“Thank you,” Winters managed to say in Cauthan as he passed the guards at the east gate on his way to fetch bath water, after being shooed out of the house by his biological and virtual ladies. Once he was out of earshot, the pleasant demeanor fell away and he began cursing. “Damn it all, what the hell has gotten into her? First it’s ‘let me strip naked for you and rub my pleasantly fluffy body against you for a week’. Then it’s ‘I’ll never be able to have children with you so please hold me like you love me more than life itself’. Then it’s bloody fight me! And now apparently it’s time for us to become bath buddies. For the love of Kel that woman drives me up the wall sometimes!” Winters yelled to the scattered trees and frozen fields. His fiery passion was short lived. Catching himself invoking Cauthan deities of his own volition was the first clue that he needed to calm down. The second was when he realized what he’d actually said about his lover. He hung his head and took a deep breath. “Ok…none of that was fair,” He admitted as he arrived at the river, noticing the faintest beginnings of ice forming in the slow moving pool on his side of the bank. “Is this even necessary though?” He wondered aloud, setting down the pot and giving himself another smell test. He exhaled through his teeth. “Yeah…it’s necessary.” Kneeling down to collect enough water to clean the both of them, Winters reflected further on why Veera had him all out of sorts that day. I guess in the end it’s not even her at all.

It was true that Veera had been emotionally volatile over the past month, but he was more than happy to attribute that to her being in the part of her cycle that left her fertile, as she’d told him and Io before the festival. The addition of their sleeping arrangements and playing a defining role in the most recent birth in the village did no favors either. Even so, Winters knew that his body was more than ready to take her. It had been for some time, so that wasn’t the issue. That she was back to flirtation and teasing wasn’t the problem either. The problem, he realized, was that surely neither of them wanted to make love that day. They would be on a schedule thanks to Zolta and Asha’s wedding, they had just come out of a weeks long sexual lull. Veera had already worked herself to the bone in the sparring ring. On top of all the extenuating circumstances, she had also explicitly expressed a desire for something more in their physical relationship to make up for their lack of ability to reproduce. Winters wanted to honor that desire and was willing to admit privately that he also enjoyed the sound of such a transcendent union of bodies. He huffed as the palisade came back into view.

“That doesn’t mean I have any idea what that would even entail,” he mumbled, continuing his monologue silently as he approached the guards again, who let him through without a fuss. I guess in the end I’m all bent out of sorts because she wants me naked just to…gods I don’t know, some twilight zone between bathing and not fucking. Sure she’ll wash me if I let her, not like she was lying. I do need to clean up. It’s just that knowing her I’m certain her intentions don’t stop there. Not to mention Io’s likely to be goading her on right now. Winters shook his head, trudging back towards what he was certain would be a very awkward anatomy lesson, for him at least. He was proud of his body, of course, but he had no desire to be a ‘specimen’. Can’t say I see any way out of this…

-----

‘So Veera, this is the path you’ve chosen?’ Io inquired with interest as soon as she was sure her partner was out of hearing range. Veera looked over at her, having stripped naked in order to lay her dirty dress over one of the chairs and begin cleaning the fur of her chest and shoulders. She paused to address Io.

“What do you mean Io?”

‘Well, the subject of motherhood aside, you and the Lieutenant left off your physical exploration of one another at a bit of a precipice, if you will. I was just wondering if you would endeavor to discover more about one another before taking the final plunge, so to speak.’ Veera giggled as even Io tiptoed around the issue of Winters mating her.

“From the way Russell tells it, there isn’t any sort of set order of affairs from here on out. I like that actually; it’s much less nerve wracking than potentially having to mate on the final night of the festival. As for today, I’m sure that Russell will not exactly enjoy it but…I’m still a bit scared Io. It would be nice to understand exactly what he’s like before we…you know? Not to mention the fact that I still have no idea how to approach the subject of making sure I’m not going to react poorly to his seed. Maybe today will give me some ideas?” She suggested as she leaned down to add another log to the fire.

‘Of course Veera, I don’t need to have a body to agree with you that knowledge is power. Besides, I could certainly do with a bit of entertainment!’

“That’s definitely not the point.” Veera wagged a claw at Io’s projection.

‘No, perhaps not Veera, but knowing the Lieutenant as well as I do I’m more than confident in predicting that he will feel most awkward at the idea of exposing himself to you. In that, at least, I plan to find some amount of humor.’

