Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2007 17:24:51 -0700
From: Micinjensue <micinjensue@gmail.com>
Subject: TAG MATE: P3

This is a work of Fiction.   All Characters and related situations belong
to J. L. Duff.  Any character resemblance to persons alive or dead, or
any place likeness to any place existing is mere coincidence.   M/M
situations can be found here.



Tag Mate: Part 3



For a while, Jaimz just lay there, somnolent in the early morning light.
He sighed and stretched against the long warm body the lay solid against
him and he drew his hand lazily along that strongly muscled and yet so
softly pelted arm that was casually wrapped around him.   He enjoyed the
warmth of Kaiel against his back, for Z'Rarla's mornings were never
warm^×or so he had determined after just 10 or so mornings (that he could
remember well enough, he had been pretty sick those first few mornings
before he had accepted Kaiel as his new Tag Mate).   He smiled dreamily
while thinking that waking with this huge fur blanket to warm him did
make the mornings quite pleasant.  On some level he knew that once he was
away from Kaiel and back to his non-72-hour schedules that the thoughts
he entertained now would seem vaguely disturbing to him, but at this
moment, lying in the morning light and being warmed by Kaiel's slumbering
body he could quietly admit how much he was really starting to like this,
and so far...three for three times, he had slept through the night and
wakened with Kaiel in the morning after a 72-hour stint.

He recalled with a blush that 1 for 2 of the previous 72-hour mornings
had ended in sex, and this morning would result in the same.   He knew
that it was the logical and correct choice to make for both their sakes,
Kaiel would need to be at his best during this conference and by even
extending the period of time between now and the next 72-hour by even a
few hours would be of some help.   He stroked Kaiel's arm as he thought
about how terribly painful and dehabilitating the TWS could be, he had
gone through it nearly to its final conclusion and the latter days had
been extremely difficult even with Kang's constant monitoring and care.
Kaiel would have no Kang to pester after him and make sure he took his
medicine and didn't overexert himself so Jaimz was naturally worried
about how Kaiel would handle his first bout with the TWS...especially
since he would be doing it voluntarily.

He sensed, more than anything, the moment when Kaiel roused toward serene
wakefulness, he knew that he was awake even though nothing in his relaxed
posture changed.   For the longest time, they both lay in comfortable
silence, knowing the other was awake and simply enjoyed the silent
pleasure of each other's company.   Jaimz wasn't even disturbed that he
would be voluntarily sharing his body without the 72-hour impetus to make
it more acceptable, for he knew the worth of what he was about to do, and
he knew that it was the only right thing to do for both their sakes.

After a long quiet moment though Kaiel's arm gently tightened around him
and Kaiel asked softly, "What are you thinking?" as he bent to nuzzle the
back of his shoulder.

Jaimz shivered, "About nothing and everything.  I'm worried about how you
will handle the Tag Withdrawal... It really is awful...  The headaches, the
nausea, the dizziness can be horrendous, I know.   And you will be
conducting meetings and who knows what while under the influence of the
TWS, it's going to be very hard for you Kaiel."

Kaiel murmured (with his mouth against Jaimz' shoulder), "You will also
be going through it when I do.    Don't worry about me.  I'll be fine."

Jaimz tilted his head back, "But I'll have Kang to look after me, you
won't have anyone to watch after you."

Kaiel straightened up slightly and looked into those intense and worried
sea-foam green eyes, then after a moment he bent down and lightly kissed
Jaimz' cheek while working toward his shapely mouth.   "I will have Heron
though, and he's quite a mother.  Such a worrier."  He complained
teasingly as he nibbled at the edge of Jaimz' mouth, to which Jaimz
softly laughed, and then willingly shifted around into the kiss.

For a moment the kiss took all precedence, then grinning happily Kaiel
lifted away and flopped contentedly onto his back.    Jaimz sighed and
returned to gazing out at the vast morning lit savanna, before continuing
with his earlier worry before the kiss had so pleasantly interrupted him.
  "But Heron won't know what you'll be going through Kaiel, I wish you
would take it seriously."

In response once again Kaiel pressed up along his back and wrapped his
arms around him, and pulled him back into the warmth of his pelt, and
more.   He tilted his head back to look up at Kaiel who bent toward him
saying, "I will be careful, I am taking this very seriously and I am
worried too." Though Kaiel would not admit that he was more worried about
how Jaimz would handle the return of TWS after he'd already suffered one
horrific bout of it.

Jaimz still seemed to understand what was unspoken and he growled, "I'll
have Kang remember?   Just worry about yourself idiot!"

Kaiel chuckled and said teasingly, "I like to worry about you
though...you're so small and cute and delicate^×."

To which he received a clipped, "Shut up." Followed with a playful punch
and a lazy grin.   He laughed, pulling Jaimz bottom into his groin so
that Jaimz could become instantly aware of his growing state.  He saw by
the widening of those marvelous green eyes of his that Jaimz had no
trouble detecting his immerging rod, as it greeted the morning and kissed
Jaimz' satiny skin too.   Jaimz stayed as he was, tilted partially
around, but with his buttocks and thighs pressed firmly into Kaiel's
groin and lap.  He felt his heartbeat quickening even as a little thrill
of anticipation knotted and simultaneously released in his gut.

Kaiel asked for nothing, spoke not a word, and yet he seemed to know when
to take the next step.   As always he pulled away from Jaimz to carefully
oil his slick rod, but this time Jaimz rose and helped him.  Kaiel
watched as Jaimz slid his own oily fingers around his as he helped to
slather the oil thoroughly over the rod.   Jaimz grinned at him, he was
definitely growing bolder and more willing to try things out, but what he
didn't expect was what Jaimz did next.

Jaimz turned and pressed his back into his chest.   Kaiel gasped softly,
understanding what Jaimz was about, and hastened to position his rod so
that Jaimz could come down on him without any trouble.  He also slid his
greasy hand between Jaimz' firm cheeks and caressed oil lovingly over
that small pucker secreted between them, while Jaimz shivered and leaned
gasping against him.  When he was ready he slid his free hand around
Jaimz' waist and lightly supported him even as he helped to guide his
fully extended rod between those rounded cheeks.  Jaimz gasped and
shuddered as the slippery cone slid easily within his yielding body, he
arched back, pushing himself firmly into Kaiel's warm panting body even
as he continued to lower himself.    He moaned as the rod gradually
stretched him to aching and there he stopped, easing himself up, and then
down again until his legs trembled with effort.   It was then Kaiel
decided that Jaimz was only going to hurt himself this way, so he said,
"Let me." He hugged Jaimz against him while he carried him forward onto
his hands and knees and with Jaimz so positioned he did the work, holding
Jaimz around his slender hips as he stroked back and thrust forward.
With that, Jaimz let out a deep shuddering moan, which he repeated with
the next thrust, and the one after, even as he rocked his hips and pushed
back into that deep penetration.

Once when Kaiel had seated himself right against Jaimz tender bottom and
thrust even deeper so that his sheath was pushed back to expose more rod
Jaimz let out a raggedly breathless cry that just made Kaiel freeze, for
he was afraid that he had reached Jaimz' physical limit and hurt him.
But after a second of stillness Jaimz reached up and hugged his arm and
moaned shakily, "Don't...stop...."

Kaiel stroked back, withdrawing to the root of the flare, which was fully
engaged, so that nearly all his slick red length extended from between
those reddened and glistening cheeks.   He looked at himself stretched
between his own and Jaimz' small body and he marveled as he thrust
forward once again how Jaimz could take him so well.   And that was
exactly what Jaimz was doing, taking him, even taking some of his
sheathed rod too as in this position being pressed right back into him
allowed his sheath to mound up against his groin to fully expose what was
normally still enclosed.

He heard a shaky catch of breath and as he listened he heard Jaimz'
distinctive whimpers and once again he stopped himself.   Jaimz was
sobbing he realized as he bent around him, and seeing the tears beading
on his long gold-tipped eyelashes Kaiel worried that he was hurting him.
  He eased Jaimz around, his body was nearly as supple as his own, but he
was so careful because he was still much more delicate in build that he
could hurt him so easily.  "Are you ok?   Am I hurting you?" he worried.

Jaimz finished turning himself around, straddled Kaiel to kneel alongside
his strong thighs and he wrapped his trembling arms loosely around his
waist.   Then with his face resting against his chest and his eyes still
leaking tears Jaimz breathlessly murmured, "You weren't^×hurting me.  Not
really...but," he glanced up into Kaiel's worried face and smilingly said,
"I think I like it better this way though."

Kaiel sighed in deep relief, hurting his Tag Mate even a little concerned
him, for he tried to be careful and restrain his full strength so that he
didn't pound Jaimz raw with his desire.   He bent and licked the dampness
from Jaimz' cheeks and whispered, "I'm sorry." Even as he gently clutched
on handful each of firm greasy cheek and eased him up even as he rocked
his own hips to internally stroke his deep-seated rod within that
yielding tightness.

Jaimz shivered around him and then laughed shakily, "It wasn't your fault
Kaiel.   Actually I kind of^×well liked it a bit."

Kaiel carried him forward, supporting his legs as he bent over him.
Jaimz drew him down as he thrust to the hilt again, and clung to him
gasping and shaking at the deepness of the thrust.  Kaiel worried that he
was still thrusting too deep and tried to draw back, but Jaimz decided he
was having none of that and wrapped his legs firmly about his hips,
locking him in place...and Jaimz' legs were pretty strong.    Lying rather
trapped, held by arms and legs Kaiel nuzzled Jaimz' shoulder and rocked
his hips only, stroking upward.  Jaimz gasped and though his limbs
trembled, he only tightened his hold, especially around his hips.   He
lifted his head away from Jaimz to look at him wonderingly, and Jaimz
smiled faintly back at him and wondered aloud, "Why are you holding back
Kaiel?"

Kaiel lowered his head and lightly kissed that sweet mouth even as again
he rocked his hips and stroked ever so deep inside, he could continue to
rock his hips up and down and slowly drive Jaimz crazy with the pleasure
of it...trapped as he was he couldn't really set up a thrusting and
penetrating rhythm, but fully seated as he was, inside all that snug heat
little movements could be every bit as enticing and even more maddening
for the recipient.

Kaiel answered truthfully, as he rocked again and elicited yet another
breathy moan from Jaimz, "Because I don't want to hurt you."

Jaimz threaded his fingers through his mane and tugged his head down for
a thoroughly devastating kiss, and he eased his grip on his hips.   When
he released him with a saucy smile it was to say, "Will you please fuck
me and stop playing with me?"

Still, Kaiel remembered the tears, and even as he eased back to begin his
deep penetrating rhythm he couldn't help but ask, "Are you sure...I don't
want to hurt you."

Jaimz sighed, and tugged him down again, though this time he didn't kiss
him, instead he whispered breathily, "Please Kaiel, please.   You didn't
hurt me... I was remembering... remembering what they...used to do to me."
He looked at Kaiel with those intense eyes and waited for understanding
to dawn.

It did, as Kaiel drew him up, sitting against him again and hugged all
around him with his whole body.   Jaimz was surprised at first, and then
he sank into all that comfort even as he felt Kaiel release his first
wave of liquid heat deep inside.  Kaiel just hugged him and rocked him,
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." He whispered against Jaimz' crown and then
bent to press his softly felted chin into Jaimz shoulder, "I never wanted
to remind you of that...never.   I'm so sorry."

Jaimz' small hands reached up around his neck and laced his fingers
through his mane again as he softly murmured, "Idiot, it's not your
fault.   It was never your fault."  He tugged until Kaiel lifted his
head, and then he whispered,  "You rescued me Kaiel."

Kaiel's eyes brightened, and even as he felt another quickening deep with
himself he rolled forward, to thrust and give Jaimz what he craved, this
invigorating release that brought him to orgasm as well.   Jaimz gave of
himself so completely; that he was entirely reckless, begging for all
that Kaiel would give him and taking it with every deep plunge, with
every demanding kiss, and with his own grasping fingers, and his own
grasping legs, he rode Kaiel as Kaiel rode him and when the final shudder
came, and his own release finally happened he cried out and clung to
Kaiel as he shuddered and sobbed, rather appalled with his own wanton
behavior.

Finally, when all but the final relaxing of the flare was complete and
they lay panting and cooling down from the heat of the union, Jaimz
sighed morosely and muttered, "What is wrong with me?"

Kaiel, who thought nothing was wrong with his Tag Mate, knew of course
what he meant; he understood perfectly how conflicted Jaimz was in
finding he liked joining as much as he did.   There was no doubt that he
did enjoy it utterly and completely even if he did wonder why.  Kaiel
didn't touch him, well other than internally where the flare still tied
them together, as there was nothing he could do about that yet, he choose
not to even think about it as he wondered, "Is it so wrong to enjoy
yourself Jaimz?"

Jaimz didn't reply he just stayed as he was, staring out toward the
savanna and sulking with out a doubt.

Kaiel sighed, he felt great, invigorated and ready to face his day.   Sex
with Jaimz was always wonderful and if he thought it possible he would
lay tied like this forever with Jaimz, even though of course such a
notion was impossible... it still made for a nice sensual dream.   He
glanced at Jaimz, who had huddled as far from him as he could get without
hurting either of them, which meant that his body was pressed against him
and the rod was slightly exposed between them, waiting for the flare to
recede and release.   "Why can't you have pleasure Jaimz?  Do you really
want the 72-hour to be simple joining? Like open your legs and get fucked
already?   Is that what you really want Jaimz?  No enjoyment?  Just the
duty of getting the job done?"

Jaimz was listening, and he was thinking too, hearing Kaiel say "open
your legs and get fucked" actually sounded so ridiculous and funny that
he felt a helpless chuckle ripple through him.   He smiled, just
imagining himself doing his duty of answering the 72-hour itch like some
suffering housewife feeling that performing in the marriage bed was a
duty that must be endured.   He chuckled again, thinking that he wasn't
enduring at all; he had pretty much initiated the love play this morning,
even though what he had tried hadn't worked because it had brought back
rather bad memories of similar play that had never been so much fun.
Last night he had also taken control for a while.  He basically said when
they would have sex, so he was in control of that, even if the sex always
turned out to be so much more than he ever expected.   His cheeks warmed
just thinking about how good he felt and how wonderful the sex had been
and just how wanton he had been but still he couldn't get that image of
himself lying back on the bed, lifting back his apron (as if he was the
suffering housewife) and spreading his legs to perform his 72-hour duty.
   He dissolved into silent laughter with that image in his mind, and was
barely aware of the rod as it finally slurped free of his body.

Kaiel eased himself back into his pouch, and glanced toward Jaimz and
though he heard nothing except for the occasional strangled gurgle he
could see Jaimz' shoulders shaking.   He leaned over him wonderingly and
asked mildly, "Are you laughing?"

That was all it took for the laughter to bubble out and for Jaimz to try
to explain while tears from laughing so hard stung his eyes.   "So
funny!" He gasped laughingly, "It's so-so funny what you
said...about-about parting my legs and just getting fucked already.... So
funny!"

Kaiel smiled, though he didn't join Jaimz in his hilarity.   Finally
Jaimz did quiet and after wiping his eyes and catching his breath he gave
Kaiel a serious look while canting his head, "I don't mean to think too
much...really I don't.   But IT is still so hard for me to bear the
position I find my self in." He sighed then and smiled faintly, "I never
expected to take on a female role Kaiel.  Taking you, the way I do...I
will probably struggle with it for the rest of my life."   He grinned
suddenly, "And I doubt it will as much fun for you when I get old and
ugly."

Kaiel frowned thoughtfully, "I cannot know how it is for you, not really.
  But I have never thought of you as^×female, Jaimz.  To me you have
always been Jaimz, and when I come together with you I'm not looking to
fuck a vagina."

He was so blunt that Jaimz just stared at him in complete silence, not
knowing how to respond to that, even though his expressive cheeks grew
warm again.   Kaiel leaned forward and licked one heated cheek and
murmured softly, "If I had time and if you were willing and if I were
able right now, I would fuck you again....   I know what you are Jaimz and
I'm not confused."  Then he grinned as he leaned away from his thoughtful
mate, "Besides, I'm not worried, I think that you will age beautifully."

His announcement only made Jaimz' cheeks grow all the warmer, but if it
was about his conviction that Jaimz would age beautifully or his
announcement that he would be happy to do him right now if he was
able...well Kaiel decided not to speculate to much.   Though Jaimz' slight
smile and lowered eyes was probably a clue that he was thinking more
about the doing it right now part and not so much about the growing old
part.

But, as much as he fancied the idea of humping Jaimz until neither of
them could walk straight he had too much to do today, not the least of
which was getting to the conference.   He sighed, and said soberly, "I
have to get ready for my trip."

Jaimz nodded, and went up onto his knees and wrapped his arms around
Kaiel's high shoulders and leaned his slender body full against him as he
lightly kissed him, brushed his cheek against his and finally settled
down to rest his chin on Kaiel's solid shoulder.   "Be careful," he
whispered, "Don't ignore the pain of the withdrawal Kaiel.  Just be
careful, ok?"

Kaiel bent into Jaimz' tender hug, wrapping his arms around his small
body and murmured against the delicate shell of his ear.   "Ok.  I'll be
careful."

For a moment they just sat there, quietly enjoying each other's company,
and then Jaimz released him and Kaiel let his small lover slide out of
his embrace.   Jaimz slid off the bed and glided to the chair where he
had left his sleep-tunic and shorts and Kaiel watched, enjoying the view,
as he slid into the tunic, which covered his hips anyway, but not the
shorts.   He sighed as he gave the shorts a bit of a shake and said
self-consciously, "I'm all sticky."

Kaiel couldn't resist, watching Jaimz dress (even partially) and knowing
that beneath that skimpy tunic Jaimz was nicely bare only made what he
wanted to do so much fun.   He startled Jaimz as he playfully flipped him
over the same chair his clothing had been on only seconds before, and as
Jaimz yelped in indignant surprise he buried his face between those damp
and still reddened cheeks and delivered a deep and penetrating lick to
Jaimz' still achingly swollen anus.   Jaimz gasped and shuddered all
over, then cursed him resoundingly while laughing and crying as Kaiel
bathed him lovingly with his long warm tongue.  It was all for Jaimz to
do to just clutch the chair back and hold on as Kaiel trapped his hips
between his powerful hands and made determined love to his anus with his
clever tongue.    It felt so good after being stretched so wide and made
a bit tender too by that stretching that even as his anus ached it also
throbbed so responsively and that resulting pulse shuddered right to his
balls and firmed up his penis too.    He moaned because he wanted to rub
himself but he couldn't let go of the chair back or he might end up
tripping them both up, but Kaiel seemed to know him so well anyway, for a
second after he thought of touching himself, Kaiel's hands hand shifted
forward so that one of them could grasp him and massage him while he
still lovingly worked his anus.   "Please...oh please Kaiel... God I can't
take much more..." he gasped helplessly, panting and squirming in totally
renewed arousal.

Kaiel didn't answer, unless when Jaimz suddenly found himself sitting in
the chair with Kaiel's head in his lap and his legs pushed wide open with
Kaiel's fingers working his anus while his mouth sucked up his penis was
Kaiel's answer.

Jaimz was lost in pleasure so intense and crazy that he saw stars when he
came and thought that he might have blacked out a little from the power
of it for he came to awareness slumped against Kaiel's big shoulder and
dragged in a shaky breath as he admonished, "God... God Kaiel... God
what...what made you do-do that?   I thought you needed to get ready to
go?"

Kaiel smiled up at him and shrugged as he said wistfully, "I won't get to
see you for a long while and if I have to suffer through that Tag
Withdrawal all alone I want a good dream to remember.... I'll surely
remember that."

Jaimz blushed, and scolded lamely, "Idiot... you're going to be late if
you waste anymore time."

Kaiel laid his head in his lap and whispered sincerely, "When I'm with
you, I'm never wasting my time Jaimz."

Jaimz stared at him and shook his head ruefully as he smilingly said,
"You make me lose all sense of propriety."

Again Kaiel lifted his head and grinned at him, "That's a good thing."

Again a blush, and with a scoffed, "That's enough." Jaimz tried to look
reproachful.   He didn't do it very well with his tunic pushed up to his
belly and with his lower extremities still exposed and rather damp with
Kaiel's saliva.  He finally laughed and admonished, "You're impossible."

Kaiel answering grin was the only reply Jaimz received, but even if he
had meant to say anything else, or do anything else a scratching came at
the inner door that had Jaimz jumping to his feet and straightening his
hem down even as a deep blush heated his cheeks.   He let out a strangled
gurgle as Kaiel went to answer the door, which caused Kaiel to send him
an inquiring look.  He choked, "You're not wearing anything."

Kaiel smirked, "That's the difference between you and me Jaimz even when
I'm undressed I'm still not naked...." He chuckled, seeing Jaimz'
scandalized expression and added, "But for your sake I'll put on a robe."
Which he did and had it slipped around his body as he opened the door.

They were both surprised to see Zuzu standing shyly in the doorway.   She
tipped her rich burgundy mane at seeing Kaiel and began by saying, "Kaiel
Ni, I must ask you a favor^×." She gasped suddenly at seeing Jaimz
farther back in the room and her ears flickered furiously as she
stammered, "Oh!   Jaimz Ni...I didn't know...I didn't see you."

He smiled wanly, knowing himself to be quite caught.   He could only hope
that Zuzu wasn't a gossip, which he didn't think she would be.  He gave
her a return greeting and waited as she once again turned to face Kaiel.
  She looked so nervous and diffident, as if she was afraid of how Kaiel
would react.  Once again Jaimz wondered just who had taken away her fire
and crushed her spirit.

"Kaiel Ni, if it wouldn't be to difficult could I go with you to Rydani?"
  She hesitated for a moment while Kaiel said nothing, and then hastened
to explain into the silence.  "I didn't think that I was needed at the
conference, but just last night High Council P'Var called me and asked me
to assistant him during the conference.   I have worked with Councilor
P'Var before and it is a good opportunity for me...but Vreda does not want
to detour to the Capital when she goes home."  She dragged in a ragged
breath and said, "Therefore, I humbly ask again, may I go with you to
Rydani?"

Kaiel didn't hesitate even a moment.   "Of course Zuzu Ni.  I would
appreciate the company." He replied gravely, giving her a slight
respectful nod, "It will take maybe an hour to get ready and we'll
breakfast on the road...but of course.   You are most welcome Zuzu Ni."

Jaimz watched Zuzu with interest as her ears flicked helplessly with
mingled pleasure and embarrassment, and he smiled slightly for he knew
that if she'd been like him she would have been blushing terribly under
the gentle pressure of Kaiel's kind regard.   The girl was obviously
smitten with him but far to shy to make a move.  He canted his head,
thinking about her and the fact that one day Kaiel would need to take a
mate and sire some cubs and how Zuzu would be perfect, if only she could
get over her shyness.   It amused him to think of himself taking on the
task of finding a suitable mate for his Tag Mate, but it was also true
that he was going to have to live with the female too and that she would
have to accept his place in Kaiel's life and bed, so it only made sense
to him that he liked the female, and so far he liked Zuzu thought Kaiel
showed little interest in her...as of yet.

He stepped forward, "I'll see about getting Zavalla to make you and Zuzu
up a breakfast pack for the road^×."

Kaiel turned toward him and gave him a sly grin, "Like that?" indicating
Jaimz half dressed state.

Jaimz blushed promptly and scoffed, "I plan on stopping by my room first,
idiot!"

Kaiel sauntered toward him, he was very aware that Zuzu was still
present, so what he did next was as thoroughly baffling as it was
stimulating.   He picked Jaimz up, gripping him around his hips and
undoubtedly exposed his reddened nether cheeks to anyone who happened to
be close by...who of course was Zuzu...and pulled him close for an utterly
devastating kiss which once he let Jaimz go had him stumbling a step as
he caught his breath.   Poor Zuzu who had witnessed the display had her
ears tucked right back and a surprised look on her face, and yet she
didn't look either let down or disgusted^×rather she had a distinctly
intrigued look in her amber eyes^×interesting.

Jaimz gave Kaiel a long thoughtful look, wondering what he had been about
marking his territory like that, and it made him blush knowing that Kaiel
considered him his territory.   He watched as Kaiel turned away saying,
"Better hurry, I want to be on the road in a hour, Rydani is still a
three hour drive away."

Zuzu assumed that Kaiel was talking to her, for she bowed her head and
backed up with an, "Of course, I'll be ready on time Kaiel Ni."

Jaimz moved forward then, "Wait Zuzu, I'll go with you."

Kaiel gave him a suspicious look, but Jaimz merely ignored him and
strolled from the room, if he was seen in the hall leaving Kaiel's room
with Zuzu he hoped that it would simply be assumed that he had arrived
with Zuzu...besides his room was near by.

Zuzu was silent as she paced beside him, he glanced at her, admiring that
glorious tumbled mane of hers, she really was vibrant and lovely, and
hers was a warm and earthy beauty where as her cousin was a cold and icy
beauty.   He definitely preferred her to Vreda, but then he preferred
just about anyone to malicious and mean spirited Vreda.

They walked quietly for a moment and Jaimz saw that his room was coming
up too quickly and that he was yet to talk to her about why he was
walking with her, knowing that he had to go to his room to change his
clothes for the day he also knew that he couldn't let this opportunity
pass so as they reached his door he said. "May I talk to you Zuzu?"

That stopped her for she would have continued walking no doubt after
providing a proper leave-taking salutation.   Her ears flicked with
curiosity, "Of course Jaimz Ni."

He looked at her for a thoughtful moment then said bluntly, "I know that
you like Kaiel, Zuzu."

She looked horrified and embarrassed at once and hastened, "I would
never^×I would never seek to interfere^×surely you don't think me a
threat to what y-you and Kaiel do, Jaimz Ni?   I can like him^×surely
that is allowed?"

Jaimz felt himself blushing and stammered, "Please Zuzu, that isn't what
I meant." He waited for her to settle down and said, "I mean, you like
him Zuzu...so why don't you make a play for him?"

Now she just looked astonished, "But I cannot!"   She exclaimed, "I am
just a lowly Teran!  Kaiel Ni is of a High House!  The Highest House
maybe in all of Z'Rarla!   I couldn't possibly aspire so high above
myself!"

Jaimz scoffed at the very notion and muttered, "That's like saying you're
not good enough for him.   Besides I'm not suggesting Mate with him...just
go after him and have sex with him and see what happens."

Again she was astonished, poor girl, she must have thought he was totally
mad after what she had witnessed between him and Kaiel.    She stared at
him for a few incredulous moments and then shook her head, "But I could
expect nothing to happen.  He is too high above me.   No, I have already
accepted that my cousin will have him, she is of the high blood too and
suitable."

At that he laughed bitterly, "Vreda has far less of a chance with him
than you do... besides I don't like her." He smiled grimly, "Kaiel has
already found a way to break the betrothal, and Vreda just doesn't know
it yet.   He would never have happily or willingly accepted her as his
mate, he doesn't like her very much either.  But I think that he likes
you Zuzu."

She didn't ask what he knew regarding the breaking of the betrothal, nor
did he expect that she would, instead she wondered, "But I still
cannot...make a play for him Jaimz Ni... he is...well he is so...beautiful
and look at me!"   She nearly wailed the last and it was Jaimz' turn to
be astounded.  Before he could say anything though she continued, "You
are so beautiful and Vreda is so beautiful, it is only right for Kaiel to
have beauties like you around him...I could only ever shame him."

Jaimz scowled, he didn't really like being told he was a beauty, even
though he knew he was and he was coming to understand that the Zaran
found him beautiful as well, which still surprised him, but that she was
practically calling herself ugly just amazed him.   "Are you insane?
Zuzu you are hot!"

Zuzu, who wanted to leave but couldn't be rude because Jaimz was of the
High House too, didn't quite understand what he meant by hot, but his
tone of voice and his appreciative eyes made her feel startlingly warmed
even though her ears still creased back.   "Wha-what?"

Jaimz grasped her by her hand and without even asking pulled her into his
suite, and since she was both bigger and stronger than him, that was
quite a feat, but she didn't resist his effort and let him lead her
through into his inner sanctuary.   He stopped her directly in front of
the Zaran sized mirror which he had pretty much ignored since he had
taken over the room, he was actually thinking of removing it completely
since he didn't care to look at his reflection, even though the
reflection that looked back at him^×with big green eyes looking out of a
perfectly oval face, balanced by a slender slightly up-tilted nose and
wide unfortunately shapely lips, beneath a crop of longish light reddish
(fawn) brown hair with sun blond streaks which tended to fall in loose
waves and curls to his shoulders^×wasn't a bad reflection at all.   No,
glancing at himself, seeing himself in a blue tunic that just covered him
to the top of his thighs he still couldn't understand why he was
attractive to Zarans.   He was small only in comparison to Zarans,
amongst his own kind he would be considered tall.  He had the correct
width across the shoulders and the narrowness of hip to say that he was
male, his legs were long yes, and well perhaps more shapely then they
should be but that was no reason surely for Zaran males to want to wrap
them around their hips while they drove their long thick rods into his
body...was it?

Now it was Zuzu's turn to look upon his solemn face and worry after him,
"Jaimz Ni, are you alright?"

Jaimz pulled out of his gloomy thoughts before he let himself sink to
deeply into them, it was Zuzu after all whom he wanted to help.   "I'm
fine...just thinking about something."  He smiled at her reflection in the
mirror and again he thought that she was utterly stunning.   "Zuzu
someone fed you a load of crap if you think that you're ugly.  You are
stunning.  You're beautiful, earthy and warm.   You look like the kind of
wo-female that a male could talk to, and I don't mean just casually, I
mean after having a good fuck...er...I mean sex.  You look like the kind of
female that males want to have cubs with.   You're warm and pretty and
you have a terrific mane.... I mean your hair is just incredible, why do
you bind it up when it's so glorious?"

If she could have been blushing she would have been, for clearly she had
never heard so much praise directed at her in years.   Still she was hard
to convince, "But Vreda is so much prettier than I am."

Jaimz scoffed, "Sure Vreda is pretty, even I have to give her credit for
that.   But she's pretty like ice is pretty and just as cold.  You can't
hug ice Zuzu you'd just freeze trying.  No you're warm Zuzu and I bet,
ultimately huggable and that is all that any male really wants isn't it?
Vreda's pretty, but she's cruel and malicious and she's going to lose in
the end.   But you could be a winner Zuzu, all you have to do is try."

She stared at him, remembering him in Kaiel's arms, with Kaiel's hands
gripping his hips and exposing his bottom so that she could see him, she
remembered them kissing and she knew somehow, that Jaimz meant what he
said, but she didn't understand why.   "Are-aren't you lovers, Kaiel and
you?  I'm not mistaken am I?"

Jaimz blushed and nodded grimly, "We are...but what we have is
complicated."

Complicated, that is what Kang said, which implied that Kang knew of
their sexual relationship, curious and more curious. "But...I don't
understand what you are saying?   You want me to go after your lover?  Do
you not want...Kaiel anymore?  Are you going to set him aside to let me
make a try at him?"

Jaimz stared at her, and she really admired the swirling blue-green of
his sea-foam eyes, for they truly were beautiful and rare to see on
Z'Rarla.   Those eyes alone which she had seen shift to aquamarine when
he was upset or excited were so remarkable that for them alone she knew
that Kaiel would never easily set Jaimz aside.   As it was, Jaimz
murmured, "Kaiel and I...will not be setting either aside for some time I
think... but I am willing to share." He looked at her and sighed gravely,
"I know that I cannot be all things for Kaiel.   For instance I cannot
possibly provide him with cubs^×so I must be prepared to accept that he
will need to take a Mate who can provide that for him."

Again she was astonished, she would have never expected a lover, so
obviously laying claim to his lover and determined to stay that way,
being able to discuss^×let alone accept^×the possibility of his lover
needing to take a mate.   It was incredible to her...and yet from Jaimz
somehow it just seemed right, for he was in many ways wiser than his
youth implied.  Finally she nodded, for she really did like Kaiel and the
idea of being with him was a goal to aspire toward, besides she secretly
harbored a hope that if Jaimz was willing to share Kaiel that maybe Kaiel
would be willing to share Jaimz and they could come all together in an
explosion of sensation from time to time?

"I will^×I will take your words into consideration." Zuzu announced, her
ears perking up when he smiled at her.

"That's good.   I'm glad to hear you say that, because I think I could
like you very much Zuzu."

"Still, it is difficult to express myself with him, he is so...." She
sighed and shrugged uncomfortably.

"Just be yourself Zuzu, just be a little more of yourself.   Let your
hair down^×." She knew he meant her mane, "Be forward.  Be bold.  Just
not too much of either.   Show him that your interested, after all you
share similar interests and you even work in the same Diplomatic Corps as
he does so he knows that you already have that interest in common...
Talk to him and be brave Zuzu... and see what happens."  He finished with
an encouraging smile.

She nodded and dipped her head, "I will try Jaimz Ni."

Jaimz quipped, "There is no try.   Do or do not." At her puzzled look he
laughed and said, "Doesn't matter, the gist of it is...go for it and see
what comes of it.  And now I have wasted enough of your time.   You
really have to hurry to get ready now."

She was surprised to find that time had passed; it had seemed to stand
still while she was talking with Jaimz, and as he predicted she would
have to hurry if she was to be ready in time.   She gave him a quick
thanks and hurried from his suite and Jaimz stood alone after she had
left and looked at himself in the mirror.  After a few moments he turned
and lifted the hem of his tunic and saw that his buttocks were still
slightly reddened from having Kaiel slapping against them even for just
those few moments.   He sighed as he slid the tunic off his shoulders and
let it drop around his feet so that he could look at himself in the
mirror and just wonder what it was about him that was so fuckable.   Yes,
he had nice smooth skin, thanks to the suppression therapy which would
keep him virtually hairless to his grave, that was an indulgence he did
regret and had regretted more than once as he wondered if a scraggy beard
and full mustache and hairy chest might save him the attention he now
received.   He looked at himself and he tried to see what it was to
interested Kaiel, and Lorz and Ham before him, but he could not see it.
Sighing he turned away and went to his own clothes closet where
everything was set up to accommodate his smaller size.   After a moment
he pulled a black and green outfit down and slipped into it then he
padded barefoot from his room to tell Zavalla about preparing breakfast
packs for Kaiel and Zuzu, he told her how soon Kaiel planned to leave and
left her to getting things organized.   Then left to his own devices for
a moment he thought about his conversation with Zuzu and then recalling
Kaiel's possessive kiss in front of her he thought that maybe he had time
for a quick chat with Kaiel before he left and was gone for the next five
to six days or longer.

It didn't take him more than a moment to discover that Kaiel's room was
empty, so the next logical place was the communal bathing room.   As he
expected Kaiel was there, busy scrubbing his pelt and washing his mane.
Jaimz entered silently, closing the non-locking door behind him and just
watched Kaiel as he showered.   It was the first time that he had watched
Kaiel shower, and Kaiel had yet to come when he was showering, so it was
interesting to just look at him and see how his wet pelt only further
emphasized his amazing body.   He really was massive and yet he tapered
so gracefully from his wide shoulders to his narrow hips that one might
think him a dancer, and of course his spine was incredibly supple and
allowed him to flex and bend far easier than a human male could.   His
arms and legs were so big and muscular and yet not at all bulky that at
once he seemed as likely to work out as to practice aerobics at the same
time.   Yet Jaimz was pretty certain that Kaiel actually did nothing to
keep in shape so it seemed likely that Kaiel was simply the way he was
and would always be to some degree, of course these leonine Zaran might
be naturally inclined to keeping in shape without a great deal of effort
since they were cats.   Though as he thought fondly, Kang was an example
of a fat if satisfied and healthy cat if he'd ever seen one, and he
rather liked that old medic.

Kaiel had noticed him, some instinct made him lift his head and gaze
intently at him with those golden eyes of his.   It was enough to make
him blush and head to one of the benches that sat outside the shower,
though when he sat he did so on the edge so that he could still observe
Kaiel as he showered.   Kaiel smiled softly and turned away presenting
him with all that back and he found that every bit as admirable as his
front had been, for Kaiel had a beautiful back too.   He admired the hard
firmness of his shapely rump and watched with interest the powerful
flexing of muscles in the back of his thighs, and finally he looked at
his long plush tail as it swayed gently to and fro and looked up toward
the base where it joined his body and he wondered idly if Zaran's were a
sensitive there as an earth cat was.   He was yet to find out, as he
hadn't really explored very much.

"Scrub my back, will you?" Kaiel's voice interrupted his wandering
thoughts.

Jaimz gasped at being torn from his admiring thought and then stammered,
"No."

Kaiel looked at him in surprise and he blushed uncomfortably for he was
already stimulated by just watching him wash, and he had already more
than answered the Tag's demanding addiction for one day.   He lowered his
eyes as he admitted helplessly, "It would only turn to sex again if I
came in there with you now... and you don't have time for that."

