Slither

Author's Note(s)

:

If you're here for Slither, part 2, welcome back! If you're picking up Slither for the first time, please read Slither, part 1.

As I edit a part, I'll release it until it's finished--enjoy!

Thanks for reading--I appreciate you all <3

--Ameranthus

****

A few days passed before the graze on Valko's shoulder was nearly closed, and he helped Sura settle into her new quarters. Valko opened the storm shutters on the windows to let warm, fresh daytime air in, while Sura aired out some blankets that had been stored away in one of her delivered trunks.

The large, arched alcove led into a sleeping nest and there were a few shelves built in for personal items. There was a small nook higher up on the back wall to hang a lantern in. The alcove was slightly elevated to make room for two drawers underneath and the arch was hung with russet curtains that could be pulled shut against the chilly mountain nights.

Sura stored lighter muslin blankets in the large drawers below and left out a heavier sky blue quilt with a leaf green backing. She crawled in on the large, terracotta sleeping cushion to arrange pillows of soft browns, rust oranges, ocher yellows, and slate blues. Some where intricately embroidered while others were plain or bore a patchwork of different shades.

"I like the colors," Valko observed, poking his head into the alcove. "It's quite warm and inviting -- the kind of place I would adore spending nights curled up with you."

Sura hung a lantern in the small nook above and turned to see Valko there at the arch of the alcove leading into the nest.

"Come in," she smiled, holding out her hand to him.

Valko eagerly took Sura's hand and slithered into the alcove, settling himself into the comfy nest among the pillows. Sura was still on her knees, looking up at him and his breath momentarily caught in his chest at the sight of her. Her bright, beautiful gray eyes were full of adoration for him. Valko couldn't remember a time when someone had looked at him like that. He curled his tail around Sura's waist and drew himself closer to her. Valko lowered himself more to her height and Sura slipped her arms around the swell of his human hips, her hands idly caressing the transition between skin and scale.

"Ah... my star," Valko murmured, and kissed Sura deeply. He gently wedged the

thicker part of his tail between her knees and when she open to him, Sura gasped and giggled softly as he pulled her up to straddle his lower abdomen.

He reclined against one of the plump pillows, a content rumbling escaping his chest. Sura gently stroked his face, and the sides of his scaled neck, occasionally kissing it, as she sat astride him. A shiver of desire ran through him at the touch of her soft lips to hollow of his neck.

"Comfortable?" Sura asked, dipping down to kiss the center of his ashen chest.

"Mmm...quite." Valko purred, as he stroked Sura's hair. "I don't think I wish to leave. This is much more intimate and private; not that I objected to sleeping near the hearth with you in my coils."

"We should enjoy this while we can, then." Sura sighed softly. "Your shoulder's practically healed and Rylin will have no choice but to accept me into the infirmary. I expect to be rather busy very soon."

"I intend to enjoy every moment I have with you." Valko said, kissing her forehead. "As for my shoulder, I've had an excellent standard of care--I'm not surprised that it's healed so well."

"I don't think getting each other off counts as a standard of care." Sura giggled.

"It does for me, dear one," Valko grinned, grabbing her hips and undulating his tail between her legs. "I adore making you come and being made to come."

"Well, I'm just going to leave that part out when I present my case studies to Dathan, hmm?"

Valko let out a throaty chuckled and kissed Sura softly. There was silence for a moment as Sura rested against Valko's chest and he sighed, content as she grazed his neck with the tip of her nose.

"Will you allow me to stay with you tonight, my star?," Valko asked, one hand stroking Sura's hair, while the other wandered down her back, to her hip, and finally settled across the small of her back. "I wish to be near you, to feel your soft, warm body against mine."

"I would love for you to stay.," Sura said. "I miss sleeping with you in your coils--I find it relaxing."

"It pleases me to hear that," Valko growled softly. "I adore having you in my coils, feeling you wrapped in them. But first, a bath for you, I think. No doubt you're going to be a bit sore from moving things around..."

"It doesn't feel too bad now, but I might regret it later if I don't," Sura said. "If you're doing the bathing, I would very much enjoy that."

"Yesss," Valko hissed lightly, "My hands are eager to feel you once more. Go and close the storm shutters and I shall prepare your bath. We'll see if the former mage left anything interesting in the wardrobe as well."