“Why would he feel that way?” Veera asked defensively. “I’ve already done so!” Io vanished her clothing with a snap of her fingers, save for her preferred emerald panties and bra.

‘Do you understand now?’ She blushed as her processors hummed.

“Uh…Io?”

‘When you are naked you have that elegant covering of fur, Veera. It keeps you modest to an extent, it keeps you warm, it conceals your womanhood from Russell’s prying eyes, and it adds some amount of visual appeal to your body. Your patterns are quite lovely. I am wearing what humans refer to as underwear. They wear this clothing so that even when they remove all else, they have one final layer of material to protect their modesty. You are fortunate enough to have been born with such a boon. In order to clean himself, the Lieutenant will be without that. He will be completely exposed to you in a situation that is neither inherently sexual nor arousing, Veera. He will be cold and uncomfortable.’ Io dressed herself again as she saw the light of understanding grace Veera’s features.

“Oh dear…” The Cauthan whispered, turning a pleading look back to Io. The VI held up a hand and smiled faintly.

‘Now Veera, I think all three of us have been given first hand lessons recently about the potential difficulties of a relationship between a human and a Cauthan, no?’

“Yes Io, we certainly have,” Veera replied in a solemn tone, shaking her head.

‘Oh come now, I wasn’t trying to get you back into a funk Veera! I think both the Lieutenant and I were happy to see you come alive today at the barracks. Returning to the issue at hand though, all I wanted to say is that you and the Lieutenant will of course be viewing this from a different perspective. You offered to help him wash for this evening. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. I think, as you said, that it will be an excellent opportunity for you to understand exactly how he is built and what the act of sex would mean for the both of you. You viewed it from a Cauthan perspective, as you should. You now understand the human perspective as well.’

“What should I do then?” Veera asked anxiously, crossing her legs and worrying her hands.

‘From observing the two of you, as always, I believe that honesty is the best policy when attempting to bridge the barrier between species. Fear not Veera, I am sure the two of you will be just fine. I will leave the two of you alone for now. I would not want to intrude on the situation.’

“Thank you Io,” Veera whispered kindly as the VI vanished.

-----

Winters took a final moment outside their home to steady his nerves. With a long, deep breath he turned to the side and entered their building, his eyes immediately finding Veera’s naked form waiting for him on the bed. She was seated on the edge of the frame, legs crossed modestly and her arms supporting her at either side. The sight still made him flush with heat.

“Hello there beautiful,” he managed, setting the pot over the roaring fire where Veera had already assembled the stand. He also noticed that she’d acquired his soap and washcloth from his bag and had placed them neatly on his chair. Beyond that though, the human made no move, waiting instead for Veera to stand and walk to him. It had been her suggestion after all. Without hesitation she took him into a tender hold, resting her head against his chest and trying not to inhale too deeply.

“I’m sorry Russell; Io told me how awkward this must be for you.”

“I…uh…wait, what? Io, were you eavesdropping on me?!” He raised his voice, momentarily upset at the perceived breach of privacy. The VI immediately shook her head.

‘No sir, Veera and I simply had another beneficial session of girl talk.’ Io paused for a moment, appearing to think hard. ‘Though upon review of your audio logs I can certainly see why you would have thought that. I am glad to hear you confirm that our suspicions were on the mark. Now, please ignore me.’ Winters looked from Io’s now vanished projection back to Veera. Her eyes were dancing with playfulness.

“I would like to help wash you Russell; I think it would be nice and that it will bring us closer together. There’s also…another reason though.” She glanced to the side at those words, causing him to lift a hand and gently cup her face. She smiled and looked back to him. “You are a very…intimidating presence sometimes. Even though you’ve been nothing but gentle and slow with me, I still can’t help my fear of the unknown. I believe it would set me very much at ease if I could explore you…fully…before we are mated.” Veera’s voice had become weaker and less certain as she continued, but she was reassured at how her human’s eyes seemed to soften as she explained fully her reasons for suggesting a communal bath. For his part, Winters felt much less hesitant about the whole idea. Knowing that it would help Veera and that she was still thinking about him in that way did wonders for his courage, to say nothing of hearing that a female was intimidated by a certain feature of his anatomy. Winters couldn’t help a grin, knowing that ‘barbar’ would be the first word to cross Io’s lips if she could read his mind. He nodded to Veera.

