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eruden-writes · 1 year

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The Unexpected Human Problem - Part 30

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I'm weak and shared this at the same time as my Patreon.

Comments, tags, and reblogs are real motivators for me! ♥ ♥ ♥

Becoming a patron of mine would also mean a lot, too.

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Summary: The night her abductors die, Rayelle finds herself running for her life. She doesn’t know where she is, what is following her, where to go. All she knows is she’s not on Earth any longer and the thing chasing her has the capacity to kill.

Tai'qdei never anticipated finding a human when he took the job of tracking and subduing a small contingent of smugglers. It was only when the human attacked and fled fled, Tai'qdei - hopped up on the euphoria of a successful hunt - gave chase, instinct burning at his center.

Will sense return to Tai'qdei before he catches Rayelle? Or will Rayelle be subjected to the yautja’s natural inclinations?

And what happens afterwards?

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The rest of Rayelle’s life came sooner than expected. She should have known Evan wasn’t going to take his losses well. To his credit, he bided his time with a fake smile on his lips and even seemed to move on with a girlfriend. She hoped everything boded well.

She should have known better. That was all Rayelle thought as she was pulling into the parking lot of a highway truck stop, when she saw the truck speeding toward her in the rain.

This truck stop was a “drop off-pick up” location she and Evan had designated. Neutral ground. It was midway between their respective homes and very much closed on this day of all days.

“-ey were supposed to wait.” Blearily, she heard Evan snarling to himself as he yanked one of the back doors open. A little farther off, she heard the squeal of tires as the truck drove off. There was more scuffling closer by and she realized Elliot and Skylar were getting ushered out. “Get in my car!”

“What about mom?” Skylar asked, their tone wobbling. “We gotta take her to the hospital!”

There was a pause. A hissed expletive. Then she heard gravel crunching away before her door suddenly yanked open. She felt herself lifted, smelled the sickeningly familiar aroma of Evan’s cologne.

With her head still spinning, she struggled in his hold, but he quickly threw her in the back. Both kids crowded around her, asking her questions. Her head swam, unable to focus on any of their words. There was a sense of movement, a faint register of turn signals clicking and the roar of the car speeding up.

Rayelle’s brain didn’t make sense of anything until Skylar nervously said, “Dad, t-this isn’t the way to the hospital.”

“You wanna tell ‘em about the men y’sent after me?” Rayelle pushed herself upright, words slightly slurred. The world spun at the edges of her vision.

Ice emanated from Evan’s answer, “I have no clue what you mean.”

“You remember. It was the last dinner I agreed to with you, alone.” Rayelle waved her hand, shooting him a look in the rear-view mirror. Part of her knew she was traveling down the worst avenue of discussion in this circumstance, but something in her wanted to needle at him. Maybe it was head trauma, making Rayelle reckless. Or maybe, given how he’d paid someone to run them off the road, she was ready to let her kids see his colors fully. “You waved as they shoved me into a van.”

“I have no fucking clue what you’re saying, Rayelle,” Evan savagely spat, turning briefly from the road to glare at her before whipping back around.

Her expression darkened just as a rumble of thunder sounded overhead. Vibrations rattled the car and she realized just how jumpy, how shaky Evan appeared. Looking in the rearview mirror, she spotted deep dark bags under his bloodshot eyes.

Flanking Rayelle, her children remained quiet and tense. Until Elliot shakily asked, “Where are you taking us?”

Evan didn’t even look back to his children, didn’t soothe them. He just growled, “Somewhere. Just shut up, sweetie.”

Beside Rayelle, Skylar whimpered and Elliot shakily reached for her hand. Her expression pinched, attention flickering from one child to the other. She looped an arm around Skylar’s shoulder, pulling them close. They both were deathly pale, Skylar trembling and Elliot on the brink of tears. Neither was understanding what was happening. Thankfully, neither seemed hurt from the literal car crash that Evan had staged.

Taking a deep breath, Rayelle tried to remain calm. Her kids needed her to be sturdy and strong and unwavering. A brief thought of tendrils and textured red skin and mandibles flared through her mind. Something solidified inside her as her eyes drew to the front, to the rain pelting the windshield.

Attacking him as he drove would do no good. They’d all end up in an accident, possibly dying. She just had to find an opening and take advantage.

It wasn’t long until Evan was driving them off the highway, through rural town streets. Rayelle’s stomach flipped when she noticed he’d driven into a nature park. On a stormy day, it was guaranteed to be empty.

Rayelle and the kids braced themselves as the car raced through the parking lot, hopping a curb to drive on a bike trail. The sounds of rock and mud and the chugging on the engine roared around them as the car shook from being forced off-road. Rain continued to patter over the car, loud and incessant. The tattoo of the rain was joined by the shrieking scraping of branches along all sides of the vehicle.

By the time the car stopped, Rayelle wasn’t sure if it was by Evan’s design or whether it had enough. Either way, Evan grabbed something from the other seat and slammed his car door open

“Out!” He barked on the other side of the back seat’s door, waving a gun to emphasize his authority. Slowly, all three clambered out. Elliot, then Rayelle, and finally Skylar. Where the car had finally stopped was in a clearing, a yard or two away from the edge of a cliffside drop-off.

With the firearm acting as a guiding force, Evan waved them to stand between himself and the cliff’s edge. While he motioned, he continued talking. His tone of pained sensibility, verging on breakdown. “It didn’t have to be like this, Ray. We didn’t have to divorce or go through court or any of that! We could’ve been together and happy.”

She positioned herself between her children and her ex-husband, too apprehensive to do anything with that gun pointed at them. Her expression and tone hardened, eyes narrowing as she shot back, “Was I supposed to be happy when you hired those men to kidnap me?”

Evan’s features darkened, pinched as he scowled. “What does that fucking matter? They didn’t do their job.”

“Dad?” Skylar’s uncertain voice barely sounded over another roll of thunder overhead. Rayelle almost flinched, listening to her child’s image of their father start to fracture.

Evan ignored them, opting to wave his ex-wife closer with his gun. “Come here, Rayelle.”

With no other course of action, she obeyed. As she took a few steps forward, Elliot whipped his stricken attention to her, immediately grabbing for her arm. “Mom!”

“It’ll be alright. Just stay close to your sibling.” She shot him a smile, though she herself knew she couldn’t make that promise. Gingerly, she pried her son’s fingers from her arm before continuing toward Evan. He listened to her direction, sidling closer to Skylar, though his expression remained warily on both parents.

“On your knees,” Evan sneered, once more motioning with the gun. She couldn’t help but feel he radiated some malicious smugness, under his bitter exterior. He was going to get ‘the bitch’ on her knees, one last time. Angry swirls clawed at her stomach at that thought.

Just as slowly as she approached, Rayelle began lowering to her knees with her hands still raised. Evan scoffed, oozing disdain as she got halfway. That small sound razed over her, igniting the stoking fury.

With her left hand, she grabbed at his gun-wielding hand, twisting his wrist - away from her kids - just as her right fist slammed into his groin. The impact sent a rush of satisfaction through Rayelle. Watching Evan crumple with a pained groan, the gun clattering away over pebbles, just doubled the satisfaction.

Before Rayelle could dive for the gun, Elliot rushed in. Quick as he was, he snatched up the weapon. Before she could praise him for helping, he threw the gun over the edge of the clifface.

“No!” Thunder rumbled overhead as Rayelle screamed, taking a step toward him while watching the gun careen in the air. Something in her stomach sunk as she whipped around to face Evan again, putting herself between her child and her ex once more. Evan was already on his feet, reaching for something inside his jacket pocket, which only made her stomach lurch. Oh no.

Elliot sobbed, tears streaming down his cheeks. “Can’t we just talk?”

“We’re already past that point. Your mom has already poisoned you enough with this gender confusion bullshit, Emma.” Evan growled as he whipped out a second gun. Rayelle flinched, hearing him say what had - thus far - remained in a court setting. Behind her, she could feel Elliot struck by the emotional hit. He’d been so careful, waffling for a long time between presentations. With the divorce settling down, with the talks he’d had with Evan, Rayelle knew he’d gotten his hopes up.

There was no time to think about that as Evan cocked the gun, the click clear despite the pattering rain. “Maybe I can save Austin, but you two are too far gone.”

“Dad!” Together, Elliot and Skylar screamed, the former a watery cry and the latter a shriek of horror.

“Get down!” Rayelle waved behind her, motioning for her eldest to drop.

The gun went off a deafening boom. The world slowed as Rayelle’s mind raced for options. Duck, dodge, drop… She didn’t have the time. Bracing herself, she waited for the pain of the bullet to rend through her, hoping it didn’t hit anything vital nor cleave through her to Elliot when…

The bullet stopped. Midair. It didn’t simply freeze. It hit something, crumpling in on itself as the sound of impact echoed through the air.

Everyone froze and Rayelle’s brain fritzed for a second, before she realized something else. Where the bullet stopped, where it hit something, rain was not falling. The air in front of Rayelle flickered like a glitched artifact as her eyes slid upward.

An organic clicking mixed with a warble, before the cloaking flickered out. A tall and broad back, armored in black, stood before her, between herself and Evan. Her breath caught as her brain tried to shake off the delusion. There was no way. There was absolutely no way.

Even as she denied it, her eyes caught sight of red-orange textured skin between the plates of armor and long red-black tendrils, pulled back into a sort of ponytail.

Rayelle’s heart thundered in her chest, a sound threatening to escape the back of her throat.

“You!” That caught Rayelle’s attention and her eyes swung toward Evan, her eyebrows furrowing. How the hell did he know about Tai’dqei?

“I knew you were real!” Evan’s scream sounded hinged and deranged as he took a step toward the alien. The gun in his hand shook, but Rayelle wasn’t sure if it was from fear or rage. “Everyone said I was just stressed, but you’ve been tailing me, haven’t you?”

Tai’dqei angled his head at the human and, despite months apart, Rayelle thought she could feel smugness radiating off him.

“And you,” Evan hissed, turning his attention to Rayelle. A growl rose up slow and quiet from Tai’dqei, his muscles tensing even though Evan didn’t seem to notice the warning. “You have something to do with him, don’t you? You weren’t happy ruining my life and my children. Oh no, you had to keep tormenting me!”

Whatever he was about to do was interrupted as Tai’dqei charged at him. Evan howled as a crushing grip snatched up his arm, the firearm was yanked from his hand. Not one to be taken so easily, Evan jerked and struggled. Mud beneath the two struggling opponents gave way, and their footing slid.

Where Tai’dqei remained upright, Evan slipped, landing in the mud. But that was enough to make inspiration strike, as he hefted a glob of mud and hurled it at Taid’qei’s face. It landed with a smack, causing the alien to pause.

A very loud snarl rumbled out of Tai’dqei as he wrenched his mask off. As he latched the mask to his hip belt, the angry guttural clicks echoed through the rain and trees.

“What the fuck, what the fuck,” breathed Evan, scrambling backward on the ground when he caught sight of the alien features. A low growl continued to emanate from Tai’dqei as he slowly followed Evan, like a jaguar stalking their next lunch. Tai’dqei’s mandibles flexed and, from the way he walked, Rayelle got the feeling he was playing with her ex. Evan was no actual threat to him and he was broadcasting that fact.

Quick like a viper, Tai’dqei lunged and snatched Evan’s ankle. A surprised yelp burst from Evan. Tai’dqei hauled the man up upside down, holding him at arm’s length. With a few heavy squelching footfalls in the mud, he headed toward the cliff’s edge. Tai’dqei easily dangled Evan over the edge. A silent threat made which only made Evan yell louder - beg louder - voice tinged with further terror as he remained still.

“Wait, don’t!” Now it was Skylar’s turn to rush in. They grabbed at Tai’dqei’s free arm, but flinched away when the yautja turned his gaze on them. Skylar’s lips trembled, blinking back tears as they weakly said, “He’s… he’s still my dad. Please.”

Tai’dqei glanced up to Rayelle, tone soft though he still held Evan over the precipce. “What are they saying?”

Oh right, Rayelle straightened as she remembered the translator nanobug. Of course, Tai’dqei couldn’t understand her kids.

“They don’t want to see their dad dropped to his death.” With a wave of her hand as she edged closer to the car. She sighed as if resigning herself to taking the higher road. Ignoring the confused and curious looks her kids shot her, she waved Tai’dqei over. “Bring him over here.”

Tai’dqei’s eyes narrowed, his mandibles twitching with amusement. There was something in her stance that made him believe she had something else up her sleeve. Something she deemed more appropriate for her kids to see than their father splattered on the rocks below. So, he obliged.

As soon as he was set down, Evan scrambled to his feet, moving toward Rayelle as if to hug her. “Thank you, Ra-”

Whatever gratitude he was about to show her was cut off as she grabbed his collar, her other hand reaching for his head. Using her pent-up rage, she forced Evan’s face toward the car. Surprised, the man barely even had a chance to resist as his face kissed the hood.

“Never. Threaten. My children. Again!” Punctuating every syllable, Rayelle slammed Evan’s face into the car. The sound of flesh hitting metal echoed through the air, between the raindrops. Once finished, she released him and, with a groan, he slumped against the car. Blood smeared along the metal, his face, her shirt.

With a sigh and her shoulders still tense, she turned to her children and Tai’dqei. All three watched her quietly. She waited for her kids to say something, to voice their dissent.

“Is dad going to be okay?” Skylar piped up, their eyes shifting from Rayelle to Evan. They didn’t exactly move to help their fallen parent, but there was concern woven into their tone.

From the ground, the aforementioned man groaned.

“He’s alive, at least,” Rayelle scoffed, fighting the urge to kick Evan while he was down. She knew she’d have to have a long and difficult talk with Skylar and Elliot - likely two different sorts of conversations - about what just happened, but those talks could be had later. There were more pressing matters on her mind. Turning to Tai’dqei, she demanded, “Why are you here?”

“I… It’s a long story.” Tai’dqei’s fingers flexed as he considered what to tell her. There really wasn’t time. They had a lot to do, depending on the actions they chose from here on out. “We should get go-”

“No, TAC told us you couldn’t come here. What’s going on?” Rayelle took a step closer to him, her finger jabbing him in the chest plate. It was easier for her to hang on to suspicion and anger, than let herself believe their story could have a happier ending. Her mind flew wildly with questions and accusations, her eyes widening as one potentiality settled. “You didn’t steal the time machine thing did you?”

“I did not,” was all Tai’dqei managed to say, before Elliot grabbed his mom’s arm.

Her attention wheeled to her son, finding his expression curious but conflicted. “Mom? How can you understand them?”

She opened her mouth, but closed it when she realized she didn’t have a good answer. Despite how the phrase echoed in her head, considering Tai’dqei had just used it on her, she muttered, “It’s… it’s a long story, sweetie.”

“No, seriously. What the fuck is going on?” Elliot’s grasp released Rayelle as he ran his hands through his own short hair. It was easier for him to focus on the absurd, rather the family trauma that had just passed. “A time machine? And them, are they an alien?”

As Elliot paced away, Skylar intercepted him. They pressed a hand to his arm, as if the touch could calm their brother down. Looking up to Rayelle, their own expression a mirror of conflict and pain and uncertainty as their brothers, Skylar asked, “Can we get out of the rain at least?”

Taking a deep breath, Rayelle turned her attention back to the patiently waiting Tai’dqei. “We need to get out of the rain. Somewhere dry.”

Tai’dqei nodded, inputting a command onto his gauntlet. His ship uncloaked itself, right at the edge of the cliffside, hovering in open air. With a motion of his arm, he wordlessly told Rayelle and her children to follow as the boarding gangway lowered.

“How long has this been here?!” Elliot yelled, though he trudged grudgingly toward the boarding ramp.

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Tag list: @ajarofpickledtears, @boogeysmoth, @omg-the-nutella-queen

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eruden-archives · 1 year

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The Unexpected Human Problem

fanfic yautja x human chapters: 31 Complete

Summary:

The night her abductors die, Rayelle finds herself running for her life. She doesn’t know where she is, what is following her, where to go. All she knows is she’s not on Earth any longer and the thing chasing her has the capacity to kill.

Will sense return to Tai'qdei before he catches Rayelle? Or will Rayelle be subjected to the yautja’s natural inclinations?

And what happens afterwards?

Links under cut

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📚 Read on Tumblr

🛸 Part 1 🛸 Part 2 🛸 Part 3 🛸 Part 4 🛸 Part 5 🛸 🛸 Part 6 🛸 Part 7 🛸 Part 8 🛸 Part 9 🛸 Part 10 🛸 🛸 Part 11 🛸 Part 12 🛸 Part 13 🛸 Part 14 🛸 Part 15 🛸 🛸 Part 16 🛸 Part 17 🛸 Part 18 🛸 Part 19 🛸 Part 20 🛸 🛸 Part 21 🛸 Part 22 🛸 Part 23 🛸 Part 24 🛸 Part 25 🛸 🛸 Part 26 🛸 Part 27 🛸 Part 28 🛸 Part 29 🛸 Part 30 🛸 🛸 Part 31 🛸

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Attempted Rayelle and Tai'dqei

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#yautja #fanfic #yaujta x human #alien x human #alien #enemies to lovers #misunderstandings abound #ongoing #tai'dqei #rayelle #aliens #science fiction #sci fi

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eruden-writes · 7 months

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Been editing The Unexpected Human Problem for self-publishing.

Working on the cover, as well.

A more finished cover can be seen on my Patreon.

#exophilia #exo art #alien #sci fi #sci fi writing #humans and aliens #tuhp #the unexpected human problem #tai'dqei #rayelle

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eruden-writes · 1 year

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The Unexpected Human Problem - Part 29

Tag list: @ajarofpickledtears, @boogeysmoth, @omg-the-nutella-queen

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Will sense return to Tai'qdei before he catches Rayelle? Or will Rayelle be subjected to the yautja’s natural inclinations?

And what happens afterwards?

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Silence filled the air between Rayelle and Tai’dqei as the bustle of bureaucracy continued around them. Rayelle stared at Sh’thal, excitement and relief clashing against dread and disappointment. It took so much effort for her to choke out, “I can?”

“Yes, whether you are gone or present, your being in the past makes no major changes.” Unaware of the implications of her own words, Sh’thal smiled brightly at Rayelle.

To be told your presence - or lack thereof - makes no difference was both a slap in the face and a comfort. There were two people her presence made the difference for: Skylar and Elliot. The relief made her heart swell, excited to see her children once more after what felt like so very long apart.

Turning to Tai’dqei, Rayelle’s delight diminished a little. He didn’t move. He just stared at the Corizite, trying to maintain a handle on the inner roil of emotions threatening to burst forth. Even Rayelle could sense the tension in his limbs, the awful way his mandibles fluttered like flexing fingers.

“I-I have to go back. Elliot and Skylar need me.” She reached out, her fingers shaking as her hand stroked down his arm. He jerked at the sudden contact, his head swiveling to meet her gaze. A guilty twinge twisted in her chest as he acted so struck by the mere graze of her touch. Tears of frustration were again threatening to spill from her eyes. With a shake of her head, she forced the words out, “If Evan can do what he did to me, what’s to stop him from-”

Her words halted as he turned to face her, his large hands moving to her shoulders. For a breath, both stared at one another in silence again. There were so many things he wanted to say, but the weight of the eyes around them clamped his throat shut. Instead, he leaned into the tried and true. “I understand.”

Rayelle frowned at those two annoying awful words. She was growing to hate them, hate how calm and collected he seemed after the news. Her insides felt like they were being shredded, her heart tripping back and forth between happiness and woe. It had to be painted on her face, in her crumpling body language. The conflict and the pain.

And there Tai’dqei was, standing straight and tall with a firm set to his shoulders. Immovable, steadfast, strong. As if she was just the weak one, the one who was going to be upset and happy regardless of what the answer had been.

Rayelle shrugged off his hands, her voice cracking as she burst out, “Why, though? Why do you understand so easily?”

It was hard to say how she even wanted him to react. Did she want him to throw a fit? Demand she stay? Or maybe wholeheartedly tell her to go? Either way would have made the decision easier. In the former, he would be too selfish to consider staying with. In the latter, it would be obvious he couldn’t wait to get rid of her.

What reaction Tai’dqei was giving her somehow made everything so much harder. And the longer his silence went on, the more Rayelle’s chest ached, clearly feeling his struggle beneath his seemingly unflappable demeanor.

“It’s not easy. I want you to stay here with me, but you wouldn’t be happy. Not knowing what would happen to our kids would eat at you.” When Tai’dqei spoke, his voice was soft and strained. Agitation hardened his tone, as he shook his head and his fists clenched at his sides. A tremor arched along his arm, as if the tension of his muscles burdened his being. “You didn’t ask to come here. It’s unfair of me to ask you to stay, knowing what - and who - you might be sacrificing.”

At a loss, Rayelle simply stared at him, frustrated tears brimming in her eyes. On some level, she knew that would be his answer, knew that he was actually struck as she was. It was just easier, in a way, to believe he wasn’t. It made her inevitable choice easier to swallow.

But the choice wasn’t going to be easy. Ever since she got closer to him, it was never going to be easy.

“You may take some time to decide or to find a way to remember one another, if you so choose.” Sh’thal interrupted the tense moment with an almost-sweet, yet matter-of-fact tone. “Ideally, we wish you to return to your proper time, as soon as possible. But there is some leeway.”

Rayelle’s attention flickered to Sh’thal, ideas careening suddenly through her brain. That was right. The Temporal Authority Council had plenty of time, didn’t they? “How long may I have?”

Sh’thal hummed, looking over data on her holo screen. She seemed to tally something in her head before answering, “A few days, at most. We risk you looking too different from when you left, if we wait too long.”

“Thank you,” Rayelle hurriedly said as she turned on her heel. She grabbed Tai’dqei by his wrist and led him from the temporary TAC office, immensely thankful that he offered little resistance.

In truth, Tai’dqei was weak to any time he could snatch away with her. He couldn’t imagine being in her position, making the same choices. His chest hurt thinking about it. Still, it didn’t explain why she was dallying. “Where are we going?”

Her mind spun out with ideas and thoughts. Last minute things to do. Last minute things to say. They all clattered through her head, clogging her throat with answers. She waited until they were out of the auditorium and into the hall before settling on a direction. “I want to visit the others before I go.”

He hummed, nodding his head in understanding. Of course, she would want to let the others know her news. Perhaps give others who sought to return home to their planet and time hope. That made sense.

“And I want something to remember you by,” Rayelle added quickly, fighting down the embarrassment such sentimental roused. Her shoulders hunched and a flush crawled over her cheeks, feeling his gaze burn into her back.

Something in Tai’dqei perked up at her words. Something to remember him by? His mind filed through a list of gifts, of trophies, of things he could do for her. Quietly, he let his mind gnaw on possibilities as she led him through the corridors.

—

It took the better part of an hour, but Rayelle and Tai’dqei managed to gather up a gallery of friends and companions. The little contingent of human freedom fighters - Sandra, Lisa, Abe, Mikan, and Bette - were joined by Ah’ke and Big Blue. Humans and yautja alike clustered the tables.

At Rayelle’s initial announcement - informing them all of her intentions to return home - an awkward cacophony of conflicted congratulations for her and sympathies for him resounded. She couldn’t stop the conflicted expression from crimping her features.

Lisa, leaning back precariously in a chair, broke the diametrically opposed joy-and-woe in the air. “No one would blame you if you stayed, y’know.”

“Lisa!” Sandra hissed, leaning over to swat the other woman on the shoulder. Lisa yelped at the reprimand, shooting Sandra a dirty look.

Ignoring the dagger-filled glares, Rayelle sighed. “I’d blame myself. I know it’s hard to understand, but I can’t just leave them if I can go back.”

It wasn’t like she hadn’t thought about staying. She was here now and, had the TAC not given her the go ahead to return home, she wouldn’t know the difference. But they did give her the okay and she couldn’t just abandon her kids.

And it was out of the question to ask Tai’dqei to go with her. There was no life for him on Earth and she couldn’t force her kids to be on the intergalactic run with an alien out of his time and his sector of space.

There was only one option for Rayelle.

“Since I’m leaving, I do want something to remember him by.” Her eyes trailed to Tai’dqei, sitting beside her in a much-too-small human chair. He’d been rather quiet, introspective, as they rounded everyone up. Without realizing she was doing it, she reached out to his hand resting in his own lap. He looked up at the touch, the distant look softening as his eyes came to her face.

Lisa made a scoffing sound, but everyone else exchanged glances, looking for the answer to Rayelle’s question. Or, maybe, considering solutions that would leave the well-known couple together.

“How about a raygun for Evan’s face?” Mikan suggested from his slumped position on the table, chin cushioned by his crossed arms. A few chuckles rose up from the group, though the mood didn’t lighten entirely.

The suggestion made Rayelle smile a little, unsure if rayguns were a thing in Mikan’s time. They certainly weren’t in hers. “Something that’s not anachronistic. Preferably, easy to hide and not able to be taken from me.”

