Chapter 10: More Than He Deserved
#10 of The Mating Season 4
Chapter 10: More Than He Deserved
Keeno went home. Not because he wanted to -- but because he couldn't remember a single thing that had taken place the night before. He remembered some kind of argument, and that Enya "supposedly" liked females. Keeno scoffed to himself as he entered the hut. Yeah, right. His sweet little Enya, a female lover? He must've had a nightmare. And whatever argument he'd had with Zalia, he knew how to mend it. He always did.
Keeno halted in the doorway of the hut and was relieved to see Zalia was home -- but then again, she should have been home anyway: it was the end the day! Had he really slept the day through at Aros' place? What had he been doing with Aros anyway?
Keeno staggered in, frowning against his blaring headache and wondering what the hell he could possibly tell Zalia when his wife spoke first:
"Kilyan came over here this morning looking for you. I told him you were sick. I lied to my brother -- I did that for you!"
Keeno winced. Zalia's voice was so cold! Had the argument really been so bad? She was standing with her back to him, placing wooden bowls on the shelf. The empty basin was beside the fire: she had just washed the bowls, meaning he had missed supper. He could smell the remaining scent of stew and bread on the air.
Keeno flopped on the sitting furs beside the fire and clutched his head. "Zalia, could you bring me some of that stuff you always give me for a headache -- you know, that really nasty tasting stuff . . . the Puke Juice." Keeno laughed to himself, but felt a pang when he looked up to find Zalia wasn't laughing: Zalia wouldn't even look at him. She bent to gather the small dish basin and marched it away.
"Ah, come on, honey, was the fight really so bad? We've argued before!" Keeno wheedled. There was no answer. Something was really wrong here. "Where's Enya?" he asked, turning back to the fire.
"Her room," Zalia answered curtly.
"And Yuri?" Keeno asked, just for the sake of knowing. Sweet little Yuri. She had been his Enya's best friend since they were pups. And how cute they'd always been together. They had been inseparable. He smiled to himself that nothing had changed much.
"In Enya's room with her," Zalia answered just as curtly.
Keeno sat staring at the fire, and slowly, it dawned on him. "Oh, god . . ." he moaned, slapping his paws over his face.
"So you have your memory back, I see," Zalia said scathingly, and just by the tone of her voice, Keeno could tell she was standing with her paws on her hips. She went on, her voice an angry sob, "You act like a stubborn idiot and tear this family apart -- then you stay out all night drunk and have the nerve to come back here!"
Keeno shielded himself with his arms just in time: Zalia's little fists came down hard on his head. She went into the usual fit so typical of her little rages, and though Keeno was used to the stabbing pain of Zalia's sharp little fists, he did not like it any more than he ever had.
"You worthless -- you idiot -- how could you!" Zalia snarled through her fangs.
"Hey -- cut it out, Zalia!" Keeno shouted back, and grabbing his wife by the wrists, he pulled her to her knees.
Zalia twisted and struggled to pull free, her fangs flashing as she continued her verbal abuse. Zalia had always been strong, and depending on how angry she was, her determination to beat Keeno usually did not wane until he could wrestle her into complete submission. So Keeno did the routine: he wrapped his arms around Zalia as she was wreathing and growling, and he pinned her to the sitting furs, where she wriggled under him until she was too breathless and tired to continue her attack.
"You stupid . . ." Zalia panted, her breasts heaving under her shawl, "you m-moron -- I hate you!"
Keeno's heart sank when his wife broke down sobbing. Tears filled her sapphire eyes and squeezed from their corners when she shut them tight against his sudden rain of kisses.
"Oh, Zalia," Keeno moaned, "please -- please don't cry! I couldn't have done anything too bad if I was drunk, and as long as Lila wasn't in the hut, I'm sure you have no reason to think --"
"Oh, shut up, Keeno!" Zalia snarled, and Keeno winced: he had never been too good at comforting his wife. "And get off me! Get off me!"
"Why? So you can beat me some more?" Keeno demanded with a laugh.
"It's no more than you deserve!"
"Oh, Zalia, come on! What'd I do yesterday that was so bad, huh? Just tell me so I can make love to you. Holding you down like this is making me all horny . . ." So saying, Keeno buried his face in Zalia's neck and kissed her there, trailing his kisses to the cleavage heaving under her blue shawl.
"Stop it, Keeno!" Zalia warned, and Keeno did stop it: the look in Zalia's eyes told him her anger went beyond his getting drunk the night before.
Keeno was shocked. Once he'd reclaimed some of his memory, it had never crossed his mind that she was angry about the argument with Enya. Though Zalia had threatened never to speak to him again if he left the hut, he had expected her to. She always made such empty threats when they argued, and so when he returned that evening, he had anticipated her usual doting. If anything, he had fully expected Zalia to be on his side! Enya had threatened to defy her parents and the traditions. And what was more, Enya had looked her father in the eye and declared that she hated him! And yet Zalia was taking Enya's side? Keeno couldn't believe it.