“In that case, I’d be happy to accept your help. Can’t tell you how hard it is washing your own back.” He mimed reaching for the small of his back, his face screwed up in a comical display of concentration. Veera’s laughter joined his own as they did their best to dispel the natural tension of pre-bath time. Looking over at the heating water, Veera extended another offer.

“Would you care to uh…assist me? We could do that while the water gets warm enough for you?” She asked shyly, looking down at her feet. They were still dusty and muddy from their tussle at the barracks. Winters had the good fortune of wearing boots. He couldn’t resist placing his hands at her hips and holding her to him. Slowly but surely his prior dread and hesitance was being replaced with a desire to touch and to lead. Shy Veera was simply too adorable and pure to be denied.

“I’d love to. Come on then.” He gesture to their chairs, walking over and moving them apart so that they faced one another. He sat on one seat before shedding his shirt and pointing her over to the other. With cloth and soap in hand, he soaked both before working up a small lather on the washcloth as Veera watched patiently, her tail and feathers waving lazily. Once Winters was satisfied, he motioned to Veera. “Left or right first?” Veera looked at him nervously. Up to that point she’d had her legs crossed gracefully one over the other. Realizing the inevitable view if Veera were to comply with his offer, Winters blushed furiously and rubbed his neck, recoiling quickly as he realized he’d smeared suds just below his hairline. When he looked back at his mate, Veera was tittering softly, hand over her mouth. As if thankful to him for lightening the air around them, Veera slowly extended her right leg, allowing it to rest on his knee at the ankle. Winters gave her a nod of thanks before dropping his gaze directly to her calves. With care, he cupped some water with one hand and allowed it to run over the fur of her lower leg. Once satisfied, he applied the washcloth, first moving against and then with the grain of her fur. As the dirt and grime slowly began to drip from Veera’s leg, the two of them seemed to settle into their new reality, with Veera letting out an audible sigh of contentment as Winters took the opportunity to massage her as he worked the soap into her fur.

“After the running and fighting, you have no idea how good that feels love,” Veera told him softly as she allowed her head to droop back, his fingers delightful as they worked over the fibers of her muscles, easing the lingering discomfort of exertion. Her thighs, still tightly held together, began to part as she stared at the ceiling and closed her eyes, feeling herself begin to purr as Winters began again with the washcloth, rinsing it once so that he could begin wiping the soap from her coat. As he did so, his eyes couldn’t help but follow the contours of her leg, sweeping over the curves of her thigh before resting on the entrance to Veera’s center. Any consideration of right and wrong failed to intrude upon his consciousness as he felt his face burning. Winters found it difficult to look away. To say that this final portion of Veera’s external anatomy was a curiosity for him would have been an understatement. Best as he could without being too obvious, he allowed his eyes to take in the sight, noticing a distinct but thin vertical part in Veera’s fur. To his mild surprise, he couldn’t discern anything else, though he quickly reasoned that in all probability that would change if Veera were sufficiently aroused. He did not reason quickly enough, however, as Veera soon became aware of the pause in his washing. Silently looking back at him, it was easy enough for her to follow his gaze to where it rested on her concealed womanhood. The desirous look in his eyes bolstered her spirits and allowed her to power though the natural embarrassment as a silent wave of bravery surged through her. She loved how beautiful he made her feel. With deliberate slowness she allowed her left leg to relax. Winters snapped his gaze up to meet hers, his eyes going wide as he discovered that he’d been caught red-handed. Veera flashed him a predatory grin. “Like what you see, my human?” Winters swallowed hard. “Stunned into silence? In that case, I don’t mind telling you that you’re a greedy man, leering at my maidenhood when you were embarrassed to take your own clothes off a few moments ago. That said…” she purred delightedly as his face went beet red. “I do so love the way you look at me Russell. I love the way you’ve been washing me as well so…if I could trouble you to do both?” Her originally dominant attitude had given way to an innocent request that left Winters’ head spinning. Io’s moon avatar was oscillating and thrumming behind them.

