Tag Mate: Part 3

 

For a while, Jaimz just lay there, somnolent in the early morning light.  He sighed and stretched against the long warm body the lay solid against him and he drew his hand lazily along that strongly muscled and yet so softly pelted arm that was casually wrapped around him.  He enjoyed the warmth of Kaiel against his back, for Z’Rarla’s mornings were never warm—or so he had determined after just 10 or so mornings (that he could remember well enough, he had been pretty sick those first few mornings before he had accepted Kaiel as his new Tag Mate).  He smiled dreamily while thinking that waking with this huge fur blanket to warm him did make the mornings quite pleasant.  On some level he knew that once he was away from Kaiel and back to his non-72-hour schedules that the thoughts he entertained now would seem vaguely disturbing to him, but at this moment, lying in the morning light and being warmed by Kaiel’s slumbering body he could quietly admit how much he was really starting to like this, and so far…three for three times, he had slept through the night and wakened with Kaiel in the morning after a 72-hour stint. 

He recalled with a blush that 1 for 2 of the previous 72-hour mornings had ended in sex, and this morning would result in the same.  He knew that it was the logical and correct choice to make for both their sakes, Kaiel would need to be at his best during this conference and by even extending the period of time between now and the next 72-hour by even a few hours would be of some help.  He stroked Kaiel’s arm as he thought about how terribly painful and dehabilitating the TWS could be, he had gone through it nearly to its final conclusion and the latter days had been extremely difficult even with Kang’s constant monitoring and care.  Kaiel would have no Kang to pester after him and make sure he took his medicine and didn’t overexert himself so Jaimz was naturally worried about how Kaiel would handle his first bout with the TWS…especially since he would be doing it voluntarily.

He sensed, more than anything, the moment when Kaiel roused toward serene wakefulness, he knew that he was awake even though nothing in his relaxed posture changed.  For the longest time, they both lay in comfortable silence, knowing the other was awake and simply enjoyed the silent pleasure of each other’s company.  Jaimz wasn’t even disturbed that he would be voluntarily sharing his body without the 72-hour impetus to make it more acceptable, for he knew the worth of what he was about to do, and he knew that it was the only right thing to do for both their sakes.

After a long quiet moment though Kaiel’s arm gently tightened around him and Kaiel asked softly, “What are you thinking?” as he bent to nuzzle the back of his shoulder.

Jaimz shivered, “About nothing and everything.  I’m worried about how you will handle the Tag Withdrawal… It really is awful…  The headaches, the nausea, the dizziness can be horrendous, I know.  And you will be conducting meetings and who knows what while under the influence of the TWS, it’s going to be very hard for you Kaiel.”

Kaiel murmured (with his mouth against Jaimz’ shoulder), “You will also be going through it when I do.   Don’t worry about me.  I’ll be fine.”

Jaimz tilted his head back, “But I’ll have Kang to look after me, you won’t have anyone to watch after you.”

Kaiel straightened up slightly and looked into those intense and worried sea-foam green eyes, then after a moment he bent down and lightly kissed Jaimz’ cheek while working toward his shapely mouth.  “I will have Heron though, and he’s quite a mother.  Such a worrier.”  He complained teasingly as he nibbled at the edge of Jaimz’ mouth, to which Jaimz softly laughed, and then willingly shifted around into the kiss. 

For a moment the kiss took all precedence, then grinning happily Kaiel lifted away and flopped contentedly onto his back.   Jaimz sighed and returned to gazing out at the vast morning lit savanna, before continuing with his earlier worry before the kiss had so pleasantly interrupted him.  “But Heron won’t know what you’ll be going through Kaiel, I wish you would take it seriously.”

In response once again Kaiel pressed up along his back and wrapped his arms around him, and pulled him back into the warmth of his pelt, and more.  He tilted his head back to look up at Kaiel who bent toward him saying, “I will be careful, I am taking this very seriously and I am worried too.” Though Kaiel would not admit that he was more worried about how Jaimz would handle the return of TWS after he’d already suffered one horrific bout of it. 

Jaimz still seemed to understand what was unspoken and he growled, “I’ll have Kang remember?  Just worry about yourself idiot!”

Kaiel chuckled and said teasingly, “I like to worry about you though…you’re so small and cute and delicate—.”

To which he received a clipped, “Shut up.” Followed with a playful punch and a lazy grin.  He laughed, pulling Jaimz bottom into his groin so that Jaimz could become instantly aware of his growing state.  He saw by the widening of those marvelous green eyes of his that Jaimz had no trouble detecting his immerging rod, as it greeted the morning and kissed Jaimz’ satiny skin too.  Jaimz stayed as he was, tilted partially around, but with his buttocks and thighs pressed firmly into Kaiel’s groin and lap.  He felt his heartbeat quickening even as a little thrill of anticipation knotted and simultaneously released in his gut. 

Kaiel asked for nothing, spoke not a word, and yet he seemed to know when to take the next step.  As always he pulled away from Jaimz to carefully oil his slick rod, but this time Jaimz rose and helped him.  Kaiel watched as Jaimz slid his own oily fingers around his as he helped to slather the oil thoroughly over the rod.  Jaimz grinned at him, he was definitely growing bolder and more willing to try things out, but what he didn’t expect was what Jaimz did next. 

Jaimz turned and pressed his back into his chest.  Kaiel gasped softly, understanding what Jaimz was about, and hastened to position his rod so that Jaimz could come down on him without any trouble.  He also slid his greasy hand between Jaimz’ firm cheeks and caressed oil lovingly over that small pucker secreted between them, while Jaimz shivered and leaned gasping against him.  When he was ready he slid his free hand around Jaimz’ waist and lightly supported him even as he helped to guide his fully extended rod between those rounded cheeks.  Jaimz gasped and shuddered as the slippery cone slid easily within his yielding body, he arched back, pushing himself firmly into Kaiel’s warm panting body even as he continued to lower himself.   He moaned as the rod gradually stretched him to aching and there he stopped, easing himself up, and then down again until his legs trembled with effort.  It was then Kaiel decided that Jaimz was only going to hurt himself this way, so he said, “Let me.” He hugged Jaimz against him while he carried him forward onto his hands and knees and with Jaimz so positioned he did the work, holding Jaimz around his slender hips as he stroked back and thrust forward.  With that, Jaimz let out a deep shuddering moan, which he repeated with the next thrust, and the one after, even as he rocked his hips and pushed back into that deep penetration. 

Once when Kaiel had seated himself right against Jaimz tender bottom and thrust even deeper so that his sheath was pushed back to expose more rod Jaimz let out a raggedly breathless cry that just made Kaiel freeze, for he was afraid that he had reached Jaimz’ physical limit and hurt him.  But after a second of stillness Jaimz reached up and hugged his arm and moaned shakily, “Don’t…stop….”

Kaiel stroked back, withdrawing to the root of the flare, which was fully engaged, so that nearly all his slick red length extended from between those reddened and glistening cheeks.  He looked at himself stretched between his own and Jaimz’ small body and he marveled as he thrust forward once again how Jaimz could take him so well.  And that was exactly what Jaimz was doing, taking him, even taking some of his sheathed rod too as in this position being pressed right back into him allowed his sheath to mound up against his groin to fully expose what was normally still enclosed.  

He heard a shaky catch of breath and as he listened he heard Jaimz’ distinctive whimpers and once again he stopped himself.  Jaimz was sobbing he realized as he bent around him, and seeing the tears beading on his long gold-tipped eyelashes Kaiel worried that he was hurting him.  He eased Jaimz around, his body was nearly as supple as his own, but he was so careful because he was still much more delicate in build that he could hurt him so easily.  “Are you ok?  Am I hurting you?” he worried.

Jaimz finished turning himself around, straddled Kaiel to kneel alongside his strong thighs and he wrapped his trembling arms loosely around his waist.  Then with his face resting against his chest and his eyes still leaking tears Jaimz breathlessly murmured, “You weren’t—hurting me.  Not really…but,” he glanced up into Kaiel’s worried face and smilingly said, “I think I like it better this way though.”

Kaiel sighed in deep relief, hurting his Tag Mate even a little concerned him, for he tried to be careful and restrain his full strength so that he didn’t pound Jaimz raw with his desire.  He bent and licked the dampness from Jaimz’ cheeks and whispered, “I’m sorry.” Even as he gently clutched on handful each of firm greasy cheek and eased him up even as he rocked his own hips to internally stroke his deep-seated rod within that yielding tightness. 

Jaimz shivered around him and then laughed shakily, “It wasn’t your fault Kaiel.  Actually I kind of—well liked it a bit.”

Kaiel carried him forward, supporting his legs as he bent over him.  Jaimz drew him down as he thrust to the hilt again, and clung to him gasping and shaking at the deepness of the thrust.  Kaiel worried that he was still thrusting too deep and tried to draw back, but Jaimz decided he was having none of that and wrapped his legs firmly about his hips, locking him in place…and Jaimz’ legs were pretty strong.   Lying rather trapped, held by arms and legs Kaiel nuzzled Jaimz’ shoulder and rocked his hips only, stroking upward.  Jaimz gasped and though his limbs trembled, he only tightened his hold, especially around his hips.  He lifted his head away from Jaimz to look at him wonderingly, and Jaimz smiled faintly back at him and wondered aloud, “Why are you holding back Kaiel?”

Kaiel lowered his head and lightly kissed that sweet mouth even as again he rocked his hips and stroked ever so deep inside, he could continue to rock his hips up and down and slowly drive Jaimz crazy with the pleasure of it…trapped as he was he couldn’t really set up a thrusting and penetrating rhythm, but fully seated as he was, inside all that snug heat little movements could be every bit as enticing and even more maddening for the recipient. 

Kaiel answered truthfully, as he rocked again and elicited yet another breathy moan from Jaimz, “Because I don’t want to hurt you.”

Jaimz threaded his fingers through his mane and tugged his head down for a thoroughly devastating kiss, and he eased his grip on his hips.  When he released him with a saucy smile it was to say, “Will you please fuck me and stop playing with me?”

Still, Kaiel remembered the tears, and even as he eased back to begin his deep penetrating rhythm he couldn’t help but ask, “Are you sure…I don’t want to hurt you.”

Jaimz sighed, and tugged him down again, though this time he didn’t kiss him, instead he whispered breathily, “Please Kaiel, please.  You didn’t hurt me… I was remembering… remembering what they…used to do to me.”  He looked at Kaiel with those intense eyes and waited for understanding to dawn.

It did, as Kaiel drew him up, sitting against him again and hugged all around him with his whole body.  Jaimz was surprised at first, and then he sank into all that comfort even as he felt Kaiel release his first wave of liquid heat deep inside.  Kaiel just hugged him and rocked him, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” He whispered against Jaimz’ crown and then bent to press his softly felted chin into Jaimz shoulder, “I never wanted to remind you of that…never.  I’m so sorry.”

Jaimz’ small hands reached up around his neck and laced his fingers through his mane again as he softly murmured, “Idiot, it’s not your fault.  It was never your fault.”  He tugged until Kaiel lifted his head, and then he whispered,  “You rescued me Kaiel.”

Kaiel’s eyes brightened, and even as he felt another quickening deep with himself he rolled forward, to thrust and give Jaimz what he craved, this invigorating release that brought him to orgasm as well.  Jaimz gave of himself so completely; that he was entirely reckless, begging for all that Kaiel would give him and taking it with every deep plunge, with every demanding kiss, and with his own grasping fingers, and his own grasping legs, he rode Kaiel as Kaiel rode him and when the final shudder came, and his own release finally happened he cried out and clung to Kaiel as he shuddered and sobbed, rather appalled with his own wanton behavior. 

Finally, when all but the final relaxing of the flare was complete and they lay panting and cooling down from the heat of the union, Jaimz sighed morosely and muttered, “What is wrong with me?”

Kaiel, who thought nothing was wrong with his Tag Mate, knew of course what he meant; he understood perfectly how conflicted Jaimz was in finding he liked joining as much as he did.  There was no doubt that he did enjoy it utterly and completely even if he did wonder why.  Kaiel didn’t touch him, well other than internally where the flare still tied them together, as there was nothing he could do about that yet, he choose not to even think about it as he wondered, “Is it so wrong to enjoy yourself Jaimz?”

Jaimz didn’t reply he just stayed as he was, staring out toward the savanna and sulking with out a doubt.

Kaiel sighed, he felt great, invigorated and ready to face his day.  Sex with Jaimz was always wonderful and if he thought it possible he would lay tied like this forever with Jaimz, even though of course such a notion was impossible… it still made for a nice sensual dream.  He glanced at Jaimz, who had huddled as far from him as he could get without hurting either of them, which meant that his body was pressed against him and the rod was slightly exposed between them, waiting for the flare to recede and release.  “Why can’t you have pleasure Jaimz?  Do you really want the 72-hour to be simple joining? Like open your legs and get fucked already?  Is that what you really want Jaimz?  No enjoyment?  Just the duty of getting the job done?”

Jaimz was listening, and he was thinking too, hearing Kaiel say “open your legs and get fucked” actually sounded so ridiculous and funny that he felt a helpless chuckle ripple through him.  He smiled, just imagining himself doing his duty of answering the 72-hour itch like some suffering housewife feeling that performing in the marriage bed was a duty that must be endured.  He chuckled again, thinking that he wasn’t enduring at all; he had pretty much initiated the love play this morning, even though what he had tried hadn’t worked because it had brought back rather bad memories of similar play that had never been so much fun.  Last night he had also taken control for a while.  He basically said when they would have sex, so he was in control of that, even if the sex always turned out to be so much more than he ever expected.  His cheeks warmed just thinking about how good he felt and how wonderful the sex had been and just how wanton he had been but still he couldn’t get that image of himself lying back on the bed, lifting back his apron (as if he was the suffering housewife) and spreading his legs to perform his 72-hour duty.   He dissolved into silent laughter with that image in his mind, and was barely aware of the rod as it finally slurped free of his body.

Kaiel eased himself back into his pouch, and glanced toward Jaimz and though he heard nothing except for the occasional strangled gurgle he could see Jaimz’ shoulders shaking.  He leaned over him wonderingly and asked mildly, “Are you laughing?”

That was all it took for the laughter to bubble out and for Jaimz to try to explain while tears from laughing so hard stung his eyes.  “So funny!” He gasped laughingly, “It’s so-so funny what you said…about-about parting my legs and just getting fucked already…. So funny!”

Kaiel smiled, though he didn’t join Jaimz in his hilarity.  Finally Jaimz did quiet and after wiping his eyes and catching his breath he gave Kaiel a serious look while canting his head, “I don’t mean to think too much…really I don’t.  But IT is still so hard for me to bear the position I find my self in.” He sighed then and smiled faintly, “I never expected to take on a female role Kaiel.  Taking you, the way I do…I will probably struggle with it for the rest of my life.”  He grinned suddenly, “And I doubt it will as much fun for you when I get old and ugly.”

Kaiel frowned thoughtfully, “I cannot know how it is for you, not really.  But I have never thought of you as—female, Jaimz.  To me you have always been Jaimz, and when I come together with you I’m not looking to fuck a vagina.”

He was so blunt that Jaimz just stared at him in complete silence, not knowing how to respond to that, even though his expressive cheeks grew warm again.  Kaiel leaned forward and licked one heated cheek and murmured softly, “If I had time and if you were willing and if I were able right now, I would fuck you again….  I know what you are Jaimz and I’m not confused.”  Then he grinned as he leaned away from his thoughtful mate, “Besides, I’m not worried, I think that you will age beautifully.”

His announcement only made Jaimz’ cheeks grow all the warmer, but if it was about his conviction that Jaimz would age beautifully or his announcement that he would be happy to do him right now if he was able…well Kaiel decided not to speculate to much.  Though Jaimz’ slight smile and lowered eyes was probably a clue that he was thinking more about the doing it right now part and not so much about the growing old part.

But, as much as he fancied the idea of humping Jaimz until neither of them could walk straight he had too much to do today, not the least of which was getting to the conference.  He sighed, and said soberly, “I have to get ready for my trip.”

Jaimz nodded, and went up onto his knees and wrapped his arms around Kaiel’s high shoulders and leaned his slender body full against him as he lightly kissed him, brushed his cheek against his and finally settled down to rest his chin on Kaiel’s solid shoulder.  “Be careful,” he whispered, “Don’t ignore the pain of the withdrawal Kaiel.  Just be careful, ok?”

Kaiel bent into Jaimz’ tender hug, wrapping his arms around his small body and murmured against the delicate shell of his ear.  “Ok.  I’ll be careful.”

For a moment they just sat there, quietly enjoying each other’s company, and then Jaimz released him and Kaiel let his small lover slide out of his embrace.  Jaimz slid off the bed and glided to the chair where he had left his sleep-tunic and shorts and Kaiel watched, enjoying the view, as he slid into the tunic, which covered his hips anyway, but not the shorts.  He sighed as he gave the shorts a bit of a shake and said self-consciously, “I’m all sticky.”

Kaiel couldn’t resist, watching Jaimz dress (even partially) and knowing that beneath that skimpy tunic Jaimz was nicely bare only made what he wanted to do so much fun.  He startled Jaimz as he playfully flipped him over the same chair his clothing had been on only seconds before, and as Jaimz yelped in indignant surprise he buried his face between those damp and still reddened cheeks and delivered a deep and penetrating lick to Jaimz’ still achingly swollen anus.  Jaimz gasped and shuddered all over, then cursed him resoundingly while laughing and crying as Kaiel bathed him lovingly with his long warm tongue.  It was all for Jaimz to do to just clutch the chair back and hold on as Kaiel trapped his hips between his powerful hands and made determined love to his anus with his clever tongue.   It felt so good after being stretched so wide and made a bit tender too by that stretching that even as his anus ached it also throbbed so responsively and that resulting pulse shuddered right to his balls and firmed up his penis too.   He moaned because he wanted to rub himself but he couldn’t let go of the chair back or he might end up tripping them both up, but Kaiel seemed to know him so well anyway, for a second after he thought of touching himself, Kaiel’s hands hand shifted forward so that one of them could grasp him and massage him while he still lovingly worked his anus.  “Please…oh please Kaiel… God I can’t take much more…” he gasped helplessly, panting and squirming in totally renewed arousal.

Kaiel didn’t answer, unless when Jaimz suddenly found himself sitting in the chair with Kaiel’s head in his lap and his legs pushed wide open with Kaiel’s fingers working his anus while his mouth sucked up his penis was Kaiel’s answer.  

Jaimz was lost in pleasure so intense and crazy that he saw stars when he came and thought that he might have blacked out a little from the power of it for he came to awareness slumped against Kaiel’s big shoulder and dragged in a shaky breath as he admonished, “God… God Kaiel… God what…what made you do-do that?  I thought you needed to get ready to go?”

Kaiel smiled up at him and shrugged as he said wistfully, “I won’t get to see you for a long while and if I have to suffer through that Tag Withdrawal all alone I want a good dream to remember…. I’ll surely remember that.” 

Jaimz blushed, and scolded lamely, “Idiot… you’re going to be late if you waste anymore time.”

Kaiel laid his head in his lap and whispered sincerely, “When I’m with you, I’m never wasting my time Jaimz.”

Jaimz stared at him and shook his head ruefully as he smilingly said, “You make me lose all sense of propriety.”

Again Kaiel lifted his head and grinned at him, “That’s a good thing.”

Again a blush, and with a scoffed, “That’s enough.” Jaimz tried to look reproachful.  He didn’t do it very well with his tunic pushed up to his belly and with his lower extremities still exposed and rather damp with Kaiel’s saliva.  He finally laughed and admonished, “You’re impossible.”

Kaiel answering grin was the only reply Jaimz received, but even if he had meant to say anything else, or do anything else a scratching came at the inner door that had Jaimz jumping to his feet and straightening his hem down even as a deep blush heated his cheeks.  He let out a strangled gurgle as Kaiel went to answer the door, which caused Kaiel to send him an inquiring look.  He choked, “You’re not wearing anything.”

Kaiel smirked, “That’s the difference between you and me Jaimz even when I’m undressed I’m still not naked….” He chuckled, seeing Jaimz’ scandalized expression and added, “But for your sake I’ll put on a robe.” Which he did and had it slipped around his body as he opened the door.

They were both surprised to see Zuzu standing shyly in the doorway.  She tipped her rich burgundy mane at seeing Kaiel and began by saying, “Kaiel Ni, I must ask you a favor—.” She gasped suddenly at seeing Jaimz farther back in the room and her ears flickered furiously as she stammered, “Oh!  Jaimz Ni…I didn’t know…I didn’t see you.”

He smiled wanly, knowing himself to be quite caught.  He could only hope that Zuzu wasn’t a gossip, which he didn’t think she would be.  He gave her a return greeting and waited as she once again turned to face Kaiel.  She looked so nervous and diffident, as if she was afraid of how Kaiel would react.  Once again Jaimz wondered just who had taken away her fire and crushed her spirit.

“Kaiel Ni, if it wouldn’t be to difficult could I go with you to Rydani?”  She hesitated for a moment while Kaiel said nothing, and then hastened to explain into the silence.  “I didn’t think that I was needed at the conference, but just last night High Council P’Var called me and asked me to assistant him during the conference.  I have worked with Councilor P’Var before and it is a good opportunity for me…but Vreda does not want to detour to the Capital when she goes home.”  She dragged in a ragged breath and said, “Therefore, I humbly ask again, may I go with you to Rydani?”

Kaiel didn’t hesitate even a moment.  “Of course Zuzu Ni.  I would appreciate the company.” He replied gravely, giving her a slight respectful nod, “It will take maybe an hour to get ready and we’ll breakfast on the road…but of course.  You are most welcome Zuzu Ni.”

Jaimz watched Zuzu with interest as her ears flicked helplessly with mingled pleasure and embarrassment, and he smiled slightly for he knew that if she’d been like him she would have been blushing terribly under the gentle pressure of Kaiel’s kind regard.  The girl was obviously smitten with him but far to shy to make a move.  He canted his head, thinking about her and the fact that one day Kaiel would need to take a mate and sire some cubs and how Zuzu would be perfect, if only she could get over her shyness.  It amused him to think of himself taking on the task of finding a suitable mate for his Tag Mate, but it was also true that he was going to have to live with the female too and that she would have to accept his place in Kaiel’s life and bed, so it only made sense to him that he liked the female, and so far he liked Zuzu thought Kaiel showed little interest in her…as of yet.

He stepped forward, “I’ll see about getting Zavalla to make you and Zuzu up a breakfast pack for the road—.”

Kaiel turned toward him and gave him a sly grin, “Like that?” indicating Jaimz half dressed state.

Jaimz blushed promptly and scoffed, “I plan on stopping by my room first, idiot!”

Kaiel sauntered toward him, he was very aware that Zuzu was still present, so what he did next was as thoroughly baffling as it was stimulating.  He picked Jaimz up, gripping him around his hips and undoubtedly exposed his reddened nether cheeks to anyone who happened to be close by…who of course was Zuzu…and pulled him close for an utterly devastating kiss which once he let Jaimz go had him stumbling a step as he caught his breath.  Poor Zuzu who had witnessed the display had her ears tucked right back and a surprised look on her face, and yet she didn’t look either let down or disgusted—rather she had a distinctly intrigued look in her amber eyes—interesting.

Jaimz gave Kaiel a long thoughtful look, wondering what he had been about marking his territory like that, and it made him blush knowing that Kaiel considered him his territory.  He watched as Kaiel turned away saying, “Better hurry, I want to be on the road in a hour, Rydani is still a three hour drive away.”

Zuzu assumed that Kaiel was talking to her, for she bowed her head and backed up with an, “Of course, I’ll be ready on time Kaiel Ni.”

Jaimz moved forward then, “Wait Zuzu, I’ll go with you.”

Kaiel gave him a suspicious look, but Jaimz merely ignored him and strolled from the room, if he was seen in the hall leaving Kaiel’s room with Zuzu he hoped that it would simply be assumed that he had arrived with Zuzu…besides his room was near by.

Zuzu was silent as she paced beside him, he glanced at her, admiring that glorious tumbled mane of hers, she really was vibrant and lovely, and hers was a warm and earthy beauty where as her cousin was a cold and icy beauty.  He definitely preferred her to Vreda, but then he preferred just about anyone to malicious and mean spirited Vreda.

They walked quietly for a moment and Jaimz saw that his room was coming up too quickly and that he was yet to talk to her about why he was walking with her, knowing that he had to go to his room to change his clothes for the day he also knew that he couldn’t let this opportunity pass so as they reached his door he said. “May I talk to you Zuzu?”

That stopped her for she would have continued walking no doubt after providing a proper leave-taking salutation.  Her ears flicked with curiosity, “Of course Jaimz Ni.”

He looked at her for a thoughtful moment then said bluntly, “I know that you like Kaiel, Zuzu.”

She looked horrified and embarrassed at once and hastened, “I would never—I would never seek to interfere—surely you don’t think me a threat to what y-you and Kaiel do, Jaimz Ni?  I can like him—surely that is allowed?”

Jaimz felt himself blushing and stammered, “Please Zuzu, that isn’t what I meant.” He waited for her to settle down and said, “I mean, you like him Zuzu…so why don’t you make a play for him?”

Now she just looked astonished, “But I cannot!”  She exclaimed, “I am just a lowly Teran!  Kaiel Ni is of a High House!  The Highest House maybe in all of Z’Rarla!  I couldn’t possibly aspire so high above myself!”

Jaimz scoffed at the very notion and muttered, “That’s like saying you’re not good enough for him.  Besides I’m not suggesting Mate with him…just go after him and have sex with him and see what happens.”

Again she was astonished, poor girl, she must have thought he was totally mad after what she had witnessed between him and Kaiel.   She stared at him for a few incredulous moments and then shook her head, “But I could expect nothing to happen.  He is too high above me.  No, I have already accepted that my cousin will have him, she is of the high blood too and suitable.”

At that he laughed bitterly, “Vreda has far less of a chance with him than you do… besides I don’t like her.” He smiled grimly, “Kaiel has already found a way to break the betrothal, and Vreda just doesn’t know it yet.  He would never have happily or willingly accepted her as his mate, he doesn’t like her very much either.  But I think that he likes you Zuzu.”

She didn’t ask what he knew regarding the breaking of the betrothal, nor did he expect that she would, instead she wondered, “But I still cannot…make a play for him Jaimz Ni… he is…well he is so…beautiful and look at me!”  She nearly wailed the last and it was Jaimz’ turn to be astounded.  Before he could say anything though she continued, “You are so beautiful and Vreda is so beautiful, it is only right for Kaiel to have beauties like you around him…I could only ever shame him.”

Jaimz scowled, he didn’t really like being told he was a beauty, even though he knew he was and he was coming to understand that the Zaran found him beautiful as well, which still surprised him, but that she was practically calling herself ugly just amazed him.  “Are you insane?  Zuzu you are hot!”

Zuzu, who wanted to leave but couldn’t be rude because Jaimz was of the High House too, didn’t quite understand what he meant by hot, but his tone of voice and his appreciative eyes made her feel startlingly warmed even though her ears still creased back.  “Wha-what?”

Jaimz grasped her by her hand and without even asking pulled her into his suite, and since she was both bigger and stronger than him, that was quite a feat, but she didn’t resist his effort and let him lead her through into his inner sanctuary.  He stopped her directly in front of the Zaran sized mirror which he had pretty much ignored since he had taken over the room, he was actually thinking of removing it completely since he didn’t care to look at his reflection, even though the reflection that looked back at him—with big green eyes looking out of a perfectly oval face, balanced by a slender slightly up-tilted nose and wide unfortunately shapely lips, beneath a crop of longish light reddish (fawn) brown hair with sun blond streaks which tended to fall in loose waves and curls to his shoulders—wasn’t a bad reflection at all.  No, glancing at himself, seeing himself in a blue tunic that just covered him to the top of his thighs he still couldn’t understand why he was attractive to Zarans.  He was small only in comparison to Zarans, amongst his own kind he would be considered tall.  He had the correct width across the shoulders and the narrowness of hip to say that he was male, his legs were long yes, and well perhaps more shapely then they should be but that was no reason surely for Zaran males to want to wrap them around their hips while they drove their long thick rods into his body…was it?

Now it was Zuzu’s turn to look upon his solemn face and worry after him, “Jaimz Ni, are you alright?”

Jaimz pulled out of his gloomy thoughts before he let himself sink to deeply into them, it was Zuzu after all whom he wanted to help.  “I’m fine…just thinking about something.”  He smiled at her reflection in the mirror and again he thought that she was utterly stunning.  “Zuzu someone fed you a load of crap if you think that you’re ugly.  You are stunning.  You’re beautiful, earthy and warm.  You look like the kind of wo-female that a male could talk to, and I don’t mean just casually, I mean after having a good fuck…er…I mean sex.  You look like the kind of female that males want to have cubs with.  You’re warm and pretty and you have a terrific mane…. I mean your hair is just incredible, why do you bind it up when it’s so glorious?”

If she could have been blushing she would have been, for clearly she had never heard so much praise directed at her in years.  Still she was hard to convince, “But Vreda is so much prettier than I am.”

Jaimz scoffed, “Sure Vreda is pretty, even I have to give her credit for that.  But she’s pretty like ice is pretty and just as cold.  You can’t hug ice Zuzu you’d just freeze trying.  No you’re warm Zuzu and I bet, ultimately huggable and that is all that any male really wants isn’t it?  Vreda’s pretty, but she’s cruel and malicious and she’s going to lose in the end.  But you could be a winner Zuzu, all you have to do is try.”

She stared at him, remembering him in Kaiel’s arms, with Kaiel’s hands gripping his hips and exposing his bottom so that she could see him, she remembered them kissing and she knew somehow, that Jaimz meant what he said, but she didn’t understand why.  “Are-aren’t you lovers, Kaiel and you?  I’m not mistaken am I?”

Jaimz blushed and nodded grimly, “We are…but what we have is complicated.”

Complicated, that is what Kang said, which implied that Kang knew of their sexual relationship, curious and more curious. “But…I don’t understand what you are saying?  You want me to go after your lover?  Do you not want…Kaiel anymore?  Are you going to set him aside to let me make a try at him?”

Jaimz stared at her, and she really admired the swirling blue-green of his sea-foam eyes, for they truly were beautiful and rare to see on Z’Rarla.  Those eyes alone which she had seen shift to aquamarine when he was upset or excited were so remarkable that for them alone she knew that Kaiel would never easily set Jaimz aside.  As it was, Jaimz murmured, “Kaiel and I…will not be setting either aside for some time I think… but I am willing to share.” He looked at her and sighed gravely, “I know that I cannot be all things for Kaiel.  For instance I cannot possibly provide him with cubs—so I must be prepared to accept that he will need to take a Mate who can provide that for him.”

Again she was astonished, she would have never expected a lover, so obviously laying claim to his lover and determined to stay that way, being able to discuss—let alone accept—the possibility of his lover needing to take a mate.  It was incredible to her…and yet from Jaimz somehow it just seemed right, for he was in many ways wiser than his youth implied.  Finally she nodded, for she really did like Kaiel and the idea of being with him was a goal to aspire toward, besides she secretly harbored a hope that if Jaimz was willing to share Kaiel that maybe Kaiel would be willing to share Jaimz and they could come all together in an explosion of sensation from time to time? 

“I will—I will take your words into consideration.” Zuzu announced, her ears perking up when he smiled at her.

“That’s good.  I’m glad to hear you say that, because I think I could like you very much Zuzu.” 

“Still, it is difficult to express myself with him, he is so….” She sighed and shrugged uncomfortably.

“Just be yourself Zuzu, just be a little more of yourself.  Let your hair down—.” She knew he meant her mane, “Be forward.  Be bold.  Just not too much of either.  Show him that your interested, after all you share similar interests and you even work in the same Diplomatic Corps as he does so he knows that you already have that interest in common…  Talk to him and be brave Zuzu… and see what happens.”  He finished with an encouraging smile. 

She nodded and dipped her head, “I will try Jaimz Ni.”

Jaimz quipped, “There is no try.  Do or do not.” At her puzzled look he laughed and said, “Doesn’t matter, the gist of it is…go for it and see what comes of it.  And now I have wasted enough of your time.  You really have to hurry to get ready now.”

She was surprised to find that time had passed; it had seemed to stand still while she was talking with Jaimz, and as he predicted she would have to hurry if she was to be ready in time.  She gave him a quick thanks and hurried from his suite and Jaimz stood alone after she had left and looked at himself in the mirror.  After a few moments he turned and lifted the hem of his tunic and saw that his buttocks were still slightly reddened from having Kaiel slapping against them even for just those few moments.  He sighed as he slid the tunic off his shoulders and let it drop around his feet so that he could look at himself in the mirror and just wonder what it was about him that was so fuckable.  Yes, he had nice smooth skin, thanks to the suppression therapy which would keep him virtually hairless to his grave, that was an indulgence he did regret and had regretted more than once as he wondered if a scraggy beard and full mustache and hairy chest might save him the attention he now received.  He looked at himself and he tried to see what it was to interested Kaiel, and Lorz and Ham before him, but he could not see it.  Sighing he turned away and went to his own clothes closet where everything was set up to accommodate his smaller size.  After a moment he pulled a black and green outfit down and slipped into it then he padded barefoot from his room to tell Zavalla about preparing breakfast packs for Kaiel and Zuzu, he told her how soon Kaiel planned to leave and left her to getting things organized.  Then left to his own devices for a moment he thought about his conversation with Zuzu and then recalling Kaiel’s possessive kiss in front of her he thought that maybe he had time for a quick chat with Kaiel before he left and was gone for the next five to six days or longer.

It didn’t take him more than a moment to discover that Kaiel’s room was empty, so the next logical place was the communal bathing room.  As he expected Kaiel was there, busy scrubbing his pelt and washing his mane.  Jaimz entered silently, closing the non-locking door behind him and just watched Kaiel as he showered.  It was the first time that he had watched Kaiel shower, and Kaiel had yet to come when he was showering, so it was interesting to just look at him and see how his wet pelt only further emphasized his amazing body.  He really was massive and yet he tapered so gracefully from his wide shoulders to his narrow hips that one might think him a dancer, and of course his spine was incredibly supple and allowed him to flex and bend far easier than a human male could.  His arms and legs were so big and muscular and yet not at all bulky that at once he seemed as likely to work out as to practice aerobics at the same time.  Yet Jaimz was pretty certain that Kaiel actually did nothing to keep in shape so it seemed likely that Kaiel was simply the way he was and would always be to some degree, of course these leonine Zaran might be naturally inclined to keeping in shape without a great deal of effort since they were cats.  Though as he thought fondly, Kang was an example of a fat if satisfied and healthy cat if he’d ever seen one, and he rather liked that old medic.

Kaiel had noticed him, some instinct made him lift his head and gaze intently at him with those golden eyes of his.  It was enough to make him blush and head to one of the benches that sat outside the shower, though when he sat he did so on the edge so that he could still observe Kaiel as he showered.  Kaiel smiled softly and turned away presenting him with all that back and he found that every bit as admirable as his front had been, for Kaiel had a beautiful back too.  He admired the hard firmness of his shapely rump and watched with interest the powerful flexing of muscles in the back of his thighs, and finally he looked at his long plush tail as it swayed gently to and fro and looked up toward the base where it joined his body and he wondered idly if Zaran’s were a sensitive there as an earth cat was.  He was yet to find out, as he hadn’t really explored very much.

“Scrub my back, will you?” Kaiel’s voice interrupted his wandering thoughts.

Jaimz gasped at being torn from his admiring thought and then stammered, “No.”

Kaiel looked at him in surprise and he blushed uncomfortably for he was already stimulated by just watching him wash, and he had already more than answered the Tag’s demanding addiction for one day.  He lowered his eyes as he admitted helplessly, “It would only turn to sex again if I came in there with you now… and you don’t have time for that.”

