Carson Evolved

Author's Notes:

Welcome to the fourth installment of my story! Thank you for coming back for more. If you haven't read the previous chapters, I recommend that you do so before continuing. Otherwise, you'll probably be confused, and who wants to be confused?

This is a longer chapter. It picks up directly after chapter three, but there are some jumps in the timeline. Fair warning so you're not like, "Wait, what happened?" There is a long-awaited interlude in this chapter that I'm really curious to hear responses on. I think it's one of my better scenes, but of course, I'm biased. Let me know what you think.

Standard disclaimer: Please, if you like the story, or if you don't like the story, take a moment to comment. If you want to insult me because you don't like a topic, go ahead and file that in your own trash can; mine's full. But if you have something constructive to add, please do. I'm still a new writer and it helps me quite a bit to see the story through others' eyes.

That hasn't really been an issue, but I feel super-powerful when I get all tough-like. I will say that there have been a few comments on Carson's otherworldly perfectness. Mostly, that's by design. I want him to be a shining example in a world that isn't always pretty. But I concede that not everyone likes to see a main character remain relatively faultless. I can only hope that the rest of the story is compelling enough to keep reading.

Finally, as always, all sexual activity takes place between adults.

-MB

*****

She luxuriated in the warm sunlight streaming through the window. The silky-smooth feel of the microfiber sheets was luxurious. Her muscles ached slightly, the swelling of her vulva a pleasant reminder of the night she'd spent in this bed with Carson. Stretching like a cat emerging from a nap, she snuggled into the pillow a little more, the scent of her lover once again filling her nose. Reaching out for him only to find his side of the bed bare, she vaguely remembered his whispered apology for waking her as he dressed for a morning run. His gentle kiss had sent her back to sleep with a pleasant warmth.

Despite the intensity of their activities the previous night, Elsa felt refreshed and relaxed now. Her hesitance in leaving the bed was only because it meant the night was over. She sat up with a sigh. Carson was going to leave a mark. She'd searched for a man intriguing enough to warrant consideration to be the father of her children. Recently, she'd begun to despair of finding

the

guy. But after last night, she thought maybe she had. It just remained to spend some time with him to be sure.

What she couldn't deny was that he had given her the best night of sex in her life. He was well-equipped, but the reaction he provoked from her body was a testament to his skill, not his size. In short, he'd been

perfect

. Not "good" or "fun" or anything so trite as all that...

perfect

. She only had to think it, and he'd do it. Their connection had been good initially, but something changed the second she tasted the slippery pre-cum leaking from his cock.

In that moment, her eyes had rolled back in her head as a tingling sensation passed through her body in a wave. After that, it was as if they had somehow merged mentally. His every caress was timed perfectly, weighted perfectly. His speed, the position—every possible aspect of their sex—were synchronized to the point that her body had simply hummed in an almost continuous orgasm. She had no idea how long it had lasted, only that in the end she'd begged him to fill her hungry pussy with his load, regretting that she wasn't fertile at the moment.

Sliding from the bed, she slipped her panties back up her legs. Instead of her dress from the night before, she donned Carson's shirt. It felt as if he were wrapped around her again, his scent strong in the cloth as she held it to her nose and inhaled deeply.

As she made her way down the hall, she began to smell coffee and freshly baked cinnamon rolls and her stomach rumbled to remind her that she hadn't eaten in several hours. Following her nose, she made her way into the kitchen where she was surprised to see a group of women sitting at the breakfast table, talking softly as they shared a meal. It was a surprise only because it was unexpected. As an Orriri man, Carson would certainly have plenty of women in his life, and Elsa wasn't put off by the thought of sharing him at all. She just hadn't expected to run into any of his women so soon.

When they noticed her presence, the conversation trailed off, as if they were surprised to see her. They looked at her in silence for a moment, before the oldest of the four stood and made her way towards Elsa. Smiling sweetly, she held out a hand and said, "Good morning. I'm Helena, Carson's mother-in-law and matriarch."

Elsa smiled as she shook her hand and said, "I'm Elsa, Elsa Lund."