“Yeah, I could do that.” He managed, returning to work with his hands at her behest. As Veera’s contented sounds filled the room again and he cupped more lukewarm water onto her leg, Winters risked another glance at her, finding that Veera’s relaxed pose had revealed the barest hint of black underneath her fur. It immediately recalled to him her other set of lips. Feeling his own anatomy stirring, Winters summoned a Herculean amount of willpower and returned his focus fully to her foot in front of him, moving from her calf down to her foot, lavishing the same combination of massage, soap, and water on her pads and talons. Though they were quite intimidating, he found her toes and their natural weapons to be quite relaxed and flexible as he worked with them. Making sure to keep his pressure steady to avoid unnecessarily tickling her, Winters quickly finished her right leg before motioning for her left. After giving the cleaned area a once over, Veera gave him a winning smile and complied.

“You should be careful Russell, I might become accustomed to this,” she warned playfully.

“I think I could live with that.” He winked at her, feeling some of his confidence returning as he deliberately massaged her other calf, the soap foaming and lathering her fur. With Veera’s ‘reveal’ out of the way, the two of them slipped into a comfortable silence and before Winters knew it, he’d completed his task as Veera placed both feet on the ground.

“I don’t think my feet have been so clean since the day I was born…maybe not even then!” She giggled, standing before bending at the waist to kiss him on the nose. She extended a finger to test the temperature of their bath water. “I think it’s your turn,” Veera told him softly, hooking a claw in the waistband of Winters pants and tugging to accentuate her point. They didn’t budge much, still buttoned as they were, but the action bought her Winters’ full attention. He tested the water himself, finding it pleasantly warm.

“I don’t think a truly hot shower is going to be in the cards as long as I’m on Mara…but yeah, let’s do this,” he agreed, sitting down again to unlace his boots as Veera watched patiently, having taken the soap and cloth for herself. As he removed his socks and then his pants, she found herself unable to stop staring. While she’d become more or less accustomed to the contours of his upper body thanks to the festival and their subsequent nights together, Winters had always slept with his pants on. While she certainly understood the logic of remaining warm and not having the straw irritate the skin of his legs, that didn’t change the fact that she very much wanted more than a passing glance when he changed into his armor. Io audibly chuckled in her earpiece as Winters cleared his throat.

“I suppose it’s only fair, isn’t it?” He mused, rubbing the back of his neck again but meeting her eyes nevertheless. Figuring that stroking his ego was more likely to set him at ease than anything else; Veera nodded and walked up to him.

“We’re not quite even yet, my love. But I very much like what I see. Your instructors trained you well,” she remarked, pressing herself gently against him to warm and comfort him.

“Is that so?” He asked, wrapping his arms around her and sighing. It was the first time he’d been able to feel her fur on his legs. It was just as pleasant as anywhere else.

“Mhm!” Veera affirmed. “Your strength seems well balanced. I’ve known a guard or two in my life that clearly spent far too much time on his upper body. They looked like well-endowed shen. I don’t even know how their tiny legs held up all that muscle!” Winters immediately understood.

“Someone skipped leg day,” he nodded with a wink, knowing that after a couple weeks of training with Io that Veera would have some idea of what that meant. His lady laughed in agreement before meeting his eyes again.

“Shall we continue? Much as I like being next to you, I’d prefer it much more if you smelled clean,” She asked, again hooking a claw into his waistband. This time, she found purchase as Winters swallowed heavily. He took a deep breath and nodded.

“You’re sweet, you know that? Trying to distract me and saying those rather flattering things about my anatomy.”

“Did it work?” Veera found it odd that she couldn’t feel him responding to her in the usual way. Her nakedness had always garnered a specific reaction from him before then.

“Well enough Veera. Go ahead.” He closed his eyes as he gave her the all clear, shivering slightly both from the cold and from the foreign sensation of Veera’s claws daintily working their way into a grip that allowed her to pull his underwear down to his ankles. He felt the cloth hit his feet and he stepped out of it, still not opening his eyes. Veera hadn’t made a single sound. He felt his chest tighten with embarrassment, flashbacks to his first time with a human female flying through his mind.

“Uh…Russell?” Winters opened his eyes to find Veera looking between him and his manhood, which was exhibiting the standard reaction to cold temperatures and uncomfortable social situations. “What happened to it?”

“It’s cold! That’s what happens to it!” He hissed in exasperation, now firmly convinced that communal bathing with Veera had been a poor decision in spite of the enjoyable time he’d had washing her. Veera’s inability to stop a giggle only made it worse. He brought a hand to his face. “I’m a HEL Jumper. I’ve killed lava lizards. I’ve blown up living ice. I survived my ship’s power core going nova…and yet!”