Kaiel grinned at his honesty, but didn't press him, which Jaimz was glad
for since he was pretty sure if Kaiel had asked him again he would be
soaking wet in seconds and to intoxicated by Kaiel's love making to even
notice.   Instead Kaiel reached for a long back scrubber and went to work
loosening shedding hairs and lathering up his pelt as Jaimz watched with
a good deal of interest.   His only experience with watching a Zaran bath
had been with Kang and he wasn't sexually involved with Kang.

Finally Kaiel deemed himself well enough washed and stepped under the
full force of the overhead shower to rinse the suds out of his streaming
mane and pelt, it was then, as Jaimz watched that he wondered how Kaiel
could ever dry off well enough to sit for three hours in a vehicle...when
he had helped Kang dry off the older male's pelt had still been damp.
So he wondered aloud and Kaiel hearing him through the showers downpour
replied by flicking a switch on the inner wall and suddenly blasts of
directed warm air billowed about Kaiel's body, swirling through his mane
and gusting into his pelt.

After a few minutes of this he stepped out of the shower and explained,
"When you want water again, you just flip the switch the other way.
Though probably my father will have already switched it before you shower
next...." Jaimz actually intended to shower once Kaiel was gone, for he
still felt slightly sticky and it would be nice to be clean, but he
didn't say anything.   Kaiel strolled over to the bench Jaimz sat on and
pulled one of the big plush towels to finish drying his hair as he
continued, "The blowers work pretty good, but I usually prefer to
manually dry my mane.   Still it is nice in the heat of summer to just
let the dampness evaporate off my pelt^×it's so hot then."

Jaimz was so close that he could smell the fresh spicy cleanness of
Kaiel's pelt and after a moment he reached out and lightly stroked his
hand over the entire length of Kaiel's hard muscled yet softly pelted
thigh, and marveled at the silky texture of that freshly washed fur.
Kaiel stopped scrubbing at his mane to look down at him with a slow smile
and after Jaimz' heart settled back to where it properly belonged he
finally decided to get to the reason why he had come looking for Kaiel in
the first place before he let himself get any further distracted.

"Do you like Zuzu?"

Kaiel gave him a wondering look, "Of course.   She's nice."  Then he went
back to scrubbing, only to stop and frown at Jaimz a second later, "Why?"

Jaimz shrugged uncomfortably, "Well it isn't like I'm trying to set you
up or anything.    It's just that^×well I like Zuzu.  And if you like
Zuzu then I guess I wouldn't^×." He shook his head, "What I'm trying to
say is^×what I mean to say is that^×oh damn^×I wouldn't mind if you liked
her too."

Kaiel stared at him, partially smiling but also partially suspicious, "By
like her do you mean as I like you?"  He put emphasis on the like each
time to give it more meaning.

Jaimz looked up at him and without blushing he said, "Yes, exactly.   You
will need cubs Kaiel and I can't promise to break the Tag soon or
ever^×so I guess that I'm saying it would be okay.  If you took a Mate."

Kaiel frowned, "You were pretty upset when you found out about Vreda."

Jaimz blushed and then growled, "I was startled^×not upset!"

Kaiel raised an expressive brow and smiled, "Okay...startled." He agreed
to easily.

"And it was a bad day too.   Remember?"

Kaiel let a slow grin stretch across his lips as he purred, "I recall
that it wasn't all bad.  Not all of it."

To which the blush flared all the brighter across Jaimz' cheeks, for he
hadn't forgotten that part of that day either^×he was still confused by
it. "I know that!   But I'm not talking about that.  I just...all I'm
trying to say is that I like Zuzu and if you like Zuzu then I guess I
wouldn't mind."

Kaiel understood perfectly what Jaimz was saying, what Jaimz was
thinking.   The 72-hour was over and he was starting to think too much as
he always did between these intense periods.  He knew that Jaimz was
trying to say that he was willing to share him and Kaiel knew that it was
his duty to one day sire cubs and continue his family legacy.  However
his Life Mate was already with him and he would fight to keep him where
he belonged even if he did ever find a way to beat the Tag.

He didn't say any of that for he knew that Jaimz was not ready to hear
him say it yet, still it did bother him how easily Jaimz could seem to
forget the pleasure shared^×yes shared^×when they were together, that he
also kept to himself and he agreed softly, "I do like Zuzu, but I don't
know that I like her that way."

Jaimz frowned at him, "Well I wasn't saying that you had to^×only that
you allow for the possibility."   He canted his head suddenly and asked,
"By the way?  What were you thinking when you^×when you kissed me like
that in front of her?   I think you showed her my bum too."

Kaiel grinned in sly reply and said, "Because it felt good showing
someone what you mean to me.   Besides I'm pretty sure she won't gossip
to the rest of the household."

Jaimz blushed and stammered, "Well...she was rather shocked."

Kaiel dropped the towel and stalked toward him then in such a manner that
Jaimz felt his heart leap into his throat again.   He backed into the
wall and panted softly, "Wha-what is it?" As Kaiel planted his big hands
on both sides of him and bent down to him.  Gently^×ever so gently his
wide firm mouth enclosed Jaimz', exploring the fullness and shapeliness
of his curved and bowed lips.   Jaimz resisted only for a moment and then
slid his arms up around Kaiel's huge shoulders and dragged his fingers
through his still damp scintillating gold mane.   That was all it took
for Kaiel to pick him up against him and for Jaimz to wrap his legs
around Kaiel's hips as he gave himself into the thoroughness of the kiss.

After a heart pounding moment the kiss ended and Kaiel let him slide down
along his length until his toes once more safely touched the floor, even
though Jaimz would hardly call his legs steady.   Released from Kaiel's
embrace Jaimz stared up at him with mingled longing and confusion as he
caught his breath and dragged a shaky hand through his tangled hair as he
wonderingly shook his head.   But Kaiel wasn't done just yet.  He pressed
one finger against Jaimz' nicely swollen lips and said softly, "Don't
forget me while I'm gone."

The answering blush which lit up Jaimz' entire face was reply enough for
Kaiel, he delivered a final fleeting caress to Jaimz' cheek and then he
turned away while saying regretfully, "I have to get ready."

Jaimz was still collecting his jumbled thoughts moments later and all he
could think to say was, "Idiot." But whether his admonition was directed
at Kaiel or himself he wasn't sure, he only knew that he was as ever
flustered by his response to Kaiel out side the 72-hour.   He wandered
back to his room to stop distracting Kaiel while thinking about what Kang
had said about his being addicted to Kaiel regardless of answering the
Tag's demands every 72 hours or not, so maybe that could explain why he
just felt so damn good and so damn willing to open himself up for Kaiel
regardless of when it was or where he was.   He just couldn't help it and
like an addict he would take his fix whenever and wherever he could get
it.  He had a worrisome theory that because of his addiction he would
automatically have a harder time with the withdrawal.   He was pretty
sure that if he asked Kang that Kang's answer would be yes.  He sighed,
it was too bad he hadn't collected that semen sample he wanted from Kaiel
so that he could analyze it to see what if answers it would provide.
Thinking about that, and then realizing he was still coming off his own
natural high he wondered if he could study himself and determine if his
own blood held the answers after all, since it hadn't been all that long
ago that his body had received a good deposit of semen.   He decided that
the only way to find out if his own body had the answers was to go to
Kang and ask for his help.


________________________________________________________________________________


Kang was available, his clinic was coming together and he had a couple of
appointments scheduled for later but right now he was free to assist
Jaimz.

First Jaimz sat on a high stool as Kang extracted the required amount of
blood to run a complete set of tests and then, blushing Jaimz suggested
that if he was swabbed that maybe they would be able to extract a sample
of Kaiel's semen.   Kang (the voyeur) was more than happy to cooperate,
though Jaimz' expressed doubt that he would find much since it seemed he
absorbed Kaiel's semen, for how else to explain the lack of copious
stickiness or other matter after being so thoroughly fucked?   Jaimz
wondered about that, and had wondered since the beginning why he wasn't
dealing with a constant mess in that regard and Kang chuckled as he
explained that Zaran sperm is sticky and thick and less likely to go
running off once its been given enough time to cool down and lose its
motility.    So Kang figured that it was very likely that Jaimz was
indeed absorbing the semen rather than getting rid of it as Jaimz would
have naturally expected.   But Jaimz knew that even after enduring
numerous rapes by both Lorz and Ham the most he'd worried about was
bleeding and he had never really worried about having to deal with other
less savory aspects of what they did to him.    So Jaimz finally allowed
that Zaran fluid was different from human and that had he been copulating
with a male of his own species (which he was fairly certain he would
never do even if given the opportunity) he rather expected things would
have been messy to nasty pretty much immediately.

After Kang talked to him about Zaran semen, and kindly reminded him that
he was yet to gather that sample a blushing Jaimz lowered his pants and
laid over the side of the examination table to let Kang take his sample.
  After all the action of this morning and the night before his
well-lubed anus presented no impediment to Kang's lubricated spreading
instruments.  Kang was gentle as always, washed him externally and then
internally, gathering that liquid in a vial to study as he expected that
the fluid wash would be more telling then a couple of swabs would be.
Once Kang finished he lightly smacked Jaimz pert bottom and said, "All
done."

Jaimz slid of the padded table and pulled up his pants.   He looked at
the vial of cloudy fluid dubiously and asked, "Are you sure that will
work?"

Kang gave the vial a light shake, "It will have your DNA, Kaiel's DNA and
probably the Tag code as well."   He picked up the vial of blood and
lifted it so that he could peer at it in the light, "And this will have
markers that I can compare with the blood tests that I ran while you were
going through the TWS.   This might serve, though if I could analyze how
the Tag actually reacts to an undiluted specimen of Kaiel's it would
probably be better." He peered thoughtfully at the young human and said
with a half smile, "I take it that you were unable to collect the sample
from him?"

Jaimz blushed and murmured, "I sort of forgot about it."

Kang nodded understandingly and said, "Well I can work with what I have
for now."

"If it is Kaiel's semen is the answer can't we just synthesize a serum
that I could take, inject or whatever to do the same thing as his semen?"

Kang raised a thoughtful brow, "But we already discussed this, what does
Kaiel get from the union?   You get a fluid exchange which seems to quiet
your beast for 72 hours, but Kaiel also receives something and until we
know what it is there can be no partial cure, even if you don't go
through the symptoms he will and if he dies you die...that is still a fact
cub that cannot be denied."

Jaimz scowled and said, "But it's a start isn't it?   And how do we know
that Kaiel doesn't receive his answer pretty much the same way I get
mine?  What if...in the mixing, some of me is carried back to him...or^×,"
He blushed and lowered his eyes, "or when we are-we are doing it...he
isn't absorbing what he needs through the skin of his rod?"

Kang gave him a long thoughtful look and finally murmured, "If that is
the answer than that would imply that it is the mixing which answers the
tag." He mused on, "Perhaps after he ejaculates that first time into you,
the Tag answers changing his deposit into something that benefits you
both?" He thoughtfully pressed a hand against his mouth and continued,
"What I need is a sample right after the first ejaculation... of course
how to get it?"

Jaimz just stared after him as Kang let his thoughts wander in scientific
speculation.   He shivered at one idea, "Kaiel could extract," he
ventured breathily.

Kang gave him a wide-eyed and skeptical look, "When you are both fully
tied?   With his flare still engaged?  Do you know how painful that would
be for you?"

Jaimz flushed faintly and nodded, "Lorz used to extract to...to punish
me."

Kang stared at him grimly and snarled, "That male should have been
tortured and thrown out of the nearest airlock!   Getting blown up in a
space battle was too kind for him!"  He grasped Jaimz shoulders and gave
him a slight shake, "Then you know that Kaiel would never be willing to
extract when his flare is engaged, for scientific gain or not.   He
simply wouldn't risk hurting you that way."  He turned away and paced to
and fro as he thought of solutions to impossible problems and finally he
turned, "There is a way maybe where I could get all the elements
together, it would take some work though, and no actual intercourse at
first.   But once I have Kaiel home I think that I can arrange to have
you two under my care once you go into your 72-Hour cycle again and I
could collect samples^×."   He sighed and nodded, turning to face him,
"Yes, that might do."

He smiled then, looking at the young human who was listening and watching
him so attentively, he knew that Jaimz would make a very good assistant
for him, which made it strange to think that he was actually Jaimz'
assistant most of the time and that Jaimz only acted as an assistant when
it came to the Tag research.   Kang had been collecting quite a load of
Data on the Tag, some of it from archaic sources while a lot of the most
recent data he was collecting from Jaimz and Kaiel themselves as they
were his only Tag subjects and he didn't expect to ever come across
another Tagged pair in his lifetime.   What Lorz had done to Jaimz had
been simply barbaric, but what Kaiel had done to save his life was
entirely noble.    The Tag, given twice to this young human, once for no
other reason then to torture him as far as Kang could determine, since he
couldn't talk to Lorz to try and understand his logic; and finally given
to save his life.   The Tag had undoubtedly complicated this young humans
life and his needs that the Tag only emphasized only furthered to confuse
him more and as much as he wanted to break the Tag Kang also knew Jaimz
cared a great deal for Kaiel.

Thinking about Kaiel and recalling that he would be leaving this morning
he gently asked, "Aren't you going to see him off?"

Jaimz sighed and shook his head, "I already said my good byes...in more
ways than one.... Kaiel knows that I'll^×miss him."

Kang nodded gravely, he had a fairly clear idea what Jaimz was alluding
too, and the slow staining of color spreading across his fair cheeks was
clue enough that Jaimz was still bothered by his reactions.   He
thoughtfully pursed his lips and enquired gently, "Did you give any
thought to what we spoke about yesterday?"

Jaimz looked away, studiously studying one of Kang's graphic charts of
the Zaran nervous system.   After a moment he sighed and said morosely,
"When I'm with him I hardly think of anything at all.  Every time I join
with him I just get worse and worse.   I don't think about what I'm doing
hardly at all, its all I can think about to see how much of him I can
take and how quickly I can get past the pain and enjoy having him pound
away at me....   Kang, sometimes I think...I'm lost."  He sat down on the
high stool, looking very like a cub himself and dropped his face into his
hands.   "I don't know what to think any more?  I mean what happens if I
start wanting to take him outside the 72-Hour?  What if the 72-Hour isn't
even an excuse anymore?   What will that mean for me?"  He looked up at
Kang with pained and frightened eyes, because Jaimz recognized the
potential of what he was saying and he knew that it might happen, that he
and Kaiel might come together without anything but their own bodies and
needs driving them.

Kang didn't want to say something flippant and upset the youth, knowing
how tortured he was by his morals and his upbringing and by his
attraction to and need for Kaiel.    The Tag was definitely culpable in
this situation, yet Kang felt with utter certainty that Kaiel and Jaimz
would have been drawn together no matter the circumstances of their
meeting.   If the Tag had not been involved maybe they would have simply
developed one of those incredible lasting friendships where love was
expressed in a million ways but never manifested to the physical, and
yet, looking at Jaimz, and that sweet frame of his and those incredible
eyes of his, it was just as likely that Kaiel may have been attracted to
him...and fate may have locked them together in a union like they found
themselves in already.   After all, how likely was it for two sons of an
ancient house to carry the same throwback ability?  It was almost as if
fate had given birth to Kaiel just so he could meet and save Jaimz in the
manner that he had.   It was a kind of disturbing thought, but as he had
said before, those two resonated; they felt and knew what the other was
thinking too well not to be soul linked somehow.   Instead he murmured,
"By worse and worse...I assume you mean in a bad way?"

Jaimz shot him a look filled with self-loathing, and then he shook his
head and slumped back on the stool.   "Yes, when I'm with him, I want him
to touch me...I want to touch him.  It's so confusing...I feel...thoroughly
wanton around him.   I mean its nothing for me to-to lean up against him;
let him put his arms around me....  And even though sometimes it troubles
me, it also excites me... and I feel torn, especially when I'm not with
him, when I^×think about the things I've done with him and the things
he's done to me.   Sometimes I wish he was Lorz...or like Lorz so that I
could safely^×hate him."

"You wish he would hurt you, so that you could distance yourself from
your body's responses and let yourself have an excuse." Kang stated
softly, inferring Jaimz' message.

Jaimz sighed and nodded shakily and wiped a tear away from his
gold-tipped eyelashes, "Y-yes.   But I can't.  I like Kaiel.  I really
like Kaiel, sex aside, I feel comfortable with him, he makes me feel," he
smiled faintly, "like I'm in a safe place when I'm with him.   I don't
mean, like I have nightmares about being in danger where he's saving me,
but I mean that I feel like everything's all glowing green and gold
wherever he is." He shook his head, "It doesn't make any sense."

To Kang it made perfect sense, the youngling was describing how Kaiel was
becoming his source his harmony and stability.   "Kaiel is your only
basis for grounding, because he needs you and you need him, you feel that
you have a purpose and a reason for being...that you are not wandering
lost and alone in a strange place.   It was very interesting did you
notice when you gave the interview how you said 'when Kaiel brought me
home' how your tone changed when you said Kaiel and home so close
together?   You showed your trust and your vulnerability at that moment.
You trust Kaiel to be your home, no matter what^×he means home to you."

Jaimz stared at him for a long aching moment then with his lips tightened
to stop their trembling he whispered hoarsely, "I miss him already." He
huddled on the stool, and didn't try to wipe away the tears as they
gathered on his eyelashes and trickled down his cheeks, "It's so
silly...he probably isn't even gone yet and he's only going to be gone for
a little while and either way I will see him again...but I so stupid to
feel so lonely already.   It isn't like I need him all the time when he
is here."

"But then," Kang supplied gently, "You know that he is nearby if you do
need him, even if all you need is a brief glimpse of him.   This time he
will be gone and you know it, your body knows it."

Jaimz scrubbed at his damp eyes and asked bitterly, "Does this mean that
I'll have a harder time with the withdrawal this time around?"

Kang went to him then and pulled his head against his chest.   "The TWS
will be the same for you, and I will monitor you closely during it.
However there will be a difference this time."

Jaimz shifted to look up at him.   Kang smiled kindheartedly, "This time
you don't hate your Tag Mate."

Jaimz' pretty, teeth marked and tear dampened, mouth formed into a
perfect "oh" as he realized how this upcoming bout with the TWS was going
to differ from his first bout.   He eyes brightened to aquamarine as
tears flowed and washed down over his cheeks, "It's going to be horrible
isn't it?  I'm going to miss him terribly won't I?"

He stroked Jaimz' silky hair and murmured, "Yes, but I will do every
thing in my power to help you through this cubling...and now, why don't
you go have a shower and get yourself ready to face the breakfast
tyrants."

Jaimz smiled faintly, "Are you saying I stink Doc?"   He thought about
whom Kang considered to be the breakfast tyrants, since he knew of only
Vreda and Terrill to fit that description he had to laugh forlornly, "Oh
no!   Do you mean I have to put up with them on my own?"

Kang chuckled in reply, "You don't stink in the least, but you do have a
nice bouquet of Kaiel's scent clinging to you, so if you truly intend to
try keeping your relationship a secret then you need to only smell like
you and not so brazenly of sweet sex." He stroked Jaimz' blushing cheek
before continuing with a smile, "And as to the breakfast tyrants, myself
and young Drey will be your stalwart defenders, never fear."

Jaimz laughed and contentedly hugged him before hopping off the high
stool and heading for the door, "Okay, I was planning on taking a shower
anyway." He exclaimed as he thanked Kang and headed off toward his goal.

Kang stood a moment, feeling good and pleased with himself for once again
he had helped Jaimz through one of his moral hurtles, it would likely
still be a bumpy road for the youngling, but every time he let himself
dwell on it and get over it was a step toward healing and acceptance.
He smiled after a moment, thinking as he collected his samples to start
running the tests, that if Jaimz was lucky maybe he would see Kaiel just
before he left and that would also make him feel better.   The poor cub
was going to feel awfully lonely without his Tag Mate around.  Kang and
Drey would have to see about keeping him occupied and entertained to help
him pass the time while he and Kaiel were apart.


________________________________________________________________________________


The closer he came to the central receiving hall of the house, the more
quick his steps became, he thought he wasn't to late, that the full hour
hadn't passed completely, but he couldn't be sure as he didn't have a
watch and time sometimes seemed to move slowly for him when he let
himself become distracted.   He knew that the transport would be waiting
at the front, and as he headed for those arched double doors he wondered
if Kaiel would be driving or if he'd have a driver for the trip?
Inconsequential thoughts swirled through his head as he worried if he had
arrived to late to say good-bye properly.  He threw open the door and
only then did his heart settle back to where it belonged for the vehicle
had not left, it was sitting and waiting and Zuzu was already there
having her travel case stowed by one of the staffers, there was no Kaiel
in sight though.   He turned away to go find Kaiel and was stopped up
when he bumped into a familiar body that happened to be standing directly
behind him.  He didn't notice the door as it softly closed on the scene
of Zuzu waiting at the car, he only noticed that the light suddenly
dimmed and shone out from around Kaiel's pale gold pelt.   He leaned into
him and breathed in the clean musk of his scent under the clean soap
smell of him and sighed as he wrapped his arms about him passing his
hands through the open sides of his coppery brown tunic to sink his
fingers into the plush pelt on his back.   "I was afraid I missed you."
He whispered, just standing there and enjoying the moment of Kaiel's body
against him and his big arms gently enfolding around him.

Kaiel just stood and luxuriated in the moment, absorbing with his entire
being the presence that was Jaimz.   He couldn't have imagined not seeing
him before he had to take his leave, even though he'd have memories to
savor, this last sight and touch was important to him, and since Jaimz,
despite his conflicts, had come to find him Kaiel felt that he could go
now and do what he must and somehow manage to get through the worst of
the days yet to come where he could neither see nor touch this being that
meant so much to him.   Sighing deeply, unconcerned for whom might be
watching or arriving on the scene he pulled Jaimz up his body and claimed
his lips in another demanding kiss.   And Jaimz melted right into him
wholly with his entire body and will, meeting him with hands and mouth
that eagerly embraced and shared the moment.  When he finally, slowly let
Jaimz slide down his big body he was panting and Jaimz was swaying a bit.
  Jaimz backed a stepped from him, and smiled, though it faltered a
moment later as glancing beyond Kaiel he saw Terrill standing at the
entrance to the family wing...watching them.   Kaiel glanced at his father
then returned his warm gaze to Jaimz and said softly, "I don't care what
he saw or what he thinks...besides he already knows about us."

Jaimz looked up at him and slowly nodded, for it was true that Terrill
knew more about them than they had wanted him too, since he had walked in
on them during one of their 72-Hour sessions and interrupted them in the
middle of something.   He smiled and replied even as tears brightened his
eyes, "I think you made my toes curl."

Kaiel chuckled, "I made your toes curl?"

Jaimz leaned into him for another hug and sighed, "Yes, definitely."

Kaiel bent over him and whispered, "When we get together again I'll see
about making your toes curl again...I want to watch that happen.   I bet
it will be amazing to see."

Jaimz blushed and looked into his eyes, "You...just you be careful you
hear?   Don't ignore the symptoms, and take the medicine as Kang
instructed."

Kaiel stroked his cheek, "I will."

That was all, neither said that they would miss the other, for there was
no need, they understood perfectly that they would miss one another
completely with body if not soul (Jaimz didn't believe in soul mates).
As they parted Jaimz paid no attention to the occasional tear that slid
unnoticed down his cheeks. He silently watched as Kaiel strode out to the
waiting vehicle and confirmed for himself that Kaiel was going to drive
after all.   He watched as Kaiel greeted Zuzu in a friendly manner and
assisted her into the vehicle in a perfectly gentlemanly way and then
they shared another moment of eye contact as Kaiel turned to look at him
from inside the car as he guided it onto the dirt track that led out of
the pride lands.   He stood watching for a while until only dust
indicated where the car was, and then turned back into the house.
Terrill was still there, watching him as he had been watching the car
leave.   He looked at the older K'Lan male, he was shorter than Kaiel,
but much wider for he had one of those stocky and square frames though he
didn't have an ounce of fat on him any where, but like Kaiel he had the
same gold pelt though his mane and eyes were darker and more like Lorz'
in fact.    He wondered what Terrill was thinking as he looked at him,
but he knew that Kaiel was right, it didn't really matter anymore.  He
nodded his head toward him and said softly, "Good morning Terrill Ni." He
deliberately added the honorific though he didn't like using it just to
show Terrill that he could be mannerly when the moment required it.

Terrill nodded in return and murmured, "Good morning Jaimz.   I trust
that you will still feel comfortable joining me for meals with Kaiel away
for these few days?"

Jaimz looked at him for a moment and then said, "Of...course.   I was
planning to join you for breakfast after I shower."

Terrill raised an interested brow and queried, "I trust Kang Ni and young
Drey will also be joining us?   Vreda Ni is still with us this morning
and I know that there has been^×some bad feelings due to of
her^×presence."

Jaimz bit his lip (and had no idea how enduring that habit was), "Yes, we
will all be there.   Even if^×she is there too."

"That's very good," Terrill noted, his dark eyes watching Jaimz intently,
"I will let Zavalla Ni know that breakfast will be a full course meal
this morning."   He paused for a thoughtful moment, "A shower you say?
Then I shall instruct her to wait breakfast for one mark?   That should
be sufficient yes?"

Jaimz was surprised that Terrill was being considerate with him, and of
course he was suspicious as to why, but maybe he was just trying to make
amends.  Though Jaimz wondered why Terrill would feel the need to since
the senior K'Lan male was a force to reckon with and he seemed more
likely to try to compel others to make amends to him.   "Thank you, that
should do very nicely."  He started to walk away but Terrill stopped him
by laying a light hand on his shoulder.   Jaimz quivered under his touch,
but didn't protest it as he waited for the male to say whatever else was
on his mind.

Terrill felt that slim shoulder trembling beneath his hand but was
reluctant to withdraw and give up his brief control, "Jaimz Ni, I have
yet to see your projects.   Would it be too much too ask if you were to
give me the tour later?"

Jaimz looked up at him with those sea-foam-green eyes and smiled briefly,
"Of course.   Anytime should be fine, just give me a bit a warning is
all." He'd be sure to keep Drey close by and maybe ask for Kang to pop by
now and again just to check on him though he doubted that he had to worry
about whether Kaiel's father might try to harm him.   The time for that
had already passed.  His only problem with Terrill was that he didn't
really trust him and he didn't care for his attitude where Kaiel was
concerned.   He was still mystified at how Terrill could consider Kaiel
to be weak and useless.  He just didn't understand that at all.

With that promise Terrill let Jaimz go and he allowed himself the
pleasure of merely watching his late son's mate stroll away.   He surely
did enjoy watching those tailless hips move the way they did and knew
that with Kaiel away and Jaimz so obviously used to regular coupling,
that lovely and cub-sweet Jaimz was going to get very lonely without a
rod to ride.   He smiled, thinking how with breakfast, lunch and dinner,
a tour of his projects; and maybe he could entice Jaimz into walking out
with him into the formal gardens around the house later that he was well
on his way to winning Jaimz' trust and soon winning a place in his poor
lonely bed.   He idly rubbed his pouch through his slacks; he couldn't
wait for Jaimz to meet his eager rod.


________________________________________________________________________________


Jaimz stopped off at his room to grab a fresh change of clothing even
though the outfit he had on was still technically clean.   He had already
learned that the staffers would be scandalized if he put back on the same
outfit he'd been wearing prior to having a shower, so he didn't even
consider reusing the outfit that he had only been wearing for little more
than half a mark.   From his room he headed directly to the shower and
looked thoughtfully at the door as he closed it, not wondering for the
first time why K'Lan didn't have locks on the bathing facilities, surely
they didn't always want to share the facilities did they?   Still with
nothing he could do about it and having grown used to the casualness of
the staffers comings and goings he stripped off his clothing, leaving
them in a pile for some staffer to pick up.   He set his clean clothes on
the bench outside the shower and took a moment to note that the towels
Kaiel had used had already been replaced.  He turned toward the shower
than and recalling what Kaiel had said about the blowers as he stepped in
and the first blast of warm air caressed his skin he flipped the switch
over and was rewarded with a cascade of pleasantly cool water that washed
over his head and back and made him shiver with delighted pleasure.

He was washing his hair when a pair of hands touched his back and made
him jump and yelp at the unexpected shock.   In turning around he saw to
his dismay that it was Terrill stepping into the shower with him, he
blinked soap out of his eyes and backed away from the big male, but
Terrill pretty much ignored him as he started to lather up his massive
chest.   Jaimz knew that he was expected to continue his own washing, as
it was perfectly normal for Zaran's to share the shower but Kang was
still the only Zaran he'd actually showered with, and he trusted Kang.
He nervously eyed the big male who inadvertently was blocking the exit
out, and though he knew that he could get by him he didn't want to let
Terrill know that he was making him nervous.   Terrill still seemed bent
on ignoring him, so Jaimz thought if he could finish his washing soon he
would have an excuse to leave the shower...but Terrill chose the moment
Jaimz decided he was clean enough to remark, "Let me wash your back for
you."

Jaimz froze and stepped tensely away, "No...thank you." He murmured, "I'm
fine."

Terrill scoffed and grasped his shoulder to turn him around as he said,
"Nonsense.   I'll wash your back and you can wash mine.  It's the polite
thing to do.  Hasn't Kaiel taught you that much?"

Jaimz shivered as those big hands started at his shoulders and gradually
moved down as they lathered him up and he explained warily, "I haven't
showered with Kaiel yet."

For a moment those hands paused as they moved along his spine and they
moved up to his grip his shoulders, "Really?" Terrill remarked, "I would
have thought that Kaiel would have introduced you to the pleasures of the
showers right away.   I mean after all, you two are lovers are you not?"

Jaimz made no reply to that and Terrill moved on, murmuring, "I'm
surprised of course since your skin feels^×lovely when it's all wet like
this."

Jaimz bit his lip, determinedly ignoring Terrill as his hands moved to
lather his buttocks and thighs, he knew that the male had to be kneeling
to reach his legs with such ease but refused to verify.   He didn't move
although he bit down even harder on his lip until he was certain he was
bleeding when Terrill's hands came back to work the lather around and
between his cheeks. He felt his face warm at the intimateness of his
touch, but he recalled that Kang had washed him very much like this too,
so maybe this was normal and there was no need for him to jump to
conclusions?   Still, being touched like that, by anyone other than Kaiel
made him jumpy, so at feeling Terrill's fingers as they stroked lather up
over his anus and deeper between his legs he finally couldn't take
anymore and he pulled away while laughing to cover his unease, "That
tickles Terrill Ni... I'm fine now...I thank you."

Terrill gave him a dark eyed look and nodded, "Of course.   Would you
scrub my back now?"

Seeing that he couldn't very well accept having his back washed and not
reciprocate he picked up a scrubber and set to working on that thick pelt
from his shoulders to his hips...he avoided his broad hard buttocks but
since Terrill didn't complain, and he could lather them up on his own if
he so desired he decided that he was doing enough for the senior K'Lan
male.

As quickly as he possibly could without seeming rude he finished
scrubbing and lathering Terrill's back and then pushed him lightly back
under the heavy overhead spray to start the rinsing process.   He hurried
through his own rinsing and slipped past Terrill to briskly towel off and
start dressing before the big male stepped from the shower.  Like Kang he
forwent the blowers and opted to just use the towels and allow for
evaporation to finish drying his pelt.  He didn't say much more to Jaimz
except that it was a pleasure.   Jaimz was dressed and on his way out
before Terrill was, and what he wondered idly as he hurried back toward
his suite was "what was a pleasure?" in Terrill's judgment.

Fortunately a cubling distraction met him at the door to his suite and
greeted him in his usual boisterous way and in Drey's company Jaimz soon
put the shower episode out of his mind.   For he was quite certain that
it hadn't meant anything, that Terrill had merely wanted a shower and
happened to think there was no reason not to share one with Jaimz.
After all it was Jaimz who had to get used to the culture since Terrill
had been born and raised within it.

When the went to breakfast it actually proved to be not to bad, with Drey
and Kang to buffer him he found that he had no trouble with Vreda, who
was gloomy and silent throughout the meal for the most part though on
occasion she would send him an icy look, which didn't bother him since he
already knew that she didn't care for him.   Terrill also joined the
table banter and though he did send the occasional considering look
toward L'Teran Vreda he did not try too hard to engage her in
conversation.

Breakfast broke up with Kang saying he had something to look into back at
his clinic, Terrill had the regular business of K'Lan Pride to deal with,
so Jaimz took Drey back with him to his room to get down to work on
translating more notes.   And Vreda, she was left to her own resources.

For a while they just worked in comfortable silence with Drey translating
the English notes to Zaran and Jaimz helping him with the more difficult
words that didn't so easily translate.   After a while Drey started to
talk about his home village and his last visit back to his parents.  He
crowed about how all the cubs chased after him and asked him questions
about Jaimz Ni and how even Zeyer and Trev were curious enough to want to
sneak up to the main house to meet him.   Jaimz smiled in amusement and
murmured, "Maybe I will just visit Moro village and spare them the need
to go sneaking anywhere."

To which Drey started describing the village and all the people in it and
the seasonal or annual events the took place as well as the once weekly
market day so enthusiastically that Jaimz could almost imagine the color
and pageantry of the K'Lan pride village.   Drey went on the say how
K'Lan actually supported ten villages within the pride lands and the Moro
was only a mid-sized village.  He even said that Zelma, which was a
village alongside the Mitraal Sea, was twice the size of Moro and it
housed maybe ten thousand Zarans.   Drey wistfully went on to mention
that he had only been to Zelma once and that was just before the monsoon
season when it was so hot that he had gone swimming in the sea every day.
  He also casually mentioned that the High K'Lan's had a villa near Zelma
where they often spent the hottest days of summer to take advantage of
the cool breezes that came off the sea.

Drey was describing how wonderful it was to swim in the Mitraal Sea when
Vreda wandered into the lab.   Drey quieted instantly and glared
intensely at the ivory pelted female, recalling very well how she had
mistreated Jaimz and he was still holding an impressive grudge against
her.   Jaimz looked at her, wondering what she wanted with him now.  She
had been awfully quiet at breakfast and the noon-break was still a while
away though he understood that she would be returning to L'Teran Pride
soon after that.   Watching her he noticed her touch one of his finished
models which Drey had spent painstaking time lacquering to protect it and
he bit back a retort when she quite deliberately broke a section off.
Before he could stop Drey though or hope that the cub had not witnessed
her act of vandalism the cub bounded to his feet and shouted at her.
"Hey!  You broke that!  Jaimz Ni spent hours putting that together
and^×!"

What happened next was viscous and uncalled for, she stepped forward and
she slapped the cub hard across his face.   Hard enough that even with
his light brown hide her handprint showed on his cheek.  Jaimz caught the
cub as he stumbled and he yelled at her, "That's enough!"

She huffed and smiled at the cub as she purred, "Rude little houseless
cubs should know better than to disrespect their elders."

Drey snarled at her and it took all of Jaimz' strength to keep the cub
from attacking the bitch, "No!   No Drey!" he commanded the angry cub's
attention, hugging his face between his hands and saying slowly over the
cub's seething rage, "Go see Kang right now Drey.   Right now."

"Yes, yes why don't you be a good cub and go see that old fool while the
adults have a nice chat?" She added flippantly, smiling cruelly as Drey's
now very bright though still icy pale green eyes rolled toward her.   The
cub still struggled with his desire to obey Jaimz and his urge to strike
back at the female and every time she said anything it only made him
angrier.

Jaimz forced him to look at him and repeated, "Go see Kang, Drey.   Right
now.  Right NOW!"  The cub broke away from him, and though he sent Vreda
such an ugly look that she should have been horrified (she only laughed)
he did run from the lab.

Vreda pressed a finger to her lips and chuckled once the cub was gone and
swung around to face Jaimz as she said, "Much better."

  "That was completely uncalled for!"  Jaimz snarled at her,  "Drey is
under the care of K'Lan House and he is to be treated as a son of this
HOUSE!"

She laughed silkily, "How angry you are pet, all because I slapped that
rude little cub?   He'll be fine and hopefully he'll learn some better
manners."

"You had no right!" Jaimz retorted, "It's obviously you who needs to
learn better manners!"

She moved toward him than, forcing him to lean back against the tall
stool's back, there was one such high backed stool at every table
expressly for his or the cub's use, though normally Drey made use of
regular chairs if Jaimz was working with him.   She leaned close against
him, purring sotto voce in his ear, "I saw you."  She backed away as he
stared at her with obvious confusion.   She laughed and bent toward him
again, and said in a singsong voice, "I saw you last night...with him.
With my Betrothed mate."

He hissed a gasping breath and pushed her back, she seemed willing to
cooperate so far, "He's not your Betrothed mate!   He's not your
anything!  If you even managed to get him you'd treat him just like a
conquest!" He seethed, lashing her verbally.