“Did you consider a blooding ritual?” Big Blue - whose name was actually Ad’tuan, but didn’t seem to mind the nickname - spoke up from where he sat at the table next to Sandra. His hulking form even more at odds in the human-sized chair, compared to Tai’dqei.

“Blooding?” Rayelle inclined her head to Big Blue, raising her eyebrows.

“They are traditional yautja rituals. There are different bloodings for different events. Most common is the passage into adulthood, which some yautja cultures require a hunt for.” Ad’tuan explained, his voice deep and resonant and his tone pragmatic. “A group of yautja will hunt a kiande amedha, a formidable beast. Upon killing it, the acidic blood is used to mark the new adult.”

“There are other rituals though. It often requires something to cause a scar and a particular symbol, pending on the meaning.” Ah’ke further explained as she shrugged her shoulders. Turning to Tai’dqei, she added, “You could use the acid of the tsai’tse flower. It is strong enough to mark humans, but easy for them to heal from.”

Apparently, this was a common enough occurrence for Ah’ke to know that detail, Rayelle realized.

“And you could mark him, in return!” Sandra flashed a smile to Rayelle, clapping her hands together as if it was one of those exciting revelations.

“Like couple's tattoos?” Rayelle’s nose scrunched at the thought, but she turned a questioning look up at Tai’dqei, trying to gauge his interest. “What symbol would we even use?”

She was sure there were plenty of Earth or yautja symbols to choose from. But it felt unbalanced to choose a mark that was particular to her people or his.

“It does not have to be a symbol.” Tai’dqei spoke slowly, still piecing together his own feelings on the option. Whether Rayelle wanted such a mark was her choice. Not wishing to admit it, he had considered blooding rituals in the hour it took to gather everyone. There was only one thing he wanted, one place he wanted it.

His hand rose to his chest, fingers pressing lightly over his heart. A little quieter than he intended, he admitted, “I would like your handprint here.”

Before Rayelle could even open her mouth to argue, he continued, “I can cover your hand with my blood - that should neutralize the tsai’tse acid against your skin - so you may mark me without getting hurt.”

“But why my handprint?” Rayelle’s eyebrows furrowed, trying to imagine the large swath of her own skin stained with his handprint. It would not be subtle. Was that what Tai’dqei wanted for her, in exchange for her hand on him?

“Even after you go back to your time, I want… I want…” He looked away, the words crackling and trailing off. Though unable to meet anyone’s eye, his hand motioned to his chest, fingers curling against the very spot he mentioned earlier.

The motion reminded Rayelle of holding hands, sending a new swirl of painful emotion through her. She inhaled deeply, swallowing down the tears as she grabbed for his arm. When he did turn to look at her again, she offered him an encouraging smile. “Okay, that’s what we’ll do.”

—

One day. Twenty-four hours. That was all Rayelle allowed herself. Too much longer and she risked never leaving Tai’dqei.

Together, they got their corresponding marks and Ah’ke shortened the recovery time with an extra strength med-spray.

Tai’dqei now sported her handprint - a pale yellow scar - over his heart, as he wanted. She had already caught him touching it while quietly staring off into space. It made the cracks in Rayelle’s heart deepen every time. Instead of dwelling on it, she would just kiss him or snuggle closer or distract him with something to do.

He appreciated her attempts. Their last cycle of shared smiles and quiet words and lingering touches. But Tai’dqei’s thoughts always swung back to how temporary, how fleeting, their time together had been. The thought always sent an ache through him, but there was nothing he could do.

Soon enough, she was going to be gone. Wishful thinking clung to past precedent, hoping that would be a lie. They had already parted when he dropped her off at the resort and, yesterday, he had been sure she’d leave as soon as she was told the news.

Though he greatly enjoyed her presence, part of him almost wished she had left. Lingering in this state was tortuous. As the time came for Rayelle to go home, he could feel the necessary emotional wedge between them growing.

Unable to get his handprint over her heart, due to the sheer size difference, Rayelle settled for something else. Five lines, his claw tips, splayed apart and drawn together at a point above her heart. It wasn’t until she was walking back into the temporary TAC set-up that she understood why Tai’dqei had been touching his chest so often.

Ah’ke hadn’t managed to heal the marks entirely. The area was still tender. Pressing on it sent a slight hint of pain through Rayelle’s skin, enough to distract her from the misery building in her chest.

Once she and Tai’dqei made it through the doors of the makeshift office, things seemed to speed by. They guided the two of them from the office to another part of the building, a kitchen that had been modified into a science lab with a portable time doorway set up. It honestly looked rather unimpressive, Rayelle thought. An empty rectangle of a doorway displayed on a platform, made of metal, hooked up to a litany of boxy power supplies and computers.

From what Rayelle had gathered, from listening to the time traveling authorities, they had already input data for her landing point: The exact day and place she was abducted from.No one would even know she had been gone. The TAC authorities even found replicas of the clothes she wore that day.

She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Months had passed since she last was on Earth, last saw her kids. But it was probably easier to go back right then, than deal with the media circus of a disappearance.

Once she was changed into the new clothes, her hair trimmed to roughly the same length as when she left Earth, there was nothing else left. Something in Tai’dqei twinged, realizing how subtly different she appeared, how much time had passed for her between being stolen from Earth and his appearance in her life.

Electricity hummed as lights flickered around the doorway. There was a sizzle as the ‘jamb’ of the door buzzed to life with light, a soft droning echoing from it. People around her yelled out statuses, affirmations, negations. Rayelle didn’t hear much of it. She couldn’t tear her eyes from the bright rectangle of light, heart pounding.

A shift beside her brought her gaze to her longtime companion. He, too, stared at the door. She couldn’t begin to inspect Tai’dqei’s expression too closely. Her heart wouldn’t be able to take it.

She did reach out, squeezed his arm, gaining his attention. Tai’dqei’s expression shifted, giving that yautja version of a smile as his mandibles pulled up, his hand moving to cover hers. When he leaned down, touching his closed mandibles to her cheek like a chaste kiss, something in Rayelle heated and bloomed. Leaning into him, her eyes fluttered closed, committing the moment, the sensations, to memory. As she had a million times over already.

“Alright, it’s ready when you are!” The shout of the TAC technician broke through their quiet moment.

Rayelle pulled away from Tai’dqei, his hand lingering on hers until she was out of reach. She forced herself toward the doorway, the echoes of her footfalls on the metal rattling inside her. Heat radiated from the doorway, leaking into the relatively colder lab.

On the platform, she looked back. Tai’dqei had been ushered farther away from the door, like many others in the room. He seemed to be sternly listening as one of the other aliens spoke to him, moving their hands animatedly.

This was going to be the last time she saw him. A sudden surge overwhelmed her and she couldn’t stop herself. “Tai’dqei!”

He straightened instantly, turning to face her as his name left her lips. He wanted to make it clear he was listening, that he was paying attention. His yellow eyes met hers. As she backed toward the door, a smile split across her lips despite the tears actively falling down her cheeks. The buzz of the machinations seemed to drown away as she yelled, “I love you!”

Then the light flashed bright, blinding him though he made no move to back away. Looking to the spot Rayelle had last been, he found emptiness in her place. Much like the hollow spot growing in his chest. His hands clenched tight, until his claws dug into his palms and prickled through his skin, causing drops of blood to ooze out. A torrent of emotions swarmed him.

Around him, the technicians busied themselves with shutting down the doorway. Each in their old workplace world of numbers and readings and settings. They didn’t give the yautja in their midsts another thought.

Numbly, Tai’dqei brought his hands in front of him, staring at his bleeding palms. Anger and despair roiled through him. He didn’t even have the chance, despite the drawn out time, to tell Rayelle he loved her before she was gone.

—

The world whorled around Rayelle in a sea of colors and lines and speed. Her brain scrambled to make sense of what was happening around her, trying to latch onto anything. Brief snippets and sounds of events flashed and echoed around her. Some of it in English, some of it in an entirely different - though recognizable - language. Occasionally, a scent wafted through her nose, familiar and unfamiliar and coating the back of her tongue. Through the chaos, she couldn’t make heads or tails of anything thought.

Just as quick as the light, the sounds, the tastes had descended on her, it all lifted with a deafening boom. An unrelenting keening flatlined in her ears, until it faded. Blinking her eyes rapidly, Rayelle tried to make sense of the world around her, desperate to gain her bearings.

It was night, she realized with a start. Darkness swathed the area, save for a few street lights in the restaurant parking lot. Cicadas and crickets sang a noisome chorus around her. She was kneeling by her car, her door still open and her purse not far off.

Apparently, no one had noticed her abduction. Bitterness weighed against sensibility, deciding whether that was just human nature or if the Temporal Authorities had something to do with that. After all, the less alarm around her disappearance, the less of a historical wave it made, didn’t it?

Standing, Rayelle battled the sense of surreality.

She was back on Earth, back in her time. Back home. It didn’t feel like home, though. Her hand pressed to her chest - over her heart, over Tai’dqei’s mark - and she swallowed heavily. She couldn’t help but feel her home was somewhere else in the future.

That didn’t matter, she told herself, steeling herself against an onslaught of sudden emotions. Numbly, she grabbed her purse from where it had fallen - been thrown, she reminded herself - and climbed into her car.

It took her a few moments and a few deep breaths before she managed to jam her keys into the ignition and pull out of the parking lot. On auto-pilot, she made her way back to her house, to her children.

---

The first few days back were eventful. Evan, in his miserable attempt to seem conscientious, called the cops on Rayelle’s home for a wellness check. Gratifyingly, the officers seemed annoyed, especially once she explained the caller was her ex and they were in the process of a divorce. Seeing the shock and rage and confusion mingling on Evan’s face, when she next met him, was also gratifying.

Not enough to make giving up Tai’dqei worth it, but it eased the ache.

Then the following months passed, both a slog and at great speed. People around Rayelle noticed she was acting differently. A few even said she looked different, sounded different, acted different. For the most part, she didn’t agree with them, but she did have a new fire burning in her.

She was determined to give Evan absolute hell during court proceedings, the loss of Tai’dqei driving her to be ruthless. And she did give the damned man hell. Despite the dirty punches he pulled and the attempts to get a less progressive judge.

In the end, Rayelle was awarded full custody and hefty child support. Though she did have to allow Evan visitation every other weekend, to facilitate bonding between father and children. Elliot never wanted to go, but he did for Skylar’s safety. There had been plenty of discussions between Rayelle and her kids concerning self-defense and what major incidents to look out for, what to tell her.

Doing all that they could, they eventually fell into a comfortable routine.

And everything was good. Well, as good as it was in the daily grind. Elliot wore a tux, instead of a dress, to prom and, gradually, he became more confident in presenting as a boy. Skylar still shifted between various genders, some days preferring ‘he’ other days ‘she.’ The only consistent thing for them was ‘they’ and their love of technology and games.

There were still struggles, still those difficult days. On the whole,Rayelle didn’t regret her choice. She’d find herself sitting with her kids, in the living room or the kitchen or in the car. Listening to their trials and tribulations and delights. Something twinged in her, imagining missing out on these moments.

On occasion, she would find her hand drifting to her heart, running her fingertips over the scar beneath her shirt. The raised edges of the scar tissue was a solid reminder that it had happened. It wasn’t just a delusion or daydream. No matter how much time passed, no matter how foggy the memories became.

She would remember Tai’dqei - be enormously thankful for what they had - until the day she died.

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eruden-writes · 2 years

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The Unexpected Human Problem - Part 2 (yautja x human)

Summary: The night her abductors die, Rayelle finds herself running for her life. She doesn't know where she is, what is following her, where to go. All she knows is she's not on Earth any longer and the thing chasing her has the capacity to kill.

Will sense return to Tai'qdei before he catches Rayelle? Or will Rayelle be subjected to the yautja's natural inclinations?

And what happens afterwards?

---

CHAPTER CONTENT WARNINGS: Minor force feeding. Short masturbatory scene.

TAG LIST: @ajarofpickledtears

---

Heavy. Groggy. Dark.

Those were the first things Rayelle noticed when she came back to consciousness. It was like she’d clawed her way out of one darkness and into another. With a brain full of fuzz, she pushed herself into a sitting position, trying to remember.

As her eyes flickered around, she realized this wasn’t her cage. It was much larger and, with a sudden realization, it was equipped with a cot, which she currently sat on. Looking down, Rayelle realized the shirt she wore was even different. It was a dark grey and made of heavier, perhaps nicer, material than her previous covering. And it was huge.

Suddenly, it all came back to her. The blood and screams. Running until a heavy weight pinned her down. Leathery skin in warm hues. The mandibles and sharp teeth. Claws tearing fabric.

Heavy footfalls startled Rayelle out of her horrified recollection. Illumination slowly, dimly, turned on and bathed the area in a yellowish light. With new brightness, she realized the room and her cage wasn’t simply dark. It was made of dark grey metal and a strange white mist crept along the floor.

Other than the cot, on the opposite side of the cage something akin to a toilet squatted. For the most part, it was simply a box, with bars on the open face and a solid door. Faintly, Rayelle wondered if the bars were electrified.

With such a bare area, it didn’t take her long to turn her attention to the creature in the doorway.

It was as massive as she remembered. Perhaps more so in the better lighting. She also realized it was far less dressed than she initially assumed. Her mind’s eye thought it had been dressed in full dark-grey-nearly-black armor, save for its hands and tendrils.

Yet the only metal armor appeared to be a chestplate with heavy shoulder guards, bracers on their wrists and thigh guards, and heavy metal boots. There were additional accessories. Like belts and bags and a fishnet material between each piece of armor. It had decided against wearing its helmet, apparently.

It left swaths of their leathery red-orange skin bare. Faintly, she wondered if it was hubris that made the creature bare so much skin or if the fishnet material had some sort of technological protective abilities that wasn’t activated.

Rayelle also wasn’t sure if she hadn’t realized their lack of protective gear was thanks to the dark or her terror from last night. Or perhaps the thing had changed out of full-body armor to specifically indulge in other activities.

Wariness lit through your brain at that thought. She sat straighter on her cot, her eyes narrowing on the figure. Its mandibles flexed at her sudden stiffness, but they closed the distance from the door to the cell. She watched as the alien opened a grate and slid a tray in. Silently, she stared at the offering of presumable food.

It was like coral-colored mashed potatoes, with flecks of darker red something in it.

The meal looked and smelled better than the gruel she’d been given previous, by her other abductors. However, suspicion kept her from edging toward the meal. Her gaze flicked from the tray, up to the creature on the other side of the bars.

Unsettling pale yellow eyes watched her intently. It nodded toward the tray of food, making a series of chittering sounds. When Rayelle didn’t move, the creature made a sharp motion with their hand. The next round of clicking was laced with a growly undertone. Still, Rayelle refused to move closer even as hunger clamped through her stomach.

Once more, the thing motioned to the food, snarling something at her. Evidently they were getting annoyed. Good, Rayelle thought, her eyebrows lowering. She didn’t feel like cooperating. If she starved to death, all the better.

Her captor seemed to have different ideas.

Rayelle watched as the thing typed something into a wrist gauntlet and the door to her cell shifted open with a hydraulic hiss.

It entered, prompting Rayelle to stand and back away as it picked up some food from the tray. Turning to her, it raised the mush to its mouth. She watched as its tongue came out, pulling mush into their mouth and swallowing. Indignation flared inside her, realizing it thought she was ignorant on how to eat.

From the corner of her eye, Rayelle noticed the alien hadn’t closed the cell door.

As the creature issued another series of clicks at her, her attention returned to its face. It insistently held out the tray to her, making motions for her to accept the meal and to eat. She only edged further away from the creature, moving slow and keeping her gaze locked to its face.

Why didn’t it get the hint? Why didn’t it just leave her alone?

Her refusal to eat made the creature give a gurgly displeased growl. It scooped the mush up in one hand, tossing the tray aside with the other. Momentarily distracted by the tray clattering across the floor, Rayelle barely had time to react to the alien’s quick charge.

The sudden movement had her instinctively pressing her back against the wall, which only benefited the alien. Using its broad body to box Rayelle in, it used its clean hand to grasp at her jaw.

“Let go,” she snarled, her hands shoving at its arms, as the thing tilted her head back. As expected, they were too strong, they didn’t even struggle as Rayelle violently jerked. She felt like an obstinate cat, refusing medicine as she pushed and struggled. The alien’s beefy fingers held her firm, surprisingly refraining from using their claws.

Its other hand - the one that had scooped the food into its palm - shoved its hand closer to Rayelle’s mouth, while trying to squeeze her mouth open. It was only when the creature’s hold threatened to bruise that she opened her mouth.

She did not intend to eat.

As it shoved the food toward her mouth, she pretended to accept it. Her glare pinned to its face as her tongue licked their hand clean, faintly registering a citrusy taste to the mush. Some tension eased from the creature. Though its own gaze watched her mouth, a heat other than frustration now in their eyes.

That look made Rayelle’s stomach turn, but she decided to use its fascination against it. Her tongue drew one of its fingers into her mouth, sucking on the digit. A sound, something like a cross between a growl and purr, vibrated from the creature.

That was enough. Rayelle’s teeth clamped down on its finger, biting as hard as her jaw would let her.

A startled screech left the creature as it jerked its hand away, only to have Rayelle’s mouthful of food spat out all over its chest armor. The stare the alien gave her now was one of angry bafflement. Their pale yellow eyes flickering from her face to the mess on its armor.

Taking advantage of their surprise, Rayelle lurched from their hold, which had fallen lax from shock. She made a beeline for the door, but with each step, she knew it was a useless attempt. Where would she go? If this was a ship - which she assumed it was - and they were in transit, she was stuck. If they just happened to be docked somewhere, how did she know she wouldn’t just be dragged back to this thing? But she couldn’t just stop, she couldn’t so obviously change her mind after biting and spitting at them.

It was almost a relief when the thing grabbed her, its claws digging into the fabric of the borrowed top but not tearing into it. The alien hauled her back and up, tossing her bodily onto the cot. A surprised shriek left her lips as she flailed mid-air, before her body landed with a thump.

She didn’t even have a chance to yelp when it descended on her. One arm braced against her chest, pushing her flush against the mattress, as the other hand removed something from its belt. Rayelle’s own hands grappled with the forearm, her nails digging into the bare skin there, as her feet kicked out, determined to cause some impact.

In a swift movement, the hand not pinning Rayelle down snapped something heavy and cold around her throat. Then, just as quickly as it had descended on her, it pulled away. As the creature stormed through the open doorway, its booted feet pounding on the floor, Rayelle’s hands fluttered to her neck.

Her fingers traced the metal collar, her angry glare darting to the creature’s back. But the door had slid back into place, obscuring the thing from her view.

Without thought, riding on a wave of adrenaline and rage, Rayelle pushed off the bed and barreled toward the door. Her fists pelted the metal, an animalistic scream drawn from her throat.

Why was this happening to her? Why had she been taken from Earth? Why was she being handed off from one awful alien race to the next?

Why couldn’t she catch a break?

Her thoughts completely stuttered to a halt as the thing, still on the other side of the door, slammed its fists against the metal and gave a bellowing roar. Instinctively, she ducked into a crouch, covering her head with her hands. Ice ran through Rayelle’s veins, her pounding heart skipping a beat, the longer the howl went on.

Eventually, the thing’s bellow petered out. But Rayelle could still hear its panting breaths on the other side of the door. Had she already worn its patience thin?

Part of her hoped so. Perhaps she’d be released, if she proved to be too difficult. Another part of her flinched at the thought, though. If she was too much of a pain, wouldn’t it just be simpler to kill her?

Whatever the case, the alien on the other side of the door gave one last half-hearted thunk of fist against metal, before she heard it retreat. The door to the rest of the ship hissed open, before solidly closing behind her captor.

As Rayelle’s hands dropped from her head, she realized she was once more alone. And still trembling from the thing’s roar. Temptation turned her attention back to the meal they offered. The food was mostly splattered on the tray but at least not on the floor. The tangy citrusy taste the alien had forced into her mouth lingered on her tongue.

It had not been an unpleasant taste.

Stubborn rebelliousness tore the observation from her head. No. Absolutely not. The food could have been laced with something, another sedative, for all she knew. It could have been an aphrodisiac. Or it could have made her placid and agreeable.

Rayelle didn’t trust it.

Getting to her feet, she stumbled back to the cot, where she promptly flopped down. She glared at the wall with her back to the food. If the thing came back, she wanted it to see her snubbing the offering.

—

After his last meeting with the human, Tai'dqei needed yet another shower. He leaned against the shower wall, forearms bracing himself, as the water ran down his back. He tried to focus on the cold streams, the way the droplets slid over his skin, but his thoughts circled back to the human no matter how hard he tried to avoid the subject.

The little shit had made an aggressive display before attempting to run. Again.

Tai'dqei had barely gotten the mating urge out of his system before attempting to feed the little ingrate. And here it was riling it up all over again.

They didn’t understand, Tai'dqei told himself. It wasn’t their fault and he should be capable of controlling his instincts. At least, this time he didn’t strip them. No, instead he clamped a monitoring collar around their throat. It would allow him to keep an eye on their vital signs from a distance and even track their location, if they managed to escape.

Given how easily they riled his mating instincts, tracking this human himself would only exacerbate the issue.

Though, as he thought back over what just happened, perhaps he shouldn’t have forced food into their mouth. If the human was captive-bred, Tai'dqei thought perhaps it didn’t know how to feed itself. Or maybe their lack of familiarity with the dish made them wary. So he tried to illustrate its safety.

It did not help.

A mixture of concern for the creature and his own annoyance had him forcing food into the human’s mouth. Which led to Tai'dqei feeling their warm soft tongue on his palm and watching as they suckled on one of his fingers, their gaze intense on his face. At the time, he impulsively wondered how that mouth would feel on other parts of his anatomy. The memories made his fingers flex, the clawed tips digging into the shower wall as heat rose in his loins.

Even their bite on his finger - which startled Tai'dqei more than hurt - only served to tempt him.

An annoyed growl caught in his throat as he shifted his position slightly, leaning his head against his forearm as his other hand reached down. His fingers wrapped around the shaft of his erection. It flexed at his touch and Tai'dqei began stroking. Heat stoked hotter in his loins, his hips jerking every so often to the stimuilation.

His brain fed him the usual images of Ah’ke and other previous mates, the memories of their frenzied fuckings, the way her claws would rake down his back or how he’d struggle to make her submit. The thrill, the adrenaline, the drive. The memories made his heart pound, desire flaring through him. Heated breaths caught in Tai'dqei’s throat, his chest gently heaving as excitement sunk into him. His hand moved faster, the slap of his palm against his thigh adding to the memories.

All the while, thoughts of the human weaseled their way in. The sensation of their tongue, their softness, the enticing snarl they’d made when pounding at their cell’s door. Vaguely, he understood why others would find the soft fleshy things so appealing. There was something hard to describe that lured one in.

He squeezed harder at his cock, hand moving desperately as the crest quickly overtook him. Tai'dqei threw his head back, letting loose a snarl as the orgasm clamped into him, ropes of seed splattering against the shower wall.

Tai'dqei closed his his eyes, allowing the embers of his release to simmer at his skin as his cock emptied itself with a few more spurts. He took a deep breath before opening his eyes again. For now, his dick had fallen soft, but Tai'dqei could still feel the desire, the need, clawing at his core. He needed more than his own hand.

It would have to do for now, he decided, as he shut the shower off. If the need to mate, to fuck, hadn’t left him by the time Ah’ke was done setting the human up with a translator, then maybe he’d broach the subject with her. The thought made embarrassment and uncertainty flame through him.

Ah’ke and he were no longer mates, for particular reasons. Yet Tai’dqei could not ignore the feelings that still lingered from their committed time together.

He shook the memories from his head as he stepped out of the shower. It wouldn’t be long until they arrived at Ah’ke’s outpost. He needed to get dressed again and check the logs, to make sure the human hadn’t hurt themself during his shower.

At that thought, Tai'dqei’s mandibles tugged downward. He wasn’t sure what he’d do, if the human had managed to hurt itself. It was evident enough they had an inherent ability to rile him up. Whether they meant to or not. Likely not.

A small dose of shame, having pictured the human briefly during his masturbatory session, flickered through Tai'dqei’s head. His teeth gnashed together, his mandibles pressing tight. It wasn’t common for a mating ritual to sink its claws into him so deeply, but here he was. Being goaded by a human.

Once more, he shook his head and headed to his quarters. He’d have to control himself a little while longer, that was all there was to it. No matter how the human played into his instincts.

Although, it was becoming clearer that requesting Ah’ke’s aid to extinguish this heat was necessary. If only to give Tai'dqei a fresh equilibrium while solving this human problem.

#yautja #predator #yautja oc #exophilia #monster fucker #monster lover #alien fucker #alien lover #exo writing #sci fi #the unexpected human problem #tai'dqei #rayelle #next chapter we see ah'ke #tai'qdei #I'm a doof and didn't pay attention to tai's spelling lol #my tags get weird sometimes #so I'm sorry if messed them up

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eruden-writes · 1 year

Text

The Unexpected Human Problem - Part 28

Tag list: @ajarofpickledtears, @boogeysmoth, @omg-the-nutella-queen

☆ ☆ ☆

Will sense return to Tai'qdei before he catches Rayelle? Or will Rayelle be subjected to the yautja’s natural inclinations?

