Chapter 76: Some Ride
#76 of The Mating Season 6: The Seduction of Seleste
The Seduction of Seleste
From the world of the mating season
Some Ride
Chapter 76
Seleste sat up and gasped, her throat tightening up, her breasts heaving. She saw Keme run to her and lean over. Inden was still holding Wynn's paw, and he looked at Seleste expectantly.
"Why didn't it work?" Inden demanded. "She's still asleep!" He gathered the limp fox queen in his arms again and kissed her head, touched her face, urging her to wake.
Breathless and dazed, it took Seleste a moment to get her bearings. God, her head was _pounding._She never wanted to go astral again! Keme touched her face and made her look at him. She heard him ask what she needed him to do. So he could tell? She smiled: he always knew.
"The crystal . . ." Seleste managed. She squeezed her eyes shut and frowned against the pain. When she opened them again, she could see two confused Kemes frowning at her. "Stop . . . the crystal!" Seleste rasped. "Wynn said . . . you have to. . . .!"
Keme nodded. He turned and walked toward the crystal with his paws balled into fists, and it took Seleste a moment to realize what he was going to do. Her eyes flew open wide. She shouted for Inden to get down, then scrambled across the bed for Sylas. She had barely managed to pull the sleeping fox king down to the floor when the crystal shattered. The roar that came from it was deafening. Down on the floor with Sylas, Seleste flattened her ears against the noise. Peering under the bed, she could see Keme's feet, the shards of crystal that scattered around him across the polished floor, Inden crouching on the floor with Wynn and shielding her with his wings. Keme was shouting with effort and pain, but he kept punching, his blood kept sprinkling the floor, shards kept flying, the crystal kept roaring, and then . . . silence.
Pushing her disheveled mane back from her face, Seleste sat up and tried to catch her breath. The atmosphere seemed to have changed dramatically. The perpetual rage floating on the air dissipated. Now devoid of the crystal's red glow, the room was bright and dazzling with sunlight.
"Mmm, wha . . .? Who?"
Seleste looked around. The fox king's eyes had opened. She smiled: they were the loveliest blue. She helped him sit up, and god, he was handsome. Her breasts were heaving and she felt like a stupid little girl. She hastily pulled her paws from the tight muscles of his arm.
Sylas frowned and touched his temple. "What . . ." He looked at Seleste with his incredibly blue eyes. "Who are you? What's - Wynn!"
Suddenly panic-stricken, Sylas leapt to his feet.
Seleste got to her feet as well and glanced around the room. Keme came to her. His paws were bloody after smashing the crystal, but he didn't even seem to notice. His worried eyes were fixed on her. He stumbled her way and asked if she was alright. She smiled at him and took his paws in her own. A soft light shimmered around their clasped fingers, and then his paws were whole again.
"That was some ride," Keme said with a half-smile. He jerked his head at the others and frowned. "Think they'll be okay?"
Seleste looked where Keme had indicated. Inden was helping Wynn to stand. Wynn was back in her body now, a red fox, her black curls disheveled and in her face. She looked tired and miserable and . . . ashamed. She seemed to be avoiding Inden's eye. He frowned to see her shame and pushed her mane back from her face, made her look at him.
"Whatever you did," Inden said soothingly, "whatever happened, I still love you."
Wynn looked into Inden's eyes, and something in her melted. She began to cry. Inden frowned and kissed her cheek.
"Inden . . .?" Sylas approached them uncertainly.
Without hesitating, Inden punched Sylas to the floor.