She boldly stroked his cheek and purred smilingly as she bent toward him
again, "He could have been mine last night...if you hadn't been there to
provide such a distraction."   She ran her fingers up into his hair and
then clutched a handful, "I saw you...take him, all of him, inside you.  I
watched your nether mouth suck him right up and you just loved it didn't
you?   Didn't you?  I warned you didn't I of what I would do if he^×now
what was that word you used so eloquently?  Oh yes^×Fuck.  I think I
warned you that I would fuck you if he fucked you."  She smiled and
ducked down to lick his cheek as he shuddered and strained against her
hold on his hair.

Jaimz pushed against her, clutching her hand as it tugged at his hair,
and remembering a bundle of nerves in the wrist area of the chart he had
seen in Kang's office he drove his fingers hard into that nerve cluster
so that she yelped and released him.   Instantly he jumped off the chair
and kicked it at her as he backed away while snarling breathlessly,
"Don't touch me!"

She stumbled over the chair, and then kicked it aside and came after him,
stalking him as he moved around the table trying to keep it between her
and him.   "I warned you!" She rumbled low in her throat as she flexed
her fingers, "If he gets you I get you.  It's simple rules Pet!   Now you
have two choices you can try to elude me until I get really mad and use
something really nasty to hurt you with...or we can go off to your bed
right now and I can stick something inside you that won't hurt so much
and just play with you until you squeal a tiny bit.   What do you say
Pet?  Which choice would you prefer?"

He knew looking at how she flexed her fingers that she fully intended to
use them against him whether he was willing or not, and he had no
intention of being willing.   Hoping against hope that Drey was hurrying
back with Kang he could only try to hold her back knowing that if she
managed to get a hold of him again that he wouldn't be able to fight her
off.   Still, though he knew he shouldn't antagonize her, for her eyes
didn't like at all sane, he couldn't help but react as he yelled, "FUCK
YOU!"

She lunged across the table at him, shattering another of his models in
the process.   He dodged her though a second later he heard fabric
tearing, his fabric tearing as she grabbed at his tunic as he tried to
out maneuver her.  The delicate fabric ripped open at the shoulder, he
spun away from her and kicked another chair into her long legs as she
once again lunged for him while yelling, "Your making me mad Pet!"

Next he felt fabric across his back ripping as she used claws this time
to slash, and he hissed at the sting of those same claws as they scored
his skin.   He needed help; he knew it as she caught up with him and
grabbed him by his hair again.  He yelled and turned into her, he didn't
know what he was doing and he had never spent a day of his life doing
martial arts, but as she powered toward him, he grabbed her still
reaching arm as it made to claw at him, he lowered his shoulder into her
gut and somehow as he ducked, she sailed with a yowl right over his head.


That was the exact moment in which Kang and Drey filled the doorway, and
Drey let out a crow of delight as the female smashed into the tabletop.
"COOL!" He howled even louder with laughter when the falling female's
unexpected weight snapped the tabletop in half, landing it and her in an
inglorious heap on the floor.

Jaimz stood panting and surprised afterward, uncertain of what he had
done and unsure that he'd be able to repeat it, but from the looks of the
table that had broken her inglorious fall, he didn't need to worry about
defending himself anymore at the moment.   She was lying amongst the
tangle of broken wood looking utterly dazed and shocked and she seemed
uncoordinated enough that it was taking her a few tries just to untwist
her arm out from under her.

Kang, having also witnessed the female flying through the air though he
managed to restrain his exuberance far more gracefully then the excited
cub did, assessed the scene in an instant and as Jaimz started to sway he
decided that he would assist him before the young human hurt himself by
fainting or doing something unpredictable like that.   Very quickly he
was at Jaimz' side, pulling the youngling up against him as his energy
and adrenaline ran out.  Jaimz gripped at his arms, digging his fingers
into his pelt as if he was trying to ground himself, yet his legs still
gave out and he started sliding down so Kang went with him.   "What is
happening Jaimz?  Do you feel sick?"

Panting Jaimz leaned away and let his head fall back, "Can't^×c-catch
my^×breath." He gasped.

Kang sighed, "Your hyperventilating cub.   Lean forward, yes, like that.
Now put your head between your knees and breathe in slow...deep, slow
breaths."  He ignored the ruined tunic and simply rubbed Jaimz' back as
he gradually got his breathing under control.  However he didn't ignore
the four scratches that were turning bright red and even bleeding
sluggishly high up on his back near his shoulder.   Once Jaimz' breathing
had calmed down sufficiently Kang pealed the tunic off of his patient, it
was unsalvageable anyway and inspected the nasty scratches for a moment
before deciding that all he'd need to do was clean and disinfect them and
they should heal without too much problem though they might leave faint
scars to mar that perfectly smooth skin.

Terrill came in on that situation, it took him a moment to get past the
damage to take everything in, Jaimz sitting with his head between his
knees while the medic stroked his back and soothed him and the cub
hovering beside them, and Vreda still laying in a dazed tangle amid the
broken table pieces.   Seeing that Jaimz was already being tended to by
two doting guardians Terrill went to assist Vreda, helping her up though
for the life of him he couldn't figure out how she'd gotten into this
predicament in the first place.

"What happened here?" He grumbled as he helped Vreda to her feet.

Vreda shook him off and straightened her mane, though she winced when she
tried to use her right arm to do it.   She stared toward the small group
where Jaimz was being tended and flexed her sore arm experimentally,
wincing again.  She softly murmured, "Nothing, just me and the Pet were
having a discussion.   That's all." She peered at K'Lan Terrill and
smiled, "I have decided that I will take Kaiel as my mate.  Please see to
it that the contract is formalized."

Terrill was slightly taken aback; for the look in her eyes was hardly
what he would call sane, and what had happened here, no mere discussion
obviously.   He glanced back toward Jaimz, noticing that the medic was
alone with him now, so while he'd been helping Vreda the cub had taken
off, and since he knew that young Drey was quite attached to Jaimz he
doubted that he would have left unless the medic asked him too.   He
chose to accompany Vreda, for she was hardly what he'd call steady on her
feet, but she wasn't ready to leave yet as she made for Jaimz instead.
Kang rose at seeing her coming and put his massive frame in her way.

"I won't let you harm him." He warned in a rumbling tone, and though he
might be overweight and gray pelted he could still be very menacing when
he needed to be.

She smirked and shrugged, "No matter...I just want to tell him something,
but I'm sure he can hear me just fine...isn't that right Pet?"   She
peered around Kang's massive body and smiled as Jaimz lifted his head to
look at her, he really did have such a beautiful face.  Very cryptically
she advised, "I won't give up^×I can compete with you."

He just looked at her for a moment, and then lowered his head back to his
knees.   She shrugged, she had said her piece and she was ready to leave
now.  Turning away she said to Terrill, "I think that I should be going
home now, after all I have a lot to arrange for the formal betrothal
ceremony and the mating ceremony after that...."

Terrill followed her, he still very much wanted to know what had happened
but he didn't want to leave her alone for the moment, besides she was
still favoring her right arm so he was certain that she needed medical
attention.   As he stepped out into the hall after her he noticed young
Drey coming back with the medic's satchel and nodded his understanding as
the cub passed.   He was still confused though as he paced beside the
female who was only an inch or so shorter than he was, "What happened in
there?" he asked her again.

She laughed and sent him a sly look, leaning toward him she whispered as
if sharing a dirty secret, "I saw them.   Last night I saw them mating.
It was...incredible to watch my mate-to-be rutting with his little Pet.
It was so incredible to see the Pet take Kaiel's big rod inside his
little body.   I am so going to enjoy my time with the Pet.  I warned
him...I warned him that if he mated with Kaiel that he would have to share
his sweet little body with me too.   It's only fair, isn't it?"

Terrill stared at her, for clearly she had lost all sense of reason.
But she wasn't looking at him or even really aware that he was there
beside her, making sure that she didn't bang into anything as he guided
her back toward her suite.   She could see, but she wasn't seeing
anything ahead of her...what she was seeing played over and over again in
her mind.  She had gone to try to woo Kaiel over to her and since he had
been so stubbornly avoiding her since her arrival she had decided that if
she put herself in his bed that he wouldn't be able to ignore her
anymore.   How was she to know that he already had more company than she
could compete with?  She had watched it all; from the moment the Pet had
started to take Kaiel's rod inside his little cub-sized body to the
moment that Kaiel had shifted their positions so that he could drive his
rod deeper and deeper into that yielding little body and to moments far
beyond that, until she was certain the Pet may have actually seen her,
though this morning he had showed no hint of it.   She felt anger wash
over her and shook her head to shake it off, she wouldn't let anger
consume her, she would have plenty of time to punish the Pet once he came
under her full time control.   She could just imagine all the ways that
she could punish him too, she smiled just thinking about the various
methods that she could use to subdue and conquer him and how in
controlling him she would control Kaiel since Kaiel obviously wanted to
protect his precious little Pet.   Only one thing bothered her, this
morning her cousin had come into her suite just as she was leaving, and
she had her satchel in hand.  Zuzu hadn't explained where she was going
and Vreda hadn't asked, for she supposed dutiful Zuzu would have found
her own means to get to that silly Diplomatic Conference.   But what Zuzu
had said haunted her as much as what she had witnessed last evening did.
Simple and cryptic, two sentences, meaningless apart but fully realized
when placed together.   "Just give up Vreda.  You can't compete with
that."  She understood, oh yes she understood completely what that was.

Back in the Lab, Kang had Jaimz sitting up in one of the chairs and was
tending to the scratches on his back.   Jaimz was calm now and actually
very quiet, he barely even made a sound as the antiseptic solution bathed
the shallow but long wounds.  It was fortunate that Vreda had only caught
him a glancing blow or her claws could have laid his back wide open.
These scratches would heal with little difficulty though.  Cleaned now he
inspected them just to make sure there were no deeper gouges within the
slashes, but there was nothing to worry about.   He applied a topical
ointment to the scratches and finally bandaged a pad of gauze in place
just to keep the ointment from being rubbed off the moment he redressed.
   Patting Jaimz' undamaged shoulder he said, "This can probably come off
tomorrow and you should be able to shower or whatever without concern.
Though the water might sting the cuts a bit."

Jaimz glanced at him and smiled then he frowned as he looked around his
Lab again and grumbled, "What a mess."

Indeed chairs were overturned, one table was broken beyond repair, one of
Jaimz' lacquered gate models was smashed out of all recognition and
another looked in sore need of repair...there had obviously been quite a
scuffle and Jaimz had obviously put quite a good deal of effort into
defending himself, for Kang had no doubt that Jaimz had been the one at
risk here.   L'Teran Vreda was at least seven and a half feet tall, and
she probably outweighed Jaimz by nearly a hundred pounds and for all that
she was shapely she was also extremely strong.   Attacking Jaimz would
have been like attacking a cub.  And yet hadn't he walked into the scene
where she was the one involved in an aerial disaster?

"How did you...do that to Vreda?" he wondered.

Jaimz sent him a confused look then his cheeks brightened with a blush.
"Oh...."

Drey, who had been watching everything attentively and worriedly, chimed
in, "Oh Yeah!   That was so cool Jaimz Ni!  How did you throw her like
that?  That was so completely wild!"

Jaimz blushed uncomfortably and smiled sheepishly, "I don't know...how I
did it."

Kang looked into those bright eyes, which were perfectly aquamarine and
had been for a long time now, they hadn't melted back into the softer and
swirling sea-foam shade that was more normal.   Indeed when Jaimz eyes
took on the clarity of aquamarines he was fairly excited or frightened or
otherwise emotionally over-wrought.  He understood that Jaimz was every
bit as astounded as they were by what he had done, and from the looks of
his wandering thoughts and bemused expressions Kang guessed that Jaimz
was wondering if he could repeat that feat if he had too.

"Then, would you mind sharing what caused the situation in the first
place?"   Kang asked.

Jaimz glanced at Drey, and then asked, "Drey, could you please see if
that model over there can be salvaged?"

Kang watched as the cub went to inspect the lacquered model with all of
its delicate parts and then turned back to Jaimz.   Jaimz sighed, "She
saw Kaiel and me together last night."

Kang stared...then half teasingly murmured, "You two might want to
consider pulling the bed curtains before you get into it."

Jaimz blushed again, "Maybe... but anyway^×.   Vreda threatened me the
other day, and she was only guessing that Kaiel and I had a relationship
like that ...but anyway she said if Kaiel had me that way^×that she'd have
me too.   This morning she came to claim her pound of flesh or
whatever...and I wasn't about to let her."  He looked down at his hands
and murmured, "I think she's a bit nuts."

"Ah, I wouldn't doubt it."

Jaimz glanced away, and concluded, "I hope she's a long ways away when
she finds out that betrothal has been broken."

Kang raised a brow; "You know this for a fact?"

Jaimz nodded and shared the confidence, "Lorz^×he mated me with some kind
of Abiku Mating Contract."

"Akibu." Kang corrected

"Yeah, Akibu...anyway that mating contract was drawn up before the
Betrothal and Kaiel thinks that the Akibu contract voids the Betrothal
contract, since the elder son was already mated to me...or something like
that." Jaimz purposely didn't look at him, concentrating instead on what
the cub was doing.

Kang understood why Jaimz was having trouble with this, first it involved
Lorz and Jaimz still quite literally loathed Lorz, and secondly it
involved finding himself in another improbable situation, of which
finding himself legally mated to another male was totally inconceivable
to Jaimz.

Kang was tantalized however by the implications and he mused,
"Interesting...and yes the Akibu contract if it was formalized before the
betrothal should make the betrothal invalid.   But what is even more
interesting is trying to understand Lorz' reasoning."

Jaimz scowled, "Lorz had no reasons for doing anything, he was just a
monster."

"Yes, yes to you, in many ways, he was a monster.   But why would he tie
you with the Tag and then continue to abuse you when there was no need?
And furthermore why would he lock himself into an unbreakable contract
with you and still hurt you?   It makes no sense.  Why resort to two of
our most ancient practices to tie you to him and his house only to
continue to harm you?"

Jaimz grumbled bitterly, "I already told you he didn't need any reason to
do what he did.   And what does it matter anyway.  I'm free of him and
the contract at least where it concerns me died with him."

"Yes, perhaps," Kang mused, "Still it is a puzzle.   Why go to such
lengths to control you when he could have let you feel the first flush of
the addiction and made you come to him for relief?  Why continue to hurt
you and drive you emotionally away while at the same time locking you
tighter and tighter to him?"

Jaimz just stared at him, he was amazed that Kang would talk this way
about Lorz after what he had done to him, and he had never been locked to
Lorz in anyway, he had hated him with his entire body and resisted him
with every fiber of his being.   If anything it was Kaiel that he was
finding himself emotionally tied to, and it was Kaiel who he was locked
to...and the only thing that Lorz had ever done right was have a brother
who had the same flaw as he did, a flaw that saved him when Lorz had
obviously set out to kill him by leaving him unknowingly and fatally
addicted to him.

Kang however was still talking, more to himself than to Jaimz, yet Jaimz
found he was listening anyway.   "With the binding contract you could
have walked or ran away, it is after all just a piece of parchment^×and
very binding piece of parchment^×but you could still flee from it.   But
with the Tag, you couldn't have run far enough away to ever escape him.
Why did he persist in hurting you?  That is the real puzzle.   He could
have made you come to him, made you want to come to him and take
everything he could give you just so you'd feel better."

Jaimz shook his head and rasped, "I don't want to hear this."

"But I'm trying to understand what is so hard to understand." Kang
persisted, ignoring Jaimz' rising unease.   "Why would he abuse you so
much and pervert the whole meaning of what it is to be Tagged when there
was no need?  Had he been gentle with you, no matter how much you
continued to hate him, your body would have opened up to him just as it
does for Kaiel now.   You were prepared and ready for him from the moment
he Tagged you."

"I don't want to hear this!" Jaimz cried, covering his ears.   "He was
mad!  Isn't that enough to understand?  You said it yourself that he
perverted everything!   Can't you leave it at that?  All he ever did was
hurt me and rape me and let Ham rape me^×."

Kang, seeing how upset his ponderings were making Jaimz, reached out and
pulled the distraught young human against him, "I'm sorry.   Sometimes I
just bite at a puzzle and can't let it go.... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to
upset you Cubling."

Terrill returned at that moment, and his silent consideration could
probably be attributed to the assumption that he had heard Jaimz
describing the hell he had suffered while under Lorz' tender mercies, the
only saving grace was that Lorz' name hadn't been mentioned so Jaimz
didn't have to confirm or deny anything and hopefully he hadn't heard any
of what the medic had been saying about being Tagged, after all only
Jaimz had raised his voice.    Jaimz didn't care too much about the
senior K'Lan's sensitivities anyway, for he knew that Kaiel had already
explained some of the facts to him, but what bothered him was the cub,
showing up at his side, touching his arm ever so lightly and asking,
"Jaimz Ni?   Did someone hurt you?"

Jaimz stared at the youngster and felt a prickling of horror crawl up his
spine.   He knew without a doubt that Drey was asking about something
that went beyond today.  He had heard him just now when he had been
speaking about being raped by Lorz and Ham.   He felt his face heat with
painful embarrassment as he wondered how he could explain without saying
anything at all.  "I^×no^×I'm fine, Vreda barely scratched me."   Drey
gave him a look that clearly read that the cub knew he was deliberately
evading his question.  However he didn't try to press for more
information instead all the cub did was wrap his arms about him and
whisper, "I'll protect you," as he hugged him.   Jaimz was so surprised
that he didn't complain at Drey's forwardness, besides the cub was safe.

Terrill harrumphed to gain their attention; his ears actually flicked
slightly with discomfort as he tipped his head formally, and said, "I
trust that you haven't faired to badly Jaimz Ni."

With the cub standing at his side again and Kang busy sorting his satchel
out Jaimz faced the older male and said simply, "I'm fine.   I'll be
right as rain in no time flat."

Terrill gave him a thoughtful look then nodded again, "Well, I'm glad, I
shouldn't like for you to have suffered any serious harm while under my
care."   He didn't notice Kang glance toward him, so he didn't realize
that it was Kang who was keeping a watchful eye on Jaimz while Kaiel was
away.  He looked at Jaimz for another moment, admiring the satiny
smoothness of his bare upper body and felt a bit of regret that his back
(which had been flawless) was now marred with four nasty scratches.
"Anyway, perhaps you might be relieved to know that L'Teran Vreda has
decided to go home early?"

Drey interjected bitterly, "Everybody should be happy to hear that."

Before Terrill could scold the cub Jaimz gripped Drey's arm with just
enough warning pressure and said, "That wasn't very polite Drey."

The cub's ears laid back flat to his skull.   Then Jaimz relented by
saying with a smile, "Not that I think you necessarily need to apologize
either."

Terrill frowned at them both, recognizing that at the moment both were a
pair of cubs conspiring together in the way cubs did even though Jaimz'
was the elder.   He looked from the grinning pair to Kang and said, "At
any rate, the young female is leaving today but it would seem that she
managed to injure her arm so, Kang Ni, I am wondering if you would check
and make sure that it isn't too seriously damaged?"

Before Drey could say anything else to express his opinion of L'Teran
Vreda, Jaimz laid a hand lightly on his arm and said to Kang, "I'm
fine...go see to her if you like."

Drey watched as Kang left with Terrill before he turned his incredulous
pale green eyes upon Jaimz and exclaimed, "Why did you let him go?"

Jaimz smiled, "Child...cub...I don't control Kang, and he's a doctor so
naturally he will go to whomever he feels needs him, even if he doesn't
necessarily approve of that person.   That's what makes a great doctor
and I think that Kang is one of the best I've ever know."

Drey nodded thoughtfully, then said, "Yeah...I guess I can't be selfish
just because I don't like her." He grinned mischievously, "Still what you
did was great and I hope she broke her arm!"

Jaimz chuckled, and looking around his Lab again he said, "I'm sure she
didn't hurt her arm to badly...but my lab surely is a mess."

Drey nodded solemnly, "Yeah...but I think that the model can be salvaged,
she just broke one of the wing foils off and it broke right at the joint.
  Do you want me to get a staffer or two to help clean up?"

Jaimz shook his head ruefully and hopping off the stool he said, "No I
think together we can deal with most of this mess...though the table of
course is pretty much a lost cause."

Together the pair set to work setting stools and chairs aright and
throwing away broken pieces of a shattered model that couldn't possibly
be prepared until all that was left was the table.   Jaimz knew to leave
that for the staffers, since he didn't even know where such a thing would
be disposed of and quietly they set to work fixing the repairable model
first.


________________________________________________________________________________


Immediately upon arriving at Rydani's council hall, Zuzu and Kaiel parted
company to go to their respective quarters within the diplomatic section.
   Kaiel already knew his way quite well to the K'Lan suite where he had
stayed frequently in the past years since he had first joined the
diplomatic corps but he allowed himself to be escorted so that he could
listen to the guide describe the events planned for the day.   First
there would be a big formal luncheon involving all the prime delegates
and their assistants, after the luncheon the first session of the
diplomatic conference would convene with the presenting of the proper
forms and credentials, the passing of the gavel would be preformed to
identify the mediator for the session and then the first day of the
conference would conclude with the submission of proposals and
compromises for both sides to review before the next day's session began
in full.

Kaiel nodded, all this he understood, though he was still puzzled as to
why he had been called to mediate the session since he was just a junior
in the diplomatic corps and hardly had the years of experience that a
senior would have.   But the Chai had personally requested him, he knew
that there would be protests from the bench since it wouldn't sit well
with the older males and yet hadn't he been assigned the duty of trying
to determine a solution for the Chai Conflict in the first place despite
his apparent youth?

His guide showed him into his suite, which had been fully prepared to
receive him, he looked briefly at the bed and grimly thought that the
longer he worked into the night, each night of the conference the better,
for the bed looked damn lonely.   After he was told that Luncheon would
be served at one and a half marks past the noon break the guide left him
to get settled in.  He eyed the many formal robes he had packed for this
session before deciding on the one he would wear today.   He set that one
robe aside while he hung the rest away in the closet.  He also carried
all the paraphernalia he would need to manage the TWS to the chest beside
the bed and placed it all carefully within the top drawer.

He then sat down and allowed himself a brief respite before getting ready
for the luncheon.

Luncheon when he arrived was as he had assumed a rigid affair of modest
greetings and a great deal of posturing.   The Chai of course were
present, as were representatives of most of the Zaran allies.  The Chai
were the strangest of the lot in many ways.   The kindest way to describe
them was that they looked like big insects.  They had three pair of limbs
and depending on what they were doing they could walk on the two hind
pair, or they could use both of the hind pairs in conjunction with the
single front pair to manipulate equipment, enter data or perform a number
of tasks simultaneously.   Their bodies were divided into three segments,
the head, the thoracic, and finally the hind (which was the largest of
the segments).  Their three pair of limbs was divvied up so that one pair
emerged from the thoracic while the other two pairs were attached to the
hind portion.   The three sections like their limbs were covered in
gleaming black chitinuos armor that was so reflective that Kaiel was
positive that the Chai spent hours waxing and polishing their
exoskeletons.    They heads were heart shaped with a single pair of large
equally black multi-facetted eyes and small mandibles.  The only soft
area that the Chai had was in the connective areas between the main body
sections and they were soft only in comparison to their natural armor,
for those areas were very tough and leathery and every bit as black as
their exoskeletons.   They tended not to wear anything since they were
all neuter drones as the Queen and her harem never left the planet or
their respective hive or pod.   Without a doubt each of the Chai were
siblings born of the same pod.  What did distinguish each was the jewelry
they each wore, each wore ropes and ropes of gems strung around their
necks, wrists and ankles, some even wore multiple chains around their
waists of precious metals and gems.   They positively sparkled and Kaiel
definitely didn't think that they were ugly, merely that they were
different in appearance from his own people.  Each of the Chai delegates
would have been picked for their special skills and knowledge of
negotiating so Kaiel was sure that he was in for quite a run with them.
The final thing that set the Chai apart was that each had a breather
apparatus delivering extra oxygen to their systems through their mouths
because they came from an oxygen rich world and without the oxygen mist
that they breathed in past their mandibles they would suffocate.

The squat Harben were present, they were short reptilian species, at
barely four feet high with long arms and short legs and lived on a mainly
arboreal planet.   Besides the Harben the other allies were the Delran,
who looked very much like a-fish-out-of-water kind of being, they were
just under Zaran height, but they had long barrel shaped bodies which
tapered toward the tail and head, with necks so thick that it looked as
if the head and shoulders were joined together and short legs made only
for a shambling type of walk (the Delran were excellent swimmers however)
and forelimbs just barely long enough to touch the flipper like fingers
together.   Like the Chai the Delran also had breathers, but their
breathers disbursed oxygen through a water vapor so that they wouldn't
drown in a waterless environment.   The Delran had a slick rubbery skin,
which was whitish gray through the jaw, throat and belly region and
blackish gray on the back and everywhere else.  The had pointed faces
with their nostrils claiming the peak of their snouts while their
backward grinning mouths fully armored with triangular teeth was below
the peak and their flat black slightly bulging eyes peered out near the
top of there heads on either side of the pointed snout.   They were
undoubtedly one of the ugliest of the Zaran allies, but Kaiel knew that
they of course thought that the Zaran and every other species was by far
the uglier species.   Chatting with the Harben and the Delran were the
long limbed and short bodies Ghan, a fur covered ally, though this one
had long draping fur.  The Ghan were an odd looking being with such long
limbs and neck which made their bodies and heads seem so small.   They
had long tapering hairy snouts or muzzles, and large dark eyes rimmed
with a thick fringe of eyelashes.  Their small bodies were narrow at the
shoulder, thick at the waist and tapered toward a stiff and equally hairy
tail.    However when they sat down they folded their limbs up and
somehow managed to look very dignified.  There were a few ally species
missing but Kaiel didn't wonder where they were for if they had wanted to
participate in this conference they would have been present already.

Kaiel joined the delegates, greeting many by name and settled in to
suffer through a long and likely tedious luncheon, the only bright point
about it was that he saw Zuzu and was able to speak with her for a bit
during one of the many course services.   It was during their brief
conversation that one of the Chai ambled over; this Chai was the Speaker
for the group if the diadem like headdress was any indication.   Both he
and Zuzu nodded with all due respect at the Chai speaker, but he was
surprised when the Speaker addressed him alone.  "You are unguarded." She
said, she in that though a drone most Chai unless born specifically for
the Queen's harem (and therefore male) were considered female.

It was a puzzling thing to say and Kaiel didn't know how to respond to
her, he glanced at Zuzu in bafflement before returning his gaze back to
the enigmatic Speaker.    She tapped her own smooth head; with her armed
forelimbs there was an actually clicking and repeated, "You are
unguarded." She nodded and seeming satisfied with her unusual
pronouncement she moved on to speak with another group.

Kaiel raised a curious brow as he stared after her and it was Zuzu who
muttered, "Unguarded how?"

He had no idea, except of course that the Chai had a strange way of
thinking and speaking and likely the translator built into their
breathers which made their language comprehendible to non-Chai hadn't
been able to translate her cryptic words into anything that made sense.
After a moment he hazarded a guess, "Maybe she meant that I am open to
new ideas?"

Zuzu looked dubious but that was when High Council P'Var called her away
and back to his side.

Kaiel mingled with the luncheon crowd, but he was left wondering what the
Speaker had meant that he was unguarded, how and in what way?


________________________________________________________________________________


His Lab was tidy now, the ruined table had been removed and replaced and
wonder of wonders Vreda had left which had made lunch an engaging affair
where even Terrill made a good effort to join in with the conversation.
After lunch though Jaimz didn't feel like working in his Lab, he pestered
Kang for a while until the good medic shooed him out because he was being
a nuisance.   He went for a walk, exploring the inner gardens and the
immediate areas around the house but after a time interest in the flowers
and trees also cooled so that he wandered back toward his suite though he
still didn't feel like doing any work.   He was restless and he was fully
aware of the fact too, which only aggravated him, which made him more
restless.  He didn't want to think that he was so restless because he
knew Kaiel was gone.   He had worked entire days without seeing Kaiel
until well into the evening or at all and been more than okay, so just
because Kaiel was not home at all was no reason for him to be so
restless.

Before he reached his suite though he stopped himself and turned back
toward Kang's again, thinking that maybe Kang would be willing to visit
with him again for a while, at least until he drove him to distraction
and shooed him away again, but he stopped when Drey exited from the Lab.
  Drey smiled at him, "Jaimz Ni."

Jaimz returned the cubs warm smile and asked idly, "Off to your Zaran
lessons?"

Drey grinned and shook his head, "Oh no today is Market day, so school
isn't in during the afternoon, even Jondra Ni wouldn't go against
custom." Drey didn't think much of his Zaran studies tutor who actually
lived in Chocho and drove to K'Lan pride six days a week to spend four
hours per day trying to ensure Drey had a well rounded Zaran education.
Drey thought that R'Varra Jondra (honorific due to educational status)
was a dry stick.  Jaimz was yet to meet Drey's tutor but he sympathized
with the cub for he believed that education should be fun and that the
more riveting and interesting the instruction was the more the student
absorbed and actually learned.

"Oh yes, you mentioned that this morning." Jaimz replied.

Drey hopped up on his toes, which was something he did whenever he was
excited, "I'm going to Moro to visit the Market and see my friends, guess
I'll say hi to my folks while I'm there too."

Jaimz knew that Drey walked to the village, it was apparently less than
an hour away on foot, and so he started to say for him to have a nice
walk but Drey caught his hand and said fervently, "Why don't you come
with me Jaimz Ni?   You haven't been to Moro and the Market is really
cool, there's lots of neat stuff there and everyone would like to meet
you too I bet."

Taken aback Jaimz hesitated before answering, "Well, I don't know^×I've
only been to Chocho and I wasn't...meeting anyone and^×."

"I think it's a splendid idea Drey." Announced Kang as he sauntered up
the broad hallway, he grinned at Jaimz and explained to his mystified
look, "Finished seeing my clients for the day, so I have time on my hands
now.   Why don't we all go to Moro and see this marvelous Market that
Drey is so proud of?"

Nearly bouncing, and still holding Jaimz' hand, the cub crowed, "Really?
  Really and truly you'll come Jaimz Ni?  It will be fun I promise."

Jaimz was still hesitant, his last encounter with strangers hadn't been a
very happy one as he recalled, but if he was going with Kang and Drey and
they were all going to be together then, "Ok...I guess it will be
alright."

Drey laughed merrily and exclaimed, "I can't wait to show you to all my
friends, they are so jealous cause only I know you."   Still holding his
hand Drey eagerly starting pulling him along after him.

However Kang interjected, "Cubling, Jaimz will need some protection from
the sun, shouldn't you maybe wait until he has a hood on or something?"

Drey looked at Jaimz' furless and fair face and his ears lowered with
embarrassment, "Oh...right."

It only took a moment to find a hooded and long sleeved tunic to protect
Jaimz' skin from Z'Rarla's brilliant sun, but Kang put up quite a fuss
when he realized that Drey intended for them to walk to the village
though he settled after a bit when Jaimz teased him that he wouldn't be
able to keep up due to the heat and his terribly advanced age.   Kang
rubbed his expansive belly, thoughtfully stroked his chin and grinned as
he said, "You to will have to try your best to keep up with me."

However before they had even stepped outside Terrill noticed their little
party and enquired as to where they were going.   Drey excitedly informed
the head of K'Lan what they were up to and after a moment the elder K'Lan
male simply said, enjoy, and that he'd have a vehicle sent to bring them
home before the evening break and supper.

It was a warm spring afternoon, although to Jaimz it felt like the heart
of summer heat to him, but the lightweight tunic allowed his skin to
breathe even as provided shelter from the fierce afternoon sunlight.
The track they walked along was well used and more of a narrow road then
an animal path so Jaimz felt reasonably comfortable as he strolled across
the predator-laden savanna.   Of course how populated with predators the
savanna might be he wasn't certain but hadn't a Maram^×some mountain
cat^×created a bit of a problem not to far from Moro the night before he
had accepted Kaiel as his new Tag mate?   And surely if there was one
Maram there had to be more?

Still the tall prairie grasses were so green and the few trees he saw
along the way were dripping with blooms and everything looked so pretty
that it was soothing to walk and smell the clean crisp if hot air and
simply enjoy the day for the sheer pleasantness of it.   Kang and Drey
both named trees, flowers and types of grasses for him, and occasionally
birds or small animals were flushed into view, sometimes they just
appeared in a sudden rumble of wings or streak of fur that it was a bit
startling, but just as often he got to observe nature in all its beauty.


Once on the walk Drey suddenly grew serious and hushed them as he
whispered, "There's a family of Nera close by with kits that maybe the
dam will let us see if we don't make too much noise."

Having only started to learn about the vast and varied fauna and flora of
Z'Rarla Jaimz didn't know what a Nera was, but soon he saw that if he was
a quiet as Drey and even Kang could be, that he too could see what a Nera
was.   A Nera it turned out was a tiny wild cat with huge sail like
ears.  Its short hide was buff colored and it was covered in tiny black
rosettes though its tail and legs were ringed.   It had white flashes on
the back of its otherwise black ears and it had a bandit-masked and
delicate little face.  Its four kittens were tiny bundles of tan fluff
that were exploring within the limits the watchful mother had set up.

Drey whispered, "Sometimes I see the male too...Nera mate for life, but I
guess he must be off hunting."

After a few moments of admiring the kittens they eased back so as not to
alarm the patient mother and carried on with the walk.   Only once did
Kang actually hold them both back and look out at the tall grass with a
darkly gathered brow that had them also craning to see what had him
concerned.   He said softly, well pushing Jaimz and Drey behind his big
body, "There's a young Gar out there in the grass, it's not a problem for
me, but it might have tried for Drey if he'd taken this walk alone...and I
don't want to think what it would have done if it had encountered Jaimz
alone on this trail."

Drey dipped and hopped, trying to see and wondered, "What is a young Gar
doing away from its pride Kang Ni?"

Kang moved them along; though he kept watch for a while until he was
certain that the Gar wasn't going to pester them.   "I don't know, but we
should inform your Pridemother so that she will know and warn the village
and also let Terrill Ni know so that he can send out some hunters to
drive the cub back toward its pride lands."

Drey bounced up on his toes, "That's right Jaimz Ni.   K'Lan pride
supports two Gar prides, isn't that amazing?  Most of the Houses only
support one pride, and some don't support any Gar at all 'cause they
don't live where any are." He squeezed Jaimz hand, "But you don't have to
worry the Gar almost never venture this close to the villages or the main
house.   That Gar cub must be desperately hungry to have come this close
to populated areas.  You will call the main house right away Kang Ni?
Right?  The sooner that Gar gets back with his family the better."

Jaimz who had only glimpsed a bit of golden brown crouched down in the
tall grass asked, "What is a Gar?"

Kang half turned, "The Gar is a cat.   Like the Maram the Gar is also
known by a more descriptive name.  The Gar is also known as the Plains
Cat.  That young one was just a yearling male, big enough to be a
nuisance to small animals and Zaran cubs but not something one would
normally need to worry about.    Simply for the reason that the cubs stay
with their prides for about four years until they are nearly full grown
before they are driven from the pride."

Drey interjected excitedly, "The Gar are our closest kin, my tutor says
that we share a common ancestor."

"That's true," Kang agreed, "Way back in our evolution we and the Gar
were cousins but we changed and evolved into Zarans while they remained
the same or virtually the same at any rate."

"The Gar are bigger then we are, but they have manes and share the same
pelt colors that we have, though of course they don't walk or talk."   He
skipped along and suddenly pointed, "There's my village."

Indeed the village rested on a shallow rise above the floor of the
savanna.   It was walled all the way around and had three gates, all of
which were open.  Cultivated fields fanned out in all directions around
the village though surprisingly there were a number of vehicles parked on
the edges of those fields right up to the walls of the village.   There
was a lot of traffic within and without the village and they even
recognized a few main house staffers amongst that traffic.  Some were
driving it was true, but a few were on foot so Kang warned them of the
young Gar on the path between the main house and the village.

Upon entering the village the slow cessation of the crowd gave a clue
that Moro had been prepared in advance for Jaimz' arrival.   Clearly as
the adults turned to watch them approach it was obvious that they would
only have given their attention so fully if something new and strange was
entering the midst, which Jaimz by the very virtue of his alienness
couldn't help but be.   Yet the Adults hung back and restrained
themselves to only looking, not that with his hood pulled up to shadow
his face that they could see much, but the cubs from Drey's age (or maybe
even a little older) to toddlers couldn't be so easily restrained and
soon one cub, and then another escaped a parent's or guardian's control
to venture closer until the dam broke and maybe every cub in the village
ran, toddled or crab crawled to come see the alien.   Their excitement
was palpable and even if the younger cubs didn't understand what was so
exciting the older ones did and they drew the crowd along in their
enthusiasm.   But as he had learned, though the cubs were more open less
restrained, they were less willing to touch without some indication of
permission.