And what happens afterwards?

☆ ☆ ☆

The next time Rayelle roused, it had to be the next morning. Late morning. Maybe afternoon, she thought, as she laid in the bed. Tai'dqei was gone. Most likely, he let her sleep since he'd put her through the ringer yesterday. Multiple times.

Faintly, she realized she wasn't even sure if their continuous fucking had really only been a day. They had stopped to eat or wash at intervals. But, invariably, their hormones would pique and they'd find each other wrapped up in the other.

As she worried at her bottom lip, Rayelle wondered if their carnal hunger stemmed from uncertainty. How long did they really have to be together? Would they soon be separated by time and space? Or was their eagerness born from sexual tension and, in her case, a blessed stamina boost from some futuristic rejuvenation process?

Whatever it was, they had gotten the bulk of it out of their systems. For now.

Sitting up in bed, Rayelle winced as her abdominals twanged with pain of exhaustion. A sweet delicious pain, but still a little uncomfortable.

The door to the room hissed open and the familiar footfalls of Tai'dqei announced his entry, before his soft words broke the quiet, "Rayelle, are you awake?"

"I just woke up." Rayelle flashed Tai'dqei a smile, but something in his demeanor made her sit straighter. Even as he neared her, she could see his mandibles fidget, his fingers flex. Clashing thoughts hurtled through her head, hope and dread. "What's wrong?"

A pang shot through Tai'dqei's chest, hearing the longing anticipation in Rayelle's voice. He paused a little ways from the bed, giving her ample space to get to her feet if she so chose. Even as the lump formed in his throat, threatening to make the words dissipate, he answered her, "The Temporal Authority Council wishes to speak with you."

As he expected, Rayelle scrambled off the bed. "Am I going to be told if I can go back?"

Tai'dqei swallowed down the unfair, bitter feelings at seeing her so excited. Now wasn't the time. He tried to stow the hurt as far down as he could, imagining it taking residence beside the now dull pain of losing Ah'ke. "They didn't say. They just asked for your presence as soon as you're available."

Rayelle nodded, trying to restrain the excitement building in her chest. With the excitement, something else swelled. Something that would make Rayelle cry if she stopped to focus too long on it. That very feeling kept her from looking too closely at Tai'dqei, from brushing up against him. If she touched him, she thought she'd break down into tears, all the same.

Too many thoughts, too many feelings, careened around her head. Taking a deep breath, she tilted her gaze up at Tai'dqei, forcing herself to look at him. "I'll shower and get dressed, then we can eat before going to see the Counsel?"

There was half a beat, before Tai'dqei could answer her. He was too tempted to ask hard questions, too sobered by the potential of losing her to tease about joining her. An uncertainty wavered in the air around both of them, weighing on their shoulders. Right now, he needed to give her some inkling of support, without making the pain worse for himself.

Instead of offering to join her, Tai'dqei simply nodded and chose an alternative, "I'll cook something up while you get ready."

As Rayelle said a weak thanks, watching Tai'dqei turn and leave the room, she fought back a burn at the back of her eyes. She forced herself to gather clean clothes, to head out of the bedroom and into the bathroom.

Briefly, she caught the sound of Tai'dqei moving implements in the galley around, muttering to himself about what to cook. Or maybe he was on a comm with Ah'ke. Rayelle ducked into the bathroom before she could be certain.

It was hard to focus as she started up the shower. Her thoughts chased one another, tumbled over each other. She might be able to go home, be able to see Elliot and Skylar again. If that was the case, what was she going to do? How was she going to make sure Evan wasn't going to hurt them? Or try to hurt her own self, again?

While part of her mind raced through options, trying to remember the restrictions of the past, another part of her thoughts lolled over Tai'dqei.

They both knew this would come... eventually.

She was just glad Ah'ke had showed up soon after the liberation of the resort. Ah'ke said she was there to tend to the wounded, but Rayelle was pretty sure she was there for Tai'dqei. He probably told her what was going on between them. What would happen when the TAC got back to Rayelle about her options.

Scrubbing at her face, Rayelle wicked away moisture, trying to convince herself the warm droplets weren't from the few tears that had crested from her lashes.

She wasn't even sure if she was going home! For all she knew the Temporal Authorities would decline her and then... She'd have to live with knowing she could never return. Or fight and find a way back.

With a harsh shake of her head, Rayelle focused on taking one step at a time. First, finish her shower. Second, go eat. Then head to the TAC agents set up on Rerli 3. Any plans beyond that would have to wait, until she knew what was going to be allowed.

Another twenty minutes passed, before Rayelle emerged from the shower. Dressed in a fresh outfit and with hair slightly damp, she headed into the galley area. Tai'dqei turned at her entry, as if he'd been listening for her. "Good timing, I just finished some... oatmeal."

Rayelle couldn't stop the smile that curved at her lips. During their brief reunion, they had talked about a number of things, including foods. She couldn't recall how oatmeal came up - perhaps some teasing remark about something that was good on a cold day? - but it had. And it seemed Tai'dqei had endeavored to make some, probably with the guidance and resources from the humans on Rerli 3.

"Thank you," she said, as she accepted a bowl from a rather large pot of the still simmering food. The spicy sweet scent of cinnamon and sugar and cardamom drifted up on the steam. He definitely had help, she mused with a smile.

The gesture made something in her chest twinge. Ignoring it, she took the warm bowl to the table, Tai'dqei following with his own serving. Sitting down, side-by-side, the two would eat quietly. Neither really tasting the food, with their minds focused on other things.

Each bite, every passing second, got them closer to a possible end. What were they going to do? Both of their minds prepared for the worst. For the sad and lonely path, for the aching and the pain.

"Tai'dqei?" Rayelle finally hedged, placing her spoon at the edge of the bowl.

Her eyes didn't tilt up toward him, he realized, as his attention focused onto her. "Hm?"

A lump formed in Rayelle's throat, a tangle of words that she wanted to say but was having a hard time getting out. She couldn't bring her eyes to meet Tai'dqei. Even as he shifted in his seat, giving her his full attention.

"No matter what happens... I... I am glad, you know. That we..." Despite her mental grip on herself, Rayelle couldn't stop the tears. Couldn't stop the crack in her voice. Her shoulders hunched and shook, quiet tears slipping down her cheeks.

It only took a single crack for Tai'dqei to slowly, softly, lean over to her. Rayelle her head toward him, about to apologize, but quieted as he gathered her up in his arms, pressing his forehead gently to hers. In silence, she stared up at him, finding the weight and texture of his forehead against hers both enjoyable but heart wrenching.

Rayelle realized it took him a long breath, before he said something in a painfully even voice. "I understand."

Those two words hung heavy in his mouth and struck her hard in the chest. As true as they were, his heart ached. Something in his bones told him she was leaving. She would be returning to her time, her world. He tried to shrug it off as paranoia or just being prepared for the ache of losing her. But instinct told him she'd be leaving. Their time together was dwindling painfully short.

As much as Rayelle didn't want to admit it, she felt the same sense of an end coming, as well. Perhaps that's why she threw herself against Tai'dqei, her arms wrapped tight around his neck, still quietly crying.

They sat like that for a little while, both memorizing how the other felt against them. Tai'dqei committed to memory Rayelle's plush softness, her warmth, the scent of her, the feel of her smaller body shifting minutely against his. Rayelle basked in Tai'dqei's arms, his body heat, the certain solidity of him wrapped around her.

It wasn't until Rayelle carefully disentangled herself from him, wiping at her tear-streaked face, that Tai'dqei spoke once more. "Are you ready to go?"

"No, but I don't think I ever will be," she mumbled, turning doleful eyes up at him. It was silly to already be crying, to already feel as if they were saying good-bye. Still, she offered a watery smile while giving her head a shake. "But I have to know."

Tai'dqei nodded, his own mandibles pulling upward in a reciprocating smile. Like hers, it didn't reach his eyes.

Once Rayelle dried her tears, she pushed back in her chair and stood. He followed her lead, feeling slow and heavy despite his lack of armor. Tentatively, she held out her hand to him, half-expecting a gentle wave-away the longer he stared. But his hand soon encompassed hers, swallowing down the premature grief as he burned the memory of her palm in his into a permanent memory.

Together, Tai'dqei and Rayelle left his ship, hand in hand, enjoying whatever time they had left to touch.

—

It took far shorter for the Temporal Advisory Counsil heads to call on Rayelle than she expected. With Tai'dqei by her side, the two were led into an auditorium that had been converted into a sort of hearing room for the head committee. It was a huge room, filled with rows of chairs and a stage. People bustled in and out, carrying stacks of papers, addressing one of the five non-humans sitting at a long table on the stage floor.

As chaotic as it was, it somehow reminded Rayelle of a high school, during some big function. There was a method to the madness. She just didn't know what it was. From the way Tai'dqei held tightly onto her hand, he didn't seem to know, either.

"Ah, you must be Miss Brooks, yes?" One of the five obvious leaders looked up, offering Rayelle what she hoped was a friendly smile. It was hard to tell, since their form seemed to constantly shift. Not that Rayelle could put a finger on how. It just seemed they were... changing. Her mind turned to aliens capable of dimension hopping and time travel, wondering if they were one of them.

What she did manage to register was blue skin and six glowing eyes and two smiling mouths, one right atop the other. Or maybe that's simply how they wished to be perceived? She shook her head, trying to dislodge the complicated thoughts concerning dimensional transmission.

"Yes, I am. I'm supposed to meet with the Temporal Authority Council," she said, diverting toward the stage stairs as the alien waved her in that direction.

Tai'dqei followed her, if only thanks to the fact she still grasped onto his hand. Or maybe he was holding onto her for dear life. That sense of instinctive dread swelled in him. On top of the misery he was doing his best to keep at bay, the busy nature of the area grated on his nerves. His shoulders hunched, tension winding down his back.

The blue shifting alien abruptly nodded, before turning to one of their colleagues. "Oh, ah, Sh'thal, I believe you were handling this case?"

"Which case?" From across the stage, another alien looked up. Their skin shone like purple glass, little specks of light flickering beneath the surface. Crystalline eyes looked to the blue energy alien, blinking owlishly, as if they were readjusting their thought process from one task to another, completely unrelated, one. Even as they tilted their attention to their co-worker and Rayelle, four of their six hands continued to presumably sort through holo-pads.

"The temporally displaced human, Rayelle Brooks of 2022, Missouri, United States." Sh'thal still stared, no answer. Tai'dqei and Rayelle exchanged a look. The first alien sighed, crossing their noodly arms as they said, in an almost deadpan voice, "The one a yautja brought in."

"Oh!" Tai'dqei's stomach dropped - Rayelle's heart twisted - as recognition struck the crystalline alien. She turned to one of her six wrists, inputting data and pulling up a holoscreen. "One second!"

Rayelle glanced up at Tai'dqei, who had - at some point - released her hand. The sudden realization sent a chill through her, but she shoved it away. It didn't mean anything. That was just some attempt to build a new wall between herself and him. Instead, she focused on him in the moment. The physicality of him. The way the lights of the room played off his skin and the metal rings on his tendrils, the barely-there scars that ticked along his arms and knuckles.

He'd been staring off into space, watching the crystalline alien - a Corizite - scrolling through files and messages. Vaguely, he wondered if she was just delaying bad news. Guilty hope fluttered through him, at the mere idea of it. Feeling Rayelle's eyes on him, Tai'dqei tilted his attention down to Rayelle, eyebrow ridges raising with curiosity.

"I just enjoy looking at you," she answered softly, so low that no one else could hear her comment.

To that, Tai'dqei made a scoffing grunt and playfully pushed at her, but couldn't help the way his mandibles quirked upward, just slightly. They'd come so far, she realized, to the point she could catch such expression changes. Returning the gesture, Rayelle pushed back at him, giving a short laugh, before leaning into him. Tai'dqei didn't fight it. His arm came around his shoulders, hand resting on her far hip as he relaxed against her.

For a brief moment, the hustle and bustle around them died away.

Until the Corizite turned toward them with a triumphant trill.

"It has been decided that Miss Brooks may return to her time, if she so chooses." Sh'thal looked up, their countenance beaming as they closed out of the file. They clapped two pairs of their hands together, giving off guidance counselor energy as they chirped, "Isn't that exciting?"

#exo writing #exophilia #yautja #yautja oc #yautja x human #alien x human #monster x human #monster lover #monster fucker #monster boyfriend #alien boyfriend #tuhp #the unexpected human problem #tuhp part 28 #the unexpected human problem part 28 #rayelle #tai'dqei #*posts then runs away from inevitable fall out*

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eruden-writes · 2 years

Text

The Unexpected Human Problem - Part 27 (Yautja x Human)

CW: Explicit sex.

Tag list: @ajarofpickledtears, @boogeysmoth, @omg-the-nutella-queen (I can't get it to tag, I'm sorry!)

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Early chapter releases available on Patreon for my patrons! ;)

Comments, tags, and reblogs are real motivators for me, too! ♥ ♥ ♥

☆ ☆ ☆

Tai'dqei never anticipated finding a human when he took the job of tracking and subduing a small contingent of smugglers. It was only when the human attacked and fled fled, Tai'dqei - hopped up on the euphoria of a successful hunt - gave chase, instinct burning at his center.

Will sense return to Tai'dqei before he catches Rayelle? Or will Rayelle be subjected to the yautja’s natural inclinations?

And what happens afterwards?

☆ ☆ ☆

When Rayelle next woke, sleep clung to her and attempted to drag her down. As it had in two earlier attempts to rouse herself. The bed was too comfortable, the bed too warm, the companion she curled up against too comfortable, to let her tired body not enjoy it. But, finally, she was able to shake off the dozy feeling away and crack her eyes open.

It was still dark, but they seemed to be in the same position as earlier, with her curled against his chest. One of Tai’dqei’s arms rested heavily on her side, the other cushioned her head. The lights were still turned so low, she couldn’t see clearly, but Rayelle could feel the shift of Tai’dqei’s chest as he breathed, deep and even. Without thinking, her fingers traced along the scars under his pecs, the subtle dips of his front. Under her touch, she thought she could feel the textured difference of his pattern, but without light, it was too difficult to tell.

At the very back of her head, worries and stress lingered. Eventually, she was going to have to make a decision, Rayelle knew. Her hopes of the situation were fractured. She wanted to be with her children, but she also wanted to stay with Tai’dqei. Something in her ached, thinking of Skylar and Elliot living with their unyield, uncompassionate father.

Their father who watched their mother be kidnapped, if not orchestrated it. Perhaps even her potential murder, if it got that far.

There was no denying she wanted to stay with Tai’dqei either. To make a life in the future, away from the hassles and tribulations of her time. To explore whatever this little pocket of the universe had in store. The possibilities made long forgotten, positive, excitement swell in her chest.

The easiest course was being denied going home, Rayelle realized. If the temporal authorities said she couldn’t go back, that would be it. Unless she fought it.

Whether she would or not was a question for a later time, she decided. For now, she would bask in this comfortable bubble of cozy warmth and explore what the universe had already dropped into her life. Namely Tai’dqei.

Rayelle shifted her leg from around his side as her fingertips brushed against the border of skin and cloth, where Tai’dqei’s loincloth remained snuggly fastened. Faintly, she considered letting her hand wander further along the fabric and palm at him. Not exactly a sexual touch, but simply wishing to feel the comforting heat and firmness of him.

Since they hadn’t discussed or consented to intimate touches while either of them slept, Rayelle’s hand retreated back up Tai’dqei’s side. There were other places to touch. Lightly, her fingertips caressed along his side, the grooves of old scars and that texture of leathery skin against her flesh.

Instead of touching his chest again, Rayelle’s hand detoured to his back while the one sandwiched between their bodies splayed over his chest. Beneath her palm, she could feel Tai’dqei’s heart thrum. Tai’dqei left out a huff, threaded with a sigh as he shifted minutely under her touch.

“What are you doing?” Sleep still clung to Tai’dqei’s throat, making his words deep and gruff. The question was intertwined with a slightly amused tone, as Tai’dqei registered Rayelle’s hand rubbing along his back.

Rayelle pressed her face closer to his chest, as if it would hide the sudden heat burning her cheeks. The way he sounded had sent a delightful tingle down her back. She tried not to think about it - nor think how juvenile she was, reacting that strongly to the sound of his voice - as she softly replied, “Just touching you.”

A series of thoughtful clicks left Tai’dqei, his own hand tracing down Rayelle’s back, over her hoodie and to the edge of her underwear. He slightly regretted retrieving her fresh clothes from the ship after moving it. If he hadn’t, she might be far more undressed than she was.

He paused in touching her as her deft fingers dug into his back muscles. Just barely, he swallowed a groan. “And why are you just touching me?”

Her lips puckered at the gentle teasing tone in Tai’dqei’s voice as the heat in her cheeks worsened. Shifting from using fingertips to fingernails, Rayelle pressed a little harder along the seam of Taid’qei’s shoulder blade. Another sound, deeper than the previous one Tai’dqei had swallowed down, rumbled from his chest.

“Should I not be touching you?” Rayelle filled her voice with mock concern as she withdrew her hand from his back.

“Not saying that,” Taid’qei chuckled, catching Rayelle’s wrist at his own side. Briefly, he was tempted to lead her hand to exactly where she could touch him, but decided to simply use his words. “There’s other places to touch than my chest or back.”

“I considered it, but I wasn’t sure if I should,” she admitted, pushing at Tai’dqei’s side as she propped herself higher up on her other arm.

Obeying her wordless request, Tai’dqei rolled over on his back, curious to see where she was going with it. “Why not?”

“Not everyone likes being touched like that when they’re asleep.” Rayelle shrugged as she settled atop him. Her legs spread, just trying to straddle the large alien’s torso. A subtle tingle started at the base of her spine, spreading heat to her center.

“I’m not asleep now.” In the dark, he watched and felt Rayelle settle on top of him. The warm, fleshy thighs pressed to his sides, and her cushiony rear finding somewhere preferable to settle. If she had settled lower on him, she’d likely feel his own exciting rousing. His hands found their way to her legs, palms skirting from her knees to her outer thighs, enjoying her supple warm flesh giving under his touch.

“That you aren’t.” She grinned down at him, her body tingling where he touched. Rayelle wasn’t entirely sure if Tai’dqei had better sight than her in the dark or not. Either way, she brought the room’s system up on her gauntlet. The lights slowly brightened, just enough for her to see Tai’dqei. “I realized something.”

Tai’dqei’s hands had coasted up her hips, giving Rayelle’s love-handles a squeeze. “Yes?”

Rayelle leaned forward, extending her arms out to brush his shoulders as her chest met Tai’dqei. She gave a little groan - feeling Tai’dqei’s body react to her little sound beneath her - and arched her back in her stretch. Once satisfied, she folded her arms atop his chest, pressing her chin down while allowing her bottom to remain high. “I haven’t actually seen your dick yet.”

“Ah,” he replied, his eyes narrowing and mandibles pulling up a little in delight. Though not entirely sure, he thought Rayelle was teasing him with her movements and sounds. If so, it was working. If not, she was a natural at riling him up. Unable to help himself, his hands skimmed over the round curve of her ass, only the fabric of her panties delaying skin-to-skin contact. “Going to fix that?”

“Yes,” Rayelle answered, a sigh in her words as she pressed back into Tai’dqei’s touch. “If you’re amenable to it.”

“Very amenable.” A playful growl edged his tone, making Rayelle noticeably shiver beneath his hands. Still not able to help himself, Tai’dqei traced his claws along the back of her thighs, winning himself a throaty whimper from her.

Without another word, Rayelle languidly slid down Tai’dqei’s front. It was a slow movement that dragged her soft body along his firm one, the friction lighting a fire in both their cores. The only thing that would have made it better in Tai’dqei’s thoughts was if she hadn’t kept on her hoodie. Her lips grazed over his chest, tracing the scars under his pecs as her hands stroked his arms, then his sides. Rayelle seemed to explore every little dip and curve with her fingertips.

Each touch threaded anticipation through Tai’dqei, letting her explore at her leisure. Now that he’d answered the mating call, the desperation and need wasn’t quite so heady. Though, with the way excitement pulsed through him, resonating through his center, that ease wasn’t going to last forever.

Closing her eyes, Rayelle relished in all the minute reactions she was getting. Under her touch, Tai’dqei’s muscles flexed and soft hisses or clicks left his maw. When she passed his chest, she began to nip and suckle down his abdomen. Tasting his skin on her tongue, silently enjoying the sharp intake of breath and the way Tai’dqei arched suddenly. Her fingers crooked a little harder against his sides, digging her nails a little rougher against his tough flesh.

Heat razed at his nerves, pressure clenching tighter as - after Rayelle’s teeth grazed over his skin - he felt her lips twist into a smile against him. He watched her make her way down his front, humming approvingly with every nip or lick or kiss.

At the juncture of his legs, his excitement betrayed him. Hard and straining against the loincloth, his erection begged for attention. For the touch of hands or the soft heat of a mouth. It would flex as stray imaginings taunted his libido.

A sensual heat built slowly between the two of them.

It was only when her mouth had gotten to the barrier of his loincloth that Rayelle’s eyes opened. She had settled herself between his legs, his knees bent. Her gaze trailed up the long, large expanse of Tai’dqei to his face. Propped up on his elbows, he watched her, expression heated and hungry. Rayelle’s tongue flicked out over her lips, delight piquing in her as his eyes followed her tongue.

Now that she thought about it, what sort of people did he have experience with? Faint recollections of Ah’ke mentioning a brothel danced in her head. Enjoying the intimate company with non-yautja wasn’t something new to him, most likely. But did she offer anything novel for him?

It was just a meandering curiosity, distracting her from moving too fast. Just to antagonize the alien wrought with anticipation. Her eyes didn’t leave Tai’dqei as her fingers explored his loincloth, finding the fasteners and undoing them. A perpetual rumble, low and soft, vibrated through him as she slowly shoved his final covering aside. She watched his fingers flex on the bed, claws digging into the sheets as if he wanted to grab her by the face. The thought sent a sinful shudder down her spine.

Finally, she tilted her eyes to the erection. Rayelle hid her surprise at it being so close, so tall. His tip brushed her jaw, flexing at the sensation of her gaze. A little sound caught in the back of her throat, realizing just how large he was. Instantly, her brain thought of a large thermos, thick and long.

However, where a thermos was mostly smooth, Tai’dqei had a multitude of ridges starting from the base of his arrowhead tip and noticeably growing thicker at the base. Her insides squirmed, recollection how it felt like those last few ribs enlarged before he came. Like Tai’dqei, his cock was a combination of rusty reds and oranges, with his tip and the edges of his ridges a deep black. Already, her mouth watered, wanting to taste him on her tongue.

Tai’dqei watched Rayelle’s expressions pass over her face. From the slight surprise of her widening eyes to her half-lidded consideration, bottom-lip-nibbling. He felt he could see the direction her thoughts dipped and it made his insides twist and flare with heat.

As Rayelle drew her lips closer to his flexing member, Tai’dqei almost whined with impatience. Her movements were still slow, still exploratory. Entirely agonizing. She must have caught the hint of the sound, for her eyes flicked back up to his face. A curve of a smirk tilted at her lips, before she dipped lower along his shaft.

Her tongue, flat and warm, caught the underside of his dick and gave him a languid lick, dipping between every ridge. He didn’t even realize he was growling, low and ongoing, as the pleasure bounced from cock, to core, and filtered out into the rest of his body. The taste of him made her tongue tingle, heady and hot and indescribably Tai’dqei. Earthy and warm, the scent of him dizzied her senses, making something sharpen within her.

By the time, she made it to his tip, his chest heaved, eyes wide, mandibles flickering. Rayelle’s smile grew, delighted in his reaction and the ripples of enjoyment that coursed through her. Tai’dqei attention was so intense, it made all of her movements sear with need.

Without more teasing or fanfare, she drew his tip - large and fat and mushroom shaped until the fist ridge - into her mouth. Rayelle closed her eyes, giving a contented hum as her tongue explored. Testing the firm, but spongy head and moving over one ribbed layer to the next.

“Fuck,” Tai’dqei hissed, letting his head fall back a little, enjoying the heat and wetness enveloping his cock. That singular word made Rayelle’s insides jump and sizzle.

Muscles twitched along his body, taunted by the pleasure pinging along his nerves. Rayelle’s tongue continued her slow examination of his member, tasting his every ridge with her soft, warm tongue. His hands flexing into the bed as every instinct in him was snarling to grab her, rut her, fuck her so hard there was a permanent imprint of her body on the bed.

Rayelle made a questioning sound, pausing her ministrations. She knew why Tai’dqei had hissed the expletive, but teasing him while he was so strung out was too good to pass up. She paused in enveloping more of his length, tilting her attention to his face, though Tai’dqei couldn’t see her.

When it became clear she wasn’t going to move until he answered, he managed to grunt, “Your mouth… feels good.”

