AARYN

As Aaryn began to lean away, Elreth reached for him, urgent and gasping, "What are you doing?" she rasped, her breath panting and cheeks pink. She was moving forward, going to lean over him again, trying to bring them closer together, but he shook his head. Putting one hand up to catch her at the breast, bracing so she couldn't come forward, he thumbed her nipple as he spoke. She shivered again.

"Lean back a little, beautiful," he rasped, pulling his knees up so she'd have something to lean against. "See if you can pull your feet up so they're flat on the ground."

He gritted his teeth as she did as he said, her jaw still slack and eyes hooded, her breath thundering. She was still trembling from her first release. He prayed she was still sensitive enough.

As she got her knees up, feet flat on either side of his waist, and leaned back against his thighs, she opened herself to his view. Aaryn groaned. His breath came in fast, short pants and his control was shredded.

But as she rolled against him and began to sag into him, her desire rising, he reached down with the pad of his thumb and pressed along her, from where they were joined, up, up, up, until he found that hot swollen flesh that made her cry out.

Again, and again. Her trembles became shakes, and her whimpers cries.

She struggled to keep herself flat against him, but then he whispered, "Come for me beautiful," and slid his thumb against her and she shattered, her breath coming in hot, ragged moans, her body twitching and shuddering, until she sucked in and sagged and Aaryn, no longer able to wait, sat up and pulled her against him, one hand in her hair, the other holding her ass, thrusting, calling her, until his own climax hit him and he howled her name.

Seconds later, he slumped, panting, holding her as she shook in his arms.

"That was… that was…" she panted.

"I know," he gasped.

"Twice?" she squeaked, then pulled back far enough to meet his eyes her hair sticking to her face where she'd sweated.

"Welcome to the joys of being female," he grinned and kissed her deeply.

And damned if he didn't twitch inside of her again.

*****

ELRETH

It was a blissful day to Elreth. A slow start to the morning, that incredible love-making with Aaryn on the rock, then a swim in water that was too cold to enjoy, so they got out and jumped back into the furs to nap for another hour.

By the time the sun was beginning to sink and they were getting hungry again, Elreth felt more relaxed than she could remember feeling in years.

She was more than happy to eat the dried meat and fruit for dinner to make things easy, but Aaryn insisted on cooking. "The fish will be better while they're fresh, and besides, you need to keep your strength up," he said with a wink.

Elreth had barely blushed. She was getting used to this!

Mentally congratulating herself, she got busy collecting wood for the fire and anything else he might need. She'd never really learned to cook, so she sat by, fascinated, as Aaryn took the fish, strung them on green switches, and hung them over the fire, turning then every few minutes.

"Does it bother you that I don't cook?" she asked him suddenly, realizing that she'd never really thought about it. There were always meals at the market, and her mother gave her fresh baking a couple times a week. She'd never had need. Maybe she needed to think about it?

But Aaryn just snorted. "Of course not. All females don't cook. Most males don't!"

"That's my point though. I mean… it seems like we do everything differently than everyone else, don't you think? I'm dominant in the hierarchy, you're doing the cooking… will it grate on you, do you think? Don't you wish we could be normal?"

"If we were normal, you wouldn't take me as a mate, Elreth, so no, I don't wish that. At all."

She flapped that away. "That's stupid. We're true mates. We would have ended up together no matter what roles we had."

"But these are the roles we have. And I am disformed. And you are the Queen. El, we are going to have an incredible life."

"Not an easy one, though."

Aaryn shrugged. "No one's life is easy. I can't wait to have a front-row seat to yours."

"And I get to watch yours, too," she reminded him. "The histories won't forget you, Aaryn."

"I know, I just don't really care about what gets written down. I just want to see things change. I want to see Anima treating the disformed like they're true Anima. If we have a disformed offspring, I want them to grow up feeling like they are normal, instead of always looking for an attack."

Elreth's heart panged and she sighed, rubbing his back as he leaned forward to turn the fish again. "Me too," she said quietly.

They were both quiet for a minute. She was reluctant to talk about work stuff, but… maybe they needed to.

"I'm going to do it, Aaryn," she said quietly. "I'm going to give the disformed their own tribe. I just… I just need to figure out how—so I don't make things worse for them. I need to figure out how to introduce the idea to everyone, and how to put it together in a way that doesn't' make them more of a target. The goal is to integrate, not divide."

Aaryn blew out a breath. "I know. I know it's not easy. And I don't know how to do it either. But… I'm glad you're committed. I do think it's what we need."

Elreth nodded. "I'll talk to the elders when we get back, make sure they understand what I'm trying to do, and get their advice on how to start. It might not happen as quickly as we want it to, but it will happen, Aaryn. I promise you."

*****

AARYN

Aaryn turned away from the fire and the fish and looked at her over his shoulder, smiling in disbelief.

"I know you're going to do it, El. I believe you. That's what amazes me about you. You never doubt yourself, that you can do it."

"Do what?"

"Anything."

"That is not true," she grumbled. She looked young again when she pouted like that. He wanted to kiss those swollen lips, but she went on. "I doubt all the time," she sighed. "I just… I just want to believe what is right can be done, so I move ahead like it will. Until it starts to feel real."

"Well, whatever it is, it works. You're the strongest Anima I know. I'm blown away. I admire you, El. Do you get that?"

He held her gaze and Elreth had to swallow tears. "Thank you," she rasped.

He shook his head. "Don't thank me. That's all you. Just be certain I'm here, okay? Whatever we have to face, we'll face it. I'll stand behind you. Whatever you need. No matter what."

She pulled him into a hug.