Page 6 of Ragoru

It was an act that would have seen him attacked by a female of his own species, but then again so would have daring to approach without a full triad. A lone male offering himself was a grave insult. A lone male was not adequate protection for a female’s home and the rogs that would come. He would have been spurned on principle. But he would have been seriously injured if not killed for attempting to mark and claim a female uninvited.

But the human was not Ragoru. She had not attacked him. He saw no reason why he shouldn’t defy the ancestral ways and just claim what he desired. And he very much desired her. He still couldn’t get her scent out of his nose or head.Ifhe was feeling a little remorse for his actions, that was what his offering was for. He would take care of his mate and see to smoothing over her anger all at once.

But first, he needed her out of the little dwelling.

Setting his offering to the side of the banked fire, Sabol crouched down and pulled aside the flap covering the entrance. His eyes narrowed and he peered curiously inside. The space was as cramped as a small den, and yet there was a coziness to it that was a little appealing. His nostrils flared, and he smiled as he caught her warm scent concentrated just ahead in the bundle of material. She slept.

A certain tenderness filled him at the sight, and he quietly chuffed at the strange hide covering that was so clearly attached to the dwelling. How could she even move in it?

Easing forward into the structure, he continued to scrutinize her covering. Ragoru enjoyed beds made of thick pelts, though they weren’t nearly as confining. As tight and thick as the material seemed, he imagined that she huddled beneath it to keep warm. As furless as she was, he imagined that she became cold easily and would prefer to remain warm and sleep through the coldest hours.

He glanced over his shoulder at the sky, visible between the trees. It was early yet. Only the faintest amount of sunlight brightened the night sky. It was no wonder she was still asleep. His gaze fell upon his kill wryly. Creeping back out, he plucked it from the ground and carried it some distance away so it wouldn’t draw predators to his female’s dwelling. Selecting a sturdy tree with big branches, he wedged it in place so that it would hang out of reach of any animal that might attempt to make away with an easy meal.

That meal was for his female, and it would wait there until he could give it to her.

Venturing back to her dwelling, he poked his head back inside and wiggled a little closer. He had to hunch down into a crouch to fit at all and he knew that his tail was poking outside, but he ignored it. He was too busy sizing up the space. It was so small. He didn’t understand how she could possibly be comfortable. There was barely enough room from him lie on his side next to her, and only if he curled himself around her tightly.

He grunted, his left ear flicking thoughtfully. It was doable. If he were to be squeezed into a small space with anyone it would only be tolerable with his female. A proper male would warm his mate until she awoke. Of course, a proper male would have two other males there who would help him warm her. He grinned at his surroundings. It was fortunate that he was alone because there was no way a whole triad would fit in there with her. As it was, he was very large, but she was also very small. They were a tight fit, but he didn’t see any reason that he wouldn’t be able to successfully warm her on his own.

Pleased with the idea, Sabol wiggled in further, grunting quietly as he carefully moved around the little bundle that held the sleeping human. Because it was anchored in place, he was constrained at how much he could carefully shift her to help him to squeeze in. Sucking in his breath, he angled his body so that as he drew up, he slowly curled around her, drawing in his feet and tail in the process, until he was able to lower himself with a sigh. He didn’t have even the smallest space to move, but he was surprisingly comfortable. His eyelids drooped as his fur gradually warmed within the tight confines of the space, and he yawned.

He would sleep just a little to pass the time, but he would be there when she woke. She would wake up surrounded by his warmth, feeling safe under the protection of his much larger size. She would be appreciative of his dedication. As he drifted off to sleep, the corner of his mouth curled as he imagined her delight at his kill. Then they would mate, and he would seek out a perfect spot for their den. It would be perfect.

Rumbling softly, he burrowed his muzzle against the back of her neck, delighting in her rich scent that he drew into his lungs as sleep seized him. He never felt happier or more comfortable than he did at that moment.

Sadly, it was short lived when he was awoken by a blow to his midsection and a wild scream seconds before the air crackled and pain shot through him, accompanied by the scent of scorched fur. With a yelp, he surged up to his feet, forgetting entirely where he was. There was a terrible sound as the material of the dwelling gave way and fell as he clawed his way free. Scurrying out from the confined space, he stopped at the nearest tree and stared back at the ruin. Material flopped and his female stood, her pelt on her head a wild tangle as she stared back at him with rounded eyes. She held a shining stick in front of her, and lightning lit up around the top portion of its length.

