Avari Nyx Read online

  He watched her eyes widen as she realized where he was heading, and one of her hands shot down to stop him. Since his hand was covered in lotion, and hers was as well, she was not successful.

  Two fingers carefully explored her. He marveled at the texture of her skin here, silky and delicate, yet as hot as a furnace. As his fingers became familiar with the territory, the wetness that he had noted before was beginning to leak from her in earnest. Dragging one finger through it, he brought it to his lips and tasted her. He heard her groan and noted that she had covered her eyes in embarrassment.

  “There is no need to be embarrassed, Anna. The Avari are completely open about sex, it is a natural occurrence, and we have no need to hide it.” He paused for a moment. “You may have realized by now that I am attracted to you, but until Avari Nyx, I’ll make no effort to get you into my bed. Although, I am going to spend the next few days trying to convince you to spend the festival with me.” He gave her a gentle smile his hand returning between her thighs.

  She arched at the touch on her clit, and he made a note for the next time. One finger slipped into her and she hummed with pleasure. He stroked the single finger within her until her hips squirmed, then added a second. By this point, her thighs had fallen wide open, and he could see the slick petals as his fingers pushed her higher on the path to her release. His other hand brushed against her clit at the top of her sex, and she squealed while her body pulsed around his fingers. The fingers brushed her clit again, and her hips lifted, the pulsing continued.

  When she was finally still, and could not meet his eyes, he stood up. “If you need anything more, tell Hesper and she’ll come and get me. I am leaving her with you to make sure you’ll be alright.” Tarun flipped the sheet back to cover her and practically ran from the room.

  Once outside, he went deep into the forest and took the swollen shaft of his cock out of his trousers. Leaning back against a tree, he relived every moment of her arousal and release, lifting the hand that he had had inside her, sucking the last of her juices from his fingers as his other hand worked at his cock. A few strokes were all that it took, and he was leaning heavily against the tree as he spent into the leaves and bracken.

  Thank the stars that it was only three days to the Nyx. Then she would be his. But it was going to be a long three days.

  Chapter 4

  The next morning, he took her into the market.

  “Ok, Tarun. Why are we here? I don’t need anything today, and really don’t feel like letting everyone get a good look at my burn.” Anna was a little sulky and it showed in her voice.

  “Anna, your clothing is causing you discomfort. The burn is only part of it. We’re going to get you some clothing more suitable to a lady of Avari.” He tugged her past Ilyssa and to a booth draped in fabric.

  “Ailis, are you here?” He called out to the back of the shop.

  “Yes, of course I am, Elder. Where else do you think I would be?” A very pregnant and very irritated woman appeared from one of the back rooms.

  “Ailis, this is Annabelle, the new lady that is in the cottage at the end of the lane.”

  “I have seen her, but not met her yet. Someone has been monopolizing her company.” Ailis looked her over from head to toe as she chewed out Tarun.

  “Ailis, I am pleased to meet you.” She attempted a smile at this woman who had a personality that dwarfed everyone in the vicinity.

  “You are too skinny, and that outfit does nothing for you. Come in back. We will get you sorted out.” She grabbed Anna by one elbow and led her around through the panels of fabric that made up the back of the stall. It opened into an airy and open tent, sunlight streaming through the open panels in the roof. A dais in the center of the room was where Ailis led her victim/customer.

  “Tarun, make us some tea. This is going to take a while.” Those were the last words that she spoke as she efficiently bullied Anna onto the dais and began to strip her.

  “Uhh, Ailis. Maybe we could do this without an audience.” She looked over to where Tarun was making the tea. He turned to her and winked one rainbow eye.

  “He is your keeper until you are trained to survive out here. He goes where you go. Or he sends his bird after you, so he can still see where you go.” The boots had come off, and now the dexterous hands were working at her suit closure. With a sighing hiss it parted. Ailis began to ease it off of her burned shoulders.

  “You went out to the waterfall pool, didn’t you? And your species is sensitive to the sun. I wonder whose bright idea that was?” Derision was hard in her voice.