Kaiel grinned at his honesty, but didn’t press him, which Jaimz was glad for since he was pretty sure if Kaiel had asked him again he would be soaking wet in seconds and to intoxicated by Kaiel’s love making to even notice.  Instead Kaiel reached for a long back scrubber and went to work loosening shedding hairs and lathering up his pelt as Jaimz watched with a good deal of interest.  His only experience with watching a Zaran bath had been with Kang and he wasn’t sexually involved with Kang.

Finally Kaiel deemed himself well enough washed and stepped under the full force of the overhead shower to rinse the suds out of his streaming mane and pelt, it was then, as Jaimz watched that he wondered how Kaiel could ever dry off well enough to sit for three hours in a vehicle…when he had helped Kang dry off the older male’s pelt had still been damp.  So he wondered aloud and Kaiel hearing him through the showers downpour replied by flicking a switch on the inner wall and suddenly blasts of directed warm air billowed about Kaiel’s body, swirling through his mane and gusting into his pelt.

After a few minutes of this he stepped out of the shower and explained, “When you want water again, you just flip the switch the other way.  Though probably my father will have already switched it before you shower next….” Jaimz actually intended to shower once Kaiel was gone, for he still felt slightly sticky and it would be nice to be clean, but he didn’t say anything.  Kaiel strolled over to the bench Jaimz sat on and pulled one of the big plush towels to finish drying his hair as he continued, “The blowers work pretty good, but I usually prefer to manually dry my mane.  Still it is nice in the heat of summer to just let the dampness evaporate off my pelt—it’s so hot then.”

Jaimz was so close that he could smell the fresh spicy cleanness of Kaiel’s pelt and after a moment he reached out and lightly stroked his hand over the entire length of Kaiel’s hard muscled yet softly pelted thigh, and marveled at the silky texture of that freshly washed fur.  Kaiel stopped scrubbing at his mane to look down at him with a slow smile and after Jaimz’ heart settled back to where it properly belonged he finally decided to get to the reason why he had come looking for Kaiel in the first place before he let himself get any further distracted.

“Do you like Zuzu?”

Kaiel gave him a wondering look, “Of course.  She’s nice.”  Then he went back to scrubbing, only to stop and frown at Jaimz a second later, “Why?”

Jaimz shrugged uncomfortably, “Well it isn’t like I’m trying to set you up or anything.   It’s just that—well I like Zuzu.  And if you like Zuzu then I guess I wouldn’t—.” He shook his head, “What I’m trying to say is—what I mean to say is that—oh damn—I wouldn’t mind if you liked her too.”

Kaiel stared at him, partially smiling but also partially suspicious, “By like her do you mean as I like you?”  He put emphasis on the like each time to give it more meaning.

Jaimz looked up at him and without blushing he said, “Yes, exactly.  You will need cubs Kaiel and I can’t promise to break the Tag soon or ever—so I guess that I’m saying it would be okay.  If you took a Mate.”

Kaiel frowned, “You were pretty upset when you found out about Vreda.”

Jaimz blushed and then growled, “I was startled—not upset!”

Kaiel raised an expressive brow and smiled, “Okay…startled.” He agreed to easily.

“And it was a bad day too.  Remember?”

Kaiel let a slow grin stretch across his lips as he purred, “I recall that it wasn’t all bad.  Not all of it.”

To which the blush flared all the brighter across Jaimz’ cheeks, for he hadn’t forgotten that part of that day either—he was still confused by it. “I know that!  But I’m not talking about that.  I just…all I’m trying to say is that I like Zuzu and if you like Zuzu then I guess I wouldn’t mind.”

Kaiel understood perfectly what Jaimz was saying, what Jaimz was thinking.  The 72-hour was over and he was starting to think too much as he always did between these intense periods.  He knew that Jaimz was trying to say that he was willing to share him and Kaiel knew that it was his duty to one day sire cubs and continue his family legacy.  However his Life Mate was already with him and he would fight to keep him where he belonged even if he did ever find a way to beat the Tag.

He didn’t say any of that for he knew that Jaimz was not ready to hear him say it yet, still it did bother him how easily Jaimz could seem to forget the pleasure shared—yes shared—when they were together, that he also kept to himself and he agreed softly, “I do like Zuzu, but I don’t know that I like her that way.”

Jaimz frowned at him, “Well I wasn’t saying that you had to—only that you allow for the possibility.”  He canted his head suddenly and asked, “By the way?  What were you thinking when you—when you kissed me like that in front of her?  I think you showed her my bum too.”

Kaiel grinned in sly reply and said, “Because it felt good showing someone what you mean to me.  Besides I’m pretty sure she won’t gossip to the rest of the household.”

Jaimz blushed and stammered, “Well…she was rather shocked.”

Kaiel dropped the towel and stalked toward him then in such a manner that Jaimz felt his heart leap into his throat again.  He backed into the wall and panted softly, “Wha-what is it?” As Kaiel planted his big hands on both sides of him and bent down to him.  Gently—ever so gently his wide firm mouth enclosed Jaimz’, exploring the fullness and shapeliness of his curved and bowed lips.  Jaimz resisted only for a moment and then slid his arms up around Kaiel’s huge shoulders and dragged his fingers through his still damp scintillating gold mane.  That was all it took for Kaiel to pick him up against him and for Jaimz to wrap his legs around Kaiel’s hips as he gave himself into the thoroughness of the kiss.

After a heart pounding moment the kiss ended and Kaiel let him slide down along his length until his toes once more safely touched the floor, even though Jaimz would hardly call his legs steady.  Released from Kaiel’s embrace Jaimz stared up at him with mingled longing and confusion as he caught his breath and dragged a shaky hand through his tangled hair as he wonderingly shook his head.  But Kaiel wasn’t done just yet.  He pressed one finger against Jaimz’ nicely swollen lips and said softly, “Don’t forget me while I’m gone.”

The answering blush which lit up Jaimz’ entire face was reply enough for Kaiel, he delivered a final fleeting caress to Jaimz’ cheek and then he turned away while saying regretfully, “I have to get ready.”

Jaimz was still collecting his jumbled thoughts moments later and all he could think to say was, “Idiot.” But whether his admonition was directed at Kaiel or himself he wasn’t sure, he only knew that he was as ever flustered by his response to Kaiel out side the 72-hour.  He wandered back to his room to stop distracting Kaiel while thinking about what Kang had said about his being addicted to Kaiel regardless of answering the Tag’s demands every 72 hours or not, so maybe that could explain why he just felt so damn good and so damn willing to open himself up for Kaiel regardless of when it was or where he was.  He just couldn’t help it and like an addict he would take his fix whenever and wherever he could get it.  He had a worrisome theory that because of his addiction he would automatically have a harder time with the withdrawal.  He was pretty sure that if he asked Kang that Kang’s answer would be yes.  He sighed, it was too bad he hadn’t collected that semen sample he wanted from Kaiel so that he could analyze it to see what if answers it would provide.  Thinking about that, and then realizing he was still coming off his own natural high he wondered if he could study himself and determine if his own blood held the answers after all, since it hadn’t been all that long ago that his body had received a good deposit of semen.  He decided that the only way to find out if his own body had the answers was to go to Kang and ask for his help.

Kang was available, his clinic was coming together and he had a couple of appointments scheduled for later but right now he was free to assist Jaimz.

First Jaimz sat on a high stool as Kang extracted the required amount of blood to run a complete set of tests and then, blushing Jaimz suggested that if he was swabbed that maybe they would be able to extract a sample of Kaiel’s semen.  Kang (the voyeur) was more than happy to cooperate, though Jaimz’ expressed doubt that he would find much since it seemed he absorbed Kaiel’s semen, for how else to explain the lack of copious stickiness or other matter after being so thoroughly fucked?  Jaimz wondered about that, and had wondered since the beginning why he wasn’t dealing with a constant mess in that regard and Kang chuckled as he explained that Zaran sperm is sticky and thick and less likely to go running off once its been given enough time to cool down and lose its motility.   So Kang figured that it was very likely that Jaimz was indeed absorbing the semen rather than getting rid of it as Jaimz would have naturally expected.  But Jaimz knew that even after enduring numerous rapes by both Lorz and Ham the most he’d worried about was bleeding and he had never really worried about having to deal with other less savory aspects of what they did to him.   So Jaimz finally allowed that Zaran fluid was different from human and that had he been copulating with a male of his own species (which he was fairly certain he would never do even if given the opportunity) he rather expected things would have been messy to nasty pretty much immediately. 

After Kang talked to him about Zaran semen, and kindly reminded him that he was yet to gather that sample a blushing Jaimz lowered his pants and laid over the side of the examination table to let Kang take his sample.  After all the action of this morning and the night before his well-lubed anus presented no impediment to Kang’s lubricated spreading instruments.  Kang was gentle as always, washed him externally and then internally, gathering that liquid in a vial to study as he expected that the fluid wash would be more telling then a couple of swabs would be.  Once Kang finished he lightly smacked Jaimz pert bottom and said, “All done.”

Jaimz slid of the padded table and pulled up his pants.  He looked at the vial of cloudy fluid dubiously and asked, “Are you sure that will work?”

Kang gave the vial a light shake, “It will have your DNA, Kaiel’s DNA and probably the Tag code as well.”  He picked up the vial of blood and lifted it so that he could peer at it in the light, “And this will have markers that I can compare with the blood tests that I ran while you were going through the TWS.  This might serve, though if I could analyze how the Tag actually reacts to an undiluted specimen of Kaiel’s it would probably be better.” He peered thoughtfully at the young human and said with a half smile, “I take it that you were unable to collect the sample from him?”

Jaimz blushed and murmured, “I sort of forgot about it.”

Kang nodded understandingly and said, “Well I can work with what I have for now.”

“If it is Kaiel’s semen is the answer can’t we just synthesize a serum that I could take, inject or whatever to do the same thing as his semen?”

Kang raised a thoughtful brow, “But we already discussed this, what does Kaiel get from the union?  You get a fluid exchange which seems to quiet your beast for 72 hours, but Kaiel also receives something and until we know what it is there can be no partial cure, even if you don’t go through the symptoms he will and if he dies you die…that is still a fact cub that cannot be denied.”

Jaimz scowled and said, “But it’s a start isn’t it?  And how do we know that Kaiel doesn’t receive his answer pretty much the same way I get mine?  What if…in the mixing, some of me is carried back to him…or—,” He blushed and lowered his eyes, “or when we are-we are doing it…he isn’t absorbing what he needs through the skin of his rod?”

Kang gave him a long thoughtful look and finally murmured, “If that is the answer than that would imply that it is the mixing which answers the tag.” He mused on, “Perhaps after he ejaculates that first time into you, the Tag answers changing his deposit into something that benefits you both?” He thoughtfully pressed a hand against his mouth and continued, “What I need is a sample right after the first ejaculation… of course how to get it?”

Jaimz just stared after him as Kang let his thoughts wander in scientific speculation.  He shivered at one idea, “Kaiel could extract,” he ventured breathily.

Kang gave him a wide-eyed and skeptical look, “When you are both fully tied?  With his flare still engaged?  Do you know how painful that would be for you?”

Jaimz flushed faintly and nodded, “Lorz used to extract to…to punish me.”

Kang stared at him grimly and snarled, “That male should have been tortured and thrown out of the nearest airlock!  Getting blown up in a space battle was too kind for him!”  He grasped Jaimz shoulders and gave him a slight shake, “Then you know that Kaiel would never be willing to extract when his flare is engaged, for scientific gain or not.  He simply wouldn’t risk hurting you that way.”  He turned away and paced to and fro as he thought of solutions to impossible problems and finally he turned, “There is a way maybe where I could get all the elements together, it would take some work though, and no actual intercourse at first.  But once I have Kaiel home I think that I can arrange to have you two under my care once you go into your 72-Hour cycle again and I could collect samples—.”  He sighed and nodded, turning to face him, “Yes, that might do.”

He smiled then, looking at the young human who was listening and watching him so attentively, he knew that Jaimz would make a very good assistant for him, which made it strange to think that he was actually Jaimz’ assistant most of the time and that Jaimz only acted as an assistant when it came to the Tag research.  Kang had been collecting quite a load of Data on the Tag, some of it from archaic sources while a lot of the most recent data he was collecting from Jaimz and Kaiel themselves as they were his only Tag subjects and he didn’t expect to ever come across another Tagged pair in his lifetime.  What Lorz had done to Jaimz had been simply barbaric, but what Kaiel had done to save his life was entirely noble.    The Tag, given twice to this young human, once for no other reason then to torture him as far as Kang could determine, since he couldn’t talk to Lorz to try and understand his logic; and finally given to save his life.  The Tag had undoubtedly complicated this young humans life and his needs that the Tag only emphasized only furthered to confuse him more and as much as he wanted to break the Tag Kang also knew Jaimz cared a great deal for Kaiel.

Thinking about Kaiel and recalling that he would be leaving this morning he gently asked, “Aren’t you going to see him off?”

Jaimz sighed and shook his head, “I already said my good byes…in more ways than one…. Kaiel knows that I’ll—miss him.”

Kang nodded gravely, he had a fairly clear idea what Jaimz was alluding too, and the slow staining of color spreading across his fair cheeks was clue enough that Jaimz was still bothered by his reactions.  He thoughtfully pursed his lips and enquired gently, “Did you give any thought to what we spoke about yesterday?”

Jaimz looked away, studiously studying one of Kang’s graphic charts of the Zaran nervous system.  After a moment he sighed and said morosely, “When I’m with him I hardly think of anything at all.  Every time I join with him I just get worse and worse.  I don’t think about what I’m doing hardly at all, its all I can think about to see how much of him I can take and how quickly I can get past the pain and enjoy having him pound away at me….  Kang, sometimes I think…I’m lost.”  He sat down on the high stool, looking very like a cub himself and dropped his face into his hands.  “I don’t know what to think any more?  I mean what happens if I start wanting to take him outside the 72-Hour?  What if the 72-Hour isn’t even an excuse anymore?  What will that mean for me?”  He looked up at Kang with pained and frightened eyes, because Jaimz recognized the potential of what he was saying and he knew that it might happen, that he and Kaiel might come together without anything but their own bodies and needs driving them.

Kang didn’t want to say something flippant and upset the youth, knowing how tortured he was by his morals and his upbringing and by his attraction to and need for Kaiel.   The Tag was definitely culpable in this situation, yet Kang felt with utter certainty that Kaiel and Jaimz would have been drawn together no matter the circumstances of their meeting.  If the Tag had not been involved maybe they would have simply developed one of those incredible lasting friendships where love was expressed in a million ways but never manifested to the physical, and yet, looking at Jaimz, and that sweet frame of his and those incredible eyes of his, it was just as likely that Kaiel may have been attracted to him…and fate may have locked them together in a union like they found themselves in already.  After all, how likely was it for two sons of an ancient house to carry the same throwback ability?  It was almost as if fate had given birth to Kaiel just so he could meet and save Jaimz in the manner that he had.  It was a kind of disturbing thought, but as he had said before, those two resonated; they felt and knew what the other was thinking too well not to be soul linked somehow.  Instead he murmured, “By worse and worse…I assume you mean in a bad way?”

Jaimz shot him a look filled with self-loathing, and then he shook his head and slumped back on the stool.  “Yes, when I’m with him, I want him to touch me…I want to touch him.  It’s so confusing…I feel…thoroughly wanton around him.  I mean its nothing for me to-to lean up against him; let him put his arms around me….  And even though sometimes it troubles me, it also excites me… and I feel torn, especially when I’m not with him, when I—think about the things I’ve done with him and the things he’s done to me.  Sometimes I wish he was Lorz…or like Lorz so that I could safely—hate him.”

“You wish he would hurt you, so that you could distance yourself from your body’s responses and let yourself have an excuse.” Kang stated softly, inferring Jaimz’ message.

Jaimz sighed and nodded shakily and wiped a tear away from his gold-tipped eyelashes, “Y-yes.  But I can’t.  I like Kaiel.  I really like Kaiel, sex aside, I feel comfortable with him, he makes me feel,” he smiled faintly, “like I’m in a safe place when I’m with him.  I don’t mean, like I have nightmares about being in danger where he’s saving me, but I mean that I feel like everything’s all glowing green and gold wherever he is.” He shook his head, “It doesn’t make any sense.”

To Kang it made perfect sense, the youngling was describing how Kaiel was becoming his source his harmony and stability.  “Kaiel is your only basis for grounding, because he needs you and you need him, you feel that you have a purpose and a reason for being…that you are not wandering lost and alone in a strange place.  It was very interesting did you notice when you gave the interview how you said ‘when Kaiel brought me home’ how your tone changed when you said Kaiel and home so close together?  You showed your trust and your vulnerability at that moment.  You trust Kaiel to be your home, no matter what—he means home to you.”

Jaimz stared at him for a long aching moment then with his lips tightened to stop their trembling he whispered hoarsely, “I miss him already.” He huddled on the stool, and didn’t try to wipe away the tears as they gathered on his eyelashes and trickled down his cheeks, “It’s so silly…he probably isn’t even gone yet and he’s only going to be gone for a little while and either way I will see him again…but I so stupid to feel so lonely already.  It isn’t like I need him all the time when he is here.”

“But then,” Kang supplied gently, “You know that he is nearby if you do need him, even if all you need is a brief glimpse of him.  This time he will be gone and you know it, your body knows it.”

Jaimz scrubbed at his damp eyes and asked bitterly, “Does this mean that I’ll have a harder time with the withdrawal this time around?”

Kang went to him then and pulled his head against his chest.  “The TWS will be the same for you, and I will monitor you closely during it.  However there will be a difference this time.”

Jaimz shifted to look up at him.  Kang smiled kindheartedly, “This time you don’t hate your Tag Mate.”

Jaimz’ pretty, teeth marked and tear dampened, mouth formed into a perfect “oh” as he realized how this upcoming bout with the TWS was going to differ from his first bout.  He eyes brightened to aquamarine as tears flowed and washed down over his cheeks, “It’s going to be horrible isn’t it?  I’m going to miss him terribly won’t I?”

He stroked Jaimz’ silky hair and murmured, “Yes, but I will do every thing in my power to help you through this cubling…and now, why don’t you go have a shower and get yourself ready to face the breakfast tyrants.”

Jaimz smiled faintly, “Are you saying I stink Doc?”  He thought about whom Kang considered to be the breakfast tyrants, since he knew of only Vreda and Terrill to fit that description he had to laugh forlornly, “Oh no!  Do you mean I have to put up with them on my own?”

Kang chuckled in reply, “You don’t stink in the least, but you do have a nice bouquet of Kaiel’s scent clinging to you, so if you truly intend to try keeping your relationship a secret then you need to only smell like you and not so brazenly of sweet sex.” He stroked Jaimz’ blushing cheek before continuing with a smile, “And as to the breakfast tyrants, myself and young Drey will be your stalwart defenders, never fear.”

Jaimz laughed and contentedly hugged him before hopping off the high stool and heading for the door, “Okay, I was planning on taking a shower anyway.” He exclaimed as he thanked Kang and headed off toward his goal.

Kang stood a moment, feeling good and pleased with himself for once again he had helped Jaimz through one of his moral hurtles, it would likely still be a bumpy road for the youngling, but every time he let himself dwell on it and get over it was a step toward healing and acceptance.  He smiled after a moment, thinking as he collected his samples to start running the tests, that if Jaimz was lucky maybe he would see Kaiel just before he left and that would also make him feel better.  The poor cub was going to feel awfully lonely without his Tag Mate around.  Kang and Drey would have to see about keeping him occupied and entertained to help him pass the time while he and Kaiel were apart.

The closer he came to the central receiving hall of the house, the more quick his steps became, he thought he wasn’t to late, that the full hour hadn’t passed completely, but he couldn’t be sure as he didn’t have a watch and time sometimes seemed to move slowly for him when he let himself become distracted.  He knew that the transport would be waiting at the front, and as he headed for those arched double doors he wondered if Kaiel would be driving or if he’d have a driver for the trip?  Inconsequential thoughts swirled through his head as he worried if he had arrived to late to say good-bye properly.  He threw open the door and only then did his heart settle back to where it belonged for the vehicle had not left, it was sitting and waiting and Zuzu was already there having her travel case stowed by one of the staffers, there was no Kaiel in sight though.  He turned away to go find Kaiel and was stopped up when he bumped into a familiar body that happened to be standing directly behind him.  He didn’t notice the door as it softly closed on the scene of Zuzu waiting at the car, he only noticed that the light suddenly dimmed and shone out from around Kaiel’s pale gold pelt.  He leaned into him and breathed in the clean musk of his scent under the clean soap smell of him and sighed as he wrapped his arms about him passing his hands through the open sides of his coppery brown tunic to sink his fingers into the plush pelt on his back.  “I was afraid I missed you.” He whispered, just standing there and enjoying the moment of Kaiel’s body against him and his big arms gently enfolding around him.

Kaiel just stood and luxuriated in the moment, absorbing with his entire being the presence that was Jaimz.  He couldn’t have imagined not seeing him before he had to take his leave, even though he’d have memories to savor, this last sight and touch was important to him, and since Jaimz, despite his conflicts, had come to find him Kaiel felt that he could go now and do what he must and somehow manage to get through the worst of the days yet to come where he could neither see nor touch this being that meant so much to him.  Sighing deeply, unconcerned for whom might be watching or arriving on the scene he pulled Jaimz up his body and claimed his lips in another demanding kiss.  And Jaimz melted right into him wholly with his entire body and will, meeting him with hands and mouth that eagerly embraced and shared the moment.  When he finally, slowly let Jaimz slide down his big body he was panting and Jaimz was swaying a bit.  Jaimz backed a stepped from him, and smiled, though it faltered a moment later as glancing beyond Kaiel he saw Terrill standing at the entrance to the family wing…watching them.  Kaiel glanced at his father then returned his warm gaze to Jaimz and said softly, “I don’t care what he saw or what he thinks…besides he already knows about us.”

Jaimz looked up at him and slowly nodded, for it was true that Terrill knew more about them than they had wanted him too, since he had walked in on them during one of their 72-Hour sessions and interrupted them in the middle of something.  He smiled and replied even as tears brightened his eyes, “I think you made my toes curl.”

Kaiel chuckled, “I made your toes curl?”

Jaimz leaned into him for another hug and sighed, “Yes, definitely.”

Kaiel bent over him and whispered, “When we get together again I’ll see about making your toes curl again…I want to watch that happen.  I bet it will be amazing to see.”

Jaimz blushed and looked into his eyes, “You…just you be careful you hear?  Don’t ignore the symptoms, and take the medicine as Kang instructed.”

Kaiel stroked his cheek, “I will.”

That was all, neither said that they would miss the other, for there was no need, they understood perfectly that they would miss one another completely with body if not soul (Jaimz didn’t believe in soul mates).  As they parted Jaimz paid no attention to the occasional tear that slid unnoticed down his cheeks. He silently watched as Kaiel strode out to the waiting vehicle and confirmed for himself that Kaiel was going to drive after all.  He watched as Kaiel greeted Zuzu in a friendly manner and assisted her into the vehicle in a perfectly gentlemanly way and then they shared another moment of eye contact as Kaiel turned to look at him from inside the car as he guided it onto the dirt track that led out of the pride lands.  He stood watching for a while until only dust indicated where the car was, and then turned back into the house.  Terrill was still there, watching him as he had been watching the car leave.  He looked at the older K’Lan male, he was shorter than Kaiel, but much wider for he had one of those stocky and square frames though he didn’t have an ounce of fat on him any where, but like Kaiel he had the same gold pelt though his mane and eyes were darker and more like Lorz’ in fact.   He wondered what Terrill was thinking as he looked at him, but he knew that Kaiel was right, it didn’t really matter anymore.  He nodded his head toward him and said softly, “Good morning Terrill Ni.” He deliberately added the honorific though he didn’t like using it just to show Terrill that he could be mannerly when the moment required it.

Terrill nodded in return and murmured, “Good morning Jaimz.  I trust that you will still feel comfortable joining me for meals with Kaiel away for these few days?”

Jaimz looked at him for a moment and then said, “Of…course.  I was planning to join you for breakfast after I shower.”

Terrill raised an interested brow and queried, “I trust Kang Ni and young Drey will also be joining us?  Vreda Ni is still with us this morning and I know that there has been—some bad feelings due to of her—presence.”

Jaimz bit his lip (and had no idea how enduring that habit was), “Yes, we will all be there.  Even if—she is there too.”

“That’s very good,” Terrill noted, his dark eyes watching Jaimz intently, “I will let Zavalla Ni know that breakfast will be a full course meal this morning.”  He paused for a thoughtful moment, “A shower you say?  Then I shall instruct her to wait breakfast for one mark?  That should be sufficient yes?”

Jaimz was surprised that Terrill was being considerate with him, and of course he was suspicious as to why, but maybe he was just trying to make amends.  Though Jaimz wondered why Terrill would feel the need to since the senior K’Lan male was a force to reckon with and he seemed more likely to try to compel others to make amends to him.  “Thank you, that should do very nicely.”  He started to walk away but Terrill stopped him by laying a light hand on his shoulder.  Jaimz quivered under his touch, but didn’t protest it as he waited for the male to say whatever else was on his mind.

Terrill felt that slim shoulder trembling beneath his hand but was reluctant to withdraw and give up his brief control, “Jaimz Ni, I have yet to see your projects.  Would it be too much too ask if you were to give me the tour later?”

Jaimz looked up at him with those sea-foam-green eyes and smiled briefly, “Of course.  Anytime should be fine, just give me a bit a warning is all.” He’d be sure to keep Drey close by and maybe ask for Kang to pop by now and again just to check on him though he doubted that he had to worry about whether Kaiel’s father might try to harm him.  The time for that had already passed.  His only problem with Terrill was that he didn’t really trust him and he didn’t care for his attitude where Kaiel was concerned.  He was still mystified at how Terrill could consider Kaiel to be weak and useless.  He just didn’t understand that at all.

With that promise Terrill let Jaimz go and he allowed himself the pleasure of merely watching his late son’s mate stroll away.  He surely did enjoy watching those tailless hips move the way they did and knew that with Kaiel away and Jaimz so obviously used to regular coupling, that lovely and cub-sweet Jaimz was going to get very lonely without a rod to ride.  He smiled, thinking how with breakfast, lunch and dinner, a tour of his projects; and maybe he could entice Jaimz into walking out with him into the formal gardens around the house later that he was well on his way to winning Jaimz’ trust and soon winning a place in his poor lonely bed.  He idly rubbed his pouch through his slacks; he couldn’t wait for Jaimz to meet his eager rod.

Jaimz stopped off at his room to grab a fresh change of clothing even though the outfit he had on was still technically clean.  He had already learned that the staffers would be scandalized if he put back on the same outfit he’d been wearing prior to having a shower, so he didn’t even consider reusing the outfit that he had only been wearing for little more than half a mark.  From his room he headed directly to the shower and looked thoughtfully at the door as he closed it, not wondering for the first time why K’Lan didn’t have locks on the bathing facilities, surely they didn’t always want to share the facilities did they?  Still with nothing he could do about it and having grown used to the casualness of the staffers comings and goings he stripped off his clothing, leaving them in a pile for some staffer to pick up.  He set his clean clothes on the bench outside the shower and took a moment to note that the towels Kaiel had used had already been replaced.  He turned toward the shower than and recalling what Kaiel had said about the blowers as he stepped in and the first blast of warm air caressed his skin he flipped the switch over and was rewarded with a cascade of pleasantly cool water that washed over his head and back and made him shiver with delighted pleasure.

He was washing his hair when a pair of hands touched his back and made him jump and yelp at the unexpected shock.  In turning around he saw to his dismay that it was Terrill stepping into the shower with him, he blinked soap out of his eyes and backed away from the big male, but Terrill pretty much ignored him as he started to lather up his massive chest.  Jaimz knew that he was expected to continue his own washing, as it was perfectly normal for Zaran’s to share the shower but Kang was still the only Zaran he’d actually showered with, and he trusted Kang.  He nervously eyed the big male who inadvertently was blocking the exit out, and though he knew that he could get by him he didn’t want to let Terrill know that he was making him nervous.  Terrill still seemed bent on ignoring him, so Jaimz thought if he could finish his washing soon he would have an excuse to leave the shower…but Terrill chose the moment Jaimz decided he was clean enough to remark, “Let me wash your back for you.”

Jaimz froze and stepped tensely away, “No…thank you.” He murmured, “I’m fine.”

Terrill scoffed and grasped his shoulder to turn him around as he said, “Nonsense.  I’ll wash your back and you can wash mine.  It’s the polite thing to do.  Hasn’t Kaiel taught you that much?”

Jaimz shivered as those big hands started at his shoulders and gradually moved down as they lathered him up and he explained warily, “I haven’t showered with Kaiel yet.”

For a moment those hands paused as they moved along his spine and they moved up to his grip his shoulders, “Really?” Terrill remarked, “I would have thought that Kaiel would have introduced you to the pleasures of the showers right away.  I mean after all, you two are lovers are you not?”

Jaimz made no reply to that and Terrill moved on, murmuring, “I’m surprised of course since your skin feels—lovely when it’s all wet like this.”

Jaimz bit his lip, determinedly ignoring Terrill as his hands moved to lather his buttocks and thighs, he knew that the male had to be kneeling to reach his legs with such ease but refused to verify.  He didn’t move although he bit down even harder on his lip until he was certain he was bleeding when Terrill’s hands came back to work the lather around and between his cheeks. He felt his face warm at the intimateness of his touch, but he recalled that Kang had washed him very much like this too, so maybe this was normal and there was no need for him to jump to conclusions?  Still, being touched like that, by anyone other than Kaiel made him jumpy, so at feeling Terrill’s fingers as they stroked lather up over his anus and deeper between his legs he finally couldn’t take anymore and he pulled away while laughing to cover his unease, “That tickles Terrill Ni… I’m fine now…I thank you.”

Terrill gave him a dark eyed look and nodded, “Of course.  Would you scrub my back now?”

Seeing that he couldn’t very well accept having his back washed and not reciprocate he picked up a scrubber and set to working on that thick pelt from his shoulders to his hips…he avoided his broad hard buttocks but since Terrill didn’t complain, and he could lather them up on his own if he so desired he decided that he was doing enough for the senior K’Lan male.

As quickly as he possibly could without seeming rude he finished scrubbing and lathering Terrill’s back and then pushed him lightly back under the heavy overhead spray to start the rinsing process.  He hurried through his own rinsing and slipped past Terrill to briskly towel off and start dressing before the big male stepped from the shower.  Like Kang he forwent the blowers and opted to just use the towels and allow for evaporation to finish drying his pelt.  He didn’t say much more to Jaimz except that it was a pleasure.  Jaimz was dressed and on his way out before Terrill was, and what he wondered idly as he hurried back toward his suite was “what was a pleasure?” in Terrill’s judgment.

Fortunately a cubling distraction met him at the door to his suite and greeted him in his usual boisterous way and in Drey’s company Jaimz soon put the shower episode out of his mind.  For he was quite certain that it hadn’t meant anything, that Terrill had merely wanted a shower and happened to think there was no reason not to share one with Jaimz.  After all it was Jaimz who had to get used to the culture since Terrill had been born and raised within it.

When the went to breakfast it actually proved to be not to bad, with Drey and Kang to buffer him he found that he had no trouble with Vreda, who was gloomy and silent throughout the meal for the most part though on occasion she would send him an icy look, which didn’t bother him since he already knew that she didn’t care for him.  Terrill also joined the table banter and though he did send the occasional considering look toward L’Teran Vreda he did not try too hard to engage her in conversation.

Breakfast broke up with Kang saying he had something to look into back at his clinic, Terrill had the regular business of K’Lan Pride to deal with, so Jaimz took Drey back with him to his room to get down to work on translating more notes.  And Vreda, she was left to her own resources.

For a while they just worked in comfortable silence with Drey translating the English notes to Zaran and Jaimz helping him with the more difficult words that didn’t so easily translate.  After a while Drey started to talk about his home village and his last visit back to his parents.  He crowed about how all the cubs chased after him and asked him questions about Jaimz Ni and how even Zeyer and Trev were curious enough to want to sneak up to the main house to meet him.  Jaimz smiled in amusement and murmured, “Maybe I will just visit Moro village and spare them the need to go sneaking anywhere.”

To which Drey started describing the village and all the people in it and the seasonal or annual events the took place as well as the once weekly market day so enthusiastically that Jaimz could almost imagine the color and pageantry of the K’Lan pride village.  Drey went on the say how K’Lan actually supported ten villages within the pride lands and the Moro was only a mid-sized village.  He even said that Zelma, which was a village alongside the Mitraal Sea, was twice the size of Moro and it housed maybe ten thousand Zarans.  Drey wistfully went on to mention that he had only been to Zelma once and that was just before the monsoon season when it was so hot that he had gone swimming in the sea every day.  He also casually mentioned that the High K’Lan’s had a villa near Zelma where they often spent the hottest days of summer to take advantage of the cool breezes that came off the sea.

Drey was describing how wonderful it was to swim in the Mitraal Sea when Vreda wandered into the lab.  Drey quieted instantly and glared intensely at the ivory pelted female, recalling very well how she had mistreated Jaimz and he was still holding an impressive grudge against her.  Jaimz looked at her, wondering what she wanted with him now.  She had been awfully quiet at breakfast and the noon-break was still a while away though he understood that she would be returning to L’Teran Pride soon after that.  Watching her he noticed her touch one of his finished models which Drey had spent painstaking time lacquering to protect it and he bit back a retort when she quite deliberately broke a section off.  Before he could stop Drey though or hope that the cub had not witnessed her act of vandalism the cub bounded to his feet and shouted at her.  “Hey!  You broke that!  Jaimz Ni spent hours putting that together and—!”

What happened next was viscous and uncalled for, she stepped forward and she slapped the cub hard across his face.  Hard enough that even with his light brown hide her handprint showed on his cheek.  Jaimz caught the cub as he stumbled and he yelled at her, “That’s enough!”

She huffed and smiled at the cub as she purred, “Rude little houseless cubs should know better than to disrespect their elders.”

Drey snarled at her and it took all of Jaimz’ strength to keep the cub from attacking the bitch, “No!  No Drey!” he commanded the angry cub’s attention, hugging his face between his hands and saying slowly over the cub’s seething rage, “Go see Kang right now Drey.  Right now.”

“Yes, yes why don’t you be a good cub and go see that old fool while the adults have a nice chat?” She added flippantly, smiling cruelly as Drey’s now very bright though still icy pale green eyes rolled toward her.  The cub still struggled with his desire to obey Jaimz and his urge to strike back at the female and every time she said anything it only made him angrier.

Jaimz forced him to look at him and repeated, “Go see Kang, Drey.  Right now.  Right NOW!”  The cub broke away from him, and though he sent Vreda such an ugly look that she should have been horrified (she only laughed) he did run from the lab.

Vreda pressed a finger to her lips and chuckled once the cub was gone and swung around to face Jaimz as she said, “Much better.”

 “That was completely uncalled for!”  Jaimz snarled at her,  “Drey is under the care of K’Lan House and he is to be treated as a son of this HOUSE!”

She laughed silkily, “How angry you are pet, all because I slapped that rude little cub?  He’ll be fine and hopefully he’ll learn some better manners.”

“You had no right!” Jaimz retorted, “It’s obviously you who needs to learn better manners!”

She moved toward him than, forcing him to lean back against the tall stool’s back, there was one such high backed stool at every table expressly for his or the cub’s use, though normally Drey made use of regular chairs if Jaimz was working with him.  She leaned close against him, purring sotto voce in his ear, “I saw you.”  She backed away as he stared at her with obvious confusion.  She laughed and bent toward him again, and said in a singsong voice, “I saw you last night…with him.  With my Betrothed mate.”

He hissed a gasping breath and pushed her back, she seemed willing to cooperate so far, “He’s not your Betrothed mate!  He’s not your anything!  If you even managed to get him you’d treat him just like a conquest!” He seethed, lashing her verbally.

