Kiba and Masaru (part 1)
Here's part of a new story I'm working on. I haven't come up with a permanent
title for it yet. I'm open to suggestions. Please let me know what you think.
Kiba started to regain consciousness. Her bones ached and her muscles
burned. Her eyelids were as heavy as lead but she fought to open them. The
bright sunlight momentarily blinded her and she flinched as she sat up.
"Where the hell am I?" she thought.
Looking around her, she realized she was in a glorious flowered meadow. "Am
I dreaming?" she wondered. Last thing she remembered was falling asleep in
her bed last night. She leaned over to take a closer look at the amethyst
flowers next to her. "What kind of flower is this?" she wondered. " I've
never seen anything like it." They were delicate flowers with large buds
that drooped over like a fuchsia but looked similar to roses. They smelled
amazing. Looking up at the horizon, she saw in the distance some low hills
that looked like midnight even in the bright sun light. Then she really
looked up. The sky was a color she had never seen before, the color of
honeydew melon. There was no smog or ugly brown haze like you would see near the
city. Where could she be, that she didn't even see the pollution over
Tokyo.
Feeling less achy Kiba rose to her feet but not before noticing the shadow
she was casting on the ground. Why is there two shadows? The sun should
only cast one. Slowly she turned around, afraid of what she would see, and
gazed in shock at the two suns in the sky. One was about the same size as
the sun she knew but the other sun, the one that shouldn't be there, was
blue. This has to be a dream, because there's no way she could be on a
different planet. Squeezing her eyes shut she wished herself awake. "Wake
up! Wake up!" Kiba mumbled to herself. She opened her eyes slowly but knew
nothing had changed.
As she gazed into the distance, her eyes burning as she fought not to cry,
she realized there was dust rising through the trees on the far side of the
meadow. Was someone coming? A lot of some ones by the look of it, and
suddenly she was terrified. She hurriedly looked around her for a place to
hide. The nearest tree line was so far away but she noticed a boulder nearby
that might be big enough to hide behind. As she trotted over to it she
could hear the noise of what ever was rushing toward her. It wasn't a
vehicle. It sounded like some kind of animals but not horses. She ducked
down behind the boulder just in time as a skulk of foxes ran into the
meadow. They were huge, bigger that any foxes she had ever seen. They
would probably come to the middle of her chest. They came in various shades
red, brown, and tan The leader was pure white. He was also slightly larger
than the others. Their noses were up in the air as the came to a stop,
about fifty feet from her. Could they smell her? Then as one, all ten of
their heads swung her way, as they rose to stand on their hind legs. They
started moving toward Kiba's hiding place in business like strides as if
walking like humans were second nature. "How can they possibly be moving
like people!" she thought.
As they got closer, Kiba swung around and sat with her back against the rock
and searched franticly for another hiding place. That's when she saw him.
A huge coyote slinking up behind her. He would come up to her chin if he
weren't crouching. Talk about a rock and a hard place, now what. She
hadn't heard his approach with her heart pounding in her ears. He was
looking past her at the skulk. Suddenly he broke into a full out run,
straight at her, and leaped clear over Kiba and the boulder in one muscled
burst. Twisting back around, she saw him land upon his hind feet between
her and the oncoming foxes. Suddenly there was a stone grinding rumble and she realized the coyote was
growling out a challenge. The white fox charged. "He must be insane!" she
thought. The coyote was at least twice his mass. They collided like two
freight trains, snapping and snarling. But it was over as soon as it
started and the white fox was on his back, the coyote's muzzle around his
throat. There was blood, too much, and as Kiba jerked to look away she saw
it bubbling from the fox's neck and mouth, as he wheezed for breath and
feebly struggled to get away. She heard the wet snap as his neck collapsed
under the coyote's teeth.
After a couple minutes of silence, Kiba peeked from her hiding place, hoping
it was all her imagination or that they were all gone. The coyote was
standing upright over the dead fox watching the rest of the skulk flee.
When they were out of sight, he swung around to gaze at her. Kiba didn't
dare move or look away, she was frozen in fear. He had a startling amount
of intelligence in his dark bronze eyes. In fact she thought he might be
wondering what to do with her. He was almost amber in color and his fur was
thick and shiny. On a normal canine you would want to run your fingers
through it, it looked so soft. But he was also a seven foot tower of muscle
and sinew with blood dripping from his jaw and down his throat. There were
also a couple of scarlet blossoms where the fox's claws had scored the
coyote's flesh. As Kiba continued to inspect at him in terrified wonder she
noticed his front paws were amazingly hand like, the fingers tipped in
claws. He was wearing a loincloth that she hadn't noticed before, the color
almost blending in with his golden fur.
Then he was coming for her, covering the ten feet between them quickly with
his long legs. He had his paw stretched out to her as if he wanted to help
her up. Horrified she scrambled backwards on her hands and feet trying to
keep him away. The shards around the obsidian like boulder were slicing
into her feet but she didn't even notice. Her eyes wide and fearful.
Suddenly he stopped, his arm dropping to his side. He was looking at her in
confusion.
"You don't need to be afraid of me." he said. His voice was a baritone
rumble and she would have thought it sexy from a man. "But they will go for
reinforcements and we'll need to be far from here before they get back."
Realizing she could never escape him she sagged in defeat. Only then did it
hit her that he had spoken... and she had understood him. "You speak
Japanese? H... how is that possible?" she asked. "What do you want from me?"
"For the moment, for you to get up and come with me. The rest we can figure
out later." he huffed.