  Across the room Tarun flushed with embarrassment, both for the comments about his taking Anna to the waterfall, and for the reference to Hesper. He had not mentioned to Annabelle that he could see whatever Hesper saw.

  Eventually he would tell her, but not right now. Things were much too delicate at this stage to tip the balance by scaring her with the thought that she was never alone.

  He set the tea on a nearby table and then sat on some low cushions to watch the fittings. He was definitely enjoying the beginning of the process as Anna stood completely naked in the center of the room. Her shoulders were back, stomach pulled in and hands stiff at her sides. Ailis pulled her arms away from her sides then walked around her several times.

  “I have it!” She darted away with amazing speed for someone so far along in pregnancy.

  Moments later she emerged with lengths of gorgeous fabrics draped over her arm. She draped first one, then two fabrics over Anna, and began to pin the drapes in place. Scissors came out, a needle appeared and two hours of standing in place later, Anna stepped down from the dais, fully clothed.

  The fabric was feather light. It did not feel like she was wearing anything at all. The design was very similar to that of a roman toga, gauzy and concealing at the same time. “This is wonderful Ailis, how much do you want for it?”

  “Tarun will be paying for it. He gets a stipend as an elder. He can afford it.” Ailis gave him an arch look.

  “Ailis, she will need a few more articles of clothing, and a dress for Avari Nyx. You have her measurements now. Send the bills to me.” Tarun took Anna’s arm and practically dragged her from the stall.

  “Tarun. While I appreciate your hurry, I think we need to get me some shoes.” Anna was stumbling barefoot behind him. As she spoke, he stopped and cursed.

  “I’m sorry. Of course. This way.” He scooped her up in his arms and walked with her to the shoemakers stall. She felt a bit conspicuous, make that extremely conspicuous, being carried through the marketplace with everyone smiling at them.

  Vorna was the name of the shoemaker. In only five minutes he had fitted her with lace-up shoes that left her legs bare, but for the crisscross of laces that held them in place. Extremely comfortable and easy to walk in, she decided that these light clothes and shoes were perfectly acceptable while she was recovering from her sunburn.

  “Thank you for the new clothes Tarun. But I cannot in good conscience continue to monopolize your time.”

  “It is no trouble to me. I have enjoyed spending time with you.” Tarun looked slightly hurt that she would reject his able guidance.

  “I enjoyed my time with you as well.” Her face flamed as she recalled his hands on her the night before. “But I think I would like to meet Ilyssa again, and this time have a conversation. I swear, I won’t take off, but I do need to look around on my own.”

  Tarun took her arm and pulled her to him, “Fine, but avoid talking with any ‘young males’ or I’ll paddle your behind when I find out.” His head dipped down for a kiss and as they clung together, tongues dueling, all conversation stopped in the market.

  When he clued in to the silence, Tarun slowly raised his head and looked around him. Every eye was on them, his hands were on her ass, and her arms were wrapped around his neck.

  She blinked at him in astonishment as she tried to marshal her scattered wits. “Wow, ok no talking to other boys, anything else?” Annabelle got control o
f her tongue and looked into his heated eyes, feeling the press of his erection against her belly. Unable to help herself, she rocked against him, her hips rolling and causing a fluttering of excitement within her at the contact with the rigid length of him.

  “Yes.” His voice came out in a hiss, He gripped her hips to still them, “Don’t do that again until the Nyx festival, when I can do something about it.”

  He set her away from him, “Talk to Ilyssa, meet Nayef, but stay away from any other men is all that I ask. Please.”

  “I will, I promise.” One hand was raised to his jaw and caressed his cheek. She smiled as he leaned into the small caress. Then he was gone.

  Annabelle looked over to find Hesper sitting on one of the market stalls. She winked at the bird as it watched her with a fixed gleam in its eye.

  She wandered through the stalls until she reached the jewelry stand.

  “Ilyssa, are you in there?” She called out to the back of the stall.

