Chapter 16: The Bitter Queen
#16 of The Mating Season 4
Chapter 16: The Bitter Queen
Standing there looking at Avi, it was very clear to Kilyan that she had gone from girl to adult in the last ten years. And what was more, she had obviously become chieftess of the shemales, for her pretty face was hardened with the burdens of responsibility. She was the virgin princess no longer. Perhaps she even had a mate now. The very thought made Kilyan sad, even a little jealous: he had once wanted to steal Avi, to make her his wife. But such a thing had been quite impossible: Avi's mother would have killed him first.
When Kilyan finally came to his senses, he picked his spear up from the dirt and gazed at Avi questioningly. Why was she here? Had she, perhaps, come to take vengeance on him? He had struck her mother with a rock. He had taken her virginity and left her in disgrace. By all accounts, he was a villain. And he stood there waiting for the first strike. But it never came. Instead, Avi smiled coldly and said, "Well? Say something!"
Her dark eyes were so scornful. It sent a pang to his heart.
"Hello, Avi," Kilyan returned, managing a sad smile. He sighed inside. She was just as pretty as he remembered. He glanced around nervously: wolves were peering at them in curiosity and astonishment from their windows. Voices were murmuring. "Would you like to go some place private and talk?"
Avi offered her slender little paw. "Come with me, Kilyan," she said, but her voice was so cutting that she might as well have called him an obscenity.
Kilyan didn't move.
"Kilyan not in danger," Avi told him with a mocking smile. She seemed to find his stiff fear amusing.
Feeling a dull surge of anger, Kilyan took a bold few steps toward her. Let her attack him with her super strength! He was ready. And if he had to die a disgraceful death in these very streets, he was determined that he would at least do so with dignity: there would be no fear in his eyes.
"And leave spear. Won't need it."
Kilyan felt his heart pounding hard in his chest. Why wouldn't he need it? He stared at Avi. Did she really mean him harm?
Avi smiled, and Kilyan was glad when it was sincere this time: she smiled in an amused sort of weary way, and moving close to Kilyan, she rose up on tip-toe, wrapped her arms around his neck, and whispered, "Hold on."
Kilyan dropped his spear and did as Avi asked, and almost immediately, they were soaring off into the sky. It was at first terrifying. Kilyan clung tight to Avi as the world grew steadily smaller beneath them, as the summer village and his entire world became like ants at a picnic before spiraling away into washes of color. Avi smiled at his fear, and gazing into her eyes, Kilyan fought down a hard-on to have her so close: her breasts were smashed against him, as well as her sex, and the heat of her, the smell of her was irresistible. Kilyan hesitated but buried his nose in Avi's neck, knowing that the only way she could stop him was to drop him to his death. Ah, yes. She was so soft, so pretty. And as always, she made his body grow hot with his desire.
"Stop it, Kilyan," Avi calmly commanded. "Avi not come here for you. Avi not really here for herself."
Kilyan blinked down at her, startled. "Then who did you come here for?"
"Someone else."
Avi didn't look as if she would say more, so Kilyan didn't press her. He held tightly to her waist and gazed instead at the earth below. They were flying over the northern forest. The dark trees were flowing by fast beneath them, but eventually, the forest started to fall back. Now endless fields of grass rolled away in rippling waves, a lush meadow of flowers and dandelions. Avi's grip on Kilyan tightened and she began the dive: they swooped for the meadow and landed gently at the top of a hill.
Kilyan stood at Avi's side and looked around. It was beautiful here. Flowers sprinkled the grass, standing still in the pale moonlight. The moon was huge in the sky, and its glow made the leaning tips of the grass shine. Behind them was the forest that stood to the north of the summer village, and in the very distance, Kilyan could see mountains.
"A tribe of mountain wolves live there," Avi said. She sat down in the grass, her wings folding behind her, and Kilyan sat too.
"Avi stopped there," Avi said casually. "Spied on them. They seem like nice tribe. Keep to themselves."
Kilyan looked at Avi and wondered why she was telling him these things. Then he realized: she was preparing herself to tell him something. In other words: she was nervously rambling.
"So you speak my language now?" Kilyan said.
Avi nodded, not looking at Kilyan but at the distant mountains, her arms hugging her knees. She found it hard to look at him. That hurt. But he supposed he deserved it.
"Yes. I learn. Mother teach me."
"Avi," Kilyan began slowly, "tell me why you're here. Is it because of . . . of what happened with us? Is something the matter with Roriana? Are the shemales okay?"
"Everything is fine," Avi answered. She smiled grudgingly at Kilyan, as if his concern was cute. "Kilyan need not worry. Roriana pass away some time ago. Avi queen now. Lead her wolves well . . . Have good mate."
Kilyan looked away, trying not to scowl. So it was true. But he felt silly suddenly: how could he expect Avi not to marry just because of him? But still . . . Sometimes lying awake at night with Lea and Ohana snuggled against him on either side, Kilyan would kiss his wives' heads as they slept and brood that Avi should be there receiving a kiss as well: little Avi should have been lying on his chest, her hot cheek nestled into his neck, sighing happily in her sleep. There was an empty hole in his bed where Avi should have been. There was an empty hole in his heart. Kilyan wanted to tell Avi these things, but as usual, he could not find the words and wound up staring in frustration at his lap.