Kiba got to her bare feet, limping a couple painful steps then stopping. He
saw the pinched look on her face then faintly smelled her blood over the
gore smeared down his front. He stepped forward and scooped her into his
arms and took off at an easy ground covering lope. They slipped into the
trees and were headed to the hills she had noticed earlier.
"Where am I?" Kiba asked faintly. "I thought I was dreaming but everything
is so real... even the pain." she groaned.
The coyote looked down at her, noticing the crust of blood forming on her
feet. I'll have to clean those well when we're safe he thought to himself.
"You are on the planet Canis." he said. "My name is Masaru. We will be
safe soon, then I will clean and bind the wounds on your feet."
"M... my name is Kiba. Thank you for saving me, I thought I was done for."
she said "But won't they be able to follow your tracks? They seemed to
have a good sense of smell."
"They will follow for a while, but we will lose them. They will not find
us." he growled. "I promise."
Kiba looked down and realized she was being held with her right side against
the sticky blood on the front of his chest. It was all over her arm and
right side. Remembering the fight and gruesome death of the fox, she
started to struggle to get away from it.
Mistaking her struggles for fear of him, Misaru said "Please don't be
afraid of me, I won't hurt you. We need to move fast and you can't walk.
It won't be long."
"But the blood... it's all over me!" she said, her voice rising in fear.
"Just stay calm a little longer. We can wash it off soon."
Realizing her struggles were making it harder for him to run and not wanting
to face the skulk again, she relaxed a bit and took a good look around her.
The trees they were moving swiftly through were tall and slender, the bottom
branches well above her head. They had a smooth bark that was peeling off
and the color of dried blood. The tree underneath and the leaves were
crimson. She had mistaken them for autumn trees about to loose their
leaves. Over the odor of the blood she could smell what could only be
described as a cross between pine and eucalyptus, but not quite either.
Spaced out in the patches of sunlight were huge ferns, taller then her.
They were a deep eggplant color and reminded her of the drawings she had
seen of prehistoric forests. Through her fear she realized it was really
very beautiful. Glancing beyond the trees in the direction they were going
she saw the hills. They were much closer now and she saw they were actually
mesas of some sort. They rose almost vertically on the sides and were flat
on top. The rock they were formed from was obsidian by the look of it.
They would be there in minutes. She could hear running water not far away.
Moments later they came to a stop in a clearing at the base of the mesa.
There was a swiftly moving stream running through it and disappearing under
the base of the cliff. He set her down on the bank near the water.
"How well can you swim?" Masaru asked. "This is where we'll lose them."
"What do you mean?" Kiba asked, looking at the water flowing under the rock.
"This stream runs under the rock and comes out at my home. It's a
completely boxed in canyon in the middle of this mesa. But we will need to
swim with the current to get there. It's the only way in." he said.
She had been on the swim team at school for years, but had never had to do
something like this. The thought brought goose bumps to her skin.
Imagining of the weight of the rock over her head. If it meant safety
though she was game. "Does it take long to get through?" Kiba asked.
"The tunnel is straight and smooth, and the current is swift." Masaru
reassured her. "But you will have to hold your breath for a short time,
there are no air pockets along the way."
"With the water moving so fast how do you get back out?" Kiba wondered out
loud.
"The stream winds through the canyon and comes back out of it about 200
yards away." he replied "The foxes will not follow. They are afraid of
water and can't swim. They don't understand that others do not fear it and
will think we went upstream to elude them."
"Well... I'll give it a try" She said. "I'm a good swimmer, one of the top in
my class, but this really scares me."
"You'll be fine. I have some rope hidden in a nitch in the cliff. I will
tie you to me." Masaru said walking toward the wall of rock. He reached
into a hidden hole and pulled out a length of what looked like vine and tied
it around his waist. Walking over to her, he knelt down and reached around
her with the other end. Making sure the knot was good and sturdy he said,
"The tunnel is not big enough for us to go through side by side, or I would
just hold you till we got through. I will send you through before me so I
can help if there are any problems. It goes straight and there are no other
tunnels coming off. It should be easy."
Helping her up, he supported her as she hobbled over to the black hole.
"Just keep your hands in front of you and kick with your feet. The water
will do the rest. I'll be right behind you." Masaru said, "Are you ready?"
"I guess so." Kiba replied, taking a few deep breaths. "Well here goes
nothing."
Bending down in the cool water, she was glad she was wearing the light
weight shorts and camisole that she slept in in the summer. They wouldn't
drag her down. Taking one last breath she bent down and dove head first
into the dark hole. She felt the current grab her and pull her forward.
The vine at her waist tightened for a second and she knew Masaru was right
behind her. Keeping her eyes open and looking forward, it seemed to take
forever for a light to appear at the other end. She knew it was just nerves
since she didn't feel the burning need to breath yet. Suddenly she was
there and popped up like a cork, breathing deep and still moving downstream.
Masaru popped up next to her a second later. Reaching around her and
pulling her to his chest, he lead her to a calm pool of water that formed
off the of the stream through a small opening in the bank. The water
continued to move swiftly beyond it, back toward the cliff.
"I'll be right back." said Masaru climbing out of the deep pool after
helping her to a shelf like seat at the edge, beneath the water. "If you
wait here, I'll get the things to clean and bind your feet. Also some
ointment to help them heal. The water will help keep them from bleeding
till I get back. It looks as if the blood has washed off your body and
clothes."
Kiba looked around the small canyon. It was beautiful, like an oasis. The
trees along the bank reminded her of palm trees but the fronds were more
fern like. They looked like feathers. Large lapis blue fruit of some kind
grew tightly bunched at the base of the fronds. I wonder if they can be
eaten she thought as her stomach grumbled in hunger.