She boldly stroked his cheek and purred smilingly as she bent toward him again, “He could have been mine last night…if you hadn’t been there to provide such a distraction.”  She ran her fingers up into his hair and then clutched a handful, “I saw you…take him, all of him, inside you.  I watched your nether mouth suck him right up and you just loved it didn’t you?  Didn’t you?  I warned you didn’t I of what I would do if he—now what was that word you used so eloquently?  Oh yes—Fuck.  I think I warned you that I would fuck you if he fucked you.”  She smiled and ducked down to lick his cheek as he shuddered and strained against her hold on his hair.

Jaimz pushed against her, clutching her hand as it tugged at his hair, and remembering a bundle of nerves in the wrist area of the chart he had seen in Kang’s office he drove his fingers hard into that nerve cluster so that she yelped and released him.  Instantly he jumped off the chair and kicked it at her as he backed away while snarling breathlessly, “Don’t touch me!”

She stumbled over the chair, and then kicked it aside and came after him, stalking him as he moved around the table trying to keep it between her and him.  “I warned you!” She rumbled low in her throat as she flexed her fingers, “If he gets you I get you.  It’s simple rules Pet!  Now you have two choices you can try to elude me until I get really mad and use something really nasty to hurt you with…or we can go off to your bed right now and I can stick something inside you that won’t hurt so much and just play with you until you squeal a tiny bit.  What do you say Pet?  Which choice would you prefer?”

He knew looking at how she flexed her fingers that she fully intended to use them against him whether he was willing or not, and he had no intention of being willing.  Hoping against hope that Drey was hurrying back with Kang he could only try to hold her back knowing that if she managed to get a hold of him again that he wouldn’t be able to fight her off.  Still, though he knew he shouldn’t antagonize her, for her eyes didn’t like at all sane, he couldn’t help but react as he yelled, “FUCK YOU!”

She lunged across the table at him, shattering another of his models in the process.  He dodged her though a second later he heard fabric tearing, his fabric tearing as she grabbed at his tunic as he tried to out maneuver her.  The delicate fabric ripped open at the shoulder, he spun away from her and kicked another chair into her long legs as she once again lunged for him while yelling, “Your making me mad Pet!”

Next he felt fabric across his back ripping as she used claws this time to slash, and he hissed at the sting of those same claws as they scored his skin.  He needed help; he knew it as she caught up with him and grabbed him by his hair again.  He yelled and turned into her, he didn’t know what he was doing and he had never spent a day of his life doing martial arts, but as she powered toward him, he grabbed her still reaching arm as it made to claw at him, he lowered his shoulder into her gut and somehow as he ducked, she sailed with a yowl right over his head. 

That was the exact moment in which Kang and Drey filled the doorway, and Drey let out a crow of delight as the female smashed into the tabletop.  “COOL!” He howled even louder with laughter when the falling female’s unexpected weight snapped the tabletop in half, landing it and her in an inglorious heap on the floor.

Jaimz stood panting and surprised afterward, uncertain of what he had done and unsure that he’d be able to repeat it, but from the looks of the table that had broken her inglorious fall, he didn’t need to worry about defending himself anymore at the moment.  She was lying amongst the tangle of broken wood looking utterly dazed and shocked and she seemed uncoordinated enough that it was taking her a few tries just to untwist her arm out from under her. 

Kang, having also witnessed the female flying through the air though he managed to restrain his exuberance far more gracefully then the excited cub did, assessed the scene in an instant and as Jaimz started to sway he decided that he would assist him before the young human hurt himself by fainting or doing something unpredictable like that.  Very quickly he was at Jaimz’ side, pulling the youngling up against him as his energy and adrenaline ran out.  Jaimz gripped at his arms, digging his fingers into his pelt as if he was trying to ground himself, yet his legs still gave out and he started sliding down so Kang went with him.  “What is happening Jaimz?  Do you feel sick?”

Panting Jaimz leaned away and let his head fall back, “Can’t—c-catch my—breath.” He gasped.

Kang sighed, “Your hyperventilating cub.  Lean forward, yes, like that.  Now put your head between your knees and breathe in slow…deep, slow breaths.”  He ignored the ruined tunic and simply rubbed Jaimz’ back as he gradually got his breathing under control.  However he didn’t ignore the four scratches that were turning bright red and even bleeding sluggishly high up on his back near his shoulder.  Once Jaimz’ breathing had calmed down sufficiently Kang pealed the tunic off of his patient, it was unsalvageable anyway and inspected the nasty scratches for a moment before deciding that all he’d need to do was clean and disinfect them and they should heal without too much problem though they might leave faint scars to mar that perfectly smooth skin.

Terrill came in on that situation, it took him a moment to get past the damage to take everything in, Jaimz sitting with his head between his knees while the medic stroked his back and soothed him and the cub hovering beside them, and Vreda still laying in a dazed tangle amid the broken table pieces.  Seeing that Jaimz was already being tended to by two doting guardians Terrill went to assist Vreda, helping her up though for the life of him he couldn’t figure out how she’d gotten into this predicament in the first place.

“What happened here?” He grumbled as he helped Vreda to her feet. 

Vreda shook him off and straightened her mane, though she winced when she tried to use her right arm to do it.  She stared toward the small group where Jaimz was being tended and flexed her sore arm experimentally, wincing again.  She softly murmured, “Nothing, just me and the Pet were having a discussion.  That’s all.” She peered at K’Lan Terrill and smiled, “I have decided that I will take Kaiel as my mate.  Please see to it that the contract is formalized.”

Terrill was slightly taken aback; for the look in her eyes was hardly what he would call sane, and what had happened here, no mere discussion obviously.  He glanced back toward Jaimz, noticing that the medic was alone with him now, so while he’d been helping Vreda the cub had taken off, and since he knew that young Drey was quite attached to Jaimz he doubted that he would have left unless the medic asked him too.  He chose to accompany Vreda, for she was hardly what he’d call steady on her feet, but she wasn’t ready to leave yet as she made for Jaimz instead.  Kang rose at seeing her coming and put his massive frame in her way.

“I won’t let you harm him.” He warned in a rumbling tone, and though he might be overweight and gray pelted he could still be very menacing when he needed to be.

She smirked and shrugged, “No matter…I just want to tell him something, but I’m sure he can hear me just fine…isn’t that right Pet?”  She peered around Kang’s massive body and smiled as Jaimz lifted his head to look at her, he really did have such a beautiful face.  Very cryptically she advised, “I won’t give up—I can compete with you.”

He just looked at her for a moment, and then lowered his head back to his knees.  She shrugged, she had said her piece and she was ready to leave now.  Turning away she said to Terrill, “I think that I should be going home now, after all I have a lot to arrange for the formal betrothal ceremony and the mating ceremony after that….”

Terrill followed her, he still very much wanted to know what had happened but he didn’t want to leave her alone for the moment, besides she was still favoring her right arm so he was certain that she needed medical attention.  As he stepped out into the hall after her he noticed young Drey coming back with the medic’s satchel and nodded his understanding as the cub passed.  He was still confused though as he paced beside the female who was only an inch or so shorter than he was, “What happened in there?” he asked her again.

She laughed and sent him a sly look, leaning toward him she whispered as if sharing a dirty secret, “I saw them.  Last night I saw them mating.  It was…incredible to watch my mate-to-be rutting with his little Pet.  It was so incredible to see the Pet take Kaiel’s big rod inside his little body.   I am so going to enjoy my time with the Pet.  I warned him…I warned him that if he mated with Kaiel that he would have to share his sweet little body with me too.  It’s only fair, isn’t it?” 

Terrill stared at her, for clearly she had lost all sense of reason.  But she wasn’t looking at him or even really aware that he was there beside her, making sure that she didn’t bang into anything as he guided her back toward her suite.  She could see, but she wasn’t seeing anything ahead of her…what she was seeing played over and over again in her mind.  She had gone to try to woo Kaiel over to her and since he had been so stubbornly avoiding her since her arrival she had decided that if she put herself in his bed that he wouldn’t be able to ignore her anymore.  How was she to know that he already had more company than she could compete with?  She had watched it all; from the moment the Pet had started to take Kaiel’s rod inside his little cub-sized body to the moment that Kaiel had shifted their positions so that he could drive his rod deeper and deeper into that yielding little body and to moments far beyond that, until she was certain the Pet may have actually seen her, though this morning he had showed no hint of it.  She felt anger wash over her and shook her head to shake it off, she wouldn’t let anger consume her, she would have plenty of time to punish the Pet once he came under her full time control.  She could just imagine all the ways that she could punish him too, she smiled just thinking about the various methods that she could use to subdue and conquer him and how in controlling him she would control Kaiel since Kaiel obviously wanted to protect his precious little Pet.  Only one thing bothered her, this morning her cousin had come into her suite just as she was leaving, and she had her satchel in hand.  Zuzu hadn’t explained where she was going and Vreda hadn’t asked, for she supposed dutiful Zuzu would have found her own means to get to that silly Diplomatic Conference.  But what Zuzu had said haunted her as much as what she had witnessed last evening did.  Simple and cryptic, two sentences, meaningless apart but fully realized when placed together.  “Just give up Vreda.  You can’t compete with that.”  She understood, oh yes she understood completely what that was.

Back in the Lab, Kang had Jaimz sitting up in one of the chairs and was tending to the scratches on his back.  Jaimz was calm now and actually very quiet, he barely even made a sound as the antiseptic solution bathed the shallow but long wounds.  It was fortunate that Vreda had only caught him a glancing blow or her claws could have laid his back wide open.  These scratches would heal with little difficulty though.  Cleaned now he inspected them just to make sure there were no deeper gouges within the slashes, but there was nothing to worry about.  He applied a topical ointment to the scratches and finally bandaged a pad of gauze in place just to keep the ointment from being rubbed off the moment he redressed.   Patting Jaimz’ undamaged shoulder he said, “This can probably come off tomorrow and you should be able to shower or whatever without concern.  Though the water might sting the cuts a bit.”

Jaimz glanced at him and smiled then he frowned as he looked around his Lab again and grumbled, “What a mess.”

Indeed chairs were overturned, one table was broken beyond repair, one of Jaimz’ lacquered gate models was smashed out of all recognition and another looked in sore need of repair…there had obviously been quite a scuffle and Jaimz had obviously put quite a good deal of effort into defending himself, for Kang had no doubt that Jaimz had been the one at risk here.  L’Teran Vreda was at least seven and a half feet tall, and she probably outweighed Jaimz by nearly a hundred pounds and for all that she was shapely she was also extremely strong.  Attacking Jaimz would have been like attacking a cub.  And yet hadn’t he walked into the scene where she was the one involved in an aerial disaster?

“How did you…do that to Vreda?” he wondered.

Jaimz sent him a confused look then his cheeks brightened with a blush.  “Oh….”

Drey, who had been watching everything attentively and worriedly, chimed in, “Oh Yeah!  That was so cool Jaimz Ni!  How did you throw her like that?  That was so completely wild!”

Jaimz blushed uncomfortably and smiled sheepishly, “I don’t know…how I did it.”

Kang looked into those bright eyes, which were perfectly aquamarine and had been for a long time now, they hadn’t melted back into the softer and swirling sea-foam shade that was more normal.  Indeed when Jaimz eyes took on the clarity of aquamarines he was fairly excited or frightened or otherwise emotionally over-wrought.  He understood that Jaimz was every bit as astounded as they were by what he had done, and from the looks of his wandering thoughts and bemused expressions Kang guessed that Jaimz was wondering if he could repeat that feat if he had too.

“Then, would you mind sharing what caused the situation in the first place?”  Kang asked.

Jaimz glanced at Drey, and then asked, “Drey, could you please see if that model over there can be salvaged?”

Kang watched as the cub went to inspect the lacquered model with all of its delicate parts and then turned back to Jaimz.  Jaimz sighed, “She saw Kaiel and me together last night.”

Kang stared…then half teasingly murmured, “You two might want to consider pulling the bed curtains before you get into it.”

Jaimz blushed again, “Maybe… but anyway—.  Vreda threatened me the other day, and she was only guessing that Kaiel and I had a relationship like that …but anyway she said if Kaiel had me that way—that she’d have me too.  This morning she came to claim her pound of flesh or whatever…and I wasn’t about to let her.”  He looked down at his hands and murmured, “I think she’s a bit nuts.”

“Ah, I wouldn’t doubt it.”

Jaimz glanced away, and concluded, “I hope she’s a long ways away when she finds out that betrothal has been broken.”

Kang raised a brow; “You know this for a fact?”

Jaimz nodded and shared the confidence, “Lorz—he mated me with some kind of Abiku Mating Contract.”

“Akibu.” Kang corrected

“Yeah, Akibu…anyway that mating contract was drawn up before the Betrothal and Kaiel thinks that the Akibu contract voids the Betrothal contract, since the elder son was already mated to me…or something like that.” Jaimz purposely didn’t look at him, concentrating instead on what the cub was doing.

Kang understood why Jaimz was having trouble with this, first it involved Lorz and Jaimz still quite literally loathed Lorz, and secondly it involved finding himself in another improbable situation, of which finding himself legally mated to another male was totally inconceivable to Jaimz.

Kang was tantalized however by the implications and he mused, “Interesting…and yes the Akibu contract if it was formalized before the betrothal should make the betrothal invalid.  But what is even more interesting is trying to understand Lorz’ reasoning.”

Jaimz scowled, “Lorz had no reasons for doing anything, he was just a monster.”

“Yes, yes to you, in many ways, he was a monster.  But why would he tie you with the Tag and then continue to abuse you when there was no need?  And furthermore why would he lock himself into an unbreakable contract with you and still hurt you?  It makes no sense.  Why resort to two of our most ancient practices to tie you to him and his house only to continue to harm you?”

Jaimz grumbled bitterly, “I already told you he didn’t need any reason to do what he did.  And what does it matter anyway.  I’m free of him and the contract at least where it concerns me died with him.”

“Yes, perhaps,” Kang mused, “Still it is a puzzle.  Why go to such lengths to control you when he could have let you feel the first flush of the addiction and made you come to him for relief?  Why continue to hurt you and drive you emotionally away while at the same time locking you tighter and tighter to him?”

Jaimz just stared at him, he was amazed that Kang would talk this way about Lorz after what he had done to him, and he had never been locked to Lorz in anyway, he had hated him with his entire body and resisted him with every fiber of his being.  If anything it was Kaiel that he was finding himself emotionally tied to, and it was Kaiel who he was locked to…and the only thing that Lorz had ever done right was have a brother who had the same flaw as he did, a flaw that saved him when Lorz had obviously set out to kill him by leaving him unknowingly and fatally addicted to him.

Kang however was still talking, more to himself than to Jaimz, yet Jaimz found he was listening anyway.  “With the binding contract you could have walked or ran away, it is after all just a piece of parchment—and very binding piece of parchment—but you could still flee from it.  But with the Tag, you couldn’t have run far enough away to ever escape him.  Why did he persist in hurting you?  That is the real puzzle.  He could have made you come to him, made you want to come to him and take everything he could give you just so you’d feel better.”

Jaimz shook his head and rasped, “I don’t want to hear this.”

“But I’m trying to understand what is so hard to understand.” Kang persisted, ignoring Jaimz’ rising unease.  “Why would he abuse you so much and pervert the whole meaning of what it is to be Tagged when there was no need?  Had he been gentle with you, no matter how much you continued to hate him, your body would have opened up to him just as it does for Kaiel now.  You were prepared and ready for him from the moment he Tagged you.”

“I don’t want to hear this!” Jaimz cried, covering his ears.  “He was mad!  Isn’t that enough to understand?  You said it yourself that he perverted everything!  Can’t you leave it at that?  All he ever did was hurt me and rape me and let Ham rape me—.”

Kang, seeing how upset his ponderings were making Jaimz, reached out and pulled the distraught young human against him, “I’m sorry.  Sometimes I just bite at a puzzle and can’t let it go…. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you Cubling.”

Terrill returned at that moment, and his silent consideration could probably be attributed to the assumption that he had heard Jaimz describing the hell he had suffered while under Lorz’ tender mercies, the only saving grace was that Lorz’ name hadn’t been mentioned so Jaimz didn’t have to confirm or deny anything and hopefully he hadn’t heard any of what the medic had been saying about being Tagged, after all only Jaimz had raised his voice.   Jaimz didn’t care too much about the senior K’Lan’s sensitivities anyway, for he knew that Kaiel had already explained some of the facts to him, but what bothered him was the cub, showing up at his side, touching his arm ever so lightly and asking, “Jaimz Ni?  Did someone hurt you?”

Jaimz stared at the youngster and felt a prickling of horror crawl up his spine.  He knew without a doubt that Drey was asking about something that went beyond today.  He had heard him just now when he had been speaking about being raped by Lorz and Ham.  He felt his face heat with painful embarrassment as he wondered how he could explain without saying anything at all.  “I—no—I’m fine, Vreda barely scratched me.”  Drey gave him a look that clearly read that the cub knew he was deliberately evading his question.  However he didn’t try to press for more information instead all the cub did was wrap his arms about him and whisper, “I’ll protect you,” as he hugged him.  Jaimz was so surprised that he didn’t complain at Drey’s forwardness, besides the cub was safe.

Terrill harrumphed to gain their attention; his ears actually flicked slightly with discomfort as he tipped his head formally, and said, “I trust that you haven’t faired to badly Jaimz Ni.”

With the cub standing at his side again and Kang busy sorting his satchel out Jaimz faced the older male and said simply, “I’m fine.  I’ll be right as rain in no time flat.”

Terrill gave him a thoughtful look then nodded again, “Well, I’m glad, I shouldn’t like for you to have suffered any serious harm while under my care.”  He didn’t notice Kang glance toward him, so he didn’t realize that it was Kang who was keeping a watchful eye on Jaimz while Kaiel was away.  He looked at Jaimz for another moment, admiring the satiny smoothness of his bare upper body and felt a bit of regret that his back (which had been flawless) was now marred with four nasty scratches.  “Anyway, perhaps you might be relieved to know that L’Teran Vreda has decided to go home early?”

Drey interjected bitterly, “Everybody should be happy to hear that.” 

Before Terrill could scold the cub Jaimz gripped Drey’s arm with just enough warning pressure and said, “That wasn’t very polite Drey.”

The cub’s ears laid back flat to his skull.  Then Jaimz relented by saying with a smile, “Not that I think you necessarily need to apologize either.”

Terrill frowned at them both, recognizing that at the moment both were a pair of cubs conspiring together in the way cubs did even though Jaimz’ was the elder.  He looked from the grinning pair to Kang and said, “At any rate, the young female is leaving today but it would seem that she managed to injure her arm so, Kang Ni, I am wondering if you would check and make sure that it isn’t too seriously damaged?”

Before Drey could say anything else to express his opinion of L’Teran Vreda, Jaimz laid a hand lightly on his arm and said to Kang, “I’m fine…go see to her if you like.”

Drey watched as Kang left with Terrill before he turned his incredulous pale green eyes upon Jaimz and exclaimed, “Why did you let him go?”

Jaimz smiled, “Child…cub…I don’t control Kang, and he’s a doctor so naturally he will go to whomever he feels needs him, even if he doesn’t necessarily approve of that person.  That’s what makes a great doctor and I think that Kang is one of the best I’ve ever know.”

Drey nodded thoughtfully, then said, “Yeah…I guess I can’t be selfish just because I don’t like her.” He grinned mischievously, “Still what you did was great and I hope she broke her arm!”

Jaimz chuckled, and looking around his Lab again he said, “I’m sure she didn’t hurt her arm to badly…but my lab surely is a mess.”

Drey nodded solemnly, “Yeah…but I think that the model can be salvaged, she just broke one of the wing foils off and it broke right at the joint.  Do you want me to get a staffer or two to help clean up?”

Jaimz shook his head ruefully and hopping off the stool he said, “No I think together we can deal with most of this mess…though the table of course is pretty much a lost cause.”

Together the pair set to work setting stools and chairs aright and throwing away broken pieces of a shattered model that couldn’t possibly be prepared until all that was left was the table.  Jaimz knew to leave that for the staffers, since he didn’t even know where such a thing would be disposed of and quietly they set to work fixing the repairable model first.

Immediately upon arriving at Rydani’s council hall, Zuzu and Kaiel parted company to go to their respective quarters within the diplomatic section.   Kaiel already knew his way quite well to the K’Lan suite where he had stayed frequently in the past years since he had first joined the diplomatic corps but he allowed himself to be escorted so that he could listen to the guide describe the events planned for the day.  First there would be a big formal luncheon involving all the prime delegates and their assistants, after the luncheon the first session of the diplomatic conference would convene with the presenting of the proper forms and credentials, the passing of the gavel would be preformed to identify the mediator for the session and then the first day of the conference would conclude with the submission of proposals and compromises for both sides to review before the next day’s session began in full.

Kaiel nodded, all this he understood, though he was still puzzled as to why he had been called to mediate the session since he was just a junior in the diplomatic corps and hardly had the years of experience that a senior would have.  But the Chai had personally requested him, he knew that there would be protests from the bench since it wouldn’t sit well with the older males and yet hadn’t he been assigned the duty of trying to determine a solution for the Chai Conflict in the first place despite his apparent youth?

His guide showed him into his suite, which had been fully prepared to receive him, he looked briefly at the bed and grimly thought that the longer he worked into the night, each night of the conference the better, for the bed looked damn lonely.  After he was told that Luncheon would be served at one and a half marks past the noon break the guide left him to get settled in.  He eyed the many formal robes he had packed for this session before deciding on the one he would wear today.  He set that one robe aside while he hung the rest away in the closet.  He also carried all the paraphernalia he would need to manage the TWS to the chest beside the bed and placed it all carefully within the top drawer.

He then sat down and allowed himself a brief respite before getting ready for the luncheon.

Luncheon when he arrived was as he had assumed a rigid affair of modest greetings and a great deal of posturing.  The Chai of course were present, as were representatives of most of the Zaran allies.  The Chai were the strangest of the lot in many ways.  The kindest way to describe them was that they looked like big insects.  They had three pair of limbs and depending on what they were doing they could walk on the two hind pair, or they could use both of the hind pairs in conjunction with the single front pair to manipulate equipment, enter data or perform a number of tasks simultaneously.  Their bodies were divided into three segments, the head, the thoracic, and finally the hind (which was the largest of the segments).  Their three pair of limbs was divvied up so that one pair emerged from the thoracic while the other two pairs were attached to the hind portion.  The three sections like their limbs were covered in gleaming black chitinuos armor that was so reflective that Kaiel was positive that the Chai spent hours waxing and polishing their exoskeletons.   They heads were heart shaped with a single pair of large equally black multi-facetted eyes and small mandibles.  The only soft area that the Chai had was in the connective areas between the main body sections and they were soft only in comparison to their natural armor, for those areas were very tough and leathery and every bit as black as their exoskeletons.  They tended not to wear anything since they were all neuter drones as the Queen and her harem never left the planet or their respective hive or pod.  Without a doubt each of the Chai were siblings born of the same pod.  What did distinguish each was the jewelry they each wore, each wore ropes and ropes of gems strung around their necks, wrists and ankles, some even wore multiple chains around their waists of precious metals and gems.  They positively sparkled and Kaiel definitely didn’t think that they were ugly, merely that they were different in appearance from his own people.  Each of the Chai delegates would have been picked for their special skills and knowledge of negotiating so Kaiel was sure that he was in for quite a run with them.  The final thing that set the Chai apart was that each had a breather apparatus delivering extra oxygen to their systems through their mouths because they came from an oxygen rich world and without the oxygen mist that they breathed in past their mandibles they would suffocate. 

The squat Harben were present, they were short reptilian species, at barely four feet high with long arms and short legs and lived on a mainly arboreal planet.  Besides the Harben the other allies were the Delran, who looked very much like a-fish-out-of-water kind of being, they were just under Zaran height, but they had long barrel shaped bodies which tapered toward the tail and head, with necks so thick that it looked as if the head and shoulders were joined together and short legs made only for a shambling type of walk (the Delran were excellent swimmers however) and forelimbs just barely long enough to touch the flipper like fingers together.  Like the Chai the Delran also had breathers, but their breathers disbursed oxygen through a water vapor so that they wouldn’t drown in a waterless environment.  The Delran had a slick rubbery skin, which was whitish gray through the jaw, throat and belly region and blackish gray on the back and everywhere else.  The had pointed faces with their nostrils claiming the peak of their snouts while their backward grinning mouths fully armored with triangular teeth was below the peak and their flat black slightly bulging eyes peered out near the top of there heads on either side of the pointed snout.  They were undoubtedly one of the ugliest of the Zaran allies, but Kaiel knew that they of course thought that the Zaran and every other species was by far the uglier species.  Chatting with the Harben and the Delran were the long limbed and short bodies Ghan, a fur covered ally, though this one had long draping fur.  The Ghan were an odd looking being with such long limbs and neck which made their bodies and heads seem so small.  They had long tapering hairy snouts or muzzles, and large dark eyes rimmed with a thick fringe of eyelashes.  Their small bodies were narrow at the shoulder, thick at the waist and tapered toward a stiff and equally hairy tail.   However when they sat down they folded their limbs up and somehow managed to look very dignified.  There were a few ally species missing but Kaiel didn’t wonder where they were for if they had wanted to participate in this conference they would have been present already.

Kaiel joined the delegates, greeting many by name and settled in to suffer through a long and likely tedious luncheon, the only bright point about it was that he saw Zuzu and was able to speak with her for a bit during one of the many course services.  It was during their brief conversation that one of the Chai ambled over; this Chai was the Speaker for the group if the diadem like headdress was any indication.  Both he and Zuzu nodded with all due respect at the Chai speaker, but he was surprised when the Speaker addressed him alone.  “You are unguarded.” She said, she in that though a drone most Chai unless born specifically for the Queen’s harem (and therefore male) were considered female. 

It was a puzzling thing to say and Kaiel didn’t know how to respond to her, he glanced at Zuzu in bafflement before returning his gaze back to the enigmatic Speaker.   She tapped her own smooth head; with her armed forelimbs there was an actually clicking and repeated, “You are unguarded.” She nodded and seeming satisfied with her unusual pronouncement she moved on to speak with another group.

Kaiel raised a curious brow as he stared after her and it was Zuzu who muttered, “Unguarded how?”

He had no idea, except of course that the Chai had a strange way of thinking and speaking and likely the translator built into their breathers which made their language comprehendible to non-Chai hadn’t been able to translate her cryptic words into anything that made sense.  After a moment he hazarded a guess, “Maybe she meant that I am open to new ideas?”

Zuzu looked dubious but that was when High Council P’Var called her away and back to his side.

Kaiel mingled with the luncheon crowd, but he was left wondering what the Speaker had meant that he was unguarded, how and in what way?

His Lab was tidy now, the ruined table had been removed and replaced and wonder of wonders Vreda had left which had made lunch an engaging affair where even Terrill made a good effort to join in with the conversation.  After lunch though Jaimz didn’t feel like working in his Lab, he pestered Kang for a while until the good medic shooed him out because he was being a nuisance.  He went for a walk, exploring the inner gardens and the immediate areas around the house but after a time interest in the flowers and trees also cooled so that he wandered back toward his suite though he still didn’t feel like doing any work.  He was restless and he was fully aware of the fact too, which only aggravated him, which made him more restless.  He didn’t want to think that he was so restless because he knew Kaiel was gone.  He had worked entire days without seeing Kaiel until well into the evening or at all and been more than okay, so just because Kaiel was not home at all was no reason for him to be so restless. 

Before he reached his suite though he stopped himself and turned back toward Kang’s again, thinking that maybe Kang would be willing to visit with him again for a while, at least until he drove him to distraction and shooed him away again, but he stopped when Drey exited from the Lab.  Drey smiled at him, “Jaimz Ni.”

Jaimz returned the cubs warm smile and asked idly, “Off to your Zaran lessons?”

Drey grinned and shook his head, “Oh no today is Market day, so school isn’t in during the afternoon, even Jondra Ni wouldn’t go against custom.” Drey didn’t think much of his Zaran studies tutor who actually lived in Chocho and drove to K’Lan pride six days a week to spend four hours per day trying to ensure Drey had a well rounded Zaran education.  Drey thought that R’Varra Jondra (honorific due to educational status) was a dry stick.  Jaimz was yet to meet Drey’s tutor but he sympathized with the cub for he believed that education should be fun and that the more riveting and interesting the instruction was the more the student absorbed and actually learned.

“Oh yes, you mentioned that this morning.” Jaimz replied.

Drey hopped up on his toes, which was something he did whenever he was excited, “I’m going to Moro to visit the Market and see my friends, guess I’ll say hi to my folks while I’m there too.”

Jaimz knew that Drey walked to the village, it was apparently less than an hour away on foot, and so he started to say for him to have a nice walk but Drey caught his hand and said fervently, “Why don’t you come with me Jaimz Ni?  You haven’t been to Moro and the Market is really cool, there’s lots of neat stuff there and everyone would like to meet you too I bet.”

Taken aback Jaimz hesitated before answering, “Well, I don’t know—I’ve only been to Chocho and I wasn’t…meeting anyone and—.”

“I think it’s a splendid idea Drey.” Announced Kang as he sauntered up the broad hallway, he grinned at Jaimz and explained to his mystified look, “Finished seeing my clients for the day, so I have time on my hands now.  Why don’t we all go to Moro and see this marvelous Market that Drey is so proud of?”

Nearly bouncing, and still holding Jaimz’ hand, the cub crowed, “Really?  Really and truly you’ll come Jaimz Ni?  It will be fun I promise.”

Jaimz was still hesitant, his last encounter with strangers hadn’t been a very happy one as he recalled, but if he was going with Kang and Drey and they were all going to be together then, “Ok…I guess it will be alright.”

Drey laughed merrily and exclaimed, “I can’t wait to show you to all my friends, they are so jealous cause only I know you.”  Still holding his hand Drey eagerly starting pulling him along after him.

However Kang interjected, “Cubling, Jaimz will need some protection from the sun, shouldn’t you maybe wait until he has a hood on or something?”

Drey looked at Jaimz’ furless and fair face and his ears lowered with embarrassment, “Oh…right.”

It only took a moment to find a hooded and long sleeved tunic to protect Jaimz’ skin from Z’Rarla’s brilliant sun, but Kang put up quite a fuss when he realized that Drey intended for them to walk to the village though he settled after a bit when Jaimz teased him that he wouldn’t be able to keep up due to the heat and his terribly advanced age.  Kang rubbed his expansive belly, thoughtfully stroked his chin and grinned as he said, “You to will have to try your best to keep up with me.”

However before they had even stepped outside Terrill noticed their little party and enquired as to where they were going.  Drey excitedly informed the head of K’Lan what they were up to and after a moment the elder K’Lan male simply said, enjoy, and that he’d have a vehicle sent to bring them home before the evening break and supper.

It was a warm spring afternoon, although to Jaimz it felt like the heart of summer heat to him, but the lightweight tunic allowed his skin to breathe even as provided shelter from the fierce afternoon sunlight.  The track they walked along was well used and more of a narrow road then an animal path so Jaimz felt reasonably comfortable as he strolled across the predator-laden savanna.  Of course how populated with predators the savanna might be he wasn’t certain but hadn’t a Maram—some mountain cat—created a bit of a problem not to far from Moro the night before he had accepted Kaiel as his new Tag mate?  And surely if there was one Maram there had to be more?

Still the tall prairie grasses were so green and the few trees he saw along the way were dripping with blooms and everything looked so pretty that it was soothing to walk and smell the clean crisp if hot air and simply enjoy the day for the sheer pleasantness of it.  Kang and Drey both named trees, flowers and types of grasses for him, and occasionally birds or small animals were flushed into view, sometimes they just appeared in a sudden rumble of wings or streak of fur that it was a bit startling, but just as often he got to observe nature in all its beauty. 

Once on the walk Drey suddenly grew serious and hushed them as he whispered, “There’s a family of Nera close by with kits that maybe the dam will let us see if we don’t make too much noise.”

Having only started to learn about the vast and varied fauna and flora of Z’Rarla Jaimz didn’t know what a Nera was, but soon he saw that if he was a quiet as Drey and even Kang could be, that he too could see what a Nera was.  A Nera it turned out was a tiny wild cat with huge sail like ears.  Its short hide was buff colored and it was covered in tiny black rosettes though its tail and legs were ringed.  It had white flashes on the back of its otherwise black ears and it had a bandit-masked and delicate little face.  Its four kittens were tiny bundles of tan fluff that were exploring within the limits the watchful mother had set up. 

Drey whispered, “Sometimes I see the male too…Nera mate for life, but I guess he must be off hunting.” 

After a few moments of admiring the kittens they eased back so as not to alarm the patient mother and carried on with the walk.  Only once did Kang actually hold them both back and look out at the tall grass with a darkly gathered brow that had them also craning to see what had him concerned.  He said softly, well pushing Jaimz and Drey behind his big body, “There’s a young Gar out there in the grass, it’s not a problem for me, but it might have tried for Drey if he’d taken this walk alone…and I don’t want to think what it would have done if it had encountered Jaimz alone on this trail.”

Drey dipped and hopped, trying to see and wondered, “What is a young Gar doing away from its pride Kang Ni?”

Kang moved them along; though he kept watch for a while until he was certain that the Gar wasn’t going to pester them.  “I don’t know, but we should inform your Pridemother so that she will know and warn the village and also let Terrill Ni know so that he can send out some hunters to drive the cub back toward its pride lands.”

Drey bounced up on his toes, “That’s right Jaimz Ni.  K’Lan pride supports two Gar prides, isn’t that amazing?  Most of the Houses only support one pride, and some don’t support any Gar at all ‘cause they don’t live where any are.” He squeezed Jaimz hand, “But you don’t have to worry the Gar almost never venture this close to the villages or the main house.  That Gar cub must be desperately hungry to have come this close to populated areas.  You will call the main house right away Kang Ni?  Right?  The sooner that Gar gets back with his family the better.”

Jaimz who had only glimpsed a bit of golden brown crouched down in the tall grass asked, “What is a Gar?”

Kang half turned, “The Gar is a cat.  Like the Maram the Gar is also known by a more descriptive name.  The Gar is also known as the Plains Cat.  That young one was just a yearling male, big enough to be a nuisance to small animals and Zaran cubs but not something one would normally need to worry about.   Simply for the reason that the cubs stay with their prides for about four years until they are nearly full grown before they are driven from the pride.”

Drey interjected excitedly, “The Gar are our closest kin, my tutor says that we share a common ancestor.”

“That’s true,” Kang agreed, “Way back in our evolution we and the Gar were cousins but we changed and evolved into Zarans while they remained the same or virtually the same at any rate.”

“The Gar are bigger then we are, but they have manes and share the same pelt colors that we have, though of course they don’t walk or talk.”  He skipped along and suddenly pointed, “There’s my village.”

Indeed the village rested on a shallow rise above the floor of the savanna.  It was walled all the way around and had three gates, all of which were open.  Cultivated fields fanned out in all directions around the village though surprisingly there were a number of vehicles parked on the edges of those fields right up to the walls of the village.  There was a lot of traffic within and without the village and they even recognized a few main house staffers amongst that traffic.  Some were driving it was true, but a few were on foot so Kang warned them of the young Gar on the path between the main house and the village.

Upon entering the village the slow cessation of the crowd gave a clue that Moro had been prepared in advance for Jaimz’ arrival.  Clearly as the adults turned to watch them approach it was obvious that they would only have given their attention so fully if something new and strange was entering the midst, which Jaimz by the very virtue of his alienness couldn’t help but be.  Yet the Adults hung back and restrained themselves to only looking, not that with his hood pulled up to shadow his face that they could see much, but the cubs from Drey’s age (or maybe even a little older) to toddlers couldn’t be so easily restrained and soon one cub, and then another escaped a parent’s or guardian’s control to venture closer until the dam broke and maybe every cub in the village ran, toddled or crab crawled to come see the alien.  Their excitement was palpable and even if the younger cubs didn’t understand what was so exciting the older ones did and they drew the crowd along in their enthusiasm.  But as he had learned, though the cubs were more open less restrained, they were less willing to touch without some indication of permission. 