Helena said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Elsa. I must say, Carson has wonderful tastes; you're beautiful. Let's get you a cinnamon roll and some coffee and I'll introduce you to everyone."

They made their way over to the table, the three women sitting there shifted to make room for the new girl.

Pointing around the table in sequence, Helena said, "These are Carson's wives. My daughters, Mara and Mila. And this red-headed siren is Samantha." For the first time in her life, Elsa felt pangs of inadequacy. Usually, she was the most attractive woman in any group. Sitting before her were three of the most beautiful women she'd ever met, though; even his mother-in-law was stunning, despite being older.

"Good morning, ladies. I'm Elsa." She looked at them curiously, wondering what their response would be.

Mara was the first to pipe up. "Good morning, Elsa. I don't know if you remember me, but we met a couple of years ago at the Project Social. You're even more beautiful now than you were then."

Elsa blushed and said, "Thank you. I vaguely remember you, but it's so hard to keep track of everyone there. And, honestly, I was more interested in checking out the men."

All of the ladies chuckled at this, knowing that the event was held every four years as more or less a project-sponsored meat market. By bringing the breeders together, it helped to stir the gene pool a little bit, as new or previously unconsidered matches were made. The women of the project, as the ones with the final decisions, often looked over the various men like cattle traders inspecting new stock.

The behavior of the men was informative, and interesting to observe. The younger men seemed to preen like peacocks, prancing around showing their finery, their youthful arrogance on full display. The longer a man had been involved in the project, the more experience he had with project women, the more refined and reserved his behavior. Different women had their own criteria, and the entire gathering seethed and moved to the unseen rhythms of attraction and repulsion.

Always the most aggressive of the wives, Sam turned to Elsa with a twinkle in her eye as she glanced at Elsa's appropriation of Carson's shirt. "So. How was your night last night?"

Elsa was unable to stop the grin that appeared on her face. "Three words: Oh...my...God!" Gushing, she said, "Your husband was magnificent, fantastic, perfect...I don't even have the words to describe it. I'm afraid I'll wake up soon and it will all have been a dream." Despite their knowing smiles and supportive nods, Elsa felt some embarrassment at gushing over their man. "Sorry," she apologized.

Mila came to the rescue. "Why are you apologizing? You're not telling us anything we don't already know. If you enjoyed it that much, the only question is whether you want more."

Each of the women looked at her to see how she'd respond. Looking around the table, she was surprised to see a kind of excited interest in her answer on their faces. She smiled and said, "I can't deny that some things went through my mind for the first-time last night and this morning." She looked at Sam and said, "I don't want the project telling me who to have kids with. I support the goals, but I want to control how it goes. So, I've been waiting to start, trying to find the right man."

Sam smiled at her and said, "You and me sister, you and me. I am from the Cross line, and it was crucial to my family that I choose carefully. I might be biased, but all I can say is, as far as I can tell Carson is the best man the project has to offer. You could do so much worse than to choose him."

"I don't even know if he's interested like that," replied Elsa. "We, uh, we didn't 'talk' much last night." The rest of the women giggled along with her.

Mara reached over and took Elsa's hand. "The more time you spend around Carson, the more you'll know that, if my husband took you to bed, he wants more than a roll in the hay. He went to that club last night to help out a friend of ours, not because he was just looking to hookup."

"Well, no matter

why

he was there, I was thankful. Jordan van Heuval was there, and I could barely keep his slimy paws off me. I think his dad worked out some kind of deal with my grandmother for us to get together. But the guy's just a creep. I was about to leave when Carson started talking to me, telling me I could do better. I thought I was going crazy. How long has he been able to read thoughts?"

From the stunned silence that greeted her, Elsa wasn't sure if she'd said something wrong or not.

"What do you mean, 'read thoughts?'" asked Sam, looking at her intently.

Elsa was uncomfortable, unsure if this was information she wasn't supposed to have. She shifted slightly, looking around before answering. "I mean it just like it sounds. Carson read my mind last night. Not only that, he was talking in my head. It was like he was standing right next to me, but I could see him standing halfway across a crowded room."