The ground cover looked like moss but a deep teal, and seemed to cover the
ground of the whole canyon like carpet. Touching it where it draped over
the rim of the pool, she felt how spongy and soft it was. It would be a
great place to sun bathe under better circumstances. About ten feet away
was a fire pit and what looked like a small oven made from the same rock as
the cliffs Crude containers and utensils made from gourds and a copper
colored metal stacked neatly to one side. The ground had been cleared of
moss about five feet out from the pit and a large log pulled up as a bench.
Closer to the water was a wooden rack with vine nets draped over it.
Still further back from the fire pit was the canyon wall. There was a large
cave opening covered with some kind of tan fabric or skin. Masaru came out
as she was looking. His fur had come clean in the stream and she took the
time to really study him. She noticed a starburst of white fur at the base
of his neck. It had been covered in the foxes blood before but now shone
out in sharp contrast to his amber fur. He didn't seem to have an ounce of
fat on him and his muscles were well developed and sleek. He had changed
into a dry loin cloth. This one was bright blue with red and green
stitching in what could be described as a tribal design . His eyes were a
dark bronze. He was beautiful really. He was carrying a large flat basket
with a cloth draped over it.
She looked away quickly when he noticed her watching him. She could feel
herself blush as if caught doing something wrong. He reached the edge of
the pool and set the basket down. Grabbing the cloth off the top, he
unfolded it and she realized it was much larger then she had thought.
Laying it out along the bank, he reached down and lifted her out of the
water and set her on it. It was made from the skin of some animal, a huge
animal if the size was anything to judge by as it was all one piece. It was
soft and warm when wrapped the edges around her.
"After I finish with your feet, we'll see if we can find you something dry
to wear." Masaru said absently as he lifted her right foot, studying it
intently. Then she was gritting her teeth and yelping as he gently began
cleaning out the shards of rock and dirt.
******
Masaru didn't know what to make of Kiba. She was very tiny, barely coming
up to his chest. She had long dark auburn hair and brown eyes. The flimsy
wet clothes she wore clung to her and revealed a very slim form underneath.
She had good muscles but not very curvy and had high firm breast that were a
little on the small side. Despite the lack of curves... and fur, he found
himself growing warm just looking at her. He covered her quickly with the
skin and got to the task at hand.
As he worked he found himself thinking about her name. It
was uncommon for a female. It was a name usually given to aggressive or
very brave individuals, mainly males. She didn't seem to fit the mold.
Sure she was holding up very well considering the circumstances, but names
were important in this world and needed to be upheld. Maybe her world had
stifled her personality and she needed time in this world to let it shine
through. Maybe that's why she had been brought here.
"So, Kiba, tell me about yourself." he asked, trying to distract her while
he cleaned a particularly deep cut on her left foot.
"W... well, I'm from Tokyo, Japan on the planet earth." she replied with a
sharp gasp of pain. She wondered how much she should tell him. "My parents
moved there from America before I was born. I've lived there my whole
life."
"How did you come by your name? It's a male name here. It means fang." he
asked. "It's seems an unlikely name for a female."
"My folks love all thing Japanese. They were hoping to have a boy and were
going to name him Kiba." she said, sounding bitter. "When I was born I
ended up with it anyway. It's been a hard name to live with, but then I've
never seemed to live up to my parents expectations."
"What do you mean?" he questioned. "All children are a gift and should
loved for who they are."
"I tried to do everything to please them. Make them happy with the girl
they ended up with." Kiba whispered, but his keen hearing picked it up. "I
graduated at the top of my class, was on the championship swim team in
school. I was working to help put myself through one of the best colleges.
Even studying martial arts didn't make them realize I was as good as any
son. They were also disappointed that no guys were ever interested in me so
they could have a son by marriage. I moved out on my own to get away from
them. They won't even miss me now that I'm gone."
"It sounds unpleasant. I'm sorry" Masaru's expression grew puzzled. "What
are martial arts? I don't think I've heard that term before."
"I've been taking Taekwondo for several years. It's a form of hand to hand
combat that uses your hands and feet. Most women take it for self defense,
but I've been studying for years, trying to get my black belt. It's one of
the highest levels of study for martial arts."
"Impressive." he said, looking at her in a new light. That would explain
Kiba's good muscle tone. Still... he just couldn't he couldn't help
wondering why she had been brought here... for him!
*****
Masaru had finished cleaning the cuts on her feet and started wrapping them
with smaller pieces of the soft skins. She realized that the pain of him
cleaning her feet had made her babble her whole miserable life to this
stranger. Toward the last he had begun studying her closely. Did he find
her as distasteful as everyone else she knew, including her parents.
Shaking off that thought, she asked, "Do you know how and why I've been
brought here, and what exactly is this planet? "
"I've only heard stories about this happening and it doesn't happen very
often." Masaru said. "When males of this planet have needs beyond what the
indigenous females can supply, human females are brought here to be their
mates. Usually the humans don't have good lives and will flourish here.
I've never heard of females here getting male human mates though. I'm not
sure how it happens but it causes a sort of psychic electrical connection
that can be felt by the male she is brought here for. Unfortunately it can
also be felt by others that are within a certain distance and they will
usually try to abduct the female for their own. Human females are highly
prized by most males in this world."
"That makes us sound like objects to be collected. Is that all we are here
is pets?" Kiba wondered out loud.
"From the stories, most human females have gone on to do great things. They
are loved deeply by their mates, and seem to function well and as equals in
our society. Not pets." he replied.
"As far as this planet goes, canines evolved to the highest life form here
unlike the evolution of the humans on your planet. On our world, society is
broken up by breeds and the breeds by packs. There are large cities that
are a neutral area for all, but even within the cities they are broken up by
breed. The city's only purpose is trade."
