Radiance

Chapter 68: Fly Before You Can Walk.

"Holy shit look at this place it's incredible!!" Passa exclaimed as he wandered from room to massive room gawking at the sheer scale and size of the mansion that was their temporary home gifted to them by the people of the town for their efforts in helping to free them.

"Yeah, it's really something ain't it?" Shepherd said trailing after him as she watched her big excited Claw boy scampering from room to room exploring his new environment like an over-excited puppy though while she found him incredibly cute, especially his excitement which was truly infectious, though she doubted most of society as a whole would have agreed with her.

Now as she watched the rows of colourful feathers that made up the large stripe that ran down the centre of his spine from the back of his head to the tip of his tail ruffling she just couldn't help but melt a little inside, before she'd met Seven and his people she would have never in her life imagined ever looking at a member of another species with loving intent or with desire filled eyes, hell after all the shit that had happened to her in her years as a slave she genuinely believed that she could never look at another male again without feeling hatred and an overwhelming urge to either run or to kill them before they could enact the nature that she had been so convinced lived inside all men regardless of species.

But Seven and his people had turned that belief completely on its head in such a short space of time, she had seen them stand tall and proud before launching themselves into harm's way to protect and defend people they didn't even know.

The code of honour that they lived by seemed to have come from the very Claws that walked among them and had been adapted slightly so that it didn't only fit the Claws themselves but all species that joined them, including humans.

The most beautiful thing was how well they embodied it, Seven himself despite the horrific suffering and abuse he had suffered stood tall, proud and unshakeable, he led this collection of misfits like a military leader and it was wonderful to see him not only growing into the role but embracing it, now people of all species turned to him and followed his lead.

Hell the bloke just dripped charisma and control, with that power of his and stood in that power armour of his he was like a living bulwark against the cold darkness that was always just one step behind you in this world, but with him leading the way and the others stood proudly at his side not only did they drive it back they actively hunted down and extinguished it, take this town as an example.

It would have been so very easy for them to have just ignored it and to have just moved on, not their problem or their people, but they got stuck in and ended the nightmare that had gripped these good people in the form of the Enclave simply because they were asked and it as the right thing to do and she had stood proudly in that mix doing her part.

As had her Passa, in only a couple of days she had watched him just bloom like a beautiful flower and Seven had been responsible for it, he had shown this beautiful Claw boy that just because he was different didn't make him any less of a Claw than the rest of his family, just a different Claw and that was not a bad thing, different was good and Seven had shown him how to believe it.

Shepherd's chest positively swelled with pride as she remembered Passa stood tall and defiant among his brethren letting loose a war roar that shook her to her very soul, then seeing him charging forwards like the living embodiment of justice and fury with his kin at his sides both feral and sentient had been a hell of a thing to witness with her own eyes, all that scale, muscle and in his case feather charging fearlessly into battle with the sole intent of driving the evil from the town and of defending their friends, it was enough to make a girl rather hot under the armoured collar.

Infact as she thought about it she had to lift the newly upgraded coat which had been through Malakai's talented hands and was now supporting a few layers of his patented silk armour woven into it along with a few plates of metal here and there for good measure to release the heat from under it.

After what the males of her species had done to her she knew that she could never really look at another of them the same way as she once had, for all her flirty talk around Seven and even though she had been truthful when she had said she liked white boys if the chance really had been there for her to get a grip on him she would have run from it, but with Passa, it was just not there.

With him there was no kernel of fear or uncertainty, there was just beauty and masculinity and this freed her to truly see him, the beautiful man that lived inside the scales and the feathers, he was an insecure soul but a gentle and loving one, all the same, he was just a man plain and simple, different species or not he was truly no different from her, he had his fears and his flaws and to her, they made him even more beautiful.

After seeing his fear and his self-esteem issues bubbling to the surface after what had happened to him she had had an epiphany, he was just a boy trying to make his way in the world, to find someone to love him and accept him for who and what he is, no different to anyone else who is sentient, no different to her other than the gender and the species not that either of those things mattered really.