Jaimz let Drey hold his hand for another reassuring moment then shook him off with a gentle, “I’ll be fine Drey.”  The cubs encircled them, looking up at him with innocent curiosity, he lifted back his hood enough so that his face was no longer shadowed and the murmurs from the adult crowd which remained well back almost over whelmed the giggles and sighs of the cubling crowd.  There was one cub in particular, a little female who was just barely toddling though to him she had a five years old height he figured that she was probably only two or so, she was at the stage where she could walk but her balance wasn’t good and she would go down to her fingers and toes to crab crawl a few paces before balancing on only her toes again.  He knelt down so that he was at a closer level to the tiny female and he smiled softly as she bravely tottered toward him, she fell just with in his reach so he caught her up and held her and though she looked initially startled and everyone fell silent, after a moment she bravely stroked a cubby and dusty hand into his hair and then gurgling with cubbish happiness she hugged his neck as he picked her up, supporting her little nappied bottom upon his crossed arms.  She had the solid heaviness of a five year old too, but she was so cute and curious that he didn’t mind holding her.  Like many of the Zaran’s of K’Lan pride she had a light tan pelt and heavily fringed golden eyes, but her mane which tumbled in ribbon twined curls and braids to half way down her back was the shade of rich raw honey.  Her little face was delicate, and she had no sign of a muzzle so she had a fully developed cute little nose with a tiny nose pad.

Picking her up seemed to be a signal to the rest of the cubs to squeeze in and try to touch him, and Drey even helpfully pulled up his sleeve and said, “Doesn’t my Jaimz Ni feel nice?  His skin is soooo soft.”

“Drey.” Jaimz intoned warningly, though the cub merely sent him a wondering expression and continued showing his Jaimz off to the cubs.

Jaimz continued to walk forward, holding the little she cub and being careful not to upset any of the small cubs hugging his legs or trailing around him, as it was he had what seemed to him an entire escort of younglings from just barely older than the cub he held to around Drey’s age if not older.  The truly older cubs loitered between the younger cubs and the watchful adults, they were at that stage where they were curious enough to envy the little ones lack of reservations but feeling altogether too grown-up to lose all sense of good manners.

The little female seemed very content to remain with him and after a moment she had snuggled into his arms and was quite happily playing with the beaded hood pulls that hung down onto his chest.  He smiled at her as he stopped so another crab walking cub could pull himself up to his unsteady feet by using his leg as a support.  He stroked the little female’s velvety cheek and wondered, “Do you have a name little one?”

She just gurgled, chewing on the beaded cord and blinked those pretty golden eyes at him.  But the answer came anyway from a shy female of maybe Drey’s age or perhaps a few years older who ventured nearer from where she had been lingering outside the group of younger cubs.  “Her name is Jazanya.” She explained, smiling faintly.  She was as pretty as the cub and obviously her big sister for he couldn’t imagine that she was old enough to be her mother.  Like her sister she had the same heavily fringed golden eyes, tan pelt and honey colored mane, though hers was not restrained with any ribbons or braids.  In a few years she would be turning many heads if she wasn’t already.  The wee cub hearing her sister’s voice squealed and reached for her so Jaimz had no choice except to pass the cub to her sister’s arms.  He stroked the little one’s mane one last time before taking two other cubs by their hands and letting them guide him toward one of the market stands.

After a time the older cubs mingled in with the young cubs, probably encouraged by Jazanya’s sister’s example.  He didn’t mind their presence, as they were still cubs like Drey even if they were older and beginning to explore some of the vast mysteries of adulthood.  The adults themselves still looked but they also went back to shopping and selling, and wandering and visiting.  Jaimz experienced his first market salesman when one of the sellers tried to convince him that lime green would be a great color for him.  Laughing softly he allowed his escort of cubs to lead him around all the displays, which included everything from fruits and vegetables and ready-made breads and pastries to fresh meat, and fish caught from the sea.  There were also amazing crafts in the way of woven baskets and rugs.  Beaded bracelets and anklets, clothing, pottery, house plants and potted herbs and so much more that Jaimz felt thrilled and over whelmed at the same time.

Once with cubs on either side of him he stopped to admire a pair of red-gem ear studs that he thought would like exceptional in Kaiel’s ears even though he hadn’t noticed that Kaiel had pierced ears.  Realizing though that he was thinking about buying something for his lover, his male lover, as if he was a wife out shopping he blushed and moved on to another display.  He never noticed that the studs were wrapped up and sent to the Pridemother’s villa, where everything he had admired for more than a handful of minutes went.  He had no money; he had no idea that he had any right to an income so as much as he might have admired a thing he didn’t know how he could pay for it even if he wanted it.  Kang did offer to purchase a few of the things that he admired, but Jaimz stubbornly refused his help though he did assure him that he would be talking to Kaiel about his need for revenue of some sort as soon as they were together long enough to deal with other more crucial needs.  Had Kang remembered he would have told Jaimz that as a member K’Lan House Jaimz already had unlimited resources.  The items disappearing to Pridemother Nerell’s house had already been unknowingly bought by Jaimz, by his simple admiration of them and K’Lan Terrill’s early warning call instructing Nerell that Jaimz was coming to see the Market and that anything he liked was to be delivered to the main house where it would be paid for without question.  It was a good thing Nerell was a very honest if uptight female or the purchases could have run into the thousands, but she knew very well the value of the items that arrived at her house, knew exactly how much the retailer/creator/seller was owed and wouldn’t charge K’Lan House a penny more than what was due.

After Jaimz had seen every display, admired some few items, and regretfully replaced some things that really interested him he moved on with his circle of cubs to wander about the walled village and admire the simple and clean beauty of it.  The village looked like it had been shaped out of the very earth around it, and as with the main house it to had a very organic feel to it.  Most of houses were single level dwellings with smoothly curved walls and large rounded windows.  The houses seemed to sprawl together, where one house’s back wall was a side wall to another, and there were gardens all around the houses and meandering paths and narrow tracks that were obviously not meant to hold a lot of regular vehicle traffic.  In wandering between a couple of the houses he saw a grassy area under the broad canopy of a few big trees (he hadn’t seen a lot of big trees yet, so he figured that they probably had a ready water supply near by) and that was where he decided to stop for a while.   Kang was still with him though a short while ago Drey had wandered off to go visit his older friends and whether he had the same group of cubs as those that originally trailed around him he couldn’t begin to guess, for he was still surrounded by cubs from big to small.

The moment he sat down the littlest cub whose hand he had been holding to support him, instantly crawled onto his legs and laid his little head against his abdomen.  He caressed the cub’s short curly mane (obviously short because his parent’s wished it that way, since other male cubs frequently had manes every bit as long as any females).  This cub was a cute little mite too, perhaps around Jazanya’s age—the little female was crab crawling over to him even now—with a pale golden coat, amber eyes and a deep chocolaty colored mane. 

As Jazanya tried to crawl onto his lap the little male squalled in dismay at having his place invaded, he settled them both onto one leg each and as the other cubs came in close, pressing against him he thought maybe he’d tell them a story from his home world.  Kang sitting in the soft grass with a couple cubs taking their ease on his welcoming lap, smiled as he listened to Jaimz spin out a tale about Lion Kings and murderous brothers and a lost prince who in finding love returns to his pride lands to save the pride and in the process saves the land and avenges his murdered father.  It was a majestic tale harkening back to the ancient days of Z’Rarla and the cubs listened with avid interest right up to the colorful conclusion and only were distracted in the end by a muted rapping that drew their attention away.

That was when Jaimz realized that his audience had grown to include a lot of adults listening on the perimeter of the green space and that the rapping was coming from them as they lightly rasped their claws together in approval of his tale.  He blushed and finally dipped his head and murmured, “Thank you.” 

One within the crowd of adults stepped forward and gestured to the cubs, “That’s enough cublings, you have had your visit with Jaimz Ni, now you should run on to your parents and siblings.”  She was a tall, spare female with a narrow face, a long chocolaty dark mane restrained by a weave of multicolored ribbons and amber-wine colored eyes.  She was well dressed in a long open-sided and sleeveless tunic dress and lightweight pantaloons of bright blue with red scrollwork and around her neck she wore a heavy gold necklace from which a large key-like golden pendant hung.  She bowed toward him and said, “K’Lan Jaimz Ni, I am Lan Nerell, Pridemother of Moro.  I welcome you.  I trust the cublings haven’t been too much trouble?”

Jaimz rose, lifting both of the little cubs that had been on his lap up with him, which was like trying to carry two five years old at the same time, but nonetheless he managed.  Many of the other cubs had done as told and wandered off to join parents or older siblings but these two had remained with him, as it was little Jazanya had fallen asleep and she barely stirred except to cuddle against his neck again.  “The cubs were no problem.  I enjoyed their company.” He said as he passed Jazanya to her older sister with a smile.  The older cub had been near by but she had been hesitant about approaching while he was relaxing on the grass. 

Lan Nerell approached for the remaining cub, and since the small male was quite willing to go to her Jaimz figured that they might be related, they both had the same color mane.  When she smiled and chucked the little cub beneath his chin causing him to gurgle with delight her harsh features softened considerably.  “Did you enjoy meeting Jaimz Ni, little one?” she asked, and then looking at Jaimz she explained, “This little one is my grandcub Kyrion.”

After that she invited them to her villa for tea and hinted that he would also be able to escape from all the curious eyes for a while at least.  Kang was up to it, though Jaimz wondered where Drey had gone off too, to which Lan Nerell shrugged and said casually, “That cub is no doubt getting into mischief with Zeyer and Trev again.  I wouldn’t worry about him, he always manages to land on his feet.”

Jaimz knew that Zeyer and Trev were both older than Drey and not the best influences for the audacious cub, but he had to trust that the cub was smart enough to keep out of any serious trouble.  He, along with Kang, followed Lan Nerell to her sprawling villa; it was the largest of the houses in the village and did not have any other house butting up to it.  It was built like a smaller version of the main house meaning that it was a rambling structure with a central hub where the four-wings of the villa merged together.   Like the main house this one had a very park-like setting (although the entire village had a park-like atmosphere), complete with formal gardens and paths. 

Jaimz spent the rest of the pleasant afternoon, sipping tea, munching on sweet biscuits and enjoying the cool comfort of Lan Nerell’s pleasant receiving room.  Lan Nerell was a bit stiff and formal, though she was a very attentive hostess, and though she didn’t speak much about herself she was more than happy to laud the accomplishments of the village and praise K’Lan Pride management of the Pride lands.  Jaimz had noticed that the village was affluent and comfortable, which was a sure sign that they were prospering well and happy with their overlord.

As promised with the approach of late afternoon a transport arrived to take them back to the main house.  They waited while a few things going up the main house were stowed in the luggage boot, and that was when Drey arrived; ready to return to the main house.  Jaimz didn’t say anything but his mere enquiring look had Drey explaining about spending time playing chase with Zeyer and Trev and a few of his other friends and also visiting with his parents.  The cub rambled on and on, only stopping to say farewell to Lan Nerell as they loaded into the vehicle, and then he continued sharing all his discoveries and experiences of the day all the way back to the house.

The evening settled in with sitting down for supper almost as soon as they arrived, Terrill was a gracious host, asking how Jaimz had enjoyed the Market and encouraging him to eat this or that new tidbit of meat or pastry.  Dinner ended on an easy note with Jaimz heading off to his own room after taking his leave of Terrill and once he arrived in his inner suite he was surprised to see the items he had admired at the market displayed on his bed.  Amazed he fingered the two summer outfits he had admired and passed over, he lightly touched the leather satchel he had thought would be a nice present for Kang and stopped to look in wonder at the wooden game set that Drey had so raved over and which he had thought would make an engaging gift for the cub, but seeing the small open box with the red-jewel ear-studs laying sparkling on the velvety lining made him blush with pleasure as he imaged giving them to Kaiel. He picked up the small black lacquered box the studs had come in and admired the delicate craftsmanship of the box alone before looking once more at the sparkling studs.  He didn’t know what gem the red stone was, he wasn’t sure if Z’Rarla had Rubies or Garnets or Red Tourmalines and he had no way yet to study the chemical composition of the stone yet, but the pure rich red of the superbly faceted ½ carat stones certainly indicated that they were a valuable stone.  He was setting the box back onto the bed when a light rapping at the inner door alerted him to the fact that he had a visitor.  Seeing that it was Terrill, he welcomed him with little trepidation, as Terrill was being considerate toward him and so far today they had been getting along well.

Terrill stepped into the room and said idly, “I thought that maybe I would see about getting that tour you promised me…but I wonder if you can still describe everything to me with what happened this morning?”

Jaimz glanced at him and replied, “Oh, there wasn’t really a lot of damage.  Not really, I have to replace only one model and the other is repairable…but—I’m not really in the mood tonight.  Maybe tomorrow?”

Terrill nodded graciously, “Tomorrow it is.”  He started to turn away but Jaimz called him back.

“Terrill Ni?  Do you know…how did these things come to be here?  I did admire them in the market, but I had no money.”

Terrill approached the bed and looked at the assortment of items carefully laid out on the coverlet.  “Oh, you admired these items correct?  The staffers laid these out while we were all partaking of supper, if that was ok?”

Jaimz felt his cheeks warm in confusion, “But…?”

Terrill reached out and lightly squeezed Jaimz’ undamaged shoulder, “As a member of K’Lan you have unlimited resources.  You should never wonder if you might purchase an item or not.  If you want a thing you should simply ask for it and know that it will be yours.”

Jaimz felt his cheeks grow even warmer, “But I have done nothing to earn these things.”

Terrill raised a brow, “Once you begin to bring your projects to realization you will have done very much indeed to earn what ever you so desire.  Our Government is already planning on sponsoring your projects, of course there will be private backing too, and many of the lesser Prides are grumbling because you will bring more prosperity to K’Lan Pride.  Never think youngling that you are not without resources.  For indeed you are already more wealthy than you know.”

Jaimz stared up at him, “When did all this happen?”

Terrill flicked an ear, “It would seem that while I was in the Summit Session I was not privy of certain movements happening within the greater government, things that had been put into motion by your arrival youngling.  After Kaiel’s very wisely arranged interview with you my government moved to secure certain…items, of course they had already been considering what you might be able to bring to them in the way of technology and strange new allies…but that interview seemed to bring everything to a head.”

Jaimz looked at him suspiciously, “What…items?”

“Your ship for one, we felt it was necessary to protect it more closely then it had been previously.”

Jaimz nodded, he already knew that the Zaran forces had moved to defend his ship and in doing so had caused the Chai to take up position opposite them also claiming to defend the ship that they considered for what ever their property as well.  “That ship is mine.” He said, looking at Terrill with narrowed eyes, and he reiterated icily, “That ship is mine, my technology is mine.  No one owns it but me!”

Terrill bowed slightly, “Of course, but you are K’Lan Jaimz of K’Lan Pride are you not?”

Jaimz gasped softly, he understood exactly what Terrill was getting at.  But he didn’t know what to say or how to respond to what was being subtly insinuated.  No matter what, he had to do his research; he had to rebuild his jump ship, he needed to reconnect with his people even if he could never go home again.  He couldn’t give up his dreams to spite Terrill or anyone but he also had to ensure that they didn’t control him or try to control his technology.  Somehow he had to find a way to protect it for everyone so that no single small group would profit solely off his efforts.  “K’Lan doesn’t own me, either.” He responded boldly, daring Terrill to respond to that.

Terrill raised a gold hided brow and smiled with faint amusement and nodded in tacit acknowledgement, “True…and yet, K’Lan feels a certain propriety toward you.  After all my son did legally mate with you, though it was a most unorthodox—decision to make.”

Jaimz just stared at him, being Lorz mate had never been his choice and Terrill was aware of that fact.  Terrill smiled again and looked past him at the items on the bed, he tilted his head at the red-gem studs and said, “And whom did you want those for?   I notice that your cute little ears are virginal.”

Jaimz blushed and murmured, “I thought about Kaiel when I was admiring them, but I didn’t know they were going to end up at the house.”

Terrill was silent for a moment, though he felt a prickle of anger for Lorz and the betrayal of his memory as his widowed mate and his own brother practiced their sensual trickery he said nothing at all regarding it, rather he nodded in understanding and simply said, “I see….” He started to turn away, then hesitated, “Since you do not feel like doing the tour of your Lab with me, would you then maybe like a tour of the formal gardens?  They really are lovely, especially now that the heat of the day is cooling into evening?”

Jaimz still hadn’t visited the formal gardens and he had no good excuse to avoid Terrill any longer, so after a moment’s hesitation, he nodded and let Terrill lead him on the grand tour of the famous K’Lan formal gardens.

The house grew quiet very late into the evening; Jaimz was restless so he stayed up fixing his model until nearly midnight, for he wanted to get it ready for Drey to re-lacquer in the morning.  Of course he couldn’t blame his restlessness upon a missing individual whom he had not seen since early morning, he could not, though his spirit noticed the lack.  So when a staffer entered his suite to awaken him he was already alert and ready to take a Video COM call.  The staffer was a bit surprised to find him up but he was quick to explain that K’Lan Kaiel was calling and would he like to take the call in Kaiel’s Ni suite?

The staffer didn’t need to ask twice, in fact he didn’t even bother to wait for an escort as he let himself excitedly into Kaiel’s outer office and flung himself into the big chair stationed in front of the COM.  He lounged across the chair, using one plush soft arm as a head rest while he curled his legs against the other and touched the blinking receive button to transfer the feed to the room.

He felt his heart slow a beat as Kaiel’s handsome face came into focus and he spent a quiet moment just looking at him, before uttering a most heartfelt, “Hi.”

Kaiel smiled and returned the simple greeting before murmuring, “I didn’t know if you would still be awake, the session just got out…” he sighed and scrubbed at his mane, “Nothing has even been tabled yet, but if tonight is any indication the conference is going to be horrendous.”

“What’s been happening there?  Did you talk with Zuzu?”

Kaiel nodded and smiled again, “A whole lot of nothing really, some posturing, the presenting credentials, a bit of arguing….” He sighed, “Of course each side delivered their proposals tonight in sealed documents.  I can’t even think about opening them tonight—or is it tomorrow already—I’m too tired.”  He rubbed the bridge of his bold nose and smiled slowly, “I haven’t had much opportunity to talk with Zuzu, Councilor P’Var is keeping her very busy…still I spoke with her on the way to Rydani—and she is entertaining.”

Jaimz felt a little swell of jealousy at hearing Kaiel talk about Zuzu, and he firmly quashed that reaction, after all wasn’t he the one encouraging Kaiel to sniff after the burgundy maned female?

Kaiel smiled though as if even over this distance he was able to sense Jaimz’ mild pique.  He leaned closer to the screen and murmured, “You look very nice Jaimz.  I like you like that.”

Jaimz blushed slightly, for he didn’t know that Kaiel could see all of him.  Kaiel smiled wryly and shook his head, moving back from the screen a bit, idly he asked, “So what have you been doing today?”

Jaimz avoided mentioning his fight with Vreda, Kaiel might find out about it at some point, but tonight was not the time for him know, instead he said, “I went to Moro and visited the Market.  It was wonderful and the cubs were just amazing.  I held this little female named Jazanya and a little male named Kyrion.  Jazanya is a real little beauty and her older sister is going to be turning heads in a few years if she isn’t already.”

“That’s Jazella,” Kaiel explained smiling.

Jaimz blinked and grinned, “Jazella and Jazanya?  Any other J’s in that family?” he shook his head at Kaiel’s slight frown and continued, “I met Nerell Ni, and she was quite nice, I think.” He pushed back a stray strand of hair and cuddled more into the chair, “And tonight I saw the formal gardens with Terrill, they really are beautiful.” He pursed his lips thoughtfully and canted his head as he asked, “Why haven’t you taken me to meet your mother yet Kaiel?”

Kaiel sucked in a ragged breath, “You saw her memorial?”

Jaimz smiled softly, “She must have been so beautiful in life, your father never took another mate either.  He must have loved her very much?”

Kaiel smiled sadly, “Yeah, I was conceived during their second contract.  They originally had a five year mating contract, but then they decided on a ten year contract when that one ran out, I came along in the middle of the contract.” He smiled ruefully, “I was a bit of a surprise, since after Lorz mother was told she wouldn’t bare anymore cubs so when she found out she was carrying me….” He grinned and shook his head,  “I remember her telling me when I was little that my father was so careful and considerate with her, always so afraid for her while she was carrying me….” He sighed, “and to think that it wouldn’t be the pregnancy that took her but an strange infection one summer nearly four years later.”

Jaimz remembered the memorial, claiming pride of place in the heart of Terrill’s favorite garden.  Kaiel’s mother, Shania, stood taller than life, carved out of a gleaming marble like stone which shimmered like mother of pearl.  She was gazing down as if looking for something to come along the path and was holding three flowers in her arms, one each to represent her mate and her two sons.  He well remembered Terrill’s expression when he looked upon the statue of his long deceased mate; the older K’Lan male still loved his mate.  Even carved out of stone Jaimz had easily seen her beauty and knew where Kaiel got his good looks and handsome build from, for his mother had been tall, (maybe as tall as Terrill) slender and very beautiful. 

Kaiel had a distant look in his eyes, “My memories of her are all kind of dim, and I was only four when she died.  Lorz had much better memories of her…but it wasn’t more than a few years after mother died that Lorz left home and joined the military so he didn’t share a lot of his memories with me.”

Jaimz didn’t like thinking about Lorz at all but in this case he remained silent and considerate of Kaiel’s memories.  After a moment Kaiel smiled again and said, “When we are home I’ll introduce you to her properly.”

They spoke a while more, neither said that what didn’t need to be said such as that they missed each other, in the end Kaiel finally had to let the feed go saying that it was late and that there would be an lot of things to attend to tomorrow.  Jaimz remained where he was, curled up in front of the now blank COM but surrounded with the comforting presence of Kaiel’s scent in the cushions surrounding him until it almost felt like he could feel Kaiel all around him and there, in that place where he was closest to Kaiel his restless spirit finally settled down and he slipped off into sleep.

That was how Terrill found him a short while later, sound asleep with his body being cushioned by the Kaiel’s favorite chair.  For a long moment he looked down at that small being who had disrupted two of his sons’ lives, one to the detriment of his life while with the other he wasn’t sure what was happening yet.  He looked at the small cub-like being and was amazed how anything that could look so innocent and harmless in sleep could be so devastatingly disruptive and sensuously seductive while awake.

After a moment he knelt and eased Jaimz’ slumbering body into his arms.  Very carefully, so as not to awaken him he carried Jaimz back to his room and laid him out on his plush bed.  He took the liberty of stripping Jaimz’ tunic and pants and spent a good few minutes just admiring all that beauty somnolently displayed before him.  His shower venture this morning with Jaimz had been an incredible experience, to caress all that marvelous skin had simply been amazing.  And now for the second time he was allowed an unrestricted view of what his sons before him knew intimately.  Jaimz really was—gorgeous—alien and with out furl, but undeniably gorgeous. 

Taking a risk he eased Jaimz’ silky thighs apart and stroked the softness there, and he watched Jaimz’ slumbering face for signs of waking as he gently massaged his anus.  Jaimz murmured sleepily and rolled his head restlessly upon his pillow but he did not awaken.  Instead his legs parted on their own accord and he shifted his hips up, rocking them slightly in rhythm to Terrill’s fingers.  Terrill felt his own rod stirring as he allowed his eyes to wander down and see that other areas of Jaimz’ body were awakening even if deep exhaustion continued to trap his mind.  For a moment he considered climbing onto that bed and plowing between those long sleek thighs but it wasn’t time yet, he was wooing Jaimz but he hadn’t won him yet.  Still he kept massaging until that little pucker swelled and sucked at his fingers.  Assuming that Jaimz was tight and knowing that his fingers were large he slipped one finger into his mouth, thoroughly moistening it and slicking the plush fur down too.   That same finger, now nicely wet he pressed against Jaimz’ anus and slowly that tight little pucker slid open around him.  Now Jaimz wriggled his hips responsively while his brow furrowed and his shapely lips parted to utter tiny whimpers.

Terrill pumped his finger experimentally while watching that enchanting face and admiring that aroused body, which was so at his mercy.  He knew it would be so easy to take Jaimz right there, and since other than Jaimz he had this wing of the house to himself and the walls were particularly thick and soundproof, and with the windows being snugly closed no one would hear a thing if he had his way with this tempting little alien.  Nevertheless he restrained himself and even finally withdrew his finger from within Jaimz’ succulent body before he could bring him to climax and risk waking him.  It was not time yet, he still had time to play the suitor before Kaiel was due back.  He would have Jaimz utterly and completely soon, but he very much wanted Jaimz to be conscious and not so exhausted that he slept through being ravished. 

It was not without considerable reluctance that he lifted the many plush and soft blankets to cover that sweet little body which felt the chill air so easily and hid it away from his sight.  He knew it would be a mystery for Jaimz when he awoke nude in his bed with no memory of how he had come to be there.  He also hoped that Jaimz had disturbingly sensual dreams this night, which seemed only fair since he knew he surely would.  Stroking his burgeoning rod down he let himself out of Jaimz’ suite and made his way to his own, but it was a while before he was able to find any rest in sleeping.

Kaiel awoke feeling incredibly grumpy and in just the sort of mood to seriously consider ripping off the head of whoever it was that dared to wake him so damn early in the morning.  He had gotten to sleep late, even later than when he had been speaking with Jaimz…that had been the only bright spot in everything.  Growling he snarled, “Come!” 

The persistent scratching died off and in a moment he was looking with some shock and confusion upon his assistant Var Heron and his anger melted away at seeing how utterly exhausted he was.  “Heron, God’s I didn’t expect you till later!  Are you all right?  You look terrible.” He swung out of the comfort of his bed and urged Heron to sit down.

Heron slumped into the offered chair and groaned, “I don’t want to sit another that long in a jump seat ever again.”

Kaiel smiled softly, “You won’t.” he patted his friend and assistant’s shoulder and added, “I’m glad you’re here though.  But session doesn’t start until after the noon break so you can get some real sleep if you like?”

Heron yawned and nodded, “I like.” He let his head collapse against the chair back and closed his eyes. 

Kaiel smiled again, “My suite has a room for you…with a real bed.”

Heron cracked one eye open and smiled lazily, “A real bed sounds nice.” He scooted forward and pushed himself to his feet, “Then I go find my bed this morning and—oh wait, there’s some things I have to tell you first.”

Kaiel waved his worry away, “No, it can wait whatever it is.”

Heron, whose nose pad and lips were actually gray with exhaustion, persisted, “No, now or I’ll forget.”  He took in a steadying breath.  “That contract I couriered the original to your family’s Adjucator, I kept a good notarized copy for you.  And K’Ilo Ham caught a ride down in the transport.”

Kaiel’s ears perked up with that, the rest seemed unremarkable in comparison.  “Where is he now?  Is he here at the council hall?”

Heron scrubbed his frayed brown mane and shook his head, “He came at the last moment claiming he had family business to attend too, and being a K’Ilo they couldn’t very well naysay him.  He left as soon as we landed, I assume to go to his Home Pride.”

Kaiel worried about Ham’s motives for a moment but K’Ilo Pride was a long way from K’Lan Pride and in the opposite direction too, still he thought that he might call the house and warn them just in case.  “Thank you Heron…now go get some sleep.”

“Gladly.” Heron acknowledged without protest and in moments Kaiel was alone with his dark thoughts.  He didn’t much like the idea of being over three hours away from Jaimz with Ham back on Z’Rarla, Ham had not given up on Jaimz and Kaiel was worried that this was just another scheme to try for him.

“You say that K’Ilo Ham is back on Z’Rarla?  And that should concern us, why?  Exactly?” Terrill mused as he spoke to his son via audio COM only.

He could hear Kaiel’s suffering sigh on the other end of the line, and smiled smugly, let him suffer, this call was interfering with his chance to shower with Jaimz, and just thinking about that splendid body, soaking wet and under his hands again was enough to make his rod stir.  Kaiel replied after a moment, “Because when I claimed Jaimz in our House name, Ham had already tried to press his claim upon Jaimz.  He feels, or felt, that Jaimz ought to be in his keeping with Lorz dead.  I don’t know if he still feels that way….  But Jaimz is very afraid of him and I don’t want his to suffer any unwelcome surprises.”

“But K’Ilo is a long way from K’Lan, so do you really think he’d come this way?” Terrill ventured.

“Father I don’t know what Ham’s plan is, maybe he doesn’t have a plan at all.” Kaiel explained patiently, “I just want Jaimz protected while I’m away…that’s all.  Please ask Kang Ni to keep a close eye him….”

That Kaiel would bypass him in assigning Jaimz’ care to another made a wave of angry heat wash over him, but Terrill quashed that anger down and agreed, “Very well.”

“Thank you father.” After what seemed to be a moment’s hesitation—as if Kaiel wanted to say something else—he finally murmured, “I have to go.  I have the proposals to go over before we enter today’s session.”  With that the line went dead and Terrill was left listening to nothing.

He stepped away from the COM and thoughtfully rubbed his chin, K’Ilo Ham was back on Z’Rarla.  Ham had been a cubling friend of Lorz’ met when the Houses had come together as they often did over the long hot summers.  His villa just outside Zelma was a favorite gathering place and it was during one of those gatherings that Lorz had met Ham and the two had become instant pals.  It had not surprised him when years later both young males had joined the military and set out toward having distinguished careers with many accolades added to their name.  Lorz was set for a captaincy before he had died in that fool skirmish.  There was also the fact that K’Lan and K’Ilo had a long history that dated back countless generations where a K’Lan ancestor had raised an Ilo commander to War Lord and given him one of his daughters to mate…thereby elevating his status and giving him the permanent House name of K’Ilo.  The K’Lan and K’Ilo Prides were intermingled; his own mother had been a K’Ilo.

Thinking about the closeness of his late son and his friend he supposed it only likely that Lorz would have shared Jaimz with him, though he still had trouble believing that it had been rape and not Jaimz simply playing games with his seductive body.  He didn’t doubt that Jaimz had been raped but he knew that sometimes the victim asked to be raped and enjoyed playing the whole dominated and victimized act. 

Though it was true that only yesterday he had heard Jaimz mention being raped and there was no mistaking the distress in his voice, he still doubted that Jaimz had ever been an unwilling victim.  Mostly because he just couldn’t believe that his son could have so ruthlessly and cruelly hurt someone as small and delicate as Jaimz obviously was.  Even he, as determined as he was to win his way into Jaimz’ bed, had every intention of practicing only the gentlest methods of mating with him.   Sighing he rose and idly pressed his rod back down, today was a lost opportunity, though he well recalled the illicit pleasure he had received in having his way with Jaimz’ luscious body last night while he slept so deeply.

The second day passed with little incident, Jaimz was less restless and settled into working on his projects again and translating more of his notes.  He spent time with both Drey and Kang and didn’t drive either to distraction.  In the afternoon he finally gave Terrill the tour of his Lab, and explained how even now, though it wasn’t a Lab in the sense that a lot of his equipment was missing and would take time to be redesigned and created again with different tools and resources that it was a Lab.  Terrill knew that eventually Jaimz would need a much bigger space to do his work, in fact several factory sites were already being scouted out for his future needs, since he couldn’t possibly build his Gates here at the house.  Terrill left impressed and he had to wonder if he had made a few misconceptions where Jaimz was concerned, for clearly the young human was more than a sexy body.  His intelligence was incredible.  He even found it hard to believe that in less than two weeks he had learned the Zaran language so well that he was starting to write code to create a program that would convert and translate his language to Zaran and visa versa.  The audacious cub even had the gall to claim that computer programs really weren’t his specialty.  Of course Drey was there, eagerly absorbing everything Jaimz offered and helping Jaimz to learn even more.  The younger cub was learning Jaimz’ language amazingly well and was now able to catch and guide Jaimz if he was translating something incorrectly or at least not fully gleaning the correct meaning of a symbol string.

The second day was a good day, all in all.  But the third morning was coming and with it the slow climb toward the 72-Hour which Jaimz was privately starting to dread.  That evening as Jaimz lay in his lonely bed and thought about what was coming, knowing that in about 36 hours he’d be in the heart of craving again he worried how he could manage without Kaiel.  He was afraid of so much, though mostly how he would be able to bare anyone near him when he became so sensitive and edge sometime tomorrow evening.  If he were lucky that pre-sensitivity wouldn’t hit until when he was already safely tucked into his bed, since the actual 72-Hour wouldn’t hit until the following morning.  He wondered what it would be like, to experience the 72-Hour without answering its demands immediately as he and Kaiel had done since he had accepted him as his Tag Mate.  Would the drive to mate and having that drive denied cause him misery and discomfort immediately or would it build gradually?  He tried not to think about it, he tried to find a comfortable position in his comfortable bed, he tried gazing out at the savanna as he often did, but nothing worked.  Finally in the utter silence of a house long asleep, he padded from his own room and let himself into Kaiel’s.  He crept into his bed, doubling the coverlet up for extra warmth and it was there, surrounded by Kaiel’s scent, Jaimz finally drifted off to sleep.  So the second day was good all in all, but it took seeking something he could at least sense and breathe to ease him into sleep.

For Kaiel the second day was not good, all in all it sucked.  The session ran on and on, and even though he was the speaker of the assembly other older cats ran roughshod over everything, debating the validity of this claim, the value of this proposal.  They only listened when he spoke carefully, and then just as quickly they recalled his youth and returned to arguing over the merits of the proposal.  The Chai, oddly, who were the architects of this debate, stayed silent for the most part though once in a while they interjected that these were only the beginning of their offers and proposals, they implied that they were holding something back, something that meant a great deal to them and only once did he glean an inkling of what that was.  It was when Heron presented to him the physical evidence of the Chai having boarded Jaimz’ ship which was supposedly off limits as agreed upon by both parties in the dispute and he challenged the Chai over those findings.

The Chai speaker did not deny that they had undertaken a mission to investigate the ship.  They claimed that the manner in which the ship had suddenly appeared, clearly from no where was troublesome and that if the Zaran’s were not going to investigate how it came to be then the Chai would take it upon themselves to do so.  Besides, the speaker had said, that the ship and all its contents were to be considered part of the negotiations.  That brought silence to the house and a chill of dread of Kaiel’s spine.  He had stated to the speaker and for all listening, that the ship and all its contents belonged exclusively to only one being: K’Lan no Gingko Jaimz Ryordan.

The speaker had nodded and dipped her head and agreed, “Yes exactly.”

With that small exchange Kaiel’s unease only grew, for he had a dire feeling about what the unspecified proposal was, and he had an even deeper sense that he was going to be directly impacted by it.   He still didn’t know what the Chai wanted, oh they wanted a third of the disputed space, and they wanted the planet where their reputed ancestors’ remains had been found and they wanted the space immediately around that planet declared sacred, but what else they wanted they hadn’t really gotten around to yet.  The compromises they mentioned hadn’t come up yet.  What were they willing to give up and what did they want in return for that concession?  Kaiel was patently frightened to even think about it, for he somehow doubted that they would be content with just the ship, when the builder had all that knowledge inside his beautiful head.

On the morning of his third day, his last morning free of the Tag and the withdrawal he would be suffering without Kaiel to satisfy it’s demand, Jaimz awoke suddenly.  He awoke to mingled confusion and dread from a nightmare as erotic as it had been frightening…and then promptly gasped and sucked in a breath to cry out when the architect of his nightmare was right there, looming at the side of the bed.  Awaking in a strange bed in a strange room alarmed him at first and it took him a moment to recall where he was and that he had freely sought this bed last night to be close to Kaiel’s presence even if he couldn’t be close to Kaiel himself.  As his muzzy mind cleared he murmured drowsily, “What are you doing here, Terrill?”

The big male shrugged and explained simply, “I went for a walk, when I didn’t see you sleeping in your bed I worried that someone could have taken you in the night.  I found you here.”