The laugh she gave, around his cock, made a sizzle of ecstasy burn through him. He couldn’t even feel embarrassed for his lack of fine words. His brain didn’t have the capacity.

And she wasn’t about to let him scrabble his way back to sensible thought. Rayelle closed her eyes, now focused on unraveling the yautja even further. Her hand coiled around his base, unable to fully encircle it. Her fingers traced the valleys and hills of his shaft as she stroked up to meet her lips.

Together, her hand and mouth worked, drawing new needy sounds from him. Her own body responded in kind, with twinges of pleasure and growing wet heat between her thighs.

Sometimes her hand and mouth worked in tandem, sometimes falling into opposing rhythms. Tai’dqei arched and twisted, clicked and growled beneath Rayelle’s mouth, her tongue exploring every crevice. She’d suck and squeeze and somehow take more of him into her mouth, as if she were so determined to fit him down her throat. Involuntarily, Tai’dqei’s hips jerked, which would force Rayelle to still for a second until he growled in frustration.

“I’m close,” he snarled, back arching as he tried his best not to thrust, not to force his excitement further down Rayelle’s throat. Molten heat and pressure knotted tight inside him. His muscles flexed and relaxed, pleasure ebbing and flowing in a taunting balance.

A whimper almost tore from his chest as she pulled her delicious warm mouth off him, open air cooling the heat of his pleasure. “Is that so?”

Tai’dqei didn’t even get a chance to retort, to voice his discontent at her mouth being so far yet so close. Rayelle quickly swallowed him up again, her head bobbing along his length as her hands dealt with what her mouth couldn’t.

If his sounds drove Rayelle wild, the sounds she made while on his cock did the same to him. Little whimpers and gasps combined with how her whole body moved, rollicking as her mouth sped up and down his shaft. The sight as pleasurable as the act felt.

It wasn’t long before Tai’dqei seized, a clicking snarl falling loose of from him. In that second, sense shattered as red-hot heat pierced his core, flooding into Rayelle’s mouth. Both his hands grabbed at the back of her head, keeping her in place. His hips moved, jerking at every pulsing release. Lock by his hold, Rayelle was too far gone into lust to do anything other than attempt to swallow the ropes of cum blasted into her mouth.

Even once he was done, it took an effort for Tai’dqei to uncurl his fingers. Heavy breaths huffed from him as he watched Rayelle sit up on her heels. Casually, she unzipped her hoodie. The sight of her body bared further thrilled his senses. The additional sight of his seed, coating her chin and dribbling down her chest, sent another bolt of urgency through him.

Before Rayelle knew it, Tai’dqei had snatched her, pinned her to the bed, torn off her underwear. The scent of her arousal sent another stab of desire through him. His fingers brushed against her folds, a satisfied clicking at her wetness as she whimpered and arched under his touch. Something swelled in Tai’dqei, other than excitement, at finding out she had enjoyed playing with him as much as he enjoyed her.

“Need.” That singular word was all Tai’dqei’s hormone ravaged brain could manage. Even then, it was heavy with a clicking gnarl.

“Please,” Rayelle instantly responded with a gasp. Throughout working Tai’dqei up, she had inadvertently steeped herself in desire. Her own body felt aflame, inner muscles clenching around an aching emptiness that had to be filled. Heat and fullness, her body keened for it.

He needed no further instruction. With a snap of his hips, Tai’dqei’s cock cleaved through her folds sinking deep into her center. She was already so wet, so ready, so hot for him. His own body rippled with satisfaction, even as the demand for more clawed through him.

A cry tore from her lips, her knees clamping around him, her hands wrapping under his arms and digging into his back. Tai’dqei snarled loud, each thrust hard and fast and deep.

With ragged panting, she curved under him, chin tilted up to watch his mandibles flex, the delirious concentration of pleasure flickering over his features. It made his thrusts hit hotter, sending fire along her nerves. Her fingernails crooked into his back, raking along his skin, not afraid of hurting him if she managed to pierce his skin.

Her whole body jostled with his impact, sending stars and sharp delight biting deep at her insides. Seeking purchase, her heels dug into his lower back, her body trying to rock against his. Muscles throbbed and pulsed inside her, clinging tight to his intrusion.

Rayelle only faintly felt one of Tai’dqei’s clawed hands grab her hair, tilt her head. He arched over her, capturing her face in his outstretched mandibles. With her eyes clenched tight, it was only instinct driving her. She kissed him eagerly, sloppily. One hand slid from his back, grabbing at one of his tendrils to pull his mouth closer to hers. A rough growl, which vibrated through her body and made awfully wonderful things ripple in her core, and harsher thrusts were her reward.

For a time, that was all the universe became for Tai’dqei and Rayelle. Their mutual moans and groans, the flexing of muscles, the feel of their skin against one another, the arching of Rayelle’s back, the digging of claws and fingernails. Inside them both, fire burned and twisted, pulling the pressure tighter and tighter.

Rayelle was the first to break under pleasure. Her body jerked and trembled, a hiccuping cry stuttered from her lips as her toes and fingers curled. Muscles coiled tight, her back arching, her mouth parting from his but still held by his mandibles.

Tai’dqei’s pace didn’t falter, didn’t stop. He simply growled and continued his jerky thrusts, in and out. He wanted her sobbing and screaming, wracked with such hot pleasure it’d put supernovas to shame. Fighting against her inner walls that pulsed around him, trying to milk his own release from him, he dragged her from one orgasm to the next.

He had lost count of how many times her body seized, her cries heightened, her nails and heels dug into him. Rayelle’s body was an unending twist of muscles and crying release as her body quavered. She sobbed, tears drawn from pleasure in the corner of her eyes, throat raw with pleasure and screams.

It was only when, in a small renewal of energy, Rayelle’s arms slid around his neck, pulled him close to deepen a kiss, that Tai’dqei’s need overwhelmed him. With one last, sharp snap of his hips, his cock thickened and bobbed before letting loose his spend. He bore down on her, snarling and moaning into her mouth, answered by gasps and whimpers. White-hot heat flooded into her, heat licking at her innermost nerves and slickening her already drenched thighs.

As if she needed him closer, her heels dug into his back, pressing him into her. Her thighs trembling, but holding tight. Rayelles’ fingers crooked against his scalp, between his tendrils. She held tight to him, as if he were the only solid thing as one last tsunami of pleasure blasted through her, over her.

They stayed like that for a long time, breathing in each other's gasps as their bodies slowly loosened. Rayelle was the first to completely fall lax, her feet falling to the bed with her knees bent.

Carefully, Tai’dqei released his mandibles from around her face, before rolling over. A tired groan left Rayelle as she ended up atop him, her thighs straddling him as his cock remained firmly in place. Still, her tired body clenched rhythmically at his cock.

Unable to get enough, Tai’dqei’s hands grazed up and down her back. Rayelle melted further against his front, little pleasant sighs escaping her. She never moved to free his cock of her, nor did she say anything about the still hard member inside her.

It was only when she shifted, angling her face to look up at him, that Taid’qei chuckled, “So, go again in five minutes?”

“Are you trying to make me pass out?” She cushioned her chin on his chest with her crossed arms, a giggle tinging her incredulous question.

“Yes.” Tai’dqei’s answer came out confident and smug and teasing.

This time, his hands slid over the curve of her ass, giving Rayelle a squeeze. At his fingertips, he could still feel the wet heat of their joining. It was only some modicum of self-control that kept him from pushing down on her rear, forcing her lower on his dick.

A soft hum escaped Rayelle’s lips, a contented smile curving at her lips. “I’d like to see you try.”

Even as the threat of aching exhaustion nipped at her body, there was a heat inside her still wanting more. Reaching a hand up, her fingers caught one of Tai’dqei’s tendrils, giving it a teasing squeeze. His cock jumped inside her at the action.

“You asked for it,” he chuckled, grabbing Rayelle by her hips to hoist her up and drop her down. The singular movement made her jerk up with a sharp inhale, her breasts bouncing. Tai’dqei gave her little chance to respond as his hands engulfed her breasts, his hips already rocking a slow and easy pace.

Rayelle moaned, closing her eyes and leaning into his touch as her body rolled with his pace.

Just a little while like this, she told herself. Before having to think about more difficult things.

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eruden-writes · 2 years

Text

The Unexpected Human Problem - Part 3 (Yautja x Human)

Will sense return to Tai'dqei before he catches Rayelle? Or will Rayelle be subjected to the yautja's natural inclinations?

And what happens afterwards?

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CHAPTER CONTENT WARNINGS: Forced sedation.

TAG LIST: @ajarofpickledtears

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It was the jarring thump of the ship that awoke Rayelle. Pushing herself upright on her cot, she stretched her arms over her head and arched her back. There’d be a few more feeding attempts since the first. After her second attempt - throwing the tray at the creature and trying to grab their gauntlet, which seemed to control the door, through the bars - there’d been minimal contact. It would just leave the food in the slot and leave.

Later, it’d retrieve the tray and replace it with a new one. Rayelle couldn’t help but notice they had kept to self-contained foods, like whatever constituted as space-veggies or space-fruit. No more mash, nothing messy.

Though she didn’t eat any of it, she occasionally snagged one or two from the tray. Just enough to not be noticed. She had considered collecting enough to cause damage to the toilet, but she realized wasn’t sure if it would work, since she didn’t know how it got rid of waste. Rayelle eventually decided she wanted something to wing at the creature if it chose to enter again so she had a small collection of hard projectiles.

Now, she wondered what her damn captor was doing. There was a slight shift, as if something had gotten ahold of the ship, and now she heard further hiss of hydraulics and the chunk of something possibly locking into place. Then nothing.

Her eyebrows furrowed, trying to make sense of the sounds and the sensations. Rayelle’s first thought was they had landed - or perhaps docked? - somewhere. It would explain the mechanical whirring and thunking and vibrations, she figured.

But where? Was she about to step onto yet another alien planet? Full of the same massive, mandible-having creatures as her current captor? Or was it going to be a station of some sort?

As Rayelle considered her chances between a single-species planet or outpost versus somewhere with more diversity - and fighting the dissociation that sheer absurd thought caused her - the door to the hallway opened. Her stomach sank as two pairs of footfalls entered the room, the lights brightening. She half-turned to face the front of her cell, glaring through the bars at both the familiar face and the newcomer.

Her red-orange captor stood next to a different colored version of the same species. They were chittering and growling away as they approached Rayelle’s cell, giving her a chance to scrutinize the newcomer.

This one was a sort of grey-blue with black speckles. Their head ridge striated, like a washboard, and their head tendrils were mottled blue-green and pulled back into a sort of pony tail. They were also taller than the red-orange one. Not by much, but enough for Rayelle to notice. They also appeared leaner than her captor, though no less ripped. Just not as intimidatingly buff. The difference between a basketball player and one of those strongman competitors.

They also didn’t wear dark grey armor like the other. Though they did wear a silver chest plate and a matching gauntlet that seemed tech-based. Other than the scant armor, they wore sleeveless grey coveralls and a sleeveless dark blue lab coat. That same odd mesh was used to cover their arms.

A particular gurgle of a growl from her red-orange captor caught Rayelle’s attention. She glanced toward them, not moving from her cot. As the other responded, her eyes narrowed.

She had a suspicion they were discussing her. No surprise. But if the blue one was wearing a lab coat, did that make them a doctor or a scientist? Rayelle pressed her lips together in a tight line, trying to determine which option was worse.

Rayelle jumped as the door to her cell slid open. She scrambled to her feet, grabbing one of the hard fruits she had swiped from a prior meal with her. Her shoulders tensed as she backed away to the far side of the cage. The blue one entered first, the red-orange one lingering in the open entrance.

It approached slowly, carefully, with a hand extended and fingers splayed to show they weren’t a threat. It, too, clicked and gave gurgly growls by means of communication. Though seemingly gentler, more level than how the red-orange one vocalized. With its free hand, from a pocket on its coat, it slowly withdrew a silver boxy object.

Rayelle nervously watched as it held the object up to its own arm, crouching to give her a better view. Light blue light fanned out from the silver box, moving over the alien’s arm. Once the machine beeped, the grey-blue alien turned the box around to show a screen, where alien language flashed and scrolled up.

She glanced from the machine up to the alien, still having no clue what was going on. Something in the blue alien’s eyes seemed hopeful, though. For some reason, the whole situation reminded Rayelle of a doctor showing a young child that a stethoscope doesn’t hurt.

Her attention flickered across the room, where the red-orange creature seemed tense. It appeared ready to spring into action should something happen. Whether it was to keep the blue one safe or herself, Rayelle wasn’t certain. Once more, she glanced warily at the blue alien, before sidling to the side, toward her captor and, more importantly, the exit.

She kept her eyes on the blue alien, her shoulders stiffening as it trilled something. From the corner of her eye, Rayelle saw her captor’s eyes flicker to their comrade, replying to whatever the blue one said.

Tightening her grasp on the alien fruit, which she hid slightly behind her, Rayelle chose to test her luck.

—-

“Hm, they must be more comfortable around you,” Ah’ke observed, as the human edged closer and closer to Tai’dqei.

Tai’dqei was not so certain of their former mate’s assessment. Preparedness tensed along his arms and legs, ready to chase and snatch the human up if his presumption was correct. He shot a look at Ah’ke, though kept awareness on the human. “They’re going to try escaping, just watch.”

“I don’t know.” Ah’ke stood up from their crouch, straightening to full height. “They seem-”

Before Ah’ke could even finish their statement, an orange chemond came hurtling at Tai’dqei. As he instinctively caught the flying projectile, he swore to himself for not counting the numbers of fruit or vegetables he’d given the human.

As expected, the human bolted for the door, hands reaching for the frame as they got close. With a snarl, Tai’dqei lunged and easily grabbed them. As soon as his arms latched around their middle, they squirmed and yelled as he lifted them up. Their feet kicked out as they tried to throw themself to and fro, thrashing with every ounce of their strength. It was like trying to keep a hold of a feral bozeak.

Tai’dqei threw a dirty look to Ah’ke, who had been chittering with amusement over the scene. His mandibles clicked irritatedly. “Going to help or just stand there and laugh?”

“On it.” Ah’ke continued to chuckle, but pulled a tranquilizer injector from their belt, quickly approaching the struggling human and Tai’dqei.

The human in his arms struggled harder, howling as Ah’ke neared. Likely, they recognized the injector, considering how similar it looked to the one Tai’dqei had used that first night.

They even went so far as to attempt to bite Tai’dqei, leaning their top-half over his forearm and sinking their dull little teeth into his forearm. A growl rumbled out from Tai’dqei’s chest, unbidden and not exactly out of anger. Momentarily, the human tensed, bracing for something. Whatever the human thought he would do didn’t happen.

Instead, Ah’ke swept in during the temporary - and likely very short - calm. She pressed the tranq to the human’s thigh, eliciting a startled gasp of whimper from them as the needle punctured their skin.

Their violent struggles resumed, tears pooling at the corners of their eyes before dribbling down their cheeks. The human’s angry yowls turned to quieter wailing, as the force of their fighting dwindled. Even as they slumped in Tai’dqei’s arms, they continued to warble obvious dissent, weakly shoving at his arms.

A small part of Tai’dqei admired the persistence, in spite of how troublesome they’d been.

“I managed to get a hold of the most up-to-date Straux nano-translator worm for you two.” From yet another pocket, Ah’ke withdrew a small case. “These were designed with dated and modern Earthen language as a specialty.”

As she popped the case open, Tai’dqei saw the two yet-to-be-activated earworms. He nodded, relieved that he’d soon be able to communicate with the human. “It’s appreciated.”

“Move them to the cot and I’ll get everything done,” ordered Ah’ke, taking charge of the situation now. Tai’dqei gave a grunt of acknowledgement, adjusting his hold on the human so they were now carried more comfortably in his arms.

After he deposited the inert form on the bed, Ah’ke pushed him out of the way. As she knelt by the human, she held the second translator device out to him. “I trust you can insert your own.”

Once more, Tai’dqei gave an affirmative grunt and took the worm.

“You should move them somewhere more hospitable,” Ah’ke said as she waited for the translator to boot up. As she fiddled with the settings, focusing more on Earthen languages and yautja, she gave a little laugh, “I would not be pleased myself, if I awoke in a brig like this.”

“It was necessary,” Tai’dqei growled, making the same adjustments to their own worm. Over the decades, one got used to upgrading translator tech. He was just thankful the Straux had figured out a way to get the nanoworms to absorb previous versions, rather than having to yank old ones out. “I didn’t know what they’d do to escape. So, for now, the brig.”

The blue metal worm soon came to life, its hundreds of little legs tickling his palm, and he held it up to his ear canal. Tai’dqei braced himself as the thing skittered in and grunted as the harder part initiated. Through bone and cartilage and tissue, the technological bug burrowed. In its wake, it repaired damage done. As efficient as it was, it was not painless.

That was evident as the human, even unconscious, cried out. Ah’ke held them as they jerked on the bed, tears once more streaming down their cheeks. The sedative eventually dealt with the pain and whatever straggling string of consciousness still clung on finally dissipated.

Tai’dqei didn’t realize they had moved closer, watching the human struggle, until he heard himself ask, “They will be okay?”

“They will be fine,” Ah’ke answered with a sigh, as if she’d been asked the same question many times before. She stood up from her stoop, pinning a serious look on Tai’dqei. “Once you’re able to communicate, will you move them to a guest quarters, at least?”

“We’ll see.” He bristled, not looking at Ah’ke as he crossed his arms. Her stern tone stirred something in his core. Something that had been exacerbated multiple times by an unwitting human. He tried not to think about it. “It depends on how they react.”

Giving the human free reign would have made all of the efforts to get them somewhere appropriate useless. They could run straight into a dangerous situation, get themselves killed, and be none-the-wiser. Or, worst yet, they crash his ship and kill them both, perhaps even taking out others in the process.

No, it was better to lock the human down until he could assess their cooperativeness and mentality.

“Go easy on them. From the way you describe it, they may have a lot to adjust to.” Ah’ke got to her feet after wiping red blood from the human’s ear. Tai’dqei had turned his attention back to the human, considering what preparations should be made for when they awoke, when Ah’ke spoke again, “And, about your other issue.”

At the change in subjects, tension raced up Tai’dqei’s spine. He slightly tilted his head toward Ah’ke, hoping not to appear too excited as he straightened up. “Yes?”

She reached out to touch Tai’dqei’s arm and he hesitantly hoped she’d help him. It was a gentle touch, her claws ghosting over his arm. Memories of the past flooded into his brain. But Ah’ke’s words doused whatever soft heat filled his chest. “There’s a brothel on this station. Check them out.”

Tai’dqei’s mandibles flared in agitation, a hiss escaping his mouth, as Ah’ke laughed heartily at him. “I’ve never been into men. You know that, Tai’dqei.”

“I just thought it could be different with me.” Tai’qdei shifted his stance, arms crossed over his chest. He could feel Ah’ke’s knowing amusement and it only made the agitation in him churn harder. Once more, he turned his attention from Ah’ke to a middle distance, unable to meet her gaze. “If it was something purely physical.”

“We tried that, when your change began.” From the corner of his eye, he saw Ah’ke also cross her arms over her chest. Her mandibles twitching downward. Guilt dribbled into his stomach.

“Mhmn.” Tai’dqei fell quiet at the mention of his change, his arms tightening over his chest.

In the course of his relationship with Ah’ke, they both had shifted sexes and, subsequently, genders. Though Tai’dqei found her just as appealing as before, the feeling was not mutual. She only liked women, no matter what her own gender was.

He could have chosen hormone modifiers to reverse the changes, but he hadn’t wanted to. It was a hard feeling to put into words.

Thus, their romantic relationship ended. Not without some complicated feelings, mostly on Tai’dqei’s part.

“I need to return to the clinic,” Ah’ke announced after consulting her wrist gear. The words drew Tai’dqei from memories. It struck him as odd how unaffected Ah’ke appeared. “I’ll check back in soon, okay?”

“Alright,” he replied, his tone unintentionally dipping into dour octaves.

“Tai.” Her hand brushed against his arm again, eliciting prickles along his flesh. Her gaze softened, making something in his chest swell. With a reassuring squeeze of his bicep, Ah’ke softly said, “I still care very much for you, even if we’re not mate compatible.”

“I know, that’s why I trusted you with this,” he answered just as quietly, raising a hand to the sleeping human. There was a beat of silence, unsaid things mounting in the air among the weight of responsibility concerning the wayward being. Unable to take the heaviness, Tai’dqei heaved a sigh and gave a careless shrug as he said sardonically, “Sorry, I had to go and turn into a smelly aggressive man.”

At that, Ah’ke gave a gurgling growl of her own, swatting the sides of Tai’dqei’s face with both hands. He gave a yelp as mild pain throbbed through his skin. “I was joking!”

“It was not funny,” she hissed, grabbing tight to the sides of his face and pressing her forehead to his. Annoyance flooded out of him at the touch. His eyes closed, briefly allowing himself to pretend reality was different. Maybe a world where Ah’ke did find men appealing or where he agreed to hormone adjusters.

The short fantasy only lasted a moment, before Ah’ke pulled away. Her palms likely tapped the sides of his face as she teased, “Behave until I get back.”

She was already heading out the cell’s entrance when Tai’dqei opened his eyes. He watched her go, before glancing back at the human. Other than the even rise and fall of their chest, they were still.

After retrieving a blanket for the human and a chair for himself, Tai’qdei locked the cell door again. This time, with him inside the bars alongside the human. He watched them sleep as his own thoughts roiled and rolled, trying not to focus on the upsetting stillness in his own chest. Or the ever-present, aggravating, heat simmering in his center.

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eruden-writes · 2 years

Text

The Unexpected Human Problem - Part 5 (Yautja x Human)

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Will sense return to Tai'qdei before he catches Rayelle? Or will Rayelle be subjected to the yautja's natural inclinations?

And what happens afterwards?

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CHAPTER CONTENT WARNINGS: Mentions of kidnapping, abduction, and forced sedation.

Taglist: @ajarofpickledtears

🌟🌟🌟🌟

Something was not being said. Maybe even a lot of somethings. Rayelle narrowed her eyes, looking between the two aliens. She felt like there was an obvious answer that she was obstinately overlooking. “Where else would I be from?”

“What year was it, when you were abducted?” Tai’dqei asked quietly.

The softness of his voice felt wrong, somehow. Rayelle fought the sinking feeling in her stomach as she turned to him. A serious air, one she hadn’t seen before, draped over him. Tension strung along her muscles. “2022.”

“How long were you with your captors?” Again, his voice was soft. Like someone speaking to a scared, injured animal.

Rayelle was about to say ‘ongoing’ after a meaningful glare at Tai’dqei, but his somber tone and body language dulled her agitated edge. It was a good question, she realized. How long had she been with her initial kidnappers? Her eyebrows furrowed, trying to recall any passage of time.

The days had bled together. One long stretch of fear and uncertainty, with little pockets of mind-numbing boredom with nothing to do. There were occasions when they’d shoot her up with something. It happened a lot in the beginning, but became rarer near the end. “I’m not sure. Time ran together and I’m pretty sure they sedated me a lot.”

This time, Tai’dqei didn’t say anything. He gave a growly hum, his gaze flickering to Ah’ke. Rayelle couldn’t shake the feeling he was looking for guidance. Both aliens remained silent for a beat. Their mandibles clamped tightly to their face, reminding Rayelle of lips pressed tightly.

“What?” Rayelle asked, body already braced, but for what, she wasn’t sure.

“The Earth year is, currently, 2367.” Rayelle turned to Ah’ke as she answered. She had pulled up something on her wrist tech, displaying it in a holographic form above the table. It was an image of Earth, with text scrolling alongside it. Rayelle stared at it, the alien script flickering and unreadable to her. “You’ve been away from home for 345 years.”

Rayelle’s thoughts fizzled as her eyes widened. With a sharp turn to Ah’ke - ignoring how Tai’dqei tensed and jerked forward in his seat - incredulity had words shooting from Rayelle’s mouth, “What? There is no way!”

“Temporal crimes are a new phenomenon,” Ah’ke explained, trying her best to break down the problem for Rayelle. “Authorities are not entirely certain, but they seem to target already missing persons. It helps to mask their activities.”

“I…” Rayelle began, her eyebrows furrowed. The memories of her kidnapping, her abduction, were chaotic and muddied. Even if she thought of the hours or days before that incident, it seemed foggy. What she did remember were core things. Life with her family, time spent with friends, snippets of being in school decades earlier. One thing rang out over all of her other memories, though. “I had kids.”

“What?” Tai’dqei breathed, not quite following Rayelle’s line of thought process. He figured it out quickly, realizing the pained expression and strained tone. It wasn’t a continuation of the conversation. It was a realization. Raw and aching and agonizing. He tensed, waiting for tears or screams or even a swoon. On the opposite side of Rayelle, he could tell Ah’ke was preparing for the same.

“If it’s been over 300 years, they’re dead.” Images flooded her head. Her two kids, Elliot and Skylar, one on the brink of graduating high school and the other in their first year of high school. She was supposed to go prom dress shopping with Elliot in nine months. And she had a new computer for Skylar, for their birthday. It was one designed to let them play games and stream.