That's when it really hit her, like a cold hard slap on the ass on a cold day that seems to shock your entire system like someone just kicked you full force up the arse, she had felt his soul calling out in the dark for someone, anyone, to please accept him and to love him, then just like that she had answered him because she realised her soul had been calling out for someone like him for a very long time so it was like hearing an echo and she realised at that moment, she could be his one and he hers.

She had realised that she could have the love she'd always dreamed of, she could have a man who would love her pretty much unconditionally and not only that she would have a man who was not only big and undoubtedly strong but also vulnerable and gentle, she could have herself a Claw.

So she had answered him and claimed him, to her delight not only had he accepted her but his whole family and the group as a whole had, she was pretty sure that she was the very first human woman to fall in love with a Claw boy but here she stood now, as happy as she could be as she watched her beautiful and excitable overgrown scaly puppy of a man scampering around the giant house marvelling at everything, but tonight she was really going to give him something to marvel at, her whole self.

Now she did initially have worries about how such a thing would both feel and even if it would be possible, but then Gregory was a human man who loved a Claw and his Claw was even bigger than Passa what with being an Alpha male Claw, but the love those two had for one another shone off them like a fucking beacon, so if it could work for them then she would damn well make it work for them, she was going to show this Claw boy exactly what the love of a good woman was not only worth but looked like as well as felt like, she was going to seduce the fuck out of him tonight.

"Come sexy tail let's go get something to eat shall we? Don't know about you but I'm starving plus you good sir are going to need your strength and energy tonight," she said with a wink and Passa cocked his head curiously as he fixed his exquisite crystal blue eyes on her sending such a wonderful shiver down her spine.

"Oh? Why's that then, what are we doing?" he asked in such a blissfully naive and unaware voice that it made her chuckle, oh this beautiful untouched male had so much to learn about females and she felt such powerful pride that she was going to be the one lucky enough to get to teach him and she was going to make damn fucking sure that he loved every single second of every single lesson.

She walked towards him clasping her hands behind her back just over her hips and exaggerating her steps which caused him to cock his head even more as he watched her, she circled him behind careful not to tread on either his gorgeous wings or his long luscious tail before stepping right up to him from under his wing surprising him as she seemingly just appeared in front of him only to snatch hold of his horns and to yank him down to her so she could plant a deep kiss right on his lips.

When she let him go and they parted he looked at her with such a beautiful look of blissful confusion written on his exotic and handsome features, "What was that for?" he asked and she grinned at him.

"Just for being you my scaley angel, tonight I am going to teach you how to fly only this type doesn't use those sexy new wings of yours," she said with a wink that let him look even more confused to the point where she could actually see the cogs in his, oh so pretty head whirring away trying to figure out what she was hinting to him, oh well he'd get the picture soon enough and she couldn't wait to see his face when he did.

The kitchen looked like a scene out of one of the old animated holovids that Shepherd used to love to watch, it appeared that Seven had decided to not only try his hand at cooking but was also using it as an excuse to try to gain more control over his power, she knew that he had to work it out to make it stronger just like any muscle but there was just something pretty damn cool about watching knives cutting meat all on their own or pots stirring themselves, but it was the sight of Visa with a chef's hat she'd gotten somewhere planted on her head that made her laugh out loud.

Visa heard the laugh and turned to growl at the offender, "Why are you laughing? My Seven tells me I look very sexy in my new hat!" she said with an indignant tone of voice and Shepherd gave her a grin.

"I'm sure you look lovely, especially to human eyes that appreciate a big Claw girl, though I'm guessing Seven is just miffed he couldn't find you an apron to match it," Shepherd said with a grin.

"Well I couldn't find one that said kiss the cook but I'm kinda glad because of all the claw-loving humans willing to take a walk on the wild side that we keep finding I'd be constantly on guard for guys trying to snatch her gorgeous tail out of my grasp," Seven said with a grin making Visa growl and turn to snatch him up into her arms so she could hug him to her chest.

