, so long as there are enough pillows and furs to be comfortable," Holoth rambles. "I'd recommend sleeping with at least one fur close to you. Preferably, you should always keep one on you so your body begins to associate the smell with comfort and safety. It's meant to help with conception."

"Mhm, you said that." I step into the room, closer to Holoth, and notice that his entire body tenses as I take up space in his living area. "Are you staying in here with me?"

"Gods," he mutters under his breath and then turns away from me in a hurry to tidy up some other part of the room. "No, I think it's best if I'm not here unless I'm in my rut."

He's probably right. Rytharians are most likely to conceive when the male is in rut and the female is in heat. I'm altered, butnot in a way that would have me going through heats. I know it's possible for some species to be altered that way, but I won't have much use for a heat after I'm pregnant. That leaves Holoth's rut as the best time for me to conceive.

"Where will you stay then?" I ask.

"The pleasure crew room is open." Holoth shrugs. "It's where you would've stayed, but it smells of the last female and her mates."

My stomach tightens with an emotion I'm not quite familiar with at the thought of him being somewhere that smells of someone who isn't me. I don't know why it's important to me, but he's big on not letting me sniff anything that isn't him, so I should be allowed to feel the same.

His brows rise on his forehead as he realizes I might have an issue with it, and then he stands tall again, like this is some compliment on him as a male.

"Don't worry. I can't smell much." He taps his nose, where a small device is clipped between his nostrils. "It's a scent blocker since Avery has heats. Her pheromones are very strong. I can't smell anything anymore, but I'm sure you smell delicious."

My chest flushes at his strange compliment. It makes me feel warm inside in a way I'm not used to. Holoth smiles to himself like he's slowly returning to a confident version of himself the longer we interact.

I like it. I like how he stands tall and flexes his muscles when my eyes land on them. I like that his gaze stays on me, and I like his smell coating every inch of me now that I'm in his room.

His lips tick up higher on one side, but he says nothing else. He walks over to a closet and grabs a fur that he tosses over his shoulders. His purr rumbles low in his chest when he catches me still staring at him.

"I'll be down the hall three doors," he says as he walks toward the bedroom door. "If you need anything, you come to me."

I lean out the bedroom door as he walks back down the hall. "Holoth!" I call out, and he turns around quickly, confusion and worry flickering on his features. "What if I need help finding those videos of Rytharians in rut?"

His face turns scarlet again, and his eyes widen as he looks around the hall like someone might've heard what I asked him. He opens his mouth to say something but must think better of it because he closes it and turns around, saying nothing to me. I laugh to myself, knowing I embarrassed him with my teasing.

I close the door and plop into the middle of his bed. The pleasure crew necklace is still in my hand. I slip it over my head and click the glow to the green color, making it clear to Holoth if he has any questions about whether I'm interested in being with him. I laugh to myself, knowing he'll have gotten a comm notification about the color change if he's synced to the pendant already.

I lay in bed, sniffing at the soft things surrounding me. After a few minutes, I realize one of the pillows would be better in a different spot. Once I start with that, I can't stop until everything is exactly where it needs to be. Not that I know what I'm doing, but a feeling inside me guides me in putting everything where it makes the most sense.

I hear my comm ping at some point, but I'm too focused on making the bed perfect to check it. This is too important, and I need everything to be just right. It isn't until I finish with the bed that I finally check my comm messages.

Here are a few of my favorites.

Attached to the message are three videos that are educational in the best possible way. I snuggle into the bed and watch all three, taking the best mental notes in case I'm tested over it tomorrow.

It's late, so it's no surprise that I fall asleep curled up in the middle of the bed with the comm tablet playing Rytharian porn.

four

Holoth

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