  “Yes, yes, here I am.” Hair askew and blouse sliding off one shoulder, Ilyssa came out of the back of the stall with a harried and distracted smile on her face. Based on the flush of her bronze skin and the hickey blooming on her neck, it was pretty obvious what she had been doing.

  “Oh, I am sorry to disturb you.” She flushed and started to walk off.

  “No! No, it’s alright. You’re Annabelle, right? You’re the one I have been feeding for the last few days.” Her smile was welcoming and she gestured for Anna to come in the back of the shop.

  “Yes, I just came by to thank you.” She slowly stepped forward and carefully moved the curtain aside, almost afraid of what she might find given Ilyssa’s dishevelment.

  With relief she saw that whoever the male was, he was fully dressed and sitting at a design table, creating some of the fantastic jewelry that was on display out front.

  “Nayef! This is Annabelle, the alien that we’ve been feeding for the last three days.” He reluctantly looked up. His rainbow eyes looked Anna up and down and then he nodded and returned to his designs.

  “He is a man of few words, but remarkably talented with his mouth regardless.” Ilyssa grinned over at her new companion and laughed as Anna blushed again. “Have a seat. Nayef, why don’t you go for a walk for a few minutes? Or mind the storefront.”

  Nayef looked up once again, then shrugged and stalked off to the front of the shop.

  “Ok, you obviously have some questions that only a woman can answer, so go ahead.” Ilyssa served some of the tea that was in a pot nearby and gestured for Anna to sit.

  “I’m really sorry to ask you this kind of thing. I mean I don’t even know you.” Annabelle took a deep breath and went ahead. “Ok, why do all of the men here seem to be only two ages? By my standards, they are in their early twenties and mid thirties, aside from the kids that are running around, of course. But there don’t seem to be adult men of any other ages. And the women, they seem to be of varying ages, but not anyone past the age of thirty-five physically. Do your people choose the ages at which they would like to stay?”

  Her host laughed. “Whew, that is quite a few questions. Have some tea.”

  Then she proceeded to tell Anna about the details of Avari life. The aging process was halted at the age of complete maturity. The younger versions of the adult males were in fact fully adults (like Tarun) who had not yet mated. The mating triggered the final maturing process.

  “You should have seen what Nayef looked like before we mated. He was extremely handsome but all knees and elbows. He turned out alright.” She gave her audience a grin and continued.

  The Avari did not age in the same manner as humans. The mating bonded the two life spans together to make one extremely long life. As a result they did not have more than two children per couple, to avoid overpopulation of the delicately balanced ecosystem. It was not uncommon for four generations of the same family to be alive at the same time.

  Sex among the Avari was encouraged once the participants were fully mature. An actual mating was somewhat different, Ilyssa assured her rapt audience.

  “You are going to have to ask Tarun for any specific details. By the way, that dress is stunning. Ailis’ work?”

  “I admire how you changed the subject.” Anna smiled at her and sipped the last of her tea. “But yes, it is her work. Tarun ordered some clothing for me this morning, to help with the sunburn.”

  “Ah, I thought that that was your normal coloration. When we last met it was sundown, your skin had the same reddish cast. What caused it?” She seemed genuinely curious.

  “Generally, when not exposed to sunlight, my skin is extremely pale. If I go out into the sun for an extended period of time without a sunscreen, the tissue dehydrates and the skin takes on this reddish cast while my body repairs itself. When the skin under the surface recovers, pigments are brought to the surface to defend against any subsequent damage. The new skin will be a golden to dark brown. And in a lovely twist, the damaged surface occasionally peels off in lovely sheets. Like a lizard.” Anna grimace and shifted.

  “Eww. How unpleasant for you. Will it happen often? It looks quite uncomfortable.” Ilyssa leaned forward and touched the surface of Anna’s shoulder then drew her hand back as Anna flinched. “Sorry.”