"No male will ever lay a single finger on me without a painful answer to it, the hands of this beautiful male right here are the only ones welcome on my hide and tail," Visa said proudly and Shepherd smiled and then turned and ran a hand down of Passa's flank making him shiver involuntarily before his scales flushed slightly.

"Yeah I feel you there sister, only hands that get touch this black hide are scaly, white and tipped with claws sharp enough to cut through steel," she said making Passa smile but also blush a bit more and that is when Visa noticed and released Seven before marching right up to her cousin.

"Chin up chest out and proud horns on Passa, this wonderful human woman is declaring her love for you, be proud that and of her, as a proud claw of the Northen Pack you should always show your pride in your love, especially as the moment you accepted her heart claim on you she became part of this pack of ours same as my Seven did, so chin up and chest out and let you loving pride shine," she said.

Passa nodded and did exactly that he rose to his full height and puffed out his beautiful broad chest looking like he was striking a pose that still made Shepherd's heart thump a fair bit harder, he turned to face her, "Shepherd I am sorry if my actions or lack of them have made you feel like your love is unimportant to me, this could not be further from the truth, your love is my greatest source of pride as I stole the most beautiful human away from her species somehow, so what I'm trying to say is you mean everything to me," he said with a very proud note in his voice.

A large dopey smile broke out on Shepherd's face before she strode forwards towards him reached up and once again grabbed his horns to drag him down into the deepest kiss of her life it was like she was trying to lick every single one of his teeth clean.

When she released him Passa looked both stunned and cross-eyed, Shepherd quickly turned to Seven and shot him a grin, "Think you can make ours to go because I am dragging this pretty white boy up those stairs by his sexy tail and he's gonna need his strength," she said making Seven chuckles and nod in understanding while Passa himself still looked confused, well that was until Visa stepped forwards and lifted his chin with a single clawed fingertip.

"You take the very best care of this one Passa you hear me? She loves with the fire of a Claw so you show her what a real Claw can do," she said making him swallow hard as he seemed to click onto what they were all talking about and his eyes went wide.

"I-I will I swear it, cousin," he said and she smiled before turning and cutting an extra large chunk of meat from the Brahmin legs they'd been given by the townspeople and were in the process of cooking before placing it on a plate and handing it to Shepherd with a wink.

"Make him use up all the strength he gets from it, show him exactly what he means to you in no uncertain terms," she said with a wink of one of her large golden eyes.

Shepherd took it and grinned at her before both of them turned their smiles onto the now nervous-looking male Claw, "Oh you can count on it Visa, those white scales are just fucking begging for black fingers to explore each and every single one" she said.

Both Seven and Visa quickly prepared them a meal to go and piled it onto a tray for them both which Passa had to carry as Shepherd was kinda worried she might drop it due to the weight and not being able to see where she was going as it blocked out her view of the floor, so while she led the way Passa followed behind her carrying the tray laden with steaming goodies.

As they reached the landing they heard a somewhat distant but also very familiar sound of a female Claw roaring and the roar was most definitely one of pure pleasure and passion, Passa stopped for a moment and listened, "Err I think that's my mother," he said and Shepherd gave him a grin.

"Yup big girl finally got her human, don't worry pretty boy you'll be making those noises soon enough," she said with a smirk as he flushed again she just couldn't help but feel turned on every single time she made him blush like that, he was just such a reactive and gentle claw that it really made her happy to know that not only could they be this way be that she bagged one all for herself and the most beautiful one at that.

She opened the door to the room she had claimed for them both and led him inside before closing it behind them once she'd made sure bis big sexy tail was clear of it, Passa placed the tray down on a large table in the centre of the room next to some beautiful old style furniture including three armchairs and a beautifully ornate two seater love seat, but there was only one seat that she was interested in and that was white and scaly.