Her nails dug into the fleshy thigh of her legs, wondering how her kids did after her disappearance. A number of stomach-churning scenarios played out in her head. From simple things, like struggling grades and toxic friendships, to larger problems like dangerous relationships and bigotry in society and more.

Did they manage well without her? Who would have raised them, if not Rayelle? At that thought, she blinked as sudden realization skipped through her brain. “I was in the process of divorcing their father. He called one night, asking to talk, and I agreed.”

As Rayelle paused, blinking rapidly, Tai’dqei and Ah’ke remained silent. He could tell, just from watching how glassy her eyes became, tears were on the brim of erupting from her. The mention of her children had him on edge. The addition of a father, presumably Rayelle’s mate, made something hot pierce at his center. Whatever a ‘divorce’ was, it did not sound good. But he held his questions for another time.

“We met at a fast food place,” Rayelle closed her eyes, not sure if the aliens would understand. Heat rose against her eyelids, threatening to spill out. Ignoring the unshed tears, Rayelle heard herself explain, though her voice cracked a little, “A cheap place to get food. It was open late. Like midnight.”

Tai’dqei watched her intently as she swallowed. She seemed strangely still, but from the way her arms shifted, he could tell her hands were moving, flexing. Slowly, he silently shifted a little, catching a glimpse of her hands on her thighs. Red little half-moons dotted her legs, from where her fingers had dug into her own skin.

Rayelle was too focused on visualizing what had happened. She could remember the smell of stale fries and sugary syrup, the stickiness of the floor on the bottoms of her sneakers. And there had been Evan, in his nice slacks and button up, smelling of some sort of cologne that made her nose itch. He’d tried to talk her out of the divorce, once again. Said that further pursuing it would tear up their family.

But she couldn’t. For the sake of her kids and herself, she could not let Evan remain around them. Her stomach lurched, realizing Elliot and Skylar would have gone to him, following her disappearance. Rayelle continued forward in her memories, needing to understand.

“Evan, my ex, told me ‘take care’ afterward. It struck me as strange, but I turned to go.” Once they were done in the restaurant, Rayelle had gotten up to leave. Evan had followed suit, but claimed to need to use the bathroom. So she left the restaurant, headed out into the parking lot. It was oddly dark, like the streetlamps in the lot hadn’t been turned on. Not paying attention to it, tired of her interaction with Evan, she just trudged to her car, rifling through her purse for her keys. “I was opening my car when…”

The memory of an engine roaring to life made her stomach clench. The lights of a van blinded her, before chaotically pulling up beside her. The screech as the van door rolled open. Hands grappled at her arms, another covered her mouth. She screamed, but it was muffled by the gloved palm. With all her strength, she fought and kicked as her attackers hauled her into the van. Someone yanked her purse from her arm and she heard it thump, metallically, on the floor.

It was her phone, being tossed out of the still-open van door that caught her attention. She faintly heard it clatter on the pavement, before her eyes caught something else.

Evan. Watching everything play out.

“He watched these masked people take me,” Rayelle slammed to her feet, her chair screeching behind her as it was pushed out of the way. Adrenaline and hatred and rage swarmed through her, residual and fresh. With wide angry eyes she stared blankly at the table as tears crested her cheeks. “He was smiling and even gave a wave.”

“Then what?” Ah’ke asked, eyes glued to Rayelle. She wanted to get all the information out of the human as soon as possible, to guide the next steps of Tai’dqei’s journey. If they waited too long, details may grow fuzzy again in Rayelle’s head.

Though Rayelle obviously didn’t like Ah’ke’s tone, throwing her a dirty look. To Rayelle, it felt like the alien was too excited for further details and it made her stomach churn with anger.

She only eased when Tai’dqei stepped back into the conversation. “Were your kidnappers the ones from the ship I took you from?”

That question recalibrated Rayelle’s perspective. These two were aliens, trying to understand and help her. They weren’t delighted by her horrific story. They weren’t hungry for sordid details. They simply needed as much information as possible to fully understand.

If they were to be believed, she was not just out of place but out of her time. The rage in her suddenly dampened, a chill settling over her skin as she forced herself to sit back down in her chair.

It had been 345 years. Evan was dead. Her kids were dead. This was ancient history. Ancient, insignificant, history.

Numbness climbed over Rayelle, settling deep into her bones, as she hollowly answered Tai’dqei, “No. They were humans, but…”

“But?” He leaned toward her, his deep voice soft and the clicks less prominent.

“I don’t know. They got a sack over my head.” Rayelle flatly recalled, as she hunched over the table, staring blankly at its surface. A cold dissociation oozed through her body. She was having a hard time clinging to reality, so she simply relayed her memories, “We were driving for a long time. Then there was confusion. I think the car broke down.

“Then chaos.” Once more, Rayelle closed her eyes. Sounds and sensations returning to her, making her heart pound and her stomach churn. Hands previously on her, restraining her, suddenly gone. The rough rope that bound her wrists and ankles. Frantic yells as a whum-whum-whum filled the air, not exactly loud but something she felt in her bones. “Doors opened, guns fired, people screamed. I got yanked out of the van to some strange sounds and then… nothing.”

Everything had gone black.

“When I woke up next, I was in that cage surrounded by aliens, I guess.” A throb went through Rayelle’s temples as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Just remembering all that had opened a floodgate of confusion, residual fear, and an ache in her head. The burn at the back of her eyes had also returned, spreading to her sinuses. Rayelle pinched her nose harder, hoping to stave off tears.

“I’m sorry.” Without thinking, Tai’dqei reached out to Rayelle’s hand where it lay on the table. Though he reconsidered directly touching her, his claws did ghost over her skin in the faintest way possible. Many others wouldn’t have noticed, but Rayelle did. Her eyes snapped open, staring at where their hands were so close.

“What are you going to do with me now?” Her question came off more like a demand, her eyes not averting from their hands. It was only pure stubbornness that kept Tai’dqei’s hand close to hers. He wasn’t going to be scared off by a human’s glare.

“I don’t know yet,” he answered, honestly. There were still so many unknown factors. Some of it would have to be left to the Temporal Advisory Council, the authorities on temporal crimes. Then it was a choice between returning her to her time - which would be a feat itself - or finding her somewhere to go in the present.

His answer had Rayelle pinning himi with a look just a breath away from being hostile. “What do you mean, you don’t know?”

Rayelle wanted to scream, but she kept her voice even. If only barely. She was finally in the hands of aliens willing to communicate with her. Not kick her or leer or make disgusting sounds at her. And they didn’t know what they would do with her.

A return to Earth, to familiarity, seemed the most obvious. Part of her knew that wasn’t true though.

Tai’dqei struggled to find the words to answer Rayelle. He was still processing and parsing her story. Her life, her children, a lover. Albeit one she had been separating from but still.

And to have it all ripped away. First by humans likely hired by this Evan, then by offworlders. Tai’dqei could only imagine how the temporal jump affected her those first few days. Hallucinations, fatigue, nausea, and a long list of other effects. Though, if they’d been sedating her, perhaps she slept through the adjustment period.

“We’ll have to talk to the temporal authorities. They need to investigate your particular case.” Ah’ke surprised Rayelle by being the one to answer.

Rayelle turned to her, her brows furrowing. Ah’ke didn’t flinch under the human’s intense look. The frustration and anger Rayelle felt toward Tai’dqei was beginning to leak into her own feelings toward Ah’ke, though, and it was hard to hide. “Why?”

It was apparent to Rayelle and Tai’dqei that Ah’ke chose her words with supreme care, “Like I said earlier, sometimes missing persons cases are targeted in these temporal crimes.”

“I don’t understand.” Rayelle frowned, wondering what exactly stood in the way of returning her to her own time. It wasn’t like she’d tell anyone of this foray. No one would believe her. And if they returned her to the correct time, exactly, talking about aliens and time travel wasn’t going to help her divorce case.

“It sounds like your former mate orchestrated your abduction.” Still, Ah’ke spoke carefully. The hint of a wince in her body language. “So the temporal authorities have to determine if your missing persons case has greater ramifications.”

Rayelle stared, still not understanding.

Helplessly, Ah’ke looked to Tai’dqei, hoping he could explain to the human in a way that would be clearer. His mandibles flexed, hesitant himself considering how Rayelle obviously didn’t like him. Even her gaze on him felt hot and unforgiving. Heaving a sigh, he tilted his eyes toward her. “If your case inspired someone to create an important piece of technology or if your absence in their lives inspired your kids to do something particular…”

He trailed off, making a motion with his hand as if he were sorting through the air for more words.

Realization finally clicked in Rayelle’s head. The words echoed around her head, before dully leaning her lips, “Then it’s better if I stay missing to them.”

#exophilia #exo writing #yautja #yautja oc #yautja x human #alien #monster lover #monster fucker #monster romance #fanfiction #the unexpected human problem #tuhp #uhp #tai'dqei #rayelle #ah'ke #getting heavy in here

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eruden-writes · 2 years

Text

The Unexpected Human Problem - Part 23 (Yautja x Human)

CW: Explicit Sex

Tag list: @ajarofpickledtears, @boogeysmoth

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Early chapters available on Patreon for my patrons! ;)

Be one of the first to read Part 24, when it's ready!

Comments, tags, and reblogs are real motivators for me, too! ♥

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Will sense return to Tai'dqei before he catches Rayelle? Or will Rayelle be subjected to the yautja’s natural inclinations?

And what happens afterwards?

☆ ☆ ☆

In mapping out the resort, Rayelle's recon squad had found the laundry chutes were surprisingly large. Apparently, whoever designed the chutes thought the whole laundry cart should fit. Thus, while there was a stylistic "chute door," it actually was a console that opened up the wall, so a cart could slide down a metal slide-like structure.

They'd had a good laugh about that. Of all things, they'd gotten the laundry chutes wrong! Though, now it seemed like a desperate reprieve among the dismal sense that something bad was about to happen.

Either way, Rayelle slipped into the chute, managing to turn in time to slide down frontways. Leaving a dumbfounded Tai'dqei staring after her.

The chute, though large, was not big enough to accommodate a yautja, especially one sheathed in full armor. In fact, she was a little grateful he didn't follow her. Whether or not the chute would have held his weight and hers was another question entirely, she realized, as she slid down the slide-like feature.

Tai'dqei's sense eventually kicked in and, with a gnarl of frustration mingling with grudging amusement, he cast a look around. The exit point she had disappeared through was too small for him, so he needed another way down. There was a stairwell not far and, on further inspection he realized the placard hanging above the chute bore the same unintelligible human language as the sign just outside the stairs' door. He hoped his assumption they went to the same place was correct.

Bursting into the stairwell, Tai'dqei didn't race down the stairs. Instead, he jumped over the railing and leapt from level to level, grappling onto the stair railings as he made his way down. When he spotted the ground, he bound from his perch and landed with a loud wham on the concrete. The vibration tore up his legs, metal ringing out at his impact. Off to his left, he caught a familiar gasp of surprise.

He turned slowly toward Rayelle, already moving toward her. She stared at him, wide-eyed from her place near yet another door, one she was about to slip through. Something in her brain kickstarted as she slammed the door open, this time leaving it wide open as she ran through it.

Tai'dqei shot after her, through the door, eating up the distance between them as she ran in a straight shot.

It took his brain a long second to realize they were outside now. Night had fallen, since his sneaky entry into the resort hours ago. A blue-blackness blanketed the world. Stars sprayed the inky expanse overhead and a large moon hung in the air, providing further illumination. He only vaguely realized poles with rope strung between them stood off to his right, some lines still holding clothes.

All of that was ancillary to chasing Rayelle down. In the fresh light, she wasn't bathed in fading hues of red or swathed in black light. Her shirt was rumpled and stained from Zav's blood; her jeans a little better, less rumpled and less dirtied. A smaller part of him surveyed her, looking for obvious injuries and thankfully finding none.

Rayelle gulped down deep breaths of outside air. For a moment, she could almost believe she was back on Earth, in North America. Hell, with the temperate climate and types of trees nearby, it could have been near her home. That was the point of Rerli 3, though.

"Wait!" Wildly, Rayelle spun to face Tai'dqei and threw her hands up. To his credit, Tai'dqei managed to stopped right away, despite the carnal heat chomping at his insides. Although he loomed over her, so so close to having her in his clutches. He gave an annoyed-curious growl, the muscles in his arms flexing, to which Rayelle bashfully replied, "I like these jeans and bra and I don't want them ripped."

Tense, Tai'dqei gave a singular nod and waited as Rayelle hastily slid off her lower garments - her socks and shoes and jeans -before wiggling from her bra. That left her shirt and panties. Some part of his brain still functioned, at least. Following her lead, he wrenched his helmet off and hit a command on his gauntlet that let the rest of his armor drop to the ground. Anything to streamline the process.

With the armor off, the blessedly cooler air breezed over him. Tai'dqei hadn't even realized how hot he'd become until that moment. It was hard to focus on anything but Rayelle. Even now, his eyes remained glued to her, gauging her reaction to the sight of him, ready to bound after her if she ran.

Heavy breaths made her chest rise and fall, noticeably. Her eyes bored into him, trailing from his face and down his body. The path her eyes took burned his flesh, making his cock bob against the fabric of his loincloth. A small sound echoed from deep in her throat, her attention flickering back to his face. Rayelle was grateful for the better, less inconsistent, lighting.

Tai'dqei wanted to say he saw desire in Rayelle's eyes. Especially as her teeth sunk into her bottom lip, making him think how her blunt teeth would feel on his thick hide.

But his brain was too caught up in heat and arousal to make any coherent thought. His attention only piqued as she flashed him a smile, turning to take off through the copse of trees they edged near.

"No," he growled, low and deep. A shiver shot through Rayelle as the rumbles echoed down her body, making her stumble.

Two of his strides was all it took. His senses honed in on Rayelle's heat and he thought he could smell her own arousal. A predatory sense of delight swept over him as he descended on her. His hands clamped onto her sides, his nails pricking at her plush, warm skin. Rayelle's immediate scream devolved to laughter as he yanked her close to his chest.

She continued to wiggle in his arms, legs and hands flailing as he pulled her to the ground. The heat bled from his body, the way his muscles shifted against her, licked over her body. His weight forced her legs to spread, her thighs cushioning for him to lean over her.

He barely registered her fighting, but she still tried to twist and yank from his grip. His strong, unwavering grip on her only made her heart pound harder. Especially as those hands traced up her arm, finding one wrist, before easily capturing the other.

Soon enough, Tai'dqei had her pinned to the ground. Not that it stopped her writhing or the way her back bowed up and down, as if she were trying to displace him. Rayelle had no interest in actually breaking free, but she still tried her hardest. It wasn't as if Tai'dqei was going to budge.

Every little move, every failed attempt of hers to break free, incited further heat and prickling electricity through him. Tai'dqei stared down at Rayelle, mandibles flexing as memories of their first interaction flickered under the present.

It was so similar. Her state of dress, the chase, even the position they were in now. But the feel of the whole ordeal was monumentally different. More than just Rayelle staring up at him, the grin on her lips not flickering as her attention drifted to his mandibles and tendrils. As if she enjoyed those gregarious differences between them, whereas before they terrified her.

He couldn't help the growl that purred from him, low and slow. Aware of how heavily his own heart throbbed in his chest. Rayelle's breath caught in her throat as his growl echoed from him and into her, the vibration making jittery excitement sink to her bones. A shudder slid through her, unabated, her eyes fluttering momentarily shut.

The hiss of fabric shredding made her eyes pop open, her body jerk. A gasp bursting from her lips, as Tai'dqei clawed the front of her shirt. Cool night air licked over her chest as the material fell away. Another gasp fell from her lips as he bent down, catching one of her breasts in the grips of his mandibles. The sharp tips squished into her tit, his closed teeth teasing along her nipple until the heat of his mouth opening washed over her.

It was a diversion, she soon realized. As her back arched, fingers curling tight into fists as his hand grasped her wrist firmly. Tai'dqei's free hand snagged her panties by the crotch, ripping them clean from her body. A jolt of heat prickled through her. Instinctively, her legs jerked, muscles tensing as her knees attempted to lock together, to cover herself. Impossible, with the heated heft of a yautja between her thighs.

After a quick adjustment, Tai'dqei's last remaining article of clothing was torn away. Rayelle couldn't see his cock, but she certainly felt it nudge against her thigh and the soft warmth of heavy testicles press against her. The heat alone was enough to make a small mewl curl from the back of her throat, coaxed into a moan as Tai'dqei's forked tongue flickered over her nipple.

Running on carnal instinct, Rayelle's thighs clenched at his sides as she arched, seeking any heat, any friction from his still-yet seen dick. Intuitively, she could tell he was big. The warmth his cock exuded and the weight of it made that clear. What Rayelle tried to get more of a mental picture for were the ribbed ridges, wondering if they were hard or soft and how they'd feel inside her.

He lightly chuffed against her breast as he pulled back, amused by her need. Though Rayelle hadn't earned a look, yet. Taid'qei merely shifted to her other breast, going through the same motions as the other, earning the same whimpers and gasps as before. And creating a dizzying uptick in her arousal.

Every sound, every reaction, made his cock bob and his sack tighten. Temptation tore into him, wanting to bury himself deep. And he would, he told himself. Tai'dqei just wanted to revel in the moment, draw it out a little, since it may be his only chance.

The heat, though, was going to consume him. And he was going to get lost in it.

The teasing of his hard cock being so close, but not inside her was driving Rayelle equally wild. Her pussy clenched around air, slick with excitement. She needed to have something in her. There was a throb, deep at her center, demanding satisfaction. Demanding rigid heat drilled hard into her and a pleasurable assault on her senses. "Tai'dqei, please."

That was it. That's all it took for what little restraint he managed to stitch together to completely fall apart.

Tai'dqei drew away from Rayelle's breasts, making the woman whimper, before he flipped her bodily onto her hands and knees. She only barely registered he'd released her wrists, when she felt Tai'dqei hoist her hips high and plow into her. A wordless cry left her lips, her back arching and fingers digging hard into the ground beneath her as hard heat split her, stretched her, filled her. With her lips stretched wide, her clit bared, his balls grazed against the sensitive bundle of nerves.

Back on Earth, 'size' was something Rayelle was always quietly chasing. Nothing filled her, length or width, enough. Didn't hit all of those places that yearned to be touched, simultaneously. And in one fell swoop, Tai'dqei had shattered that quiet, decades-long need. Providing a fulfilling experience in all manner, as her pussy stretched and clenched around his cock.

And he had more yet to give her.

She wasn't given a chance to regain her breath, as Tai'dqei gave a low growl, her soft heat ensnaring him. The instinctive need that had simmered for so long burst forward. His claws dug into her hips, and his hips snapped back, before plunging forward again. Intent, hard, unstoppable, his thrusts came fast and without any build-up, without any slowing. Each one pushing him deeper and deeper into her.

Rayelle's whole body quaked with each stroke. Her inner nerves sang as friction ground against them. The smack of his sack against her clit becoming harder and harder, the deeper he drove his cock.

A gasp, a moan, a cry leaving her lips with every impact. In between strokes, the woman was left gasping down air, suffocating heat filling her every inch. All of which only seemed to goad Tai'dqei on harder, faster. Her body clenched around him, filling the spaces between the ridges on his shaft. The friction of every ridge teasing, pulling, razing across the soft wetness of her core. Pleasure tangled and knotted inside her, coalescing at one spot deep at her core.

Her fingers tangled in grass, her toes curled against the ground, as she mindlessly tried to raise her rear higher, meet his thrusts, get Tai'dqei even deeper than she ever imagined was possible. Every twitch and throb of his cock sent an electric tingle through her. Pain and pleasure pounded in her lower stomach, her muscles flexing hard.

Embarrassment and delight rose high within her, as she caught the obscene sounds of his hips slapping against her ass and upper thighs, the sloppy sounds of his cock cleaving in and out of her drenched folds. The small, quiet part of her sense that remained mused how fortunate it was they'd gone outside, when these sounds would undoubtedly echo throughout the resort. The heat pitched higher in her, just imagining others overhearing them.

Something in her suddenly tightened, until the pressure exploded. Rayelle tossed her head back, a sobbing cry rent from her lips as her thighs quivered. Tai'dqei grunted, her body coiling tight around his cock, pulsing hard around him. He didn't stop, though.

After a momentary slowing as Rayelle's body tried to squeeze him tight, Tai'dqei continued his unrelenting pace. He watched, enthralled, as the woman beneath him gasped and writhed. Heat fluttered inside her, her muscles trembling around his dick. Her fingers clawed at the dirt beneath her, her back arched and bowed beneath him. There was no pause in her sounds, either. A litany of mewls and moans and gasps fell from her, each breath razing his center.

Two more times, he milked a loud cry from her lips, her body seizing around his member each time, until Rayelle's arms gave out. Her chest dropped down, helpless panting echoing from her lips. With a snarl, Taid'qei released her hips, his upper body curving forward to blanket her back. A whimper rose from her throat, the feel of him all around her and inside her making the tired muscles clench with delight.

With one elbow braced on the ground, Tai'dqei's other hand cradled Rayelle's throat, and his rut didn't abate. The slight shift in position roused the animal in him, his strokes becoming uneven and short. Desire and need to fill his mate with seed flared. Desperation clawed at his insides as Rayelle's tight walls continued to squeeze, harder and harder.

Slightly renewed strength, Rayelle reached up and behind her. One hand sifting through Tai'dqei's tendrils, the other on the back of his neck, her fingernails digging in hard. Delight seared through him, feeling her groping hands touching him.

His hand on her throat shifted, until one of his fingers brushed the corner of her mouth.

Later, Rayelle wouldn't be able to explain the sudden thought that struck her. Maybe there wasn't any thought involved. Her mouth turned toward his finger, her panting gasps hot on his flesh. Then her teeth sunk into the thick flesh along the length of his digit, tasting salt on his skin.

The sensation of her teeth sparked through Tai'dqei's brain. His clicking and grunts choked back as a hissing snarl left his mouth. A jolt clawed down his spine, his cock jerking as his ridges swelled. The new sensation, the further sense of being filled, made Rayelle gasp and whimper, her back once more arching. Though this time there was a harder sense to the way her muscles tightened. As if they were knotted and frayed and this was the final tension, before they snapped.

With a roar, Tai'dqei threw his head back, Rayelle's grip on his tendrils tightening, as his orgasm crashed through him. His hips continued to work their short, hard strokes as ropes of white-hot seed spilled into Rayelle.

A scream breached Rayelle's lips, this time. Tremors raked along Rayelle's body, making her writhe and quiver beneath Tai'dqei. Overwhelmed tears swelled at the corner of her eyes as the sense of satisfaction and pleasure and ecstasy swirled at her core and spidered out through her body. Liquid heat filled her, pooled in her, as rivulets streamed down her thighs.

After a few more short jerks of his hips, a final twitch of his cock as the last of his seed spilled into her, Taid'qei's tense form relaxed above Rayelle. His chest pressed into her with every deep rasp he took, as she realized her own breathing was equalizing too. Her eyes cracked open - unsure of when she even wrenched them shut - as her senses began to return.

Tai'dqei didn't move to free himself from her, happily buried deep in her still fluttering heat. The drive to procreate wanted to give her body time to absorb his seed, though Tai'dqei wasn't even sure that was possible between a yautja and human. Part of him just enjoyed how soft and wet and warm she was. He faintly mused how enjoyable it'd be to fall asleep, with her speared on his cock.

Eventually, his cock softened - not entirely falling flaccid - and Rayelle squirmed beneath him. Slowly, Tai'dqei pulled free of her, her little gasping whimper almost forcing him to delve back into her. Her body clenched around the emptiness, suddenly very cold. The shifting made the thick globules of his cum spill from her, down her thighs.

The yautja didn't move off of her, though. Didn't fling himself to his back beside her, to enjoy the cool grass on his back and leave Rayelle shivering. No, Tai'dqei kept his body curled protectively around her, even as she shifted and squirmed her way to her back.

Once she had adjusted, however, Tai'dqei dropped on top of her. A grunt left her lips, her hands braced against his shoulders and her knees bracketing his hips, before surprise hissed from her lips. He buried his face against her throat, his mandibles splayed and his sharp teeth teasing at her flesh. Light clicking left Tai'dqei, like a sigh of contentment.

Absently, one of her hands slid down from his shoulders, feeling the bulge of his muscles under her palm. The other toyed with a hanging tendril, catching it between her fingers and stroking it. The motion brought a purr from Tai'dqei's chest, which caused Rayelle to pause.

She tried to catch his eye, tried to suss out what, exactly, he was feeling. But Tai'dqei had his eyes closed, simply enjoying the momentary, after-sex basking.

The sense this was suddenly more intimate than just a fuck roused in Rayelle's thoughts. Which brought a slew of other concerns warbling through her hormonal haze.

"Tai'dqei," Rayelle whispered, gently, just in case the yautja was actually asleep. She couldn't recall a moment when she caught him slumbering. He grunted in acknowledgement, but did little else. Fighting her own desire to stay put, she forced her words out, "We should probably get back to the others."