Jaimz thought about that, more precisely why anyone would look for him, sleeping or otherwise, or why anyone would have taken him, but he pushed that concern away, telling himself that Terrill was merely worried for his safety.  When he moved though to slip out of Kaiel’s bed, his erotic nightmare came crashing back with the sticky wetness and the soreness he felt below.  His first thought, as he blushed in horrified shame was that his nightmare hadn’t been a nightmare at all and that the things he had being imagining happening to him in it had been reality in fact.  The soreness below was in his anus that had been stretched and explored by intruding fingers, and the wetness was his own response to that devastating probing, his outraged fear gave way though as he detected wetness on his own fingers and realized to his utter shame that he had touched himself and that the soreness was from his own fingers trying to provide the relief that only Kaiel could give.  He sobbed and turned away, horrified that he could make up erotic nightmares to cover his own body’s need to relieve itself and be ready to blame an innocent male for what he had done to himself.

In turning on his side, and away from Terrill, his shame only deepened as he realized that his soft shorts were down around his thighs and that he wouldn’t easily be able to pull them up.  He felt tears sparkle in his eyes as he realized that subconsciously he must miss Kaiel so much that he was stating to play with himself while he slept and by dreaming that he was being assaulted he could excuse his own shameful actions away.  This was the second night in a row that he had dreamed of Terrill sexually touching him, of his fingers probing his body; except yesterday he had awoken from that dream still dry and not sore.  Waking up yesterday had been strange though, for he didn’t know how he’d gotten to bed and he didn’t know why he was nude either, for he always wore a sleep tunic and short set to bed when he was sleeping alone, it was only with Kaiel that slept he naked.  If he was doing this to himself now, what would he be like come tomorrow when he was so sensitive he ached and there was no Kaiel to help ease that ache?

As Jaimz lay there, ignoring him in his shamed misery, Terrill made no move to leave.  Instead he quietly watched as Jaimz vilified himself over something in which he held no blame…unless his natural responses could be something to be blamed for.  Terrill was guilty again, and made no apologies nor would he do anything to shift Jaimz’ self blame to its rightful source even if his own hand was wet with Jaimz’ leavings and scented with his essence.   He had not stopped in time for Jaimz body to relax and return to a more restful state and now he had the evidence of Jaimz’ release on his hand, and it was that release that had awoken Jaimz, fortunately not before he’d been able to back away and cover him up…but unfortunately before he could remove any evidence from Jaimz.  But he would allow Jaimz to suffer the delusion that he was the master of his own shame rather than let on that he’d done anything other then be worried when he hadn’t been able to find him.

Jaimz finally sat up, though his cheeks were still warm with embarrassment, and as he straightened the coverlet around him he surreptitiously pulled up his silky shorts.  Keeping his eyes lowered he stated lightly, “I’m going to go shower before breakfast.”

Terrill only nodded in reply, but he could scent Jaimz’ dismay and agitation as he passed him and he couldn’t really understand why the young human was so embarrassed by his own body’s natural responses.  He figured that the only way to help Jaimz through this crisis was to provide him with a distraction and since yesterday thanks to Kaiel he had missed his opportunity, today he decided that catching Jaimz in the shower would be his first—no second—act of the day.

Jaimz did not expect company during his shower, but neither did he jump or shy when company did arrive.  He was still upset though and he half turned to Terrill and said achingly, “I wish to be alone Terrill Ni.”

Terrill brushed aside his plea and said chidingly, “Nonsense, you seem upset Jaimz.  You should not be alone when you are upset.”

Terrill had arrived only moments after Jaimz so that he hadn’t even started to wash himself yet, though all evidence of what he had discovered this morning was gone.  Terrill retrieved a softly spiced liquid soap and rubbing it between his pads he started to wash Jaimz upper body. 

Jaimz moved back from him exclaiming anxiously, “Please Terrill Ni, I can wash myself!”

Terrill said nothing at all, he simply grasped Jaimz’ slender shoulder and began to work the soap over Jaimz smooth throat and sleek chest—working downward while Jaimz silently watched him with those intense and luminous—aquamarine eyes.

He was careful, he tired not to be to forward even when his fingers moved to wash around Jaimz’ private places.  Even so Jaimz shied at his touch and pressed him back, pleading, “Please…don’t wash me there….”

Terrill was kneeling to better enable his ability to wash the smaller males thighs and legs and when Jaimz protested he slid his hand around Jaimz’ satiny hip and murmured, “Why are you so ashamed of your body Jaimz?  You are beautiful.  You should celebrate your beauty.”

Jaimz blushed uncomfortably and balked, “I-I’m not ashamed of my body….  It’s just that I come from a culture where adults don’t usually shower together and certainly no one but a lover would touch—touch another there.”

Terrill allowed Jaimz to hold to his modesty for now though he murmured, “It is a strangely prudish society you come from Jaimz.  Very strange indeed.”  He concentrated on lathering up those long slender legs and with his hand on his hip again he turned him so that he could wash his back.  He rose and then paused a moment as he looked at the still angry seeming scratches that marred Jaimz’ otherwise flawless and graceful back and then, very gently he began to lather him up working very carefully around that sore area.

“Does this hurt you still?” he wondered.

Jaimz shook his head, causing his streaming hair to dance around his shoulders, on a male Terrill usually found long hair inappropriate—but on Jaimz, his fawn colored locks—now darkened by water—only added to his overall appeal.  “NO,” Jaimz explained, “Not really.  It pulls sometimes but…no, it doesn’t hurt much anymore.”

Terrill bent forward and lightly stroked his tongue over the scratches.  He felt Jaimz freeze but he had already returned to spreading the soap over his skin as Jaimz half turned to look at him with suspicious doubt in his green eyes.  He could see that Jaimz was trying to decide if he had really licked him, but by pretending unawareness he knew that Jaimz could only wonder and wouldn’t feel comfortable in accusing.  He touched Jaimz’ shoulder to turn him back again so that he could properly work on his lovely back and move lower toward that dreamy and still forbidden territory he so panted after.  He made the lathering into a bit of a massage and as Jaimz grew languorous beneath his hands he moved down to work those marvelous and pertly rounded cheeks of his.  Again he knelt down, to a casual observer it seemed to better facilitate his sudsy task, but Terrill knew that it was so he could better enjoy himself as he daringly lifted and parted those firm cheeks in sweeping motions and stroked his fingers between them to caress that secret spot he craved to delve so deeply into.  He had Jaimz so completely relaxed that his body was swaying and his head was tilted back so that his hair streamed to his shoulder blades.  He knew that Jaimz felt good and he knew that with very little effort he could seat Jaimz upon his immerging rod and have him now in the shower…but he did not move to take advantage of Jaimz’ utter relaxation and trust, instead he moved down, massaging his thighs and calves before lifting his small feet and washing those too.  He had washed every part of Jaimz, except for his hair, so he straightened up and with Jaimz leaning languidly against him he finally washed his silken hair.

He held Jaimz a moment longer, luxuriating in the feeling of that small and relaxed body pressing against him then he moved him under the full stream of the overhead and body jets and watched with amusement as Jaimz coming back to himself rinsed the lather off completely and turned to face him.  The youngling smiled at him, a real friendly smile and he sighed happily, “That was marvelous.”

Remembering Jaimz under his hands Terrill had to agree, though for certain Jaimz was not thinking about that.  “The perks of communal showers are that it can be very pleasant to let someone else do that washing.”

Jaimz canted his head becomingly and looked up at him, then nodding he turned and bent to retrieve one of the scrubbers, “There’s a lot more of you than there is of me… so I’ll do your back if you do your front.” He said once he’d turned back to face Terrill again.

Terrill smiled, “Of course cub….” Though he thought that with all that skin, and that lovely body, that there was a lot to Jaimz.  As the young human moved around him and set to work scrubbing his back Terrill knew that it would be tonight.  Jaimz trusted him now; he had relaxed so completely under his hands that he hadn’t shied at being intimately touched.  Tonight he’d take Jaimz and find out for himself what about him so enchanted both his sons (even if one of them was dead).  Though, half turning so he could playfully bat at Jaimz’ head in punishment when Jaimz laughingly complained he was too tall and as he gently let Jaimz’ wet hair trail between his fingers, he knew that he was already well and truly enchanted and he wished that it would be his bed that Jaimz would be coming to even once Kaiel came home. 

As he returned to washing his front and enjoying the pleasure of Jaimz working on his back he wondered again what Kang Ni meant by Jaimz’ and Kaiel’s relationship being complicated.  It was sexual, what was so complicated about that?

For Terrill the day turned out to be very strange indeed.  In the morning, after his luxurious shower with Jaimz he received a second call from the family’s Adjucator asking for him to please meet with him later that day to discuss new matters concerning the betrothal contract between House L’Teran and House K’Lan.  He indicated that new information had just been presented which made it imperative that both parties be informed immediately.  From the urgency in the Adjucators voice and the way he spoke, Terrill deduced that it was a legal matter and that L’Teran would be there as well.  He accepted the time Adjucator J’Lari indicated and moved on with his day.

About an hour after that bizarre call Terrill got his first shock of the day.  His deceased son’s remains arrived, delivered by special courier.  He withdrew from the household for a time to sit with his son’s remains, marveling that such a bigger-than-life-male could have been reduced to a small wooden box and a few personal effects.   He knew that having anything of his son’s physical body was a wonder, since his death had occurred in space during a battle, so it was amazing that anything of him had been recovered.  Yet looking at the box that contained his physical remains he felt cheated at his loss.  He thought about Jaimz as he looked at that box and knew that Jaimz wouldn’t want anything to do with Lorz’ final arrangements.  It refreshed his anger to think of how Jaimz and Kaiel were betraying Lorz’ memory.  Lorz was dead barely two weeks (16 days) and he knew for a fact that they had been physically together only 10 days after, and very likely from their closeness they had been together from the beginning, if not even before his death.  He couldn’t help think that distraction and lack of concentration had sent Lorz to his early grave, and that even though he died in a battle the real blame could be laid where it belonged—upon Jaimz and Kaiel.

So for a time he was moody, though with Jaimz, to keep his plan in action he did make an effort to be less surly.  As it was though, Jaimz sensed his unhappiness and finally asked him what was bothering him.  Expecting something crude and derogatory in reply, he told Jaimz about Lorz’ remains having come home.  Therefore he was genuinely surprised and touched when Jaimz hugged him and murmured, “You miss him very much.”  He didn’t say anything more, didn’t make any declaration of love or anything else, which Terrill really didn’t expect, but just being hugged by Jaimz allowed some of his grief to dissolve so that he felt better.

By luncheon his spirits were quite noticeably improved, so much so that he was able to join in the luncheon conversation and laugh along with one of Drey’s stories about his older friends, Zeyer and Trev, and the latest trouble they had gotten into.  Observing the bright cub, Terrill had to admit that Kaiel had been wise to bring him into this household where he would receive the very best education and advancements available, because Drey would have been wasted if he’d been allowed to run wild like his two scalawag friends.

After lunch he had a driver take him into Chocho for his appointment with Adjucator J’Lari.  As he had assumed L’Teran Zhoin the head of L’Teran pride was already there and he had brought his family Adjucator along with him.  Zhion was a few years younger than he, a bit taller at around 8’; he had the same ivory pelt and icy blue eyes of his daughter (most of the L’Teran Pride had some variety of those colorings) and he was running toward corpulence from over indulgence.  They nodded toward each other, though Zhion didn’t say anything.

In a few moments Adjucator J’Lari’s secretary showed them into the Adjucator’s plushly appointed office and offered both K’Lan and L’Teran a lightly spiced tea once they were seated.  J’Lari Vree looked up from the assortment of documents he was reading and with a slight frown he nodded at both of them before giving a more perceptive nod to his acquaintance in law, L’Teran’s family Adjucator. 

Without preamble he started in, “K’Lan Terrill, L’Teran Zhion, something detrimental has come to my attention. Something that affects the proposed betrothal between your Houses and in fact voids the contract.”

Zhion scoffed, “We have already heard this argument, K’Lan Kaiel is now the elder son and the contract still stands.”

Terrill said nothing, for he had a feeling that this was indeed knew information that J’Lari Vree was offering.

Indeed J’Lari Vree shook his head and looked even more pinched than normal, “Actually…something new which is related to K’Lan Lorz is what invalidates the second contract.”

Terrill felt his chest tighten, second contract?  What second contract?  Where was the first contract?  Adjucator J’Lari turned toward him and asked, “K’Lan Terrill, your son K’Lan Lorz was legally able to take a mate of his choosing if you did not prearrange a betrothal for him.  You would agree with this statement?”

“What are you talking about?” Zhion grumbled, “A betrothal was arranged for him!  Between himself and my daughter Vreda.”

“Yes, yes, I will get to that,” J’Lari Vree soothed, “it is the wording of the betrothal contract that is most troublesome.  But please K’Lan Terrill if you would consider the question I put to you?”

Terrill nodded, “Yes, Lorz was more than old enough to take a Mate without my consent.”

J’Lari Vree nodded, “And to continue on the same scent would you also agree that K’Lan Kaiel has reached the age were he also no longer requires parental consent?”

Terrill nodded reluctantly, “Kaiel reached his majority last season.  Both Lorz and Kaiel are— were—old enough to take a Mate without my consent.”

Zhion grumbled, “Well now that we have clarified both K’Lan sons were and are of age can we get back to the reason why the contract between L’Teran and K’Lan is invalid?”

Adjucator J’Lari explained dourly, “The reason the betrothal contract is invalid is because K’Lan Lorz had already entered into an Akibu Life Mating contract before the Betrothal contract was even drawn up.  That makes the very drawing up of the Betrothal contract quite impossible.”

L’Teran Zhion sat a stunned moment; even he knew how binding an Akibu Contract could be.  However he still didn’t see why it affected the proposed joining of the two houses, since it was the younger son who would be joining with his daughter.  He declared this fact and triumphantly waited for the K’Lan Adjucator to accept his folly.

But J’Lari Vree shook his head dolefully and explained; “It is the very wording of the betrothal that makes it invalid.”

“Nonsense, K’Lan Kaiel is now the elder son, what could possibly be so difficult about that?” The L’Teran male challenged.

“The problem is that at the time the betrothal was drawn up, K’Lan Lorz, the ELDER son was already locked into a binding contract.  The very fact that the ELDER son was named in the Betrothal contract makes it clear that he was specified and as the ELDER son he had already made his choice prior to the signing of this second contract.”  J’Lari Vree gave a suffering sigh, as if he was trying to explain simple logic to a child,  “The first contract negates the second contract and by that same virtue the second contract cannot be passed to K’Lan Kaiel who was the Younger son at the time K’Lan Lorz entered into the binding contract.  This binding contract cannot be annulled, I have already checked into the legalities of it.  The mating was witnessed and consummated and any further requirements of the life contract have been legally followed through by the remaining involved parties.”

Zhion was flabbergasted and grievously offended and he thunderously exclaimed that he would bring litigation against K’Lan House for breech of contract while Terrill sat in stunned silence, as he was too bewildered to actually hear anything.  He didn’t doubt that the first contract involved Jaimz.  It had been stated in Lorz Death Testament that he had taken Jaimz as his legal mate, but the contract had not been with the Death Testament document, so he could only assume that the contract had been discovered in Lorz’ personal affects. 

J’Lari Vree handled Zhion expertly claiming that he would discuss the contract fully with his associate the L’Teran family Adjucator and he competently escorted the still blustering male from his office.  He said a few words to his fellow associate and he got up and left momentarily, and then J’Lari closed the door and faced Terrill. 

“K’Lan Terrill, there is another matter that I must bring to your attention.  It is the reason that I did not show the contract to L’Teran Zhion though I must show it to his Adjucator.   You are aware of how binding an Akibu Life Mating contract can be, I trust?”

Terrill nodded, he felt a little ill for he was certain that there was more going on then the mere voiding of the Betrothal.

Adjucator J’Lari sighed morosely, “This morning I received a very strong message from K’Lan Kaiel instructing me that a certain element of this contract was under no circumstances to get back to Jaimz Ryordan Gingko—other wise known as K’Lan no Gingko Jaimz Ryordan.  You are aware, I trust, that K’Lan Lorz had taken this—alien male as his mate.” He quirked a brow and waited for Terrill to nod before he continued, “Well it is Kaiel’s Ni belief that Jaimz Ni does not specifically know the nature of the contract and he wishes for Jaimz Ni to continue not knowing for an unspecified time.  He feels that it would upset Jaimz Ni if he found out that the Life Mating contract did not die with K’Lan Lorz.”

Terrill felt the skin tighten around his skull as he croaked, “What?”

“Your son, K’Lan Lorz had used a most ancient and outmoded method where he could assign his mate to another should he be killed.  Such a contract has not been written in all the years that I have been an Adjucator and I only heard of one such—incidence—from before my time when my father tried and failed to break such a backward and outmoded form of Mating Contract.” J’Lari Vree stated grimly,  “Jaimz Ni is still locked into a life mating, without his knowledge I must believe, and your elder son specified K’Lan Kaiel as his successor.  K’Lan Kaiel and Jaimz Ni are Life Mated.”  He went to his desk, and picked up a parchment from it and held it out toward Terrill.  “You can understand why this wasn’t discussed in front of L’Teran Ni?  The same individual has already claimed both of your sons.  K’Lan Kaiel could not have legally bonded with L’Teran Vreda, for he is already locked into a legal contract.”

Terrill took the parchment, but knowing what it would say he didn’t unroll it, instead he said, “What if the Betrothal and Mating was unknowingly entered into, or the contract was passed while the inheritor was already in another contract?”

J’Lari Vree sighed, “Unfortunately in cases such as this the only way to break the contract is to have the Most High Akibu declare the union incompatible….  And of course Kaiel can and should apply for a special dispensation to allow him to take a second Mate for the purpose of furthering his duties as your only heir…that is to beget cubs.”

He glanced up at the Adjucator and the male nodded, saying, “Kaiel Ni has no intention of challenging the contract being passed to him.”  Terrill was honestly not surprised, not after what he had seen.  The Adjucator continued though, “But he does intend to protect Jaimz Ni from any knowledge of this fact and he wishes it known that if Jaimz Ni finds out through any means other than himself that he will take full legal action.”

Terrill half smiled, so Kaiel would press a legal suite against him?  Well he wouldn’t tell the human, as he had much more important plans for him this night, but still he was shocked that Lorz would have even considered doing such a thing.  It was one thing to take such a step and legally bind himself to an male and an alien at that, but to state his brother as his heir and give Jaimz to him upon his death was just too…incredible.  And what was even more incredible was whether or not Kaiel had known the fact when he had gone to rescue Jaimz from Ham’s tender mercies.

Terrill leaned forward, crushing the document in his fist, and though J’Lari Vree looked aggrieved at the damage to the document he said nothing.  “Could the contract have been tampered with?”  Terrill asked.

J’Lari Vree shook his head, “I have had the document authenticated and tested for any…anomalies.  There are none.  The document is in its original and unaltered state.  Besides which,” he paused momentarily, “I have spoken with the Z’Ullan Akibu who preformed and witnessed the Mating.  He stated that K’Lan Lorz specifically requested that particular clause be included.”

Terrill shook his head in total confusion, “But why?  Why would Lorz have done such a thing?  Everything else aside, the very fact that he took a male as his mate and an alien…. Why would he name Kaiel to inherit Jaimz as his mate upon his death?”

Adjucator J’Lari looked uncomfortable as he said dourly, “You must understand that I hold no faith in this archaic nonsense, however the Akibu stated that Lorz was the conduit between which two souls would find each other.”

Terrill could only stare at him, of course the Akibu faith believed that every soul had a perfect mate and that such unions were the most precious of all unions and not to be sundered by or for anything…but of course the very notion was completely ridiculous to him, there was no such thing as a soul mate.  Nothing made any sense, why hurt Jaimz as Lorz supposedly did as often as he apparently did if he was merely holding him so that another—his soul’s mate—could claim him?  “Ridiculous.” He muttered.

J’Lari Vree nodded, “As I stated, I don’t hold with such old fashioned ideas.”  He stood up, and moved around the desk to retrieve the document from Terrill, “Nonetheless, my associate and I must void the betrothal and once it has been finalized your House and L’Teran House will be called upon to formalize it.”

Terrill nodded and passed the crumpled contract to the Adjucator.  He had much to think on, very much indeed.  As he let himself out of J’Lari Vree’s office the Adjucator reminded him one final time to keep the full truth of the Life Mating contract to himself.  Terrill agreed readily enough, he had no intentions of telling Jaimz about it, as there was no reason to give the luscious little alien one more reason to feel obliged to stay with Kaiel.  If he could successfully woo Jaimz to his bed, it would be one more triumph against his dishonorable son, and if he could keep Jaimz in his bed even after…well then how much better would it be to gloat knowing that Kaiel was his life mate but his was the bed Jaimz preferred to share. 

As he left he wondered when had seducing Jaimz for just one night turned into a life long goal for him?  Did he really want to spite and hurt Kaiel so much that he wanted to take something that precious away from him?  Was he so angry with Kaiel that he wanted to strike back at him and this was the only way to make the most impact, by stealing his mate from beneath him?  He didn’t love Jaimz, he didn’t even profess to like him, but he was genuinely enthralled with that beautiful face and sensual body.

Upon arriving back at the house Terrill didn’t purposely go seeking Jaimz, it just happened that he saw him walking alone outside on the savanna side of the house so he decided to join him.  He had been thinking about a lot on the way home, not the least was how to accomplish his goal tonight and keep working on that goal in the next few days before Kaiel was expected to return.  He didn’t know, he thought it possible that if he just let his intentions be known that Jaimz would simply submit to him, after all he must be used to submitting to Zaran males since he had yielded first to Lorz, and then to Ham, before giving his body to Kaiel.  So what was one more male to surrender to?  But he didn’t want Jaimz to simply submit to him, he wanted Jaimz to be aching and hot for him, so desperate for relief that even if he didn’t want it he would be so eager for it that he’d have no choice except to accept him completely and totally. 

As he silently walked beside the young human, with neither saying a word, he glanced at that soft wind swept hair and noticed blond threads starting to streak those fawn colored locks.  He wanted to run his hands through those silky strands but he resisted the urge.  Instead he smiled at Jaimz, who glanced up at him and smiled in reply while brushing one of those stray tendrils off his smooth forehead. 

He reached out with a sudden idea and lightly squeezed Jaimz’ shoulder, saying, “Jaimz, I know that you had your…difficulties with my son…” He clarified, “with Lorz, but I—I loved my son very much and I was hoping that maybe you might be able to see your way…toward joining me when his remains are cremated?”

Jaimz’ face went pale, he looked up at him with something akin to reluctance, but after a moment he swallowed and nodded, “I—I can’t promise anything…it will be hard for me but….”

“That is all I ask.” Terrill declared, sweeping Jaimz into a fierce hug against his body.   Jaimz gasped in surprise of course, as he was lifted off his feet and pulled up against the bigger male so that his chin was aligned to Terrill’s shoulder, but after a moment he relaxed and wrapped his arms around Terrill’s shoulders and returned the hug, never realizing that Terrill had simply wanted to feel his body in his arms.  Terrill pressed his face into Jaimz’ throat and breathed in his scent as Jaimz arched his neck aside. 

He held the hug for as long as he could without raising Jaimz’ suspicions and then let that small and lithe body slide down his length, even bumping his pouch against Jaimz’ groin.  Jaimz glanced at him with a hint of wondering in his sea-foam eyes, but Terrill gave him a perfectly innocent look so that Jaimz once again doubted his own senses and finally Jaimz laughed his suspicions away and said, “Well…I’ll see you at supper then.”

Terrill nodded, and watched as Jaimz stepped through the open window and back into his suite, he walked on, but in recalling what he had been deliberating on before he had hugged Jaimz he suddenly realized that supper could be very fortunate for him.  Of course how to slip anything past the vigilant Medic Kang who always had his nose in matters concerning Jaimz was another problem for him to deal with.  But he was smiling when he thought about the supper to come and how it could work in his favor; all he had to do was act before it was too late.

Kaiel lay on his bed thinking about his day and how completely exhausted he was.  The day had been long and difficult with the only bright spot in it being talking to Zuzu over a late supper.  He was finding that he liked her very much; she was bright, smart and pretty and talking with her was always enlightening.  The more time he spent with her and actually talked to her, not just greeted her in passing as he often had before, the more he found that she was pleasant company.   He wondered why he hadn’t really noticed how attractive she was before, or how funny or the rich tones of her amazing hair, which he now noticed she was wearing often loose or becomingly pulled back with ribbons, or pins.  It amazed him that he had never noticed her hair before, because how could he have possibly missed it?  And she was so easy with her friends, he noticed how she would relax and laugh with them and even with Council P’Var her mentor during this session she had an easy way about her.  Could it be that it had taken Jaimz to point these things out to him first? 

Of course, thinking about how Jaimz had opened his eyes to Zuzu only brought his thoughts fully back to Jaimz, he had spent the entire day so busy with the sessions and discussing key points of the outlined proposals that Jaimz hadn’t crossed his mind.  Now in the quiet of his room with no one talking to him and needing him for anything and with Heron safely tucked away in his own quarters he found Jaimz very much on his mind. 

For instance he knew that right now Jaimz would be very sensitive and as he knew Jaimz fairly well he expected that Jaimz would have sought to be alone well before the sensitivity became too much for him.  Maybe he would even ask for something from Kang to help him sleep through the night?  Tomorrow was the start of their 72-hour.  Kang had told him not to wait for the symptoms of the withdrawal to show up, but to immediately start to take the meds that would mask against those indicators.  The one thing Kang had said that he might not be able to work around was the loss of appetite and the nausea that came along for the ride.

He glanced toward K’Lan Pride, which was so far away right now that he surely could only imagine when he sensed Jaimz.  If he closed his eyes he could imagine Jaimz lying on his bed, on his back with the covers tossed entirely off his body.  It was strange to picture Jaimz that way, since his bare body felt the chill in the night air so easily.  But his imagination went beyond Jaimz merely laying there, staring up at the bed canopy, but it imagined Jaimz sensitive restlessness and his uncomfortable burning skin driving him to such distraction that even the caressing touch of his skimpy silken night garb was to much for him to bear.  He smiled as in his imagination Jaimz all but tore the offending garments off his irritated body and lay down again in the middle of the bed, but even the smooth surface of the bed sheet was more than his sensitive skin could handle and if he moved, he moaned as little shivers of aroused distress coursed through his body and sent pulses of awakening pleasure to all his erotic centers.   He could almost hear Jaimz moan “Kaiel….” Moreover in that instance as Jaimz turned his head and looked toward him it was almost as if they could see each other across the vast distance that separated them.  He gasped and sat up, finding himself utterly and thoroughly aroused and as he calmed his rod down he wondered if he had dosed off for the imagining had seemed so real, like a perfectly detailed dream.  When he settled again he had the uneasiest sense that Jaimz was very uncomfortable.

Jaimz couldn’t believe how uncomfortable he was, his skin just tingled and burned and every time he moved he felt an answering surge of sensation sparkle through his pleasure centers.  He was quite shamefully aroused and at a loss to explain what was happening to him. 

As expected his heightened sensitivity had arose around the supper time, and though he had successfully ignored it during the meal and afterward, that eventually he had found his awareness was so heightened that even his own clothing had stimulated his sensitive skin, which had never happened before, since he had only responded to the touch of people before today, but even the slightest currents of air in a room could fire up his blood.  He wondered if something he ate at supper could have affected him this way and blushed when he recalled that he had eaten two sweetmeats.  The first sweetmeat he had eaten unknowing what it was, but the second one he had consumed because he couldn’t pass up the challenging smile Terrill had given him when he’d learned what the first item he’d eaten really was.  The idea of eating what were basically the gonads of some young male animal was enough to still make him want to choke.  The dessert had been very nice though even though Terrill had said he’d had it prepared with Jaimz in mind.  Since everyone had a small dish with the same fruit, cream and biscuit combination and Kang hadn’t said anything Jaimz had assumed that it must be safe for him to try even though the fruit was new to him.

But now, hours later here he lay naked on his bed, trying to sleep but unable to as every little movement—every little eddy of current in the air only served to further stimulate his burning body.  He groaned Kaiel’s name aloud, thinking that because he hadn’t seen (except once over the COM) or touched Kaiel in three days that he had built up a sexual charge which like a static charge could only be defused by touch.  Could that really be it…that he was supercharged with sexual energy and with no hope of having that energy siphoned off.  Just thinking about it made him blush…which only added more heat to his overheated body.

Finally he sat up and slid off the big bed, since trying to force his over stimulated body to sleep wasn’t getting him anywhere, he thought about going to Kang and asking him for something to help him get to sleep, but it was late and just because he couldn’t sleep didn’t mean others should have to suffer with him as well.  He slid a robe over his sensitive body and padded toward the Bathing Room, thinking that a cool shower might sooth his irritated skin—and if that failed only then would he go to Kang for help.  Tomorrow morning he would awaken to the needs of the 72-Hour and he knew that Kang planned to start treating him immediately to stave off the worst of the symptoms for as long as he was able—maybe Kang might start his treatments tonight if he knew what a hard time he was already having.

The halls were silent as he padded along the smooth satiny floor.  Silvery light from the doubled moons cast a pale glow through the myriad windows that clearly lit his path.  He paused for a moment and looked out one of the windows at the perfect image of the savanna spread out before him with both moons hovering in that indigo and starlit sky.  The little moon, Azoree, was some distance away from its big sibling, Torz, and it looked to set soon, probably in the next hour or so.  Tonight both moons were ringed in silvery halos though he didn’t think that it meant there would be rain come tomorrow.  He hadn’t seen rain or even more than a scud of cloud in that rich azure sky since he had arrived although he did know that Z’Rarla had seasonal rainstorms similar to home, the difference being that where he now live was in the deep south—nearly along the equatorial belt and right now Z’Rarla was locked in spring and on its way toward the long hot and dry summer, the monsoons followed the summer and started the cycle again and apparently this far south the only snow that was ever seen was on the high mountain peaks during the monsoons when it was wet and cool.  He idly wondered if summer would bring the hot sticky nights he was more familiar with, or if the coolness he was becoming used to would continue to be the rule.  Although, he thought with a rueful grimace, tonight the cool hadn’t touched his overheated body in the least.

He stepped into the bathing room and allowed the moonlight to be his only light to the shower.  He slipped his robe off, letting it fall in a soft rumple to the tiled floor outside as he stepped over the threshold and was rewarded instantly by the cool cascade of water as it showered over his overheated skin.

He sighed, lifting his face into the cool stream and tucking his fingers through his hair to push it back, he had been right—this felt so good and he also felt his body calming down.  He stood contentedly under the silky caress of the water and let it pour down over his body as it washed away his agitation and stimulation.  He planned to remain only until he was certain his raw senses had been soothed but his quiet reprieve was interrupted when a pair of big hands caught him around his hips and pulled him back against a big body.  He gasped and cried out in startled alarm for he honestly didn’t expect anyone to be awake and as he strained against his unexpected visitor Terrill’s voice came soothingly over the shower noise, “Relax Jaimz…it is only me.”

But Jaimz was too surprised by his presence this late at night to relax with any ease.  Glancing back and up he asked in breathy shock, “What are you doing here? Why are you awake?”

Terrill bent around him and Jaimz alarmed senses only jangled louder when Terrill’s hand slid around toward his groin and stroked between his thighs.  He stammered fearfully, “Wha-what are you d-doing?”

His alarm only increased when Terrill bent and pressed his mouth against his should and then moved along to lick the long line of his neck.  He shivered even as dread squeezed at his chest.  “P-Please…don’t….”

Terrill nuzzled his ear and then moved lower to gently bit the side of his neck while Jaimz shuddered in horror and the tears sprung to his eyes as he realized what Terrill wanted from him.  “Please!  Please Terrill don’t do this!” He cried, pushing against the big male, which was like trying to shove a brick wall.  Zarans were just so much bigger and stronger than he was and if they didn’t want to move they wouldn’t.

Terrill only pressed closer, pulling him back against him big body and legs.  Jaimz felt the evidence of Terrill’s arousal pressed up along his back and he sobbed, “Please…don’t do this to me…please.”

Terrill raised a hand to stroke at his streaming hair though his other hand moved completely to splay across his waist and hold him.  Again Terrill licked his throat and this time he murmured silkily, “But I waited for you to show me that you were ready for me.  I waited aching for you.  You have a much stronger will than I expected and you resisted far longer then I would have thought possible for such a sensual creature as you.”

Jaimz pushed at the big hand pressed around his waist even as his scalp crawled with a sense of dread, for it sounded as if what had brought him to this shower was something Terrill knew about and how could that be so unless he had planned it?  He gasped in understanding and cried, “Y-you gave me something?  At supper? Something to make me—make me—?”  He blushed and stammered, “W-was it the s-sweetmeats?”

Terrill rumbled a smoky laugh and bent to lick the scratches on Jaimz back before murmuring against his silky shoulder, “It was the dessert.  Each was individually put together and yours had to be made special because of your susceptibilities to our foods.  It was an easy matter sprinkling a little Sweet Pleasure onto the cream.”  He retained his hold on Jaimz but knelt down and began to lick him along his spine, moving lower with each pass of his warm tongue.  He paused as Jaimz pulled against his hold, he could hear his sobs even through showering downpour though he couldn’t understand the reason for them since he was being gentle with the small and sensitive being.  He bent to kiss one pert wet cheek and hearing Jaimz’ soft cry of denial he mused, “I am surprised you were able to resist for so long—you must have burned for relief.  No I can give you the relief you seek.”

“No-No! Jaimz cried and suddenly pulled hard against his hold.  He managed to wrench free, but Terrill grabbed for him again and even the slippery floor tiles worked against him as he slipped and fell ending back under Terrill’s control in mere moments.

Terrill was tired of this game, of Jaimz pretending to not want this so he picked Jaimz up and lifted him above his head, until Jaimz could nearly touch the ceiling, and then he seated Jaimz on his face.  Jaimz yelled and sobbed in mingled horror and pleasure as Terrill’s tongue thrust between his cheeks and drilled into his anus.  He clutched back at the males shoulders, crying bitterly as his body responded while his heart was shattering into tiny pieces.  He was being assaulted again—and in the process he was betraying Kaiel with his unwilling response.

“Please—Please don’t!” Jaimz wailed, struggling against Terrill’s hold and this uncomfortable position, which had him arched over the male’s head, with his legs pulled back and open as the male’s tongue stroked deeply and thoroughly within him.  Finally he managed to kick and struggle enough to force Terrill to lower him.   He tried to kick at him again but Terrill only grunted in annoyance and grabbed his leg pulling him around to face him.  Jaimz sucked in a frightened breath at seeing Terrill’s fully unsheathed rod and felt a thrill of dread at the wide thickness of it.  He thought analytically that Terrill might actually be less endowed than his son—but he was so wide that it hardly mattered.  His cone was a wide and blunt oblong—in fact his entire rod was wider than it was thick around making it look slightly flattened and very bizarre.  He lifted his eyes to look at Terrill’s face and desperately shook his head, pleading, “Please!  Please don’t do this!”

Terrill pulled his close and ran a hand between his thighs and his aroused penis and as shame blossomed afresh on Jaimz satiny cheeks Terrill mused, “But you want this.  I want this.  Why shouldn’t we want this together?”

“Because I can’t help it!  Please this is wrong!  Let me go!  Please let me go Terrill!  Please!” He wailed as Terrill picked him up again and lowered him onto his rod’s thick cone.  He sobbed in horror as he felt Terrill pulling his cheeks open to facilitate easier access to his anus and he cried again, “No!  Please no, don’t do this!  Please don’t!”

Terrill ignored him and pushed him down onto him, it wasn’t easy.  Jaimz howled and arched back in pain as his body refused to yield to that impossibly wide and blunt cone, he cried tearfully, “You’re hurting me!  Please—please stop!”

