Page 7 of Bred By Fafnir

My eyes flick up the broad harsh lined back of Fafnir as I follow him to the nearest portal, all but scowling menacingly at everyone and everything. I get the whole grumpy, brooding warrior thing I really do. But must that consist of you acting like a complete ass? How am I supposed to bear a child for a being that hasn’t stopped glaring since he laid eyes on me? I’m not against a good hate fucking, I don’t suppose, but not with an alien that looks like he could rip me in half with a finger, let alone whatever the hell he’s supporting below the belted loincloth.

The echoed sound of his metal capped hooves clack loudly in the bustling port, and I have to imagine if he merely stomped hard enough, he’d bust straight into space. A tendril of anxiety buds in my chest as we step toward the portal. He waves his wrist over the creditexchange to pay for our passage. Most space ports can be connected through what Mom callsportal magic,but to my understanding, it is just tiny alien-made stable wormholes. If that sounds terrifying, it’s because it is. I have no idea how it works, only that if you look at just the right angle, you can see straight to the connecting port. The limit seems to be quadrant one to three, though, as far as my understanding goes, the others can’t safely be linked.

He ushers me up to the platform. It's just a door. A huge round door with swirling colorful miasma that could, if not functioning properly… theoretically, shoot me out just about anywhere in the universe. My rational mind offers that hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of beings use these daily. They are a common and practical form of travel, but my irrational mind couldn’t give less of a shit. My feet dig in as he tries to guide me forward, only resulting in him sliding me across the polished floor until we get to the lip. I don’t even think he noticed, much too busy glaring and brooding. The electricity, or… whatever the hell is swirling around the thing, crackles across my cheek, and an ugly scream builds in my throat, panic and self-preservation win out as I jerk free from his guiding hand and pivot, only to run straight into his broad chest like a steel wall. My hands slam up, gripping the ornate ropes of his loincloth as I all but bury my face in his warm stomach. I keep that forward momentum, like if I just carry on trying to escape, I can walk straight through the absolute brick house of a being and go the fuck home.

He smells like snow and the earth, warm and inviting. When his muscular arm comes around me, whether to peel me off or comfort me, I haven’t a clue, I don’t give him a chance. Banding around him seems like the best of multiple terrible choices currently. His body is rigid against mine, like he isn’t sure if I mean to harm him or not. My cheeks heat as I try to covertly peek up at him. His dark brown eyesare wide as he stares down at me. It’s only after another rapid breath on my part that I realize my breasts are heaving against something very large and veryhard.

“If you do not wish to show the entire port my cocks, please release my cloth.”

My mouth gapes, my hands flinging away from him like he’s on fire. “Sorry I just—" my words cut off as I peek behind the wall of a male realizing belatedly while I panicked, he’d just stepped through the damn thing anyway.

My surprise and relief are short-lived as he grumbles something under his breath and takes off deeper into the port, leaving me to scramble to keep up, his tail switching with agitation. My mind is reeling for several reasons, but one rings louder than the others.

He said cocks.

Plural.

As intwo.

Just two, right?

It couldn’t bemore.

I all but sprint to get back in stride with him, slowly taking in the new port around us. It's notably smaller and not nearly as lavish as Vortara. Where the former is covered in bright advertising banners and elaborate displays of the surrounding planets. Streamlined tech and AI, this one’s halls are darker, calmer, and the walls are filled with holo pictures of landscapes. The cool ones that move and emit a small sensory output.

My feet stagger to a stop as I take one in. The sweet, earthy scent and blast of frigid air it emits are confined to an environmental bubble. It’s by all accounts, just an open field backed by huge mountainous ice glaciers and snow tipped forests. The sky is bright but hazy, as if it's constantly pressed by fog. It’s beautiful, serene.

“That is a natural wildlife reservation about fifty ontics from our home bySihlih.” His voice is low, gruff, and the heat of him wars relentlessly with the cold from the picture.

My heart drops.

Ourhome.