The excitement on Sam's face was evident to all. She jumped to her feet, hopping and clapping excitedly, yelling, "We did it! We did it!" Then she grabbed a bewildered Elsa and planted a big kiss on her lips before hugging her tightly, laughing like crazy. The other women were watching her in stunned amusement. When she'd approached them with her plan to try and activate latent abilities through hormone therapy, they'd been skeptical and concerned. Obviously, their fears were unfounded, if they'd achieved this breakthrough in human ability.

Finally, Sam took her seat again. She looked around the table, making apologies. "You don't understand. My family has been working towards this kind of thing for decades, but it's always remained only theory. This proves that humans are capable of things once thought to be fantasy." She turned to Elsa and asked "Was there anything else?"

Thinking for a moment, Elsa said, "I don't know if it's the same thing or not. But something happened when I started to go down on him. He was leaking pre-cum, and when I touched my tongue to it, a wave of tingles washed over my body. After that, it was like we were...well, I don't know any other word but 'connected.' When I said Carson was perfect last night, I don't mean he did a bunch of stuff I liked. I mean he did

everything

I liked, and he did it at the right time in just the right way. It was more than just listening to my thoughts. It was like he just

knew

what my body needed. I was in a state like an orgasm for I don't know how long, just floating on the feeling. I've never felt anything like it.

"In the end, all I could think was how much I wanted him to cum inside me, and how sorry I was that my body didn't have an egg ready."

Helena had been listening to the other women talk without comment. To hear of Carson's new ability was a stunning revelation. If she hadn't already been anxious to have a child with him, she'd want to sleep with him to experience what Elsa described. More than that, however, she realized that such a trait could be a huge leap forward in the progress of the project. It remained to be seen whether the ability could be activated in others, but if Carson's line had the ability, it needed to be promulgated. She smiled to herself as she began to formulate a plan. If she had her way, Carson was going to be a very busy man very soon.

Aloud, she said to Elsa, "It sounds like something special. Would you really give that up if you didn't have to?"

Elsa looked at her in confusion. "What are you saying?"

"Elsa, you're a beautiful woman. You're also a golden line Orriri woman. If Carson can do what you say, don't you think that needs to be something we try to promote?" She paused, and then said, "I think you should move in here. This house was built to be a place where my daughters and their husbands could live and raise the next generation. There's lots of room. Now that Carson is here, this is his home, the lion's den, so to speak. We're building his 'pride,' and as Carson's matriarch, I want you to be one of his lionesses. Come and live with us, have babies with Carson, and help us build the future."

Just then, Carson arrived back from his run. The conversation halted as he grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator. He chugged half the bottle as five sets of eyes took in his sculpted physique, glistening with sweat. There was more than one soft moan of appreciation of his masculinity.

Carson was in a great mood. Something had clicked for him last night. When he'd awoken this morning, for the first time since he'd joined the project, he felt at peace with what he was doing. He suspected that the connection that had formed between him and Elsa was the cause. Regardless, he was beginning to warm to the expectations of Orriri.

He lowered the bottle and looked at the women. They were obviously up to something, so Carson decided to have some fun. He looked at Sam and thought,

I think you and I need to have a talk. You have some explaining to do

.

Sam squeaked out an excited, "Oh!" She nodded slightly, her eyes downcast as her embarrassment and worry at being caught overrode her excitement.

He looked at Mila and thought a single word to her:

Mine

. Her face immediately flushed and her eyes began to shine in her excitement. The look of love on her face was priceless.

His gaze settled on Mara.

If everything else went away, as long as I had you, I would be a happy man. I love you, Mara. No matter who else is around or what else is going on, you will always be special, because you were first

. A smile lit up her face, even as happy tears began to course down her cheeks. "I love you," she said softly.

To Helena, he sent this thought:

I am so sorry. You have waited so long, so patiently. I know you worried that I didn't want you. Nothing could be further from the truth. I just didn't know how to handle so many things happening at once. But that ends today. You are the matriarch of my clan, the chief lioness of my pride. If you can forgive me, if you still want it, I would be honored if you would bear children for me. If that's what you want, too, then here's what to do. After breakfast, I want you to pack a bag. You and I are taking an overnight trip, and I am going to do my best to show you the love I have for you.

