The scentof Miri’s satisfaction clung to her skin as we returned to our dwelling, a lingering sweetness that spoke of her relief and pleasure after meeting the other Terran mates. Her earlier anxiety had dissolved into animated excitement, her hands still gesturing as she recounted details of conversations I’d witnessed firsthand. I listened anyway, entranced by her joy,by the way her eyes sparkled with recognition of finding others who understood her unique position in the universe. My tail swished behind me in lazy contentment—my mate was happy, therefore I was at peace.
“And when Jas mentioned the first time she tried to explain Earth pizza Rhaekar? God, I nearly died laughing,” she continued, kicking off her shoes and sprawling across our seating platform. “I can’t believe I was nervous. They’re all just as weird as I am.”
“As I told you they would be,” I rumbled, pleased by her acceptance among the others. The gathering had gone better than expected—the five Terran mates forming immediate connections that transcended their differences in background and experience. The shared circumstance of bonding with Rodinian warriors created an instant foundation of understanding that even I, with my limited grasp of human social dynamics, could recognize.
Miri stretched like a feline herself, her body arching in a way that caught and held my attention. Her scent shifted subtly—the sweetness of satisfaction deepening into something headier, more primal. My nostrils flared, catching the change instantly.
She noticed my reaction, her lips curving into a knowing smile. “Something on your mind, Reaper?”
“You,” I answered honestly, moving closer, drawn by her scent and the invitation in her eyes.
“Do you remember,” she said, her voice dropping to that husky register that always made my blood heat, “our first time in the jungle? When you tracked me through the underbrush like I was the most fascinating prey you’d ever hunted?”
My ears perked forward, body responding instantly to the memory. “I remember every detail.”
“I was thinking...” She sat up, eyes bright with mischief. “This place is so sterile, so perfect. Maybe we should mess it up a little. Make it ours, the way the jungle is ours.”
I tilted my head, understanding her intent. “You wish to recreate our first mating?”
“With a few improvements,” she said, rising from the platform with fluid grace. “For one thing, I’m not terrified of you anymore.”
I growled low in my throat, the sound vibrating between us. “Perhaps you should be.”
Her pupils dilated at the playful threat, her pulse visibly quickening at the base of her throat. “Give me fifteen minutes. Then come find me, hunter.”
Before I could respond, she disappeared into our sleeping chamber, the door sliding shut behind her. I stood motionless, processing her request, feeling my body already responding to the game she proposed. My senses sharpened, predatory instincts rising to the surface as I imagined stalking her through our space, capturing her, claiming her.
I moved to the environmental controls, accessing the specialized settings I’d programmed earlier. The lighting throughout the dwelling shifted to the blue-green bioluminescence of the jungle at twilight. The temperature increased slightly, humidity levels rising to mimic the dense, moisture-laden air of GL-7. Subtle atmospheric emitters released the complex scent profile of our jungle home—rich soil, flowering vines, the distinctive musk of vegetation after rainfall.
The fifteen minutes she’d requested felt like an eternity. I paced the central chamber, my claws extended, my tail lashing with anticipation. When the time elapsed, I approached our sleeping chamber silently, all my senses focused on what lay beyond.
The door slid open at my touch, revealing a transformed space. Miri had arranged the native plants I’d cultivated—placing them strategically to create shadowed areas, hidden alcoves, pathways through what now resembled a scaled-down version of our jungle territory. The bed platform was covered in the soft moss-like material I’d acquired, and strategically placed lighting created dappled patterns across the floor.
Most importantly, she was there—hidden, but not well enough to escape my heightened senses. I caught her scent immediately, traced the subtle disturbance in the air where she’d moved minutes earlier. I could hear her heartbeat, rapid with excitement, from somewhere near the far corner.
I dropped into a hunting crouch, moving silently through the fabricated underbrush. This wasn’t the real jungle, but my body responded as if it were, all my predatory instincts focusing on one goal: finding my mate. Claiming her.
A rustle to my left—deliberate, an invitation. I changed direction, tracking the sound, knowing she was leading me on a chase through our created wilderness. The game aroused me beyond measure, my cock already hardening, straining against the confines of my clothing.
Then I saw her—a flash of bare skin between leaves, the curve of her hip disappearing behind a cluster of tall plants. I moved faster, silent despite my size, closing the distance. She sensed me coming—of course she did, our bond ensuring she felt my approach—and darted away, laughing softly.
“Too slow, hunter,” she teased, her voice coming from behind another cluster of foliage.
I growled, the sound low and threatening, part of our shared fantasy. “Run while you can, little prey. It only makes the capture sweeter.”
I stalked her through our makeshift jungle, our bodies moving in perfect counterpoint—her fleeing, me pursuing, bothof us knowing how this would end. When I finally cornered her against the far wall, my body caging hers, the triumph that surged through me was no less potent than during our first mating.
“Caught you,” I rumbled, pressing her against the wall, my body flush against hers. She wore only the thinnest of garments—a sheer fabric that did nothing to conceal the perfect curves beneath, her nipples already hard peaks against the material.
“So you have,” she breathed, her pulse fluttering visibly at the base of her throat. “What will you do with me now, mighty hunter?”
I didn’t answer with words. Instead, I captured her mouth with mine, kissing her with all the hunger that had built during our chase. She responded instantly, her body arching into mine, her hands clawing at my shoulders, urging me closer.
I tore the flimsy garment from her body with a single swipe of my claws, leaving her gloriously naked against the jungle backdrop we’d created. My hands roamed her body possessively, relearning curves I already knew by heart, savoring the contrast of her soft skin against my rougher texture.
“Please,” she gasped as my mouth moved to her neck, teeth grazing the sensitive spot where our bond mark permanently marked her as mine. “I need you.”
I lifted her easily, her legs wrapping around my waist as I carried her to our bed. The moss-like material welcomed us, soft and yielding beneath our weight. I stripped away my own clothing with impatient movements, needing nothing between us.