The way Tai'dqei's shoulders flexed as he sighed brought an amused smile to Rayelle's lips. She could just imagine his thoughts. Oh, yes, saving a whole resort of people was such a tedious chore. And it was so nice and comfy and warm here, atop this squishy human.

"Fine," he grumbled, pushing himself up to his knees. Rayelle remained on the ground for a beat, staring up at the yautja before her. She swallowed, heat dipping into her center as her eyes trailed up Tai'dqei's body. Apparently, when not in use or fully aroused, his cock slid back into his body, through a slit. Though, it seemed yautja, too, had exterior testes. Her toes curled, memories of the weight of those gonads taunting her clit.

She bit her lip, averting her gaze as Tai'dqei gave a smug chitter at her surveyance of him. A familiar flush crawled across her cheeks as heat began to churn once more.

Rayelle didn't have a chance to wonder about her quickly renewed libido as Tai'dqei dipped down and scooped her up in his arms.

"I can walk!" She instantly twisted in his hold, the turned on blush tilting towards embarrassment.

"You cannot," Tai'dqei responded, firmly, as he walked over the expanse of forest and grass. Even in the black-blue dark, the moon gave enough light for Rayelle to see. He was dutifully returning them to the resort the way they came, likely to pick up his armor and the few clothes she had remaining of her current outfit.

Though she knew he was right, it didn't stop the petulant pout from puckering her lips. "What makes you say that?"

Tai'dqei gave a snort, which drew her eyes up to his face. His orange gaze caught hers, his mandibles pulling upwards a little in what she thought was a smirk. "You're still trembling."

Another searing heat shot through her, as she realized he was right. Her thighs still quivered and the occasional tremble coasted over her body, uncontrollably. Still, Rayelle let out an annoyed huff, crossing her arms and looking away from the yautja. The way he had purred and nuzzled against her throat was still bright in her head, making a confusing and uncertain sensation coil at her center.

The chuffing laugh he gave in response to her didn't ease the feeling, either.

#exophilia #exo writing #yautja #yautja oc #yautja x human #monster men #monster lover #monster x human #alien x human #monster boyfriend #alien boyfriend #yautja boyfriend #predator oc #tai'dqei #rayelle #the unexpected human problem #tuhp #the unexpected human problem part 23 #tuhp part 23

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eruden-writes · 2 years

Text

The Unexpected Human Problem - Part 26 (Yautja x Human)

CW: Nothing much, I think. Gets a bit flirty near the end.

Tag list: @ajarofpickledtears, @boogeysmoth

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Early chapter releases available on Patreon for my patrons! ;)

Be one of the first to read Part 27 when it's ready. (The newest part of Desperation's Summit is there, though!)

Comments, tags, and reblogs are real motivators for me, too! ♥

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Will sense return to Tai'dqei before he catches Rayelle? Or will Rayelle be subjected to the yautja’s natural inclinations?

And what happens afterwards?

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There was a long stretch of time where Tai'dqei simply stared at Rayelle, his eyebrow ridges furrowed. A scale tipped and swayed in his mind's eye. Could he risk allowing more to develop, when Rayelle could leave somewhere, some time, he couldn't reach?

There was also the question concerning whether she'd feel obligated to stay with him, if something more built between them. He had no doubt she'd, ultimately, choose her kids. But how she would agonize over that decision bothered him.

He looked like a man mulling over a serious topic, with his elbows braced on his knees and his hands dangling. So still, like a stone statue. Rayelle's teeth worried at her lower lip, realizing not even his mandibles were fidgeting, as he had a habit of doing. The air around both of them was still, and Rayelle wasn't sure how to feel about that.

The longer the silence lasted, the more she was sure he was going to confirm he was simply answering a casual mating urge. That he'd had many before her and planned to have many after. That the bond he and Ah'ke had was different from whatever was happening between her and him.

Those thoughts made an uncomfortable heat flare in her chest, as her eyes flickered to the floor.

"When it first happened, that first night," he started and Rayelle tried to stifle her flinch. His tone was somber and soft, making her brace herself for something she didn't want to hear. Tai'dqei chose his words carefully, navigating on some threshold between 'too-stoic' and 'too-vulnerable.' "It was a combination of my own victory and adrenaline plus you inadvertently going through motions that certainly stoked my instincts."

"This time..." Tai'dqei paused, heaving another heavy breath. His chest felt tight and hot, his heart thrumming a little too hard for a normal conversation. Rayelle dared to glance up at him, seeing that his gaze was turned from her, staring at a wall. His mandibles flexed as he chose what to say. Embarrassed heat climbed up his face, though Tai'dqei doubted Rayelle would notice. "This time, I came back to help you, because you asked me to come. My prerogative wasyou and your safety."

Another heavy gnarl of a sigh left him, as he reached up to rub the back of his neck. The line of 'too-vulnerable' skirted rather close to his words, but he pushed on.

"There is a protectiveness yautja feel for... potential mates." This was true, whether it was reproductive mates - thus parents of one's children - or the more romantic, intimate mates. The only one it could possibly be untrue for were the casual affairs. But that varied from individual to individual. Tai'dqei just wasn't sure how Rayelle wanted to be seen by him. "I hadn't completely ignored the thought that we might end up fucking."

That fluttery heat tickled in Rayelle's chest. Carefully, she watched him, parsing his words with care. What did it mean to be a mate? She needed clarification on what he wanted. What he hoped for.

She couldn't bring herself to be direct. A laugh trickled from her throat, tasting slightly bitter on Rayelle's tongue. "So, you could say I'm a tedious charge that you need to nanny and us fucking was a benefit."

"No, I wouldn't say that." Tai'dqei hadn't even stopped to consider his answer. Heat flared through Rayelle at that realization, the blush deepening as he stood. She hadn't realized standing over the yautja had given her some sense of confidence, a sense of control over the situation. That sense of strength dwindled as he gently took her hand, sandwiching it between his warm palms. "I enjoy your company and I wouldn't be averse to spending more time with you. A long time, if you so choose."

If she chose. A lump formed in her throat, the realization landing in her brain again. She couldn't, wouldn't, choose Tai'dqei over her kids. If there was a chance she could be sent back to her time, she'd follow through. No matter how badly her chest ached at the thought or how horridly her eyes burned with unshed tears.

"What would that even look like, though?" Rayelle gave another semi-bitter laugh, ignoring how her voice cracked. She tried wildly to not entertain the thought of being anything more than a fuck buddy to Tai'dqei. It wasn't fair to her or him. Without thinking, she slid her hand away from his grip, waving the hand at him. "You're a bounty-hunting, general contracting, hitman-for-hire. I'm a human with barely any skills in the here-and-now."

Tai'dqei flinched at her words, presuming she wasn't able to meld his work with her morals. But Rayelle surprised him by pinning him with a pained expression, her free hand pressed to her own chest. "I'd just be a liability, wouldn't I?"

It was a justified concern. And it stoked a little bit of ego in Tai'dqei to have some roundabout acknowledgement from Rayelle concerning his skills.

"It's a big universe. There are plenty of jobs that don't entail killing others." Tai'dqei inclined his head to her, his mandibles pulling up a little one one-side. Almost like a crooked smile, Rayelle thought. "Those just pay the most."

A considering hum left Rayelle's lips. She couldn't really fault him for choosing the best job for his skills. Plus, he had twenty four children to contribute to, as well. Though he wasn't the sole one responsible for their financial safety. Was it too much to ask him to take poorer paying jobs? If only for his safety? Or so she could travel with him on missions without feeling like a hindrance?

Her brain still hadn't fully gripped the whole Tai'dqei is a father fact. She had guessed, since he traveled alone and only really mentioned Ah'ke, Tai'dqei wasn't romantically close with any of his seven former mates. Though she wasn't ready to delve further into that curiosity.

"If you're looking for something grounded, I do have a home."

"What?" And just like that, Tai'dqei made her brain spin in a radically different direction. He had a house? Where? Likely, on his home planet. But what did that look like? How would she be treated? With a motion to the ship around them, she said, "This isn't your home?"

"It is, but I have a place on my world. My mother is looking after it for me." His mother looked after his home? Another indication he wasn't close to those he had kids with, Rayelle supposed. Tai'dqei gave another awkward shrug as words continued from him. "Of course, she might have let it out to a sibling, while I've been away."

Something in Rayelle rippled, her eyes flickering from Tai'dqei to the floor. Mother. Sibling. Yautja had multiples, two or three, per litter. Of course, he'd have siblings. She pressed her lips together, the enormity of the situation suddenly pressing down on her.

She was far in the future, talking to an alien about where their whatever-it-could-be-called was heading. And he had a mother and multiple siblings and former lovers and kids. It made sense. Tai'dqei didn't just pop into existence to help her. He had a life before her, with family - or families? - and lovers and...

Suddenly, dizziness slammed into her, making her sway. She brought a hand to her forehead, inhaling sharply as an ache stabbed at her temples.

She heard more than saw Tai'dqei's step forward. A concerned lilt tightened his voice, "Are you okay?"

"It's just a lot to digest." Rayelle took a slow, deep breath to steady herself. Tilting her head to Tai'dqei, she offered him a little smile, finding his hands outstretched but not touching her.

"Decisions don't have to be made right now." His hands fell from their mid-air position, choosing to trust Rayelle's own assessment of how she felt. Edging into 'too-vulnerable' territory again, as his hands clenched tightly at his sides, he quietly added, "I'm happy you're safe and I can spend more time with you."

"Are you, really?" The words were out of Rayelle's mouth before she could think about it. Her eyes blinked rapidly against the growing heat behind her lids. Desperation had her seeking for any out, any excuse to keep her walls solidly in place. "Even if I choose to go back to my kids and not stay here?"

"Yes." Another answer, said so confidently and without long the need for thought. Rayelle swallowed down a whimper, tears threatening to spill. This situation was so unfair. So very unfair. It made her heart hurt, as if it was being squeezed too tightly on all sides.

Rayelle's whimper arose as Tai'dqei gently pulled her close, his hand splayed on her back. His other hand went to her cheek, coaxing her to tilt her head back as he stooped, pressing his forehead to hers. His eyes closed, before he could look too deeply into Rayelle's eyes. "I know your children come first, Rayelle. I will enjoy whatever time together we have."

A pain twisted through Rayelle as a sob burbled up her lips. She shook her head, dislodging his hand at her cheek, before pressing her face against his chest. Her hands gripped at his sides, fingers threading through the fishnet he wore. The carefully constructed emotional walls buckled as relief and anger and sadness tore through her. Though she still swallowed down her cries, the tears flowed over her cheeks.

Tai'dqei stood quietly as Rayelle cried against him, rubbing his hand up and down her back as his other arm looped around her lower back. When her quiet crying lulled, he tried to softly redirect her focus. "Rest is in order, I think."

Wiping away tears with the heel of her hand, and ignoring how she sniffled, Rayelle tried to rally herself. She shot Tai'dqei a vaguely cheeky - if watery - smile. "Oh, I am sure that was your original plan."

"It was, actually." He said, a touch of reproach in his voice, but mostly exasperation. As Rayelle took a step away from him, Tai'dqei crossed his arms over his chest. The ache of exhaustion was gnawing at his bones, the sense of an adrenaline-drain ready to knock him out. "As enticing as you are, I am tired."

Rayelle grinned, almost tempted to say something about the mighty yautja, needing a nap. But she feared that would go down a less wholesome pathway. She did nudge Tai'dqei with her shoulder as she passed him. "Think you can keep your hands to yourself, if we share your bed?"

"No," Tai'dqei answered, easily coming up beside Rayelle. She shot him a wide-eyed look, a blush biting at her cheeks as she tried to decide whether to be turned on or annoyed. He didn't give her a chance to settle, as his arm reached around her back, his hand falling on her hip. Tai'dqei gave her a playful squeeze. "You are too soft not to pull close."

"Let me rephrase," laughed Rayelle, shoving his hand off her hip and turning, dancing back to keep her distance. Tai'dqei watched her, head cocked as he respected the distance she set forth. Rayelle continued walking toward his quarters as she teasingly asked, "Think you can keep your dick to yourself, if we share a bed?"

Ah, that's what she meant. Tai'dqei gave a nod, just as they breached the threshold of his bedroom. "That, I can do. You have my word."

"Good," Rayelle replied, giving an encouraging nod as she kicked off her shoes. Tai'dqei followed her lead, removing his shoes and fishnets. Though he left his lower garment, realizing Rayelle had only stripped to her hoodie and underwear. She still wanted some layers between them.

Trying to ignore the excited patter of her own heart, Rayelle advanced on the raised dais where the bed lay. She quickly crawled under the pelt-like covers, before she could think too long about all the things Tai'dqei had done in that bed. To himself or others. Her own censorship didn't keep her imagination from leaking the odd thought in, at the back of her head, though.

Before he crawled under the covers, Tai'dqei locked the ship and dimmed the lights from his gauntlet. He was painfully aware of the additional body in his bed, just as Rayelle was aware of how his heavier form made the mattress dip.

Even if they had wanted to sleep on separate sides of the mattress - which they hadn't - it was impossible. As soon as Tai'dqei settled, Rayelle found herself slipping toward him. Which was fine, she told herself, as nerves bolted through her. They turned to face each other, Rayelle's hands slid to Tai'dqei's chest.

Under her palm, he was as firm and warm as he always was. With the knowledge they were already sharing a bed, and they'd been far more intimate than this in recent memory, Rayelle curled against Tai'dqei's chest. Other than the time she caught him leaving the shower, she wasn't sure she ever saw him without the fishnet-like fabric.

Closing his eyes, Tai'dqei allowed himself enough leeway to let his hand land on her hip. Though he fought against the temptation of toying with the fabric beneath his fingers, unsure if it was her underwear or her hoodie. While it was one thing to say he simply wanted rest, it was another thing to keep his body in check. With Rayelle so close, her scent wafting up in his face and her cushiony soft heat pressed against him, urges started to stir at his core.

Not exactly the urge to fuck her, though he wouldn't say no to it. But to touch her. To hear the little sighs and whines. To feel her under his palm, his claws. To see what sounds he could draw from her breath. Beneath those thoughts, the memories of being on top of her, in her, danced around his head as well.

"You're very warm," she sighed, absentmindedly hooking her leg over his hip, pulling his heat closer to her.

Tai'dqei shifted a little, making sure his traitorous growing arousal didn't nudge against Rayelle. Softly joking, he grunted, "You are testing me."

"Am I?" Faux innocence painted Rayelle's words, even though it hadn't been her intention to tempt Tai'dqei's resolve. It was better to act like she was, though. Or else, she'd have to cave to the squirming heat at her core and the desire to touch him more.

"Certainly seems like it," he retorted, eyes cracking open, if only to watch her silhouette in the dark.

Rayelle pressed further against his chest, close enough for him to feel her smile against his skin. "Maybe you're just weak-willed."

He couldn't help himself. Tai'dqei growled, the vibrations emanating out from his chest and into Rayelle's bones. He knew exactly what he was doing, she realized, as he hunched further around her. The heat of his body bled into hers. One arm wrapped around her, his claws dragging down the fabric of her hoodie. Not hard enough to tear the material, but just barely bridging the barrier. A shudder and embarrassing whimper left Rayelle, her breath catching in her throat.

"If I was weak-willed, you'd already be pinned to this mattress and pumped full of my seed, again," Tai'dqei hissed in her ear, causing Rayelle's fingernails to dig into his chest as trickles of pleasure slid down her spine. Her back arched, inadvertently pressing his claws harder against her.

"I thought you were tired." Rayelle ignored the hint of breathlessness in her voice, as she angled her head to look at him. She couldn't see anything, except his silhouette in the dark. And even then, it was hard to get a clear idea of where he was looking. Half-unaware she was doing it, Rayelle's legs hooked around one of Tai'dqei's thighs, seeking pressure against her the needy throb of her core.

"I am. But that doesn't mean my libido is." To make his point clear, Tai'dqei shifted his hips, allowing his semi-arousal to grind against Rayelle's inner thigh. Her soft warmth, coupled with her little gasp, were certainly temptations. He was about ready to say screw sleep, just to bury himself in her once more, but the sensible part of him knew rest was needed. They both needed it. Especially Rayelle, given how she was talking earlier. "And it has overridden exhaustion in the past."

"Okay, okay," she laughed, her cheeks warm with a little bit of shame. Tai'dqei had been restraining himself for much longer than tonight. Not to mention he literally tore up a whole resort to help her. He deserved the rest, without her taunting hormones making it - ahem - hard.

Reaching up to grab his shoulders, Rayelle pulled herself a little higher along his body. It almost made Tai'dqei groan, feeling her slide against him. Pressing her face into the crook of his neck, Rayelle sighed against his throat, "I'll be good."

"Good," he grumbled, though the movement of her lips against his skin did little to ease the heat and pressure in his center. Rayelle's change in position, at least, gave his erection wide berth. Though Tai'dqei wasn't sure if he liked that or not. It was definitely safer.

Other than the occasional movement of Rayelle's lips against his shoulder - half-drowsy kisses, he supposed - and the slow stroke of his hand down her back, the two fell still.

Eventually, thankfully, sleep claimed them quickly after that. Though, the promise of waking in each other's arms when they next roused was, perhaps, a bit of incentive

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eruden-writes · 2 years

Text

The Unexpected Human Problem - Part 12 (Yautja x Human)

If you like what I create, please consider:

✨ patreon | ✨ ko-fi

You can get early chapter access on Patreon, btw!

Comments, tags and reblogs are real motivators for me, too!

---

Will sense return to Tai'dqei before he catches Rayelle? Or will Rayelle be subjected to the yautja’s natural inclinations?

And what happens afterwards?

—

CHAPTER CW: Very thick sexual tension.

Tag list: @ajarofpickledtears, @boogeysmoth

---

The training session had been long and awful, with self-punishing extra sets every time his mind wandered salaciously. By the time he re-emerged, a good sheen of sweat coated his skin and he'd abandoned most articles of clothing, save for the barest necessity to keep modesty.

Tai'dqei had actually been tempted to strip that, as well. Rayelle had an eventful and emotional time earlier and he assumed she was resting or asleep. But, as she was wont to do, she defied even that expectation. So he kept one scrap of cloth for modesty.

As he exited the training room, she stood in the corridor by her room's door. Rayelle rubbed sleep from her eyes, having just napped for a good hour or so. But as she blearily paused in the hallway, debating on what to have for a snack, she froze seeing him.

They stared at each other from opposite ends of the hall, an indescribable sensation snapping through the air between them.

Tai'dqei knew where the sudden heavy twist at his core originated from, but Rayelle was struggling to understand her own reaction.

It was the first time she had seen him with barely anything on. Well, in comparison to the semi-armor with netting look he tended to wear. Not to mention, the sheen of sweat coating him like a lacquer. Stirring sensations in Rayelle wobbled, warm and confusing and making her skin prickle.

Before she knew it, her eyes had slid down his form. So bare - with only a piece of fabric belted around his waist and tucked to keep everything lurid covered - she could pinpoint his coloration even further.

Sandy-beige around his face, down the front of his throat and front, along the underside of his arms and at his inner thighs down the underside of his legs to his large, claw-tipped feet. Faintly, she tried to recall if Tai'dqei's palms were light-colored and wondered if that would be mirrored along the bottoms of his feet.

The rest deepened in a speckled fashion from that sandy yellow-brown to burnt orange to rust red. Here and there, scars marred his body, including a curious pair on the underside of both his pecs. They tickled at some distant familiarity, but Rayelle shoved it away. Finding anything familiar about Tai'dqei wasn't welcome in her head.

With a start, she realized she had been staring for longer than politeness allowed. Her eyes flickered back up to his face, making a minor detour to his black-to-red tendrils. She realized dark metal rings coiled randomly around each, some tendrils even sporting two. Faintly, she wondered if they had any significance.

When Rayelle's eyes found Tai'dqei's, she realized he stood stiff and still. Like he was being assessed for something. In his arms, the rest of his usual attire sat in a mound of metal and fabric and netting.

Instinct had Tai'dqei holding still, allowing himself to be surveyed by a potential mate. But that wasn't true, sense told him. She didn't want anything to do with him. Regardless of how her body reacted in relation to his.

Still, he waited until she said something or did something. Even if she wasn't a possible mate, he had a hard time determining her skittishness.

He couldn't help letting his eyes wander, too. Her hair was mussed from sleep, her eyes a little red-rimmed from crying, but it was her clothing that held his attention.

Rayelle wore a fitted 'sweater dress' - suggested by Khimiel - and leggings he'd bought for her. The fabrics clung to her form, highlighting the silhouette of her wide hips, the roundness of her breasts, the soft arc of her stomach, the curves of her thighs and calves. A stark contrast to the jeans, tank top, and baggy jacket she'd chosen to lounge around the ship in or run away in. His palms tingled, remembering how soft and cushiony she felt under his touch, wondering if she felt more plush with the delicate fabrics enveloping her. Imagining how she'd feel under him.

It wasn't something he realized he was doing, until Rayelle's eyes narrowed on him. As if she could sense the direction of his own thoughts. Keeping her back pressed to the opposite side of the corridor, she slid toward the galley.

"You're sweaty," she observed, a petty little bite to her words. A heady scent hit her nose, reminding her of their musk conversation from earlier. Heat crept up her body at the thought. Before she could consider the implications, she added, "And you smell."

"I was training." Tai'dqei mirrored Rayelle's movements, heading in the opposite direction toward his room. The heap of clothes in his arms felt like a shield. Though whether it protected him or Rayelle, Tai'dqei wasn't certain.

She slid further down the hall, her nose wrinkling. "Well, go take a shower."

"Planning to," Tai'dqei sighed, partially amused and partly exasperated. Once more, he mirrored her movements, heading the opposite way.

"Okay, well, good," she muttered, pursing her lips. Rayelle realized she really shouldn't have said anything. They could have passed each other in the hall, not even exchanging words or looking each other's way. No contact, no discussion, had been necessary. Why had she said anything to begin with?

As she ducked into the mess, Tai'dqei likewise disappeared into his room. Neither minded the words exchanged, though Rayelle had to ponder why she even initiated conversation. She had spent the last few days ignoring him, after all. It should have been easy to continue the cold shoulder.

Something in Rayelle kept reminding her of Tai'dqei slamming down in that corridor, fending off her pursuers, roaring at any would-be opponents while he stood over her. A conflicting muddle of heat and distress tangled in her stomach.

Dismissing her inner confusion as hunger, she shook the images from her head and she rummaged around in search of something to eat.

—

The shower had barely turned off when Tai'dqei's tech gauntlet gave an 'incoming message' beep. He groaned as he groped for a towel, wicking away the moisture as he trod over to where he'd abandoned the tech earlier.

The communique was from Ah'ke. A warning that the rumor mill was churning about Zav's interest in a particular human that had caused a bit of chaos earlier and that he was aware of Tai'dqei's involvement. Tai'dqei barely contained a further hissing growl as he considered what to do.

He had hoped to stay in port another day or so, but it seemed a hasty retreat would be the best option. Though powerful, Zav posed no threat to Ah'ke. And Tai'dqei's main concern was keeping Rayelle safe. Considering her penchant for running, perhaps confining her to the ship via space travel would be a good option.

Or it would be the end of him, part of him mused, recalling the tension between them in the corridor.

Another sound rang out, this time through the ship's communication system. With a sigh, Tai'dqei rushed to dry and get dressed before heading to the cockpit. Along the way, he passed Rayelle reading one of the antique books in the mess, an empty plate peppered with crumbs by her elbow. She glanced up as he passed.

During his time in the shower, she had plenty of time to consider the potentially problematic shift in her attitude toward him. The situation was a continual seesaw. But through it all, though Tai'dqei had made some missteps, he'd been... Rayelle hated to admit it, but he'd been reasonable.

Where she felt like her feelings were swinging like an erratic pendulum, never giving her a chance to get her feet under her, Tai'dqei seemed assured. Even when giving her orders that agitated her. There was a sense of stability from him that part of Rayelle found comforting.

And she hated it. Or maybe she hated admitting it to herself. Or maybe she just hated everything at the moment and just wanted her old life back.

Rayelle sighed to herself and rubbed the bridge of her nose, her fractured thoughts dragging at her energy levels.

Crossing into the cockpit, Tai'dqei's footsteps moved purposely to the front. He jabbed at a button on the main console, accepting the call that was, inevitably, from Zav. "Do you have another job for me already, Zav?"

Rayelle dawdled by the entryway, staring into the cockpit. Or whatever it was called. Considering Tai'dqei didn't have a crew, she assumed a little of everything was handled in here. Which meant navigation, communication, piloting, perhaps weapons, and likely the main computer system was housed here. With the amount of buttons, levers, and knobs available in front of Tai'dqei, she could believe it.

What she didn't expect was a sort of cramped passenger area behind the piloting seat. Two rows, bisected by the walkway, with four seats in each row. It reminded her of a plane, she realized, as she stepped forward and plunked down in the closest row.