Kiba frowned, "You said that the females were brought here to mate with
specific males and that those males could feel their mate arrive. Who was I
brought here for and how will he find me here?"
"Didn't you wonder why I was there to protect you right at that moment. I
was out hunting when I felt you arrive and got there as soon as I could.
The foxes must have been close enough to feel you too. Probably out
searching for me. I'm glad I got there in time." he said with an
unfocused, distant look in his eyes. "You were brought here for me."
Mistaking his distant look for distaste and shocked by his answer she looked
away. Tears formed in her eyes as she replied, "You know, I didn't ask for
this. I'm sorry if I don't meet your expectations. Is there any way for me
to get back so you can get someone who isn't so distasteful to you? It
doesn't surprise me really, I never seem to appeal to any men. I don't know
why this would be any different."
Masaru head whipped around and seemed to nail her in place with those
amazing bronze eyes. "I realize this must all be distressing to you, and
I'm sorry. Honestly, I don't find you distasteful at all, which leads me to
believe, even more, that this is right and will work it's self out in the
end. But... I lead a hard and dangerous life and have made myself an outcast
from my family and band. I would not wish that on any mate of mine. This
is the reason I don't have a mate already, or so I thought."
Suddenly Kiba's stomach growled. Embarrassed more than she already was by
her wrong assumption, she looked down at her hands where they clasped the
skin around her.
"It seems I have already been remiss in my duties to my future mate. I'll
catch some fish for a meal, Would you like a piece of fruit till then?" he
asked, laying a paw on her shoulder. When she nodded but didn't look up he
sighed, "You rest here and stay off those feet. I'm sure you have a lot to
think through. I'll bring you food soon."
As he rose and walk away, she glanced up at him. I've been brought here to
mate with an animal she thought to herself. He is amazing to look at
though. She flushed with the attraction she felt to him, and looked down at
her hands again. How could this have happened she wondered. Sure her life
had been horrible back home but she was use to it. She got by fine on her
own. Although... she had been lonely. She got along better with her dogs and the
other animals she rescued all the time. She could understand them better then people.
Why just last night she had gone to the shrine close to her apartment and wished
for the perfect man for her.
Suddenly she jerked her back straight and really looked at Masaru again.
The shrine she had gone to was guarded by several statues of Kitsune, the
mischievous fox spirit. Could this have been his doing? Sending her here
because he knew Masaru needed her and she just needed someone, anyone to
complete her life?
As Kiba sat there wondering at her mental revelation, she watched Misaru
cast the vine nets across the stream. It hooked on the opposite side of the
stream where a stick protruded from the ground about a foot and fastened it
on a matching stake this side. He walked over to one of the palms and
reached up to pull down several of the lapis fruit. He left a small mound
of them at the fire pit before walking over to hand one to Kiba. He
returned the pit and squatted down to start a fire.
Kiba absently took a bite of the fruit. The flavor made her look down and
really look at it. It had coral pink flesh under the skin. It tasted of
pineapples and mangos... and any other tropical fruit she could think of all
mixed together. Her stomach rumbled again and she started eating with
gusto. It was delicious.
Turning back to watch Masaru, Kiba saw that he already had the fire going.
He was heading to the cave again. He pushed aside the skin and disappeared
inside, reappearing a few minutes later with a stack of colorful skins. He
walked back to her and knelt down at her side.
"These are some skins I've recently tanned and colored for when I needed
them. Do you think you could use them to fashion something to wear?" he
asked her.
Kiba nodded, her mouth full of fruit.
"I know you don't have fur but it's always warm here. We are near the
equator. The lighter the clothes the more comfortable you'll be." Laying
his hand on the stack he said, "Use any of them you like and make whatever
you need."
She looked at the jewel tones of the skins. There were so many, all colors
of the spectrum. "Thank you ." she whispered as she ran her hand over the
soft skins.
"I've got some hard leather I will use to make something for your feet. You
will need them since you don't have the thick pads that protect our canine
paws."
Making sure she had the skin held tightly around her, he picked her up and
walked over to the log by the fire. Masaru set her down and went to
retrieve the skins and bring them to her. He set a small knife on top.
As he turned away, he unconsciously ran his forepaw down her damp hair. The
touch was more comforting... and intimate then she would have thought. She
found herself finally relaxing for the first time since she had gotten to
this world.
Kiba watched Masaru walk over and check the net across the stream for fish.
He pulled it out along his wiggling catch. Untangling the fish he cleaned
them on a rock near the water and carried them to the fire. Putting them on
a copper tray, he picked up a small pouch that she hadn't seen on the other
side of the pit and sprinkle a light colored powder on the fish. Masaru put
it in the merrily smoking oven. And started cutting the fruit up in a gourd.
She had a new sense of comfort and wellbeing she had never felt before.
With the warmth of the fire she dropped the skin from around her shoulders.
She turned back to the colorful skins. Masaru was right, she hadn't been
cold since she had gotten here. She wouldn't need much to cover herself. A
few knots here and there should give her something acceptable. Looking
through the colors she picked out a royal purple skin and picked up the
knife he had left to cut it with.
*****
She was running, as fast as she could. She was bleeding again. The rocky
ground had ripped off the soft skins around her feet. Kiba could feel hot
breath on her neck and glanced over her shoulder. Just behind her was the
white fox. The dead white, fox with blood bubbling from it's muzzle and
collapsed throat.
"How can you be chasing me?" Kiba screamed. "You're dead! She thought he
might have tried to answer but only heard a gristly wet whistle. She
panicked.
"Someone help me! she cried. "Masaru....!"
