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Chapter 18: Clara
The smell of food cooking filled our tiny nest, and my stomach growled. Krxare was making me dinner in the makeshift kitchen, and I couldn’t wait to dig in. I was ravenous.
Whoever denied that sex was a form of exercise had clearly never taken part in a Kadrixan rut. With some of the positions we’d been in, I was surprised I hadn’t pulled any muscles. Not every time was an athletic affair; some of our lovemaking was slow and sensual. Krxare was an attentive lover and made sure I was thoroughly satisfied each and every time.
Despite his exertion, Krxare barely ate. I worried about him, but he assured me it was normal. During the rut, his body focused on nothing other than sex and fighting. He had no appetite, though he did get down a few pieces of meat when I fed him.
It wasn’t just sex between us either. We talked a lot too.
I learned about how his warriors had been exiled for failing to follow the Empress’s orders. The Empress’s mother had been known as the Usurper Queen and had garnered much hatred from some of the regions she'd conquered. When the current Empress had taken the throne after her mother's death, she’d sent her armies to quell the dissension.
Krxare had arrived at a tiny moon expecting to face guerrilla fighters. Instead, they’d found angry farmers and their starving families, their soil and flocks poisoned for refusing to give up their land. There were minerals to be mined on the moon. If the Usurper Queen's loyalty had been bought by the corporate credits, then her daughter had been spoon-fed them from birth.
“There were children with their horns still coming in fighting alongside their families. We could not in good conscience mow them down as we’d been told to do.” Krxare’s face had gone dark as he told the story. “It was my decision, but they punished my entire force.”
“Your warriors respect you still,” I’d said. “You made the right decision.”
He’d asked about the colony and my life there. I told him about the happy moments when my parents were still alive but avoided the last few years. The wounds were still too fresh.
Then, there were the moments when we did nothing at all, like the night we’d spent on the ledge outside the nest staring at the stars. I’d never in my lifetime thought I’d be lying feet from the edge of a cliff and totally relaxed, but I knew I was safe with Krxare.
The eighth day—I wasn’t counting, but I was sure it was eight—with Krxare had been total bliss, and I dreaded going back to life at the colony. I didn’t know what I wanted anymore. I was starting to really care about, and dare I say, love Krxare.
People left their old families behind to start new ones all the time. My grandparents had left everything and everyone back on Earth to start a new life here. It wouldn’t be any different than that, and the stronghold was on the same planet. I could call Chris anytime I wanted.
I thought of the happy faces I’d seen on the women living here on my first day. I’d been suspicious at the time, but now I understood. Life really was better here. The ones who’d gone back to the colony simply hadn’t given it a chance. Without an open mind, even paradise would seem like a jail cell.
Krxare returned with a platter of food. It smelled delicious and looked like porridge with breadsticks on the side. The breadstick-like items were some sort of fried dough with a meat paste inside. Very tasty. I’d had those before a few days ago, but the noodles were new and looked nothing like the ones I’d had the first day. And, there was something sprinkled on top of it and…they were moving!
I gawked at the moving pieces. “I think they’re still alive.”
Krxare was quiet for a moment, then exploded into a throaty laugh. “The flakes are pieces of shaved, cured meat. The meat is salty and strong-tasting, so we shave it finely and add it on top of our food. The steam from the food makes it curl and move.” He pushed the platter closer to me. “I assure you; it is not alive.”
Thank goodness! I wasn’t sure I could eat something that was still moving.
The porridge wasn’t sweet, as I’d expected, but savory. It was filled with a variety of meats. And the moving flakes? They were good too. A bit salty, but that added depth to the dish. I’d realized shortly after coming here that Kadrixan cuisine was mostly meat-based. It made sense, considering they were built like predators and had a lot of lean muscles to maintain.
That didn’t mean they were total carnivores though. They always had a sweet component to every meal. This time it was the small trio of sticky, syrup-covered spheres. Surprisingly, the Kadrixans typically ate the sweets between salty courses instead of eating them last as we did for dessert. It helped to increase their appetites.
The food was filling, and I only managed to eat half of it before I was stuffed. I offered some to Krxare, but again he refused.
He guided me to our super-comfy bed and pulled me into his lap. He had that look in his eyes again, like he was hot and bothered and couldn’t think straight. But the thing that really gave it away was his cock, which rose hot and hard between our bodies.
Ruts must not be much fun for the males of his species; he barely got time to rest. I was glad I was here to help him, but the body could only handle so much, and right now, every muscle in my body hurt as if it were the day after leg day, but all over.
Something must have given away my soreness.
“You are in pain.” Concern filled his face. “Tell me where it hurts.”
“Everywhere?” I laughed. “But you didn’t hurt me or anything. I’m just very sore.” I put my hands up. “I’m not complaining, I swear. I’ve been enjoying it, but I’m kind of new to the whole days-long-sex-marathon thing. I’m out of shape.”
His look of concern turned to one of understanding. “Ruts can be very hard on the body.” He gestured to the bed. “Lie down. I will get the salve and give you a massage.”
“Ooh. A massage sounds perfect.” I worried about how that would work with his claws, but I trusted he had a technique.
I lay down on the bed on my stomach, and Krxare soon joined me, straddling my hips. He started by smoothing an herbal-smelling salve on my skin. The salve started to work immediately, relaxing my muscles.
He squeezed and kneaded at the sore muscles on my neck and shoulders with the pads of his fingers. I felt the indent of his claws on my skin, but it wasn’t painful. In fact, it felt very good, and I couldn’t stop the moan that escaped my lips.