"Are you still claiming to have found nothing on that bounty ship that would have interested me, Tai'dqei?"

That voice drew her attention to the front, where the holoscreen flickered with the image of a green alien with writhing tendrils and completely dark eyes. It took her brain a moment to register they'd been talking about the bounty ship. Another second to consider, perhaps, their words might have something to do with her.

Tai'dqei - fully aware of Rayelle's presence - kept his response level and short. "Yes."

"And what of the human?" The screen suddenly flickered, showing security footage of Tai'dqei, Rayelle, and the mob of others from earlier. Rayelle's gaze jumped to Tai'dqei, but she could only see his broad back, darkened in shadows. He didn't appear tense, but his default posture always seemed stiff to her.

Her eyes slid back to the green alien, abruptly wondering if her chances with them would be better than Tai'dqei. Something lurched in her stomach at the thought. So, perhaps not.

"I didn't find her on the bounty ship," Tai'dqei lied, hoping Zav couldn't see Rayelle in the background and that she'd have enough sense to stay hidden. Especially as he spun further into his fabrication, "Bought her at a spaceside rock to keep me warm on cold nights. Maybe they sold her off before I got to them."

Rayelle's attention flickered back to Tai'dqei, her eyebrows furrowing at the lie. Why didn't he want this Zav to know the truth? Was he saving his own skin or was the green extraterrestrial a threat?

A slow smile spread over Zav's face, flashing an array of large pointy teeth. Their tone oozed with menace, answering Rayelle's threat-level concern. "Oh really? Shall we check your ship's travel records?"

"If you want to try, go ahead." Tai'dqei crossed his arms, leaning his hip against his pilot's chair. His voice dipped with an aggressive, clicking growl as his mandibles flared, showing off his inner jagged teeth. "I'm not going to let you, though."

Zav slammed his hands down on whatever surface he sat behind, his tendrils writhing with rage. His lips pulled back with a snarl, anger crimping his otherwise smooth complexion. "I know you are lying! She was part of the reason for your job, Tai'dqei."

Alarm piqued in Rayelle, betrayal heating her face as she turned an angry look on Tai'dqei's back. So, he had been paid to kidnap her. On top of murdering those other aliens. Her stomach lurched at the very thought. Though it didn't answer why he hadn't turned her over to his employer.

Tai'dqei narrowed his eyes on Zav, his mandibles flickering with agitation. There it was. Zav paid well, but often expected more than what he negotiated. It also settled the fact Zav saw Rayelle as cargo, a thing, rather than a sentient being. Stifling his annoyance, Tai'dqei gave the Florizian a careless, one-shouldered shrug. "Wasn't part of the terms we discussed."

All at once, Zav went still. Tai'dqei's survival instincts prickled, despite his former employer's rather calm expression. The tendrils were whipped into a frenzy, though, seeking flesh and blood. The Florizian purred, almost sweetly, "Such a pity when a good hired hand gets themself killed over a wet cunt."

Zav's image flickered out, leaving behind status reports and communiques on the holoscreen. Apprehension tightened in Tai'qdei's stomach.

He'd hoped Zav would believe him or, at the very least, drop the subject. Write off the human as a loss and move on. Surely, there were other humans Zav could get hold of. Maybe even one willing to accept his pollen, or whatever Florizians transferred to reproduce.

But, no.

The Florizian had plenty of resources at his disposal. Deep pockets and an army of lackeys, ranging from grunts to specialized assassins. That wasn't even mentioning other bounty hunters he could hire on to take care of Tai'dqei. There were a few that might even take up Zav's offer for free, if it meant taking down a yautja.

Stilling the sudden dread, Tai'dqei knew he had to take it one step at a time. In this instance, getting out of that fucking port. Which may or may not entail an interstellar dogfight. Not exactly the preferred way to fight for the yautja, who preferred something more face-to-face, but doable. Not that he had a choice in the matter.

"Take a seat and get buckled in," Tai'dqei commanded Rayelle as he sent the appropriate requests to disembark to the port's authorities. Silenely, he hoped Zav didn't have those on duty on his payroll, as well. Breaking out of a docking station on a spaceport wasn't something he was keen to do.

If it meant keeping Rayelle safe, he would, but he wasn't excited at the prospect.

Rayelle seemed to listen to his instructions, at least. He heard her scooting into a seat behind him, fidgeting around. However, after more shifting and rustling about and a long stretch of quiet, she eventually asked, "How?"

He turned to face her, watching as she held up safety belts in confusion. The metal and fabric of the belt was torn and gnarled.

"Shit." Tai'dqei's stomach lurched. He'd forgotten a prior patron - one he had to ferry from one planet to another - had broken the passenger safety belts. All of them, due to their long writhing body and fear of space travel. Tai'dqei meant to get them fixed after his latest assignment, since he'd have the money. He never planned to have another person aboard, in the meantime.

Consequently, there was only one working belt system. His.

Which wasn't necessarily a problem when he was able to pilot slow and safe. He'd brought Rayelle to the station while she was in the brig, after all. With Zav on his ass, slow and steady wasn't an option.

With no time to argue - and she would certainly argue - Tai'dqei turned to Rayelle, crossing the short distance to sweep her up in his arms before going to his piloting seat. Instantly, she yelped and squirmed, demanding to know what the hell he was doing. As he lowered himself down into his chair, he dropped Rayelle between his widespread legs, her back to his chest. "I'm sorry, but this is the only way to keep you safe."

As soon as he had positioned her, she struggled against him. He tried his best to be gentle, yet unyielding. The safety strap buckled in the middle of his chest and across his lap, but having to make adjustments for Rayelle added to the aggravation. Staying composed was harder said than done, when Tai'dqei just wanted to get out of the port.

Rayelle's brain was trying to keep up, though. There had been another alien speaking to Tai'dqei, demanding her. She had tried to stay out of the view during the call, but it had roused other questions in her head. Questions she should have asked Tai'dqei earlier, now that she was thinking about it.

Finding herself hauled between Tai'dqei's thighs wasn't helping the sudden chaos in her head or her heart pounding in her chest. "That still doesn't explain what you're doing!"

"The other safety belts were damaged from a previous customer." Tai'dqei rushed to explain as he tried to buckle the belts into place, despite Rayelle's fighting. He choked down his own guilt over the situation, knowing it would be of no help in the present situation. "I was going to get them fixed, but all of this happened and..."

A new message chimed into his bracer. Quickly, he scanned it, a little tension easing from his shoulders. They were given permission to disembark. As soon as he finished reading it, he could hear the mechanisms keeping his ship in place click as they unlocked.

Unaware of the entire exchange with port authorities, Rayelle gaped up at Tai'dqei, incredulity and skepticism coloring her words. "Your lap is the only safe place for me to sit?"

"I'm sorry." For the first time since she met him, his tone fractured. She wasn't even sure how the ear worm managed to translate such a thing, from his hissing and warbles. But a mix of frustration and desperation and guilt bled into his tone, making Rayelle still. A chill settled in her stomach, realizing he was worried.

Tai'dqei finished strapping Rayelle and himself in, before turning to ship's controls. He was thankful she hadn't continued to press the matter, so he could fully focus.

The holo screen in front of him flickered to life once more, this time with varying viewpoints outside his ship coming into view, as he maneuvered them from the port and into open space.

112 notes · View notes

eruden-writes · 1 year

Text

Decided to play around with designs for Tai'dqei, since I obviously can't use something too yautja for the re-write.

Obviously, the one I'm focusing on is the one with the rendered art up top, but I'm not 100% sold on it. I'll keep tweaking his appearance until I'm happy with it, since re-writing will take awhile.

I mostly wanted to see how I felt about the feather hair and facial shape. Got a more dinosaur vibe going on.

I still wanted him to have mandibles, but I needed him to be different enough from the yautja. lol

Feel free to share thoughts or feelings about the design. What you think works and what isn't jiving. (I'm honestly having a hard time deciding if he should have a flattish face or a snout/maw... urgh.)

#the unexpected human problem #alien lover #alien fucker #monster fucker #monster x human #alien x human #rayelle #tai'dqei

31 notes · View notes

eruden-writes · 2 years

Text

The Unexpected Human Problem - Part 25 (Yautja x Human)

CW: Nothing much, I think. Discussions of sex. Kind of. lol

Tag list: @ajarofpickledtears, @boogeysmoth

☆ ☆ ☆

Early chapters available on Patreon for my patrons! ;)

Be one of the first to read Part 26, when it’s ready!

Comments, tags, and reblogs are real motivators for me, too! ♥

☆ ☆ ☆

Will sense return to Tai'dqei before he catches Rayelle? Or will Rayelle be subjected to the yautja’s natural inclinations?

And what happens afterwards?

☆ ☆ ☆

A smile curved at Rayelle’s lips, recognizing the mindful and deliberate tone in his words. Tai’dqei was trying to be heedful of her feelings. Unable to help herself, she rocked against him in his hold, her arms tightening around his neck and her legs pressing firmly to his sides. Rayelle was rewarded with an almost silent grunt from Tai’dqei and his fingers tightening on her.

“Please, take me away from all these nosey biddy-bodies!” She pressed her face against his neck, his tendrils settling around her head. Her friends sputtered mock-outrage behind her, but it didn’t matter. Tai’dqei, unaccustomed or uncaring to human conventions, already turned toward the door. Though he did pause to swipe up his helmet, clipping it to his belt at his hip.

His long strides made short work of distance and, soon, the two were in a comparably quieter hall. With far fewer eyes on them, Rayelle thought she could feel them both relax. She certainly eased. But, then again, the yautja’s warm body and the bob of his steps lulled her.

Tai’dqei was silent for a long time. She listened as other yautja regarded him, and he returning the recognition. A few asked if something was wrong with her, but they were easily dismissed by a curt word or throaty growl from Tai’dqei.

In his head, a mess of thoughts and feelings whorled. It had been easier to ignore them when there was other, more dire, issues to distract him. Organizing which ships the captured enemies would be held on. Providing guidance on how to approach humans. Delegating repair teams to get the resort to a somewhat livable state, again. There had always been that itch of thought, a consideration he should untangle, but he shoved it away.

How he felt, what he wanted, didn’t matter in this moment. Rayelle had suffered yet another strenuous, traumatic upheaval. Worst of all, in a place that was supposed to be safe. He could only imagine how she’d feel, once everything settled and she rested.

Absently, his grip on Rayelle flexed.

Though her eyelids drooped, she watched the yautja’s features from where her head rested on his shoulder. The way his eyebrow ridges dipped in thought. How his mandibles flexed, like someone mouthing something to themselves. Something was on Tai’dqei’s mind.

Likely the same things that lurked at the back of her thoughts.

Finally, as the air around them began to grow cooler and somewhat humid, Rayelle realized he was walking the same path he’d chased her down. Her lips twisted into a wry smile, a teasing tone bleeding into her voice. “Why do I get the feeling you have something on your mind?”

Tai’dqei froze on one of the landings of the stairwell, shoulders hunching under her observation. “I moved my ship closer when you went to talk down those humans.”

“You moved your ship to the laundry room?” Her smile broadened, raising her eyebrows at his words and her teasing tone thick in her voice. Rayelle knew he couldn’t move it to the laundry room. It was too big. But she wanted to hear him say he just happened to move it to the area they fucked.

“No, to the forest. Past those poles with the ropes.” Her tone raised something hot and prickly along his skin. Tai’dqei continued down the stairs, heat rising to his flesh. The best choice was to ignore her expression and the mocking suggestion in her voice, he decided. Awkwardly, he cleared his throat, before adding, “There was a clearing I noticed. Earlier.”

Rayelle gave another amused sound, as if she didn’t quite believe him. Absently, she reached out to stroke one of his tendrils, tracing the gradient from black-to-red. There was a texture there, though she couldn’t quite explain how it felt. The touch sent a flash of heat down Tai’dqei’s back, but he focused on continuing movement. Her finger caught on one of the metal bands just as he stepped down into the laundry area.

“What are other yautja mating rituals like?” The question came suddenly to her lips, before she could even consider it. Rayelle blinked, realizing there was a curiosity burrowed deep in her thoughts. Though she couldn’t look directly at it. It slid away, shy and protective.

Something in Rayelle’s tone told Tai’dqei this wasn’t a sensual sort of teasing. He inclined his head to her, eyebrow ridges raised. “Hm?”

“A while ago, you told me the hit-and-dash was just one mating ritual,” she explained slowly, her eyes still on the tendril she idly stroked. She couldn’t bring herself to look closer at Tai’dqei. Especially when she herself was unsure where she was headed with this conversation. “Which implies there’s other methods.”

“Well, yes. Different yautja cultures vary a bit.” Dragging his attention away from Rayelle, he let his eyes draw over the laundry area. It seemed a tidy yautja had cleaned most of the strewn fabrics up, piling the dirty ones up near the cleaning machines.

“Mhm,” Rayelle gave an acknowledging hum, trying to feel her way through the conversation carefully. “What does yours do, then?”

Tai’dqei’s footfalls echoed through the cavernous laundry area as he thought how to answer. To Rayelle’s credit, she quietly waited.

“Other than the hit-and-dash, as you put it, my clan has an annual festival.” Tai’dqei finally made it to the door that led outside. He shouldered his way through it, still holding Rayelle against his chest. Once more, she had her face tilted toward him, her lips pressed together as she listened. He couldn’t begin to imagine her thoughts. “There are three days of events. Yautja show off their strength, intellect, leadership capabilities, talents, and so on. Anything that we might want to pass to the latter generations.”

Each year was different, concerning what was ‘in.’ The universe going-ons at large - with its wars and technological advances and so on - often played into what the yautja bred for. In the past, the most sought after traits were strength, stamina, and leadership. As time went on, there was a larger splay of desire for a multitude of traits, however.

“Every adult can participate in the events, though the events are mostly for the virile to show off so the fertile will choose them.” The festival was honestly very chaotic. There were events staggered at intervals, contests going on, vendors selling items, and the general chaos of exuberant crowds. The scents of food and excitement hung heavy in the air, as chatter vibrated around the crowds.

He wasn’t sure he could explain the vibrancy and energy well enough to Rayelle for her to understand. Further, Tai’dqei wasn’t sure she’d ever want to go to such an event. “Throughout the day, yautja will flirt, gaining one another’s attention before running off. Pursuit doesn’t happen until after the last day’s evening meal. Then…”

Rayelle’s attention had wandered to the clotheslines, conflicting feelings churning inside her. The sun was high in the sky, speaking of how long they’d been cooped up inside the resort, trying to fix things. It honestly felt like days had passed since she and Tai’dqei had last been in this area. That course of thought, invariably, led to memories of their heated chase.

She could easily make this something sexy and flirty, but she just wanted to understand. Though, she didn’t exactly know what she wanted to understand. “Then what happens?”

Tai’dqei adjusted his hold on her, his large hands cupping her ass and bodily raising her higher on his chest, as if she had slid down a little. He cast Rayelle a sidelong glance, feeling like he was stepping in a minefield. While he was somewhat incensed from their kiss, he couldn’t ignore the pensieve tone to her line of questioning.

Just as he had thought earlier, they had some things to discuss.

“The Hunt to Begin All Hunts.” An old nickname for fornication. In order to have a hunt, hunters needed to exist, to be born. And The Hunt to Begin All Hunts set the stage for hunters to be born.

“What?” That brought her attention back to Tai’dqei’s face. Her lips tilted in an amused smile, presuming she already knew what he meant but wanting clarification regardless.

“It’s an old name for the next part,” he chuffed, half-shrugging. The amusement in Rayelle’s eyes sent heat threading up his spine. “Those hoping to get pregnant slip away during the meal, a horn sounds, and it is up to those who caught their eye to find them.”

“So the one who finds them first gets to mate with them?” Rayelle guessed, her eyebrows knitting together as the cool shade of the forest trees dipped over them.

“No.” Tai’dqei shook his head, trying not to roll his eyes as human possessiveness. “Any they deemed desirable may mate with them. If they are able.”

Ability was another issue as well. Some seeking to become pregnant put up quite a fight, desiring further evidence of a mate’s potential. Others were less of a struggle.

“Oh,” Rayelle breathed, considering the options that led to. Were yautja more selective in who they fucked? She imagined they would be, if the festival was for procreation. However, Tai’dqei’s answer indicated a ridiculous amount of stamina, if the yautja weren’t particularly choosy. She chuckled a little, pressing her cheek back to his shoulder. “That sounds like it could be exhausting.”

A chuff of a laugh left Tai’dqei as Rayelle’s soft words registered.

For a long moment, Rayelle was quiet, considering what Tai’dqei had told her. On the surface, it almost sounded like something humans would do. Except there was no singular mating season. Although, she imagined fucking and pregnancy happened at other times, beyond the festival. Like his moments with her, anomalous mating events likely happened.

But thinking back to her first meeting with him, she tilted her face to him once again. “What if someone wasn’t deemed desirable but wants to mate with them?”

By that point, the ship was in sight. Tai’dqei adjusted the woman in his arms, unlocking the ship via his tech gauntlet from the distance.

“That’s up to the one getting pregnant. It’s not rare for last minute entries to be added to the roster, so to speak.” Another shrug came from him. But Tai’dqei’s thoughts also curled around the first night with Rayelle. That pang of guilt bounced through him. “If the one getting pregnant doesn’t want them and a progenitor still pursues, usually the progenitor gets killed.”

“How do you know who the sires are? When the kid is born.”

Tai’dqei couldn’t help the way his mandibles pulled up a bit, amused by Rayelle’s endless questions. Why she wanted to know so much about yautja, he could only guess. But his guesses did warm him with delighr. “They’re all considered the children’s other parents.”

“What?” That answer surprised her. People willing to parent children that may or may not be theirs? There had been plenty of instances where Evan lobbed the ‘are they even my kids’ bullshit her way, during fights.

“Yautja are prone to having multiples. Two or three, on average.” Tai’dqei continued, unaware of the faint memories playing across Rayelle’s mind.“It can be obvious which progenitor sired which child, but traits do mix in-utero and multiple sires are responsible for the same litter. Though many sires have multiple broods at the same time.”

Now that this can of worm was open, Rayelle couldn’t let it go. She didn’t even notice that Tai’dqei had brought her into the ship, until her ears registered his footfalls on the metal. “So, how does parenting work?”

“The ones who become pregnant often raise the children in the community. Everyone - including those uninterested in parenthood, the elderly, and the older broods that haven’t reached adulthood - assists in some way.” He settled Rayelle down on the floor as the ship’s door closed behind them. The amused pull of his mandibles hadn’t disappeared. Although, it was a little strange, explaining something he’d always grown up with.

“Sometimes the pregnant yautja have their children and return to doing something else, leaving the rearing to the community. Usually a family member, if not the sire.”

Rayelle took a moment to look around his ship as Tai’dqei fed her answers. She didn’t dally far and still listened to him, though he stopped by the mess table to offload his gear. Without thinking, she reached her hand out to touch one of the walls. The gentle thrum of the ship, the systems, buzzed under her hand. She hadn’t realized she missed that constant, ambient sound. Or that she had missed the scent of the place. A light scent of metal and oil and something faintly like Tai’dqei’s aroma.

The ship was as she left it, for the most part. No television in the lounge. The safety belts still intact, after Tai’dqei replaced them. So no missions involving flight-averse patrons. She wasn’t sure what she expected. Cloying scent of perfume from sex workers? Dirty lingerie strewn about? Empty bottles of drink? Dirty clothes everywhere?

None of that seemed particularly like Tai’dqei. Or, if it was, he cleaned up after himself. Though it did seem like Tai’dqei had been in the middle of making what looked like necklaces from various bones, considering what supplies were spilled over the table.

“Sires can be part of the childrearing communities or they can go off - hunting or working - to bring something back into the community.”

Rayelle paused at that part of his answer, glancing at Tai’dqei as she was unsure of how to feel about it.

On the one hand, it sounded like there was a lot of wiggle room for different situations. If a pregnant yautja decided to return to whatever spacefaring adventures they had, the progenitor was there to be the parent, and vice versa. If neither stayed, then the community would care for the children, probably in a way that meshed broods with broods. If both stayed, they would likely care for more than their own progeny.

On the surface, it appeared all well and good. But, if she had experience with it, would it actually seem as nice?

As Tai’dqei removed what little armor he had on, Rayelle’s eyes narrowed on him as a sudden question popped into her head, “How many broods have you had?”

“I was never interested in being pregnant, so none from before the change. After it, though, hard to say.” If the question bothered Tai’dqei, he certainly didn’t show it. Rayelle was beginning to think he didn’t have too many children, but then - after a moment’s thought as he scratched the back of his neck - Tai’dqei said, “Perhaps seven broods?”

That answer made her heart stutter and her eyes widen, a strange sort of heat rising in her cheeks. “So you could have twenty-one children?”

“Ah, pups. There’s twenty-four of them, actually,” he replied, piling his armor onto the table and offering her a shrug. While there was an amount of hilarity he was basking in, while watching Rayelle’s eyes grow wider, there was a small bead of apprehension. This was a yautja norm and having a human react to it made prickly uncertain settle in his stomach. “One litter had four pups and then two were adopted after their parents passed in a hunt.”

Twenty. Four. That was a lot. Well, it was a lot to humans, Rayelle reminded herself. Considering how Tai’dqei had described the mating ceremonies, she wondered if it was a low amount to yautja.

Rayelle rubbed a hand down her face, flopping into an available chair. Her brain sputtered at that amount. Tai’dqei had sired twenty-four children. It seemed absurd. Besides, he’d never discussed it with her before!

Further than the children, that meant he’d had seven lovers he was still entwined with. Were they his spouses? Or was mating something totally separate from relationships? He had never had children before his change, so did that mean he and Ah’ke never had kids together?

So many questions spun around her head.

“What do you bring to the community?” Rayelle crossed her arms, her lips puckering as she tried to decide if she was ambivalent to his answer or not. Or the emotions it roused.

At the very least, Tai’dqei didn’t appear perturbed with her line of questions. Part of him had decided this was another form of a mating ritual. His people already knew how this worked. Humans, in her time, had one partner. So, as instinctive for her as the ‘hit-and-dash’ was for him, he guessed.

Tai’dei sat down next to her, angling his chair toward Rayelle. “I provide money and, when asked, supplies. If they need something off-planet, I can retrieve it for them. And if they need to get off-planet for some reason, I can ferry them around.”

So he was an errand runner and chauffeur. If needed. Leaning toward Tai’dqei, her elbows on her knees, Rayelle asked, “Do you spend time with your kids?”

“When I visit, if they want to spend time with me.” He shrugged and, once more, Rayelle wasn’t sure how to feel about the yautja arrangements. “But, there are other sires that are always on-planet. Their bonds with the children are usually stronger, as expected.”

While he was always given a warm welcome by the pups, Tai’dqei was no fool. He knew there were other parents his children were more attached to. He held no resentment for that fact. Some were simply better with kids than others were. At the very least, he provided what was asked of him, whether that was money, rides, or teachings.

Mirroring her pose, Tai’dqei’s head cocked to the side. Rayelle could be assessing his capabilities as a mate, or at least going through the questions to assuage some inner concern. However, there was another concerning angle that might be feeding her inquiries. “Are you thinking about your children?”

“A bit,” she sighed, smiling up into his face. Briefly, she considered how easy it would be to forget these more difficult thoughts. To lean up and bring her lips close to his mandibles, wrap her arms around his neck. Get lost in his heat and firmness.

Guilt flickered through her at the thought. Her attention dropped to the floor, a small frown creasing her lips.

Tai’dqei gave a thoughtful clicking noise, which Rayelle took as the yautja-version of a hum.

“I’m also trying to figure something out.” Suddenly, Rayelle was on her feet, pacing the length of the mess. “What we did… The stuff before your reinforcements arrived…”

“Yes?” He prompted, watching Rayelle move with his own quiet concern.

“I don’t really know how to process it.” A jittery feeling coursed through her body. She couldn’t stay still, especially knowing Tai’dqei carefully watched her. He straightened in his chair, scooting it to face her again so he could give Rayelle his full attention. “You and Ah’ke seemed so close. But the way you talk about mating and parenting makes me wonder how yautja see relationships.”

Rayelle made a third pass by him. Tai’dqei noticed one hand was held in the other, just about at her chest height, and she pressed her thumb into her palm. Faintly, he wondered if this was a new level - a new kind - of nervousness for her. His eyes focused back on her face, watching considerations flicker over her expression.

“Was what happened an instinct misfire for you? I happened to hit all the triggers, so the cave-yautja in your brain went off? Was it that, coupled with a sense of fun?” On her fourth circuit, she paused right in front of Tai’dqei. Her heart pitched itself into overdrive, her eyebrows angled with nervousness. The words had just - and continued - to spill from her. Her thoughts swung on a seesaw of debate. If she stopped to think, Rayelle doubted any of this would come into the clear. “Or is there more to it? For you and me?”

81 notes · View notes

eruden-writes · 2 years

Text

The Unexpected Human Problem - Part 21 (Yautja x Human)

☆ ☆ ☆

CW: Violence, blood, death.