She woke sitting straight up, sweating and crying. Looking around her in
terror. She was in the cave on a deep pile of soft furs and skins. Masaru
had carried her here to sleep then gone out to camp just beyond the door.
It couldn't have been more then a couple hours ago. It was still dark
outside the skin covered door.
Then he was there, running through the cave opening on all fours. Standing
upright when he realized there was no threat. Masaru walked over to the
still sobbing Kiba. Sitting down next to her, he wrapped his arms around
her and pulled her close.
"I..it was a nightm...mare." she hiccupped. "The white fox you killed was
chasing me... but he was still dead and bloody. I couldn't find you."
"I'm here now, the nightmare is over." he rumbled. "You are safe with me.
No one can get you here. Do you think you an go back to sleep? You need it
after the excitement yesterday. I'll be right outside the door"
Suddenly she clutched him tighter. "Please... don't go" she whispered. "I
don't want to be alone. Can you just hold me while I sleep?"
Laying Kiba back down on her right side, he lay down behind her on the furs,
warm from her body. He put his arm under her head as a pillow. Pulling her
close with his other arm, he spooned around her. Gods she was tiny, but she
was so warm. This felt so right. As he lay beside her, he felt her relax
and slip into slumber. After a while he started to drift off himself,
thinking he would be happy to remain like this forever.
*****
Masaru woke at dawn as always. Kiba had turned in her sleep and was
snuggled with her face in his chest fur. His long , thick, bushy tail
draped over them both. Her arm was wrapped around his waist and her leg was
between his, bent up to press against his loincloth covered balls. With
the intimate contact, he felt a burning need for her, the pink tip of his
cock had emerged from the sheath and it pressed uncomfortably against the
skin covering him. Quickly and gently he untangled himself from her, not
wanting her to wake and see him like this. She would need time to accept
that he was her mate and he couldn't force the issue. A mating was forever.
It formed a mental link that could never be broken. They would always feel
each others needs, wants and emotions. Be able to find the other, no matter
where they were. Masaru was also fairly certain, from what she had told him
the day before, that she was a virgin. That would make matters more
sensitive No, he could wait. He knew this was meant to be, she would let
him know when she was ready for him.
He stood there and watched her for a moment, a small warm bundle sleeping in
the furs. Her auburn hair fanned out around her head. She had a beauty all
her own. His paw moving unwittingly to rub his sheath and emerging cock
through the soft cloth. Realizing what he was doing, he quickly left the
cave to relieve the burning ache in his balls. If his need for her was this
strong already, he would need every ounce of willpower to control himself.
He was sure his paw would get a good workout over the next few days.
Sitting on the bank of the stream in the bright warm sunlight, he stuck his
legs in the water. Releasing the loincloth from around his waist, he
reached down between his legs and started massaging his balls and sheath
with his paw. His thick pink member emerged quickly. Masaru closed his
eyes and imagined Kiba, sitting in front of him as he knelt on the furs. He
used his other hand to wrap firmly around his cock, he envisioned it was her
small white hands gripping him as she gazed up at him with those big brown
eyes. He started stroking himself all the while thinking of how it would be
to have her do this for him. Breathing hard, his knot began to swell. It
had been so long since he had intimate contact with a female, or even
thought about it for that matter, that it wasn't long before he stiffened,
his head falling back, and shot his load of seed into the stream. He
groaned to keep from howling his need to the sky.
Opening his eyes he saw the evidence of his weakness for her flow away in
the water of the stream. Masaru's breathing slowed to a pant. He stood up,
grabbing his loincloth as he rose and fastened it back on. Pushing all
sexual thoughts of Kiba from his mind was hard but he had things to do.
She would be hungry when she woke. He would need to catch something for
breakfast and prepare it. After setting up the fishing net across the
stream, he dove in beyond it and heading for the tunnel leading from the
canyon. There was a place not far from the exit stream where some cliff
nesting birds had set up a permanent community. He would get a few eggs to
surprise Kiba with. As he cleared the cave, he grabbed the boulder he had
placed in the stream for the purpose of holding himself in place and under
the water. Surveying the clearing through the clear water, he saw it was
empty and pulled himself out of the water. Crouching on the bank, he waited
a few moments, listening and scenting the area. Nothing. He rose, thinking
of the eggs he would surprise Kiba with, and bounded off, on all fours to
the nesting site, in high spirits.
*****
Missing the warmth of Masaru's large furry body, Kiba woke. "He must
already be up and busy" she thought as she stretched. Life wouldn't be
easy, under these primitive conditions, and Masaru would be an early riser.
She sat up, pushing the thick fur off of her. She lifted the camisole over
her head and reached for the clothes she had fashioned the night before.
She had made a halter of sorts. There was a permanent knot between the
breasts and she would tie two more at her neck and around her back to wear
it. The bottom part was half loincloth and mini-skirt. She had cut a long
wide piece of the purple skin, then trimmed away just forward of middle in
the shape of an hour glass. She had braided together long strips of the
same skin and wove it through the large piece, at the back and tummy, so
that after she put it between her legs she could tie both sides at her hips
and have flaps hanging down, front and back, to form a short skirt.
Looking around Kiba saw the basket Masaru had used yesterday to carry the
supplies for her feet. She pulled it close and started unwrapping the skins
binding her feet. Peering at them in the dim light of the cave, she saw
that scabs had formed over the cuts. She would have liked to leave them
uncovered to get air but she couldn't walk on them without opening the
wounds. Pulling out two long strips of skin, she began to truss her feet
again.