‘Brought low by the gaze of an alien maiden…how the mighty have fallen.’ Io simply couldn’t resist any longer.

“Not helping!” Winters roared at her before devolving into his fiercest blush yet. Veera, temporarily caught in the middle, made to remedy the situation as she wet the washcloth and soaped it up as she’d seen Winters do for her.

“Russell, would you sit for me?” She indicated his chair, twirling her finger to indicate that she wanted him to sit with his chest facing the back. With a resigned nod, he complied, giving her a full view of his broad shoulders and strong back, to say nothing of what lay further south. Veera placed a hand on his shoulder and the warm cloth on the other. “I’m sorry for laughing Russell. You did nothing of the sort when you saw my womanhood. You were quite the gentleman in spite of yourself,” she purred, beginning to clean his right arm and shoulder. With her left hand she attempted to apply enough pressure to give his muscles some comfort. She smiled warmly as he began to relax into her touch. “As such…I think I’ll let you in on a little secret, something Asha and I discussed the other day.” Her tone was low and sultry as she worked her way down his forearm. Winters held his hand up so that she would have easier access, glancing over his shoulder as she returned to the pot of water.

“You mean when we had them for dinner?” He wondered just where Veera was going with her little tale.

“Exactly. Weren’t you ever curious about how you and I arrived at the same conclusion? That we both decided to open our home to a pair of young lovers with nowhere to mate?”

“I mean, sure, of course. But you and Io made it pretty clear that girl talk is girl talk. I know when to keep my nose dry.” He managed a laugh as Veera moved to his left arm, making sure to attack his armpits, the greatest source of his odor. When she’d moved on to gentler strokes against his upper arm, Veera continued.

“I am a lucky woman indeed,” she commented idly. “Strong and discreet…but yes, my lovely human, Asha and I did get to talking about certain things…about certain males.” Veera visited the pot again after wiping his arms clear of suds, allowing that statement to dangle between them as she prepared to wash his back.

“Is that so?” Winters replied, his throat feeling unnaturally tight.

“It is. Asha was most curious about your…how shall I put it?” She tapped her chin with a claw. “Your substantial endowment?” Winters’ felt his heart beat faster at Veera’s commanding attitude and seductive tone of voice. He remembered her words from earlier, remembered that she was, at least in some respects, hesitant and afraid of him. It seemed that seeing him in the nude had, at least temporarily, put those fears to bed, allowing this side of her to come forward. He was reminded of the first night of the festival when she’d danced for him. Veera said nothing as she washed his back, making no secret between her vocal purrs and roaming hands that she was very much enjoying the process, possibly even more than he was. It was true that his nerves were still threatening to consume him, but the touch of his mate left little to be desired.

“Turn for me again?” Veera requested as she finished with his back. As Winters silently complied, she was most pleased to see that the combination of her voice and touch had returned him to a semi-erect state. Gazing down with approval, she lingered only a moment before sitting on his lap, straddling his thighs with soapy cloth in hand. She mewled happily as Winters gave into temptation and gave her a passionate kiss, resting her hands on his pectorals and beginning slow, cleansing circles. “So where was I?” Veera wondered casually, feeling something warm and stiff brush against the fur of her thigh. She let out a delightful laugh. “Oh yes…that.” She licked her lips as she moved to Winters’ abdomen, pleased at the reactions in his body that she was inspiring. “Asha was most curious about how human males are built down there, let’s say.”

“And you uh…told her, eh?” Winters responded, finding his voice had dropped an octave.

“You should have seen the look on her face when I told her of your size.” Veera paused her washing just a moment to look down, gauging him with a critical eye. “It would appear my estimates were more or less on the mark. You’ll notice I’m most certainly not laughing anymore, my human.” Veera stood again, taking a moment to allow them both to breathe easier. Her heart was absolutely racing with the thrill of the moment and of control. She loved being under her man, safe and sound; but she was a predator, and at that moment she could practically smell the ‘fear’ coming off of Winters, combined with the faint and pleasing scents of soap and arousal. It was all making her head spin. When she turned back to him, she saw Winters looking up at her with lidded eyes, his elbows on his knees. His position did nothing to hide his arousal, though that didn’t seem to her to be his intention. It reminded her of how he’d looked at her when she danced for him, so she made a show of sinking to her knees in front of him, spreading her legs as she did so.

