Thanks everyone, for all the nice comments, I really love hearing from you. If you want to check GA, I have an anthology story up on there That I'll be posting to my blog in a week or so as well. It's called The Strength of Love.
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Fuck. Where was he?
I'd been searching for hours. Up and down the long metal encased hallways. I asked the tram-valets if they had seen him, but no one knew. I swear I had half the Ceri'Ooana looking for Noah, and no one could find him.
I guess he was probably good at hiding after living with his father, but fuck I just wanted to explain.
After the drastic end to our kiss, I realized what he probably thought. I had jumped off of him without thinking, trying to control myself before I went into full Caochian rut. Sharing blood is a sign of bonding; you only do it with the person you have chosen as your mate, and only after the fasting ritual. I had chosen him, but Kirahl had not honored our coupling with the feast of Mekhigroka. And no matter how Noah had responded to me during our kiss, I had yet to explain to him what fasting to me fully meant.
The water was dark outside, the bright Oalas sun finally dipping over the horizon of the vast ocean. I sighed and ran a hand across my face, trying not to slam my knuckle claws into the nearest wall. Isir had yelled at me for the deep punctures I had left in our bedroom.
I leaned my head against the cool glass, thinking desperately of where Noah might have gone.
He'd only been gone for a few hours, and yet my body ached for his. My nerves grated, taught with the worry of not knowing where he was. Since he had woken up, we had not left each other's side for more than the need to go to the bathroom, and we still often did that together. My protective instincts would not allow me more than a few feet away from him, and screamed whenever I couldn't see him.
The soft footsteps of an Oalian neared, and I turned toward the noise.
"We've found him, Loe." I caught my breath. "He's in the communal eating center." I grabbed Isir up in a quick, fierce hug, then took off for the center.
It seemed like I ran for miles, but I finally approached the center doors. I yanked one open and practically vaulted myself through. I searched the tables quickly for Noah's dark hair, finally finding him in a circle of Oalians. One of them reached up and touched Noah's cheek, and I couldn't stop the roar that ripped out of my chest.
Mine.
Heads whipped towards me. I saw Noah flinch, and my inner animal growled. The Oalians surrounding him slowly backed away, not wanting to mess with an enraged Caochian. I stalked towards Noah, never blinking as I watched him tense the closer I got. I came to a halt when my bare feet were touching the tips of his soft shoes. He didn't look at me. The anger inside my chest was building up, burning my throat.
"Where were you?" I managed to growl out.
He shrugged and fiddled with the edge of his shorts. I watched him for a few moments more, then made a quick decision.
I grabbed him under his armpits and hefted him over my shoulder, ignoring his shriek. I clamped a hand down on his cute butt and took off for our bedroom.
"Adrai! Let me down!" I ignored him. I made sure to keep my stride low and long. No matter how angry I was, I didn't want him bouncing around uncomfortably on my shoulder.
I started slowing down as our door came in sight, and I pulled Noah from my shoulder to my chest, arranging him so that I was hugging him to me tightly in what he called the 'Princess carry'. I didn't look at him as I opened our door and walked inside. I carefully set him down on the bed.
I sat down on the end of the bed and laid a hand over one of his small feet. He abruptly yanked it away and rolled over, away from me.
There's an Earth expression that I heard quite a bit around the bars a lot in the southern sections of the URNA.
Fuck me sideways.
My knuckle claws flexed in and out. I reached a hand out towards his back, but pulled back. "Where were you, Noah?"
He lay still for a few moments, and I was about to repeat the question when he flipped over and sat up, fists clenched.
"What the fuck do you care? You couldn't get away from me fast enough! Was I that disgusting? Did you realize who you were kissing? I'm just a used up fucktoy and you're practically a fucking prince! Why the fuck would you ever want me!"
Oh, Noah.
His breaths rasped out raggedly, his chest heaving up and down.
I spoke softly, wanting him to listen.
"No, Noah, that's not what I thought at all."
His face twisted and he looked like he wanted to throw something at me.
"Then why?" He stretched the last word out on a cry, and tears started to fall from his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Noah. I had no intention of hurting you." My chest ached as I watched the tears leak out of his gorgeous green eyes.
I crept forward, slowly lifting a hand towards him, approaching him as I would a scared animal. He flinched, but didn't brush away my hand from his cheek. I wiped away his tears and cradled his face in my hands.
"Blood is a very strong aphrodisiac to my species. When ingested, it sets us into rut. Because of the nearly violent nature of Caochian rut, blood-bonding are only allowed between fasted couples. When I..." Just thinking about the taste of his blood sprang my shaft from its sheath, and I tilted my face away from Noah, trying to calm myself. I took his hands in my larger ones, and continued. "When I sucked on your lip, I took the first start in blood-bonding us. If I had let myself continue further, I would not have been able to stop myself."
Noah sniffled and pulled one his hands from mine. I looked up to see him wiping at his eyes.
"Then why didn't you say anything? I could have gone and grabbed some salve or something."
"I honestly didn't realize that I'd cut you until your blood had filled my mouth. It was so hard to stop myself, Noah, I don't even want to think about what would have happened if I hadn't." I shuddered and bent forward, resting my head on his knees. One of his hands tentatively rested on my neck, and I smiled at the small victory.
"Would it have really been so bad?" He asked. I snorted. He had no idea.
"Noah, have you ever wondered what my knuckle claws are for?"
His eyes widened, and I could see him think. "They're weapons... right? And you use them as a sign of respect." I couldn't help a small flash of pride that he knew that, but I shook my head.
"That's not all. In Agaghnoki, do you know what that means?" He stilled and racked his brain.
"That's... like old... old times? Noki, that's old. Aga is time." He looked to me for reassurance, and I nodded.
"Almost. The Ancient Times. In Agaghnoki, knuckle claws were used to literally pin a mate down. The dominant partner would pierce through the submissive partners hands, keeping them trapped on the ground while the dominant rutted."
Noah gasped and rubbed his hands, looking at me fearfully. "Isn't that rape?"
I chuckled a bit and stretched up to kiss his cheek. "Sometimes, yes it was. But most of the time the partners were mated. It was mostly a safety measure for the dominant, so the sub's claws wouldn't do any serious damage while in rut. It's hardly practiced anymore, save for a few subcultures who choose to keep the tradition alive. Nowadays, binding techniques are used instead."
I saw Noah pale at that, his fingers clenching. I thought back to what he had said about being a fucktoy, and scowled.
"I won't ever bind you, Noah. Not unless you want me to. You have no claws to harm me with." I grabbed up his hands and placed a kiss on each of his knuckles.
"I don't think I'd ever want you to." He said shakily.
