Page 81 of Theirs to Crave

Estrella

Tov was magic. We could make a killing with it back on Earth. Sell it at all the fatty boutiques and sex shops under a sign that said, “Great for chub rubandbutt stuff!”

The sore, swollen redness had disappeared completely in two days, and now—after walking almost an hour—I could’ve been wearing leggings as far as my thighs were concerned.

If they used this stuff for lube, they could fuck for days without getting sore.

I snuck a peek at Zafett, moving with feline grace beside me. My eyes dipped to the mysterious and very large, furred bulge between his legs.Tovmight just be enough to let me take whatever he was packing without being torn in half.

I thought of Revik, somewhere high in the trees above...then I thought of both of them. At the same time. That would probably be too much for eventovto handle, but what a way to go.

“Close now,” Litha said, smiling as she helped me over a huge, twisting root.

“Thank you.” I peered around her. The path ahead was pretty uneven. Shyly, I reached for the base of her tail, watching her face to make sure it was okay. She’d been the one to initiate the alternative to handholding, but it made me fluttery every time. It just felt so intimate.

She purred and curled the end of her tail around my calf, leading me onward.

How far away was the Svestrix village? My stomach roiled at the idea of meeting more Teterayuh. Would they welcome us? Or would they watch us with suspicion like Saytireka and the rest of the cobweb-brushers? That would make for a very uncomfortable shopping excursion.

It would be worth it as long as we got more of the lotion that made my Abuele feel better. Even if they ran us out of town with torches and pitchforks.

Litha looked back at me, concerned, and I forced my fingers to relax. The rest of my body took a few more breaths.

These new people—the Svestrix—would be friendly and welcoming. They’d load us up with a truckload of sweet-smelling lotion, and everything would be great.

I snorted. As if anything ever went that smoothly. Especially recently.

Revik dropped down beside Zafett, sandwiching the two of us between himself and Litha. Zafett was fast as lightning, and my fighting lessons were going...well, not horrible. But Revik and Litha were the muscle in our little group. They had a habitof putting themselves between Zafett or I and any danger—the Teterayuh version of walking on the car side of the sidewalk.

It made me tingly. On the one hand, the protectiveness was very sexy. On the other, I knew they expected and trusted me to take care of myself—even though I’d proven to occasionally transform into a mushroom—and that was sexy in a whole different way. The little girl inside me was all gooey with delight at the same time my feminism was punching the air, which was a nice but altogether unfamiliar combination.

“Here, Estrayuh.” Zafett broke into my thoughts with a smile, pulling aside a thick, draping magenta vine.

“Thank yo—” My throat snapped closed, biting off my words.

The Svestrix weren’t another village of Teterayuh. They weren’t Teterayuh at all.

They weregiant assed snake people! ¡Pinche serpientes!

Litha yelped, jerked to a stop by the vise-like grip of my hand on her tail.

I couldn’t take my eyes off the...what would they be called on Earth? There was something...nagas! That was it! They were completely scaled, with Teterayuh-sized upper bodies—vaguely humanoid except for the complete lack of hair or ears—elongated faces, and spines that moved...

Well, like snakes. From the hips down, though, it was all serpent. I couldn’t wrap my mind around the length of their tails...lower bodies...snake bits? Whatever they were, they were long as hell, and my brain threw an error message. All I got was: miles. Miles of snakey snake bits.

Madre de Dios, were they aliens too? Not-from-this-planet kind of aliens, like us?!

The more I looked—and I’d been staring long enough for real rudeness at this point—the more I thought not. Theyfithere. They and the Teterayuh matched the hugeness of the plants, and the bright colors of their scales felt right in this red rainbow jungle.

“Estrayuh?”

The urgency in Zafett’s voice told me it wasn’t the first time he’d called my name, and I finally blinked as his face filled my vision, blocking out the gente serpientes.

“Not Teterayuh,” I blurted, thoughtlessly.

“No...Svestrix.” Zafett tilted his head, ears flicking in confusion.

“I no understand...” I lifted my hands, waving them aimlessly as I searched for the words. Finally, I gave up and wiggled like a snake, hissing.Please, God, don’t let anyone else have seen that.

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