Clad in her new clothes, Kiba limped from the cave, pushing aside the flap
at the opening. She scanned the canyon but saw no sign of Masaru. Where
could he be? She relieved herself in the deep hole Masaru had dug for the
purpose on the far side of the canyon. The wound on her feet pulled a
little as she hobbled down to the pool, she knelt at the edge. Scooping up
water, she rubbed the cool liquid vigorously over her face and around her
neck.
Feeling refreshed, she noticed the fishing net hooked across the stream.
Thinking she could help by having a fire ready to cook with, she wondered
over to the fire pit and looked for a way to light the fire. She saw two
small rocks by the stacked gourds and thought they might be flint... or
something similar. Picking them up, Kiba struck one against the other,
going away from her body. There was a flash, as they struck each other, and
a spark blazed toward the pit. "How hard can it be?" she mumbled.
Fifteen minutes later she was still struggling to get the stones to light
the small bundle of dried moss she was using as tinder. She just couldn't
seem to aim the sparks where she needed them. Finally, in frustration, she
blanketed the bottom of the pit with it and tried again. Kiba struck the
stones again and was rewarded with a small curl of smoke. Pulling away
the excess dried moss, she gently blew on the smoking tinder. When it burst
into flame she put on larger and larger twigs and logs till the fire burned
merrily. She grabbed a piece of fruit from the pile near the fire and sat
on the log to wait. As she took a large bite of the sweet fruit, she was
feeling very pleased with herself.
*****
It had taken Masaru longer then he thought to acquire the eggs. The birds
were timid and flew away at any threat to them or their eggs. That was
probably why they lay so many, all year long, to replace their stolen young
and keep their species going. But the bottom nests he could reach from the
ground were empty. Other predators had been here before him. He'd had to
climb the cliff quite a way to find some nests with the little treasures he
was looking for. Climbing the cliff had been slow going, his paws were not
made to find the little cracks and crevasses needed for the ascent but it
had been worth the effort. He had come away with a couple dozen eggs tucked
into a pouch carried at his hip. There would be enough for a few days.
He had also managed to catch a couple of small flightless birds on the way
back to the canyon. They would make a good meal for tonight. He quickly
broke their necks and tied them together by the feet with a leather tong to
make it easier to carry.
Finally he was on his way back through the tunnel into the canyon. He hoped
Kiba would be pleased with his finds. As he pulled himself from the stream,
he saw her sitting on the log by the fire. She hadn't heard him come back
and continued to gaze at the fire. He headed toward her, a smile on his
face. Kneeling behind her, he wrapped his arms around his waist, leaning her
back into his chest. Kiba was so startled she jumped, hitting him in the
muzzle with the top of her head. Masaru fell back on his tail, his arms
around Kiba pulling her with him.
She quickly flipped over and threw her arms around his neck. With her
laying on his chest and between his legs, he felt himself twitch beneath his
loincloth. He hoped she didn't notice. Loosening her grip around his
throat he looked up into her face. He saw concern and relief warring in her
eyes. "What's wrong? Did something happen while I was gone?" he
questioned, looking around the canyon more intently.
"You were gone so long." she whispered. "I thought something had happened
to you...or that you decided not to come back. I'm an unexpected worry for
you that I'm sure you don't need." She looked down, as if ashamed of being
a problem for him. "I didn't know what I would do if you didn't come back?"
Masaru pulled her back to him, rubbing the back of her head. He sat her up
on the log after a few moments of enjoying the feel of her in his arms. He
tucked his legs under him to kneel, his tail curled around his legs.
Holding her hands in one of his, he used the other to lift her chin so he
could look into her eyes. "I'm sorry I worried you. I never thought of
telling you where I was going, or that I was going for that matter. I
haven't had anyone to answer to for ages." He grinned, "I will never leave
without telling you where I'm going again. I just thought you would sleep
longer after yesterdays excitement. I wanted to get you something special
for breakfast."
Kiba's eyes searched his. "Really? You got something for me?"
Reaching for the pouch at his waist, he hoped none of the eggs had broken
when he fell. He pulled out a couple for her to see and lifted the birds he
had dropped on the ground when he had reached for her. She still looked so
unsure. Sighing he set the birds and eggs aside, he added the rest of the
eggs in the pouch to the pile. He wanted to avoid talking to her about his
feelings and their mating till she was ready, but he saw no way around it.
He needed to reassure her and take the fear from her eyes.
He pulled himself up to sit on the log next to her, pulling her to sit in
his lap. "There are a few things you need to know about mates on this
planet, Kiba." he started, then hesitated again to think of how to explain
best. He rested his muzzle on top of her head. "Once intended mates see
each other for the first time there is no fighting it. In most cases, there
is plenty of attraction which turns to a strong loving bond. In the off
chance that the mated pair can't stand each other, there is nothing they can
do but learn to live with the situation. If the pair did try to fight it,
their need for each other would eat at them till they couldn't eat or sleep.
If they continued to fight, it would eventually lead to death." He held
Kiba away from him so she could see his eyes.
"I couldn't leave you, nor do I want to. I never thought I would have the
opportunity to experience these feelings for myself, in my self imposed
exile. I enjoy you being here with me. My need for you has grown more
quickly than I've ever seen. Every touch and caress makes me want you more
than I can stand." As Kiba turned pink he said, "But even with my need so
strong, I find myself needing you to want me too. I can wait till you are
ready."
"You want me? No one has ever wanted me." she said in surprise, still
blushing.
"Then it is their loss. You are mine now and I will never let you go." he
growled, nuzzling her ear.
Slowly she relaxed into him, wrapping her arms around him. "I've thought
you were beautiful and amazing from the first time I had a moment to collect
my thoughts. I find myself wanting to touch you and run my fingers through
your fur. But this is all a little much at the moment, I feel like a deer
in the headlights. I'll try not to take to long, but I appreciate the time
you're willing to give me.