Terrill realized that there was a problem, but his solution was not what Jaimz wanted as he picked him up and tossed him sobbing over his big shoulder.  He pressed his hands against Terrill’s back, trying to lever himself up but was only sobbing more despondently moments later when Terrill’s fingers, now slick with grease, pressed into his reluctant anus.  He whimpered and hung his head in defeat, crying helplessly as Terrill’s big fingers reamed him and worked at stretching him open enough to take his rod.  He was weeping bitterly when Terrill brought him down off his shoulders again, and this time while using his fingers to hold him open he lowered him onto his rod cone again.   Now, with Terrill’s fingers to guide and the grease to assist and with Terrill’s rod also being well oiled, they slid together like smooth clockwork.  It still hurt though, and his entire body tensed against the pain of all that thickness entering him at once without any of the gentle stretching he had come to know with Kaiel.

Unlike with Lorz or Ham though, Terrill didn’t just beat at his natural defences and tear through them, when Jaimz cried because it hurt to much Terrill would stop and withdraw—apply more oil and enter him again, slowly forcing his body to yield will he wept in utter misery.

Terrill knew that Jaimz was crying and finally, after he had seated him completely upon his wide rode he wondered, “Why do you carry on?  Why are you crying so much?”

Jaimz, laying against Terrill’s wet pelt, with the male’s rod deep inside his throbbing body felt the hot tears pouring from his eyes even as the shower washed them away and sobbingly said, “Because I’m being raped again—and I can’t make you stop.  I can’t make you stop.”

Terrill was astonished, “Raped?  What Raped?  I’m not raping you?  I’m being gentle!” He bellowed, pulling Jaimz upward so that he almost unseated his rod.  He tried to force the smaller being to look at him as he growled, “What do you mean that I’m raping you, we are consenting adults are we not?”

Jaimz looked up at his assaulter with luminously glowing aquamarine eyes—only slightly silvered by moonlight.  “I’m not willing.” He cried bitterly, “I don’t want this!  You took me against my will!  How gentle you are—how considerate you are doesn’t matter!  You’re still raping me!” his voice rose to low scream and he pushed at Terrill, while sobbing helplessly, “You’re just like Lorz!  He raped me!  He raped me over and over again and he hurt me and he gave me to Ham who hurt me too!  I thought—maybe you liked me a little.”  He sagged against Terrill again and covered his face as sobs shook his shoulders.

Terrill felt a little ill, for indeed Jaimz hadn’t welcomed him as he had expected, and yet he wasn’t ready to give up—as the sensation of all that tightness around his rod was just so utterly exquisite to give up on.  He moved, rocking his hips and stroking his rod inside.

Jaimz shuddered and whimpered but his sobbing didn’t decrease.  He bent over, hugging those shaking shoulders, “But we can have fun little one.  I’m not hurting you.  Why can’t you just enjoy this?”

Jaimz just turned his face away and the hot tears kept coming.  Terrill lifted Jaimz up—nearly unseating him again—and claimed his wet mouth in a kiss, sure that if he put enough effort into it that Jaimz would start to respond and yield to him completely. But Jaimz just turned his face away again and Terrill let him drop once more to firmly seat over his rod.  He felt Jaimz shudder, and heard his moans as his thick length filled him up again so he knew that Jaimz’ body was enjoying what he was doing—but he also heard those devastated sobs and felt that small body just quaking from crying.  He hugged him arm about him and murmured, “What can I do to make you stop crying Jaimz?”

Jaimz looked up at him and sobbed softly, “Let me go.  Please, please let me go.”

He passed his hands down over Jaimz’ satiny back and cupped his cheeks lifting and lowering him over his rod, “But why can’t we relieve each other’s ache cubling?” he cajoled, “I can be for you what Kaiel is.  I can give you what Kaiel gives you.”

Jaimz stiffened and appeared ready to yell at him, but instead he drew in a shaky breath and said so softly that Terrill had to lean down to listen, “How do you think Shania would have felt if someone she thought she could trust decided to take her against her will?  No matter how gentle he was?  It’s still rape Terrill, you’re raping me…I’m not willing.”

Terrill felt as if his pelt was suddenly too tight for his body.  He had loved Shania with all his heart and losing her had been a devastating blow that he had never been able to get over completely.  The question posed hurt just as it was meant to.  He whispered with sudden clarity.  “I’m so sorry….”

Jaimz just lay against him, still softly sobbing, but after a moment he whispered, “Then please…let me go.”

Terrill meant to, really he did, but he realized that he was locked inside Jaimz snug body with his flare fully engaged, and to try to extract now would only hurt Jaimz.  When Jaimz realized that they were tied together he sobbed bitterly and while harshly weeping he forlornly cried, “Just get it over with then!  Please!  Just get it over with!”

Terrill did, working hard and fast to bring on his long climax, even though he no longer had any pleasure in the task.  Jaimz was silent through it all, never uttering a word or a sound, though that might have been because he was biting his lip to prevent it.  He was still crying though the cool water continued to wash his hot tears away.

When it was done Terrill separated from Jaimz while whispering, “I’m sorry.  I’m sorry.  Please forgive me.”

Jaimz huddled away from his, under the showering downpour and started to rock as his crying renewed in strength.  Terrill tried to touch him, but Jaimz shied away and sobbed, “Just leave me…please just leave me.”

Uncertain of what to do, and knowing that he had hurt Jaimz emotionally if not physically Terrill backed away—though he did switch the shower over to the hot air blowers, because Jaimz would need that heat now.  He looked for another pained moment at that small huddled body and knew that he had done a terrible thing to another being—something so terrible that it sickened him to realize that he had worked toward this goal and achieved it all on his own.  Jaimz had never given him even the least signal that he was interested, but he had stalked him, abused him and finally taken away his right to choose.  Terrill turned away, grabbing a towel the drape around his big form and quickly made for Kang’s suite knowing that the old medic was the only one who could help Jaimz right now.

Kang came awake with stunning alacrity as soon as he heard that Jaimz needed him, and he lunged out of his big bed with out any signs that his plump body was in any way a hindrance.  He was a big male and in spite of his advanced age and his somewhat corpulent frame, he moved with a great deal of speed as he headed for Jaimz’ suite.  He did question why Terrill led him beyond Jaimz’ suite and why they were headed to the bathing room… but his questions died as the sight of Jaimz huddled on the tiled floor made everything unbelievably clear.  He shot a disbelieving glance at Terrill and when the younger male couldn’t return his look, his assumptions were only confirmed, and it sickened him so much that he thought he was going to throw up, fortunately that response lasted only a second as rage surging through him quickly burned the nausea away.

Quashing down his first desire, which was to tear into the other male Kang forced himself to relax and make his voice light and gentle as he grabbed up towel and stepped into the gusting heat from the blowers and said softly, “Cub?  Can you hear me cub?  Youngling it’s me Kang…everything will be okay.”  He gently touched Jaimz’ arched back, as he draped the towel over his small body…and Jaimz turned into his embrace—welcoming the comfort of his big body as he cried devastated tears and shook with profound distress.  Kang bundled the towel around Jaimz and swept him up into his arms as he picked him up.  He sent Terrill a look filled with utter loathing as he passed him while carrying Jaimz from the room.  He did not even stop at Jaimz’ suite but kept on going until he had the young human tucked into his own bed where he could protect him. 

Jaimz was mostly dry from the blowers, but he finished drying his hair as he sobbed like a tortured soul, as he listened, Kang sadly wondered if Jaimz would ever stop crying.  Because of what he was, and because he cared so much, he had to check that Jaimz wasn’t injured, he was very gentle as he parted Jaimz’ legs and inspected him.  Jaimz did quiet then, though great sobs still caught at his chest.  He didn’t protest his impersonal touch nor complain when Kang applied a bit of ointment to his anus.  He closed his eyes and turned over onto his side when Kang was done and lay softly shaking and sobbing until Kang pulled the coverlets up to warm his small body.  Kang stroked Jaimz’ silky hair and rubbed his back as he thought about what he had found, there had been some minor damage but nothing significant and if it had been caused by Kaiel, Kang wouldn’t have been even a bit worried, but all this slight damaged showed was that Terrill had been gentle in his rape, for he didn’t doubt that Jaimz had been raped, he was far to upset for it to have been anything else.  He had noticed Terrill was getting to close and he recalled that he had warned Jaimz to keep his distance…but he had never thought Terrill would go far as to actually force him…no matter how gentle the act.

When finally he lay down beside Jaimz to try to find some sleep for the rest of this night Jaimz immediately turned and cuddled into him.  He shifted until Jaimz was resting comfortably against him, with his head on his shoulder and with one arm stretched out over his tunic covered chest.  Jaimz was still crying softly, with silent tears beading up on his eyelashes, though he had quieted considerably and as they lay together Jaimz whispered achingly, “Kaiel can never know.”

Kang glanced down, to find those jewel like eyes glowing luminously up at him and he found himself idly wondering when Jaimz’ eyes had started to glow like that in the dark…for he did not have the light-gathering eyes of a Zaran.  He stroked his hand along Jaimz’ arm and murmured, “If this is your wish Cub.”

Jaimz closed his eyes and dragged in a shaky breath, repeating, “He can never know. He can never know what happened tonight.”  Again there was silence and then Jaimz released a long-suffering sigh followed by another breathy sob, “Maybe I should have died?  Maybe it would have been better if I’d died and not trapped Kaiel this way….”

Kang felt his scalp prickle and he snarled, “Don’t speak that way!”

However Jaimz sobbed miserably, “But I b-betrayed him—I betrayed Kaiel.”

Kang cupped Jaimz’ head, tilting his face up to look at him, “You didn’t.” he stated fiercely, “Terrill wronged you!  It’s not your fault Jaimz; never ever blame yourself for what happened.  Never!”

Jaimz shivered under his hand, and though he settled again the self-blame and the confusion remained so close to the surface that Kang could almost feel those emotions through Jaimz’ silky fine skin.

Daylight found Jaimz awaking feeling slightly groggy and more than a little disoriented.  He awoke in a strange bed again, and recalling what had happened in the night he felt a moment of panic before he recalled that Kang had brought him to his suite to sleep.  He closed his eyes again, he had a very mild headache, but he wasn’t sure if it was the TAG withdrawal already at work or simply the fact that last night had been enough to bring nightmares to plague his sleep.  He rolled over onto his side and opened his eyes again to find himself looking toward the inner door, which was standing open into Kang’s clinic.  He sighed and sat up, blushing slightly when he was reminded that he wasn’t wearing anything, but a quick look at the bed showed Kang or someone had thoughtfully provided a robe for him.  He fingered the silky material for a moment then looked up as someone entered the room.  It was Kang.

He watched as Kang first went to check the monitoring equipment which he hadn’t noticed until that very moment, seeing that he was drawn to the slight weight at his wrist and he saw that he was already wearing the med-cuff, if was flashing green so his headache was probably not a result of the tag, though after a moment he remembered that only if the cuff’s light was glowing solidly green was when he was truly well, so the flashing green merely meant that he was ok at the moment.  He began to notice little things then, the slight soreness between his legs…a result of the unwanted action he had received in the night, recalling that he blushed and lowered his eyes forlornly, he wanted to pretend that it had never happened, but if his bottom was sore then how could he forget?  He also had a bit of soreness in his arm, and when he tipped his arm up he saw the red mark where it was clear that he had already been injected.  Glancing toward Kang, who was now turning to look at him, he asked needlessly, “You already gave me my medicine?”

Kang knelt on the bed and pressed his hand up under his bangs to touch his forehead.  “First thing this morning and again since.  Its after the noon break Cub.”

Jaimz felt his eyes widen in shock as he looked up at the medic as he drew his hand away, “It’s that late?” he exclaimed.

Kang nodded, “You obviously needed the sleep.” He lifted the med-cuffed wrist and looked at the blinking green light then smiled slightly, “But you seem to be doing okay.  How do you feel?”

Jaimz blushed and said softly, “I have a bit of a headache…and…I’m groggy still.  Why?”

Kang looked slightly aside, so Jaimz had a bit of a worry while the medic was thinking, finally Kang explained, “I included a mild tranquilizer in your medicines—.”

“But—!” Jaimz started to protest, but Kang’s big fingers lightly pressed against his soft mouth, silencing him.

“You will still be able to work,” Kang stated, “but one of you has to be more relaxed and since it can’t be Kaiel it will have to be you, Youngling.   If I must worry after one of you, I want it to be you…and I am worried about you.  You can still work, and if you feel like taking a nap then you should.  When you rest you can only help Kaiel.”

Jaimz sighed and felt a little sob well up as he thought about how he and Terrill had betrayed Kaiel, but Kang shook his shoulder slightly and said, “Enough with that sort of thinking Cub.”  He retained his hold for a moment more and then said softly; “Before I send for Drey to go with you to the shower are you sore anywhere else?”

Jaimz knew what Kang was asking and he lowered his eyes as the blush warmed up his cheeks again.  “I’m a bit…sore.”

Kang only grunted and moved to the bed table where the monitoring equipment was, he opened a drawer directly beneath and said, “Over with you.”

Jaimz glanced toward the doorway, but he saw to his relief that Kang must have closed it when he came in.  He turned over onto his side and lay silently as Kang very gently applied soothing ointment to his aching anus, and he only squirmed slightly when Kang’s slid a finger full of that same ointment inside to ease the discomfort within as well.  Kang patted his hip and murmured, “You look a bit more sore this morning then you did last night….”

Blushing Jaimz, with a catch in his throat, whispered, “Terrill is very…wide.  He couldn’t get it in—at first.”  He blinked tears off his eyelashes and shook his head, “But I don’t want to think about it anymore.  I just rather—it never happened.”

Kang nodded silently, saying nothing though he didn’t plan on forgetting about it or how traumatized Jaimz had been when he had found him.  That Jaimz wanted to keep this from Kaiel he could understand, and maybe he might even succeed, but even if it did come out Kang knew that Kaiel wouldn’t hold any blame against Jaimz, that all blame would go to where it solely deserved to fall, upon K’Lan Terrill who had raped Jaimz last night.

Jaimz was looking at him, watching the expressions of anger and determination cross his caring face, and he felt a little better knowing that Kang was looking out for him, then he wondered with a faint blush darkening his cheeks, “You said Drey was going accompany me to the shower?  Does Drey…know?”

Kang ruffled his hair and smiled, “Only that your ill and that you’ve caught a mild stomach bug that’s upset your system…. Drey will stay with you when I can’t, I had him excused from his tutor’s classes for the next couple of days until either Kaiel comes home or I take you to him.  And as for your nighttime arrangement, you will be bunking with me so that I can monitor you and update your medications as necessary.”

Jaimz didn’t say how hearing that news made him feel so much safer knowing that he wouldn’t be sleeping alone and vulnerable even though he doubted that Terrill would ever touch him that way again.  The male had been genuinely remorseful of what he had done, but it was everything else, waking up with Terrill in his room, and his dreams that he now knew for reality that still bothered him.  Terrill had worked him for a few days, gaining his trust while at the same time abusing his sleeping body and he just wasn’t ready to sleep on his own again without Kaiel somewhere nearby if he needed him.  Thinking about Kaiel again, and missing him, just made him feel remorseful again.  He shook his head to try and shake that feeling, and regretted it when his headache pulsed anew behind his eyes.

Kang frowned as Jaimz lay down again; the steady green flash of the cuff told him that he had his TAG symptoms under control, but after last night there could be an assortment of other problems usually not associated.  He stroked Jaimz’ cheek and said, “You don’t have to get up yet, try to sleep a bit more.  I’ll wake you in an hour or so if you like.”

Jaimz closed his eyes and with a sigh said, “Ok…I’ll just close my eyes for a little while.”

Kang watched as Jaimz drifted off into sleep and he knew that he would let Jaimz wake himself up rather then waste this healing time by waking him.  He pulled up the covers and tucked them under Jaimz’ chin and smiled tenderly as the young human turned toward his touch with utter trust.

He slipped off the bed after a moment and gave the monitor another glance, the fluctuations were minor right now for Jaimz was still in the early stages of the Tag withdrawal, but he knew from having gone through the TWS with Jaimz already once before what he would be seeing as the hours increased and the TWS became fully entrenched.  The only good thing he knew about this bout with the TWS was that Jaimz had a TAG Mate and that he would receive his cure before either of them became too ill to function.  He moved toward the outer door, which led into his clinic.  Since he couldn’t watch Jaimz constantly he would leave the door open again so that Rica could keep an eye on the room and make sure that Jaimz slept undisturbed.  He nodded at Rica who was busy entering data into the Com Pad at her desk and said, “I’m going to be in my office again.  He’s fallen back to sleep, so just keep an eye on him for me will you?”

Rica with her pretty round face and bright copper eyes nodded as she glanced in to the room.  From her position she had a perfect view of Jaimz as he slept, it had been she, noticing him waking up that had brought Kang to the room in the first place.  She knew that Jaimz was starting to suffer the TWS without his Tag Mate nearby, but she didn’t know about the rape and Kang would keep it that way for Jaimz’ sake.  As it was, only three individuals knew about the rape, and one of them still hadn’t answered enough for his crimes as far as Kang was concerned. 

He headed toward his office, just as he had planned, but something made him glance back to see none other than the Skarll dung himself shadowing his doorway.  Rica preened at the honour of having the head of K’Lan Pride grace the office, but she didn’t manage to say anything as the male strode toward the inner door staring worriedly at Jaimz who fortunately was sound asleep and unaware of his intruding presence.  Kang moved quickly to intercept him and growled, “This is as close as you go, K’Lan Ni.”

Terrill scowled at him as he blocked the doorway with his massive frame but he didn’t try to pass, though Kang was sorely disappointed, as he surely would have liked for him to try.  “I heard that he was ill?  Drey told me that he having stomach trouble?”

Kang returned his scowl, “Are you surprised?  He has a very delicate system.  Its very easy to upset him.” He replied in short clipped sentences that he knew were laden with messages.

Terrill’s ears flicked with embarrassment and even his ruff quivered, he lowered his eyes after a moment and said softly, “That was a mistake.”

Kang struggled to hold his temper even as he flexed his hands while trying to stay relaxed and focused.  He glanced back into the room to assure himself that Jaimz wasn’t being disturbed and snapped at Terrill, “Come with me.  I want to talk to you.”  He stomped toward his office.

Terrill reluctantly followed, saying, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Kang closed the door with deadly silence and rounded on the other male.  “You don’t want to talk about it?  You—after what you did to him!  Fortunately for you Jaimz wants to forget it ever happened, my guess he will greet you and act like nothing ever happened between you two… and for your sake you better act the same way!”

Terrill rallied, “But…is he really sick?  Did I…is it something I did?”

Kang snarled, “Lucky for you all Jaimz suffered because of you is a sore bottom….  No he’s legitimately sleeping in the middle of the day because he is ill, and I will be monitoring him until he improves.” That was all Terrill needed to know, he didn’t need to know that Jaimz was suffering from TAG withdrawal.

Terrill shook his head, and wondered, “But…could he be ill because of something I did?”

Kang froze, staring at the younger male, “What do you mean?” he asked coldly.

Terrill lifted his shame-dulled eyes, “At supper I gave him—Sweet Pleasure.”

Kang wanted to hit the other male, it took everything he had not to launch into him and lay waste all around.  “Sweet Pleasure?” He croaked furiously, “you gave him an aphrodisiac without having a clue what it would do to him?”

Terrill’s ears folded back but he grimly stated, “It wasn’t on the banned items list.”

Kang didn’t know what happened, one moment he was near his desk, the next moment he had the other male pressed against the door and was growling low into his startled face, “That’s because I never imagined anyone would use it on him!  My Gods,” he suddenly laughed bitterly, pushing back from Terrill, “Its no wonder he is more sore today then he was last night.  With that poison in his system he would have merrily humped a Gar and not noticed much of anything until later…had he been lucky enough to survive.  You…you…disgust me.”

“I never meant to hurt him.” Terrill muttered, rubbing his throat where Kang’s arm had briefly been pressed.

Kang scoffed, “Don’t lie to me, you wanted to hurt him from the start, and it would be so easy too.  He’s small, delicate, and even frail compared to us.  He’s like a little cub…barely 12 years old in height….  But Drey who is his height already is stronger and outweighs him too.  With Jaimz wanting to hurt him and not hurting him is part of our baser nature, something we strive against to be better than the beasts that we are.  You know it, you’ve panted after him from the start.”

Terrill’s ears folded back, “I never meant to hurt him, never.” He growled, “I just wanted to take him away from Kaiel.”

Kang scowled at him and moved to sit on the edge of his big desk, “Why in the world would you want to do that?  What is it about Kaiel that bothers you so much.”

Terrill snorted, “He’s alive, that’s what bothers me, he’s alive when Lorz is dead.  And he’s been betraying Lorz with Jaimz since probably the beginning.  Maybe they were betraying Lorz while he was still alive?  That Jaimz creature is made for sex…he took me without hardly any trouble once—.”

“Shut—Up.” Kang growled in a low roar, “Just shut up.  Do you hear yourself?  You’re bothered because Kaiel is alive and Lorz is dead?  You should be grateful that one of your sons is alive and not begrudge him just for being alive.”  He shook his head, flabbergasted, “Gods you are so pathetic.” He raised an expressive brow ridge, “So then when you went after Jaimz, you were really trying to hurt your son?  You are so pathetic it disgusts me.  You don’t deserve Kaiel, he’s a terrific young male that any sire would be pride to call son…I know that I would be if he were mine.  But not you, you look to Lorz as some kind of special scion that you placed on a pedestal, whatever wrong he ever committed you excuse away, blame the victim instead of laying the blame where it surely belongs.” He smirked, “So how soon will it be when you start blaming Jaimz for your raping him.  Or have you already decided that he seduced you into raping him?  That surely it must be his fault that you raped him?  Just as it was his fault that Lorz raped him, oh, and that Ham raped him too!  Of all the Zaran males who have impacted upon that youngling’s life I can tell you that Kaiel is the only one who has never hurt him nor would ever consider hurting him.”

Terrill stood silent under the medic’s scathing regard, his ears were tightly folded back as he growled, “I don’t blame Jaimz for what I did….  In that alone I am guilty.  However as to the rest, can you say without a doubt that Jaimz didn’t welcome Lorz or even Ham?  He certainly welcomes Kaiel easily enough…and once he opened for me he was quite welcoming indeed.  You say and Kaiel says that Lorz raped him,” he briefly recalled that even Jaimz had said that Lorz raped him; he’d cried it last night.  He shook that memory off and continued, “but what proof is there?  What is the truth?  The truth I see is that my son…yes my living son was betraying his brother hardly ten days after his death!  Ten days, Lorz hasn’t even been properly sent to the Gods yet and those two were humping each other as if he’d never even been alive!  What am I to think when they come together and hump like rutting beasts?  Why shouldn’t I want to take Jaimz away from Kaiel?  Why shouldn’t I want to hurt him, hurt Kaiel?  After he hurt me and betrayed his own brother with his Life Mate!”

Kang just stared at him for a long silent moment with loathing clearly evident in his eyes, after a moment he looked away as if he couldn’t stand the sight of him.  “You don’t understand anything.” He said, “Kaiel never betrayed your precious Lorz and if they ever rutted like beasts—which I very much doubt since I’ve had the privilege of witnessing one of their moments and monitored another while Jaimz was very sick—it was because they needed each other desperately, so desperately that if they didn’t relieve each other they would die.  Furthermore Jaimz doesn’t take anyone easily, and it’s only because Kaiel is careful and gentle that he doesn’t get hurt.  You have noticed how small he is haven’t you?  Well he’s small within too, and it would be easy to fatally hurt him.  It was only luck that has kept him from being seriously hurt while Lorz, and yes Ham too, was raping him.”  He turned away and waved his hand in a shooing manner, “I’m through talking to you.  You’re so hard headed that you wouldn’t get the point even if a spike was driven thru your skull.”

“You only speak that way because you love Jaimz too.” Terrill grumbled as he opened the door.

Kang smiled, “Like a son.  And I love Kaiel too, if you don’t want him I’ll gladly act as his sire, I’ll likely actually do a good job of it.”

Terrill quivered with rage but resisted saying anything as he moved out into the hall.

Kang called, “Also stay away from Jaimz, K’Lan Ni, I won’t be so restrained if you ever harm him again.  That I promise.”

Terrill glanced at him, taking in his massive size, his ponderous girth, his firm expression and his deadly serious eyes and didn’t doubt that the older male would and could rip into if he had too for that fleshy softness only cloaked powerful muscles and lethal strength.  He nodded, just barely to acknowledge the older male and strode from the room and then from the clinic.

Kang remained, sitting on the edge of his desk after the younger male had left and he shook his head, befuddled by K’Lan Terrill’s attitude toward his own son.  He could not understand how any sire could find fault with that young male, for Kaiel was so honourable, so responsible, and so considerate that he should make any sire proud beyond belief.  And yet Terrill idolized his corrupt, cruel and monstrous late son instead, finding only grace in and admiration for him, while finding his gentler son lacking.  Was that it?  Could Terrill hold Kaiel in such contempt because the young male could handle his rage and deal with anger by using reason and logic instead of instincts?  It was not for the first time that Kang thought K’Lan Terrill to be pathetic, he hoped that one day the elder K’Lan would see the value in his living son, but until he did, Kang would be there to listen to Kaiel and help him out as needed.

It was true morning when Jaimz awoke again, to the feel of a slight poke in his arm.  He murmured sleepily and scrubbed at his eyes as he rolled over to look at Kang and said fuzzily, “Did I sleep right through?”

Kang backed away with a slight smile, “That you did cub.” He tossed the used needle into a waste container and turned back with a slight frown.  “How do you feel this morning?”

Jaimz thought about it for a moment, he didn’t feel too bad, though he was vaguely nauseated and his head felt a little…full, not headachy but loitering close to the edge of a headache.  However in that other area where he had been sore yesterday he felt little that was bothersome now, “I feel ok,” he said, then continued, “A little sick to my stomach and my head feels funny, but otherwise I don’t feel awful.”

Kang nodded, these were symptoms he had be expecting on the second day of the TWS, Jaimz’ temperature fluctuations was in full swing now and it was taking his judicious application of his medications to maintain it at near normal levels.  That Jaimz didn’t mention anything else he also expected, for he expected that after sleeping all of yesterday away that Jaimz would be pretty much recovered from his late night exchange with Terrill.  “Do you feel like getting up Cub?  I have some breakfast for you; its delicious sweet biscuits with a touch of jelly, salt crackers and a baked porridge with honey.” He smiled apologetically at Jaimz who pulled at face at the description of his breakfast, but as it was bland fare was the easiest on his stomach right now and he was likely to keep whatever he could eat of it down.

“I’ll get up, I can’t just sleep the entire time away, that would be lazy….” Jaimz muttered, adding, “It isn’t like Kaiel can just sleep the time away.”

Kang nodded and added sweetly, “Speaking of Kaiel I thought that you might like to talk with him.”

Those beautiful eyes widened as they looked hopefully toward him, “Kaiel? Is he—where is he?”

Kang grinned, “He’ll be calling on the COM in about 10 minutes, and no, you don’t have to go to his room, I’ll accept the call on my Com Pad.”

Jaimz smiled dreamily, “Then I guess I can try to eat a little breakfast.”

Kang moved to another table a lifted the cover off a tray sitting upon it.  He carried the tray over and once Jaimz had sat up he placed it his lap.  Jaimz looked at the bland fare and grimaced again, because it was all white and it looked quite unappetising.   Kang picked up one of the biscuits which had been smeared with a pale green jelly and waved it under Jaimz’ nose, “Try this,” he cajoled, “You’ll like it, the jelly is really delicious even though its flavour is mild enough to sit easy on your stomach.”

Obediently Jaimz took a bite out of the flaky and soft biscuit and the flavour of the jelly exploded pleasantly on his tongue.  He licked his lips and took the biscuit from Kang to eat the rest of it and smiled in pleasant surprise, “That was delicious. What fruit is that? It tasted a bit like apple.”

Kang’s shoulders shook with silent laughter, “Well, I don’t know what apple is, that jelly is actually the mashed seeds of the Ahiko nut.  Well, actually the Ahiko isn’t really a nut and the meat isn’t even edible, though it smells just divine and is used in perfumes and oils, but the seed pulps down into a lovely jelly.”  It was a pleasure watching Jaimz eat the biscuits; he consumed every piece and licked his lips like an appreciative cat between each bite.  Really, though he was pale from the TWS and a bit bruised looking around his eyes Jaimz was still so utterly gorgeous.  The salt crackers Jaimz just nibbled on but he enjoyed a few mouthfuls of the honey-flavoured porridge before he pushed the tray aside and said, “I can’t eat anymore.” Then after a moment he added, “But I think I would like more biscuits with Ahiko Jelly to nibble on.”

Kang took the tray, saying, “I will see that Zavalla keeps a ready supply for you Cub.”

Jaimz scrubbed at his sleep-mussed hair and murmured, “I’ll want a s-shower after I talk to Kaiel.”

Kang noticed the slight hesitation, but purposely made nothing of it, he expected that emotionally Jaimz would take a bit longer to recover than his body did.  He nodded instead, “I’ll call Drey for you, the cub was quite worried about you yesterday.” He smiled cheekily, “I let him sit with you for a while last night, all alone with you while you lay sleeping like a pretty little cub.”

Jaimz blushed and smiled back with equal cheek, “I’m sure he was a perfect gentleman, unlike certain other voyeurs I’m acquainted with.”

Kang pursed his lips, and then with sparkling eyes he quipped, “Can’t blame an old male for admiring the dish even if he can’t sample it.”

Jaimz’ shoulders shook with silent mirth, “You…are cruel.”

Kang smiled, and relaxed, happy to see that Jaimz could still laugh at his quips even if his cheeks did brighten to a very becoming shade of pink.  He carried the tray out to his office, where Rica was already working, planning the day’s schedule.  She smiled as he set the tray on the counter and said, “I’ll see that someone comes for it.”

“Could you also tell…no ask Zavalla Ni if she could prepare more biscuits with Ahiko Jelly for Jaimz?  He really enjoyed them.” Kang said smilingly.

“Of course,” Rica said, smiling into the room where she could see Jaimz still sitting up on the bed.  Kang followed her gaze, Jaimz was still quite naked and his upper body was bare nearly to his hips with the coverlet only covering him at that point. 

“He’s very pretty isn’t he?” He observed.

Rica flicked an ear in acknowledgement but before she could say anything one of the staffers entered the clinic.  The young male dipped his head, “Medic Kang, Rica Ni… Good Morning.  I am sent to tell you that Kaiel’s Ni call is waiting for redirection.”

Kang nodded, “Rica redirect the call to my personal Com Pad, you have the pin.”

“Of course Kang Ni.”

Kang went back into his suite and picked up his Com Pad, and set it on the bed within easy reach of Jaimz.  “It’s coming through now Youngling.  I’ll let you have some privacy while I go get Drey for you.”

Jaimz smiled and nodded, “Thank you.”

Kang left but Jaimz was hardly aware of the closing door as Kaiel’s handsome face coalesced on the screen.  He noticed instantly that Kaiel looked a little tight around his golden eyes.  He worriedly leaned close to the screen and stroked his fingers across it as if he was stroking Kaiel’s face, and Kaiel sighed, closing his eyes.  A moment later his golden eyes lazily fanned open and he smiled, “Good morning Cub.”

Jaimz blushed and chided gently, “I’m not a cub.”

Kaiel smiled a bit wider, looking at his bare neck and shoulders and murmured, “Let me see you.”

Jaimz felt his cheeks grow warmer as he set the Com Pad back enough so that Kaiel could look at all of him on the screen.  He even lifted the coverlet away so he was sitting naked and feeling Kaiel’s warm gaze lightly touching him all over his body.  He blushed, biting his lip as Kaiel whispered, “Gods…I’ve been missing you.”

Jaimz couldn’t lie, he was two days into the TWS and he was missing Kaiel too, “I wish you were home.” He murmured, leaning toward the screen again to touch it along the contour of Kaiel’s velvet jaw.  Kaiel arched his head back and groaned, “Cub…I can’t touch you as much as I want to…you just make me ache for you.”

He sat back, and Kaiel let his eyes roam over him again as he sighed, “Sometimes I think this conference is going to run on forever.  I know that the Chai want more then what they’ve listed on their proposals but they just demur and skirt around the question.  And I feel sick—these headaches and the nausea…is this how it felt for you Jaimz?”

“You’re taking your medicine?” Jaimz worried, leaning forward again, Kaiel’s eyes riveted on his long thighs and what distractingly bobbed between them, he blushed and dipped his head, but raised his eyes a moment later to find Kaiel’s eyes locked onto his.

Kaiel nodded after a moment, “I’m taking my medicine, and even Heron is pestering me.  He doesn’t know what’s wrong with me of course; I think he thinks that I caught a virus or something.  And of course because I have the med-cuff—which by the way I am watching very closely—and the auto-injectors he thinks that I must be under medical care since I’m too stubborn to go home.”  He smiled wryly, “I told you he was a mother.  Heron should have been born a female.”

He gave Jaimz a long worried look, to which Jaimz replied unasked, “Kang is taking very good care of me Kaiel.  I don’t feel too bad…it’s you—because you can’t rest or stop that is going to be having more trouble than me.  Kang said, that I would have to rest for both of us.”

Kaiel glanced beyond him, taking in what view of the room that he could see behind him and murmured softly, “Where are you?  You’re not in your room, or mine?”

Jaimz blushed softly, “Kang brought me to sleep in his room, so that he could better take care of me.”  He ducked his eyes, “I had a rough time of it the night before the 72-Hour began.”

Kaiel sighed and smiled softly, “I had a dream about you that night…it was…strange, erotic….  It almost felt like I was in the room with you and you were so over stimulated that even your night tunic was driving you crazy.  What a dream….”

Jaimz gasped in puzzlement, for that evening he had been nearly out of his head with the overload of sensation he’d experienced before heading to the shower, and the rest…he shook his head, he refused to remember what happened afterwards and he certainly hoped that Kaiel hadn’t dreamed about that too.  Of course it had only been a dream, even if it was a dream that touched too eerily close to reality.  

Kaiel sighed then, “Any way, we have an early session this morning so I better prepare for it, and no doubt Heron will be coming to see if I’m awake or not.” He lifted those golden eyes to caress Jaimz’ face and smiled slyly, “Let me see you one more time.”

Jaimz smiled, though his cheeks warmed of course, as it was blushing was a response he was almost starting to ignore.  He leaned back and opened his legs and looked at Kaiel with smoky eyes and a slight smile and let him fill his eyes.  It almost seemed though that everywhere Kaiel’s eyes touched that he could actually feel his fingers touch him and he shivered with the unexpected pleasure of it…he whispered huskily, “I miss you Kaiel.”

Kaiel raised his eyes to concentrate on his face once more and said with reluctant determination, “Either way, tomorrow night will be the deciding night.  We see each other the next day…promise.”  He lightly touched the screen and Jaimz felt as if his bottom lip had been stroked by Kaiel’s velvety-fleshed thumb.  He leaned forward, briefly bobbing for Kaiel’s hungry eyes, before he moved so close to the screen that only his face would be visible.  He pressed his lips to the screen, even though it was a silly thing to do and Kang would undoubtedly grumble if he left lip-prints on the surface. 

Jaimz smiled as he drew back while Kaiel was watching very attentively, he sat back enough so Kaiel had a full view of him again and returned the promise, “Either way, day after tomorrow we’ll answer the Tag’s demand.”

Kaiel touched the screen again, and Jaimz shivered as it felt like Kaiel’s fingers stroked him from his neck to his groin, which of course could only be his imagination.  Kaiel sighed, “I better go… You take care of yourself.”

Jaimz sat forward, still uncovered for Kaiel and nodded as tears shamefully sparkled in his eyes, “I will, just you don’t forget to take care either.”

Kaiel sighed again and with that the screen went dark.  Jaimz sat a moment, then found himself hunching forward as tears blurred his eyes and sobs shook his shoulders.  In moments Kang’s big arms were around him, Jaimz had a vague suspicious that Kang had probably been listening in to their conversation or even watching it…he was such a terrible voyeur, but he didn’t care about any of that as he cuddled into the big male’s comforting embrace and whispered achingly, “I miss him, I miss him so much.”