"Kilyan still cute," Avi said, still not looking at Kilyan. She smiled to herself. "At least Kilyan's wives happy."
Kilyan swallowed guiltily. His wives weren't happy -- Lea hadn't been anyway, not for a long while. He had probably done Avi a favor by not marrying her. When he said as much, Avi laughed sadly.
"That not true. Very hard to please wife. Avi know." She made a sour face, and when they laughed together, Kilyan suddenly felt at ease.
"How did you find me?"
"Avi never forget Kilyan smell," Avi admitted, her cheeks coloring up just a little.
"Look, Avi," Kilyan began. He stopped and took a deep breath, then took her paw and stared into her eyes with an earnest fire that made her sit very still. "Ever since we met ten years ago, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you, about what happened and how badly I hurt you. I never meant to hurt you, Avi. I always wanted you to know that. And if I could have done things right, I would have married you -- I still want to marry you! I would have taken you away from that place, I would have loved you. But it was wrong of me to sleep with you. I never should have done such a thing to you --"
"Shut up, Kilyan," Avi said, her eyes flat with anger. She snatched her paw away and glowered at the distant clouds.
And Kilyan did shut up. He stared at Avi miserably. The more he tried to fix things, the more he made them worse.
Avi stared at her little feet, her jaw standing out in her anger. "Avi didn't come here to hear worthless apology. Avi didn't come here to make up with Kilyan." She looked Kilyan in the eye and said flatly, "Avi hate Kilyan."
Kilyan tried not to flinch as her words hit him. She had never before been so cold, so cutting. It made him utterly miserable, but at the same, it made him time angry. His apology had been sincere, and in that sense, it was not worthless.
"I meant what I said, Avi!" Kilyan snapped. "I meant every word of it. You think I just go around fucking little females and leaving them heartbroken?"
"How Avi know what Kilyan do?" Avi demanded. "As if Avi cared!"
She shot to her feet, and Kilyan did too, grabbing her by the arm before she could take off and leave him standing there however many miles from home. But more importantly, he wanted her to listen. Now she could understand his language, and he wanted to take full advantage of the fact, to say and do all the things he'd been dreaming of for the last ten years.
"You came to see me for a reason," Kilyan said, ignoring her indignant eyes. "And if you didn't care, you wouldn't be standing here glaring at me and abusing me!"
"Avi loved you!" Avi burst, twisting her arm free. "You rejected Avi's love. Don't try to take it back now!" She shoved Kilyan in the chest with that scary super strength of the shemale. Kilyan staggered back, but determined now to keep her there, he grabbed Avi's arms, jerked her to him, and kissed her.
Avi struggled feebly, but Kilyan knew she could have broken free had she really wanted to. She was succumbing to her desires: Kilyan felt her dick stiffening against him, flinching as if her passion was mounting against her will. He pulled Avi into his arms and deepened the kiss: his tongue filled her mouth, caressing so deeply and so skillfully that she moaned against his lips. Avi started to whimper, and Kilyan realized she was shivering all over, that his cock was as rigid as hers.
"Oh, Kilyan -- no!" Avi whispered, but she made no attempt to stop Kilyan when his kisses traveled down her neck. Weak with her ecstasy, her head fell back, and Kilyan pulled her closer even as he was kissing her. He pulled her leg up over his hip, followed quickly by the other, and then he was inside her. Avi gasped and feebly protested, but Kilyan pumped his way in. God, she was so wet and tight! He realized with a leap of his heart that Avi had wanted him as badly as he wanted her: she'd been growing steadily wetter and juicier the entire time they'd been sitting together! He understood more than ever now why she had been sitting with her legs drawn up. He smiled down at her, loving the sight of her gasping mouth, her eyes and how they shone up at him! And as if she had suddenly given in to her desire, Avi frantically closed her mouth over Kilyan's and they kissed as they made love, hot and wild and fervent.
Later when they were lying together in the grass, Kilyan asked Avi to marry him. He was holding her tightly in his arm, his paw playing idly in her silver mane. Avi's black ears twitched at the proposal and she looked up at Kilyan in dismay.
"Can't marry you, Kilyan. Avi already married!"
"Then get divorced --"
"Kilyan!"
Kilyan sighed. "Then why did you come here? You want to be with me, don't you?"
"No, Kilyan. This isn't about us." Avi sat up and bit her lip as if she was gathering her thoughts.
Kilyan sat up too, watching her anxiously. She was looking off at the sky, and her black eyes were large and worried and even frightened. One shapely little leg was closed over her pussy, and her cock rested soft against her thigh. Just the smell of her sex made Kilyan stir a little, but seeing Avi's worried expression, his eyes snapped again on her face.
"Avi . . ." Kilyan took her paw and asked gently, "what is this about?"
Avi looked up with sad eyes and her black ears went down.