  “It feels similar to a burn that you would get from an oven, or from applying heat. As long as I keep it moisturized it should not peel to badly. Keeping it hydrated helps a lot.” She leaned back in her chair. “Ok, so tell me about Avari Nyx, is it some kind of festival?”

  “Ok, I can’t tell you everything, but it is a chance for the young men of mating age to display themselves to the community, and the girls of course. They dance, using every means available to get the women to look at them. Nayef even danced using fire. He burned one of the tents, but I did go home with him that night.” The smile she had held memories of that night and gave her otherwise stern and no-nonsense look a warm overlay.

  “But why do I need a special outfit for the festival?”

  “Hey, around here, any excuse to dress up is welcome. Embrace it.” She shook her head. “Hmm…I think Nayef has fallen asleep up there. I had better go rescue him. What will you do for the rest of the day?”

  “Thank you for your hospitality. I think I’ll try to find that waterfall again, and enjoy it from a shaded perspective.” She smiled and left out the same flap that she had entered by. Nodding at Nayef, she wandered through the market place, greeting people that she had not yet met. Looking at the variety of wares that were on display.

  All too soon she was alone on the pathway home, so she bypassed her cottage and continued into the forest, being careful not to snag her new clothing on the local flora. It seemed to take only minutes until she was there, looking over the inviting pool and the teasing roll of the waterfall.

  With an eye to protecting her skin, she spotted a rock that would give her an excellent view of the area surrounding the pool, but still keep her in shadow and prevent further burning. Her clothing was carefully shed, and the sandals came off easily.

  She dipped one toe into the churning water near the falls, and when it was confirmed to be warm, jumped in cannon-ball style. She swam back and forth, doing laps until her limbs felt ever so slightly tired, then pulled herself out and up onto her perfect rock.

  The sun had warmed it earlier in the day so it was extremely comfortable to lie on while the shadows caressed it in the late afternoon.

  Annabelle hummed with contentment. She was warm, relaxed, and happy. She also had a really cute guy who wanted to get under her skirts. Life was good.

  Her hands slowly began to caress her skin, trailing over her breasts, across her belly, around her navel and back again in an absent pattern. A twinge of arousal began between her thighs. She sat up to look around and to make sure she was alone, and she was, with the exception of Hesper watching her raptly from an overhanging branch.

  “You won’t tell anyone, will you, Hesper?” She smiled and lay back against the wonderful
ly warm rock.

  Chapter 4

  One hand continued trailing aimlessly over her torso, as the other found her clit and began to slowly work itself in circles around it. She lay with her thighs spread and hands pleasuring herself for over half an hour before her fingers on her clit picked up the pace and took her over the edge. Her hips lifted against her fingers and gasping cries came from her throat. She drew the fingers that were now slick with her juices and lifted them to her mouth. One by one she sucked them clean of the slick residue, enjoying the tangy taste that was her distinctive flavor.

  The sun was setting, so she sat up and swiftly got dressed again. Her sandals were tied in moments and she set off down the path as swiftly as she could. She reached her home just before sundown transformed into night and she breathed a sigh of relief.

  She walked into her cottage and was surprised to see Tarun there. “Oh hey, how are you? Did you have a nice day without the little alien tagging along?”

  He walked forward to where she stood against the closed door and brought her against him. Her hips cradling the erection that his leather pants did not conceal at all. Her breasts were mashed against the hard planes of his chest and she shuddered as her nipples came to sudden points at the contact through the thin fabric of her clothing.

  His fingers threaded through her hair and held her still for his kiss. She moaned at the heat that rippled through her and when he finally broke the kiss she was shaking with reaction to the hormones that flooded her.

  “I missed you. How was your day?” His voice was a low rumble in her ear as he held her to his chest.

  “Uh, fine. But it is definitely taking a weird turn right about now.” She mumbled into his chest, but had no interest in turning him loose as she breathed in his scent and reveled in his warmth. God, he was warm. He would be great to cuddle up with on a cold winter night back on earth. Or maybe they had winter here, hmm.