Kang only made crooning sounds as if soothing an kitten and stroked his back and hair until he quieted again.  Once he did grow quiet, Kang checked his readings to make sure Jaimz hadn’t upset himself into having one of those devastating dazzle headaches but the monitors all read a minor, though still constant, fluctuation of his body temperature.  He picked up the robe laying at the foot of the bed and draped it over Jaimz’ shoulders, “Why don’t you go have your shower Cubling.  Drey is waiting and you’ll feel refreshed and ready to face the day afterwards.”

Jaimz nodded and sighed softly as he slid off the bed, wrapping the robe around him as he went.  He thought about his actions with Kaiel, letting Kaiel look at his body and teasing him the way he had and felt his cheeks warm even as he smiled at his wanton behaviour, he chided himself that he acted like a slut before his Tag Mate, as if giving him a peep show to tie him over until they could get together and really take care of this annoying itch they both suffered from.  But as he stepped out into the clinic and greeted Rica, and gathered up Drey who was eager to share his first shower with him, he decided that he just didn’t care right now whether he was being slutty or wanton, all he cared about was that he wished right at this moment that Kaiel was home and neither of them were suffering and apart.

For Kaiel it was another day of torments with the only bright spot being his memories of Jaimz being so playfully cheeky in front of the COM.  He smiled recalling how Jaimz had let him see all of him, he hadn’t asked for so much of a boon, he would have been content just to see him naked to his hips, but he certainly wasn’t going to complain about Jaimz letting him see so much of his graceful body.  Of course, his smile faltered, for Jaimz had looked tired and pale and his beautiful eyes had looked haunted besides bruised from the onset of the TWS.  He didn’t like being so far away from Jaimz when he didn’t feel well even though he knew logically that if they were together Jaimz wouldn’t be sick at all, and it was his own sense of duty and honour that was making both of them ill.  He sighed and then grimaced as the Delran Ambassador Huirlic asked why the Chai should be offered such a profitable concession…and he, who hadn’t precisely been paying attention, shuffled through the Chai’s ream of proposals and suggested compromises and began once again to explain why on principle it was acceptable to the Zaran if they shared one third of the disputed space with the Chai…

For Jaimz the day started out rather pleasant and didn’t seem as if it was going to be a problem for him in the least.  Thanks to Kang’s medicines he was a tad too drowsy to work competently on any of his projects so he and Drey went for a walk out on the savannah, though they remained within sight of the main house at all times.  Jaimz found out that the young Gar that had wandered from his pride had been driven deep into K’Lan Pride, where hopefully he had rejoined his pride for he was much to young to be on his own.  He also learned that Drey was a bit infatuated with him, which of course Kaiel had already suspected.  He only blushed shyly and attempted to distract the cub as he described how silky his skin had felt all wet…and worse, Drey had seen him nude for the first time and it was all the cub seemed to want to talk about, the differences in their bodies.  Jaimz was caught between laughter and chagrin as he tried to defuse Drey’s cubling affections, but even though Drey was enamoured with him he still felt that he could trust the cub implicitly just as he could Kang. 

Toward evening he finally garnered enough courage to face the lion in his den, he finally felt ready to face Terrill at the supper table.  He felt nervous of course but he carefully didn’t show it though it was impossible for him not to show some redness on his cheeks.  But Kang was there, watching everything very carefully as he greeted the K’Lan elder while sitting down to his rather bland supper, though he noticed that he had a side dish of those biscuits to nibble on, which was pretty much all he had really eaten today.

Terrill’s ears folded down, and then he forced them forward again as he nearly stammered, “H-how are you this evening Jaimz Ni?  Feeling b-better?”

Jaimz kept his eyes down as he replied, “Yes, thank you.” He indicated his bland plate, “Though my stomach is still unsettled.”

Terrill tried not to look at Jaimz, especially not with Kang looking at him with beneath those lowered brows but it was hard not to want to look at that beautiful face.  Jaimz of course would not meet his eyes and he could understand why but he did notice that Jaimz was pale, even his dewy soft lips looked paler than normal and he was very bruised looking under his eyes, so clearly he was not much improved from yesterday.  “I…see.  Well I hope that you feel better soon.”

Jaimz glanced toward him, but still did not meet his eyes, very softly he said, “I will feel better soon.”

Terrill nodded, and glanced past him at Kang, carefully he murmured, “I understand that Kaiel called this morning?  What is the news on the conference progress?”

Kang shrugged, “I didn’t speak with Kaiel Ni, Jaimz did.” He smiled slyly, “I very much doubt they spoke about the conference.”

Jaimz’ cheeks warmed as he glared sidelong at Kang, oh yes the old Voyeur had been listening in or worse for certain.  “Kaiel did talk a little about it, he seems to think that it will never end.”

Terrill glanced at Jaimz’ pink cheeks and felt his ears folding back again in response, he could very well imagine what the pair must have discussed and by Jaimz’ blushes it was obvious that their conversation over the COM system should have been rated for content.  Nonetheless all he said was, “Ahhh…I see.   Well, if you should happen to speak with Kaiel again would you let him know that the Betrothal contract with L’Teran has been voided?”

Now those lovely green eyes lit on his face with a look of surprised delight, and Terrill thought grumpily that of course the little morsel would be happy to know that he no longer had to contend with suitors for Kaiel.  Though, thinking about that pretty body and knowing that there would never be cubs from it, he decided that he would do everything in his power to see that Kaiel applied for the Special Dispensation Clause and that he sired a succession of cubs.  That was still in his power to control and he was already looking for a worthy mother for his grandcubs.

Supper was almost a success, only Terrill and Jaimz were a little tense, and only they plus Kang knew why but fortunately young Drey, sitting with them was oblivious to the tension and he kept bringing bright colour to Jaimz’ cheeks and helpless laughter to Kang’s big frame as he mused eloquently on about how pretty Jaimz was in the shower…it was all rather embarrassing.

Night fell for Jaimz not very long after supper as Kang stopped the beginning of a dazzle headache in its tracks and sent him to bed while the sun was still up.  But Jaimz was tired and the tranquilizer in the medicine only made him more so, so he climbed into Kang’s big bed, cuddled up in the middle of it and soon drifted off to sleep.  Since the sun was still up there was plenty of heat in the air, so Jaimz slept on top of the covers in his day clothes, fully believing that he would wake up and change later into his sleep tunic and shorts.  Though, since he didn’t awaken even when Kang removed his clothes and covered him up, morning would find him awaking in the nude again.  Of course Kang didn’t mind as he gave Jaimz his medicine and then climbed into the bed with him, shifting himself until Jaimz had comfortably snuggled against his big tunic covered body.  He might be old, he was over 65 after all, and though he thought that the whole mating thing was a lot of hassle now he wasn’t to old to enjoy looking and Jaimz was very pretty indeed.

For Jaimz though, the third day was hell, though it didn’t start out that way.  A Faire that was scheduled for Moro village ended up being set up on the savannah just outside the main house when the expected number of visitors doubled beyond what Moro could handle.  All the nearest villages sent members to see the Faire and even individuals from Chocho drove down in busloads to attend.  The Faire was Jaimz’ first look at the cultural side of Zarans, for though he knew that they danced and therefore must also sing and play music he hadn’t yet heard anything other than the occasional hums from the Staffers.  This Faire was scheduled to showcase live theatre, music and singing and even some dancing so Jaimz was thoroughly enthralled with the magic of it and Kang let him go watch since he was close by and Drey would be with him.

Drey fortunately had settled down during the night and no longer seemed so fixated on his memories of Jaimz in the shower, but nonetheless the cub stayed protectively close and very much heeded Kang’s warnings that Jaimz was to not be left alone even once.  Jaimz attended the Faire in a hooded cloak that he kept carefully pulled forward to hide his face, and Drey wore the same, though he grumbled that it was too hot.  The first act at the fair was the Theatre Troupe called the Famous Players, they re-enacted a stirring moment in Zaran history when the first great house was founded.  Jaimz thought that it was favouritism on the part of the Actors toward their patrons when the raised male turned out to be, at that time, a Lan Pride male (Lan before the Honorific K was assigned to them).  But Drey leaned in close during the excited hush and said, “Oh no Jaimz Ni.  The first House was Lan…hence K’Lan Pride is the oldest of all the Great Houses.”  The cub spoke with such pride of his place within that pride that Jaimz could only smile and pat his arm.  He knew that Drey was going to do very well for himself in this Pride (and beyond), thanks very much to Kaiel’s sponsoring and his influence.

The Musical and Dance Troupe that followed after the Theatre Troupe, was a wild and raw act, with tonal singing and vigorous nearly violent and yet at the same time sensual gyrations that were very primal and something that had to be felt as much as seen.  Jaimz was spellbound as he watched, for seeing those superb bodies (both male and female dancers) he was reminded of Kaiel and the very different but no less spectacular dances that he participated in.  His lips parted as he watched while his body throbbed in time to the rhythm of the players.  Once the dancers stopped and the music ended on a wild note Jaimz laughed excitedly to Drey, “Oh that was incredible!”

There was more music after that, a more traditional style of music with drums and reeds and strings that the players played as if they were making love to their instruments.  Jaimz was fascinated by the rhythms and soulful melodies the artists could seduce from their instruments but he couldn’t stay very long to listen to them because Kang came to get him out of the crowd because he was over due for his medicine.  If it wasn’t that he didn’t want to be seen getting a needle in so public a place he would never have left the performance.  So with Kang he and Drey went and Kang fussed over him, chiding him because his med-cuff was blinking a faint red even though Jaimz protested that he felt fine.  Kang administered the shot and told Jaimz that he could watch the Faire from his bed for a while because he wasn’t letting him go back until the med-cuff was blinking a safe and steady green again.  Glumly Jaimz did as he was told, he had a good view of the Faire from Kang’s bed, although he couldn’t see things so well since the Faire was set far enough from the house to accommodate all the visitors.  But with the windows opened he could hear the music and feel the excitement in both the players and the spectators, it was all very spectacular.  And as always he was safe, since even if Kang wasn’t with him, and Drey had been allowed to go off on his own for a while, the inner door was open so that Rica could keep an eye on him from within the clinic.

It was closer to evening when Kang was finally satisfied enough to let him go back to the Faire, Drey had to be found to provide escort for him again and he found he had two additional body guards in the form of Drey’s two older friends Zeyer and Trev.  Having met the older cubs at the village on Market day, Jaimz felt comfortable with them, even though he suspected by their quivering ears and gaping mouths that Drey had shared his shower experience with them.  He just shook his head and walked on toward their reserved seats at the front of the audience.  He knew that as he passed that the crowd looked at him with curiosity, in his cloak with his hood pulled up they couldn’t easily see him, but they knew that he was amongst them and he wondered for not the first time if their curiosity over him is what had overwhelmed Moro in the first place and forced the Faire to move to a larger location.  Still in spite of their curiosity he was left alone and that was all that mattered to him.

Now it was another song and dance act up on the stage, but this one was a comedy routine.  Another Theatre Troupe, this one re-enacting what Drey called the “Greatest Love Story Ever Told”, followed the comedy routine.

Jaimz enjoyed the tale, though he suspected that when the lovely female laying dying at the end of the tale and bound to follow her heroic lover into death that it was a symbolic retelling of a Tagged pair dying because one of the tagged, the Taggee male in this case had died defending his home and pride.  The people of Z’Rarla may not use the Tag anymore and it may have fallen out of common memory, but there were stories everywhere where the Tag seemed prevalent.   Thinking about the state he was in right now without his Tag Mate to relieve his symptoms he decided that he didn’t want to watch the female’s dramatic death scene and instead having noticed something off to the side of the Faire which was attracting a fair bit of attention on its own he stood up and said, “What’s going on over there?”

It was Zeyer, a handsome teenaged cub with the traditional golden locks and golden pelt of the Lan Pride, who said, “That’s a craft and food vender Market, Jaimz Ni.  Moro received permission to set up next to the Faire.

“Do you want to see it?” asked Trev, Zeyer’s constant companion in misfortune, Trev unlike Zeyer had a bit of the northern look in his face, he had a hint of a muzzle and sharper cheekbones too though he had the golden mane and eyes of Lan Pride, his pelt however was more of a rusty colour.

Jaimz started walking toward it, it was still in sight of the house so Kang shouldn’t be to aggrieved if he went off to look it over, besides maybe he could legitimately purchase some things and not have things he merely admired simply show up mysteriously at the house like the last time he had visited the market.  He had given Kang and Drey their gifts but he still wasn’t sure about the ear-studs even though he knew that they would look great in Kaiel’s ears.  But the idea of giving such a gift to a male who he couldn’t yet call lover—the very thought made him feel uncomfortable—still seemed impossible to him.

There was quite a crowd around the Market kiosks but with his three dedicated young guards Jaimz had no trouble moving around the stalls and seeing what was being offered.

Terrill couldn’t believe his ears as he gaped at his house manager Lan Tarl who had just announced the shocking news.  “Did you say…K’Ilo Ham is demanding an audience with me?”

Lan Tarl nodded his head grimly, “Yes Terrill Ni.  He is waiting in the Central Receiving Room.”

Recalling that his son had warned him that Ham might come to the house he was relieved to remember that Jaimz was out visiting the Faire.  It was too bad, he thought idly, that he couldn’t warn Kang to go get him and hide him away until Ham had finished his business.  But he didn’t have time for that now and he certainly couldn’t pass the message along by using someone else, not even his manager would suffice.  No he would have to find out what K’Ilo Ham wanted and hope that his path never crossed with Jaimz’ since, having not warned the young human, he would likely be somewhat startled by his unexpected presence.

“Show him in.”

K’Ilo Ham was big; actually to say he was big was putting it too mildly.  Where the old male Medic V’Ran Kang at 8’2” was slightly above the max average height of a male Zaran, Ham topped him by another 2 or 3 inches, in fact he tended to stand out in crowds since he was taller than most.  He was a ruddy male, with his tawny pelt and ruddy brown mane; even his eyes had a reddish sheen.  His northern heritage was evident in his muzzle and his sharp cheekbones that were framed by a heavy and luxurious ruff that was a colour somewhere between his pelt’s tawny and his mane’s ruddy brown.  He was also massively built, half as wide (or more) as he was tall, with heavy muscled arms and legs and a powerful body.  Sometimes the jumpers he preferred to wear gave him the appearance of being corpulent, but Terrill knew that Ham didn’t have an ounce of fat on that powerful frame of his.

Ham couldn’t help that he stomped up to the desk; he was that big that he simply didn’t move delicately though he could move with amazing speed when he needed too.  He bowed from the waist and rising asked, “How are you this Good Evening, Terrill Ni?”

Terrill stared at him for a moment, then tipped his head in polite reply and said, “I’m fine Ham Ni?  What if I might ask are you doing here?  So far from home?”

Ham raised a heavy brow and smiled, “As to that, it is my duty to inform you that House K’Ilo has entered a class action against House K’Lan.” He withdrew a rolled parchment from a deep pocket in his jumper and presented it to Terrill.  As Terrill took the legal document Ham continued, “Of course, there’s no need to bother reading it, I will tell you the contents of the missive.  House K’Ilo is contesting House K’Lan for the guardianship of one Jaimz Ryordan Gingko…or otherwise know at this time as K’Lan Jaimz etcetera.”

Terrill smiled faintly, “Otherwise known?  Ham, Jaimz is quite legally of K’Lan Pride and I’m afraid no court in the land will let you take him from us.”  Not with the binding Akibu Mating Contract to prevent it.

Ham shrugged, “We feel otherwise, Jaimz should have been mine upon Lorz death and why should only K’Lan profit from his genius?”

Terrill smirked, “I assure you that all of Z’Rarla will profit from his genius, but it isn’t his pretty head you want Ham Ni…now is it?”

Ham flicked an ear and shrugged nonchalantly, “I want his body, so what?  K’Ilo pride can have his smarts when I’m not keeping him otherwise occupied.”

Terrill shook his head, and his smile faded, “You should leave Ham, and I’m sorry but I can’t invite you to spend the night either.”

Ham half turned saying, “Doesn’t matter I have a room in Chocho.” He turned back with a cruel smile, “So have you rutted with him yet?  He’s got the sweetest little hole…and he howls just like a female Gar in heat.”

Terrill, leaning on his hands, stood up. “You should leave now K’Ilo Ham…. And forget about this ridiculous claim too.  You cannot possibly win against us and you will only be embarrassed in the end and I have no wish to shame K’Ilo Pride.”

Again Ham shrugged, “I have patience, I can wait for Jaimz to come to K’Ilo.”  With that he left, knowing the house well he didn’t require an escort to show him out. 

Terrill went to go find Kang, as much as they were having their difficulties because of Jaimz, he knew that he better warn the old medic about Ham.

Jaimz stopped at a kiosk, which was selling some kind of cold drink.   He smelled the brew; it smelled of spices and herbs though the colour was somewhat off-putting since it looked like stream runoff.  “What is this?”

“Miaki,” the vendor said, “would you like to try Jaimz Ni?”

Jaimz looked at the brew uncertainly, he wasn’t sure about tasting things without Kang’s approved list close at hand, but he was getting better at recognizing the smell of things and even though it didn’t look very appetizing it certainly smelled delicious.  “May I?  I haven’t any money on me—.”

The vendor shook his head and exclaimed, “It is an honour Jaimz Ni!  Please do not worry about cost….”

Jaimz picked up the cup and lifted it toward his lips; the smell was even more intoxicating.  He took a careful sip and let the flavour bloom cool and tangy on his tongue….  “Oh.” He smiled, “this is very nice.”  It was a cold tea of some kind he determined, but not like any he had tasted at the house yet.  “This is really delicious, I think that K’Lan house would like to have this tea—this Miaki—have you marketed it yet?  I could talk to Kaiel and see if he can help you get this blend to market….”

A hand touched his bottom.  He froze, though he thought nothing much of it since the three cubs flanked him, for all he knew it could have been any of the three who touched him that way, though it didn’t seem like an innocent touch, especially not when the hand returned and palmed his bottom again.  He felt his cheeks warm with anger but then that voice came, out of hells furnace, breathing like hot fire on his neck.  “I surely missed your pretty bottom, sweet cheeks.”

The cubs had sensed that something was wrong before Jaimz had felt the second touch and they were already closing to defend him, but it was all he could do to stand there, swaying as black lights started to sparkle in front of his eyes.  He heard one of the cubs yelling, and another one pushed at him, to push him back from his assaulter, he stumbled into the stand and felt the wetness of spilled Miaki as it soaked into his cloak.  He cried out softly, half turning as that horrible voice from his nightmares laughed cajolingly, “Cubs, cubs I just want to say hi to my old friend.”

“You get away!” Drey howled with cubling fury, “I saw you touch him!  You have no right to touch Jaimz Ni!”

Jaimz looked up, and up at that horrible face that had menaced him so much while Lorz was alive and still menaced his dreams some nights, the black stars were gathering in rimming his vision and making every thing seem like a dreamy nightmare, he was pretty sure that he was fainting and he really wanted to get away from Ham before he collapsed.  He pushed through the cubs, though they quickly ran to surround him, he only ran a few steps before one of Ham’s big hands grabbed him and dragged him back.  He wailed, “Let me go Ham!” even as he started to sag toward the ground.

As the blackness closed in he thought for certain he heard Drey muttering, “Ham—Ham?  I heard that name before…?  I know that name….  Your one that hurt Jaimz Ni…!  You hurt Jaimz Ni!” he heard a cub howl of rage followed by a male bellow of shock and then…nothing.

“Ah!” he screamed, waking up all at once in an awful panic.  Instantly strong arms were around him and he knew the scent well enough to cling to it and cry, “He was here!  He was here!  He touched me, oh God!  Ham was here.”

“Shh—sh Cub its okay.  Your safe, I won’t leave you alone at all tonight and he’ll need more than himself to get past me, I guarantee.”  Kang’s voice comforted.

Jaimz quieted down slightly and asked worriedly, “Is…is Drey okay?  Are the cubs okay?”

Kang patted his back and whispered, “The cubs are all fine….  Drey, remarkably enough attacked K’Ilo Ham, and it was quite amazing to see that brave little cub defending you so fiercely Youngling.”

Jaimz pushed away from Kang and glanced around the room, he was back in Kang’s room, on the bed again with the big male sitting close at hand—again.  He glanced out the window, but it was dark and the Faire was long gone.  He scrubbed at his hair and asked, “How long was I out?”

“A couple of hours…you spiked cub.”

Jaimz sighed, yes, without a doubt that sort of shock would have caused his temperature to spike one way or the other, but he didn’t have a headache now (or at least not a killer headache—once the TWS was in full swing there was always a bit of a headache lurking just beyond medical reach) so his meds had worked…. “Did Kaiel call?”

Kang nodded, “We’ll be leaving for Rydani early in the morning, we should make it for when they break for the noon meal.”

Jaimz tugged at his hair, looking at a strand of blonde while asking, “Does…he know about Ham?”

Kang was silent for a moment, and then he nodded, “He knows.”

Jaimz closed his eyes, “Then he’s going to worry….”

Kang reached out an stroked the piece of hair away from Jaimz’ fingers before he twisted it right out of his scalp, “He had to know cubling.  It wasn’t like we could keep something like this from him.”

Jaimz opened his eyes and looked up at him, suspecting that there was more to be said, “What do you mean?”

“K’Ilo Pride is contesting K’Lan’s Pride right to—I guess—have guardianship of you.”

Jaimz stared at him, “But…that’s silly.  K’Lan isn’t my guardian, I’m part of K’Lan because of…of Lorz.”

“Yes, but K’Ilo Ham doesn’t seem to know that Lorz actually Mated with you,” noticing Jaimz blush, he continued, “in the broader sense of the word.”

“Well we can just tell…whoever…that Lorz took me in an Abiku…Akibu Mating contract.   That should be enough to silence them… Besides…I’d just die if I was ever in Ham’s hands again.” He shuddered and hugged his knees against his chest.

Kang nodded, “But the authorities won’t be considering Ham when they consider this application.  What they will consider is that Lorz is dead and therefore you are free of the mating contract…and they may feel that since K’Ilo is a warrior clan that you can be better protected.”

“Protected?  From whom?  The only one I need protecting from is HAM!” Jaimz yelled bitterly, “They can’t make me go!  Can they?”

“Cub…the government is already starting to consider you a valuable asset, if they believed that you’d be better protected at K’Ilo Pride they would surely try to make you go there.” Kang explained gently.

Jaimz shook his head, “No…No they can’t…. They can’t separate Kaiel and me without killing us.  They wouldn’t do that.”

“Since they know nothing of the Tag…I suspect that they won’t know how fatal it will be to take you away from K’Lan Pride.”  He looked sadly at the young human, “It may be that your secret will be the only thing that saves you.” He smiled then, “Still K’Lan is an extremely powerful House and Terrill sits in the government and in spite of your—differences—he will not let you go…so probably nothing will come of K’Ilo’s plan and everything will just die down.”

Jaimz sighed raggedly and nodded, “Yeah…but there’s still Ham to worry about.”

Kang smiled, “But not tonight, I’ll be your stalwart guardian tonight.”

Kaiel glanced at the timekeeper, it read a quarter to noon…and the meeting didn’t seem as if it was going to end.  All morning he had felt renewed and invigorated because he knew Jaimz was on his way, he knew that soon Jaimz would be in the city and maybe when the meeting broke up he’d already be waiting for him.  He dreamed briefly of Jaimz greeting him with open arms and clothing divesting frolics…but he smiled and shook that dream away, for it was unlikely that Jaimz would greet him in such a fashion.   Then he frowned thinking about the fright Jaimz had received yesterday and then he frowned even deeper when he thought about House K’Ilo and Ham’s ludicrous plan to take Jaimz away from him.  It was ridiculous he knew and his conversation with his father had only confirmed how impossible K’Ilo’s claim was.   But he wouldn’t take any chances with Jaimz, he had told his father to use the Akibu Mating contract if necessary, since it was clear in the contract that he and Jaimz were Life Mated, even if Jaimz fortunately knew nothing about it.

The noise of the session washed over him, all that squabbling back and forth, his own kind snarling at the Chai, the Chai demurring and countering, the Delran butting in wanting their say in the proceedings…it was all too much.  He stood up; he was the speaker for the session wasn’t he?  He had let the seasoned councillors take over the conference from the start, he had let them treat him little better than a cub, it was his own fault he knew, for not enforcing his will, but he was tired of all this squabbling, Jaimz would be soon here and he damn well wanted to be there to greet him and hold him and love him as soon he was.

He picked up his speakers stone and slammed it into the marble plaque on his table, he smacked it again, each time hitting harder and staring around at every one in the assembly.  Three, four times he sounded the speaker’s stone, which he hadn’t sounded even once during the entire session even though it was his to use.  The Stone split at the last smack and he let the pieces fall with a final rattle into the silence, then having everyone’s undivided attention he leaned forward and growled toward the Chai Speaker, “I am tired of all this Skarlling around!  We give…you give!  And yet we get no answers.  I want to know right now why did you call the compromise?  Remember we didn’t ask for it, we probably would have gone on stupidly fighting until the Sheehan’s freeze over (the Sheehan’s were a tropical mountain range, and the likely hood of them ever freezing over was…unlikely).  I want to know what you really want?  You don’t just want technology do you?  DO YOU!”

Very slowly the Chai speaker drew herself up, her mandibles clacked and rattled for a moment as she spoke to her neuter siblings then she turned back and after a rattling screech of her mandibles the translator kicked in.  “We want the Human.  We want Jaimz Ryordan Gingko.  Only then will we declare peace between our peoples.  Give us the Human.”

Kaiel reeled, he didn’t know why he was so shocked, he’d been half expecting this anyway, but it felt like he’d just suffered a blow to his head.  He hunched over the table panting as he tried to push the panic away.  Others were starting to argue and he felt Heron touch his back worriedly.  He pushed his assistant away with a grumbled, “I’m okay.”  Of course he wasn’t okay, his med-cuff was blinking red, he needed his meds now to stave off the TWS symptoms, but he didn’t have time to deal with that right now.

He rapped his hand against the marble plaque until once again he had silence and he rasped, “K’Lan Jaimz is a member of my Pride… we cannot simply give him away like a-a present.  He belongs to himself, he is not and never will be part of these negotiations.”

The Chai speaker drew herself up, “This is our term…everything else is trivial, his knowledge we want.  We can provide much better for him, Chai will be kinder to him, Chai resources are more akin to his needs, and he will know only comfort and contentment with Chai.  We think that if we are given the opportunity to ask him and make him the offer of Chai that he will accept us.”

Again voices rose in argument, as he listened he thought that it seemed everyone even the allies wanted some piece of Jaimz.  His Jaimz.  He rapped his hand against the marble again; he noticed distractedly that he med-cuff was solidly red now.  Heron certainly noticed it and was searching his pack for his auto-injection.  “Jaimz is….” A sudden image of Jaimz hit him, crashed into his senses and overwhelmed him.  He knew as he started falling that Jaimz needed him, he sensed that Jaimz was hurt only he didn’t know how he knew it.  He clutched at Heron who was trying to stop his fall and he rasped desperately, “Jaimz…Jaimz needs me.” That’s when everything went black.

Kang awoke first, he was confused by his position and his head hurt, in fact most of his body ached in little inexorable ways that was most baffling.  He groaned and shook his head; a mistake that for it made his head pound, but at least it did clear his senses enough to realize that he was inside a vehicle, and that he seemed to be hanging upside down.  It took him another moment to realize that the vehicle was on its roof.  He groaned and lifted his hand to his head, and his hand came away with blood, for a detached moment he looked at the blood, wondering how he’d come to be in an upside down transport…and then he heard a soft groan beside him and everything came into focus as he turned to see Jaimz laying half in and half out of the vehicle.  He slammed at the belt that held him suspended, letting himself drop ingloriously to the roof of the vehicle where he remained only for a moment.  The seatbelt had held Jaimz around his waist, so that he was still suspended from it, but like a cub his upper body had not been properly restrained by the chest support and in the crash he had been allowed to knock about until the vehicle stopped rolling.  Very gently he undid the belt restraint and lowered Jaimz while he checked him over for obvious damage.    It took him only a moment to determine that the worst damage was a bleeding wound on his forehead.  It relieved him that he couldn’t find any more serious injury but the wound itself was worrisome since he had no way to check its severity. 

He heard sirens and heaved a tremulous sigh that help was coming, he pulled his tunic up over his head and rolling it into a pad carefully tucked it behind Jaimz’ head while he backed out to the other window and stepped out of the transport.  That was when he saw the other vehicle, and he remembered talking with a happy and laughing Jaimz when that other vehicle has suddenly pulled out of side street and roared right for them.  He remembered his shock at the other driver’s insane action and tried to brake to avoid what he though was an unplanned event, only when he’d seen her mad face behind the driver’s wheel he knew that it was no accident but that somehow Vreda had known they would be on this road and had lain in wait for them to pass by her.  She did absolutely nothing to avoid them; in truth she gunned toward them all the more insanely with clear intention to drive them off the road.  Only he was pretty sure that she hadn’t expected to be involved in the accident too, how she had found out where they were going to and what vehicle they would be using Kang didn’t know, though he suspected someone at K’Lan house must have told her…maybe inadvertently, maybe purposefully, he didn’t know.  All he knew was that he had two patients now, and he wasn’t talking about L’Teran Vreda.  He needed to get Jaimz together with Kaiel immediately.

He checked on Jaimz again, but the young human was still unconscious though he seemed more comfortable now that the belt didn’t suspend him.  Knowing that Jaimz would be okay for the moment he quickly went to check on Vreda, she was alive at least, though she certainly looked far worse off then either Jaimz or himself, so even though her plan had worked she had ended up injuring herself in the process.  “Stupid female.” He grumped, checking her over as she tossed and moaned.  The medics arrived as he was checking on her and since her vehicle was closer to the road he left her in there care while he went back to check on Jaimz.  His young patient was still unconscious, when a second E-MEDVAC pulled up with blaring sirens.  A pair of E-Medics scrambled down the bank to his overturned vehicle, they gasped of course at seeing Jaimz, though one of the E-Medics stammered, “That’s the—.”

“Yes he is,” Kang grumbled, “he’s my patient, find my bag will you?  It must have been tossed out of the cab when we rolled.”

The E-Medics’ were not used to being directed by one of their patients and one of them pointed out, “But your injured Ni.”

Kang growled, “I’m a Medic!  I can treat myself!  My bag has medicines for him though that he needs right now.  Find it!”  It was the new bag too, the one Jaimz had so generously gifted to him.

They must sensed his seniority for they obeyed him and in moments they had found his bag, it had indeed been thrown from the car, but thanks to Rica’s careful packing most of the contents had been protected and after a quick inspection he decided that nothing vital had been damaged or broken.   He ordered one of the E-Medics to clean and bandage Jaimz’ forehead while he prepared an injection for him, he decided he would set up the intravenous lines as soon as he was in a more sterile environment, like the inside of the E-MEDVAC (Emergency Medical Evacuation) Vehicle.  He didn’t need to look at Jaimz’ med-cuff to know that it glaring red now as he swabbed the young human’s arm and injected the medicine into his traumatized system.  He stood up directing, “We need to get him to the Rydani Diplomatic Council House immediately.”

“But Central MediCentre is—.”

“Is no good for me!  I already have another patient waiting for me at the Council House and I need to treat them together!  Besides the Council House has a fully stocked clinic!  Now stop arguing with me and help get him inside the transport.”

He climbed into the unit, leaving L’Teran Vreda in the care of the other team, she had ran them off the road and it was likely that there would be some sort of retaliation for that at a later date, but for now he didn’t care about her, she certainly wasn’t a threat to Jaimz at the moment and possibly might never be a threat again and he had Jaimz and Kaiel to worry about now.

Since the Council House was near by they reached it in record time, he called on the E-Medics to help him bring Jaimz inside and quickly found where Kaiel was staying and was also notified that the clinic’s emergency staff were attending to Kaiel and that they were preparing to ship him to Central MediCentre for further care.  He swept into Kaiel’s suite quickly finding the bedchamber, swamped of course with too many people all trying to help and really just being nuisances instead.  Only one seemed out of place and he figured that this had to be Var Heron, Kaiel’s assistant while the rest were the clinic’s staff.  He pushed through the crowd to reach his patient and checking for Kaiel’s med-cuff he growled as he asked, “Who removed the med-cuff?”

That the clinic staffers were shocked and dismayed by his presence was obvious, it was Heron who found his tongue. “They took it off, they didn’t let me give him his medicine.”

One of the staffers, a male blustered, “We have no idea what that stuff was—.”

Kang slipped another med-cuff over Kaiel’s lax wrist and snarled at it instantly turned red, “That medicine would have kept him from going into shock!”  He needed to pull Kaiel out of the TWS shock so that he could help with Jaimz, quickly he went to his pack and withdrew two prepared injectors…one was enough for Jaimz, but Kaiel was nearly twice his weight and would need both to stabilize him.  He moved back to Kaiel’s side, ignoring the clinic staffers as they wondered what he was doing, who he was…and started to notice Jaimz.  He pushed back Kaiel’s pelt at the inner joint of the elbow where the hide was thin and washed the area and applied both injections only then did he turn away and go back to Jaimz.  Speaking to the E-medic’s he instructed, “Strip the male down to his pelt.”  If they balked, they were used to obeying him any way and both moved to Kaiel and over the clinic staffers’ protests they did as he bid them.  He new that Jaimz needed to be nude as well but he didn’t think Jaimz would appreciate being stripped down to his silky skin in the presence of all these strangers.  He growled at the lot, “Get out.”

Again the blustering male protested, “And just who are you to order us anywhere?”

“I’m medic V’Ran Kang, Medic for K’Lan Pride, is that enough for you?” Kang snarled.  Maybe they didn’t know him, he wasn’t a notorious medic…but being Medic of K’Lan Pride carried its own weight.  The clinic staffers moved to obey him, and he stopped them by saying, “I need to be treated also, as you can see we were involved in an accident on our way into Rydani, I could use some help to tend to myself… furthermore K’Lan Jaimz has a head injury so I need a portable scanner to determine how severe the damage is and also to check for other hidden injuries.  I would appreciate the help.”  Kang knew that kindness could be helpful, and after he had bit into them he turned the volume of his sweetness up so that now they would be willing to help him.

Having used honey to sooth their hackles the clinic staffers were eager to follow his direction.  He watched as they left to follow his instructions and then he turned to Jaimz and having already transferred his medicine feed to portable pole, he directed to E-Medics to take their gurney away as he lifted Jaimz carefully from the mat and slid him into the bed with Kaiel.  With only Heron left in the room and Kaiel coming around now that he’d been treated Kang quickly stripped Jaimz down to his skin, it was easily accomplished since today he’d worn a charming open-sided tunic and pant set, so he didn’t have any sleeves to contend with.  There was blood on the outfit now, but Kang was hopeful that they housekeeping staff would be able to get the blood out if it, since the tunic was heavily embroidered with scrollwork.

Kaiel curled around his injured Tag Mate, stroking his hair and face.  After a moment he peeled the bandage off his forehead and bent over him, drowsily licking at the gashed and discoloured swelling.  Kang touched his shoulder and as Kaiel looked up at him, without stopping his tongue action he said, “I’m sorry, I brought him to you just like I promised…but I think he won’t be up to answering anything for a little while at least.”

Kaiel nodded, and closing his eyes he cuddled tighter around Jaimz while continuing to bath his forehead with his long warm tongue.  Kang watched for a moment then suspecting the Kaiel might not know that Jaimz needed even more skin to help him heal he said gently, “Cub…he needs as much skin contact as he can get from you.  I think you know what that means.”

Those golden eyes fluttered open again, they were as dull as old gold, and briefly his tongue stopped washing the wound.  He sighed and nodded, and though Kang didn’t check (it would have been rude) he was pretty sure that Jaimz now had Kaiel’s rod pressed against him as well. 