****

Sura joined Valko behind an intricately carved screen when the bath was ready. Valko was there, next to the steaming tub, his tail undulating and flipping back and forth with anticipation. He'd set out a towel and soap on a nearby table.

"I haven't looked in the wardrobe yet," Sura said as she opened it up. "I have no idea if there's anything in it."

There were hooks on the inside of the doors and two long rod across for hanging garments. Otherwise, it was empty. There were four drawers below, the top two of which where empty of towels and bath items that Valko had taken out. Sura opened one of the bottom drawers. In it, was a carved comb of ebony with wide teeth, a brush, a large hand mirror and a few bottles that contained lotions and oils.

Sura took one out and inspected it for a moment. She uncapped the cobalt blue bottle and put her nose to it.

"What have you found?" Valko asked, coming behind her and scenting the air with his tongue.

"A lovely bath oil," she said. "This one smells like rose, clove and bergamot; I like this."

"It smells rather enticing," Valko purred. "It compliments your natural scent quite well and you haven't even put it on your skin. Would you like this after your bath, Sura?"

"I would enjoy that."

"Then it shall be done." Valko smiled, kissing the top of Sura's head. He took the bottle from her and set it aside.

Sura opened the last drawer and her brow furrowed as she drew out a short length of fine, silver chain. There seemed to be several in the drawer, neatly arranged. The one she pulled out had a large loop that looked like it went around the neck and connected to the top of a lapis pendant. At the bottom of the pendant were two chains that diverged with each ending in a small circle of leather with a lapis bead that slid along it to alter their size.

"What even is this for?" Sura asked, as she turned to show Valko the oddity she had found.

Valko turned his attention to the fine chains she held up and a hungry grin spread across his face.

"So the mage

did

leave something interesting behind," he said, his excitement growing even more. "It's far better if I showed you."

Valko took the lapis and chains and carefully set the piece aside. He undid the coppery sash that held Sura's short, leaf green and copper-brown edged robe closed. He let the sash fall to the floor as the front of Sura's robes fell open. Valko's palms slowly slid up the soft, warm skin of Sura's torso, his claws lightly raking the flesh on her sides.

"Valko..." Sura breathed, her eyes slipping shut as his hands continued to work their way up.

Valko's hands were at her breasts now, gently cradling one in each hand. He lightly flick a thumb over each hardening nipple and Sura gasped in pleasure. Valko gave each of her breasts a gentle squeeze before moving up to her clavicles. He hooked a thumb into each side of the robe's collar and slowly, deliberately pushed it off Sura's shoulders and down her arms until the it dropped to the floor, pooling around her feet.

He admired Sura's pert, alabaster breasts and rosy nipples for a moment, before he kissed her softly. Sura's eyes slowly opened and Valko didn't take his crimson gaze from her, as he hooked his thumbs into the top of her soft leggings, and tugged them down with the same slow deliberateness. Sura stepped out of them and felt the smooth palms of his hands run reverently from her feet, up her calves and legs, over her hips, her waist and finally back up to her breasts.

Valko bent to flick his hot, forked tongue across each nipple and was rewarded with a soft moan from Sura.

"Now, I will show you what this is for," he said, picking up the lapis and chains.

Sura's breath caught in her chest as Valko slipped the large loop of silver chain around her neck. It was light and cool against her skin and the lapis pendant fell to the center of her breasts. Valko adjusted one of the smaller leather loops and carefully put it around one of Sura's nipples. A soft moan escaped her lips as he pushed the bead up to tighten the loop around her already sensitive nipples.

"Is it too much, Sura?" Valko asked softly.

"No... It feels good," she gasped, and Valko slid the other loop on her remaining nipple.

"My star," Valko purred as he stood back to admire Sura, her petite, delicate human body adorned in the lapis and silver dripping from her breasts. "You are exquisite..."

He took the large hand mirror from the drawer and came behind Sura, positioning it so she could see her own body and the chains that adorned it.

"They're lovely," Sura said, turning from one side to the other, admiring the way they fell against her skin. She savored the jolt of pleasure from the sensation of her captive nipples when she moved.

Valko's nose flared at Sura's arousal, her scent intensifying by the moment.

"I would fuck you now, Sura," he whispered in her ear, "if I didn't think I would hurt you... I ache to have my cocks inside you, to be one with you..."