Jaimz let Drey hold his hand for another reassuring moment then shook him
off with a gentle, "I'll be fine Drey."   The cubs encircled them,
looking up at him with innocent curiosity, he lifted back his hood enough
so that his face was no longer shadowed and the murmurs from the adult
crowd which remained well back almost over whelmed the giggles and sighs
of the cubling crowd.   There was one cub in particular, a little female
who was just barely toddling though to him she had a five years old
height he figured that she was probably only two or so, she was at the
stage where she could walk but her balance wasn't good and she would go
down to her fingers and toes to crab crawl a few paces before balancing
on only her toes again.   He knelt down so that he was at a closer level
to the tiny female and he smiled softly as she bravely tottered toward
him, she fell just with in his reach so he caught her up and held her and
though she looked initially startled and everyone fell silent, after a
moment she bravely stroked a cubby and dusty hand into his hair and then
gurgling with cubbish happiness she hugged his neck as he picked her up,
supporting her little nappied bottom upon his crossed arms.   She had the
solid heaviness of a five year old too, but she was so cute and curious
that he didn't mind holding her.  Like many of the Zaran's of K'Lan pride
she had a light tan pelt and heavily fringed golden eyes, but her mane
which tumbled in ribbon twined curls and braids to half way down her back
was the shade of rich raw honey.   Her little face was delicate, and she
had no sign of a muzzle so she had a fully developed cute little nose
with a tiny nose pad.

Picking her up seemed to be a signal to the rest of the cubs to squeeze
in and try to touch him, and Drey even helpfully pulled up his sleeve and
said, "Doesn't my Jaimz Ni feel nice?   His skin is soooo soft."

"Drey." Jaimz intoned warningly, though the cub merely sent him a
wondering expression and continued showing his Jaimz off to the cubs.

Jaimz continued to walk forward, holding the little she cub and being
careful not to upset any of the small cubs hugging his legs or trailing
around him, as it was he had what seemed to him an entire escort of
younglings from just barely older than the cub he held to around Drey's
age if not older.   The truly older cubs loitered between the younger
cubs and the watchful adults, they were at that stage where they were
curious enough to envy the little ones lack of reservations but feeling
altogether too grown-up to lose all sense of good manners.

The little female seemed very content to remain with him and after a
moment she had snuggled into his arms and was quite happily playing with
the beaded hood pulls that hung down onto his chest.   He smiled at her
as he stopped so another crab walking cub could pull himself up to his
unsteady feet by using his leg as a support.  He stroked the little
female's velvety cheek and wondered, "Do you have a name little one?"

She just gurgled, chewing on the beaded cord and blinked those pretty
golden eyes at him.   But the answer came anyway from a shy female of
maybe Drey's age or perhaps a few years older who ventured nearer from
where she had been lingering outside the group of younger cubs.   "Her
name is Jazanya." She explained, smiling faintly.  She was as pretty as
the cub and obviously her big sister for he couldn't imagine that she was
old enough to be her mother.   Like her sister she had the same heavily
fringed golden eyes, tan pelt and honey colored mane, though hers was not
restrained with any ribbons or braids.   In a few years she would be
turning many heads if she wasn't already.  The wee cub hearing her
sister's voice squealed and reached for her so Jaimz had no choice except
to pass the cub to her sister's arms.   He stroked the little one's mane
one last time before taking two other cubs by their hands and letting
them guide him toward one of the market stands.

After a time the older cubs mingled in with the young cubs, probably
encouraged by Jazanya's sister's example.   He didn't mind their
presence, as they were still cubs like Drey even if they were older and
beginning to explore some of the vast mysteries of adulthood.   The
adults themselves still looked but they also went back to shopping and
selling, and wandering and visiting.  Jaimz experienced his first market
salesman when one of the sellers tried to convince him that lime green
would be a great color for him.   Laughing softly he allowed his escort
of cubs to lead him around all the displays, which included everything
from fruits and vegetables and ready-made breads and pastries to fresh
meat, and fish caught from the sea.   There were also amazing crafts in
the way of woven baskets and rugs.  Beaded bracelets and anklets,
clothing, pottery, house plants and potted herbs and so much more that
Jaimz felt thrilled and over whelmed at the same time.

Once with cubs on either side of him he stopped to admire a pair of
red-gem ear studs that he thought would like exceptional in Kaiel's ears
even though he hadn't noticed that Kaiel had pierced ears.   Realizing
though that he was thinking about buying something for his lover, his
male lover, as if he was a wife out shopping he blushed and moved on to
another display.   He never noticed that the studs were wrapped up and
sent to the Pridemother's villa, where everything he had admired for more
than a handful of minutes went.  He had no money; he had no idea that he
had any right to an income so as much as he might have admired a thing he
didn't know how he could pay for it even if he wanted it.   Kang did
offer to purchase a few of the things that he admired, but Jaimz
stubbornly refused his help though he did assure him that he would be
talking to Kaiel about his need for revenue of some sort as soon as they
were together long enough to deal with other more crucial needs.   Had
Kang remembered he would have told Jaimz that as a member K'Lan House
Jaimz already had unlimited resources.  The items disappearing to
Pridemother Nerell's house had already been unknowingly bought by Jaimz,
by his simple admiration of them and K'Lan Terrill's early warning call
instructing Nerell that Jaimz was coming to see the Market and that
anything he liked was to be delivered to the main house where it would be
paid for without question.   It was a good thing Nerell was a very honest
if uptight female or the purchases could have run into the thousands, but
she knew very well the value of the items that arrived at her house, knew
exactly how much the retailer/creator/seller was owed and wouldn't charge
K'Lan House a penny more than what was due.

After Jaimz had seen every display, admired some few items, and
regretfully replaced some things that really interested him he moved on
with his circle of cubs to wander about the walled village and admire the
simple and clean beauty of it.   The village looked like it had been
shaped out of the very earth around it, and as with the main house it to
had a very organic feel to it.  Most of houses were single level
dwellings with smoothly curved walls and large rounded windows.  The
houses seemed to sprawl together, where one house's back wall was a side
wall to another, and there were gardens all around the houses and
meandering paths and narrow tracks that were obviously not meant to hold
a lot of regular vehicle traffic.   In wandering between a couple of the
houses he saw a grassy area under the broad canopy of a few big trees (he
hadn't seen a lot of big trees yet, so he figured that they probably had
a ready water supply near by) and that was where he decided to stop for a
while.    Kang was still with him though a short while ago Drey had
wandered off to go visit his older friends and whether he had the same
group of cubs as those that originally trailed around him he couldn't
begin to guess, for he was still surrounded by cubs from big to small.

The moment he sat down the littlest cub whose hand he had been holding to
support him, instantly crawled onto his legs and laid his little head
against his abdomen.   He caressed the cub's short curly mane (obviously
short because his parent's wished it that way, since other male cubs
frequently had manes every bit as long as any females).   This cub was a
cute little mite too, perhaps around Jazanya's age^×the little female was
crab crawling over to him even now^×with a pale golden coat, amber eyes
and a deep chocolaty colored mane.

As Jazanya tried to crawl onto his lap the little male squalled in dismay
at having his place invaded, he settled them both onto one leg each and
as the other cubs came in close, pressing against him he thought maybe
he'd tell them a story from his home world.   Kang sitting in the soft
grass with a couple cubs taking their ease on his welcoming lap, smiled
as he listened to Jaimz spin out a tale about Lion Kings and murderous
brothers and a lost prince who in finding love returns to his pride lands
to save the pride and in the process saves the land and avenges his
murdered father.   It was a majestic tale harkening back to the ancient
days of Z'Rarla and the cubs listened with avid interest right up to the
colorful conclusion and only were distracted in the end by a muted
rapping that drew their attention away.

That was when Jaimz realized that his audience had grown to include a lot
of adults listening on the perimeter of the green space and that the
rapping was coming from them as they lightly rasped their claws together
in approval of his tale.   He blushed and finally dipped his head and
murmured, "Thank you."

One within the crowd of adults stepped forward and gestured to the cubs,
"That's enough cublings, you have had your visit with Jaimz Ni, now you
should run on to your parents and siblings."   She was a tall, spare
female with a narrow face, a long chocolaty dark mane restrained by a
weave of multicolored ribbons and amber-wine colored eyes.   She was well
dressed in a long open-sided and sleeveless tunic dress and lightweight
pantaloons of bright blue with red scrollwork and around her neck she
wore a heavy gold necklace from which a large key-like golden pendant
hung.   She bowed toward him and said, "K'Lan Jaimz Ni, I am Lan Nerell,
Pridemother of Moro.  I welcome you.  I trust the cublings haven't been
too much trouble?"

Jaimz rose, lifting both of the little cubs that had been on his lap up
with him, which was like trying to carry two five years old at the same
time, but nonetheless he managed.   Many of the other cubs had done as
told and wandered off to join parents or older siblings but these two had
remained with him, as it was little Jazanya had fallen asleep and she
barely stirred except to cuddle against his neck again.   "The cubs were
no problem.  I enjoyed their company." He said as he passed Jazanya to
her older sister with a smile.   The older cub had been near by but she
had been hesitant about approaching while he was relaxing on the grass.

Lan Nerell approached for the remaining cub, and since the small male was
quite willing to go to her Jaimz figured that they might be related, they
both had the same color mane.   When she smiled and chucked the little
cub beneath his chin causing him to gurgle with delight her harsh
features softened considerably.  "Did you enjoy meeting Jaimz Ni, little
one?" she asked, and then looking at Jaimz she explained, "This little
one is my grandcub Kyrion."

After that she invited them to her villa for tea and hinted that he would
also be able to escape from all the curious eyes for a while at least.
Kang was up to it, though Jaimz wondered where Drey had gone off too, to
which Lan Nerell shrugged and said casually, "That cub is no doubt
getting into mischief with Zeyer and Trev again.   I wouldn't worry about
him, he always manages to land on his feet."

Jaimz knew that Zeyer and Trev were both older than Drey and not the best
influences for the audacious cub, but he had to trust that the cub was
smart enough to keep out of any serious trouble.   He, along with Kang,
followed Lan Nerell to her sprawling villa; it was the largest of the
houses in the village and did not have any other house butting up to it.
  It was built like a smaller version of the main house meaning that it
was a rambling structure with a central hub where the four-wings of the
villa merged together.   Like the main house this one had a very
park-like setting (although the entire village had a park-like
atmosphere), complete with formal gardens and paths.

Jaimz spent the rest of the pleasant afternoon, sipping tea, munching on
sweet biscuits and enjoying the cool comfort of Lan Nerell's pleasant
receiving room.   Lan Nerell was a bit stiff and formal, though she was a
very attentive hostess, and though she didn't speak much about herself
she was more than happy to laud the accomplishments of the village and
praise K'Lan Pride management of the Pride lands.   Jaimz had noticed
that the village was affluent and comfortable, which was a sure sign that
they were prospering well and happy with their overlord.

As promised with the approach of late afternoon a transport arrived to
take them back to the main house.   They waited while a few things going
up the main house were stowed in the luggage boot, and that was when Drey
arrived; ready to return to the main house.   Jaimz didn't say anything
but his mere enquiring look had Drey explaining about spending time
playing chase with Zeyer and Trev and a few of his other friends and also
visiting with his parents.   The cub rambled on and on, only stopping to
say farewell to Lan Nerell as they loaded into the vehicle, and then he
continued sharing all his discoveries and experiences of the day all the
way back to the house.

The evening settled in with sitting down for supper almost as soon as
they arrived, Terrill was a gracious host, asking how Jaimz had enjoyed
the Market and encouraging him to eat this or that new tidbit of meat or
pastry.   Dinner ended on an easy note with Jaimz heading off to his own
room after taking his leave of Terrill and once he arrived in his inner
suite he was surprised to see the items he had admired at the market
displayed on his bed.   Amazed he fingered the two summer outfits he had
admired and passed over, he lightly touched the leather satchel he had
thought would be a nice present for Kang and stopped to look in wonder at
the wooden game set that Drey had so raved over and which he had thought
would make an engaging gift for the cub, but seeing the small open box
with the red-jewel ear-studs laying sparkling on the velvety lining made
him blush with pleasure as he imaged giving them to Kaiel. He picked up
the small black lacquered box the studs had come in and admired the
delicate craftsmanship of the box alone before looking once more at the
sparkling studs.   He didn't know what gem the red stone was, he wasn't
sure if Z'Rarla had Rubies or Garnets or Red Tourmalines and he had no
way yet to study the chemical composition of the stone yet, but the pure
rich red of the superbly faceted ½ carat stones certainly indicated that
they were a valuable stone.   He was setting the box back onto the bed
when a light rapping at the inner door alerted him to the fact that he
had a visitor.  Seeing that it was Terrill, he welcomed him with little
trepidation, as Terrill was being considerate toward him and so far today
they had been getting along well.

Terrill stepped into the room and said idly, "I thought that maybe I
would see about getting that tour you promised me...but I wonder if you
can still describe everything to me with what happened this morning?"

Jaimz glanced at him and replied, "Oh, there wasn't really a lot of
damage.   Not really, I have to replace only one model and the other is
repairable...but^×I'm not really in the mood tonight.  Maybe tomorrow?"

Terrill nodded graciously, "Tomorrow it is."   He started to turn away
but Jaimz called him back.

"Terrill Ni?   Do you know...how did these things come to be here?  I did
admire them in the market, but I had no money."

Terrill approached the bed and looked at the assortment of items
carefully laid out on the coverlet.   "Oh, you admired these items
correct?  The staffers laid these out while we were all partaking of
supper, if that was ok?"

Jaimz felt his cheeks warm in confusion, "But...?"

Terrill reached out and lightly squeezed Jaimz' undamaged shoulder, "As a
member of K'Lan you have unlimited resources.   You should never wonder
if you might purchase an item or not.  If you want a thing you should
simply ask for it and know that it will be yours."

Jaimz felt his cheeks grow even warmer, "But I have done nothing to earn
these things."

Terrill raised a brow, "Once you begin to bring your projects to
realization you will have done very much indeed to earn what ever you so
desire.   Our Government is already planning on sponsoring your projects,
of course there will be private backing too, and many of the lesser
Prides are grumbling because you will bring more prosperity to K'Lan
Pride.   Never think youngling that you are not without resources.  For
indeed you are already more wealthy than you know."

Jaimz stared up at him, "When did all this happen?"

Terrill flicked an ear, "It would seem that while I was in the Summit
Session I was not privy of certain movements happening within the greater
government, things that had been put into motion by your arrival
youngling.   After Kaiel's very wisely arranged interview with you my
government moved to secure certain...items, of course they had already
been considering what you might be able to bring to them in the way of
technology and strange new allies...but that interview seemed to bring
everything to a head."

Jaimz looked at him suspiciously, "What...items?"

"Your ship for one, we felt it was necessary to protect it more closely
then it had been previously."

Jaimz nodded, he already knew that the Zaran forces had moved to defend
his ship and in doing so had caused the Chai to take up position opposite
them also claiming to defend the ship that they considered for what ever
their property as well.   "That ship is mine." He said, looking at
Terrill with narrowed eyes, and he reiterated icily, "That ship is mine,
my technology is mine.  No one owns it but me!"

Terrill bowed slightly, "Of course, but you are K'Lan Jaimz of K'Lan
Pride are you not?"

Jaimz gasped softly, he understood exactly what Terrill was getting at.
But he didn't know what to say or how to respond to what was being subtly
insinuated.  No matter what, he had to do his research; he had to rebuild
his jump ship, he needed to reconnect with his people even if he could
never go home again.   He couldn't give up his dreams to spite Terrill or
anyone but he also had to ensure that they didn't control him or try to
control his technology.  Somehow he had to find a way to protect it for
everyone so that no single small group would profit solely off his
efforts.  "K'Lan doesn't own me, either." He responded boldly, daring
Terrill to respond to that.

Terrill raised a gold hided brow and smiled with faint amusement and
nodded in tacit acknowledgement, "True...and yet, K'Lan feels a certain
propriety toward you.   After all my son did legally mate with you,
though it was a most unorthodox^×decision to make."

Jaimz just stared at him, being Lorz mate had never been his choice and
Terrill was aware of that fact.   Terrill smiled again and looked past
him at the items on the bed, he tilted his head at the red-gem studs and
said, "And whom did you want those for?    I notice that your cute little
ears are virginal."

Jaimz blushed and murmured, "I thought about Kaiel when I was admiring
them, but I didn't know they were going to end up at the house."

Terrill was silent for a moment, though he felt a prickle of anger for
Lorz and the betrayal of his memory as his widowed mate and his own
brother practiced their sensual trickery he said nothing at all regarding
it, rather he nodded in understanding and simply said, "I see...." He
started to turn away, then hesitated, "Since you do not feel like doing
the tour of your Lab with me, would you then maybe like a tour of the
formal gardens?   They really are lovely, especially now that the heat of
the day is cooling into evening?"

Jaimz still hadn't visited the formal gardens and he had no good excuse
to avoid Terrill any longer, so after a moment's hesitation, he nodded
and let Terrill lead him on the grand tour of the famous K'Lan formal
gardens.


________________________________________________________________________________


The house grew quiet very late into the evening; Jaimz was restless so he
stayed up fixing his model until nearly midnight, for he wanted to get it
ready for Drey to re-lacquer in the morning.   Of course he couldn't
blame his restlessness upon a missing individual whom he had not seen
since early morning, he could not, though his spirit noticed the lack.
So when a staffer entered his suite to awaken him he was already alert
and ready to take a Video COM call.  The staffer was a bit surprised to
find him up but he was quick to explain that K'Lan Kaiel was calling and
would he like to take the call in Kaiel's Ni suite?

The staffer didn't need to ask twice, in fact he didn't even bother to
wait for an escort as he let himself excitedly into Kaiel's outer office
and flung himself into the big chair stationed in front of the COM.   He
lounged across the chair, using one plush soft arm as a head rest while
he curled his legs against the other and touched the blinking receive
button to transfer the feed to the room.

He felt his heart slow a beat as Kaiel's handsome face came into focus
and he spent a quiet moment just looking at him, before uttering a most
heartfelt, "Hi."

Kaiel smiled and returned the simple greeting before murmuring, "I didn't
know if you would still be awake, the session just got out..." he sighed
and scrubbed at his mane, "Nothing has even been tabled yet, but if
tonight is any indication the conference is going to be horrendous."

"What's been happening there?   Did you talk with Zuzu?"

Kaiel nodded and smiled again, "A whole lot of nothing really, some
posturing, the presenting credentials, a bit of arguing...." He sighed,
"Of course each side delivered their proposals tonight in sealed
documents.   I can't even think about opening them tonight^×or is it
tomorrow already^×I'm too tired."  He rubbed the bridge of his bold nose
and smiled slowly, "I haven't had much opportunity to talk with Zuzu,
Councilor P'Var is keeping her very busy...still I spoke with her on the
way to Rydani^×and she is entertaining."

Jaimz felt a little swell of jealousy at hearing Kaiel talk about Zuzu,
and he firmly quashed that reaction, after all wasn't he the one
encouraging Kaiel to sniff after the burgundy maned female?

Kaiel smiled though as if even over this distance he was able to sense
Jaimz' mild pique.   He leaned closer to the screen and murmured, "You
look very nice Jaimz.  I like you like that."

Jaimz blushed slightly, for he didn't know that Kaiel could see all of
him.   Kaiel smiled wryly and shook his head, moving back from the screen
a bit, idly he asked, "So what have you been doing today?"

Jaimz avoided mentioning his fight with Vreda, Kaiel might find out about
it at some point, but tonight was not the time for him know, instead he
said, "I went to Moro and visited the Market.   It was wonderful and the
cubs were just amazing.  I held this little female named Jazanya and a
little male named Kyrion.   Jazanya is a real little beauty and her older
sister is going to be turning heads in a few years if she isn't already."

"That's Jazella," Kaiel explained smiling.

Jaimz blinked and grinned, "Jazella and Jazanya?   Any other J's in that
family?" he shook his head at Kaiel's slight frown and continued, "I met
Nerell Ni, and she was quite nice, I think." He pushed back a stray
strand of hair and cuddled more into the chair, "And tonight I saw the
formal gardens with Terrill, they really are beautiful." He pursed his
lips thoughtfully and canted his head as he asked, "Why haven't you taken
me to meet your mother yet Kaiel?"

Kaiel sucked in a ragged breath, "You saw her memorial?"

Jaimz smiled softly, "She must have been so beautiful in life, your
father never took another mate either.   He must have loved her very
much?"

Kaiel smiled sadly, "Yeah, I was conceived during their second contract.
  They originally had a five year mating contract, but then they decided
on a ten year contract when that one ran out, I came along in the middle
of the contract." He smiled ruefully, "I was a bit of a surprise, since
after Lorz mother was told she wouldn't bare anymore cubs so when she
found out she was carrying me...." He grinned and shook his head,   "I
remember her telling me when I was little that my father was so careful
and considerate with her, always so afraid for her while she was carrying
me...." He sighed, "and to think that it wouldn't be the pregnancy that
took her but an strange infection one summer nearly four years later."

Jaimz remembered the memorial, claiming pride of place in the heart of
Terrill's favorite garden.   Kaiel's mother, Shania, stood taller than
life, carved out of a gleaming marble like stone which shimmered like
mother of pearl.  She was gazing down as if looking for something to come
along the path and was holding three flowers in her arms, one each to
represent her mate and her two sons.   He well remembered Terrill's
expression when he looked upon the statue of his long deceased mate; the
older K'Lan male still loved his mate.  Even carved out of stone Jaimz
had easily seen her beauty and knew where Kaiel got his good looks and
handsome build from, for his mother had been tall, (maybe as tall as
Terrill) slender and very beautiful.

Kaiel had a distant look in his eyes, "My memories of her are all kind of
dim, and I was only four when she died.   Lorz had much better memories
of her...but it wasn't more than a few years after mother died that Lorz
left home and joined the military so he didn't share a lot of his
memories with me."

Jaimz didn't like thinking about Lorz at all but in this case he remained
silent and considerate of Kaiel's memories.   After a moment Kaiel smiled
again and said, "When we are home I'll introduce you to her properly."

They spoke a while more, neither said that what didn't need to be said
such as that they missed each other, in the end Kaiel finally had to let
the feed go saying that it was late and that there would be an lot of
things to attend to tomorrow.   Jaimz remained where he was, curled up in
front of the now blank COM but surrounded with the comforting presence of
Kaiel's scent in the cushions surrounding him until it almost felt like
he could feel Kaiel all around him and there, in that place where he was
closest to Kaiel his restless spirit finally settled down and he slipped
off into sleep.

That was how Terrill found him a short while later, sound asleep with his
body being cushioned by the Kaiel's favorite chair.   For a long moment
he looked down at that small being who had disrupted two of his sons'
lives, one to the detriment of his life while with the other he wasn't
sure what was happening yet.   He looked at the small cub-like being and
was amazed how anything that could look so innocent and harmless in sleep
could be so devastatingly disruptive and sensuously seductive while
awake.

After a moment he knelt and eased Jaimz' slumbering body into his arms.
Very carefully, so as not to awaken him he carried Jaimz back to his room
and laid him out on his plush bed.  He took the liberty of stripping
Jaimz' tunic and pants and spent a good few minutes just admiring all
that beauty somnolently displayed before him.   His shower venture this
morning with Jaimz had been an incredible experience, to caress all that
marvelous skin had simply been amazing.  And now for the second time he
was allowed an unrestricted view of what his sons before him knew
intimately.   Jaimz really was^×gorgeous^×alien and with out furl, but
undeniably gorgeous.

Taking a risk he eased Jaimz' silky thighs apart and stroked the softness
there, and he watched Jaimz' slumbering face for signs of waking as he
gently massaged his anus.   Jaimz murmured sleepily and rolled his head
restlessly upon his pillow but he did not awaken.  Instead his legs
parted on their own accord and he shifted his hips up, rocking them
slightly in rhythm to Terrill's fingers.   Terrill felt his own rod
stirring as he allowed his eyes to wander down and see that other areas
of Jaimz' body were awakening even if deep exhaustion continued to trap
his mind.   For a moment he considered climbing onto that bed and plowing
between those long sleek thighs but it wasn't time yet, he was wooing
Jaimz but he hadn't won him yet.  Still he kept massaging until that
little pucker swelled and sucked at his fingers.   Assuming that Jaimz
was tight and knowing that his fingers were large he slipped one finger
into his mouth, thoroughly moistening it and slicking the plush fur down
too.    That same finger, now nicely wet he pressed against Jaimz' anus
and slowly that tight little pucker slid open around him.  Now Jaimz
wriggled his hips responsively while his brow furrowed and his shapely
lips parted to utter tiny whimpers.

Terrill pumped his finger experimentally while watching that enchanting
face and admiring that aroused body, which was so at his mercy.   He knew
it would be so easy to take Jaimz right there, and since other than Jaimz
he had this wing of the house to himself and the walls were particularly
thick and soundproof, and with the windows being snugly closed no one
would hear a thing if he had his way with this tempting little alien.
Nevertheless he restrained himself and even finally withdrew his finger
from within Jaimz' succulent body before he could bring him to climax and
risk waking him.   It was not time yet, he still had time to play the
suitor before Kaiel was due back.  He would have Jaimz utterly and
completely soon, but he very much wanted Jaimz to be conscious and not so
exhausted that he slept through being ravished.

It was not without considerable reluctance that he lifted the many plush
and soft blankets to cover that sweet little body which felt the chill
air so easily and hid it away from his sight.   He knew it would be a
mystery for Jaimz when he awoke nude in his bed with no memory of how he
had come to be there.  He also hoped that Jaimz had disturbingly sensual
dreams this night, which seemed only fair since he knew he surely would.
  Stroking his burgeoning rod down he let himself out of Jaimz' suite and
made his way to his own, but it was a while before he was able to find
any rest in sleeping.


________________________________________________________________________________


Kaiel awoke feeling incredibly grumpy and in just the sort of mood to
seriously consider ripping off the head of whoever it was that dared to
wake him so damn early in the morning.   He had gotten to sleep late,
even later than when he had been speaking with Jaimz...that had been the
only bright spot in everything.  Growling he snarled, "Come!"

The persistent scratching died off and in a moment he was looking with
some shock and confusion upon his assistant Var Heron and his anger
melted away at seeing how utterly exhausted he was.  "Heron, God's I
didn't expect you till later!   Are you all right?  You look terrible."
He swung out of the comfort of his bed and urged Heron to sit down.

Heron slumped into the offered chair and groaned, "I don't want to sit
another that long in a jump seat ever again."

Kaiel smiled softly, "You won't." he patted his friend and assistant's
shoulder and added, "I'm glad you're here though.   But session doesn't
start until after the noon break so you can get some real sleep if you
like?"

Heron yawned and nodded, "I like." He let his head collapse against the
chair back and closed his eyes.

Kaiel smiled again, "My suite has a room for you...with a real bed."

Heron cracked one eye open and smiled lazily, "A real bed sounds nice."
He scooted forward and pushed himself to his feet, "Then I go find my bed
this morning and^×oh wait, there's some things I have to tell you first."

Kaiel waved his worry away, "No, it can wait whatever it is."

Heron, whose nose pad and lips were actually gray with exhaustion,
persisted, "No, now or I'll forget."   He took in a steadying breath.
"That contract I couriered the original to your family's Adjucator, I
kept a good notarized copy for you.   And K'Ilo Ham caught a ride down in
the transport."

Kaiel's ears perked up with that, the rest seemed unremarkable in
comparison.   "Where is he now?  Is he here at the council hall?"

Heron scrubbed his frayed brown mane and shook his head, "He came at the
last moment claiming he had family business to attend too, and being a
K'Ilo they couldn't very well naysay him.   He left as soon as we landed,
I assume to go to his Home Pride."

Kaiel worried about Ham's motives for a moment but K'Ilo Pride was a long
way from K'Lan Pride and in the opposite direction too, still he thought
that he might call the house and warn them just in case.   "Thank you
Heron...now go get some sleep."

"Gladly." Heron acknowledged without protest and in moments Kaiel was
alone with his dark thoughts.   He didn't much like the idea of being
over three hours away from Jaimz with Ham back on Z'Rarla, Ham had not
given up on Jaimz and Kaiel was worried that this was just another scheme
to try for him.


________________________________________________________________________________


"You say that K'Ilo Ham is back on Z'Rarla?   And that should concern us,
why?  Exactly?" Terrill mused as he spoke to his son via audio COM only.

He could hear Kaiel's suffering sigh on the other end of the line, and
smiled smugly, let him suffer, this call was interfering with his chance
to shower with Jaimz, and just thinking about that splendid body, soaking
wet and under his hands again was enough to make his rod stir.   Kaiel
replied after a moment, "Because when I claimed Jaimz in our House name,
Ham had already tried to press his claim upon Jaimz.  He feels, or felt,
that Jaimz ought to be in his keeping with Lorz dead.   I don't know if
he still feels that way....  But Jaimz is very afraid of him and I don't
want his to suffer any unwelcome surprises."

"But K'Ilo is a long way from K'Lan, so do you really think he'd come
this way?" Terrill ventured.

"Father I don't know what Ham's plan is, maybe he doesn't have a plan at
all." Kaiel explained patiently, "I just want Jaimz protected while I'm
away...that's all.   Please ask Kang Ni to keep a close eye him...."

That Kaiel would bypass him in assigning Jaimz' care to another made a
wave of angry heat wash over him, but Terrill quashed that anger down and
agreed, "Very well."

"Thank you father." After what seemed to be a moment's hesitation^×as if
Kaiel wanted to say something else^×he finally murmured, "I have to go.
I have the proposals to go over before we enter today's session."  With
that the line went dead and Terrill was left listening to nothing.

He stepped away from the COM and thoughtfully rubbed his chin, K'Ilo Ham
was back on Z'Rarla.   Ham had been a cubling friend of Lorz' met when
the Houses had come together as they often did over the long hot
summers.  His villa just outside Zelma was a favorite gathering place and
it was during one of those gatherings that Lorz had met Ham and the two
had become instant pals.   It had not surprised him when years later both
young males had joined the military and set out toward having
distinguished careers with many accolades added to their name.   Lorz was
set for a captaincy before he had died in that fool skirmish.  There was
also the fact that K'Lan and K'Ilo had a long history that dated back
countless generations where a K'Lan ancestor had raised an Ilo commander
to War Lord and given him one of his daughters to mate...thereby elevating
his status and giving him the permanent House name of K'Ilo.   The K'Lan
and K'Ilo Prides were intermingled; his own mother had been a K'Ilo.

Thinking about the closeness of his late son and his friend he supposed
it only likely that Lorz would have shared Jaimz with him, though he
still had trouble believing that it had been rape and not Jaimz simply
playing games with his seductive body.   He didn't doubt that Jaimz had
been raped but he knew that sometimes the victim asked to be raped and
enjoyed playing the whole dominated and victimized act.

Though it was true that only yesterday he had heard Jaimz mention being
raped and there was no mistaking the distress in his voice, he still
doubted that Jaimz had ever been an unwilling victim.   Mostly because he
just couldn't believe that his son could have so ruthlessly and cruelly
hurt someone as small and delicate as Jaimz obviously was.   Even he, as
determined as he was to win his way into Jaimz' bed, had every intention
of practicing only the gentlest methods of mating with him.   Sighing he
rose and idly pressed his rod back down, today was a lost opportunity,
though he well recalled the illicit pleasure he had received in having
his way with Jaimz' luscious body last night while he slept so deeply.


________________________________________________________________________________


The second day passed with little incident, Jaimz was less restless and
settled into working on his projects again and translating more of his
notes.   He spent time with both Drey and Kang and didn't drive either to
distraction.  In the afternoon he finally gave Terrill the tour of his
Lab, and explained how even now, though it wasn't a Lab in the sense that
a lot of his equipment was missing and would take time to be redesigned
and created again with different tools and resources that it was a Lab.
Terrill knew that eventually Jaimz would need a much bigger space to do
his work, in fact several factory sites were already being scouted out
for his future needs, since he couldn't possibly build his Gates here at
the house.   Terrill left impressed and he had to wonder if he had made a
few misconceptions where Jaimz was concerned, for clearly the young human
was more than a sexy body.   His intelligence was incredible.  He even
found it hard to believe that in less than two weeks he had learned the
Zaran language so well that he was starting to write code to create a
program that would convert and translate his language to Zaran and visa
versa.  The audacious cub even had the gall to claim that computer
programs really weren't his specialty.  Of course Drey was there, eagerly
absorbing everything Jaimz offered and helping Jaimz to learn even more.
  The younger cub was learning Jaimz' language amazingly well and was now
able to catch and guide Jaimz if he was translating something incorrectly
or at least not fully gleaning the correct meaning of a symbol string.

The second day was a good day, all in all.   But the third morning was
coming and with it the slow climb toward the 72-Hour which Jaimz was
privately starting to dread.  That evening as Jaimz lay in his lonely bed
and thought about what was coming, knowing that in about 36 hours he'd be
in the heart of craving again he worried how he could manage without
Kaiel.   He was afraid of so much, though mostly how he would be able to
bare anyone near him when he became so sensitive and edge sometime
tomorrow evening.   If he were lucky that pre-sensitivity wouldn't hit
until when he was already safely tucked into his bed, since the actual
72-Hour wouldn't hit until the following morning.  He wondered what it
would be like, to experience the 72-Hour without answering its demands
immediately as he and Kaiel had done since he had accepted him as his Tag
Mate.  Would the drive to mate and having that drive denied cause him
misery and discomfort immediately or would it build gradually?   He tried
not to think about it, he tried to find a comfortable position in his
comfortable bed, he tried gazing out at the savanna as he often did, but
nothing worked.   Finally in the utter silence of a house long asleep, he
padded from his own room and let himself into Kaiel's.  He crept into his
bed, doubling the coverlet up for extra warmth and it was there,
surrounded by Kaiel's scent, Jaimz finally drifted off to sleep.   So the
second day was good all in all, but it took seeking something he could at
least sense and breathe to ease him into sleep.


________________________________________________________________________________


For Kaiel the second day was not good, all in all it sucked.   The
session ran on and on, and even though he was the speaker of the assembly
other older cats ran roughshod over everything, debating the validity of
this claim, the value of this proposal.   They only listened when he
spoke carefully, and then just as quickly they recalled his youth and
returned to arguing over the merits of the proposal.   The Chai, oddly,
who were the architects of this debate, stayed silent for the most part
though once in a while they interjected that these were only the
beginning of their offers and proposals, they implied that they were
holding something back, something that meant a great deal to them and
only once did he glean an inkling of what that was.   It was when Heron
presented to him the physical evidence of the Chai having boarded Jaimz'
ship which was supposedly off limits as agreed upon by both parties in
the dispute and he challenged the Chai over those findings.

The Chai speaker did not deny that they had undertaken a mission to
investigate the ship.   They claimed that the manner in which the ship
had suddenly appeared, clearly from no where was troublesome and that if
the Zaran's were not going to investigate how it came to be then the Chai
would take it upon themselves to do so.   Besides, the speaker had said,
that the ship and all its contents were to be considered part of the
negotiations.  That brought silence to the house and a chill of dread of
Kaiel's spine.   He had stated to the speaker and for all listening, that
the ship and all its contents belonged exclusively to only one being:
K'Lan no Gingko Jaimz Ryordan.

The speaker had nodded and dipped her head and agreed, "Yes exactly."

With that small exchange Kaiel's unease only grew, for he had a dire
feeling about what the unspecified proposal was, and he had an even
deeper sense that he was going to be directly impacted by it.    He still
didn't know what the Chai wanted, oh they wanted a third of the disputed
space, and they wanted the planet where their reputed ancestors' remains
had been found and they wanted the space immediately around that planet
declared sacred, but what else they wanted they hadn't really gotten
around to yet.   The compromises they mentioned hadn't come up yet.  What
were they willing to give up and what did they want in return for that
concession?   Kaiel was patently frightened to even think about it, for
he somehow doubted that they would be content with just the ship, when
the builder had all that knowledge inside his beautiful head.


________________________________________________________________________________


On the morning of his third day, his last morning free of the Tag and the
withdrawal he would be suffering without Kaiel to satisfy it's demand,
Jaimz awoke suddenly.   He awoke to mingled confusion and dread from a
nightmare as erotic as it had been frightening...and then promptly gasped
and sucked in a breath to cry out when the architect of his nightmare was
right there, looming at the side of the bed.   Awaking in a strange bed
in a strange room alarmed him at first and it took him a moment to recall
where he was and that he had freely sought this bed last night to be
close to Kaiel's presence even if he couldn't be close to Kaiel himself.
  As his muzzy mind cleared he murmured drowsily, "What are you doing
here, Terrill?"

The big male shrugged and explained simply, "I went for a walk, when I
didn't see you sleeping in your bed I worried that someone could have
taken you in the night.   I found you here."