"So that's it?" Keeno said darkly. "Enya has some adolescent infatuation with Yuri that could get her killed, and you're going to stand behind her all the way?"
Zalia glared at her husband. "Why is it so hard for you to believe it? Enya is not experiencing some phase, Keeno! She likes females! She likes them as much as her father, which really isn't helping your case about now --"
Keeno burst out laughing. "Zalia, don't tell me that you're still jealous after all these years! I stopped being the village playboy that first time I was with you. And that's the honest truth."
Zalia looked up at her husband and couldn't resist the affection in his eyes: she smiled. And when Keeno happily kissed her on the lips, she remembered her father's advice: coming to terms with Enya's sexuality was something Keeno was going to have to do on his own. There could be no forcing him. All she could do as Keeno's wife was give him the same patience and love she'd been giving him for sixteen years, and all she could do as Enya's mother was give her daughter wisdom and comfort. Kel had taught her to accept that.
"Enya didn't mean it, Keeno. You know that, don't you?" Zalia said soothingly. When Keeno's dark eyes clouded over, Zalia stroked her husband's mane. "Keeno! Enya loves her father. If she didn't, I don't think she'd be so angry. She never imagined that her father of all wolves would forbid her feelings. Neither did I."
"Ah, Zalia, don't guilt trip me," Keeno moaned. "I already feel bad enough. It's just -- I'm so scared for her!" Keeno abruptly sat up, and he looked so terrible that Zalia kissed him and embraced him.
"I know, Keeno," she whispered, feeling Keeno's miserable little sigh against her neck. "I'm scared for her too."
"Maybe I should go talk to her."
"You can't."
Keeno's ears pricked forward and he pulled back to stare at his wife. "Why not?"
Zalia smiled mischievously. "Enya and Yuri aren't here. They're over at Loryn's. I figured she needed to be away from you for a while and I didn't want to bother my father anymore than I already have -- you know, with Zaldon in town . . ."
"I'll talk to her tomorrow then," Keeno said, and his dark eyes gazed miserably beyond Zalia. "God, what am I going to say to her?"
"Whatever you say, Keeno, don't push her to do anything rash," Zalia warned. "And don't do anything rash yourself! She gets that from you."
Keeno rolled his eyes. "Yes, ma'am. Anything else?"
"Yes." Zalia kissed Keeno on the lips and whispered against them, "I love you."
Keeno only moaned wretchedly and snatched Zalia into his embrace.
"What's the matter!" Zalia cried, for her husband's arms were trembling around her.
"We have a serious problem here, Zalia," was the answer.
Zalia waited and Keeno said into her ear, "I'm going to kiss you, then I'm going to take off your shawl and make love to you, and I'll never be able to leave your side."
Zalia laughed, and pulling back, she smiled into her husband's eyes, "That's not a problem at all."
And they made love. Though Keeno liked to call it "raw fucking." He snatched open Zalia's shawl, and her breasts trembled as his urgent paws explored her body. He was as hard as a rock, and the two of them were moaning and kissing and caressing in seconds.
"You really didn't do anything with Lila, did you?" Zalia panted.
Keeno could barely remember what had happened at Aros' place, but he assured his wife between kisses, "Nope."
"And . . . were you ever attracted to her?"
"Zalia!" Keeno cried impatiently between frenzied kisses. "Lila who? I'm with you! Now come here -- I want inside you!"
Keeno grabbed Zalia's thigh, and pulling it open wide, he rammed himself in with the quick, hard thrust that he knew always drove Zalia wild -- and it did. She cried out and her nails dug in his back as he pumped her rhythmically, hard and fast and heavy.
"Oh, Zalia," Keeno moaned, and Zalia was never so pleased when he closed his eyes, when his brows pressed together and he bit his lip: that always meant she was especially wet and tight. She started jerking her hips against him, and he gave a shuddering breath that told her he was in a state of delicious ecstasy.
"Oh, yes, Zalia, keep doing that," Keeno whispered, and leaning against one paw, he rammed himself harder.
"Deeper, Keeno!" Zalia gasped. "Deeper -- harder!"
Keeno gave it to her, and reaching down between her thighs to the place where they were so wetly joined, to the center of their throbbing passion, he fingered at her clit until her juices were gushing over him. His paw clamped under her thigh, and lifting Zalia's leg onto his shoulder, he fucked her even harder, loving the sight of her breasts steadily riding, of her gasping mouth.
After they had come, they lay together near the low fire, gently kissing and smiling into each other's eyes, and Keeno held Zalia so tightly that she knew in that moment she was the only female that existed. She was so slender and small against his hard chest, so soft and beautiful. She was more than he deserved. And when she looked up at him with shinning blue eyes, he knew he had never wanted or loved a female more.