In all the frenzy that’s been the past few hours, I’d nearly forgotten, or at least had successfully ignored, the painful way my heart is beating. My eyes dart back toward the portal as I step around him, nodding as if to tell him to continue. He doesn’t so much as blink as we set back off down the hall. How far away am I from them? It’s hard to fathom the distance, but I suppose it feels no heavier than it did when I stepped just outside my front door.

The message I sent to Melody on the shuttle went undelivered. I can only hope her pairing is going smoother than mine. The private transport is… huge, or maybe it's normal sized to them. We weren’t halfway to the planet’s surface before it occurred to me Fafnir wouldn’t come close to fitting in a standard sized one. He navigated the enormous machine with ease. Watching his arms and veined hands flex on the wheel had my thoughts turning back to the cocks comment. Thankful now more than ever that he seemed to agree with the Oozarians’ suggestion of allowing a grace period before I was expected to open my legs and hope for the best.

My breath rushes out of me as we break past the clouds, my nails digging into my own thighs. Out of the corner of my eye, Fafnir watches me as if he’s gauging my reaction. As if he truly cared what I thought of his planet, my lips tilt up just a bit. Perhaps he’s not as rough as I thought. Once we’re landed, my bag in his hand, he’s at my door in a few long strides. The blast of cold air nearly sends me retreating into the shuttle, but there are others here, and—

My eyes widen on the giant…thingprowling casually toward the shuttle, backtracking just as Fafnir’s strong, wide arm bands around my waist, all but hauling me from my seat. My nails dig into his arm as he sits me down, following my line of sight. The hint of a smile on his lips nearly shocks me as much as the creature does when he bends down from his great height, whispering in my ear. “Do not show him your fear, or he’ll never respect you. And neither will they.”

My eyes leave the large…lizard-lion mismatched creature bounding closer, long enough to take in the two Bhaurnul men eyeing me curiously, although they try to be respectful about it. Key word beingtry.The deep breath I suck through my lungs is crisp and soothing as I lift my chin, nodding at them in greeting. They return the favor before forcing their gazes away with little to no effort. If the Oozarians said humans worked with the Bhaurnul people before, it clearly wasn’t here.

“Shorra'vulValoryx.” Fafnir greets the gigantic creature, petting its large muzzle affectionately.

It’s by sheer luck that I keep my steps from faltering as I step away from the shuttle and toward them, eyeing the feline with a boldness I don’t currently feel even a respective ounce of.

“See to the shuttle.” Fafnir barks at the lingering men. I don’t miss the near scrambled flurry of activity that follows. “I will guide your mounts.”

My head swivels, just noticing for the first time the other two largemountshanging back away from the group as if awaiting permission to approach.

“Come female, you are not dressed for the cold.”

My pulse hiccups as I approach the beast. Its thick, dark blue scales line its back and down the base of its heavy barbed tail, although its face is distinctly lion, save for the horns. Their sharp points jutting from its proud, lush, tan colored mane like a deadly crown cresting the top of its head. Fafnir watches me closely, like whatever I do next counts for something. My teeth gore my inner cheek until it bleeds with the effort to not flinch as the beast lets out something between a hiss and a deep, reverberating growl. I ignore it, striding past at a leisurely pace as its monstrous head snaps toward me, its hot breath tickling my neck.

It’s a test of will, a show of power. The dammed lizard lion is trying to size me up. Its eyes track me, but I ignore it, the same way you’d ignore an asteroid hurling toward your home because there’s nothing you can do about it anyway. Even as powerful and competent as the males again lingering and watching me from all angles are, if this animal decided I was on the menu, fuck-all could be done for me. My eyes settle on Fafnir’s as he gifts me the smallest of approving nods. It does ridiculous things to my stomach. I get the impression a male like this rarely gives out respect or approval. No, it's something you have toearnfrom him. If we’re going to be together for a year, I might as well do exactly that. Regardless of his grating demeanor.

When he grips my waist, hauling me atop the beast, I shiver, assuring myself it’s because of the cold and not the way his large handsdented and pressed my flesh a little too hard. Like he doesn’t know his own strength. I adjust myself in the makeshift saddle, I’m sure is here for my benefit, as he hauls himself up behind me. His large back presses me forward as he grips the reins, his cheek dusting the top of my head as he tells me to ready myself.

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