Sabor regarded it grimly and glanced at his female, his jaw tightening with determination. He tipped his head in acknowledgment and backed off. She had shown her teeth—so to speak—in attacking him. He would respect that and press his claim more subtly. Dropping back, he inched further from her sleeping area until it was out of sight and he could ascertain she didn’t feel threatened. His jaws cracked as he yawned widely, and he hurried over to the tree where his kill still waited for him.

With a pleased smile, he pulled it down and hurried back to his female, slowing only when he neared her claimed sleeping area. Smoke stung his nose, and when she came into view he noticed that she was bent over a contained fire. She seemed to be preparing something. Creeping forward on light paws, he drew as close as he dared and tossed the game so that it struck the ground a short distance from her. His female’s head snapped toward it in surprise, and Sabor melted back into the forest with a grin.

He would leave her in peace for now, but he wouldn’t be far.

CHAPTER7

Evie’s heart nearly leaped from her chest as the rabbit hit the ground a short distance from her. One of the few wild animals that originated from Earth, the rabbits that inhabited the forests inhabited nearly every continent on Solum in some form. Like the hogs, they were some of the first mutations, although due to their initial size, the changes in their population went unnoticed for some time. In case of the rabbits, however, it was speculated that the mutations happened after crossbreeding with another burrowing animal that resulted in the rabbits being considerably larger than they were commonly on Earth and the introduction of a new genome into the populations.

Given the size of the one she was looking at, she knew it wasn’t a fully mature adult. Even on the young side, however, it was still a lot of food for one person. Or at least for a human. No doubt for the lupine male she had encountered, it would have been a satisfying meal. She shook her head, unclear as to what he expected her to do with it. She pursed her lips at the rabbit and looked at the forest speculatively. He was out there somewhere but had made a strategic retreat—though not before lobbing thisgiftat her.

She wasn’t entirely sure if she should eat it. Despite the way her stomach rumbled at the idea of eating something more appealing than rations, she’d never eaten anything wild caught on Solum. They were just now beginning to test aquatic life forms to see how safe it would be to open fisheries. She knew of at least one Earth colony that had exported seafood, among other goods from their planet. The history of mutations on Solum made the scientific community a little more cautious, though they were well aware that people living in more rural areas far from the citadels had begun subsisting to supplement the produce and livestock grown on their farms.

Thankfully those mutations hadn’t shown any adverse effects on those who fed on the rabbits and hogs, nor had there been any mutations in the human population from wild-caught and foraged food, or else they would be dealing with an entirely new series of complications generations ago. Or perhaps the changes were not ones that were readily noticeable. If that were the case, and mutations had occurred in ways that were minor, it was possible that anything new introduced to a population could trigger a more dominant mutation that could completely change what humanity on Solum looked like. It was discussed at length among those in her field and related biological fields of study.

Thoughts like those who could keep one awake at night.

She knew of one lab that studied the effects of sleep-bite insects on human blood samples, but those studies were as of yet inconclusive regarding how the wildlife and native plant life could impact humans in the long term. Such concerns had only grown increasingly relevant after the loss of contact with Earth and the consequential end of supplies such as seed and livestock.

Could the strange lupine male be another mutation, or was he something else altogether? Had there been a native sapient species hidden in the forests that they hadn’t been aware of?

The corners of her mouth turned down, her brow knitting in a puzzled frown as she continued to stare at the dead rabbit. It seemed unlikely that they would have gone unnoticed for so long. But then where would they have come from?

And why would he feed her? That alone was one of many questions that had occupied her thoughts since her rude awakening. He had intentionally ejaculated all over her as if marking her, and then proceeded to curl up in her tent while she was sleeping as if he belonged there. Now he was feeding her. If it weren’t for the fact that he was an entirely different species, she would almost imagine that he was trying to initiate some sort of relationship with her.

But that didn’t make sense either because what appeal would a human have for an apex predator? In comparison humans were smaller, slower, weaker both physically and in terms of their senses, and possessed far fewer natural defenses. That did not make for an ideal mate, or for any desirable traits that he would want to pass on to his offspring—if their species could even conceive, which seemed highly doubtful. Still, the way that he had stared at her through the trees, all four of his arms braced out from his sides as if he were prepared to seize her at any moment, stayed with her. The way his eyes burned into her as if she were all he wanted and hungered for. He even let his prey escape because of her. Despite how frightened she’d been then and when she awoke with the alien snuggled up to her in her tent, there was something in retrospect that was almost flattering with all this new data.

Not that she was looking to be claimed by an alien male. Cultural differences aside, they were obviously very different physically. She wasn’t sure how such a thing would even work.

“Why am I even contemplating this?” she muttered to the dead rabbit.

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