He didn't understand all the words she had just said but he did get the
gist. They sat for a long while just holding each other. Finally he gently
moved her to sit on the log. He felt his chest clinch with the loss of
contact. "We should get breakfast started.' he said, voice gruff with
emotion. "We still have a lot to talk about and a couple of things to do.
I see you have a fire going, can you cook some of the eggs while I clean
the fish and birds?"
"Sure." she nodded. She grabbed another piece of firewood as she rose, to
get the fire going better. As he got up to get busy, he felt her watching
him. He was bringing back the cleaned and dressed meat when he noticed her
preparing the eggs. He had always cooked them in their shells buried in the
hot coals. Fascinated, he watched as she broke them in a small bowl and mix
them up good. She found his bag of seasoning and mixed a small amount into
the raw egg. Soon they were spread in a shallow metal dish that she had
heated by the fire and was scraping the bottom with a spoon. They looked
like curds in bad milk at first but were shortly fluffy and yellow. They
smelled wonderful.
She split the eggs into two bowls and handed one to him. Masaru took a bite
and the mixture melted on his tongue. "Mmm, these are really good. What do
you call them?"
"Scrambled eggs, I'm glad you like them." she said. "I cook them for myself
often. It's an easy thing to make for just myself. I know a lot of ways to
make them. I don't suppose you have bacon and cheese?" she joked.
"I don't currently have cheese. It's one of the thinks I buy when I make my
infrequent trips to the town a days walk from here. I have to be especially
careful when going to public places. What's bacon?" he asked.
"It's a cured meat made from pigs. An animal humans raise for meat. Bacon
is a popular for breakfast and served with eggs." she replied.
As he finished the eggs he could feel her watching him. Contemplating what
he had told her no doubt. He finished the last bite then said, "I like the
clothes you made for yourself. Lightweight and cool. They will also be easy
to move in."
"They are very comfortable. I never realized how confining the clothes I've
worn my whole life were." she said with pleasure. "I've never felt such
freedom."
"You'll need to make more. The colors are fine to wear in the canyon, but
for the times we need to leave it you will need more neutral colors. Browns
and tans, maybe green, Those will help you blend in with your surroundings."
he said, admiring how the purple made her skin look pale, smooth and
beautiful. Shaking off those thoughts he continued, "I'm going to make
something to protect your feet. While we work, we can talk more. I'll go
get what we need."
*****
When he returned, he was carrying more of the soft skins in natural colors.
There was also some thicker leather and some matching cording that Kiba
assumed were for making her some shoes. He handed her the skins and the
same small knife then sat with his legs crossed on the ground in front of
her. Pulling a large knife from a sheath at his waist he started sawing
slowly through the thick hard leather.
"I think I should tell you about myself." he said, concentrating on what
he was doing. "About why I live here like I do."
"I remember you saying you were an outcast and lead a dangerous life. Kiba
replied, leading him into his explanation.
"I should explain the hierarchy of the coyote packs first." Masaru started.
"It will help the rest of the story make sense."
"Most coyote live in packs that are immediate family or rarely extended
families. The only reason anyone would change packs is when females mate
into other packs or if a lone male mates into a female's pack. These males
will leave the pack if their mate dies, preferring to be on their own. Most
lone coyote are male but there have been a few exceptions where there have
been females. They are mostly females who have lost a mate and can't stand
to be part of the pack that reminds them of what they lost or if the pack
she mated into didn't approve of her in the first place they might cast her
out. Any pups born from the mating are kept by the male's pack or the
female's if her mate was a loner when they mated." Masaru growled in anger,
"The family pack of the female who lost her mate would not let her back in,
thinking her a failure for not becoming an integral part of her mate's pack.
Like I said, it's not often that a mating is an unwanted event but it does
happen. These lone females don't often survive long or loose their minds,
becoming feral and dangerous. There are no accommodations made for these
unfortunate females."
As Masaru spoke, Kiba stopped what she was doing to watch him. At the anger
in his voice, she wondered what had happened in his life to make him so
bitter. The fur on his neck was standing on end.
"I'm getting ahead of myself." his voice cut through her pondering. "Back
to the pack order. Each pack has an alpha that rules that pack. He can
only be overthrown with a fight to the death. Each alpha is a law unto
himself and is totally dominate. His mate would have authority over the
females but only as far as her mate would let her. But... there is a higher
authority than the pack alpha. There is one coyote that has control over
all the packs. Ken'ichi is an overlord and mainly presides over disputes
between packs but the other leaders follow his actions like he is a paragon
and he can do no wrong. As a result, pack alphas mimic his actions, afraid
if they don't they will anger him. Even if it means they don't follow their
hearts and do the right thing."
"I'm getting the feeling that you know a someone that this has happened to.
Was it someone close to you?" she asked interrupting him. "I can
understand being outraged, but I get the feeling you are beyond that."
"Actually this is where my story begins. Ken'ichi is my sire." Masaru
replied, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself. "He didn't have much to
do with my upbringing since he was so busy and traveled a lot between the
other packs. In a regular pack the pups are raised equally by both parents.
My mother, Akemi, and oldest sister, Misaki, raised me. They were my whole
world back then and I loved them very much. I didn't realize how odd it was that
my father didn't help till I was much older. Nor did I understand how cruel and vicious my
father was till I was about fifteen."
"Around my tenth year, Misaki mated with a coyote in another pack. She
hated him and didn't want to leave her pack, but like I said earlier, it's
inevitable. Her mate's pack resented her, fearing she would bring the wrath
of Ken'ichi down on their heads if they did or said anything to upset her.