“Wha-what is going on?” Heron finally got enough nerve up to ask as he witnessed a scene that was at once both erotic and strangely sweet.  “Why did you put them together?  Why is Jaimz Ni unclothed—and Kaiel Ni as well?  And why is Kaiel Ni…doing that?” he was referring of course to the licking.

Kang turned to the young assistant and said, “You must be Var Heron?  I’m V’Ran Kang, their medic.  You have a lot of questions, but I think it best if they are allowed to rest for a time.  Come with me I will tell you what I can.”

Kaiel awoke fleeing from a nightmare in which Jaimz was sinking into a pit and no matter how he tried he couldn’t seem to pull him free of it.  He felt instantly relieved to find that his dream was simply that a dream and that Jaimz rested safely in his arms, but his relief didn’t last as the vague sense that something was seriously wrong came over him.  Jaimz had not awoken earlier and now he tried to encourage him to awake by touching him and saying his name but he did not stir at all.  He licked his pale lips, and followed by gently kissing them and still nothing.  Jaimz was too quiet, his body was too still and pliant, and even for sleep this didn’t seem natural to him.  He gently took him by his shoulders and gave him a light careful shake, knowing full well how little strength he required to go to far and hurt Jaimz, but even at that, and the accompanying urgency in his voice his Tag Mate didn’t stir.  He felt his heart pound with fear as Jaimz head merely lolled back against his arm.

“Jaimz?  Cub wake up.” He insisted, patting his cheeks lightly.  That too garnered no response; so he cried more urgently, “Jaimz wake up!  Wake up!”

Finally terrified he yelled, “Kang Ni!  Kang Ni hurry!  Something is wrong with Jaimz!”  He trusted that the other male was just outside in the outer room and he was right, the inner door opened quickly and Kang strode in. 

“Why won’t he wake up?  I can’t wake him up!” Kaiel cried achingly as Kang came quickly to the bedside and briefly checked the readings in the monitor equipment that he’d set up while Kaiel had been sleeping.  Frowning at the plummeting readings of both his patients he lifted the coverlet and checked to see that Jaimz was really getting the skin contact his needed and he quickly saw that Kaiel was indeed fully providing for his small mate’s needs. 

Shaking his head Kang replaced the coverlet as he wondered what was going wrong.  Even with out being able to answer the Tag’s needs immediately, the skin contact should be working to stabilize them temporarily.  He glanced toward Jaimz’ head injury, he was a bit worried about that, the scan he had taken had proven that Jaimz had come through the accident in remarkably good shape, but his head injury had turned out to be a faint hairline fracture so he was concerned about possible swelling inside the skull and was watching for that.  Nonetheless he didn’t think the wound was causing Jaimz, and therefore Kaiel, to slide so dangerously close to the edge of irrevocable damage and likely death.  He knew by the readings that they were dying, and Jaimz was fading faster than Kaiel, not that it mattered, for if Jaimz died there was nothing he could do to save Kaiel.  For the first time ever he was at a loss to provide the help they needed, for he didn’t know what to do, and upping their meds didn’t seem to be the answer anymore.

As he stood there worrying over a solution for then a strange clatter and chirring came from behind, he turned, and saw to his dismay that one of the Chai filled the inner doorway, he scowled seeing Heron standing behind the Chai and was about to growl at the younger male, to ask him what he thought he was doing, when the Chai’s mandible’s clattered again and this time the translator clicked in.

“I help them.” The Chai’s sexless voice explained, as she stepped further into the room.  Logically Kang knew that she wasn’t a she in the sense of the word, since most of the Chai were sterile drones, but technically all the drones were genetically female.

Kaiel, still frightened for his mate, raised his eyes enough to take in the Chai and rasped, “Sp-Speaker?”

The Chai Speaker clicked across the floor and stood over the bed, looking down at Jaimz and Kaiel both, after a moment she nodded and said strangely, “Now I understand.” She waved her claw like forelimb over Jaimz and continued, “This one does die. The human Jaimz this one is yes?  This one does be dieing.”  She waved her limb over both of them as Kaiel tried hard not flinch away from her or snarl at her, “There be a bond…a link between these two… but the link is strained.” Again she waved her forelimb over Jaimz, centering on his forehead where she very lightly touched him, “This interferes with the link.  This trauma interferes with other trauma making neither to heal.  If one does not heal…other does not heal.  He dies.”

Kang gasped, he had not considered that the TWS would interfere with the recovery of the wound or visa versa, he turned to Kaiel with knew insight.  “Kaiel you have to do it.  You have to mate with Jaimz and quiet the beast.  Only then will he start to get better.”

Kaiel gasped in horror, “I can’t.” He pushed back from Jaimz as if he was suddenly afraid to touch him, “I couldn’t take him without his consent!  I’d be just like L-Lorz and Ham then!”

Kang snapped, “No you wouldn’t!  Don’t talk like that!  Would you rather he dies?  The Tag is interfering with his ability to heal, quiet the Tag’s demand and he’ll be able to get better!”

Kaiel flinched as if Kang had hit him, he was clearly horrified at the concept of simply taking Jaimz, but he was still more terrified of losing Jaimz, the fact that he would die if Jaimz died, didn’t even occur to him for if Jaimz died, then his life didn’t matter anymore.  Reluctantly he slunk back to Jaimz’ lax body and carefully drew him up against him.  He hugged him and whispered into his unhearing ear, “I’m sorry…Gods, please forgive me.  I’m sorry.”

Kang gathered up the Chai Speaker and Heron and said quietly, “Come, we should leave them alone.”  He was the last to leave, drawing the opaque bed curtains to afford some privacy and after placing something on the table in front of the medical monitor.

Kaiel, hugging Jaimz against him, watched as the trio left him alone with Jaimz.  The room suddenly seemed to shrink about him as he stroked Jaimz’ silky hair and contemplated the horrible thing he was about to do.  It wasn’t that he couldn’t do it, even if he was totally unwilling, his rod was always ready, it was the nature of the Zaran rod after all to simply wait in its sheath until it was called upon; and his had been free of its sheath for hours and pressed close to the warmth of Jaimz’ graceful body.  No, he could do it, but he was so afraid Jaimz would hate him afterwards that it felt as if his heart was dieing.  He cried against his cheek as he beseeched once again, “Please forgive me….” He knew that Kang had left the oil on the table to ease his way, and still holding Jaimz lax body against him he reached for it, careful to mind the thin line that was attached to Jaimz’ wrist.

Quickly before he could call himself any more self-condemning names he greased his rod and positioned Jaimz to straddle his thighs, just as quickly, because he wanted to get it over with in hopes that Jaimz wouldn’t wake up he lifted his Tag Mate and lowered him onto him.  As slick as his rod was, and as relaxed as his body was Jaimz yielded easily to him, still he was careful, knowing fully well that Jaimz couldn’t take all his thickness at once he rocked his rod in and out again and again, easing his way into that utterly relaxed body until Jaimz was fully seated upon him.  And he cursed himself silently while tears blurred his eyes, for it felt so good, Jaimz was as tight and as hot as ever and his internal body massaged him completely even if physically Jaimz was still unresponsive.  He felt his flare locking in as he hugged Jaimz against him, and he sobbed in self-loathing of his lack of control as he released his first hot liquid jet inside that amazing body.  He rocked, hugging Jaimz to him while hating himself and growing more ashamed of himself as he jettisoned again and again bathing Jaimz’ innards.   It was done, the Tag’s demand was answered but he still couldn’t withdraw with his flare engaged and Holding them together, not unless he wanted to hurt Jaimz.

He felt his horror crawl up his spine when he heard the faintest moan, and felt the fluttering of one hand as it lightly brushed against his side.  He froze, hoping that he was imagining things and that Jaimz wasn’t awakening to this.  But Jaimz moaned again and he felt his head move lifting away from his chest and even more he felt his thighs lift and his long legs tighten up around him.  He couldn’t meet his eyes as Jaimz murmured dazedly, “Kaiel?”

“I’m sorry.” He achingly whispered, profoundly disgusted in his betrayal.

Jaimz sighed and settled down against him again, sliding his arms around his back and threading his fingers into his pelt.  “Um…I…dreamed you were calling me but I couldn’t answer.” Jaimz breathed across his pelt and Kaiel shivered at the sensation.  Jaimz moved his hips, and Kaiel quivered in response, Jaimz moved again, rocking to his own rhythm.

“Jaimz…Cub….” Kaiel moaned, cupping Jaimz’ pert cheeks in his big hands and lifting him up along his length, “Gods Cub… I was so afraid.  Forgive me, forgive me….”

Jaimz laughed with sleepy delight as Kaiel’s rod plunged deeply within him again and he drove his fingers into his mane pulling his head down as he cried happily, “I think you saved me again Kaiel.  Didn’t you?”  He kissed him, his soft shapely mouth hungrily claimed Kaiel’s and then he pushed up with his legs and rode Kaiel down onto the bed, sitting astride the big startled male and he purred with delight, “I feel soooo good Kaiel.  My head hurts…but I do feel good.”

His horror gradually subsiding Kaiel reached up and drew Jaimz down, he flexed upward to meet him as he whispered achingly against his sweet mouth, “You’re not angry?”

Jaimz rocked his hips and sank into the kiss as pleasure melted away the pain in his body, his head still ached, but he didn’t care as he met Kaiel’s lips and tongue with growing boldness.  He stroked his hips up and down, riding Kaiel’s long thick rod with wanton delight, only to quiver and shudder each time Kaiel deposited another hot load of his semen inside.  He lifted away from the kiss for a moment to sigh dreamily, “I’ve missed you so much Kaiel.”   He tugged at his pale gold ruff and stroked up from his velvety brow to his golden mane and whispered smilingly, “This isn’t a dream is it?”

Kaiel laughed, “It isn’t a dream Cub.”

Jaimz tugged at his ear and growled playfully, “I’m not a cub.”

No, indeed he was an exquisite alien being, of sensual beauty and amazing endurance.  Kaiel had to laugh his delight as Jaimz, on his own and wanting no help from him, rode his rod to its final release.  When it was done Jaimz collapsed above him panting and quivering.  The rod was still linking them as the flare had not yet receded and Jaimz squeezed his thighs about the exposed portion that stretched between them.  He laid idly stroking Kaiel’s pelt while flexing his wrist and scowling at the line emerging from under the tape. 

Kaiel caressed his hair as it fanned over his chest and smiled, “What are you thinking?”

Jaimz didn’t shift to look up at him, though he lowered his hand to let it rest on Kaiel’s shoulder, “I hate this.  It hurts.”  Again he squeezed his thighs around Kaiel’s rod, causing Kaiel to groan and lick his lips, he knew that when Jaimz did that he managed to make the rod stroke him inside, but this was the first time that Jaimz had ever done such a thing, and it was…very stimulating.

Trying to ignore the re-stimulating of his rod, he answered lightly, “I’m sure Kang will remove it now that the TWS has passed.”

Jaimz grumped, “He didn’t the other time we went through something similar to this.”  The other time Kaiel remembered was when Jaimz had accepted him as his new Tag Mate.  It seemed so long ago, but in reality it hadn’t been that long ago at all. 

He stroked his head along his back, idly grazing those scratches which he had discovered, they were recent, but not new and as his hand moved lower he wondered how Jaimz had been scratched and by whom, only, as he palmed Jaimz pertly rounded cheeks and teased at the wetness between them and those grasping thighs he didn’t think now would be the best time to ask Jaimz about them.  He knew that his flare had receded and that he was ready to slip out of Jaimz and that the only reason he was still caught was because Jaimz was holding onto him.  He circled himself with his finger, teasing that stretched muscle as he did.  Jaimz gasped and quivered, laughing softly, “That tickles….”

To which Kaiel warned smilingly, “If you keep me within you much longer I think I’ll become ready again.”

He moaned as Jaimz sat up, still working to hold him in, and he was stunned by the sheer muscle play as Jaimz splayed his thighs open to straddle him once more and sit down upon his rod again.  “Cub….” He groaned, encircling Jaimz’ hips, “You torture me.”

Jaimz retained his internal hug on his rod but rocked forward to trail his hands playfully over his pelted chest, finding and circling his fingers around Kaiel’s secreted nipples, he kept his hold as he went to his knees and leaned forward to lightly kiss Kaiel’s gasping mouth and he reseated himself, saying “I’m not—a cub,” as Kaiel’s flare engaged again for the second time.  Jaimz relaxed his hold then, but his knowing smile told Kaiel that he knew they were tied together again. 

Kaiel groaned, “Brat.”

Jaimz smiled cheekily, “Why not stop complaining and fuck me this time?”

Kaiel growled, “Brat!” a second time and rolled forward, taking Jaimz laughing over with him.  He stroked into him as Jaimz’ back hit the bed, he rolled his hips up and pushed his thighs apart holding him captive as he gently, ever so gently stroked him to release until it was Jaimz who was gasping and crying and quivering his own release.  Kaiel hadn’t had time enough to restore much of his own load but he shuddered off a couple explosive rounds before he sagged gasping over his Tag-Mate.  This time when his flare receded Jaimz let him go, and it had been extended long enough that his muscles ached and protested as he retracted it.  He flopped over onto his side and pulled Jaimz up against him groaning, “You killed me….”

Jaimz laughed and stroked his possessive arm though as he thought about what he had just done he felt a bit embarrassed for he couldn’t quite believe that he had held onto Kaiel’s rod and encouraged them to hump again so soon after they had just had sex.  He sighed and let himself relax back into Kaiel’s hold as he realized that he was getting bolder and more wanton every time the Tag brought them together.   He closed his eyes, chiding himself that it was the Tag that made him want to be this way and now that the Tag demand was answered he shouldn’t want to jump Kaiel again until the next time the Tag rose.  And yet, he also didn’t want to escape from Kaiel’s arms or leave this bed either, he felt very content to stay where he was, resting in his lover’s arms.  He opened his eyes again, tilting his head up and back he looked up into Kaiel’s handsome leonine face and quietly admitted to himself that during these times Kaiel was indeed his lover.  He smiled, settling back down and closed his eyes once again. 

After a time Kaiel felt Jaimz relax into real sleep, and though he was nervous enough after what he’d gone through earlier to wake him at least once when Jaimz did first dose off, he finally felt brave enough to leave his Tag Mate sleeping in the bed while he pulled on a robe and went to find Kang, he had questions he needed answers for.

He was not surprised to see Kang and Heron talking out in the common room of the suite, but he was surprised the find the Speaker still there, sharing tea and biscuits with them.  He approached them and had a bit of difficulty keeping his ears steady as the three turned to look at him, he was glad he didn’t have Jaimz’ naked skin or else he was pretty sure he’d be pink from his throat to his mane.  Kang had a half knowing smile, but Heron just looked stunned and he didn’t know what to make of those multifaceted black eyes of the Chai Speaker.  He nodded toward Kang and said lightly, “He’s sleeping now.”

Kang rumbled with laughter, “I should hope so Cub… we could hear you laughing and groaning all the way out here.”  He waggled his finger, “You have to be gentle with him Kaiel Ni, you know he’s very delicate.”

Kaiel’s ears tipped back at the old medics teasing, he fortunately was used to it but poor Heron’s ears were flicking with embarrassment and he didn’t seem to know where to look, and Kaiel noticed to his amazement that his ears were reddening…so Jaimz had been right and they could blush after all.  He chuckled and shook his head, saying teasingly, “Your ears are blushing Heron Ni.”

Heron pulled down and covered his ears, but after a moment he laughed sheepishly though he was still having trouble meeting his eyes. 

Kaiel tilted his head, he hoped that his relationship with Jaimz wouldn’t hurt his relationship with Heron; he really appreciated his assistant in a million ways.  “So now you know.”

Heron lifted his eyes and after a moment he nodded, “Kang Ni told me…everything.”

Kaiel placed his hands on his assistants shoulders, “Now you are one of the few who know our secret Heron… are you okay with it?”

Heron swallowed, and nodded once.  Then he nodded more emphatically and his ears lifted up, “I’m ok Kaiel Ni.  I’m happy you trust me enough to let me know the secret….” His ears tipped shyly downward again, “You are lucky Kaiel Ni.  Jaimz Ni is really very pretty.”

He scuffed at Heron’s brown mane and laughed, “Gods don’t let Jaimz hear you say that.”

Kang rose, “I’ll go check on him.”

Kaiel was half expecting this but as he let the older male pass he noticed that Kang was a bit tense about the eyes and that he was walking a bit stiffly.  “Are you alright Kang Ni?”

Kang grinned and knocked his fist lightly against his head, though he winced at doing that even though he did say, “Takes more than a little bump to do me in.  I’m fine, a few bumps and bruises, no broken or cracked bones and just one little cut in my scalp.” He grinned slyly, “And I don’t have a Tag Mate to help with my pain either, like Jaimz Ni does.” He stretched and grunted, “But I do have painkillers, so I’ll be just fine.”

Kaiel placed a hand on his arm as he passed, “What happened Kang Ni?”

Kang gently took up his hand and said, “I will tell you later, after I check on him.  Promise.  Besides, I think you need to speak with the Speaker.”

Heron cleared his throat at that and said, “I’ll go catch up on some of my work.”

Kaiel very much doubted that his efficient assistant had any work to catch up on, but he let him go anyway.  Once he was alone with the Speaker he bowed deeply to her, “Speaker…thank you.  You helped save Jaimz.”

She dipped her head regally and indicated the chair opposite where she was lounging.  Kaiel took it and refreshed her tea while pouring himself a cup.  She waited until he’d taken a sip before she spoke, as always the trill and chatter of her mandibles came before the translator kicked in.  “My people of course will withdraw our request.  Jaimz Ni would do well with us on Chai, but you would be most uncomfortable I do believe.” She dipped her head again; “I sensed from the beginning that you were unusual…that you had a link to another.  This link was strange for I have only ever sensed it with my own people when a Queen bonds with her Harem.  Now I understand.  He is your Queen.”

Kaiel replied, “I remember, you said I was unguarded.” He tried to read her expression, but with the Chai it was impossible, “I did not understand.”

She reached out, waving her claw like forelimb toward his face, “Inside you is something of him, when you were apart that piece of him was stressed, now that you are together the part of him that you hold, is peaceful again.  I believe it is so for him too.  I believe that if these pieces of the other keeps cannot long be parted without causing fatal harm.  I believe as V’Ran Kang has told me.  Whether this is the Tag thing or something else I do not know…. But I do know that you too…fit each other.”

She rose and he would have rose too, but she placed a hand on his shoulder, “What you have is rare and wonderful, you have found your Queen, and if you should ever honor Chai with your presence—however briefly you can bear it—you will both be treated with great honor and courtesy.  Now I must join my sisters, for tomorrow I will present new…offers, which you should find acceptable.  There will be peace between our peoples.”

She turned toward the exit, and then paused, “It would be acceptable if K’Lan no Gingko Jaimz were to attend the final Session.”

Kaiel watched the Speaker leave and he thought on what she had said, not so much on the latter suggestion, if Jaimz was up to it and willing he might invite him since everyone seemed to want a part of him it might be good for them all to get a feel of his temper and his determination so that they could learn once and for all that he could share, but that no one owned him.  He smiled, just thinking about Jaimz shouting down half the council and most of the allies too, but then his smile died as he recalled the rest of what she had said.  He and Jaimz were connected somehow emotionally or mentally and that the longer they were apart the more the connection was strained, the speaker had noticed instantly that his connection was strained and he hadn’t even been away from Jaimz for a full day at that time.  He wondered what it all meant and if it was the final puzzle of the Tag.  If it was, he thought, then it was unlikely Jaimz could ever find a way to break the Tag, not that he would ever tell him.  He half smiled, oh yes he was quite willing to admit that he was a coward regarding some things concerning Jaimz, he would much rather let Jaimz discover some things on his own and be well away from him when he did, for his sweet Tag Mate did have a temper to reckon with.

Alone in the common room and seeing that Heron was going to stay in his room he decided to return to his own room.  Kang was sitting on the bed, and surprisingly so was Jaimz, looking very pink cheeked to and remarkably embarrassed at what ever they were discussing.  He strolled over while Kang nodded toward him and Jaimz just blushed a deeper shade and hid his pretty eyes beneath his gold-tipped eyelashes.   Kaiel sat down on the bed and slid over behind Jaimz and tucked his thighs around him, Jaimz didn’t protest though he did hold the coverlet up around his hips.  Kang smiled, “I’ve been trying to explain to this stubborn one the benefits of the Tag for him when he is sore as he is…but he is being stubborn stupid.”

Jaimz tensed and seemed about to yell at Kang, but Kaiel merely slid a hand around his waist and Jaimz slumped into a sulk instead, grumpily whining, “But I already answered the 72-Hour.”

Kang winked at Kaiel and then smiling patiently explained what he had probably already explained to his stubborn patient.  “Your sore now aren’t you?  Not just your head, but your body aches here and there as well.”

Jaimz scowled and nodded sulkily.  Kang continued, “But while you were with Kaiel you felt nearly no pain correct?”

Again a sullen nod, Kaiel touched the scratches on Jaimz’ back and bent to lick them, making Jaimz squirm deliciously even as he complained.  “Don’t…Kaiel….”

Kang smiled at the breathy tone of Jaimz’ reprimand and said, “Do you know why you felt so good Jaimz?” He could already see that the distraction of Kaiel’s tongue, licking his scratched back, was soothing Jaimz greatly so he pressed on, “The benefit of being Tagged is that you heal faster with sex.”

That widened Jaimz’ eyes and made Kaiel pause and look up.  Kang grinned, “It’s true, the one constant that I have found in all the Tag lore and data is that the Tagged pair heal quicker than normal if they have sex frequently during the healing process.  Jaimz if you have sex regularly with Kaiel you will simply feel better sooner and heal quicker.”

Jaimz was blushing again, as he stared at him in dismayed disbelief, finally he asked shakily, “Is that true?”

Kang smiled, “You know it is, you already know that if you just touch each other that you feel better.  I don’t even think it’s a fluid exchange thing since the Taggee is also healed by the frequency of the sexual play.  Nothing says you must have sex outside of the 72-Hour Jaimz and you know that Kaiel would never force you…but for your own sake you might want to consider doing it a couple—even a few times a day—as time permits to help you feel better quicker.”

Jaimz blushed and suddenly covered his face and hunched over on his knees, he protested this concept by crying sulkily, “But what about medicine?  You can give me analgesics to help feel better can’t you?”

Kang looked at Kaiel, who was looking at that pretty bottom that Jaimz had just exposed to him when he huddled over like that, smilingly he said, “I can and will give you medicine for the pain…but I’m talking days instead of weeks of healing time, youngling.  And trust me you shouldn’t want to go through all that healing time if you don’t have to.”

Jaimz lifted his head and sat up again, he just happened to sit quite handily on Kaiel’s lap.  He blushed again, though he half turned to look up at Kaiel and he certainly didn’t complain about finding Kaiel’s strong thighs beneath his bottom.  He lowered his eyes again and sighed very forlornly, “It isn’t fair.”

Kang saw the interest grow in Kaiel’s golden eyes and he knew that his time with them for now was done.  He’d tell Kaiel about Vreda later, when Kaiel wasn’t looking determined to do a little wooing.  He rose from the bed and said, “Well, good night cubs…. I’ll have dinner ordered in for you.”

He heard Jaimz gasp in affronted shock, and Kaiel’s answering rumble of laughter, but he didn’t turn back as he left the room and securely closed the door behind him.  He had not lied, not once. Tagged pairs really did heal faster through sex.  He didn’t know why that was, and since it was only in ancient lore and records he couldn’t be certain just how well the process worked in comparison to regular healing, but being a medic and knowing roughly how long it would normally take for Jaimz to recover completely, he knew that he’d be able to gauge the accuracy of the Tag lore claim and see just how quickly the youngling did heal. As he heard laughter coming through the door he smiled, for the sex alone had its own pain relieving capability.  Still, the idea of healing with sex made him smile and kept him smiling as he left the door and allowed the pair to have their privacy.

Jaimz cussed once the medic had closed the door, he still felt insulted by Kang’s subtle assumption that they would be humping all day long.  “He’s a skunk!  A shit!  A-a—.”

Kaiel idly lifted away from licking his back and supplied helpfully, “A Skarll?”

Jaimz slapped his thigh and cried triumphantly, “Yes!  He’s a Skarll!” the after a moment he asked, “What’s a Skarll?  And please don’t tell me that its something good and kind and helpful or I’ll punch you!”

Kaiel laughed, “A Skarll is the most awful, horrible, repulsive creature that Z’Rarla could possibly have.  It is so ugly and so cantankerous that they don’t even like each other, so they each have huge territories, lucky for us since they will eat anything though mostly well rotted carrion.”  He hugged Jaimz and bent down to lick his scratches.

Jaimz laughed, though he shivered at how good it felt to be licked like that, but he merrily said, “Maybe calling Kang a Skarll is a little harsh?”

“He likes being a nuisance.” Kaiel murmured, stroking his tongue to Jaimz’ shoulder and along the long line of his neck as Jaimz tilted his head to the side and sighed perfectly contentedly.

“He’s did take the line out though, see.” Jaimz said, lifting his hand so Kaiel could see his new bandage.

Kaiel smiled against Jaimz’ back, “He has his moments.”

Jaimz laughed softly, “I like him…but he’s still a shit.”  He sat quietly for another moment upon Kaiel’s lap then hung his head and sighed forlornly once again as he moped, “I can’t believe I’m going to do this.”

Kaiel lightly touched his shoulders, “You don’t have too…. I would be perfectly content not too.”

Jaimz tilted his head back and smiled, “Liar.”

Kaiel bent forward and kissed him.  He licked his lips as he pulled back, “You’re right…but I’ll only ever follow where you lead.”

Jaimz turned on his lap and relaxed his body against Kaiel, “Where I lead…hmmm?”

Kaiel leaned over and licked his bruised forehead, murmuring, “Wherever and forever.”

Jaimz parted his thighs and guided one of Kaiel’s hands down between them.  He looked up into those molten gold eyes and smiled softly as he stroked Kaiel’s hand teasingly over himself until Kaiel didn’t need his encouragement anymore.  He laughed softly as Kaiel bent over him to reclaim his mouth while his hand alternated from tugging and stroking his penis to massaging his still very receptive and oily anus.  He gasped and shuddered as the other hand, which had been supporting his back now slid down between his cheeks and stroked one finger up inside him.  He moaned as the first finger danced inside him, and then cried out softly as a second joined in the dance.  He whimpered in delight as a third eased in, stretching him so deliciously and crooned as Kaiel bent around him, taking his penis in his mouth while shifting his position so that he could comfortably push four big fingers inside his anus.  “Kaiel.” He groaned delightedly, “Oh…P-Please I can’t….” he came into Kaiel’s mouth, crying out as all but one finger left him, and that one stroked and stroked his prostrate while his mouth sucked and nursed his penis until it seemed that he’d been utterly milked of all his juice. 

He was gasping and shaking when Kaiel finally lifted his head from him, licking his lips just like a cat in the cream.  As he lay there with his legs splayed and he could see that Kaiel’s rod was extended again he thought that Kaiel would just bend his legs up and slide it in between, but Kaiel was not done loving his body, he found himself flipped over onto his belly and being pulled back to have Kaiel’s tongue drill him where only moments before his fingers had danced.  He gasped and yelled shakily, for he really liked this and liking how good it felt to have the big male rim him with his tongue only made he glow with embarrassment even as he quivered and moaned with delight.  He was always a bit shocked by just how much he liked sex with Kaiel, and every time they did it he seemed to like it even more, if he tried to analyze his responses to Kaiel he would probably blame the Tag for making him so receptive, but the scientific side of him couldn’t explain away his emotional involvement so easily.  The Tag made him need Kaiel physically but he was pretty sure that the Tag had nothing to do with his emotional need for Kaiel.  But it was hard being analytical when he was being so thoroughly rimmed and soon all logical thoughts faded into the mush that his brain was becoming as waves of pleasure swamped over him and it was all he could do to sob in sweet denial, “Kaiel…oh God…I’m gonna come again….” He didn’t want to come again, it was silly but he wanted some control of his body and he had none at all when Kaiel loved him this way.  He pulled away from Kaiel’s all together to delightful tongue and rolled over, scooting back and laughed breathlessly as Kaiel cased him across the big bed with his tongue and his body.  He ended up on the edge of the bed and nearly falling out of it before Kaiel caught him…though his capture was protective as he pulled him safely away from the edge of the big bed and a possible painful tumble out of it.  He sat momentarily captive as Kaiel hugged him and whispered, “That was too close.”  Then, he uttered a ragged laugh as captured as he was Kaiel merely dropped his head into his lap and reclaimed his swollen penis to suckle at it like an hungry cubling.  Kaiel’s big hands cupped his cheeks once more, and again he was gasping and moaning with pleasure as Kaiel’s fingers played with his thoroughly loved anus again while Kaiel’s clever mouth and tongue nursed him to distraction. 

He was feeling everything melting and pooling into his groin warning of his eminent release when suddenly he realized that he didn’t feel those myriad little aches that he’d been feeling before they’d started this, and even his head, which had been hurting pretty annoyingly was now reduced to a mild distraction.  He clutched at Kaiel’s shoulders; suddenly laughing even as he was coming…though his laugh was a rather breathless.  Kaiel happily lapped him up, freeing every last drop of his release before raising his leonine head, with his mane all wild and mussed and his golden eyes burning with primal delight and as he leaned forward so that Jaimz gradually ended up on his back with Kaiel between his bent legs as he purred, “What’s so funny?”

Jaimz laughed again, so that Kaiel bent over him and licked him slowly from his navel to his throat, his laughter died as awe took over, though he did smile as Kaiel lifted his face, just inches away from his and he explained with a playful sulk, “I can’t even try to get out of this by saying ‘Honey, not tonight, I have a headache’.”

Kaiel hesitated a moment, asking, “Do you want to get out of this?”

Jaimz lay looking up at him, knowing that soon he’d be receiving Kaiel’s rod again and shook his head, saying softly, “No…I don’t want out of this….” He smiled and tugged at Kaiel’s ruff, content to let the big male pull up his legs and push them back for the best deep penetrating angle.  He drew in a ragged breath as Kaiel lined up his slick cone, and pushed forward.   As the tapered rod started his descent and Kaiel dove into the task he groaned and rocked his hips to help in the rate of descent but then, just as he was getting into it Kaiel gasped and stopped, suspending his own descent as he looked at Jaimz in despair.

Jaimz gazed up at him in wonder, watching as Kaiel’s ears pressed flat to his head in shame filled regret, “What…what is it?”

Kaiel looked pained, and he rasped, “I forgot the oil.”

Jaimz laughed softly and locked his legs about Kaiel’s hips, “I don’t think we need to worry too much about that.”  It was true that Kaiel was afraid to hurt him, but he knew he plenty greasy enough to take Kaiel if he was careful.  “It’s ok Kaiel, I think I can do it.”

Kaiel still looked uncertain, murmuring, “But I might hurt you.”

Jaimz smiled slowly, “Remember Kaiel?  I have already taken you once like this.  It will be ok this time too.”

Kaiel eased back, and stroked forward, Jaimz shivered, hugging Kaiel’s body with his legs.  It did hurt, little twinges of pain prickled up his spine, but as Kaiel’s rhythm set a pace of slow deep thrusts and smooth withdrawals, every twinge of pain was followed almost instantly by a sparkle of pleasure until the pain and pleasure came so close together that Jaimz could no longer differentiate one sensation but rather a chorus of sensation as his body surrendered so completely.  Soon enough, even though he gasped and moaned, and bit his lip occasionally to muffle his cries when it hurt—as it must since his body was used to being eased open with the aid of a well-oiled rod—Kaiel seated his entire rod and after that his withdrawals and long returning strokes produced only thrills of pleasure that scintillated throughout Jaimz’ body. 

It was beautiful, wild and wanton, their dance; and even though Jaimz’ played the submissive role as he received those long deep strokes his body moved in rhythm to Kaiel’s, his legs clung and his fingers clawed deeply into Kaiel’s heavily muscled shoulders as the big male loved him.  They did not kiss or play this time they simply gave and received, panting and breathing together in perfect harmony until it was concluded and they were both trembling and spent.

Jaimz lay quietly afterwards a little sore but feeling utterly wonderful, it was the late in the afternoon and though he felt a bit like resting he didn’t feel like sleeping, his body felt good and little eddies of pleasure still shivered through him as his body wound down.  He was relaxed and content, right up until Kaiel suddenly sucked in an agitated breath and groaned in horrified dismay.  Puzzled by the remorse in Kaiel’s tone Jaimz came up on his hands and knees and moved toward him, for Kaiel was sitting on this edge of the bed, he rose up so that he could wrap his arms around his big shoulders and he looked to see what was bothering him.  Immediately he saw that Kaiel had not sheathed his rod and that his hands were open on his thighs, he noticed that hints of his pale gold fur and even his dark pads had pinkish red stains on them.  He lay his head down on Kaiel’s shoulder and murmured, “It’s ok Kaiel.”

In an agonized tone, Kaiel whispered, “But I made you bleed.”

He tightened his arms around his shoulders and assured softly, “But you didn’t hurt me…really Kaiel it is ok.  I liked it.”

Kaiel growled, “Liar!  I did hurt you.  Look at the blood, my rod is slick with it.”

Jaimz knew that he wasn’t bleeding or else he have trickles of it running down his legs which had been a common occurrence when he was with Lorz or Ham, so he knew that his bleeding had been very minimal and nothing to worry about, and yet having made him bleed, Kaiel was clearly upset.  He could not make light of this for Kaiel’s sake or the next time he came to him he would be afraid that he’d hurt him again, and in the process he probably would hurt him by being clumsy or nervous or defensive.  He sighed, “Kaiel it did hurt a tiny bit…but there was pleasure too, so much pleasure.  I feel good even if a little sore.  Doing it this way is probably not the easiest way for me…but remember I wanted to try Kaiel.  I wanted to try and see if I could.” He rubbed his cheek against Kaiel’s and whispered, “Please, please Kaiel don’t feel bad, I wanted this, I had to know if I could.”

Kaiel turned his head and brushed his lips lightly against Jaimz’, “Why?”

Jaimz smiled, “Because what if we do this with out having oil in easy reach?  Kaiel if your gentle with me, and take it slow as you do,” he smiled at that and playfully licked Kaiel’s lips and velvety nose pad, “then we should be able to do it no matter what situation we find ourselves in….” He hugged him again, “Beside I really do feel good…” he smiled sheepishly “though my bum is a little sore…but—.”

Suddenly he yelped as he found himself lifted up and turned around, his surprise only lasted a second as he was laid belly down on the bed and his hips were lifted upward.  He cooed then and pressed back as Kaiel, parting his cheeks, gently slurped his tongue over his sore anus.   After a few passes and Jaimz had found he still had his wits about him even though he really enjoyed this part he found himself laughing softly and distracting Kaiel momentarily as he said, “That’s probably why I wasn’t as greasy this time.” As Kaiel’s tongue returned to the crease between his cheeks and he sighed contentedly again he added gaspingly, “We didn’t p-play like this w-when we tied together that first time—ohh! T-that’s why it didn’t w-wake me, I-I was greasy enough to take you then…mmmmm.”

Again Kaiel’s tongue halted in its bathing and Kaiel stated definitively, “I will never hurt you again…somehow I’ll have oil with me no matter what, even if I have to wear a tiny vial on a necklace…” with that declaration he returned to his task of soothing and unfortunately stimulating Jaimz once again.

Jaimz laughed, appreciating the idea of Kaiel wearing a necklace though he thought he would probably blush every time he remembered what the little vial was for, but then, even in the throws of pleasure he remembered something else and asked diffidently.  “Have you ever thought about p-piercing your ears?”  Before Kaiel could ask him why he continued, “I found these beautiful ear studs that would look terrific iiahhnn…mmmm…” he grew breathily quiet, now was not the time for this, as pleasure swamped him and carried him away again.  Later he’d mention the ear studs again and see what Kaiel would decide.  Definitely later….

End Part 3…

(more to come…no pun intended)