Jaimz thought about that, more precisely why anyone would look for him,
sleeping or otherwise, or why anyone would have taken him, but he pushed
that concern away, telling himself that Terrill was merely worried for
his safety.   When he moved though to slip out of Kaiel's bed, his erotic
nightmare came crashing back with the sticky wetness and the soreness he
felt below.  His first thought, as he blushed in horrified shame was that
his nightmare hadn't been a nightmare at all and that the things he had
being imagining happening to him in it had been reality in fact.   The
soreness below was in his anus that had been stretched and explored by
intruding fingers, and the wetness was his own response to that
devastating probing, his outraged fear gave way though as he detected
wetness on his own fingers and realized to his utter shame that he had
touched himself and that the soreness was from his own fingers trying to
provide the relief that only Kaiel could give.   He sobbed and turned
away, horrified that he could make up erotic nightmares to cover his own
body's need to relieve itself and be ready to blame an innocent male for
what he had done to himself.

In turning on his side, and away from Terrill, his shame only deepened as
he realized that his soft shorts were down around his thighs and that he
wouldn't easily be able to pull them up.   He felt tears sparkle in his
eyes as he realized that subconsciously he must miss Kaiel so much that
he was stating to play with himself while he slept and by dreaming that
he was being assaulted he could excuse his own shameful actions away.
This was the second night in a row that he had dreamed of Terrill
sexually touching him, of his fingers probing his body; except yesterday
he had awoken from that dream still dry and not sore.   Waking up
yesterday had been strange though, for he didn't know how he'd gotten to
bed and he didn't know why he was nude either, for he always wore a sleep
tunic and short set to bed when he was sleeping alone, it was only with
Kaiel that slept he naked.   If he was doing this to himself now, what
would he be like come tomorrow when he was so sensitive he ached and
there was no Kaiel to help ease that ache?

As Jaimz lay there, ignoring him in his shamed misery, Terrill made no
move to leave.   Instead he quietly watched as Jaimz vilified himself
over something in which he held no blame...unless his natural responses
could be something to be blamed for.   Terrill was guilty again, and made
no apologies nor would he do anything to shift Jaimz' self blame to its
rightful source even if his own hand was wet with Jaimz' leavings and
scented with his essence.    He had not stopped in time for Jaimz body to
relax and return to a more restful state and now he had the evidence of
Jaimz' release on his hand, and it was that release that had awoken
Jaimz, fortunately not before he'd been able to back away and cover him
up...but unfortunately before he could remove any evidence from Jaimz.
But he would allow Jaimz to suffer the delusion that he was the master of
his own shame rather than let on that he'd done anything other then be
worried when he hadn't been able to find him.

Jaimz finally sat up, though his cheeks were still warm with
embarrassment, and as he straightened the coverlet around him he
surreptitiously pulled up his silky shorts.   Keeping his eyes lowered he
stated lightly, "I'm going to go shower before breakfast."

Terrill only nodded in reply, but he could scent Jaimz' dismay and
agitation as he passed him and he couldn't really understand why the
young human was so embarrassed by his own body's natural responses.   He
figured that the only way to help Jaimz through this crisis was to
provide him with a distraction and since yesterday thanks to Kaiel he had
missed his opportunity, today he decided that catching Jaimz in the
shower would be his first^×no second^×act of the day.

Jaimz did not expect company during his shower, but neither did he jump
or shy when company did arrive.   He was still upset though and he half
turned to Terrill and said achingly, "I wish to be alone Terrill Ni."

Terrill brushed aside his plea and said chidingly, "Nonsense, you seem
upset Jaimz.   You should not be alone when you are upset."

Terrill had arrived only moments after Jaimz so that he hadn't even
started to wash himself yet, though all evidence of what he had
discovered this morning was gone.   Terrill retrieved a softly spiced
liquid soap and rubbing it between his pads he started to wash Jaimz
upper body.

Jaimz moved back from him exclaiming anxiously, "Please Terrill Ni, I can
wash myself!"

Terrill said nothing at all, he simply grasped Jaimz' slender shoulder
and began to work the soap over Jaimz smooth throat and sleek
chest^×working downward while Jaimz silently watched him with those
intense and luminous^×aquamarine eyes.

He was careful, he tired not to be to forward even when his fingers moved
to wash around Jaimz' private places.   Even so Jaimz shied at his touch
and pressed him back, pleading, "Please...don't wash me there...."

Terrill was kneeling to better enable his ability to wash the smaller
males thighs and legs and when Jaimz protested he slid his hand around
Jaimz' satiny hip and murmured, "Why are you so ashamed of your body
Jaimz?   You are beautiful.  You should celebrate your beauty."

Jaimz blushed uncomfortably and balked, "I-I'm not ashamed of my body....
  It's just that I come from a culture where adults don't usually shower
together and certainly no one but a lover would touch^×touch another
there."

Terrill allowed Jaimz to hold to his modesty for now though he murmured,
"It is a strangely prudish society you come from Jaimz.   Very strange
indeed."  He concentrated on lathering up those long slender legs and
with his hand on his hip again he turned him so that he could wash his
back.   He rose and then paused a moment as he looked at the still angry
seeming scratches that marred Jaimz' otherwise flawless and graceful back
and then, very gently he began to lather him up working very carefully
around that sore area.

"Does this hurt you still?" he wondered.

Jaimz shook his head, causing his streaming hair to dance around his
shoulders, on a male Terrill usually found long hair inappropriate^×but
on Jaimz, his fawn colored locks^×now darkened by water^×only added to
his overall appeal.   "NO," Jaimz explained, "Not really.  It pulls
sometimes but...no, it doesn't hurt much anymore."

Terrill bent forward and lightly stroked his tongue over the scratches.
He felt Jaimz freeze but he had already returned to spreading the soap
over his skin as Jaimz half turned to look at him with suspicious doubt
in his green eyes.   He could see that Jaimz was trying to decide if he
had really licked him, but by pretending unawareness he knew that Jaimz
could only wonder and wouldn't feel comfortable in accusing.   He touched
Jaimz' shoulder to turn him back again so that he could properly work on
his lovely back and move lower toward that dreamy and still forbidden
territory he so panted after.   He made the lathering into a bit of a
massage and as Jaimz grew languorous beneath his hands he moved down to
work those marvelous and pertly rounded cheeks of his.  Again he knelt
down, to a casual observer it seemed to better facilitate his sudsy task,
but Terrill knew that it was so he could better enjoy himself as he
daringly lifted and parted those firm cheeks in sweeping motions and
stroked his fingers between them to caress that secret spot he craved to
delve so deeply into.   He had Jaimz so completely relaxed that his body
was swaying and his head was tilted back so that his hair streamed to his
shoulder blades.  He knew that Jaimz felt good and he knew that with very
little effort he could seat Jaimz upon his immerging rod and have him now
in the shower...but he did not move to take advantage of Jaimz' utter
relaxation and trust, instead he moved down, massaging his thighs and
calves before lifting his small feet and washing those too.   He had
washed every part of Jaimz, except for his hair, so he straightened up
and with Jaimz leaning languidly against him he finally washed his silken
hair.

He held Jaimz a moment longer, luxuriating in the feeling of that small
and relaxed body pressing against him then he moved him under the full
stream of the overhead and body jets and watched with amusement as Jaimz
coming back to himself rinsed the lather off completely and turned to
face him.   The youngling smiled at him, a real friendly smile and he
sighed happily, "That was marvelous."

Remembering Jaimz under his hands Terrill had to agree, though for
certain Jaimz was not thinking about that.   "The perks of communal
showers are that it can be very pleasant to let someone else do that
washing."

Jaimz canted his head becomingly and looked up at him, then nodding he
turned and bent to retrieve one of the scrubbers, "There's a lot more of
you than there is of me... so I'll do your back if you do your front." He
said once he'd turned back to face Terrill again.

Terrill smiled, "Of course cub...." Though he thought that with all that
skin, and that lovely body, that there was a lot to Jaimz.   As the young
human moved around him and set to work scrubbing his back Terrill knew
that it would be tonight.  Jaimz trusted him now; he had relaxed so
completely under his hands that he hadn't shied at being intimately
touched.   Tonight he'd take Jaimz and find out for himself what about
him so enchanted both his sons (even if one of them was dead).  Though,
half turning so he could playfully bat at Jaimz' head in punishment when
Jaimz laughingly complained he was too tall and as he gently let Jaimz'
wet hair trail between his fingers, he knew that he was already well and
truly enchanted and he wished that it would be his bed that Jaimz would
be coming to even once Kaiel came home.

As he returned to washing his front and enjoying the pleasure of Jaimz
working on his back he wondered again what Kang Ni meant by Jaimz' and
Kaiel's relationship being complicated.   It was sexual, what was so
complicated about that?


________________________________________________________________________________


For Terrill the day turned out to be very strange indeed.   In the
morning, after his luxurious shower with Jaimz he received a second call
from the family's Adjucator asking for him to please meet with him later
that day to discuss new matters concerning the betrothal contract between
House L'Teran and House K'Lan.   He indicated that new information had
just been presented which made it imperative that both parties be
informed immediately.  From the urgency in the Adjucators voice and the
way he spoke, Terrill deduced that it was a legal matter and that L'Teran
would be there as well.   He accepted the time Adjucator J'Lari indicated
and moved on with his day.

About an hour after that bizarre call Terrill got his first shock of the
day.   His deceased son's remains arrived, delivered by special courier.
He withdrew from the household for a time to sit with his son's remains,
marveling that such a bigger-than-life-male could have been reduced to a
small wooden box and a few personal effects.    He knew that having
anything of his son's physical body was a wonder, since his death had
occurred in space during a battle, so it was amazing that anything of him
had been recovered.   Yet looking at the box that contained his physical
remains he felt cheated at his loss.  He thought about Jaimz as he looked
at that box and knew that Jaimz wouldn't want anything to do with Lorz'
final arrangements.   It refreshed his anger to think of how Jaimz and
Kaiel were betraying Lorz' memory.  Lorz was dead barely two weeks (16
days) and he knew for a fact that they had been physically together only
10 days after, and very likely from their closeness they had been
together from the beginning, if not even before his death.   He couldn't
help think that distraction and lack of concentration had sent Lorz to
his early grave, and that even though he died in a battle the real blame
could be laid where it belonged^×upon Jaimz and Kaiel.

So for a time he was moody, though with Jaimz, to keep his plan in action
he did make an effort to be less surly.   As it was though, Jaimz sensed
his unhappiness and finally asked him what was bothering him.  Expecting
something crude and derogatory in reply, he told Jaimz about Lorz'
remains having come home.   Therefore he was genuinely surprised and
touched when Jaimz hugged him and murmured, "You miss him very much."  He
didn't say anything more, didn't make any declaration of love or anything
else, which Terrill really didn't expect, but just being hugged by Jaimz
allowed some of his grief to dissolve so that he felt better.

By luncheon his spirits were quite noticeably improved, so much so that
he was able to join in the luncheon conversation and laugh along with one
of Drey's stories about his older friends, Zeyer and Trev, and the latest
trouble they had gotten into.   Observing the bright cub, Terrill had to
admit that Kaiel had been wise to bring him into this household where he
would receive the very best education and advancements available, because
Drey would have been wasted if he'd been allowed to run wild like his two
scalawag friends.

After lunch he had a driver take him into Chocho for his appointment with
Adjucator J'Lari.   As he had assumed L'Teran Zhoin the head of L'Teran
pride was already there and he had brought his family Adjucator along
with him.  Zhion was a few years younger than he, a bit taller at around
8'; he had the same ivory pelt and icy blue eyes of his daughter (most of
the L'Teran Pride had some variety of those colorings) and he was running
toward corpulence from over indulgence.   They nodded toward each other,
though Zhion didn't say anything.

In a few moments Adjucator J'Lari's secretary showed them into the
Adjucator's plushly appointed office and offered both K'Lan and L'Teran a
lightly spiced tea once they were seated.   J'Lari Vree looked up from
the assortment of documents he was reading and with a slight frown he
nodded at both of them before giving a more perceptive nod to his
acquaintance in law, L'Teran's family Adjucator.

Without preamble he started in, "K'Lan Terrill, L'Teran Zhion, something
detrimental has come to my attention. Something that affects the proposed
betrothal between your Houses and in fact voids the contract."

Zhion scoffed, "We have already heard this argument, K'Lan Kaiel is now
the elder son and the contract still stands."

Terrill said nothing, for he had a feeling that this was indeed knew
information that J'Lari Vree was offering.

Indeed J'Lari Vree shook his head and looked even more pinched than
normal, "Actually...something new which is related to K'Lan Lorz is what
invalidates the second contract."

Terrill felt his chest tighten, second contract?   What second contract?
Where was the first contract?  Adjucator J'Lari turned toward him and
asked, "K'Lan Terrill, your son K'Lan Lorz was legally able to take a
mate of his choosing if you did not prearrange a betrothal for him.   You
would agree with this statement?"

"What are you talking about?" Zhion grumbled, "A betrothal was arranged
for him!   Between himself and my daughter Vreda."

"Yes, yes, I will get to that," J'Lari Vree soothed, "it is the wording
of the betrothal contract that is most troublesome.   But please K'Lan
Terrill if you would consider the question I put to you?"

Terrill nodded, "Yes, Lorz was more than old enough to take a Mate
without my consent."

J'Lari Vree nodded, "And to continue on the same scent would you also
agree that K'Lan Kaiel has reached the age were he also no longer
requires parental consent?"

Terrill nodded reluctantly, "Kaiel reached his majority last season.
Both Lorz and Kaiel are^× were^×old enough to take a Mate without my
consent."

Zhion grumbled, "Well now that we have clarified both K'Lan sons were and
are of age can we get back to the reason why the contract between L'Teran
and K'Lan is invalid?"

Adjucator J'Lari explained dourly, "The reason the betrothal contract is
invalid is because K'Lan Lorz had already entered into an Akibu Life
Mating contract before the Betrothal contract was even drawn up.   That
makes the very drawing up of the Betrothal contract quite impossible."

L'Teran Zhion sat a stunned moment; even he knew how binding an Akibu
Contract could be.   However he still didn't see why it affected the
proposed joining of the two houses, since it was the younger son who
would be joining with his daughter.   He declared this fact and
triumphantly waited for the K'Lan Adjucator to accept his folly.

But J'Lari Vree shook his head dolefully and explained; "It is the very
wording of the betrothal that makes it invalid."

"Nonsense, K'Lan Kaiel is now the elder son, what could possibly be so
difficult about that?" The L'Teran male challenged.

"The problem is that at the time the betrothal was drawn up, K'Lan Lorz,
the ELDER son was already locked into a binding contract.   The very fact
that the ELDER son was named in the Betrothal contract makes it clear
that he was specified and as the ELDER son he had already made his choice
prior to the signing of this second contract."   J'Lari Vree gave a
suffering sigh, as if he was trying to explain simple logic to a child,
"The first contract negates the second contract and by that same virtue
the second contract cannot be passed to K'Lan Kaiel who was the Younger
son at the time K'Lan Lorz entered into the binding contract.   This
binding contract cannot be annulled, I have already checked into the
legalities of it.  The mating was witnessed and consummated and any
further requirements of the life contract have been legally followed
through by the remaining involved parties."

Zhion was flabbergasted and grievously offended and he thunderously
exclaimed that he would bring litigation against K'Lan House for breech
of contract while Terrill sat in stunned silence, as he was too
bewildered to actually hear anything.   He didn't doubt that the first
contract involved Jaimz.  It had been stated in Lorz Death Testament that
he had taken Jaimz as his legal mate, but the contract had not been with
the Death Testament document, so he could only assume that the contract
had been discovered in Lorz' personal affects.

J'Lari Vree handled Zhion expertly claiming that he would discuss the
contract fully with his associate the L'Teran family Adjucator and he
competently escorted the still blustering male from his office.   He said
a few words to his fellow associate and he got up and left momentarily,
and then J'Lari closed the door and faced Terrill.

"K'Lan Terrill, there is another matter that I must bring to your
attention.   It is the reason that I did not show the contract to L'Teran
Zhion though I must show it to his Adjucator.   You are aware of how
binding an Akibu Life Mating contract can be, I trust?"

Terrill nodded, he felt a little ill for he was certain that there was
more going on then the mere voiding of the Betrothal.

Adjucator J'Lari sighed morosely, "This morning I received a very strong
message from K'Lan Kaiel instructing me that a certain element of this
contract was under no circumstances to get back to Jaimz Ryordan
Gingko^×other wise known as K'Lan no Gingko Jaimz Ryordan.   You are
aware, I trust, that K'Lan Lorz had taken this^×alien male as his mate."
He quirked a brow and waited for Terrill to nod before he continued,
"Well it is Kaiel's Ni belief that Jaimz Ni does not specifically know
the nature of the contract and he wishes for Jaimz Ni to continue not
knowing for an unspecified time.   He feels that it would upset Jaimz Ni
if he found out that the Life Mating contract did not die with K'Lan
Lorz."

Terrill felt the skin tighten around his skull as he croaked, "What?"

"Your son, K'Lan Lorz had used a most ancient and outmoded method where
he could assign his mate to another should he be killed.   Such a
contract has not been written in all the years that I have been an
Adjucator and I only heard of one such^×incidence^×from before my time
when my father tried and failed to break such a backward and outmoded
form of Mating Contract." J'Lari Vree stated grimly,   "Jaimz Ni is still
locked into a life mating, without his knowledge I must believe, and your
elder son specified K'Lan Kaiel as his successor.  K'Lan Kaiel and Jaimz
Ni are Life Mated."  He went to his desk, and picked up a parchment from
it and held it out toward Terrill.  "You can understand why this wasn't
discussed in front of L'Teran Ni?   The same individual has already
claimed both of your sons.  K'Lan Kaiel could not have legally bonded
with L'Teran Vreda, for he is already locked into a legal contract."

Terrill took the parchment, but knowing what it would say he didn't
unroll it, instead he said, "What if the Betrothal and Mating was
unknowingly entered into, or the contract was passed while the inheritor
was already in another contract?"

J'Lari Vree sighed, "Unfortunately in cases such as this the only way to
break the contract is to have the Most High Akibu declare the union
incompatible....   And of course Kaiel can and should apply for a special
dispensation to allow him to take a second Mate for the purpose of
furthering his duties as your only heir...that is to beget cubs."

He glanced up at the Adjucator and the male nodded, saying, "Kaiel Ni has
no intention of challenging the contract being passed to him."   Terrill
was honestly not surprised, not after what he had seen.  The Adjucator
continued though, "But he does intend to protect Jaimz Ni from any
knowledge of this fact and he wishes it known that if Jaimz Ni finds out
through any means other than himself that he will take full legal
action."

Terrill half smiled, so Kaiel would press a legal suite against him?
Well he wouldn't tell the human, as he had much more important plans for
him this night, but still he was shocked that Lorz would have even
considered doing such a thing.   It was one thing to take such a step and
legally bind himself to an male and an alien at that, but to state his
brother as his heir and give Jaimz to him upon his death was just
too...incredible.   And what was even more incredible was whether or not
Kaiel had known the fact when he had gone to rescue Jaimz from Ham's
tender mercies.

Terrill leaned forward, crushing the document in his fist, and though
J'Lari Vree looked aggrieved at the damage to the document he said
nothing.   "Could the contract have been tampered with?"  Terrill asked.

J'Lari Vree shook his head, "I have had the document authenticated and
tested for any...anomalies.   There are none.  The document is in its
original and unaltered state.  Besides which," he paused momentarily, "I
have spoken with the Z'Ullan Akibu who preformed and witnessed the
Mating.   He stated that K'Lan Lorz specifically requested that
particular clause be included."

Terrill shook his head in total confusion, "But why?   Why would Lorz
have done such a thing?  Everything else aside, the very fact that he
took a male as his mate and an alien.... Why would he name Kaiel to
inherit Jaimz as his mate upon his death?"

Adjucator J'Lari looked uncomfortable as he said dourly, "You must
understand that I hold no faith in this archaic nonsense, however the
Akibu stated that Lorz was the conduit between which two souls would find
each other."

Terrill could only stare at him, of course the Akibu faith believed that
every soul had a perfect mate and that such unions were the most precious
of all unions and not to be sundered by or for anything...but of course
the very notion was completely ridiculous to him, there was no such thing
as a soul mate.   Nothing made any sense, why hurt Jaimz as Lorz
supposedly did as often as he apparently did if he was merely holding him
so that another^×his soul's mate^×could claim him?   "Ridiculous." He
muttered.

J'Lari Vree nodded, "As I stated, I don't hold with such old fashioned
ideas."   He stood up, and moved around the desk to retrieve the document
from Terrill, "Nonetheless, my associate and I must void the betrothal
and once it has been finalized your House and L'Teran House will be
called upon to formalize it."

Terrill nodded and passed the crumpled contract to the Adjucator.   He
had much to think on, very much indeed.  As he let himself out of J'Lari
Vree's office the Adjucator reminded him one final time to keep the full
truth of the Life Mating contract to himself.   Terrill agreed readily
enough, he had no intentions of telling Jaimz about it, as there was no
reason to give the luscious little alien one more reason to feel obliged
to stay with Kaiel.   If he could successfully woo Jaimz to his bed, it
would be one more triumph against his dishonorable son, and if he could
keep Jaimz in his bed even after...well then how much better would it be
to gloat knowing that Kaiel was his life mate but his was the bed Jaimz
preferred to share.

As he left he wondered when had seducing Jaimz for just one night turned
into a life long goal for him?   Did he really want to spite and hurt
Kaiel so much that he wanted to take something that precious away from
him?  Was he so angry with Kaiel that he wanted to strike back at him and
this was the only way to make the most impact, by stealing his mate from
beneath him?   He didn't love Jaimz, he didn't even profess to like him,
but he was genuinely enthralled with that beautiful face and sensual
body.


________________________________________________________________________________


Upon arriving back at the house Terrill didn't purposely go seeking
Jaimz, it just happened that he saw him walking alone outside on the
savanna side of the house so he decided to join him.   He had been
thinking about a lot on the way home, not the least was how to accomplish
his goal tonight and keep working on that goal in the next few days
before Kaiel was expected to return.   He didn't know, he thought it
possible that if he just let his intentions be known that Jaimz would
simply submit to him, after all he must be used to submitting to Zaran
males since he had yielded first to Lorz, and then to Ham, before giving
his body to Kaiel.   So what was one more male to surrender to?  But he
didn't want Jaimz to simply submit to him, he wanted Jaimz to be aching
and hot for him, so desperate for relief that even if he didn't want it
he would be so eager for it that he'd have no choice except to accept him
completely and totally.

As he silently walked beside the young human, with neither saying a word,
he glanced at that soft wind swept hair and noticed blond threads
starting to streak those fawn colored locks.   He wanted to run his hands
through those silky strands but he resisted the urge.  Instead he smiled
at Jaimz, who glanced up at him and smiled in reply while brushing one of
those stray tendrils off his smooth forehead.

He reached out with a sudden idea and lightly squeezed Jaimz' shoulder,
saying, "Jaimz, I know that you had your...difficulties with my son..." He
clarified, "with Lorz, but I^×I loved my son very much and I was hoping
that maybe you might be able to see your way...toward joining me when his
remains are cremated?"

Jaimz' face went pale, he looked up at him with something akin to
reluctance, but after a moment he swallowed and nodded, "I^×I can't
promise anything...it will be hard for me but...."

"That is all I ask." Terrill declared, sweeping Jaimz into a fierce hug
against his body.    Jaimz gasped in surprise of course, as he was lifted
off his feet and pulled up against the bigger male so that his chin was
aligned to Terrill's shoulder, but after a moment he relaxed and wrapped
his arms around Terrill's shoulders and returned the hug, never realizing
that Terrill had simply wanted to feel his body in his arms.   Terrill
pressed his face into Jaimz' throat and breathed in his scent as Jaimz
arched his neck aside.

He held the hug for as long as he could without raising Jaimz' suspicions
and then let that small and lithe body slide down his length, even
bumping his pouch against Jaimz' groin.   Jaimz glanced at him with a
hint of wondering in his sea-foam eyes, but Terrill gave him a perfectly
innocent look so that Jaimz once again doubted his own senses and finally
Jaimz laughed his suspicions away and said, "Well...I'll see you at supper
then."

Terrill nodded, and watched as Jaimz stepped through the open window and
back into his suite, he walked on, but in recalling what he had been
deliberating on before he had hugged Jaimz he suddenly realized that
supper could be very fortunate for him.   Of course how to slip anything
past the vigilant Medic Kang who always had his nose in matters
concerning Jaimz was another problem for him to deal with.   But he was
smiling when he thought about the supper to come and how it could work in
his favor; all he had to do was act before it was too late.


________________________________________________________________________________


Kaiel lay on his bed thinking about his day and how completely exhausted
he was.   The day had been long and difficult with the only bright spot
in it being talking to Zuzu over a late supper.  He was finding that he
liked her very much; she was bright, smart and pretty and talking with
her was always enlightening.   The more time he spent with her and
actually talked to her, not just greeted her in passing as he often had
before, the more he found that she was pleasant company.    He wondered
why he hadn't really noticed how attractive she was before, or how funny
or the rich tones of her amazing hair, which he now noticed she was
wearing often loose or becomingly pulled back with ribbons, or pins.  It
amazed him that he had never noticed her hair before, because how could
he have possibly missed it?  And she was so easy with her friends, he
noticed how she would relax and laugh with them and even with Council
P'Var her mentor during this session she had an easy way about her.
Could it be that it had taken Jaimz to point these things out to him
first?

Of course, thinking about how Jaimz had opened his eyes to Zuzu only
brought his thoughts fully back to Jaimz, he had spent the entire day so
busy with the sessions and discussing key points of the outlined
proposals that Jaimz hadn't crossed his mind.   Now in the quiet of his
room with no one talking to him and needing him for anything and with
Heron safely tucked away in his own quarters he found Jaimz very much on
his mind.

For instance he knew that right now Jaimz would be very sensitive and as
he knew Jaimz fairly well he expected that Jaimz would have sought to be
alone well before the sensitivity became too much for him.   Maybe he
would even ask for something from Kang to help him sleep through the
night?  Tomorrow was the start of their 72-hour.   Kang had told him not
to wait for the symptoms of the withdrawal to show up, but to immediately
start to take the meds that would mask against those indicators.  The one
thing Kang had said that he might not be able to work around was the loss
of appetite and the nausea that came along for the ride.

He glanced toward K'Lan Pride, which was so far away right now that he
surely could only imagine when he sensed Jaimz.   If he closed his eyes
he could imagine Jaimz lying on his bed, on his back with the covers
tossed entirely off his body.  It was strange to picture Jaimz that way,
since his bare body felt the chill in the night air so easily.   But his
imagination went beyond Jaimz merely laying there, staring up at the bed
canopy, but it imagined Jaimz sensitive restlessness and his
uncomfortable burning skin driving him to such distraction that even the
caressing touch of his skimpy silken night garb was to much for him to
bear.   He smiled as in his imagination Jaimz all but tore the offending
garments off his irritated body and lay down again in the middle of the
bed, but even the smooth surface of the bed sheet was more than his
sensitive skin could handle and if he moved, he moaned as little shivers
of aroused distress coursed through his body and sent pulses of awakening
pleasure to all his erotic centers.    He could almost hear Jaimz moan
"Kaiel...." Moreover in that instance as Jaimz turned his head and looked
toward him it was almost as if they could see each other across the vast
distance that separated them.   He gasped and sat up, finding himself
utterly and thoroughly aroused and as he calmed his rod down he wondered
if he had dosed off for the imagining had seemed so real, like a
perfectly detailed dream.   When he settled again he had the uneasiest
sense that Jaimz was very uncomfortable.


________________________________________________________________________________


Jaimz couldn't believe how uncomfortable he was, his skin just tingled
and burned and every time he moved he felt an answering surge of
sensation sparkle through his pleasure centers.   He was quite shamefully
aroused and at a loss to explain what was happening to him.

As expected his heightened sensitivity had arose around the supper time,
and though he had successfully ignored it during the meal and afterward,
that eventually he had found his awareness was so heightened that even
his own clothing had stimulated his sensitive skin, which had never
happened before, since he had only responded to the touch of people
before today, but even the slightest currents of air in a room could fire
up his blood.   He wondered if something he ate at supper could have
affected him this way and blushed when he recalled that he had eaten two
sweetmeats.  The first sweetmeat he had eaten unknowing what it was, but
the second one he had consumed because he couldn't pass up the
challenging smile Terrill had given him when he'd learned what the first
item he'd eaten really was.   The idea of eating what were basically the
gonads of some young male animal was enough to still make him want to
choke.  The dessert had been very nice though even though Terrill had
said he'd had it prepared with Jaimz in mind.   Since everyone had a
small dish with the same fruit, cream and biscuit combination and Kang
hadn't said anything Jaimz had assumed that it must be safe for him to
try even though the fruit was new to him.

But now, hours later here he lay naked on his bed, trying to sleep but
unable to as every little movement^×every little eddy of current in the
air only served to further stimulate his burning body.   He groaned
Kaiel's name aloud, thinking that because he hadn't seen (except once
over the COM) or touched Kaiel in three days that he had built up a
sexual charge which like a static charge could only be defused by touch.
  Could that really be it...that he was supercharged with sexual energy
and with no hope of having that energy siphoned off.  Just thinking about
it made him blush...which only added more heat to his overheated body.

Finally he sat up and slid off the big bed, since trying to force his
over stimulated body to sleep wasn't getting him anywhere, he thought
about going to Kang and asking him for something to help him get to
sleep, but it was late and just because he couldn't sleep didn't mean
others should have to suffer with him as well.   He slid a robe over his
sensitive body and padded toward the Bathing Room, thinking that a cool
shower might sooth his irritated skin^×and if that failed only then would
he go to Kang for help.   Tomorrow morning he would awaken to the needs
of the 72-Hour and he knew that Kang planned to start treating him
immediately to stave off the worst of the symptoms for as long as he was
able^×maybe Kang might start his treatments tonight if he knew what a
hard time he was already having.

The halls were silent as he padded along the smooth satiny floor.
Silvery light from the doubled moons cast a pale glow through the myriad
windows that clearly lit his path.  He paused for a moment and looked out
one of the windows at the perfect image of the savanna spread out before
him with both moons hovering in that indigo and starlit sky.   The little
moon, Azoree, was some distance away from its big sibling, Torz, and it
looked to set soon, probably in the next hour or so.  Tonight both moons
were ringed in silvery halos though he didn't think that it meant there
would be rain come tomorrow.   He hadn't seen rain or even more than a
scud of cloud in that rich azure sky since he had arrived although he did
know that Z'Rarla had seasonal rainstorms similar to home, the difference
being that where he now live was in the deep south^×nearly along the
equatorial belt and right now Z'Rarla was locked in spring and on its way
toward the long hot and dry summer, the monsoons followed the summer and
started the cycle again and apparently this far south the only snow that
was ever seen was on the high mountain peaks during the monsoons when it
was wet and cool.   He idly wondered if summer would bring the hot sticky
nights he was more familiar with, or if the coolness he was becoming used
to would continue to be the rule.   Although, he thought with a rueful
grimace, tonight the cool hadn't touched his overheated body in the
least.

He stepped into the bathing room and allowed the moonlight to be his only
light to the shower.   He slipped his robe off, letting it fall in a soft
rumple to the tiled floor outside as he stepped over the threshold and
was rewarded instantly by the cool cascade of water as it showered over
his overheated skin.

He sighed, lifting his face into the cool stream and tucking his fingers
through his hair to push it back, he had been right^×this felt so good
and he also felt his body calming down.   He stood contentedly under the
silky caress of the water and let it pour down over his body as it washed
away his agitation and stimulation.  He planned to remain only until he
was certain his raw senses had been soothed but his quiet reprieve was
interrupted when a pair of big hands caught him around his hips and
pulled him back against a big body.   He gasped and cried out in startled
alarm for he honestly didn't expect anyone to be awake and as he strained
against his unexpected visitor Terrill's voice came soothingly over the
shower noise, "Relax Jaimz...it is only me."

But Jaimz was too surprised by his presence this late at night to relax
with any ease.   Glancing back and up he asked in breathy shock, "What
are you doing here? Why are you awake?"

Terrill bent around him and Jaimz alarmed senses only jangled louder when
Terrill's hand slid around toward his groin and stroked between his
thighs.   He stammered fearfully, "Wha-what are you d-doing?"

His alarm only increased when Terrill bent and pressed his mouth against
his should and then moved along to lick the long line of his neck.   He
shivered even as dread squeezed at his chest.  "P-Please...don't...."

Terrill nuzzled his ear and then moved lower to gently bit the side of
his neck while Jaimz shuddered in horror and the tears sprung to his eyes
as he realized what Terrill wanted from him.   "Please!  Please Terrill
don't do this!" He cried, pushing against the big male, which was like
trying to shove a brick wall.   Zarans were just so much bigger and
stronger than he was and if they didn't want to move they wouldn't.

Terrill only pressed closer, pulling him back against him big body and
legs.   Jaimz felt the evidence of Terrill's arousal pressed up along his
back and he sobbed, "Please...don't do this to me...please."

Terrill raised a hand to stroke at his streaming hair though his other
hand moved completely to splay across his waist and hold him.   Again
Terrill licked his throat and this time he murmured silkily, "But I
waited for you to show me that you were read for me.  I waited aching for
you.   You have a much stronger will than I expected and you resisted far
longer then I would have thought possible for such a sensual creature as
you."

Jaimz pushed at the big hand pressed around his waist even as his scalp
crawled with a sense of dread, for it sounded as if what had brought him
to this shower was something Terrill knew about and how could that be so
unless he had planned it?   He gasped in understanding and cried, "Y-you
gave me something?  At supper? Something to make me^×make me^×?"  He
blushed and stammered, "W-was it the s-sweetmeats?"

Terrill rumbled a smoky laugh and bent to lick the scratches on Jaimz
back before murmuring against his silky shoulder, "It was the dessert.
Each was individually put together and yours had to be made special
because of your susceptibilities to our foods.  It was an easy matter
sprinkling a little Sweet Pleasure onto the cream."   He retained his
hold on Jaimz but knelt down and began to lick him along his spine,
moving lower with each pass of his warm tongue.  He paused as Jaimz
pulled against his hold, he could hear his sobs even through showering
downpour though he couldn't understand the reason for them since he was
being gentle with the small and sensitive being.   He bent to kiss one
pert wet cheek and hearing Jaimz' soft cry of denial he mused, "I am
surprised you were able to resist for so long^×you must have burned for
relief.   No I can give you the relief you seek."

"No-No! Jaimz cried and suddenly pulled hard against his hold.   He
managed to wrench free, but Terrill grabbed for him again and even the
slippery floor tiles worked against him as he slipped and fell ending
back under Terrill's control in mere moments.

Terrill was tired of this game, of Jaimz pretending to not want this so
he picked Jaimz up and lifted him above his head, until Jaimz could
nearly touch the ceiling, and then he seated Jaimz on his face.   Jaimz
yelled and sobbed in mingled horror and pleasure as Terrill's tongue
thrust between his cheeks and drilled into his anus.  He clutched back at
the males shoulders, crying bitterly as his body responded while his
heart was shattering into tiny pieces.   He was being assaulted
again^×and in the process he was betraying Kaiel with his unwilling
response.

"Please^×Please don't!" Jaimz wailed, struggling against Terrill's hold
and this uncomfortable position, which had him arched over the male's
head, with his legs pulled back and open as the male's tongue stroked
deeply and thoroughly within him.   Finally he managed to kick and
struggle enough to force Terrill to lower him.   He tried to kick at him
again but Terrill only grunted in annoyance and grabbed his leg pulling
him around to face him.   Jaimz sucked in a frightened breath at seeing
Terrill's fully unsheathed rod and felt a thrill of dread at the wide
thickness of it.  He thought analytically that Terrill might actually be
less endowed than his son^×but he was so wide that it hardly mattered.
His cone was a wide and blunt oblong^×in fact his entire rod was wider
than it was thick around making it look slightly flattened and very
bizarre.  He lifted his eyes to look at Terrill's face and desperately
shook his head, pleading, "Please!  Please don't do this!"

Terrill pulled his close and ran a hand between his thighs and his
aroused penis and as shame blossomed afresh on Jaimz satiny cheeks
Terrill mused, "But you want this.   I want this.  Why shouldn't we want
this together?"

"Because I can't help it!  Please this is wrong!   Let me go!  Please let
me go Terrill!  Please!" He wailed as Terrill picked him up again and
lowered him onto his rod's thick cone.   He sobbed in horror as he felt
Terrill pulling his cheeks open to facilitate easier access to his anus
and he cried again, "No!  Please no, don't do this!   Please don't!"

Terrill ignored him and pushed him down onto him, it wasn't easy.   Jaimz
howled and arched back in pain as his body refused to yield to that
impossibly wide and blunt cone, he cried tearfully, "You're hurting me!
Please^×please stop!"