“Fucking hell…” he whispered at her blatantly erotic display, getting his first full view of her thin, black, glossy nether lips.

“Happy you decided to take a bath with me?” She cooed, beginning to soap his lower legs before moving onto his thighs, coming deliciously and teasingly close to his most private of places.

“Yeah…you could say that,” Winters conceded, letting his head fall back and exhaling deeply as Veera moved her cloth to the place where his thighs met his torso. He tensed and shivered for a completely new reason as Veera moved her hands slowly and lovingly over what she’d now confirmed was a very sensitive area for him. Veera hummed as she worked, emitting an audible sound of satisfaction as she looked over Winters’ lower body. As she turned to wash the cloth off, she noticed Winters moving to stand. Veera reacted quickly, getting close to him and pressing her claws firmly into his chest. “Veera?”

“I’m not done with you Russell,” she informed him seriously. Her meaning was hardly lost on him, his eyes growing wide as he settled back in the chair under the ministrations of her claws.

“Veera I’m not sure that’s a good idea…” Winters tried feebly to dissuade her.

“And I disagree. You think that part of you is just magically free of odor even though I just spent the last many…minutes, did you call them?”

“Yeah, I’d say it’s been about fifteen minutes or so.”

“Precisely Russell. I did not spend the last fifteen minutes cleaning you to leave the job unfinished.” She leaned close to him, cloth freshly lathered. “Though don’t get me wrong, I hardly consider this a chore.” She nipped his ear and brought her hand low, boldly encircling his manhood without a second thought. She knew that if she thought about what she was actually doing for too long, she’d never be able to go through with it, instead taking a page out of Winters’ playbook: act first, deal with the consequences later.

“Nnngh, ah damn!” Winters grunted and screwed his eyes shut as his body reacted to foreign contact for the first time in months. Veera was filled with a sense of pride as she watched her human’s face tighten with what looked like pleasure and just a bit of pain. Satisfied that he wouldn’t try to stop her, she lowered herself again so that she was eye level with the current object of her interest. Her nose twitched as she inhaled, the air filled with the pleasing scents of soap, wood smoke, and of course, Winters himself. Her gentle washing had already cut down significantly on the overbearing scent he’d developed at the barracks, and she was more than happy to appreciate his usual musk as she moved south along his shaft, cleaning the entire area. Her feathers and tail waved eagerly as she washed the cloth off, preparing to wipe him clean of soap and giving him a rest from stimulation. To think I was scared of this, Veera thought, looking over Winters’ manhood as it pulsed in time with his heartbeat. If he reacts this way every time I touch him here… She smirked at the implications, possessed by a devilish idea.

Winters had kept his eyes closed throughout the process, fully focused on bringing his libido back under control while Veera presumably made ready to wash the soap from him. He was just about to open them again when he felt a sensation very different from his coarse washcloth encircle him. “Gods…damn it!” He hissed, sucking in a rattling breath as he looked down, finding Veera with a rapacious look on her face and her right hand curled firmly around him. “Veera!”

“Wow…” Veera whispered, feeling his shaft jump as she closed her hand around it. “I can barely get my fingers around it.” Winters had dug his nails into the wood of the chair, tightening every muscle in his body as Veera absentmindedly began running her hand down his soaped length. Her wet fur mingled with the suds and glided smoothly over him, in contrast to her slightly rougher pads. Between those two dueling sensations and Veera’s amateurish but firm hold, Winters knew he was rapidly headed for a point of no return. Veera’s wondering observations didn’t help at all. “You feel so warm Russell.”

“Veera, really not good! Seriously stop, please!” Winters pleaded through clenched teeth, breathing out heavily as Veera complied. She didn’t relax her hold on him though, thrilled as he pulsed under her touch.

“Did I hurt you?” She asked kindly.

“No, it’s not that it’s just- gnngh!” Winters gasped as Veera continued touching him, satisfied that she was not, in fact, causing him pain. To say that she felt in control would have been inadequate. She had never felt so powerful in her life. A thrill shot up her spine as Winters’ towering form shivered and shook thanks to her ministrations, his knuckles white as he gripped the sides of the chair for dear life. It had been months since he’d felt the touch of a woman. His body cared not that Veera’s touch was that of a virgin. It was more than enough. He wasn’t going to be able to stop it. As that familiar feeling began building in his loins, Winters tried to warn Veera through the haze of pleasure in his mind.