After about four years her mate died in a foolhardy hunting accident. His
pack, blaming Misaki for her mate's reckless behavior , chased her out and
told my father that her mate was so unhappy with her that he no longer
wished to live and became careless and rash. Never thinking they would lie
to him, the "Great Overlord", he believed them."
"When Misaki tried to return to the pack she spoke to my mother first hoping
for her support. She said her mates pack treated her like a worthless
slave, and kept her guarded at all times so she couldn't escape and tell
Ken'ichi what was going on. When her mate wanted sex, it was with or
without her consent, in most cases he raped her to get what he wanted.
Misaki finally gave up realizing if she was docile, her life was less
painful, even if she had no recourse to make it better. When her pups were
born, they were taken from her and raised by her mate and his family.
Misaki was allowed no contact with them other then serving them. They
didn't even know she was their mother."
"When my mother and Misaki went to my father with all this, he became
enraged that his worthless daughter, who couldn't keep her mate happy, would
try to come back to his pack. Both Akemi and Misaki tried to explain the
truth but he wouldn't listen. He forced my sister to leave and never come
back. Akemi tried to help her when she could as Misaki roamed the outskirts
on my fathers territory. When my father found out he put a stop to it. He
broke my mothers heart, she took sick and died. I took it upon myself to
find Misaki again and tell her what happened. After everything else, the
grief pushed her over the edge and she went insane. One day when Ken'ichi
was traveling to see another pack, Misaki caught him on the road and
attacked him trying to kill him. The guards traveling with him murdered her
to save him."
"I was fifteen at the time. When Ken'ichi returned home after the attack
and told me what happened I was furious. We argued for hours. I finally
told him I would somehow stop his cruelty and improve the lives of all the
packs. My father became incensed and I knew he would kill me. Since I
wasn't strong enough yet to stop him, I ran away and have been on my own
ever since. Ken'ichi has become more cruel over the years and is constantly
hiring mercenaries to hunt me down but they are not very bright and I can
usually evade them. I have been on my own for about ten years now waiting
for my chance." Masaru sighed and shook his head.
Kiba could see his anguish at losing the only people he had ever loved.
Telling her all this had taken a lot out of him, he looked drained. She set
aside her project and limped over to sit next to him on the ground. She put
her arms around his waist and lay her head on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry.
That's the most appalling thing I've ever heard." she whispered, as tears
ran down her face. "Why haven't you tried to stop him before now?"
"He has more guards now. By taking young males from their packs and taking
on mercenaries, he is all but untouchable." Masaru replied. "He has made
life for the packs that he has taken these males from harder. They don't
have the hunters and protectors they require to provide food and safety and
there is nothing they can do. Ken'ichi has become ruthless and they are
afraid. I don't know how to stop him."
"Have you thought about enlisting the help of the packs he is terrorizing?"
she asked. "People live in fear long enough and they will usually rise up
against a tyrant. Maybe if they have someone who could give them a better
life to stand up and fight for, it could give them the hope to fight for
what they want."
Masaru looked down at her with a thoughtful look on his face. "I never
thought of that. I've never had any experience with politics or rebellion.
I think Ken'ichi kept me ignorant, afraid that someday I would overthrow
him. I'm strong enough to take him on now and I'm sure I could defeat him,
I just couldn't figure out how to get to him." he sat up straighter and put
his arms around her also, resting his muzzle on the top of her head. "I
think I know now why you were brought her for me. How do you know these
things?"
"One of my favorite subjects in school was history. I was fascinated by
feudal Japan. Each region was ruled by an overlord who had lesser "Chiefs"
who ruled smaller sections of his region. Some of those overlords were as
cruel or evil as your father. Eventually the people they were terrorizing
would rise up and band together. In most cases they took down the bad guy
and reclaimed their lives... but sometimes it didn't work. It's never a sure
thing but maybe it's worth a try." she said slowly, as if really thinking
about what she might be setting in motion.
"I think it might be worth more thought, but I have you to think about now
besides just defeating my father and his cruelty." he stated, nuzzling her
hair. "But I think with your insight, that together we can do this."
Kiba looked up into his eyes and saw hope there instead of the despair that
had been there while telling his story. She smiled slightly as the tears
dried on her face and reached up to run her fingers through the fur on the
side of his face. Masaru leaned closer and brushed his muzzle against her
lips. She could feel his whiskers tickling her cheeks. Heat blazed down
her body from where his mouth touched hers. Kiba shivered with desire... and
a little fear. "I've never had sex with a man and now I'm so attracted to
Masaru, I'm ready to let he do whatever he wants to me and I know deep down
I'll enjoy it." she though to herself. "But I'm still scared and confused
about the whole situation." She pulled away slowly and felt herself blush
to her toes as he looked down at her. She could feel in his gaze how much
he wanted her, his eyes blazed with it.
Seeing the look of confusion on her face, he pulled away a little more and
brushed his paw down her cheek. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." he
murmured.
"Really, it's okay. I enjoyed it, very much." she said softly. "I'm just
still so off balance with all that's happened. Please don't be sorry, just
be patient with me."
While they continued to worked they told other storied of their lives,
getting to know each other better. Kiba told of her studies, Taekwondo and
her animals. Masaru, of his life with Akemi and Misaki, before things went
so horribly wrong. Later in the afternoon they work together to make their
meal. Anyone watching them would have thought they had been together for
years as they work so well together. They almost seemed to know what the
other wanted without saying a word. When it came time for bed, Kiba asked
him not to leave her alone, they fell asleep wrapped in the comforting
warmth of the other.