"I long to have you inside me," Sura said, reaching up to caress Valko's cheek and he kissed the inside of her hand and wrist.

"I would adore it if you wore this for a little while." he said, his palm and claws gently moving down one of her arms. "You look absolutely irresistible in it."

Valko's words sent a shiver through Sura that only made her more wet and wanting.

"I'd like that," Sura said finally. "It feels good against my skin and on my nipples."

Valko put the mirror away and Sura lightly brushed her nipples with her fingertips. They were a deep red, deliciously swollen and very sensitive. She felt a flutter of arousal between her legs as she got into the warm bath and sat in the waist deep water.

"There's quite a collection here," Valko grinned, pleased, as rummaged through the last drawer and laid out three more pieces He held them up so Sura could see each one.

Two were similar to the one that Sura wore; one had a red stone that she didn't recognize and the other had a beautifully carved piece of jet at its center. The last had three strands of chain connecting beautiful ovals of gray labrodite; one large at the bottom and two small ones at the top.

"It's beautiful--the labrodite remind me of how your scales flash different colors in the light." Sura said wetting her hair a bit. "It looks like it's for pierced nipples."

"It is," Valko smiled mischievously, as he reached over and lightly pinched one of Sura's nipples between his claws. She let out a sigh of pleasure and arched her back up against his lingering hand on the side of her breast. "Ophidians here in Aponia, do this to make tongue and touch more pleasurable to their nipples. If you're curious about such things, you should talk to Korienne at the temple. She can tell you all about those pleasures."

Valko coiled himself at the back of the tub; he lathered up some soap and ran his slick hands across Sura's shoulders.

"Have you ever been pierced?" Sura asked as Valko gently nudged her forward to wash her back.

"I have, " Valko said, letting his hands glide slowly over Sura's back. He rinsed her off and pulled her back towards him. "I find the Aponian custom of piercing nipples and certain other parts to be deeply erotic and attractive on others. I am from the Murkwood swamps, originally. We generally have our septums pierced and sometimes parts of our tails and ears. Particularly the ears at the tips, since they can be so sensitive, but that is more for sexual pleasure. "

"You don't wear your piercings?" Sura asked as her eyes fluttering closed at the feel of soap-slicked hands running down her shoulders and to the underside of her breasts.

"I haven't had a reason to in a long time," Valko admitted quietly, as he explored Sura's slick skin under the water. He felt her shudder slightly when he reached her soft abdomen and inner thigh and he smiled.

"I'd like to see them on you; I'm sure they'd be beautiful..."

"Would you?" Valko asked, coming around the side of the tub. He slipped his fingers under Sura's chin, raising her face up to him and his crimson eyes bright with excitement.

"Yes--why would you not have a reason to wear them?"

"I'm not sure about the custom here in Aponia, but ... in Murkwood, males flaunt piercings and other kinds of displays when they wish to attract a mate, particularly on the Flower Moon."

Valko paused for a moment, and decided that he would continue as he gently stroked wet hair away from Sura's face.

"I was a mercenary for a long time," he started. "It was a dangerous life and I was my sister, Lyla's, only caregiver. There was no room for a mate. Even after Lyla and I settled here in Aponia, I remained convinced that there would be no mate for me. I confess I'd given up on it by then, but... I met you and you awakened something deeply buried inside me for so long."

"Valko," Sura murmured and rose out of the tub to hug him and hold him close. She gently stroked his pewter hair with wet hands and kissed him softly.

"Which is why I will wait for as long as it takes for you to be ready for me," Valko said softly, caressing her back and resting his forehead against hers. "When I say I want to make you mine, I desire to make you my mate, if you'll have me. I want all of you, I want everything with you, my dear one. My star."

"Yes," Sura said, kissing him slow and deeply, "a thousand times, yes, Valko. I would adore being your mate."

Valko let out a growl as his tail wrapped around Sura's waist and lifted her out of the tub. She let out a soft, surprised squeak, as he hungrily devoured her mouth, nipping at her lips with his fangs and kissing her from jaw to neck. He picked Sura up, heedless of the water running off her. Valko carried her into alcove, put her down gently, and wrapped around her until she could recline against his coils and he brought himself back up to kiss her again.

Sura's hands went to Valko's face; his crimson eyes brimmed with tears and she kissed them away. It was true then; Ophidians formed intense bonds with their potential mates in an incredibly short period of time.