Tears pouring down her face, Carson had barely finished his thought to her when Helena flew into his arms. "Yes!" she cried, "Oh, you make me so happy!" She grabbed his face in both hands and pulled his lips to hers. Her tongue brushed his lips lightly, before she pulled back with a smile. "That's just the smallest taste of what I've been dreaming about for so long. I love you, Carson." Then she patted his chest and walked out of the room with her feet never touching the ground. The other women watched her go and then turned back to look at Carson.

"What'd you say to her?" asked Sam.

Carson just winked at her and said, "It was a private conversation. But you'll know soon enough, I'm sure. Just have patience." Sam pouted, but she wasn't serious.

He finished the last of his water and tossed the bottle in the recycling bin. He started to leave the room, then came back. He walked up to the table and delivered a kiss to each of his wives that left them momentarily breathless. Then he turned to Elsa. He knelt before her and took her hands in his. "I had a wonderful time with you last night, Elsa, and I hope you did too. There was a connection between us, I don't know if you felt it..."

"I did," she interjected, her eyes watching his.

Carson smiled. "I'm glad I wasn't the only one. Things have been crazy in my life, and last night was new and unexpected. But I realized something when I was running: I can do this. Not only that, I want to do this. I want beautiful women like you at my side, strong and smart women who know what they want in the father of their children. I want to have babies, lots of babies, who will make this world a better place. And, I'd be honored if you'd consider joining our family." Finished, he kissed the backs of each of her hands, and then gently kissed her lips.

When he left, Elsa stared after him as her hand absently drifted to touch her lips, her mind suddenly sure that there was nothing in the world she could want that wasn't to be found with Carson and his pride. As she considered this, Mila watched her face. At the moment when Elsa made her decision, Mila could tell. She stood up and extended her hand. "Let's go pick out your room." Elsa smiled and took her hand. The two chattered happily as if they'd known each other for years.

Sam and Mara remained at the table, sipping coffee. They looked at each other and laughed aloud. It had taken longer than they'd wanted, but Carson was becoming the man they'd hoped he could be. And they couldn't have been happier with his choice of Elsa Lund to become his newest "lioness."

Mara was happy to have added another woman to Carson's growing harem, but her mind was already turning to the list she'd spent the early years of their marriage developing. Turning to Sam, she asked, "What do you know about Quinn Pruitt?"

*****

Carson marveled at what money and the right connections could do. When he'd contacted Edwards with his plan this morning, he'd been skeptical of getting it all arranged in time. He'd only given the giant man instructions with about five hours to get everything arranged. When he questioned whether it could happen on the timeline available, Edwards had simply smiled at him and said, "Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight." When Carson cocked his eye, not recognizing the source, Edwards smiled and added, "Benjamin Franklin."

Carson walked away shaking head at the seemingly inexhaustible catalog of useful quotes in the extraordinary man's mind.

It was helpful that the area they lived in was a quirk of topography. Within two hours in any direction, oceanfront beaches and snow-covered mountaintops were available, with dense forests and rolling hills in between. Located in a temperate region regulated by the jet stream, it was a veritable cornucopia of outdoor options. So, when Carson had asked for a mountaintop cabin with modern conveniences, candlelight dinner service at a romantic restaurant, food and drink for breakfast, snacks and a picnic lunch, and the means of transportation to get there, all on such a short timeline, he'd thought he'd overreached. Edwards, though, never blinked an eye.

As he pulled the off-road vehicle to a stop before the cabin they were staying in, Carson looked over at Helena. She was glowing in her happiness, the sun shining in her auburn hair. She looked much younger than her 44 years, and Carson was once again struck by how lucky he was to have met Mara, and through her, her sister and mother. His life was crazy, but a good crazy. He grabbed her hand and raised it to his lips. He gestured to the cabin and asked, "What do you think? Will it work for tonight?"