Terrill realized that there was a problem, but his solution was not what
Jaimz wanted as he picked him up and tossed him sobbing over his big
shoulder.   He pressed his hands against Terrill's back, trying to lever
himself up but was only sobbing more despondently moments later when
Terrill's fingers, now slick with grease, pressed into his reluctant
anus.   He whimpered and hung his head in defeat, crying helplessly as
Terrill's big fingers reamed him and worked at stretching him open enough
to take his rod.   He was weeping bitterly when Terrill brought him down
off his shoulders again, and this time while using his fingers to hold
him open he lowered him onto his rod cone again.   Now, with Terrill's
fingers to guide and the grease to assist and with Terrill's rod also
being well oiled, they slid together like smooth clockwork.  It still
hurt though, and his entire body tensed against the pain of all that
thickness entering him at once without any of the gentle stretching he
had come to know with Kaiel.

Unlike with Lorz or Ham though, Terrill didn't just beat at his natural
defences and tear through them, when Jaimz cried because it hurt to much
Terrill would stop and withdraw^×apply more oil and enter him again,
slowly forcing his body to yield will he wept in utter misery.

Terrill knew that Jaimz was crying and finally, after he had seated him
completely upon his wide rode he wondered, "Why do you carry on?   Why
are you crying so much?"

Jaimz, laying against Terrill's wet pelt, with the male's rod deep inside
his throbbing body felt the hot tears pouring from his eyes even as the
shower washed them away and sobbingly said, "Because I'm being raped
again^×and I can't make you stop.   I can't make you stop."

Terrill was astonished, "Raped?  What Raped?   I'm not raping you?  I'm
being gentle!" He bellowed, pulling Jaimz upward so that he almost
unseated his rod.   He tried to force the smaller being to look at him as
he growled, "What do you mean that I'm raping you, we are consenting
adults are we not?"

Jaimz looked up at his assaulter with luminously glowing aquamarine
eyes^×only slightly silvered by moonlight.   "I'm not willing." He cried
bitterly, "I don't want this!  You took me against my will!  How gentle
you are^×how considerate you are doesn't matter!   You're still raping
me!" his voice rose to low scream and he pushed at Terrill, while sobbing
helplessly, "You're just like Lorz!  He raped me!   He raped me over and
over again and he hurt me and he gave me to Ham who hurt me too!  I
thought^×maybe you liked me a little."   He sagged against Terrill again
and covered his face as sobs shook his shoulders.

Terrill felt a little ill, for indeed Jaimz hadn't welcomed him as he had
expected, and yet he wasn't ready to give up^×as the sensation of all
that tightness around his rod was just so utterly exquisite to give up
on.   He moved, rocking his hips and stroking his rod inside.

Jaimz shuddered and whimpered but his sobbing didn't decrease.   He bent
over, hugging those shaking shoulders, "But we can have fun little one.
I'm not hurting you.  Why can't you just enjoy this?"

Jaimz just turned his face away and the hot tears kept coming.   Terrill
lifted Jaimz up^×nearly unseating him again^×and claimed his wet mouth in
a kiss, sure that if he put enough effort into it that Jaimz would start
to respond and yield to him completely. But Jaimz just turned his face
away again and Terrill let him drop once more to firmly seat over his
rod.   He felt Jaimz shudder, and heard his moans as his thick length
filled him up again so he knew that Jaimz' body was enjoying what he was
doing^×but he also heard those devastated sobs and felt that small body
just quaking from crying.   He hugged him arm about him and murmured,
"What can I do to make you stop crying Jaimz?"

Jaimz looked up at him and sobbed softly, "Let me go.   Please, please
let me go."

He passed his hands down over Jaimz' satiny back and cupped his cheeks
lifting and lowering him over his rod, "But why can't we relieve each
other's ache cubling?" he cajoled, "I can be for you what Kaiel is.   I
can give you what Kaiel gives you."

Jaimz stiffened and appeared ready to yell at him, but instead he drew in
a shaky breath and said so softly that Terrill had to lean down to
listen, "How do you think Shania would have felt if someone she thought
she could trust decided to take her against her will?   No matter how
gentle he was?  It's still rape Terrill, you're raping me...I'm not
willing."

Terrill felt as if his pelt was suddenly too tight for his body.   He had
loved Shania with all his heart and losing her had been a devastating
blow that he had never been able to get over completely.  The question
posed hurt just as it was meant to.   He whispered with sudden clarity.
"I'm so sorry...."

Jaimz just lay against him, still softly sobbing, but after a moment he
whispered, "Then please...let me go."

Terrill meant to, really he did, but he realized that he was locked
inside Jaimz snug body with his flare fully engaged, and to try to
extract now would only hurt Jaimz.   When Jaimz realized that they were
tied together he sobbed bitterly and while harshly weeping he forlornly
cried, "Just get it over with then!  Please!  Just get it over with!"

Terrill did, working hard and fast to bring on his long climax, even
though he no longer had any pleasure in the task.   Jaimz was silent
through it all, never uttering a word or a sound, though that might have
been because he was biting his lip to prevent it.  He was still crying
though the cool water continued to wash his hot tears away.

When it was done Terrill separated from Jaimz while whispering, "I'm
sorry.   I'm sorry.  Please forgive me."

Jaimz huddled away from his, under the showering downpour and started to
rock as his crying renewed in strength.   Terrill tried to touch him, but
Jaimz shied away and sobbed, "Just leave me...please just leave me."

Uncertain of what to do, and knowing that he had hurt Jaimz emotionally
if not physically Terrill backed away^×though he did switch the shower
over to the hot air blowers, because Jaimz would need that heat now.   He
looked for another pained moment at that small huddled body and knew that
he had done a terrible thing to another being^×something so terrible that
it sickened him to realize that he had worked toward this goal and
achieved it all on his own.   Jaimz had never given him even the least
signal that he was interested, but he had stalked him, abused him and
finally taken away his right to choose.   Terrill turned away, grabbing a
towel the drape around his big form and quickly made for Kang's suite
knowing that the old medic was the only one who could help Jaimz right
now.

Kang came awake with stunning alacrity as soon as he heard that Jaimz
needed him, and he lunged out of his big bed with out any signs that his
plump body was in any way a hindrance.   He was a big male and in spite
of his advanced age and his somewhat corpulent frame, he moved with a
great deal of speed as he headed for Jaimz' suite.   He did question why
Terrill led him beyond Jaimz' suite and why they were headed to the
bathing room... but his questions died as the sight of Jaimz huddled on
the tiled floor made everything unbelievably clear.   He shot a
disbelieving glance at Terrill and when the younger male couldn't return
his look, his assumptions were only confirmed, and it sickened him so
much that he thought he was going to throw up, fortunately that response
lasted only a second as rage surging through him quickly burned the
nausea away.

Quashing down his first desire, which was to tear into the other male
Kang forced himself to relax and make his voice light and gentle as he
grabbed up towel and stepped into the gusting heat from the blowers and
said softly, "Cub?   Can you hear me cub?  Youngling it's me
Kang...everything will be okay."  He gently touched Jaimz' arched back, as
he draped the towel over his small body...and Jaimz turned into his
embrace^×welcoming the comfort of his big body as he cried devastated
tears and shook with profound distress.   Kang bundled the towel around
Jaimz and swept him up into his arms as he picked him up.  He sent
Terrill a look filled with utter loathing as he passed him while carrying
Jaimz from the room.   He did not even stop at Jaimz' suite but kept on
going until he had the young human tucked into his own bed where he could
protect him.

Jaimz was mostly dry from the blowers, but he finished drying his hair as
he sobbed like a tortured soul, as he listened, Kang sadly wondered if
Jaimz would ever stop crying.   Because of what he was, and because he
cared so much, he had to check that Jaimz wasn't injured, he was very
gentle as he parted Jaimz' legs and inspected him.   Jaimz did quiet
then, though great sobs still caught at his chest.  He didn't protest his
impersonal touch nor complain when Kang applied a bit of ointment to his
anus.   He closed his eyes and turned over onto his side when Kang was
done and lay softly shaking and sobbing until Kang pulled the coverlets
up to warm his small body.  Kang stroked Jaimz' silky hair and rubbed his
back as he thought about what he had found, there had been some minor
damage but nothing significant and if it had been caused by Kaiel, Kang
wouldn't have been even a bit worried, but all this slight damaged showed
was that Terrill had been gentle in his rape, for he didn't doubt that
Jaimz had been raped, he was far to upset for it to have been anything
else.   He had noticed Terrill was getting to close and he recalled that
he had warned Jaimz to keep his distance...but he had never thought
Terrill would go far as to actually force him...no matter how gentle the
act.

When finally he lay down beside Jaimz to try to find some sleep for the
rest of this night Jaimz immediately turned and cuddled into him.   He
shifted until Jaimz was resting comfortably against him, with his head on
his shoulder and with one arm stretched out over his tunic covered chest.
  Jaimz was still crying softly, with silent tears beading up on his
eyelashes, though he had quieted considerably and as they lay together
Jaimz whispered achingly, "Kaiel can never know."

Kang glanced down, to find those jewel like eyes glowing luminously up at
him and he found himself idly wondering when Jaimz' eyes had started to
glow like that in the dark...for he did not have the light-gathering eyes
of a Zaran.   He stroked his hand along Jaimz' arm and murmured, "If this
is your wish Cub."

Jaimz closed his eyes and dragged in a shaky breath, repeating, "He can
never know. He can never know what happened tonight."   Again there was
silence and then Jaimz released a long-suffering sigh followed by another
breathy sob, "Maybe I should have died?  Maybe it would have been better
if I'd died and not trapped Kaiel this way...."

Kang felt his scalp prickle and he snarled, "Don't speak that way!"

However Jaimz sobbed miserably, "But I b-betrayed him^×I betrayed Kaiel."

Kang cupped Jaimz' head, tilting his face up to look at him, "You
didn't." he stated fiercely, "Terrill wronged you!   It's not your fault
Jaimz; never ever blame yourself for what happened.  Never!"

Jaimz shivered under his hand, and though he settled again the self-blame
and the confusion remained so close to the surface that Kang could almost
feel those emotions through Jaimz' silky fine skin.


________________________________________________________________________________


Daylight found Jaimz awaking feeling slightly groggy and more than a
little disoriented.   He awoke in a strange bed again, and recalling what
had happened in the night he felt a moment of panic before he recalled
that Kang had brought him to his suite to sleep.   He closed his eyes
again, he had a very mild headache, but he wasn't sure if it was the TAG
withdrawal already at work or simply the fact that last night had been
enough to bring nightmares to plague his sleep.   He rolled over onto his
side and opened his eyes again to find himself looking toward the inner
door, which was standing open into Kang's clinic.  He sighed and sat up,
blushing slightly when he was reminded that he wasn't wearing anything,
but a quick look at the bed showed Kang or someone had thoughtfully
provided a robe for him.   He fingered the silky material for a moment
then looked up as someone entered the room.  It was Kang.

He watched as Kang first went to check the monitoring equipment which he
hadn't noticed until that very moment, seeing that he was drawn to the
slight weight at his wrist and he saw that he was already wearing the
med-cuff, if was flashing green so his headache was probably not a result
of the tag, though after a moment he remembered that only if the cuff's
light was glowing solidly green was when he was truly well, so the
flashing green merely meant that he was ok at the moment.   He began to
notice little things then, the slight soreness between his legs...a result
of the unwanted action he had received in the night, recalling that he
blushed and lowered his eyes forlornly, he wanted to pretend that it had
never happened, but if his bottom was sore then how could he forget?   He
also had a bit of soreness in his arm, and when he tipped his arm up he
saw the red mark where it was clear that he had already been injected.
Glancing toward Kang, who was now turning to look at him, he asked
needlessly, "You already gave me my medicine?"

Kang knelt on the bed and pressed his hand up under his bangs to touch
his forehead.   "First thing this morning and again since.  Its after the
noon break Cub."

Jaimz felt his eyes widen in shock as he looked up at the medic as he
drew his hand away, "It's that late?" he exclaimed.

Kang nodded, "You obviously needed the sleep." He lifted the med-cuffed
wrist and looked at the blinking green light then smiled slightly, "But
you seem to be doing okay.   How do you feel?"

Jaimz blushed and said softly, "I have a bit of a headache...and...I'm
groggy still.   Why?"

Kang looked slightly aside, so Jaimz had a bit of a worry while the medic
was thinking, finally Kang explained, "I included a mild tranquilizer in
your medicines^×."

"But^×!" Jaimz started to protest, but Kang's big fingers lightly pressed
against his soft mouth, silencing him.

"You will still be able to work," Kang stated, "but one of you has to be
more relaxed and since it can't be Kaiel it will have to be you,
Youngling.    If I must worry after one of you, I want it to be you...and
I am worried about you.  You can still work, and if you feel like taking
a nap then you should.   When you rest you can only help Kaiel."

Jaimz sighed and felt a little sob well up as he thought about how he and
Terrill had betrayed Kaiel, but Kang shook his shoulder slightly and
said, "Enough with that sort of thinking Cub."   He retained his hold for
a moment more and then said softly; "Before I send for Drey to go with
you to the shower are you sore anywhere else?"

Jaimz knew what Kang was asking and he lowered his eyes as the blush
warmed up his cheeks again.   "I'm a bit...sore."

Kang only grunted and moved to the bed table where the monitoring
equipment was, he opened a drawer directly beneath and said, "Over with
you."

Jaimz glanced toward the doorway, but he saw to his relief that Kang must
have closed it when he came in.   He turned over onto his side and lay
silently as Kang very gently applied soothing ointment to his aching
anus, and he only squirmed slightly when Kang's slid a finger full of
that same ointment inside to ease the discomfort within as well.   Kang
patted his hip and murmured, "You look a bit more sore this morning then
you did last night...."

Blushing Jaimz, with a catch in his throat, whispered, "Terrill is
very...wide.   He couldn't get it in^×at first."  He blinked tears off his
eyelashes and shook his head, "But I don't want to think about it
anymore.   I just rather^×it never happened."

Kang nodded silently, saying nothing though he didn't plan on forgetting
about it or how traumatized Jaimz had been when he had found him.   That
Jaimz wanted to keep this from Kaiel he could understand, and maybe he
might even succeed, but even if it did come out Kang knew that Kaiel
wouldn't hold any blame against Jaimz, that all blame would go to where
it solely deserved to fall, upon K'Lan Terrill who had raped Jaimz last
night.

Jaimz was looking at him, watching the expressions of anger and
determination cross his caring face, and he felt a little better knowing
that Kang was looking out for him, then he wondered with a faint blush
darkening his cheeks, "You said Drey was going accompany me to the
shower?   Does Drey...know?"

Kang ruffled his hair and smiled, "Only that your ill and that you've
caught a mild stomach bug that's upset your system.... Drey will stay with
you when I can't, I had him excused from his tutor's classes for the next
couple of days until either Kaiel comes home or I take you to him.   And
as for your nighttime arrangement, you will be bunking with me so that I
can monitor you and update your medications as necessary."

Jaimz didn't say how hearing that news made him feel so much safer
knowing that he wouldn't be sleeping alone and vulnerable even though he
doubted that Terrill would ever touch him that way again.   The male had
been genuinely remorseful of what he had done, but it was everything
else, waking up with Terrill in his room, and his dreams that he now knew
for reality that still bothered him.   Terrill had worked him for a few
days, gaining his trust while at the same time abusing his sleeping body
and he just wasn't ready to sleep on his own again without Kaiel
somewhere nearby if he needed him.   Thinking about Kaiel again, and
missing him, just made him feel remorseful again.  He shook his head to
try and shake that feeling, and regretted it when his headache pulsed
anew behind his eyes.

Kang frowned as Jaimz lay down again; the steady green flash of the cuff
told him that he had his TAG symptoms under control, but after last night
there could be an assortment of other problems usually not associated.
He stroked Jaimz' cheek and said, "You don't have to get up yet, try to
sleep a bit more.  I'll wake you in an hour or so if you like."

Jaimz closed his eyes and with a sigh said, "Ok...I'll just close my eyes
for a little while."

Kang watched as Jaimz drifted off into sleep and he knew that he would
let Jaimz wake himself up rather then waste this healing time by waking
him.   He pulled up the covers and tucked them under Jaimz' chin and
smiled tenderly as the young human turned toward his touch with utter
trust.

He slipped off the bed after a moment and gave the monitor another
glance, the fluctuations were minor right now for Jaimz was still in the
early stages of the Tag withdrawal, but he knew from having gone through
the TWS with Jaimz already once before what he would be seeing as the
hours increased and the TWS became fully entrenched.   The only good
thing he knew about this bout with the TWS was that Jaimz had a TAG Mate
and that he would receive his cure before either of them became too ill
to function.   He moved toward the outer door, which led into his
clinic.  Since he couldn't watch Jaimz constantly he would leave the door
open again so that Rica could keep an eye on the room and make sure that
Jaimz slept undisturbed.   He nodded at Rica who was busy entering data
into the Com Pad at her desk and said, "I'm going to be in my office
again.  He's fallen back to sleep, so just keep an eye on him for me will
you?"

Rica with her pretty round face and bright copper eyes nodded as she
glanced in to the room.   From her position she had a perfect view of
Jaimz as he slept, it had been she, noticing him waking up that had
brought Kang to the room in the first place.   She knew that Jaimz was
starting to suffer the TWS without his Tag Mate nearby, but she didn't
know about the rape and Kang would keep it that way for Jaimz' sake.  As
it was, only three individuals knew about the rape, and one of them still
hadn't answered enough for his crimes as far as Kang was concerned.

He headed toward his office, just as he had planned, but something made
him glance back to see none other than the Skarll dung himself shadowing
his doorway.   Rica preened at the honour of having the head of K'Lan
Pride grace the office, but she didn't manage to say anything as the male
strode toward the inner door staring worriedly at Jaimz who fortunately
was sound asleep and unaware of his intruding presence.   Kang moved
quickly to intercept him and growled, "This is as close as you go, K'Lan
Ni."

Terrill scowled at him as he blocked the doorway with his massive frame
but he didn't try to pass, though Kang was sorely disappointed, as he
surely would have liked for him to try.   "I heard that he was ill?  Drey
told me that he having stomach trouble?"

Kang returned his scowl, "Are you surprised?  He has a very delicate
system.  Its very easy to upset him." He replied in short clipped
sentences that he knew were laden with messages.

Terrill's ears flicked with embarrassment and even his ruff quivered, he
lowered his eyes after a moment and said softly, "That was a mistake."

Kang struggled to hold his temper even as he flexed his hands while
trying to stay relaxed and focused.   He glanced back into the room to
assure himself that Jaimz wasn't being disturbed and snapped at Terrill,
"Come with me.  I want to talk to you."   He stomped toward his office.

Terrill reluctantly followed, saying, "I don't want to talk about it."

Kang closed the door with deadly silence and rounded on the other male.
"You don't want to talk about it?  You^×after what you did to him!
Fortunately for you Jaimz wants to forget it ever happened, my guess he
will greet you and act like nothing ever happened between you two... and
for your sake you better act the same way!"

Terrill rallied, "But...is he really sick?  Did I...is it something I did?"

Kang snarled, "Lucky for you all Jaimz suffered because of you is a sore
bottom....   No he's legitimately sleeping in the middle of the day
because he is ill, and I will be monitoring him until he improves." That
was all Terrill needed to know, he didn't need to know that Jaimz was
suffering from TAG withdrawal.

Terrill shook his head, and wondered, "But...could he be ill because of
something I did?"

Kang froze, staring at the younger male, "What do you mean?" he asked
coldly.

Terrill lifted his shame-dulled eyes, "At supper I gave him^×Sweet
Pleasure."

Kang wanted to hit the other male, it took everything he had not to
launch into him and lay waste all around.   "Sweet Pleasure?" He croaked
furiously, "you gave him an aphrodisiac without having a clue what it
would do to him?"

Terrill's ears folded back but he grimly stated, "It wasn't on the banned
items list."

Kang didn't know what happened, one moment he was near his desk, the next
moment he had the other male pressed against the door and was growling
low into his startled face, "That's because I never imagined anyone would
use it on him!   My Gods," he suddenly laughed bitterly, pushing back
from Terrill, "Its no wonder he is more sore today then he was last
night.  With that poison in his system he would have merrily humped a Gar
and not noticed much of anything until later...had he been lucky enough to
survive.   You...you...disgust me."

"I never meant to hurt him." Terrill muttered, rubbing his throat where
Kang's arm had briefly been pressed.

Kang scoffed, "Don't lie to me, you wanted to hurt him from the start,
and it would be so easy too.   He's small, delicate, and even frail
compared to us.  He's like a little cub...barely 12 years old in
height....  But Drey who is his height already is stronger and outweighs
him too.  With Jaimz wanting to hurt him and not hurting him is part of
our baser nature, something we strive against to be better than the
beasts that we are.   You know it, you've panted after him from the
start."

Terrill's ears folded back, "I never meant to hurt him, never." He
growled, "I just wanted to take him away from Kaiel."

Kang scowled at him and moved to sit on the edge of his big desk, "Why in
the world would you want to do that?   What is it about Kaiel that
bothers you so much."

Terrill snorted, "He's alive, that's what bothers me, he's alive when
Lorz is dead.   And he's been betraying Lorz with Jaimz since probably
the beginning.  Maybe they were betraying Lorz while he was still alive?
  That Jaimz creature is made for sex...he took me without hardly any
trouble once^×."

"Shut^×Up." Kang growled in a low roar, "Just shut up.   Do you hear
yourself?  You're bothered because Kaiel is alive and Lorz is dead?  You
should be grateful that one of your sons is alive and not begrudge him
just for being alive."   He shook his head, flabbergasted, "Gods you are
so pathetic." He raised an expressive brow ridge, "So then when you went
after Jaimz, you were really trying to hurt your son?   You are so
pathetic it disgusts me.  You don't deserve Kaiel, he's a terrific young
male that any sire would be pride to call son...I know that I would be if
he were mine.   But not you, you look to Lorz as some kind of special
scion that you placed on a pedestal, whatever wrong he ever committed you
excuse away, blame the victim instead of laying the blame where it surely
belongs." He smirked, "So how soon will it be when you start blaming
Jaimz for your raping him.   Or have you already decided that he seduced
you into raping him?  That surely it must be his fault that you raped
him?   Just as it was his fault that Lorz raped him, oh, and that Ham
raped him too!  Of all the Zaran males who have impacted upon that
youngling's life I can tell you that Kaiel is the only one who has never
hurt him nor would ever consider hurting him."

Terrill stood silent under the medic's scathing regard, his ears were
tightly folded back as he growled, "I don't blame Jaimz for what I did....
  In that alone I am guilty.  However as to the rest, can you say without
a doubt that Jaimz didn't welcome Lorz or even Ham?   He certainly
welcomes Kaiel easily enough...and once he opened for me he was quite
welcoming indeed.  You say and Kaiel says that Lorz raped him," he
briefly recalled that even Jaimz had said that Lorz raped him; he'd cried
it last night.   He shook that memory off and continued, "but what proof
is there?  What is the truth?  The truth I see is that my son...yes my
living son was betraying his brother hardly ten days after his death!
Ten days, Lorz hasn't even been properly sent to the Gods yet and those
two were humping each other as if he'd never even been alive!  What am I
to think when they come together and hump like rutting beasts?   Why
shouldn't I want to take Jaimz away from Kaiel?  Why shouldn't I want to
hurt him, hurt Kaiel?  After he hurt me and betrayed his own brother with
his Life Mate!"

Kang just stared at him for a long silent moment with loathing clearly
evident in his eyes, after a moment he looked away as if he couldn't
stand the sight of him.   "You don't understand anything." He said,
"Kaiel never betrayed your precious Lorz and if they ever rutted like
beasts^×which I very much doubt since I've had the privilege of
witnessing one of their moments and monitored another while Jaimz was
very sick^×it was because they needed each other desperately, so
desperately that if they didn't relieve each other they would die.
Furthermore Jaimz doesn't take anyone easily, and it's only because Kaiel
is careful and gentle that he doesn't get hurt.  You have noticed how
small he is haven't you?   Well he's small within too, and it would be
easy to fatally hurt him.  It was only luck that has kept him from being
seriously hurt while Lorz, and yes Ham too, was raping him."   He turned
away and waved his hand in a shooing manner, "I'm through talking to
you.  You're so hard headed that you wouldn't get the point even if a
spike was driven thru your skull."

"You only speak that way because you love Jaimz too." Terrill grumbled as
he opened the door.

Kang smiled, "Like a son.  And I love Kaiel too, if you don't want him
I'll gladly act as his sire, I'll likely actually do a good job of it."

Terrill quivered with rage but resisted saying anything as he moved out
into the hall.

Kang called, "Also stay away from Jaimz, K'Lan Ni, I won't be so
restrained if you ever harm him again.   That I promise."

Terrill glanced at him, taking in his massive size, his ponderous girth,
his firm expression and his deadly serious eyes and didn't doubt that the
older male would and could rip into if he had too for that fleshy
softness only cloaked powerful muscles and lethal strength.   He nodded,
just barely to acknowledge the older male and strode from the room and
then from the clinic.

Kang remained, sitting on the edge of his desk after the younger male had
left and he shook his head, befuddled by K'Lan Terrill's attitude toward
his own son.   He could not understand how any sire could find fault with
that young male, for Kaiel was so honourable, so responsible, and so
considerate that he should make any sire proud beyond belief.   And yet
Terrill idolized his corrupt, cruel and monstrous late son instead,
finding only grace in and admiration for him, while finding his gentler
son lacking.   Was that it?  Could Terrill hold Kaiel in such contempt
because the young male could handle his rage and deal with anger by using
reason and logic instead of instincts?   It was not for the first time
that Kang thought K'Lan Terrill to be pathetic, he hoped that one day the
elder K'Lan would see the value in his living son, but until he did, Kang
would be there to listen to Kaiel and help him out as needed.


________________________________________________________________________________


It was true morning when Jaimz awoke again, to the feel of a slight poke
in his arm.   He murmured sleepily and scrubbed at his eyes as he rolled
over to look at Kang and said fuzzily, "Did I sleep right through?"

Kang backed away with a slight smile, "That you did cub." He tossed the
used needle into a waste container and turned back with a slight frown.
"How do you feel this morning?"

Jaimz thought about it for a moment, he didn't feel too bad, though he
was vaguely nauseated and his head felt a little...full, not headachy but
loitering close to the edge of a headache.   However in that other area
where he had been sore yesterday he felt little that was bothersome now,
"I feel ok," he said, then continued, "A little sick to my stomach and my
head feels funny, but otherwise I don't feel awful."

Kang nodded, these were symptoms he had be expecting on the second day of
the TWS, Jaimz' temperature fluctuations was in full swing now and it was
taking his judicious application of his medications to maintain it at
near normal levels.   That Jaimz didn't mention anything else he also
expected, for he expected that after sleeping all of yesterday away that
Jaimz would be pretty much recovered from his late night exchange with
Terrill.   "Do you feel like getting up Cub?  I have some breakfast for
you; its delicious sweet biscuits with a touch of jelly, salt crackers
and a baked porridge with honey." He smiled apologetically at Jaimz who
pulled at face at the description of his breakfast, but as it was bland
fare was the easiest on his stomach right now and he was likely to keep
whatever he could eat of it down.

"I'll get up, I can't just sleep the entire time away, that would be
lazy...." Jaimz muttered, adding, "It isn't like Kaiel can just sleep the
time away."

Kang nodded and added sweetly, "Speaking of Kaiel I thought that you
might like to talk with him."

Those beautiful eyes widened as they looked hopefully toward him, "Kaiel?
Is he^×where is he?"

Kang grinned, "He'll be calling on the COM in about 10 minutes, and no,
you don't have to go to his room, I'll accept the call on my Com Pad."

Jaimz smiled dreamily, "Then I guess I can try to eat a little
breakfast."

Kang moved to another table a lifted the cover off a tray sitting upon
it.   He carried the tray over and once Jaimz had sat up he placed it his
lap.  Jaimz looked at the bland fare and grimaced again, because it was
all white and it looked quite unappetising.    Kang picked up one of the
biscuits which had been smeared with a pale green jelly and waved it
under Jaimz' nose, "Try this," he cajoled, "You'll like it, the jelly is
really delicious even though its flavour is mild enough to sit easy on
your stomach."

Obediently Jaimz took a bite out of the flaky and soft biscuit and the
flavour of the jelly exploded pleasantly on his tongue.   He licked his
lips and took the biscuit from Kang to eat the rest of it and smiled in
pleasant surprise, "That was delicious. What fruit is that? It tasted a
bit like apple."

Kang's shoulders shook with silent laughter, "Well, I don't know what
apple is, that jelly is actually the mashed seeds of the Ahiko nut.
Well, actually the Ahiko isn't really a nut and the meat isn't even
edible, though it smells just divine and is used in perfumes and oils,
but the seed pulps down into a lovely jelly."   It was a pleasure
watching Jaimz eat the biscuits; he consumed every piece and licked his
lips like an appreciative cat between each bite.  Really, though he was
pale from the TWS and a bit bruised looking around his eyes Jaimz was
still so utterly gorgeous.   The salt crackers Jaimz just nibbled on but
he enjoyed a few mouthfuls of the honey-flavoured porridge before he
pushed the tray aside and said, "I can't eat anymore." Then after a
moment he added, "But I think I would like more biscuits with Ahiko Jelly
to nibble on."

Kang took the tray, saying, "I will see that Zavalla keeps a ready supply
for you Cub."

Jaimz scrubbed at his sleep-mussed hair and murmured, "I'll want a
s-shower after I talk to Kaiel."

Kang noticed the slight hesitation, but purposely made nothing of it, he
expected that emotionally Jaimz would take a bit longer to recover than
his body did.   He nodded instead, "I'll call Drey for you, the cub was
quite worried about you yesterday." He smiled cheekily, "I let him sit
with you for a while last night, all alone with you while you lay
sleeping like a pretty little cub."

Jaimz blushed and smiled back with equal cheek, "I'm sure he was a
perfect gentleman, unlike certain other voyeurs I'm acquainted with."

Kang pursed his lips, and then with sparkling eyes he quipped, "Can't
blame an old male for admiring the dish even if he can't sample it."

Jaimz' shoulders shook with silent mirth, "You...are cruel."

Kang smiled, and relaxed, happy to see that Jaimz could still laugh at
his quips even if his cheeks did brighten to a very becoming shade of
pink.   He carried the tray out to his office, where Rica was already
working, planning the day's schedule.  She smiled as he set the tray on
the counter and said, "I'll see that someone comes for it."

"Could you also tell...no ask Zavalla Ni if she could prepare more
biscuits with Ahiko Jelly for Jaimz?   He really enjoyed them." Kang said
smilingly.

"Of course," Rica said, smiling into the room where she could see Jaimz
still sitting up on the bed.   Kang followed her gaze, Jaimz was still
quite naked and his upper body was bare nearly to his hips with the
coverlet only covering him at that point.

"He's very pretty isn't he?" He observed.

Rica flicked an ear in acknowledgement but before she could say anything
one of the staffers entered the clinic.   The young male dipped his head,
"Medic Kang, Rica Ni... Good Morning.  I am sent to tell you that Kaiel's
Ni call is waiting for redirection."

Kang nodded, "Rica redirect the call to my personal Com Pad, you have the
pin."

"Of course Kang Ni."

Kang went back into his suite and picked up his Com Pad, and set it on
the bed within easy reach of Jaimz.   "It's coming through now
Youngling.  I'll let you have some privacy while I go get Drey for you."

Jaimz smiled and nodded, "Thank you."

Kang left but Jaimz was hardly aware of the closing door as Kaiel's
handsome face coalesced on the screen.   He noticed instantly that Kaiel
looked a little tight around his golden eyes.  He worriedly leaned close
to the screen and stroked his fingers across it as if he was stroking
Kaiel's face, and Kaiel sighed, closing his eyes.   A moment later his
golden eyes lazily fanned open and he smiled, "Good morning Cub."

Jaimz blushed and chided gently, "I'm not a cub."

Kaiel smiled a bit wider, looking at his bare neck and shoulders and
murmured, "Let me see you."

Jaimz felt his cheeks grow warmer as he set the Com Pad back enough so
that Kaiel could look at all of him on the screen.   He even lifted the
coverlet away so he was sitting naked and feeling Kaiel's warm gaze
lightly touching him all over his body.  He blushed, biting his lip as
Kaiel whispered, "Gods...I've been missing you."

Jaimz couldn't lie, he was two days into the TWS and he was missing Kaiel
too, "I wish you were home." He murmured, leaning toward the screen again
to touch it along the contour of Kaiel's velvet jaw.   Kaiel arched his
head back and groaned, "Cub...I can't touch you as much as I want to...you
just make me ache for you."

He sat back, and Kaiel let his eyes roam over him again as he sighed,
"Sometimes I think this conference is going to run on forever.   I know
that the Chai want more then what they've listed on their proposals but
they just demur and skirt around the question.  And I feel sick^×these
headaches and the nausea...is this how it felt for you Jaimz?"

"You're taking your medicine?" Jaimz worried, leaning forward again,
Kaiel's eyes riveted on his long thighs and what distractingly bobbed
between them, he blushed and dipped his head, but raised his eyes a
moment later to find Kaiel's eyes locked onto his.

Kaiel nodded after a moment, "I'm taking my medicine, and even Heron is
pestering me.   He doesn't know what's wrong with me of course; I think
he thinks that I caught a virus or something.  And of course because I
have the med-cuff^×which by the way I am watching very closely^×and the
auto-injectors he thinks that I must be under medical care since I'm too
stubborn to go home."   He smiled wryly, "I told you he was a mother.
Heron should have been born a female."

He gave Jaimz a long worried look, to which Jaimz replied unasked, "Kang
is taking very good care of me Kaiel.   I don't feel too bad...it's
you^×because you can't rest or stop that is going to be having more
trouble than me.  Kang said, that I would have to rest for both of us."

Kaiel glanced beyond him, taking in what view of the room that he could
see behind him and murmured softly, "Where are you?   You're not in your
room, or mine?"

Jaimz blushed softly, "Kang brought me to sleep in his room, so that he
could better take care of me."   He ducked his eyes, "I had a rough time
of it the night before the 72-Hour began."

Kaiel sighed and smiled softly, "I had a dream about you that night...it
was...strange, erotic....   It almost felt like I was in the room with you
and you were so over stimulated that even your night tunic was driving
you crazy.  What a dream...."

Jaimz gasped in puzzlement, for that evening he had been nearly out of
his head with the overload of sensation he'd experienced before heading
to the shower, and the rest...he shook his head, he refused to remember
what happened afterwards and he certainly hoped that Kaiel hadn't dreamed
about that too.   Of course it had only been a dream, even if it was a
dream that touched too eerily close to reality.

Kaiel sighed then, "Any way, we have an early session this morning so I
better prepare for it, and no doubt Heron will be coming to see if I'm
awake or not." He lifted those golden eyes to caress Jaimz' face and
smiled slyly, "Let me see you one more time."

Jaimz smiled, though his cheeks warmed of course, as it was blushing was
a response he was almost starting to ignore.   He leaned back and opened
his legs and looked at Kaiel with smoky eyes and a slight smile and let
him fill his eyes.  It almost seemed though that everywhere Kaiel's eyes
touched that he could actually feel his fingers touch him and he shivered
with the unexpected pleasure of it...he whispered huskily, "I miss you
Kaiel."

Kaiel raised his eyes to concentrate on his face once more and said with
reluctant determination, "Either way, tomorrow night will be the deciding
night.   We see each other the next day...promise."  He lightly touched
the screen and Jaimz felt as if his bottom lip had been stroked by
Kaiel's velvety-fleshed thumb.   He leaned forward, briefly bobbing for
Kaiel's hungry eyes, before he moved so close to the screen that only his
face would be visible.  He pressed his lips to the screen, even though it
was a silly thing to do and Kang would undoubtedly grumble if he left
lip-prints on the surface.

Jaimz smiled as he drew back while Kaiel was watching very attentively,
he sat back enough so Kaiel had a full view of him again and returned the
promise, "Either way, day after tomorrow we'll answer the Tag's demand."

Kaiel touched the screen again, and Jaimz shivered as it felt like
Kaiel's fingers stroked him from his neck to his groin, which of course
could only be his imagination.   Kaiel sighed, "I better go... You take
care of yourself."

Jaimz sat forward, still uncovered for Kaiel and nodded as tears
shamefully sparkled in his eyes, "I will, just you don't forget to take
care either."

Kaiel sighed again and with that the screen went dark.   Jaimz sat a
moment, then found himself hunching forward as tears blurred his eyes and
sobs shook his shoulders.  In moments Kang's big arms were around him,
Jaimz had a vague suspicious that Kang had probably been listening in to
their conversation or even watching it...he was such a terrible voyeur,
but he didn't care about any of that as he cuddled into the big male's
comforting embrace and whispered achingly, "I miss him, I miss him so
much."