"You are my star," Valko said as he looked on her with adoration. "You've brought me much joy, pleasure and comfort already, Sura. I hope to bring you the same."

Sura could only answer with a gasp as he kissed the center of her chest, just below the lapis pendant and down to her stomach. She quivered and whimpered as Valko continued lower to the silken curls between her legs. He stopped for a moment to take in her scent, nuzzling against her clit and Sura moaned softly. Her hands went to the top of Valko's head, her fingers working their way into his pewter hair.

"Don't hold back your beautiful voice, Sura," Valko said as he spread her legs and lifted one up onto his shoulder, "I want to hear you when you come..."

Valko kissed the inside of Sura's knee and he felt her hips arch upward as little gasps escaped her lips. He continued to kiss her down the inside of her leg, fangs gently scraping against the soft flesh of her inner thigh. Valko's gentle, forked tongue flicked out to soothe the torrid red lines from his fangs and Sura shivered with pleasure as her hands tighten in Valko's hair.

Valko let out something between a throaty, moan and hiss at his hair being tugged and Sura whimpered, feeling his moan reverberate through her sensitive flesh. He reached the point where her leg met her hip and paused for a moment to look up at Sura as he flicked his tongue across her hot, wet folds. She cried out, her hips snapping up, wanting more.

"Please, Valko," Sura panted and squirmed as the end of his tail stretched up to stroke and squeeze her breasts.

"Please, what?," Valko purred, a mischievous grin on his lips.

"Please ... make me come," she whimpered impatiently.

Valko rewarded Sura with a long, wet lick, pressing his forked tongue against her heated flesh until he reached her clit and a ragged moan tore from her throat, the silver chains softly swaying and pleasuring her nipples as she shuddered.

"You taste divine, dear one," he growled softly and thrust his tongue deep inside Sura, wanting to taste as much of her as he could.

Sura let out a strangle cry, her hands to either side of her now, gripping Valko's coils hard. Valko let out a hiss of pleasure between licks and strokes as Sura's nails bit into the softer underside of his tail.

"Valko!" she gasped, over and over until his name became unintelligible cries, each higher in pitch than the last.

Sura shuddered violently as her voice crescendoed, coming hard and breathless as Valko continued to stroke her with his long tongue. She trembled as he gave her a final lick and she gasped as he placed a kiss just above her now soaked curls, up her stomach, to the center of her chest and to each redden, captive nipple.

Valko kissed Sura deeply, his hands tangling in her wet hair. She felt him, slick and hard between her legs, pressing insistently on her inner thigh. Sura pushed gently against Valko's chest and he rose up just enough for her to reach his dripping cocks.

Sura sat on her knees in the middle of his coils, her wet hair glistening in the lantern light and pushed over to one side of her head. She look up at Valko, admiring his Ophidian beauty, the feel of his skin and sumptuous, smooth scales against her. His slitted pupils were blown wide with arousal, nearly blotting out his crimson eyes.

Valko's breath caught in his throat for a moment as she bent her head to his cocks

"What are you -- Ah! Oh.."

Valko was cut off as Sura's tongue darted out to lick the leaf-shaped head of his first cock. He let out a loud moan as her tongue ran around its scalloped edge.

"My star..." he growled, and shuttered as Sura's fingers stroked the hot, wet, silk of his slit. Valko undulated against her hand making her fingers slip a little deeper into his slit.

One of Valko's hands came behind Sura's head, while he ran his claws down her spine, leaving long, red marks,with the other. His eyes snapped open, wide pleasure, as Sura took as much of his first cock into her mouth as she could. The flattened, scalloped, head pressed and rubbed against the roof of her mouth, while her other hand wrapped around his second cock and stroked it, while she worked the first one with her mouth.

"Fuck." Valko growled, as he started to move in a slow rhythm with Sura's mouth and hands. "You little vixen ... Your mouth feels so good on my cock."

He tightened a hand in her hair and his claws pricked at her back as his whole body began to undulate around her in languid waves. Sura slid her hands along his slick cocks, faster now and Valko grunted and hissed louder with every gentle thrust into her soft lips and hot mouth. The end of his tail thrashed against his coils and Sura's lower back as she brought him closer.

"Sura..." Valko panted and growled between his teeth, "I'm going to... You're going to make me come!"