"Come sit down and let's eat beautiful all this excitement has really worked up an appetite as has all that fighting," she said dropping into the love seat before patting the seat next to her, he turned around giving her a very nice view of his large but very tight looking scaly rear end, he lifted his wings up and hooked them over the back of the seat before planting himself down on it and shimmying his tail in behind her and using it to pull her to him and into a one-armed hug which made her smile as she felt his feathers tickling over her leg as he wrapped it around her waist.

The pair of them tucked into their meal and by the way, Passa tucked in her poor Claw boy must have been truly starving though to be fair he had obviously burned a lot of calories with the fight earlier today.

There was something oddly scary about watching Passa's razor-sharp fangs tearing through the perfectly cooked meat with ease, it reminded her that she was dating an apex predator whose entire body was designed for the hunt and now since his DNA had been adjusted and updated by that Unity thing he was even more so.

As she sat eating her own steak and potatoes she could feel his tail dancing in her lap making her chuckle slightly as it gave her rather a lot of joy to see him so happy about something so simple, suddenly she felt something very warm and soft moving around her shoulders and upon glancing up she realised it was one of his wings.

He glanced down at her and gave her a soft and slightly embarrassed smile like she'd caught him staring at her arse, not that she would have minded him doing that of course, she wanted her man to want her the way she wanted him.

She reached up and gently pulled the soft white leather-like flesh of his wing around her like a blanket, "You know I get the feeling living a wingy claw boy is gonna be damn good, you already give the best hugs and you got so many ways to hug as well, arms, tail, wings yes sir I am one lucky girl," she said playfully stroking his wing with one hand while putting a forkful of succulent meat into her mouth with the other.

"I'm the lucky one Shepherd, I still can't believe that you want to look at me let alone look at me the way you do, we are so different but you look at me like I am the most beautiful thing to you and it makes your eyes sparkle and its really beautiful, I don't know what I did to make you smile at me like that but it just makes me happy," he said softly.

"You want to know what you did?" she asked softly and he nodded his horned head eagerly.

She reached up with a little napkin and wiped some of the meat juices and fat from his cheeks, "You came into my life and proved something to me that I despretly needed, well a couple of things really, firstly you proved to me that not all guys are the same, for the longest time after what happened to me I absoultly loathed men and can you really blame me, they hurt and shamed me in ways that no-one should ever experience, but you and indeed this whole group restored not only my faith in humanity but also gave me a new faith in non-humans which is something I never thought I'd have, the longer i walked with them the more that I saw they lived by a code and embodied it, its incredibly beautiful to me and it made me realise that I didn't just want to survive anymore, I wanted to fucking live, not to hide in a fucking corner and scrape buy trying to stay out of sight so the fucking slavers wouldn't come and take me back, but then Seven and his people came in heard our troubles and our worries and just said hey yeah we'll help you with that, we'll help you remove this evil in your lives and that will make you all stronger and while we're doing it you will see exactly what good humans and good non-humans can do and achive together, then I began to really see the love they have for one another, I'll be blunt her when I first saw Seven he boiled my blood firstly because he's a man but secondly because I thought he was pretty, then i saw just how fucking scary powerful he is and I thought fucking hell who the hell put all of this power in the hands of a man, he's just going to use it to oppress people and hurt women, but nothing and i mean nothing is further from the truth, the man just wants to help, he knows pain, he knows my pain, he's been there too in someways less in some others more, but he has been there, so I thought yeah these are the people I want to walk with, these people can show me how to be strong again and they can make me live, then I met you when the group saved you and something just changed for me, there was this big beautiful male Claw but he was not aggressive, he was not this drooling monster he was nervous and unsure of himself and his place in the world but more than that he also knew my pain in that he'd been a slave then he goes out and gets himself changed by a piece of tech but despite being changed he just became more beautiful to me and it was like a part just snapped into place for me, I was falling in love with someone not of my own race and it made sense. this was the man I was meant to have, this was the man I was meant to love and protect, I saw his vulnerability and his fear and it just stoked every instinct I have, and now here I am sitting on a couch with said beautiful man eating a scrumptious meal about to make wild passionate love to him for the very first time, finally I remember what it is to be alive," Shepherd said.