Kang only made crooning sounds as if soothing an kitten and stroked his
back and hair until he quieted again.   Once he did grow quiet, Kang
checked his readings to make sure Jaimz hadn't upset himself into having
one of those devastating dazzle headaches but the monitors all read a
minor, though still constant, fluctuation of his body temperature.   He
picked up the robe laying at the foot of the bed and draped it over
Jaimz' shoulders, "Why don't you go have your shower Cubling.  Drey is
waiting and you'll feel refreshed and ready to face the day afterwards."

Jaimz nodded and sighed softly as he slid off the bed, wrapping the robe
around him as he went.   He thought about his actions with Kaiel, letting
Kaiel look at his body and teasing him the way he had and felt his cheeks
warm even as he smiled at his wanton behaviour, he chided himself that he
acted like a slut before his Tag Mate, as if giving him a peep show to
tie him over until they could get together and really take care of this
annoying itch they both suffered from.   But as he stepped out into the
clinic and greeted Rica, and gathered up Drey who was eager to share his
first shower with him, he decided that he just didn't care right now
whether he was being slutty or wanton, all he cared about was that he
wished right at this moment that Kaiel was home and neither of them were
suffering and apart.


________________________________________________________________________________


For Kaiel it was another day of torments with the only bright spot being
his memories of Jaimz being so playfully cheeky in front of the COM.   He
smiled recalling how Jaimz had let him see all of him, he hadn't asked
for so much of a boon, he would have been content just to see him naked
to his hips, but he certainly wasn't going to complain about Jaimz
letting him see so much of his graceful body.   Of course, his smile
faltered, for Jaimz had looked tired and pale and his beautiful eyes had
looked haunted besides bruised from the onset of the TWS.   He didn't
like being so far away from Jaimz when he didn't feel well even though he
knew logically that if they were together Jaimz wouldn't be sick at all,
and it was his own sense of duty and honour that was making both of them
ill.   He sighed and then grimaced as the Delran Ambassador Huirlic asked
why the Chai should be offered such a profitable concession...and he, who
hadn't precisely been paying attention, shuffled through the Chai's ream
of proposals and suggested compromises and began once again to explain
why on principle it was acceptable to the Zaran if they shared one third
of the disputed space with the Chai...


________________________________________________________________________________


For Jaimz the day started out rather pleasant and didn't seem as if it
was going to be a problem for him in the least.   Thanks to Kang's
medicines he was a tad too drowsy to work competently on any of his
projects so he and Drey went for a walk out on the savannah, though they
remained within sight of the main house at all times.   Jaimz found out
that the young Gar that had wandered from his pride had been driven deep
into K'Lan Pride, where hopefully he had rejoined his pride for he was
much to young to be on his own.   He also learned that Drey was a bit
infatuated with him, which of course Kaiel had already suspected.  He
only blushed shyly and attempted to distract the cub as he described how
silky his skin had felt all wet...and worse, Drey had seen him nude for
the first time and it was all the cub seemed to want to talk about, the
differences in their bodies.   Jaimz was caught between laughter and
chagrin as he tried to defuse Drey's cubling affections, but even though
Drey was enamoured with him he still felt that he could trust the cub
implicitly just as he could Kang.

Toward evening he finally garnered enough courage to face the lion in his
den, he finally felt ready to face Terrill at the supper table.   He felt
nervous of course but he carefully didn't show it though it was
impossible for him not to show some redness on his cheeks.  But Kang was
there, watching everything very carefully as he greeted the K'Lan elder
while sitting down to his rather bland supper, though he noticed that he
had a side dish of those biscuits to nibble on, which was pretty much all
he had really eaten today.

Terrill's ears folded down, and then he forced them forward again as he
nearly stammered, "H-how are you this evening Jaimz Ni?   Feeling
b-better?"

Jaimz kept his eyes down as he replied, "Yes, thank you." He indicated
his bland plate, "Though my stomach is still unsettled."

Terrill tried not to look at Jaimz, especially not with Kang looking at
him with beneath those lowered brows but it was hard not to want to look
at that beautiful face.   Jaimz of course would not meet his eyes and he
could understand why but he did notice that Jaimz was pale, even his dewy
soft lips looked paler than normal and he was very bruised looking under
his eyes, so clearly he was not much improved from yesterday.   "I...see.
Well I hope that you feel better soon."

Jaimz glanced toward him, but still did not meet his eyes, very softly he
said, "I will feel better soon."

Terrill nodded, and glanced past him at Kang, carefully he murmured, "I
understand that Kaiel called this morning?   What is the news on the
conference progress?"

Kang shrugged, "I didn't speak with Kaiel Ni, Jaimz did." He smiled
slyly, "I very much doubt they spoke about the conference."

Jaimz' cheeks warmed as he glared sidelong at Kang, oh yes the old Voyeur
had been listening in or worse for certain.   "Kaiel did talk a little
about it, he seems to think that it will never end."

Terrill glanced at Jaimz' pink cheeks and felt his ears folding back
again in response, he could very well imagine what the pair must have
discussed and by Jaimz' blushes it was obvious that their conversation
over the COM system should have been rated for content.   Nonetheless all
he said was, "Ahhh...I see.   Well, if you should happen to speak with
Kaiel again would you let him know that the Betrothal contract with
L'Teran has been voided?"

Now those lovely green eyes lit on his face with a look of surprised
delight, and Terrill thought grumpily that of course the little morsel
would be happy to know that he no longer had to contend with suitors for
Kaiel.   Though, thinking about that pretty body and knowing that there
would never be cubs from it, he decided that he would do everything in
his power to see that Kaiel applied for the Special Dispensation Clause
and that he sired a succession of cubs.   That was still in his power to
control and he was already looking for a worthy mother for his grandcubs.

Supper was almost a success, only Terrill and Jaimz were a little tense,
and only they plus Kang knew why but fortunately young Drey, sitting with
them was oblivious to the tension and he kept bringing bright colour to
Jaimz' cheeks and helpless laughter to Kang's big frame as he mused
eloquently on about how pretty Jaimz was in the shower...it was all rather
embarrassing.

Night fell for Jaimz not very long after supper as Kang stopped the
beginning of a dazzle headache in its tracks and sent him to bed while
the sun was still up.   But Jaimz was tired and the tranquilizer in the
medicine only made him more so, so he climbed into Kang's big bed,
cuddled up in the middle of it and soon drifted off to sleep.   Since the
sun was still up there was plenty of heat in the air, so Jaimz slept on
top of the covers in his day clothes, fully believing that he would wake
up and change later into his sleep tunic and shorts.   Though, since he
didn't awaken even when Kang removed his clothes and covered him up,
morning would find him awaking in the nude again.  Of course Kang didn't
mind as he gave Jaimz his medicine and then climbed into the bed with
him, shifting himself until Jaimz had comfortably snuggled against his
big tunic covered body.   He might be old, he was over 65 after all, and
though he thought that the whole mating thing was a lot of hassle now he
wasn't to old to enjoy looking and Jaimz was very pretty indeed.

For Jaimz though, the third day was hell, though it didn't start out that
way.   A Faire that was scheduled for Moro village ended up being set up
on the savannah just outside the main house when the expected number of
visitors doubled beyond what Moro could handle.   All the nearest
villages sent members to see the Faire and even individuals from Chocho
drove down in busloads to attend.  The Faire was Jaimz' first look at the
cultural side of Zarans, for though he knew that they danced and
therefore must also sing and play music he hadn't yet heard anything
other than the occasional hums from the Staffers.   This Faire was
scheduled to showcase live theatre, music and singing and even some
dancing so Jaimz was thoroughly enthralled with the magic of it and Kang
let him go watch since he was close by and Drey would be with him.

Drey fortunately had settled down during the night and no longer seemed
so fixated on his memories of Jaimz in the shower, but nonetheless the
cub stayed protectively close and very much heeded Kang's warnings that
Jaimz was to not be left alone even once.   Jaimz attended the Faire in a
hooded cloak that he kept carefully pulled forward to hide his face, and
Drey wore the same, though he grumbled that it was too hot.   The first
act at the fair was the Theatre Troupe called the Famous Players, they
re-enacted a stirring moment in Zaran history when the first great house
was founded.  Jaimz thought that it was favouritism on the part of the
Actors toward their patrons when the raised male turned out to be, at
that time, a Lan Pride male (Lan before the Honorific K was assigned to
them).   But Drey leaned in close during the excited hush and said, "Oh
no Jaimz Ni.  The first House was Lan...hence K'Lan Pride is the oldest of
all the Great Houses."   The cub spoke with such pride of his place
within that pride that Jaimz could only smile and pat his arm.  He knew
that Drey was going to do very well for himself in this Pride (and
beyond), thanks very much to Kaiel's sponsoring and his influence.

The Musical and Dance Troupe that followed after the Theatre Troupe, was
a wild and raw act, with tonal singing and vigorous nearly violent and
yet at the same time sensual gyrations that were very primal and
something that had to be felt as much as seen.   Jaimz was spellbound as
he watched, for seeing those superb bodies (both male and female dancers)
he was reminded of Kaiel and the very different but no less spectacular
dances that he participated in.   His lips parted as he watched while his
body throbbed in time to the rhythm of the players.  Once the dancers
stopped and the music ended on a wild note Jaimz laughed excitedly to
Drey, "Oh that was incredible!"

There was more music after that, a more traditional style of music with
drums and reeds and strings that the players played as if they were
making love to their instruments.   Jaimz was fascinated by the rhythms
and soulful melodies the artists could seduce from their instruments but
he couldn't stay very long to listen to them because Kang came to get him
out of the crowd because he was over due for his medicine.   If it wasn't
that he didn't want to be seen getting a needle in so public a place he
would never have left the performance.  So with Kang he and Drey went and
Kang fussed over him, chiding him because his med-cuff was blinking a
faint red even though Jaimz protested that he felt fine.   Kang
administered the shot and told Jaimz that he could watch the Faire from
his bed for a while because he wasn't letting him go back until the
med-cuff was blinking a safe and steady green again.   Glumly Jaimz did
as he was told, he had a good view of the Faire from Kang's bed, although
he couldn't see things so well since the Faire was set far enough from
the house to accommodate all the visitors.   But with the windows opened
he could hear the music and feel the excitement in both the players and
the spectators, it was all very spectacular.  And as always he was safe,
since even if Kang wasn't with him, and Drey had been allowed to go off
on his own for a while, the inner door was open so that Rica could keep
an eye on him from within the clinic.

It was closer to evening when Kang was finally satisfied enough to let
him go back to the Faire, Drey had to be found to provide escort for him
again and he found he had two additional body guards in the form of
Drey's two older friends Zeyer and Trev.   Having met the older cubs at
the village on Market day, Jaimz felt comfortable with them, even though
he suspected by their quivering ears and gaping mouths that Drey had
shared his shower experience with them.   He just shook his head and
walked on toward their reserved seats at the front of the audience.  He
knew that as he passed that the crowd looked at him with curiosity, in
his cloak with his hood pulled up they couldn't easily see him, but they
knew that he was amongst them and he wondered for not the first time if
their curiosity over him is what had overwhelmed Moro in the first place
and forced the Faire to move to a larger location.   Still in spite of
their curiosity he was left alone and that was all that mattered to him.

Now it was another song and dance act up on the stage, but this one was a
comedy routine.   Another Theatre Troupe, this one re-enacting what Drey
called the "Greatest Love Story Ever Told", followed the comedy routine.

Jaimz enjoyed the tale, though he suspected that when the lovely female
laying dying at the end of the tale and bound to follow her heroic lover
into death that it was a symbolic retelling of a Tagged pair dying
because one of the tagged, the Taggee male in this case had died
defending his home and pride.   The people of Z'Rarla may not use the Tag
anymore and it may have fallen out of common memory, but there were
stories everywhere where the Tag seemed prevalent.    Thinking about the
state he was in right now without his Tag Mate to relieve his symptoms he
decided that he didn't want to watch the female's dramatic death scene
and instead having noticed something off to the side of the Faire which
was attracting a fair bit of attention on its own he stood up and said,
"What's going on over there?"

It was Zeyer, a handsome teenaged cub with the traditional golden locks
and golden pelt of the Lan Pride, who said, "That's a craft and food
vender Market, Jaimz Ni.   Moro received permission to set up next to the
Faire.

"Do you want to see it?" asked Trev, Zeyer's constant companion in
misfortune, Trev unlike Zeyer had a bit of the northern look in his face,
he had a hint of a muzzle and sharper cheekbones too though he had the
golden mane and eyes of Lan Pride, his pelt however was more of a rusty
colour.

Jaimz started walking toward it, it was still in sight of the house so
Kang shouldn't be to aggrieved if he went off to look it over, besides
maybe he could legitimately purchase some things and not have things he
merely admired simply show up mysteriously at the house like the last
time he had visited the market.   He had given Kang and Drey their gifts
but he still wasn't sure about the ear-studs even though he knew that
they would look great in Kaiel's ears.  But the idea of giving such a
gift to a male who he couldn't yet call lover^×the very thought made him
feel uncomfortable^×still seemed impossible to him.

There was quite a crowd around the Market kiosks but with his three
dedicated young guards Jaimz had no trouble moving around the stalls and
seeing what was being offered.


________________________________________________________________________________


Terrill couldn't believe his ears as he gaped at his house manager Lan
Tarl who had just announced the shocking news.   "Did you say...K'Ilo Ham
is demanding an audience with me?"

Lan Tarl nodded his head grimly, "Yes Terrill Ni.   He is waiting in the
Central Receiving Room."

Recalling that his son had warned him that Ham might come to the house he
was relieved to remember that Jaimz was out visiting the Faire.   It was
too bad, he thought idly, that he couldn't warn Kang to go get him and
hide him away until Ham had finished his business.  But he didn't have
time for that now and he certainly couldn't pass the message along by
using someone else, not even his manager would suffice.   No he would
have to find out what K'Ilo Ham wanted and hope that his path never
crossed with Jaimz' since, having not warned the young human, he would
likely be somewhat startled by his unexpected presence.

"Show him in."

K'Ilo Ham was big; actually to say he was big was putting it too mildly.
  Where the old male Medic V'Ran Kang at 8'2" was slightly above the max
average height of a male Zaran, Ham topped him by another 2 or 3 inches,
in fact he tended to stand out in crowds since he was taller than most.
He was a ruddy male, with his tawny pelt and ruddy brown mane; even his
eyes had a reddish sheen.  His northern heritage was evident in his
muzzle and his sharp cheekbones that were framed by a heavy and luxurious
ruff that was a colour somewhere between his pelt's tawny and his mane's
ruddy brown.   He was also massively built, half as wide (or more) as he
was tall, with heavy muscled arms and legs and a powerful body.
Sometimes the jumpers he preferred to wear gave him the appearance of
being corpulent, but Terrill knew that Ham didn't have an ounce of fat on
that powerful frame of his.

Ham couldn't help that he stomped up to the desk; he was that big that he
simply didn't move delicately though he could move with amazing speed
when he needed too.   He bowed from the waist and rising asked, "How are
you this Good Evening, Terrill Ni?"

Terrill stared at him for a moment, then tipped his head in polite reply
and said, "I'm fine Ham Ni?   What if I might ask are you doing here?  So
far from home?"

Ham raised a heavy brow and smiled, "As to that, it is my duty to inform
you that House K'Ilo has entered a class action against House K'Lan." He
withdrew a rolled parchment from a deep pocket in his jumper and
presented it to Terrill.   As Terrill took the legal document Ham
continued, "Of course, there's no need to bother reading it, I will tell
you the contents of the missive.  House K'Ilo is contesting House K'Lan
for the guardianship of one Jaimz Ryordan Gingko...or otherwise know at
this time as K'Lan Jaimz etcetera."

Terrill smiled faintly, "Otherwise known?  Ham, Jaimz is quite legally of
K'Lan Pride and I'm afraid no court in the land will let you take him
from us."  Not with the binding Akibu Mating Contract to prevent it.

Ham shrugged, "We feel otherwise, Jaimz should have been mine upon Lorz
death and why should only K'Lan profit from his genius?"

Terrill smirked, "I assure you that all of Z'Rarla will profit from his
genius, but it isn't his pretty head you want Ham Ni...now is it?"

Ham flicked an ear and shrugged nonchalantly, "I want his body, so what?
  K'Ilo pride can have his smarts when I'm not keeping him otherwise
occupied."

Terrill shook his head, and his smile faded, "You should leave Ham, and
I'm sorry but I can't invite you to spend the night either."

Ham half turned saying, "Doesn't matter I have a room in Chocho." He
turned back with a cruel smile, "So have you rutted with him yet?   He's
got the sweetest little hole...and he howls just like a female Gar in
heat."

Terrill, leaning on his hands, stood up. "You should leave now K'Ilo
Ham.... And forget about this ridiculous claim too.   You cannot possibly
win against us and you will only be embarrassed in the end and I have no
wish to shame K'Ilo Pride."

Again Ham shrugged, "I have patience, I can wait for Jaimz to come to
K'Ilo."   With that he left, knowing the house well he didn't require an
escort to show him out.

Terrill went to go find Kang, as much as they were having their
difficulties because of Jaimz, he knew that he better warn the old medic
about Ham.


________________________________________________________________________________


Jaimz stopped at a kiosk, which was selling some kind of cold drink.
He smelled the brew; it smelled of spices and herbs though the colour was
somewhat off-putting since it looked like stream runoff.  "What is this?"

"Miaki," the vendor said, "would you like to try Jaimz Ni?"

Jaimz looked at the brew uncertainly, he wasn't sure about tasting things
without Kang's approved list close at hand, but he was getting better at
recognizing the smell of things and even though it didn't look very
appetizing it certainly smelled delicious.   "May I?  I haven't any money
on me^×."

The vendor shook his head and exclaimed, "It is an honour Jaimz Ni!
Please do not worry about cost...."

Jaimz picked up the cup and lifted it toward his lips; the smell was even
more intoxicating.   He took a careful sip and let the flavour bloom cool
and tangy on his tongue....  "Oh." He smiled, "this is very nice."   It
was a cold tea of some kind he determined, but not like any he had tasted
at the house yet.  "This is really delicious, I think that K'Lan house
would like to have this tea^×this Miaki^×have you marketed it yet?   I
could talk to Kaiel and see if he can help you get this blend to
market...."

A hand touched his bottom.  He froze, though he thought nothing much of
it since the three cubs flanked him, for all he knew it could have been
any of the three who touched him that way, though it didn't seem like an
innocent touch, especially not when the hand returned and palmed his
bottom again.   He felt his cheeks warm with anger but then that voice
came, out of hells furnace, breathing like hot fire on his neck.  "I
surely missed your pretty bottom, sweet cheeks."

The cubs had sensed that something was wrong before Jaimz had felt the
second touch and they were already closing to defend him, but it was all
he could do to stand there, swaying as black lights started to sparkle in
front of his eyes.   He heard one of the cubs yelling, and another one
pushed at him, to push him back from his assaulter, he stumbled into the
stand and felt the wetness of spilled Miaki as it soaked into his cloak.
  He cried out softly, half turning as that horrible voice from his
nightmares laughed cajolingly, "Cubs, cubs I just want to say hi to my
old friend."

"You get away!" Drey howled with cubling fury, "I saw you touch him!
You have no right to touch Jaimz Ni!"

Jaimz looked up, and up at that horrible face that had menaced him so
much while Lorz was alive and still menaced his dreams some nights, the
black stars were gathering in rimming his vision and making every thing
seem like a dreamy nightmare, he was pretty sure that he was fainting and
he really wanted to get away from Ham before he collapsed.   He pushed
through the cubs, though they quickly ran to surround him, he only ran a
few steps before one of Ham's big hands grabbed him and dragged him back.
  He wailed, "Let me go Ham!" even as he started to sag toward the
ground.

As the blackness closed in he thought for certain he heard Drey
muttering, "Ham^×Ham?   I heard that name before...?  I know that name....
Your one that hurt Jaimz Ni...!   You hurt Jaimz Ni!" he heard a cub howl
of rage followed by a male bellow of shock and then...nothing.

"Ah!" he screamed, waking up all at once in an awful panic.   Instantly
strong arms were around him and he knew the scent well enough to cling to
it and cry, "He was here!  He was here!  He touched me, oh God!   Ham was
here."

"Shh^×sh Cub its okay.  Your safe, I won't leave you alone at all tonight
and he'll need more than himself to get past me, I guarantee."   Kang's
voice comforted.

Jaimz quieted down slightly and asked worriedly, "Is...is Drey okay?   Are
the cubs okay?"

Kang patted his back and whispered, "The cubs are all fine....   Drey,
remarkably enough attacked K'Ilo Ham, and it was quite amazing to see
that brave little cub defending you so fiercely Youngling."

Jaimz pushed away from Kang and glanced around the room, he was back in
Kang's room, on the bed again with the big male sitting close at
hand^×again.   He glanced out the window, but it was dark and the Faire
was long gone.  He scrubbed at his hair and asked, "How long was I out?"

"A couple of hours...you spiked cub."

Jaimz sighed, yes, without a doubt that sort of shock would have caused
his temperature to spike one way or the other, but he didn't have a
headache now (or at least not a killer headache^×once the TWS was in full
swing there was always a bit of a headache lurking just beyond medical
reach) so his meds had worked.... "Did Kaiel call?"

Kang nodded, "We'll be leaving for Rydani early in the morning, we should
make it for when they break for the noon meal."

Jaimz tugged at his hair, looking at a strand of blonde while asking,
"Does...he know about Ham?"

Kang was silent for a moment, and then he nodded, "He knows."

Jaimz closed his eyes, "Then he's going to worry...."

Kang reached out an stroked the piece of hair away from Jaimz' fingers
before he twisted it right out of his scalp, "He had to know cubling.
It wasn't like we could keep something like this from him."

Jaimz opened his eyes and looked up at him, suspecting that there was
more to be said, "What do you mean?"

"K'Ilo Pride is contesting K'Lan's Pride right to^×I guess^×have
guardianship of you."

Jaimz stared at him, "But...that's silly.  K'Lan isn't my guardian, I'm
part of K'Lan because of...of Lorz."

"Yes, but K'Ilo Ham doesn't seem to know that Lorz actually Mated with
you," noticing Jaimz blush, he continued, "in the broader sense of the
word."

"Well we can just tell...whoever...that Lorz took me in an Abiku...Akibu
Mating contract.    That should be enough to silence them... Besides...I'd
just die if I was ever in Ham's hands again." He shuddered and hugged his
knees against his chest.

Kang nodded, "But the authorities won't be considering Ham when they
consider this application.   What they will consider is that Lorz is dead
and therefore you are free of the mating contract...and they may feel that
since K'Ilo is a warrior clan that you can be better protected."

"Protected?  From whom?   The only one I need protecting from is HAM!"
Jaimz yelled bitterly, "They can't make me go!  Can they?"

"Cub...the government is already starting to consider you a valuable
asset, if they believed that you'd be better protected at K'Ilo Pride
they would surely try to make you go there." Kang explained gently.

Jaimz shook his head, "No...No they can't.... They can't separate Kaiel and
me without killing us.   They wouldn't do that."

"Since they know nothing of the Tag...I suspect that they won't know how
fatal it will be to take you away from K'Lan Pride."   He looked sadly at
the young human, "It may be that your secret will be the only thing that
saves you." He smiled then, "Still K'Lan is an extremely powerful House
and Terrill sits in the government and in spite of your^×differences^×he
will not let you go...so probably nothing will come of K'Ilo's plan and
everything will just die down."

Jaimz sighed raggedly and nodded, "Yeah...but there's still Ham to worry
about."

Kang smiled, "But not tonight, I'll be your stalwart guardian tonight."


________________________________________________________________________________


Kaiel glanced at the timekeeper, it read a quarter to noon...and the
meeting didn't seem as if it was going to end.   All morning he had felt
renewed and invigorated because he knew Jaimz was on his way, he knew
that soon Jaimz would be in the city and maybe when the meeting broke up
he'd already be waiting for him.   He dreamed briefly of Jaimz greeting
him with open arms and clothing divesting frolics...but he smiled and
shook that dream away, for it was unlikely that Jaimz would greet him in
such a fashion.    Then he frowned thinking about the fright Jaimz had
received yesterday and then he frowned even deeper when he thought about
House K'Ilo and Ham's ludicrous plan to take Jaimz away from him.   It
was ridiculous he knew and his conversation with his father had only
confirmed how impossible K'Ilo's claim was.   But he wouldn't take any
chances with Jaimz, he had told his father to use the Akibu Mating
contract if necessary, since it was clear in the contract that he and
Jaimz were Life Mated, even if Jaimz fortunately knew nothing about it.

The noise of the session washed over him, all that squabbling back and
forth, his own kind snarling at the Chai, the Chai demurring and
countering, the Delran butting in wanting their say in the
proceedings...it was all too much.   He stood up; he was the speaker for
the session wasn't he?  He had let the seasoned councillors take over the
conference from the start, he had let them treat him little better than a
cub, it was his own fault he knew, for not enforcing his will, but he was
tired of all this squabbling, Jaimz would be soon here and he damn well
wanted to be there to greet him and hold him and love him as soon he was.

He picked up his speakers stone and slammed it into the marble plaque on
his table, he smacked it again, each time hitting harder and staring
around at every one in the assembly.   Three, four times he sounded the
speaker's stone, which he hadn't sounded even once during the entire
session even though it was his to use.  The Stone split at the last smack
and he let the pieces fall with a final rattle into the silence, then
having everyone's undivided attention he leaned forward and growled
toward the Chai Speaker, "I am tired of all this Skarlling around!   We
give...you give!  And yet we get no answers.  I want to know right now why
did you call the compromise?   Remember we didn't ask for it, we probably
would have gone on stupidly fighting until the Sheehan's freeze over (the
Sheehan's were a tropical mountain range, and the likely hood of them
ever freezing over was...unlikely).   I want to know what you really
want?  You don't just want technology do you?  DO YOU!"

Very slowly the Chai speaker drew herself up, her mandibles clacked and
rattled for a moment as she spoke to her neuter siblings then she turned
back and after a rattling screech of her mandibles the translator kicked
in.   "We want the Human.  We want Jaimz Ryordan Gingko.  Only then will
we declare peace between our peoples.   Give us the Human."

Kaiel reeled, he didn't know why he was so shocked, he'd been half
expecting this anyway, but it felt like he'd just suffered a blow to his
head.   He hunched over the table panting as he tried to push the panic
away.  Others were starting to argue and he felt Heron touch his back
worriedly.   He pushed his assistant away with a grumbled, "I'm okay."
Of course he wasn't okay, his med-cuff was blinking red, he needed his
meds now to stave off the TWS symptoms, but he didn't have time to deal
with that right now.

He rapped his hand against the marble plaque until once again he had
silence and he rasped, "K'Lan Jaimz is a member of my Pride... we cannot
simply give him away like a-a present.   He belongs to himself, he is not
and never will be part of these negotiations."

The Chai speaker drew herself up, "This is our term...everything else is
trivial, his knowledge we want.   We can provide much better for him,
Chai will be kinder to him, Chai resources are more akin to his needs,
and he will know only comfort and contentment with Chai.   We think that
if we are given the opportunity to ask him and make him the offer of Chai
that he will accept us."

Again voices rose in argument, as he listened he thought that it seemed
everyone even the allies wanted some piece of Jaimz.   His Jaimz.  He
rapped his hand against the marble again; he noticed distractedly that he
med-cuff was solidly red now.   Heron certainly noticed it and was
searching his pack for his auto-injection.  "Jaimz is...." A sudden image
of Jaimz hit him, crashed into his senses and overwhelmed him.   He knew
as he started falling that Jaimz needed him, he sensed that Jaimz was
hurt only he didn't know how he knew it.  He clutched at Heron who was
trying to stop his fall and he rasped desperately, "Jaimz...Jaimz needs
me." That's when everything went black.


________________________________________________________________________________


Kang awoke first, he was confused by his position and his head hurt, in
fact most of his body ached in little inexorable ways that was most
baffling.   He groaned and shook his head; a mistake that for it made his
head pound, but at least it did clear his senses enough to realize that
he was inside a vehicle, and that he seemed to be hanging upside down.
It took him another moment to realize that the vehicle was on its roof.
He groaned and lifted his hand to his head, and his hand came away with
blood, for a detached moment he looked at the blood, wondering how he'd
come to be in an upside down transport...and then he heard a soft groan
beside him and everything came into focus as he turned to see Jaimz
laying half in and half out of the vehicle.   He slammed at the belt that
held him suspended, letting himself drop ingloriously to the roof of the
vehicle where he remained only for a moment.  The seatbelt had held Jaimz
around his waist, so that he was still suspended from it, but like a cub
his upper body had not been properly restrained by the chest support and
in the crash he had been allowed to knock about until the vehicle stopped
rolling.   Very gently he undid the belt restraint and lowered Jaimz
while he checked him over for obvious damage.    It took him only a
moment to determine that the worst damage was a bleeding wound on his
forehead.   It relieved him that he couldn't find any more serious injury
but the wound itself was worrisome since he had no way to check its
severity.

He heard sirens and heaved a tremulous sigh that help was coming, he
pulled his tunic up over his head and rolling it into a pad carefully
tucked it behind Jaimz' head while he backed out to the other window and
stepped out of the transport.   That was when he saw the other vehicle,
and he remembered talking with a happy and laughing Jaimz when that other
vehicle has suddenly pulled out of side street and roared right for them.
  He remembered his shock at the other driver's insane action and tried
to brake to avoid what he though was an unplanned event, only when he'd
seen her mad face behind the driver's wheel he knew that it was no
accident but that somehow Vreda had known they would be on this road and
had lain in wait for them to pass by her.   She did absolutely nothing to
avoid them; in truth she gunned toward them all the more insanely with
clear intention to drive them off the road.  Only he was pretty sure that
she hadn't expected to be involved in the accident too, how she had found
out where they were going to and what vehicle they would be using Kang
didn't know, though he suspected someone at K'Lan house must have told
her...maybe inadvertently, maybe purposefully, he didn't know.   All he
knew was that he had two patients now, and he wasn't talking about
L'Teran Vreda.  He needed to get Jaimz together with Kaiel immediately.

He checked on Jaimz again, but the young human was still unconscious
though he seemed more comfortable now that the belt didn't suspend him.
Knowing that Jaimz would be okay for the moment he quickly went to check
on Vreda, she was alive at least, though she certainly looked far worse
off then either Jaimz or himself, so even though her plan had worked she
had ended up injuring herself in the process.   "Stupid female." He
grumped, checking her over as she tossed and moaned.  The medics arrived
as he was checking on her and since her vehicle was closer to the road he
left her in there care while he went back to check on Jaimz.   His young
patient was still unconscious, when a second E-MEDVAC pulled up with
blaring sirens.  A pair of E-Medics scrambled down the bank to his
overturned vehicle, they gasped of course at seeing Jaimz, though one of
the E-Medics stammered, "That's the^×."

"Yes he is," Kang grumbled, "he's my patient, find my bag will you?   It
must have been tossed out of the cab when we rolled."

The E-Medics' were not used to being directed by one of their patients
and one of them pointed out, "But your injured Ni."

Kang growled, "I'm a Medic!  I can treat myself!   My bag has medicines
for him though that he needs right now.  Find it!"  It was the new bag
too, the one Jaimz had so generously gifted to him.

They must sensed his seniority for they obeyed him and in moments they
had found his bag, it had indeed been thrown from the car, but thanks to
Rica's careful packing most of the contents had been protected and after
a quick inspection he decided that nothing vital had been damaged or
broken.    He ordered one of the E-Medics to clean and bandage Jaimz'
forehead while he prepared an injection for him, he decided he would set
up the intravenous lines as soon as he was in a more sterile environment,
like the inside of the E-MEDVAC (Emergency Medical Evacuation) Vehicle.
 He didn't need to look at Jaimz' med-cuff to know that it glaring red
now as he swabbed the young human's arm and injected the medicine into
his traumatized system.   He stood up directing, "We need to get him to
the Rydani Diplomatic Council House immediately."

"But Central MediCentre is^×."

"Is no good for me!  I already have another patient waiting for me at the
Council House and I need to treat them together!   Besides the Council
House has a fully stocked clinic!  Now stop arguing with me and help get
him inside the transport."

He climbed into the unit, leaving L'Teran Vreda in the care of the other
team, she had ran them off the road and it was likely that there would be
some sort of retaliation for that at a later date, but for now he didn't
care about her, she certainly wasn't a threat to Jaimz at the moment and
possibly might never be a threat again and he had Jaimz and Kaiel to
worry about now.

Since the Council House was near by they reached it in record time, he
called on the E-Medics to help him bring Jaimz inside and quickly found
where Kaiel was staying and was also notified that the clinic's emergency
staff were attending to Kaiel and that they were preparing to ship him to
Central MediCentre for further care.   He swept into Kaiel's suite
quickly finding the bedchamber, swamped of course with too many people
all trying to help and really just being nuisances instead.   Only one
seemed out of place and he figured that this had to be Var Heron, Kaiel's
assistant while the rest were the clinic's staff.  He pushed through the
crowd to reach his patient and checking for Kaiel's med-cuff he growled
as he asked, "Who removed the med-cuff?"

That the clinic staffers were shocked and dismayed by his presence was
obvious, it was Heron who found his tongue. "They took it off, they
didn't let me give him his medicine."

One of the staffers, a male blustered, "We have no idea what that stuff
was^×."

Kang slipped another med-cuff over Kaiel's lax wrist and snarled at it
instantly turned red, "That medicine would have kept him from going into
shock!"   He needed to pull Kaiel out of the TWS shock so that he could
help with Jaimz, quickly he went to his pack and withdrew two prepared
injectors...one was enough for Jaimz, but Kaiel was nearly twice his
weight and would need both to stabilize him.   He moved back to Kaiel's
side, ignoring the clinic staffers as they wondered what he was doing,
who he was...and started to notice Jaimz.  He pushed back Kaiel's pelt at
the inner joint of the elbow where the hide was thin and washed the area
and applied both injections only then did he turn away and go back to
Jaimz.   Speaking to the E-medic's he instructed, "Strip the male down to
his pelt."  If they balked, they were used to obeying him any way and
both moved to Kaiel and over the clinic staffers' protests they did as he
bid them.   He new that Jaimz needed to be nude as well but he didn't
think Jaimz would appreciate being stripped down to his silky skin in the
presence of all these strangers.   He growled at the lot, "Get out."

Again the blustering male protested, "And just who are you to order us
anywhere?"

"I'm medic V'Ran Kang, Medic for K'Lan Pride, is that enough for you?"
Kang snarled.   Maybe they didn't know him, he wasn't a notorious
medic...but being Medic of K'Lan Pride carried its own weight.  The clinic
staffers moved to obey him, and he stopped them by saying, "I need to be
treated also, as you can see we were involved in an accident on our way
into Rydani, I could use some help to tend to myself... furthermore K'Lan
Jaimz has a head injury so I need a portable scanner to determine how
severe the damage is and also to check for other hidden injuries.   I
would appreciate the help."  Kang knew that kindness could be helpful,
and after he had bit into them he turned the volume of his sweetness up
so that now they would be willing to help him.

Having used honey to sooth their hackles the clinic staffers were eager
to follow his direction.   He watched as they left to follow his
instructions and then he turned to Jaimz and having already transferred
his medicine feed to portable pole, he directed to E-Medics to take their
gurney away as he lifted Jaimz carefully from the mat and slid him into
the bed with Kaiel.   With only Heron left in the room and Kaiel coming
around now that he'd been treated Kang quickly stripped Jaimz down to his
skin, it was easily accomplished since today he'd worn a charming
open-sided tunic and pant set, so he didn't have any sleeves to contend
with.   There was blood on the outfit now, but Kang was hopeful that they
housekeeping staff would be able to get the blood out if it, since the
tunic was heavily embroidered with scrollwork.

Kaiel curled around his injured Tag Mate, stroking his hair and face.
After a moment he peeled the bandage off his forehead and bent over him,
drowsily licking at the gashed and discoloured swelling.  Kang touched
his shoulder and as Kaiel looked up at him, without stopping his tongue
action he said, "I'm sorry, I brought him to you just like I
promised...but I think he won't be up to answering anything for a little
while at least."

Kaiel nodded, and closing his eyes he cuddled tighter around Jaimz while
continuing to bath his forehead with his long warm tongue.   Kang watched
for a moment then suspecting the Kaiel might not know that Jaimz needed
even more skin to help him heal he said gently, "Cub...he needs as much
skin contact as he can get from you.   I think you know what that means."

Those golden eyes fluttered open again, they were as dull as old gold,
and briefly his tongue stopped washing the wound.   He sighed and nodded,
and though Kang didn't check (it would have been rude) he was pretty sure
that Jaimz now had Kaiel's rod pressed against him as well.