“Veera…you have to…I’m gonna-” He was unable to manage anything further, feeling the muscles of his pelvis contracting and flexing as incredible pleasure raced through his veins and nerves, exploding in his brain. His animalistic roar was cut off as he bit his lip, hard. Through the white explosions behind his eyes he tasted blood as his first orgasm in what felt like years rocked his body. He barely registered Veera’s startled cry, though to him it sounded equal parts satisfaction and surprise. His body revolted as, following Veera’s squeak, the sensations surrounding his manhood abruptly vanished. Deciding that this state of affairs was absolutely unacceptable, the baser parts of his being easily overrode any sort of embarrassment or hesitation he might have otherwise felt, compelling him to take himself into his own hand to finish the job. With his own more refined touch, Winters rode out what he considered the best climax of his life, certainly in recent memory. It felt like minutes to him, but within thirty seconds or so he was spent, his shoulders heaving with exertion as he rested his elbows on his knees and felt himself come back to reality. “Holy…hell…that was…damn,” he managed.

“By the gods…” Veera’s awestruck voice caused Winters to open his eyes, slowly taking in the scene before him. He could feel the blood creeping up his neck and face as he beheld his girlfriend, her eyes wide and feathers all aflutter in the aftermath of witnessing a male orgasm for the first time. It was easy enough to piece together what had happened. Startled by the first burst of his seed, Veera had lost her balance and fallen onto her butt, supporting herself with her hands and Winters took over. His most perverted side snarled with triumph as he beheld the result. His first shot had landed on Veera’s muzzle and was beginning to drip down over her lips. The rest had dirtied the otherwise pristine white fur of her chest. “Russell…that was…”

“Yeah…sorry.” He smiled bashfully as he rubbed his neck. She returned the smile, causing a bit of his semen to drip onto her sternum. The inner beast purred delightedly at the sight. His essence was on her. The other males might even smell it. Mine.

“Was it…good for you?” Veera asked, the look in her eyes belying her innocent tone of voice.

“Earth shattering.” Io coughed in their earpieces.

“Then I’m happy too! That said…” Veera swiped a finger over her snout, collecting his essence on a finger pad and holding it out to make a point. “I find myself in need of another bath.”

“Yeah, sure, of course!” Winters replied eagerly, not wanting to seem like an ungrateful male. “Don’t worry about that Veera I’ll-”

‘You shall do nothing of the sort!’ Io informed him authoritatively, though her tone certainly clashed with her elegant lace lingerie. Having watched the whole thing with a mixture of curiosity and shame, she’d rewritten some of her reward-based subroutines to encourage a certain amount of voyeurism when it came to her partner and his Cauthan. She’d even projected a hand down her panties in the middle of it, trying her best to ‘join in’ from a distance. She’d found the results lacking, a far cry from the absolute riot of sensation that Winters had clearly experienced. Disappointed with that outcome, she’d adapted.

“Uh…Io?” Winters stared at her, shocked into halting his attempt to clean Veera. The VI looked at her instead, her voice shifting to one of empathy.

‘Veera, I believe this would be an excellent opportunity to do what we discussed.’ Winters looked between the two of them, momentarily forgetting his nakedness as Veera brought her finger to her mouth.

“Hmm…human seed,” she remarked idly. Winters thought his heart would stop as she shot him an impish grin before opening her jaw and cleaning her finger with a long, sensual lick. The taste was, for lack of a better term, alien, though it certainly reminded her of him. It was a bit salty, but otherwise muted. The look of absolute shock and desire on her mate’s face as she rolled it around her tongue and cheeks certainly made any momentary discomfort worth it. After repeating the process once more with some of the semen on her chest, she stood and regarded him kindly. “I hope you’re not so embarrassed you wouldn’t want to do that again, love. Watching you come undone was…a treat. Would you mind checking my mouth for any bad signs in a bit?”

“Yeah, no problem,” Winters agreed, floored at Veera’s confidence in the face of the unknown. “If this is the result, I’ll fight with you every day.” They both managed a chuckle at his attempt at humor, a lull in their arousal growing as they remembered their upcoming engagement at the temple of Meylith.

“I might just take you up on that Russell, but for now, I would very much appreciate some help with this.” At her words he nodded and moved to collect the washcloth and soap from where she’d abandoned them in her quest to explore his body. All he could do was shake his head in satisfied disbelief.

“Sure thing Veera.”