"Wha-what is going on?" Heron finally got enough nerve up to ask as he
witnessed a scene that was at once both erotic and strangely sweet.
"Why did you put them together?  Why is Jaimz Ni unclothed^×and Kaiel Ni
as well?  And why is Kaiel Ni...doing that?" he was referring of course to
the licking.

Kang turned to the young assistant and said, "You must be Var Heron?
I'm V'Ran Kang, their medic.  You have a lot of questions, but I think it
best if they are allowed to rest for a time.  Come with me I will tell
you what I can."


________________________________________________________________________________


Kaiel awoke fleeing from a nightmare in which Jaimz was sinking into a
pit and no matter how he tried he couldn't seem to pull him free of it.
He felt instantly relieved to find that his dream was simply that a dream
and that Jaimz rested safely in his arms, but his relief didn't last as
the vague sense that something was seriously wrong came over him.   Jaimz
had not awoken earlier and now he tried to encourage him to awake by
touching him and saying his name but he did not stir at all.  He licked
his pale lips, and followed by gently kissing them and still nothing.
Jaimz was too quiet, his body was too still and pliant, and even for
sleep this didn't seem natural to him.  He gently took him by his
shoulders and gave him a light careful shake, knowing full well how
little strength he required to go to far and hurt Jaimz, but even at
that, and the accompanying urgency in his voice his Tag Mate didn't stir.
  He felt his heart pound with fear as Jaimz head merely lolled back
against his arm.

"Jaimz?   Cub wake up." He insisted, patting his cheeks lightly.  That
too garnered no response; so he cried more urgently, "Jaimz wake up!
Wake up!"

Finally terrified he yelled, "Kang Ni!   Kang Ni hurry!  Something is
wrong with Jaimz!"  He trusted that the other male was just outside in
the outer room and he was right, the inner door opened quickly and Kang
strode in.

"Why won't he wake up?   I can't wake him up!" Kaiel cried achingly as
Kang came quickly to the bedside and briefly checked the readings in the
monitor equipment that he'd set up while Kaiel had been sleeping.
Frowning at the plummeting readings of both his patients he lifted the
coverlet and checked to see that Jaimz was really getting the skin
contact his needed and he quickly saw that Kaiel was indeed fully
providing for his small mate's needs.

Shaking his head Kang replaced the coverlet as he wondered what was going
wrong.   Even with out being able to answer the Tag's needs immediately,
the skin contact should be working to stabilize them temporarily.  He
glanced toward Jaimz' head injury, he was a bit worried about that, the
scan he had taken had proven that Jaimz had come through the accident in
remarkably good shape, but his head injury had turned out to be a faint
hairline fracture so he was concerned about possible swelling inside the
skull and was watching for that.   Nonetheless he didn't think the wound
was causing Jaimz, and therefore Kaiel, to slide so dangerously close to
the edge of irrevocable damage and likely death.   He knew by the
readings that they were dying, and Jaimz was fading faster than Kaiel,
not that it mattered, for if Jaimz died there was nothing he could do to
save Kaiel.  For the first time ever he was at a loss to provide the help
they needed, for he didn't know what to do, and upping their meds didn't
seem to be the answer anymore.

As he stood there worrying over a solution for then a strange clatter and
chirring came from behind, he turned, and saw to his dismay that one of
the Chai filled the inner doorway, he scowled seeing Heron standing
behind the Chai and was about to growl at the younger male, to ask him
what he thought he was doing, when the Chai's mandible's clattered again
and this time the translator clicked in.

"I help them." The Chai's sexless voice explained, as she stepped further
into the room.   Logically Kang knew that she wasn't a she in the sense
of the word, since most of the Chai were sterile drones, but technically
all the drones were genetically female.

Kaiel, still frightened for his mate, raised his eyes enough to take in
the Chai and rasped, "Sp-Speaker?"

The Chai Speaker clicked across the floor and stood over the bed, looking
down at Jaimz and Kaiel both, after a moment she nodded and said
strangely, "Now I understand." She waved her claw like forelimb over
Jaimz and continued, "This one does die. The human Jaimz this one is yes?
  This one does be dieing."  She waved her limb over both of them as
Kaiel tried hard not flinch away from her or snarl at her, "There be a
bond...a link between these two... but the link is strained." Again she
waved her forelimb over Jaimz, centering on his forehead where she very
lightly touched him, "This interferes with the link.   This trauma
interferes with other trauma making neither to heal.  If one does not
heal...other does not heal.  He dies."

Kang gasped, he had not considered that the TWS would interfere with the
recovery of the wound or visa versa, he turned to Kaiel with knew
insight.   "Kaiel you have to do it.  You have to mate with Jaimz and
quiet the beast.  Only then will he start to get better."

Kaiel gasped in horror, "I can't." He pushed back from Jaimz as if he was
suddenly afraid to touch him, "I couldn't take him without his consent!
I'd be just like L-Lorz and Ham then!"

Kang snapped, "No you wouldn't!   Don't talk like that!  Would you rather
he dies?  The Tag is interfering with his ability to heal, quiet the
Tag's demand and he'll be able to get better!"

Kaiel flinched as if Kang had hit him, he was clearly horrified at the
concept of simply taking Jaimz, but he was still more terrified of losing
Jaimz, the fact that he would die if Jaimz died, didn't even occur to him
for if Jaimz died, then his life didn't matter anymore.   Reluctantly he
slunk back to Jaimz' lax body and carefully drew him up against him.  He
hugged him and whispered into his unhearing ear, "I'm sorry...Gods, please
forgive me.   I'm sorry."

Kang gathered up the Chai Speaker and Heron and said quietly, "Come, we
should leave them alone."   He was the last to leave, drawing the opaque
bed curtains to afford some privacy and after placing something on the
table in front of the medical monitor.

Kaiel, hugging Jaimz against him, watched as the trio left him alone with
Jaimz.   The room suddenly seemed to shrink about him as he stroked
Jaimz' silky hair and contemplated the horrible thing he was about to
do.  It wasn't that he couldn't do it, even if he was totally unwilling,
his rod was always ready, it was the nature of the Zaran rod after all to
simply wait in its sheath until it was called upon; and his had been free
of its sheath for hours and pressed close to the warmth of Jaimz'
graceful body.   No, he could do it, but he was so afraid Jaimz would
hate him afterwards that it felt as if his heart was dieing.  He cried
against his cheek as he beseeched once again, "Please forgive me...." He
knew that Kang had left the oil on the table to ease his way, and still
holding Jaimz lax body against him he reached for it, careful to mind the
thin line that was attached to Jaimz' wrist.

Quickly before he could call himself any more self-condemning names he
greased his rod and positioned Jaimz to straddle his thighs, just as
quickly, because he wanted to get it over with in hopes that Jaimz
wouldn't wake up he lifted his Tag Mate and lowered him onto him.   As
slick as his rod was, and as relaxed as his body was Jaimz yielded easily
to him, still he was careful, knowing fully well that Jaimz couldn't take
all his thickness at once he rocked his rod in and out again and again,
easing his way into that utterly relaxed body until Jaimz was fully
seated upon him.   And he cursed himself silently while tears blurred his
eyes, for it felt so good, Jaimz was as tight and as hot as ever and his
internal body massaged him completely even if physically Jaimz was still
unresponsive.   He felt his flare locking in as he hugged Jaimz against
him, and he sobbed in self-loathing of his lack of control as he released
his first hot liquid jet inside that amazing body.   He rocked, hugging
Jaimz to him while hating himself and growing more ashamed of himself as
he jettisoned again and again bathing Jaimz' innards.   It was done, the
Tag's demand was answered but he still couldn't withdraw with his flare
engaged and Holding them together, not unless he wanted to hurt Jaimz.

He felt his horror crawl up his spine when he heard the faintest moan,
and felt the fluttering of one hand as it lightly brushed against his
side.   He froze, hoping that he was imagining things and that Jaimz
wasn't awakening to this.  But Jaimz moaned again and he felt his head
move lifting away from his chest and even more he felt his thighs lift
and his long legs tighten up around him.   He couldn't meet his eyes as
Jaimz murmured dazedly, "Kaiel?"

"I'm sorry." He achingly whispered, profoundly disgusted in his betrayal.

Jaimz sighed and settled down against him again, sliding his arms around
his back and threading his fingers into his pelt.   "Um...I...dreamed you
were calling me but I couldn't answer." Jaimz breathed across his pelt
and Kaiel shivered at the sensation.  Jaimz moved his hips, and Kaiel
quivered in response, Jaimz moved again, rocking to his own rhythm.

"Jaimz...Cub...." Kaiel moaned, cupping Jaimz' pert cheeks in his big hands
and lifting him up along his length, "Gods Cub... I was so afraid.
Forgive me, forgive me...."

Jaimz laughed with sleepy delight as Kaiel's rod plunged deeply within
him again and he drove his fingers into his mane pulling his head down as
he cried happily, "I think you saved me again Kaiel.   Didn't you?"  He
kissed him, his soft shapely mouth hungrily claimed Kaiel's and then he
pushed up with his legs and rode Kaiel down onto the bed, sitting astride
the big startled male and he purred with delight, "I feel soooo good
Kaiel.   My head hurts...but I do feel good."

His horror gradually subsiding Kaiel reached up and drew Jaimz down, he
flexed upward to meet him as he whispered achingly against his sweet
mouth, "You're not angry?"

Jaimz rocked his hips and sank into the kiss as pleasure melted away the
pain in his body, his head still ached, but he didn't care as he met
Kaiel's lips and tongue with growing boldness.   He stroked his hips up
and down, riding Kaiel's long thick rod with wanton delight, only to
quiver and shudder each time Kaiel deposited another hot load of his
semen inside.   He lifted away from the kiss for a moment to sigh
dreamily, "I've missed you so much Kaiel."   He tugged at his pale gold
ruff and stroked up from his velvety brow to his golden mane and
whispered smilingly, "This isn't a dream is it?"

Kaiel laughed, "It isn't a dream Cub."

Jaimz tugged at his ear and growled playfully, "I'm not a cub."

No, indeed he was an exquisite alien being, of sensual beauty and amazing
endurance.   Kaiel had to laugh his delight as Jaimz, on his own and
wanting no help from him, rode his rod to its final release.  When it was
done Jaimz collapsed above him panting and quivering.   The rod was still
linking them as the flare had not yet receded and Jaimz squeezed his
thighs about the exposed portion that stretched between them.   He laid
idly stroking Kaiel's pelt while flexing his wrist and scowling at the
line emerging from under the tape.

Kaiel caressed his hair as it fanned over his chest and smiled, "What are
you thinking?"

Jaimz didn't shift to look up at him, though he lowered his hand to let
it rest on Kaiel's shoulder, "I hate this.   It hurts."  Again he
squeezed his thighs around Kaiel's rod, causing Kaiel to groan and lick
his lips, he knew that when Jaimz did that he managed to make the rod
stroke him inside, but this was the first time that Jaimz had ever done
such a thing, and it was...very stimulating.

Trying to ignore the re-stimulating of his rod, he answered lightly, "I'm
sure Kang will remove it now that the TWS has passed."

Jaimz grumped, "He didn't the other time we went through something
similar to this."   The other time Kaiel remembered was when Jaimz had
accepted him as his new Tag Mate.  It seemed so long ago, but in reality
it hadn't been that long ago at all.

He stroked his head along his back, idly grazing those scratches which he
had discovered, they were recent, but not new and as his hand moved lower
he wondered how Jaimz had been scratched and by whom, only, as he palmed
Jaimz pertly rounded cheeks and teased at the wetness between them and
those grasping thighs he didn't think now would be the best time to ask
Jaimz about them.   He knew that his flare had receded and that he was
ready to slip out of Jaimz and that the only reason he was still caught
was because Jaimz was holding onto him.   He circled himself with his
finger, teasing that stretched muscle as he did.  Jaimz gasped and
quivered, laughing softly, "That tickles...."

To which Kaiel warned smilingly, "If you keep me within you much longer I
think I'll become ready again."

He moaned as Jaimz sat up, still working to hold him in, and he was
stunned by the sheer muscle play as Jaimz splayed his thighs open to
straddle him once more and sit down upon his rod again.   "Cub...." He
groaned, encircling Jaimz' hips, "You torture me."

Jaimz retained his internal hug on his rod but rocked forward to trail
his hands playfully over his pelted chest, finding and circling his
fingers around Kaiel's secreted nipples, he kept his hold as he went to
his knees and leaned forward to lightly kiss Kaiel's gasping mouth and he
reseated himself, saying "I'm not^×a cub," as Kaiel's flare engaged again
for the second time.   Jaimz relaxed his hold then, but his knowing smile
told Kaiel that he knew they were tied together again.

Kaiel groaned, "Brat."

Jaimz smiled cheekily, "Why not stop complaining and fuck me this time?"

Kaiel growled, "Brat!" a second time and rolled forward, taking Jaimz
laughing over with him.   He stroked into him as Jaimz' back hit the bed,
he rolled his hips up and pushed his thighs apart holding him captive as
he gently, ever so gently stroked him to release until it was Jaimz who
was gasping and crying and quivering his own release.   Kaiel hadn't had
time enough to restore much of his own load but he shuddered off a couple
explosive rounds before he sagged gasping over his Tag-Mate.   This time
when his flare receded Jaimz let him go, and it had been extended long
enough that his muscles ached and protested as he retracted it.  He
flopped over onto his side and pulled Jaimz up against him groaning, "You
killed me...."

Jaimz laughed and stroked his possessive arm though as he thought about
what he had just done he felt a bit embarrassed for he couldn't quite
believe that he had held onto Kaiel's rod and encouraged them to hump
again so soon after they had just had sex.   He sighed and let himself
relax back into Kaiel's hold as he realized that he was getting bolder
and more wanton every time the Tag brought them together.    He closed
his eyes, chiding himself that it was the Tag that made him want to be
this way and now that the Tag demand was answered he shouldn't want to
jump Kaiel again until the next time the Tag rose.   And yet, he also
didn't want to escape from Kaiel's arms or leave this bed either, he felt
very content to stay where he was, resting in his lover's arms.  He
opened his eyes again, tilting his head up and back he looked up into
Kaiel's handsome leonine face and quietly admitted to himself that during
these times Kaiel was indeed his lover.   He smiled, settling back down
and closed his eyes once again.

After a time Kaiel felt Jaimz relax into real sleep, and though he was
nervous enough after what he'd gone through earlier to wake him at least
once when Jaimz did first dose off, he finally felt brave enough to leave
his Tag Mate sleeping in the bed while he pulled on a robe and went to
find Kang, he had questions he needed answers for.

He was not surprised to see Kang and Heron talking out in the common room
of the suite, but he was surprised the find the Speaker still there,
sharing tea and biscuits with them.   He approached them and had a bit of
difficulty keeping his ears steady as the three turned to look at him, he
was glad he didn't have Jaimz' naked skin or else he was pretty sure he'd
be pink from his throat to his mane.   Kang had a half knowing smile, but
Heron just looked stunned and he didn't know what to make of those
multifaceted black eyes of the Chai Speaker.  He nodded toward Kang and
said lightly, "He's sleeping now."

Kang rumbled with laughter, "I should hope so Cub... we could hear you
laughing and groaning all the way out here."   He waggled his finger,
"You have to be gentle with him Kaiel Ni, you know he's very delicate."

Kaiel's ears tipped back at the old medics teasing, he fortunately was
used to it but poor Heron's ears were flicking with embarrassment and he
didn't seem to know where to look, and Kaiel noticed to his amazement
that his ears were reddening...so Jaimz had been right and they could
blush after all.   He chuckled and shook his head, saying teasingly,
"Your ears are blushing Heron Ni."

Heron pulled down and covered his ears, but after a moment he laughed
sheepishly though he was still having trouble meeting his eyes.

Kaiel tilted his head, he hoped that his relationship with Jaimz wouldn't
hurt his relationship with Heron; he really appreciated his assistant in
a million ways.   "So now you know."

Heron lifted his eyes and after a moment he nodded, "Kang Ni told
me...everything."

Kaiel placed his hands on his assistants shoulders, "Now you are one of
the few who know our secret Heron... are you okay with it?"

Heron swallowed, and nodded once.   Then he nodded more emphatically and
his ears lifted up, "I'm ok Kaiel Ni.  I'm happy you trust me enough to
let me know the secret...." His ears tipped shyly downward again, "You are
lucky Kaiel Ni.   Jaimz Ni is really very pretty."

He scuffed at Heron's brown mane and laughed, "Gods don't let Jaimz hear
you say that."

Kang rose, "I'll go check on him."

Kaiel was half expecting this but as he let the older male pass he
noticed that Kang was a bit tense about the eyes and that he was walking
a bit stiffly.   "Are you alright Kang Ni?"

Kang grinned and knocked his fist lightly against his head, though he
winced at doing that even though he did say, "Takes more than a little
bump to do me in.   I'm fine, a few bumps and bruises, no broken or
cracked bones and just one little cut in my scalp." He grinned slyly,
"And I don't have a Tag Mate to help with my pain either, like Jaimz Ni
does." He stretched and grunted, "But I do have painkillers, so I'll be
just fine."

Kaiel placed a hand on his arm as he passed, "What happened Kang Ni?"

Kang gently took up his hand and said, "I will tell you later, after I
check on him.   Promise.  Besides, I think you need to speak with the
Speaker."

Heron cleared his throat at that and said, "I'll go catch up on some of
my work."

Kaiel very much doubted that his efficient assistant had any work to
catch up on, but he let him go anyway.   Once he was alone with the
Speaker he bowed deeply to her, "Speaker...thank you.  You helped save
Jaimz."

She dipped her head regally and indicated the chair opposite where she
was lounging.   Kaiel took it and refreshed her tea while pouring himself
a cup.  She waited until he'd taken a sip before she spoke, as always the
trill and chatter of her mandibles came before the translator kicked in.
  "My people of course will withdraw our request.  Jaimz Ni would do well
with us on Chai, but you would be most uncomfortable I do believe." She
dipped her head again; "I sensed from the beginning that you were
unusual...that you had a link to another.   This link was strange for I
have only ever sensed it with my own people when a Queen bonds with her
Harem.  Now I understand.   He is your Queen."

Kaiel replied, "I remember, you said I was unguarded." He tried to read
her expression, but with the Chai it was impossible, "I did not
understand."

She reached out, waving her claw like forelimb toward his face, "Inside
you is something of him, when you were apart that piece of him was
stressed, now that you are together the part of him that you hold, is
peaceful again.   I believe it is so for him too.  I believe that if
these pieces of the other keeps cannot long be parted without causing
fatal harm.   I believe as V'Ran Kang has told me.  Whether this is the
Tag thing or something else I do not know.... But I do know that you
too...fit each other."

She rose and he would have rose too, but she placed a hand on his
shoulder, "What you have is rare and wonderful, you have found your
Queen, and if you should ever honor Chai with your presence^×however
briefly you can bear it^×you will both be treated with great honor and
courtesy.   Now I must join my sisters, for tomorrow I will present
new...offers, which you should find acceptable.  There will be peace
between our peoples."

She turned toward the exit, and then paused, "It would be acceptable if
K'Lan no Gingko Jaimz were to attend the final Session."

Kaiel watched the Speaker leave and he thought on what she had said, not
so much on the latter suggestion, if Jaimz was up to it and willing he
might invite him since everyone seemed to want a part of him it might be
good for them all to get a feel of his temper and his determination so
that they could learn once and for all that he could share, but that no
one owned him.   He smiled, just thinking about Jaimz shouting down half
the council and most of the allies too, but then his smile died as he
recalled the rest of what she had said.   He and Jaimz were connected
somehow emotionally or mentally and that the longer they were apart the
more the connection was strained, the speaker had noticed instantly that
his connection was strained and he hadn't even been away from Jaimz for a
full day at that time.   He wondered what it all meant and if it was the
final puzzle of the Tag.  If it was, he thought, then it was unlikely
Jaimz could ever find a way to break the Tag, not that he would ever tell
him.   He half smiled, oh yes he was quite willing to admit that he was a
coward regarding some things concerning Jaimz, he would much rather let
Jaimz discover some things on his own and be well away from him when he
did, for his sweet Tag Mate did have a temper to reckon with.

Alone in the common room and seeing that Heron was going to stay in his
room he decided to return to his own room.   Kang was sitting on the bed,
and surprisingly so was Jaimz, looking very pink cheeked to and
remarkably embarrassed at what ever they were discussing.   He strolled
over while Kang nodded toward him and Jaimz just blushed a deeper shade
and hid his pretty eyes beneath his gold-tipped eyelashes.   Kaiel sat
down on the bed and slid over behind Jaimz and tucked his thighs around
him, Jaimz didn't protest though he did hold the coverlet up around his
hips.   Kang smiled, "I've been trying to explain to this stubborn one
the benefits of the Tag for him when he is sore as he is...but he is being
stubborn stupid."

Jaimz tensed and seemed about to yell at Kang, but Kaiel merely slid a
hand around his waist and Jaimz slumped into a sulk instead, grumpily
whining, "But I already answered the 72-Hour."

Kang winked at Kaiel and then smiling patiently explained what he had
probably already explained to his stubborn patient.   "Your sore now
aren't you?  Not just your head, but your body aches here and there as
well."

Jaimz scowled and nodded sulkily.   Kang continued, "But while you were
with Kaiel you felt nearly no pain correct?"

Again a sullen nod, Kaiel touched the scratches on Jaimz' back and bent
to lick them, making Jaimz squirm deliciously even as he complained.
"Don't...Kaiel...."

Kang smiled at the breathy tone of Jaimz' reprimand and said, "Do you
know why you felt so good Jaimz?" He could already see that the
distraction of Kaiel's tongue, licking his scratched back, was soothing
Jaimz greatly so he pressed on, "The benefit of being Tagged is that you
heal faster with sex."

That widened Jaimz' eyes and made Kaiel pause and look up.   Kang
grinned, "It's true, the one constant that I have found in all the Tag
lore and data is that the Tagged pair heal quicker than normal if they
have sex frequently during the healing process.   Jaimz if you have sex
regularly with Kaiel you will simply feel better sooner and heal
quicker."

Jaimz was blushing again, as he stared at him in dismayed disbelief,
finally he asked shakily, "Is that true?"

Kang smiled, "You know it is, you already know that if you just touch
each other that you feel better.   I don't even think it's a fluid
exchange thing since the Taggee is also healed by the frequency of the
sexual play.  Nothing says you must have sex outside of the 72-Hour Jaimz
and you know that Kaiel would never force you...but for your own sake you
might want to consider doing it a couple^×even a few times a day^×as time
permits to help you feel better quicker."

Jaimz blushed and suddenly covered his face and hunched over on his
knees, he protested this concept by crying sulkily, "But what about
medicine?   You can give me analgesics to help feel better can't you?"

Kang looked at Kaiel, who was looking at that pretty bottom which Jaimz
had just exposed to him when he huddled over like that, smilingly he
said, "I can and will give you medicine for the pain...but I'm talking
days instead of weeks of healing time, youngling.   And trust me you
shouldn't want to go through all that healing time if you don't have to."

Jaimz lifted his head and sat up again, he just happened to sit quite
handily on Kaiel's lap.   He blushed again, though he half turned to look
up at Kaiel and he certainly didn't complain about finding Kaiel's strong
thighs beneath his bottom.   He lowered his eyes again and sighed very
forlornly, "It isn't fair."

Kang saw the interest grow in Kaiel's golden eyes and he knew that his
time with them for now was done.   He'd tell Kaiel about Vreda later,
when Kaiel wasn't looking determined to do a little wooing.  He rose from
the bed and said, "Well, good night cubs.... I'll have dinner ordered in
for you."

He heard Jaimz gasp in affronted shock, and Kaiel's answering rumble of
laughter, but he didn't turn back as he left the room and securely closed
the door behind him.   He had not lied, not once. Tagged pairs really did
heal faster through sex.  He didn't know why that was, and since it was
only in ancient lore and records he couldn't be certain just how well the
process worked in comparison to regular healing, but being a medic and
knowing roughly how long it would normally take for Jaimz to recover
completely, he knew that he'd be able to gauge the accuracy of the Tag
lore claim and see just how quickly the youngling did heal. As he heard
laughter coming through the door he smiled, for the sex alone had its own
pain relieving capability.   Still, the idea of healing with sex made him
smile and kept him smiling as he left the door and allowed the pair to
have their privacy.


________________________________________________________________________________


Jaimz cussed once the medic had closed the door, he still felt insulted
by Kang's subtle assumption that they would be humping all day long.
"He's a skunk!  A shit!  A-a^×."

Kaiel idly lifted away from licking his back and supplied helpfully, "A
Skarll?"

Jaimz slapped his thigh and cried triumphantly, "Yes!   He's a Skarll!"
the after a moment he asked, "What's a Skarll?  And please don't tell me
that its something good and kind and helpful or I'll punch you!"

Kaiel laughed, "A Skarll is the most awful, horrible, repulsive creature
that Z'Rarla could possibly have.   It is so ugly and so cantankerous
that they don't even like each other, so they each have huge territories,
lucky for us since they will eat anything though mostly well rotted
carrion."   He hugged Jaimz and bent down to lick his scratches.

Jaimz laughed, though he shivered at how good it felt to be licked like
that, but he merrily said, "Maybe calling Kang a Skarll is a little
harsh?"

"He likes being a nuisance." Kaiel murmured, stroking his tongue to
Jaimz' shoulder and along the long line of his neck as Jaimz tilted his
head to the side and sighed perfectly contentedly.

"He's did take the line out though, see." Jaimz said, lifting his hand so
Kaiel could see his new bandage.

Kaiel smiled against Jaimz' back, "He has his moments."

Jaimz laughed softly, "I like him...but he's still a shit."   He sat
quietly for another moment upon Kaiel's lap then hung his head and sighed
forlornly once again as he moped, "I can't believe I'm going to do this."

Kaiel lightly touched his shoulders, "You don't have too.... I would be
perfectly content not too."

Jaimz tilted his head back and smiled, "Liar."

Kaiel bent forward and kissed him.   He licked his lips as he pulled
back, "You're right...but I'll only ever follow where you lead."

Jaimz turned on his lap and relaxed his body against Kaiel, "Where I
lead...hmmm?"

Kaiel leaned over and licked his bruised forehead, murmuring, "Wherever
and forever."

Jaimz parted his thighs and guided one of Kaiel's hands down between
them.   He looked up into those molten gold eyes and smiled softly as he
stroked Kaiel's hand teasingly over himself until Kaiel didn't need his
encouragement anymore.   He laughed softly as Kaiel bent over him to
reclaim his mouth while his hand alternated from tugging and stroking his
penis to massaging his still very receptive and oily anus.  He gasped and
shuddered as the other hand, which had been supporting his back now slid
down between his cheeks and stroked one finger up inside him.  He moaned
as the first finger danced inside him, and then cried out softly as a
second joined in the dance.   He whimpered in delight as a third eased
in, stretching him so deliciously and crooned as Kaiel bent around him,
taking his penis in his mouth while shifting his position so that he
could comfortably push four big fingers inside his anus.   "Kaiel." He
groaned delightedly, "Oh...P-Please I can't...." he came into Kaiel's
mouth, crying out as all but one finger left him, and that one stroked
and stroked his prostrate while his mouth sucked and nursed his penis
until it seemed that he'd been utterly milked of all his juice.

He was gasping and shaking when Kaiel finally lifted his head from him,
licking his lips just like a cat in the cream.   As he lay there with his
legs splayed and he could see that Kaiel's rod was extended again he
thought that Kaiel would just bend his legs up and slide it in between,
but Kaiel was not done loving his body, he found himself flipped over
onto his belly and being pulled back to have Kaiel's tongue drill him
where only moments before his fingers had danced.   He gasped and yelled
shakily, for he really liked this and liking how good it felt to have the
big male rim him with his tongue only made he glow with embarrassment
even as he quivered and moaned with delight.   He was always a bit
shocked by just how much he liked sex with Kaiel, and every time they did
it he seemed to like it even more, if he tried to analyze his responses
to Kaiel he would probably blame the Tag for making him so receptive, but
the scientific side of him couldn't explain away his emotional
involvement so easily.   The Tag made him need Kaiel physically but he
was pretty sure that the Tag had nothing to do with his emotional need
for Kaiel.  But it was hard being analytical when he was being so
thoroughly rimmed and soon all logical thoughts faded into the mush that
his brain was becoming as waves of pleasure swamped over him and it was
all he could do to sob in sweet denial, "Kaiel...oh God...I'm gonna come
again...." He didn't want to come again, it was silly but he wanted some
control of his body and he had none at all when Kaiel loved him this way.
  He pulled away from Kaiel's all together to delightful tongue and
rolled over, scooting back and laughed breathlessly as Kaiel cased him
across the big bed with his tongue and his body.   He ended up on the
edge of the bed and nearly falling out of it before Kaiel caught
him...though his capture was protective as he pulled him safely away from
the edge of the big bed and a possible painful tumble out of it.   He sat
momentarily captive as Kaiel hugged him and whispered, "That was too
close."  Then, he uttered a ragged laugh as captured as he was Kaiel
merely dropped his head into his lap and reclaimed his swollen penis to
suckle at it like an hungry cubling.   Kaiel's big hands cupped his
cheeks once more, and again he was gasping and moaning with pleasure as
Kaiel's fingers played with his thoroughly loved anus again while Kaiel's
clever mouth and tongue nursed him to distraction.

He was feeling everything melting and pooling into his groin warning of
his eminent release when suddenly he realized that he didn't feel those
myriad little aches that he'd been feeling before they'd started this,
and even his head, which had been hurting pretty annoyingly was now
reduced to a mild distraction.   He clutched at Kaiel's shoulders;
suddenly laughing even as he was coming...though his laugh was a rather
breathless.  Kaiel happily lapped him up, freeing every last drop of his
release before raising his leonine head, with his mane all wild and
mussed and his golden eyes burning with primal delight and as he leaned
forward so that Jaimz gradually ended up on his back with Kaiel between
his bent legs as he purred, "What's so funny?"

Jaimz laughed again, so that Kaiel bent over him and licked him slowly
from his navel to his throat, his laughter died as awe took over, though
he did smile as Kaiel lifted his face, just inches away from his and he
explained with a playful sulk, "I can't even try to get out of this by
saying 'Honey, not tonight, I have a headache'."

Kaiel hesitated a moment, asking, "Do you want to get out of this?"

Jaimz lay looking up at him, knowing that soon he'd be receiving Kaiel's
rod again and shook his head, saying softly, "No...I don't want out of
this...." He smiled and tugged at Kaiel's ruff, content to let the big
male pull up his legs and push them back for the best deep penetrating
angle.   He drew in a ragged breath as Kaiel lined up his slick cone, and
pushed forward.   As the tapered rod started his descent and Kaiel dove
into the task he groaned and rocked his hips to help in the rate of
descent but then, just as he was getting into it Kaiel gasped and
stopped, suspending his own descent as he looked at Jaimz in despair.

Jaimz gazed up at him in wonder, watching as Kaiel's ears pressed flat to
his head in shame filled regret, "What...what is it?"

Kaiel looked pained, and he rasped, "I forgot the oil."

Jaimz laughed softly and locked his legs about Kaiel's hips, "I don't
think we need to worry too much about that."   It was true that Kaiel was
afraid to hurt him, but he knew he plenty greasy enough to take Kaiel if
he was careful.  "It's ok Kaiel, I think I can do it."

Kaiel still looked uncertain, murmuring, "But I might hurt you."

Jaimz smiled slowly, "Remember Kaiel?   I have already taken you once
like this.  It will be ok this time too."

Kaiel eased back, and stroked forward, Jaimz shivered, hugging Kaiel's
body with his legs.   It did hurt, little twinges of pain prickled up his
spine, but as Kaiel's rhythm set a pace of slow deep thrusts and smooth
withdrawals, every twinge of pain was followed almost instantly by a
sparkle of pleasure until the pain and pleasure came so close together
that Jaimz could no longer differentiate one sensation but rather a
chorus of sensation as his body surrendered so completely.   Soon enough,
even though he gasped and moaned, and bit his lip occasionally to muffle
his cries when it hurt^×as it must since his body was used to being eased
open with the aid of a well-oiled rod^×Kaiel seated his entire rod and
after that his withdrawals and long returning strokes produced only
thrills of pleasure that scintillated throughout Jaimz' body.

It was beautiful, wild and wanton, their dance; and even though Jaimz'
played the submissive role as he received those long deep strokes his
body moved in rhythm to Kaiel's, his legs clung and his fingers clawed
deeply into Kaiel's heavily muscled shoulders as the big male loved him.
  They did not kiss or play this time they simply gave and received,
panting and breathing together in perfect harmony until it was concluded
and they were both trembling and spent.

Jaimz lay quietly afterwards a little sore but feeling utterly wonderful,
it was the late in the afternoon and though he felt a bit like resting he
didn't feel like sleeping, his body felt good and little eddies of
pleasure still shivered through him as his body wound down.   He was
relaxed and content, right up until Kaiel suddenly sucked in an agitated
breath and groaned in horrified dismay.  Puzzled by the remorse in
Kaiel's tone Jaimz came up on his hands and knees and moved toward him,
for Kaiel was sitting on this edge of the bed, he rose up so that he
could wrap his arms around his big shoulders and he looked to see what
was bothering him.   Immediately he saw that Kaiel had not sheathed his
rod and that his hands were open on his thighs, he noticed that hints of
his pale gold fur and even his dark pads had pinkish red stains on them.
  He lay his head down on Kaiel's shoulder and murmured, "It's ok Kaiel."

In an agonized tone, Kaiel whispered, "But I made you bleed."

He tightened his arms around his shoulders and assured softly, "But you
didn't hurt me...really Kaiel it is ok.   I liked it."

Kaiel growled, "Liar!   I did hurt you.  Look at the blood, my rod is
slick with it."

Jaimz knew that he wasn't bleeding or else he have trickles of it running
down his legs which had been a common occurrence when he was with Lorz or
Ham, so he knew that his bleeding had been very minimal and nothing to
worry about, and yet having made him bleed, Kaiel was clearly upset.   He
could not make light of this for Kaiel's sake or the next time he came to
him he would be afraid that he'd hurt him again, and in the process he
probably would hurt him by being clumsy or nervous or defensive.   He
sighed, "Kaiel it did hurt a tiny bit...but there was pleasure too, so
much pleasure.  I feel good even if a little sore.   Doing it this way is
probably not the easiest way for me...but remember I wanted to try Kaiel.
I wanted to try and see if I could." He rubbed his cheek against Kaiel's
and whispered, "Please, please Kaiel don't feel bad, I wanted this, I had
to know if I could."

Kaiel turned his head and brushed his lips lightly against Jaimz', "Why?"

Jaimz smiled, "Because what if we do this with out having oil in easy
reach?   Kaiel if your gentle with me, and take it slow as you do," he
smiled at that and playfully licked Kaiel's lips and velvety nose pad,
"then we should be able to do it no matter what situation we find
ourselves in...." He hugged him again, "Beside I really do feel good..." he
smiled sheepishly "though my bum is a little sore...but^×."

Suddenly he yelped as he found himself lifted up and turned around, his
surprise only lasted a second as he was laid belly down on the bed and
his hips were lifted upward.   He cooed then and pressed back as Kaiel,
parting his cheeks, gently slurped his tongue over his sore anus.   After
a few passes and Jaimz had found he still had his wits about him even
though he really enjoyed this part he found himself laughing softly and
distracting Kaiel momentarily as he said, "That's probably why I wasn't
as greasy this time." As Kaiel's tongue returned to the crease between
his cheeks and he sighed contentedly again he added gaspingly, "We didn't
p-play like this w-when we tied together that first time^×ohh! T-that's
why it didn't w-wake me, I-I was greasy enough to take you then...mmmmm."

Again Kaiel's tongue halted in its bathing and Kaiel stated definitively,
"I will never hurt you again...somehow I'll have oil with me no matter
what, even if I have to wear a tiny vial on a necklace..." with that
declaration he returned to his task of soothing and unfortunately
stimulating Jaimz once again.

Jaimz laughed, appreciating the idea of Kaiel wearing a necklace though
he thought he would probably blush every time he remembered what the
little vial was for, but then, even in the throws of pleasure he
remembered something else and asked diffidently.   "Have you ever thought
about p-piercing your ears?"  Before Kaiel could ask him why he
continued, "I found these beautiful ear studs that would look terrific
iiahhnn...mmmm..." he grew breathily quiet, now was not the time for this,
as pleasure swamped him and carried him away again.   Later he'd mention
the ear studs again and see what Kaiel would decide.  Definitely later....

End Part 3...

(More to come...no pun intended)



Comments welcome at Micinjensue@yahoo.ca, also visit my website at:
http://www.geocities.com/ntjenn3/ for other stories and updates.

PS. Please allow until mid July 2007 for next story installment.