Tag list: @ajarofpickledtears, @boogeysmothth

☆ ☆ ☆

Early chapters available on Patreon for my patrons! ;)

(Yes, Part 22 is already available on there.)

Comments, tags, and reblogs are real motivators for me, too! ♥

☆ ☆ ☆

Will sense return to Tai'dqei before he catches Rayelle? Or will Rayelle be subjected to the yautja’s natural inclinations?

And what happens afterwards?

☆ ☆ ☆

It was always easier to covertly sneak into a place when chaos consumed it. Everyone else was too focused on solving the more dire problem, they didn't remain alert to new, unseen, issues that may creep up. Not that he wasn't proficient in sneaking. With the cloaking technology and the thermal netting - which made his exterior ambient while retaining heat on the inside - Tai'dqei already had a leg up on even the most observant watcher.

Luckily, that's how he found the resort on Rerli 3, after a long trek from where he landed his cloaked ship. It took no effort to sneak through the doors, as random aliens darted in and out, shouting orders and seemingly searching for something. Or someone.

Like a phantom, Tai'dqei scouted out the resort in silence, sidestepping rushing bodies and slinking into rooms with open doors.

It didn't take him long to find out Rayelle had been correct on a number of points.

The staff were androids, he found, after stumbling into a tech repair area. Replacement android parts, from face to limbs, lined the shelves. Apparently the staff had been recently hacked by the alien forces filling the halls. That, or the whole resort was a fucking front. That thought made a growl threaten to spill from his throat, but Tai'dqei clamped down on it.

However, the agitation swarming the resort wasn't an event planning sort of excitement. There was a sharper edge to the air, a sense of fright and chaos, of surprise and lividness. Which soothed Tai'dqei's concerns a little. Even if the resort was a front, whatever they had planned had gone awry. He faintly wondered if it was Rayelle, but shoved the thought away.

He'd find out, eventually. But barely contained himself as he silently trailed others until he located a security office.

When he finally did slip into security, Tai'dqei got some of the answers he sought.

Various parts of the resort reflected on various holo screens. However, two were enlarged and being watched by the two Canoid guards seated in front of the console.

"They seriously disconnected it from the systems?" One laughed, apparently having just sat down since the chair creaked beneath his muscular bulk.

"Yeah, apparently there's a mechanical override mechanism on the door." The other was smaller, lither. But still had muscles flex as they motioned to a particular video rectangle. "They can still open and close it themselves, but outsiders can't do shit."

Tai'dqei silently edged closer, steps silent. He peered at the indicated screen, seeing if he could spot Rayelle. All he saw were fuzzy images of presumed humans.

"Shit, these humans really planned, huh?" The first one chuckled, throwing an arm behind their chair as they settled and barely missing the invisible mass of Tai'dqei. "Thought they were clueless."

The other barked an uncharacteristically deep laugh for such a small frame. With a clawed finger, they pointed to another, smaller screen. 'Outside 1950s Bunker' blinked in the corner of the screen. "Yeah, well, y'see the angry mess of tentacles there?"

They pointed to a blob on the screen. A blob that the invisible Tai'dqei knew very well. He knew those writhing masses were vines with sprouting thorns and that, beneath all that, Zav seethed.

The other guard leaned forward with a mean sort of laugh. "Is that bossman?"

"Yeah," gossiped the other, their lips crooked in a smirk. "I heard he went full aggro mode after one of the tits carved his face up with a knife or some shit."

Tai'dqei's attention spun to the gossiper, his eyes widening. Was that something Rayelle would do? Her immediate response to meeting an intimidating yautja was to attack and run. The deduction wouldn't be too unwarranted.

The two guards laughed together for a moment, still unaware of Tai'dqei's presence. He was beginning to consider killing the two, in order to get further with his own investigation, when a disembodied voice hissed from the guards' own wrist gauntlets, "Hey, you two. You're needed out by the 1970s kitchen. We think someone's holed up in the vent there."

Both of them sighed, as if put-upon, and rose from their chairs. In reply, one of them issued back, "Right, right. Heading there now."

And just like that, the two left their post. Even leaving the security office unlocked.

Tai'dqei watched them go, mentally haranguing them for lacking awareness. But, if they hadnt' been so unaware of him, he'd never get the answers he sought. Turning back to the security footage, he crept closer to the screens.

One was indeed Zav, in full offensive mode, at the bottom of the screen. When the Florizian became utterly enraged, his form shifted. Tai'dqei hadn't seen it that often, but he recognized the spiky, flailing vines and massive growth of the body well enough. It appeared Zav was snarling at a door or wall.

Whatever or whoever on the other side likely wasn't opening up, any time soon.

On the other screen was the insides of what was labeled 'Interior 1950s Bunker' in the lower corner. It was tightly packed, filled with humans. None of them looked into the camera. Tai'dqei wasn't even sure they knew a camera was there.

He scanned frantically, seeking her. In the far edges of the screen, he saw other humans leaning over prone companions. Faintly, Tai'dqei wondered if Rayelle had been hurt. Was she lying prone, needing more medical help than what an aid kit could provide? Or worse?

Finally, his eyes found her - crouched in the corner of the room, nearest the door - and he involuntarily gave a relieved chuff. The quality of the vid didn't allow Tai'dqei to judge her expression. Her body language, on the other hand, appeared tired and strained. Of course, that was only to be expected, if she took part in - or orchestrated - this chaos.

His main concern assuaged a fraction, Tai'dqei turned to his wrist gauntlet. It took longer than he liked to find a satellite to ping his message off of, while also making sure no one became aware of his presence, but he eventually managed. As soon as his encrypted communique shot into space, calling in reinforcements with an explanation of the circumstances, Tai'dqei turned back to the security console.

A number of options spun about his head, but it didn't take long to choose one. He needed to ruin the system, make it impossible for the enemy to utilize security capabilities.

Removing a gadget from his belt, Tai'dqei slapped it to the side of the computer. Released from their container, the nanobots ate into the metal of the console, on their way to destroying the system from the inside out. Tai'dqei cast one more look at the screens, trying to make sense of the layout and locating the power grid and generators.

Once that was done, he was going to rain hell on anyone non-human.

Then, with the dangers taken care of, he'd find Rayelle.

Tai'dqei slid from the security office, purpose and plan in place.

A yautja's fury was something to behold. And these fuckers were about to beholden it.

—

At first, Rayelle thought they were trying to smoke out the AWOL humans. Lights dimmed, a cacophony of different alarms sounded before draining away, as if their batteries had died over the course of minutes. More frantic panic bled into the bunker from the halls. Screams and trotting feet, most of it drawing away from their shelter.

Then more shouts as bodies and feet rushed the other way, past the door to the bunker. Some of the hollering ended abruptly, but Rayelle couldn't determine if it was due to voluntary or involuntary means.

Looking out over the others sheltering with her, everyone seemed to wear a similar concerned expression.

Something was wrong.

Well, something else was wrong.

Nervousness skittered across her skin, forcing her to stand from her crouch. Fright jolted through her when the lights fully gave up, plunging everything into darkness. Although the slow blinking of emergency lights, charged from a generator or emergency supply somewhere, illuminated the world. The red hues, fading in and out of the dark, weren't helping the growing anxiety.

"What the fuck is going on?" Abe asked, his voice warbling between a concerned whisper and a bruque snarl.

"I think something else is happening," Rayelle answered, cutting through the hushed theories. "Beyond our little rebellion."

A hesitantly hopeful tone came from Lisa, "Do you think someone's alien-in-shining-armor answered the calls?"

As it turned out, Rayelle wasn't the only human who had been brought to the resort by an alien. Hell, some of the others had done more with their traveling companions than she even thought about with Tai'dqei. She didn't even understand why some had parted ways, if she was being honest.

Trying to shove the small envious whispers in her head aside, Rayelle shrugged and sighed. "Don't know. When I got here, I couldn't send a message out, so it would've had to be before everything happened."

Whatever anyone else was going to say in reply was interrupted as a scream rent through the air. It was very, very close.

Something slammed bodily against the door. More cries and shrieks tore through the air, making many of the people in the bunker wince or cover their ears. Good thing, Rayelle thought, as she thought she heard the schluck of metal slicing flesh and the spill of copious amounts of blood. Of course, she strained her ears to hear that much and it could have been paranoia playing tricks on her.

Carefully, she crept closer to the door again.

Zav, who apparently hadn't abandoned the viewport as others rushed by, dodged when a body thumped against the door. He swung around, his tendrils riled, flexing along his body like enraged worms. Rayelle pressed her face to the glass, straining her eyes to see what - or who - Zav addressed, but she saw nothing in the red-black darkness.

Something tickled at the back of her memories. Wanting attention, but for the life of her she couldn't grasp it. Her attention was too focused on what was happening in the hall.

She didn't have a chance to focus on anything as Zav, with ridiculous speed, threw himself at the invisible foe.

Behind her, Abe hovered, squinting into the darkness. "Was there a gas leak or something? He literally went off after nothing."

Rayelle narrowed her eyes, focusing on the vague shape of Zav, scrambling and flailing down the hall. She angled her vantage point to continue watching him. Judging from his movements, he was attempting to fight something. His tendrils shot out with intention, slapped in a direction. She thought she spotted huge thorns shot across the corridor, spraying across something that seemed to glitter in the shadows.

"I don't think so," Rayelle said as she focused further on Zav and his surrounding area.

His writhing vines whipped around faster. Seeking, striking something in the shadows. In the dark and in the throbbing red light, Rayelle had a hard time seeing anything. But she saw Zav's tentacles connect, a spray of that glittery reaction, and darkness again.

Finally, Zav seemed to feel assured of his opponent's location, charging their body across the corridor and...

Out of Rayelle's line of sight.

For a long breath, she stood at the door, struggling to see or hear anything. The shape of a shadow. The faint footfalls beyond. She closed her eyes, trying to pinpoint any sound outside the shelter. Every breath, every fidget, every shift inside the bunker irritated her as she strained.

There was nothing. Or she just couldn't hear anything.

Then, faintly, there was a shriek. Enraged, angry.

And another sound. Faint.

So faint, her mind could be playing tricks.

She willed herself to focus on it, to hear it. Through the heavy walls, she thought she heard a familiar clicking gnarl.

—

After arguing briefly with the others, Rayelle finally was allowed to poke her head outside and around the door. The silence in the corridor was even eerier after all the commotion. She took a tentative step out, armed with a fire extinguisher. Her nostrils flared, mingling scents of bitterness and copper tinged the air. Something wet and sticky slicked against her shoes and she forced herself not to look. Goosebumps lit across her flesh as she took another quiet step.

Slowly, she edged down the hall, in the direction Zav had gone. Tension wrought along her muscles, moving at a snail's pace in the alternating black-red world. Her mind twirled with a billion different explanations for what happened. An asteroid shower, an attack from another alien race, a natural disaster outside. Although, none of it really answered why Zav acted the way he had or the screams or the-

"I'll enjoy bending your little whore under me, Tai'dqei." Rayelle froze, hearing the Florizian's voice around the corner, perhaps fifty feet away. His tone wasn't the smooth, languid thing it was before. Like Zav, his voice became deep and thorny and filled with rage. Her grip tightened on the fire extinguisher as she peered slowly around the bend.

"I should have guessed she'd have a bit more bite, tagging along with you." It took Rayelle a moment to make sense of the forms in the lighting. Thankfully, Zav stood with his back to her. Briefly, she took a closer look at what the Florizian became. His lithe body was still there, but entangled in his mass of swollen, thorny tendrils. The vines whipped around, as if in a frenzy, seeking flesh and blood. She noticed there was some bright green liquid dripping from some of the appendages, but not enough for her to be concerned.

From the dark shadows near the ceiling, a warbling clicking growl was all the response Zav received. The sound sent a flash of electricity down her spine. Rayelle hazarded a glance to the dark, trying to make out the glint of armor or a telltale silhouette.

In her distraction, Zav inhaled deeply and spun toward her. "Speaking of your little slut..."

Tai'dqei hissed a curse to himself, his eyes darting to Rayelle's heat signature provided by his helmet. Why did she have to come out now? This made dispatching Zav harder, considering the Florizian had a faint ability to sense another's presence. It likely had something to do with breathing, but Tai'dqei wasn't entirely sure.

His stomach twisted, seeing how small the human was compared to Zav.

Rayelle's eyes widened as she took in the Florizian's large eyes, black as death and reflecting the fading red light. Dark ooze escaping between his serrated teeth. Was that blood? Or did he emit a vicious poison from his maw? She stumbled back a few steps, receiving an amused chortle from Zav.

"If you won't come out to play, Tai'dqei," Zav launched himself at Rayelle, hands and tendrils extended, "Maybe I'll play with her instead."

Tai'dqei let loose a snarl, heart thrumming as he launched himself down from the rafters of the corridor. Even in his mental calculations, he knew he couldn't reach either before they collided. He'd already used up so many of his projectile weapons, just from culling the others.

Frozen, Rayelle watched as the writhing mass of rage closed the distance in such a short amount of time. A wicked smile spread over his features, a delighted cruelty bright in his eyes. Rayelle didn't react until she could feel the balmy heat of the Florizian almost upon her. Her instincts blazed to the forefront as she registered a snarl from above.

Just as Zav was about to encapsulate her in vines and hands and teeth - Tai'dqei's stomach lurching at the image - she smashed the extinguisher against the side of his face, a primal scream falling from her lips. The extinguisher made a deep 'twung' on contact, metal slamming into flesh. Vibrations rolled up her arms, making her bones shudder.

Zav let loose a shrieky squawk, surprised by the sudden retaliation. His trajectory veered and slowed from instinct and a necessity to reconsider the situation.

Rayelle wasn't about to give him a chance to recover.

With another feral scream, she slammed the butt of the extinguisher into Zav's head, over and over. Until the metal became slick in her hands and she resorted to lengthwise bashing again. She ignored the vines that tried to wrap around her weapon, her arms, her body.

Tai'dqei had to force himself to focus, offering silent redirection to Zav's attacking tentacles, as she carried on her assault. Part of him watched her with admiration of her capability and savagery. Another part of him flaring with that familiar, aching need to have her be his.

Only partly, Rayelle realized something invisible was intercepting or slicing the entangled appendages from her, the vines writhing and falling to the floor. Otherwise, she was too incensed to notice the vines, as the sound of metal crunched soggily against cartilage or bone and flesh.

Zav crumpled lower and lower to the floor, her strikes followed him. Her thoughts swarmed with fury and resentment and ire. Over her own circumstances, over the muddied situations of others, over how many lives had been affected by this horny selfish asshole and others.

Warm blood splattered over her clothes, her arms, her face. Thankfully, none of it caustic and burning. She didn't stop until her arms ached and trembled and Zav was hunched over on the ground. Taking a step back, her breaths heaved as she took a look at her work.

Liquid pooled around her feet, more of that scent of cut grass filtering into her nose. Detached vines, some writhing and some still, covered the tiles. Rayelle had just lowered the extinguisher and stepped back when Zav jerked upright suddenly. He gave a strange tri-toned hissing shriek as he lunged.

She should have known he'd be as sturdy as a weed. Even with his face mangled and teeth chipped and bones or cartilage jutting his flesh into painful angles, his hatred fueled him.

Whatever he was intending to do, whatever her instincts braced Rayelle for, never came. Her eyes widened as Zav's face split in two, before she realized an invisible blade had cleaved the Florizian's head in twain. Invisible heft slammed into Zav, grappling the alien down to the floor.

She watched in wide-eyed horror as Zav's torso seemed to split open on its own, more dark blood spraying and oozing across the floor. He howled and gurgled and retched, body jerking and flexing, before suddenly seizing. The edges of his tendril-hair seemed to wither as Zav took one last, wheezy breath, and fell still.

There was another hiss of unseen metal on flesh and Zav's head fell lax from their neck.

Instinct, fear, adrenaline. It all pumped through Rayelle, wildly trying to register what had just happened. The air shifted in front of her. She didn't know how she knew. Maybe it was lighting or shadow, but it reared up her fight or flee instinct.

With a surprised half-yell, Rayelle slammed the extinguisher into the invisible force, despite her protesting muscles. There was a grunt on impact, before a cascade of flickering lights revealed who she had hit. As the slow blinking red lights illuminated his helmet, her eyes widened.

Something was wrong though. Rayelle got the sense Tai'dqei glowered at her behind his visor, his shoulders tensed. Her gaze flicked over his body, wondering if it wasn't him, if she had mistaken a different yautja for her former traveling companion. For the most part, his form felt familiar. If only the damned lights weren't red and she could tell for certain.

"Tai'dqei?" Rayelle gasped softly, hoping for a confirmation while her heart still pounded. Was this actuality? Or had she suffered from so much stress, she was imagining things? Though fluorescent green blood oozed from various points on his face and body. The amount of other, unidentified, liquid - presumably alien blood - far exceeded his own.

It took all of Tai'dqei's willpower to not pounce on the woman, especially as she said his name so breathlessly. Two streams of thought diverged on what they'd do to Rayelle though. One side just wanted to hold her close, check her over for injuries. The other wanted to tear her clothes off and feel her soft heat under him, as he plunged into her. He couldn't stop his low gurgling growl as it resonated in his chest.

Rayelle's eyes wheeled back to his face, watching how his mandibles flexed, opening and closing. The low snarl made something in her center dip. Not with fear or with disgust. Now, she was more than certain it was her companion. She took a wobbly stem toward him, fire extinguisher still gripped in hand. Her free hand rose, intending to touch his arm. "What's wrong?"

Rayelle froze in place as Tai'dqei snarled a singular word. "Run."

103 notes · View notes

eruden-writes · 2 years

Text

The Unexpected Human Problem - Part 22 (Yautja x Human)

☆ ☆ ☆

CW: Violence, blood, death.

Tag list: @ajarofpickledtears, @boogeysmoth

☆ ☆ ☆

Early chapters available on Patreon for my patrons! ;)

(Yes, Part 23 is already available on there. And it's a spicy one.)

Comments, tags, and reblogs are real motivators for me, too! ♥

☆ ☆ ☆

Will sense return to Tai'dqei before he catches Rayelle? Or will Rayelle be subjected to the yautja’s natural inclinations?

And what happens afterwards?

☆ ☆ ☆

Confusion settled over Rayelle's thoughts at Tai'dqei's single word command. Run? Why? There wasn't any danger, any longer.

"Why? Zav's taken care of and no one else is-" Rayelle cast a wary look around, wondering if there were other dangers lurking in the shadows. Dangers that would make the yautja tell her to flee.

Tai'dqei took a step forward, barely restraining himself. A strong urge to grab Rayelle and bring her close to him bit along his arms. Under that urge, another seethed, desiring to lose himself inside her. To hear her sounds, while she was caught in the throes of pleasure. To feel her clench around him as her nails raked over his skin. Claws of instinct and heat sunk into him, threatening to tear his self-control apart.

"You. Hit. Me." He bit out each word, trying to put meaning into every syllable. Please, let her remember. Let her understand. Between the adrenaline of the fight and dispatching so many enemies, his instincts were riding hard in his head. Like rivers of sparking electricity, sinking deep into his muscles.

Her striking him, after everything, didn't help his self-control.

"It was an accide-!" Rayelle started to snap, before a memory of Tai'dqei's own words ricocheted through her head.

"One yautja mating ritual is meant to assess the capabilities of a mate by gaining their attention and then running. Challenging them to a different sort of hunt."

She wheeled her attention back to Tai'dqei, her heart skipping at the realization. He stood stiff, fighting something inside himself. Like a dog trying so hard to be good and not gobble up a treat. Heat flared up her body and warmed her face. Rayelle stared at him, in the fading in-and-out light. Tai'dqei was covered in blood of various hues, including his own. Scratches and dents marred his armor.

Before he even intercepted Zav, Tai'dqei had engaged with who-knew-how-many others. How many had he dispatched or incapacitated? How many had he tied up for others to deal with? How much victory had he seen and how did that play into his instinctive urges?

Her mouth fell open, snapped closed, before opening again to say something. But a small contingent of other humans scurried around the corner, each armed with some sort of makeshift weapon.

"Rayelle! What's going on?" Lisa demanded, hoisting a crowbar swiped from the staff's "infirmary." Her eyes wheeled around, seeking immediate dangers, overlooking the hulking armored alien and the grass-scented dead Florizian in the red-black lighting.

Before Rayelle could answer, Abe noticed Zav's decimated form. His free hand half-covering his mouth as the shovel he held in the other drooped. "Oh lord, what's that?"

"Forget that, who're they?" Bette pointed her rolling pin at Tai'dqei, suspicion painted across her features. She looked ready to attack if Rayelle said the word.

With eyes so wide, they nearly popped out of his face, a pale-faced Mizan softly gasped from behind Abe, "Is that a yautja?"

The appearance of the others eased the tension in Tai'dqei. Good. Their human audience dampened the hunger in him. Not entirely, but enough to keep him from straining against his own self-control.

"Are you all done now?" Rayelle snapped, her hands planted on her hips when there was a lull in the rapid-fire questions. When it appeared they were, she pointed to the yautja with her thumb. "That is Tai'dqei. The yautja that ferried me here."

"Him?" Sandra gasped, her eyes almost as wide as Mizan's. Though her expression couldn't exactly be considered fearful, Rayelle acknowledged, as the housewife's eyes certainly dipped down and up Tai'dqei's armored form.

Bette eased from her offensive stance, mirroring Sandra's assessing look before giving an appreciative hum.

Tai'dqei's mandibles flexed as they spoke, not noticing how the others stared at him. He was used to most humans fearing him, given history. And if these were time-displaced humans, their attention was going to be apprehension, no matter the situation.

No, his mind gnawed on the fact Rayelle had told the other humans about him. The only question was if it was good or bad. Likely both, he decided in an attempt to neither get too hopeful or too dire.

"What's going on, Tai'dqei?" Rayelle's question shook Tai'dqei from his thoughts.

He glanced up at her, finding she hadn't moved any closer to her human companions. She stayed rooted in the spot she'd been when they arrived, between them and him. Though her outstretched hand, seemingly intent to touch him, hung by her side now. A part of him bristled, preferring the thought of her hand touching him than not. He shoved the thought away.

Tai'dqei gave what almost sounded like a frustrated clicking sound - though Rayelle doubted it was due to her question - before replying to her. "You messaged me. I came."

"What about the others?" She motioned to Zav, highlighting the implication she was talking about the other aliens. Rayelle had to fight to ignore the pleasant heat that churned up her at his answer. It had been as simple as that, had it? She communicated her concerns, so he came.

"Many are dead. Other incapacitated." Tai'dqei rolled his shoulders, absentmindedly, as he glanced around the corridor. Rayelle didn't miss how, even clad in his armor, the movement highlighted his musculature. It made the corners of her lips threaten a smile, wondering if he had done that intentionally or without thinking.

It was that ghost of a smile on her lips that made Tai'dqei realize what he was doing. He forced his body to still, even though the desire to move - to do certain things - made him fidgety. "Reinforcements will be here soon. I apprised them of the situation in a transmission."

"Other yautja?" Rayelle ignored the slight whine Mizan gave, obviously their experience with the alien race alive and well in their head.

Tai'dqei ignored how one of the humans whimpered, answering simply, "Yes."

"Okay." A tension in Rayelle's shoulders eased. She didn't want to say it outloud, considering the stories she had heard from later generations, but her trust was low for other non-humans. Even if Tai'dqei was an exception, she still felt better knowing it was only yautja coming. Others likely didn't hold the same relief.

Turning to the other thankfully silent humans, she nodded back down the hall, toward the direction of the bunker. "You all go back to the shelter."

"What about you?" Bette asked, raising her eyebrows. The woman's expression made Rayelle feel like a teenager again, being silently called out for being in a closed room alone with their boyfriend.

"Tai'dqei and I have some things to discuss." A blush flared over her cheeks as she explained, trying to indicate to Bette, through her own raised eyebrows, to shut-the-fuck-up. She ignored how Lisa snorted at her answer or the looks the others gave her.

"Now?" Sandra wrinkled her nose, though it was hard to miss the amusement on her lips.

Taking a deep breath, Rayelle closed her eyes and tried not to sound so annoyed with her own people. "Remember what I said of yautja rituals? I accidentally hit him with the extinguisher."

Rayelle opened her eyes, just in time to see Sandra's lips form an 'o' before she nodded and scurried off. If it wasn't for the red light, Rayelle would have guessed the woman blushed fiercely. The others quickly followed after, save for Lisa, who lingered with a shit-eating grin on her lips. "So, if you scream, should we-"

"Lisa, I swear to fuck! Just go!" Rayelle nearly snarled, jabbing a finger in the direction of the bunker. At that, Lisa cackled and trotted off.

Glaring after Lisa, Rayelle was grateful that the punk hadn't decided to linger or try to eavesdrop on them. However, with the peanut gallery of her people gone, silence slipped in. It weighed heavily over Rayelle and Tai'dqei, as the lights faded through a handful of red-black cycles. When her attention turned slowly back to Tai'dqei, she realized this 'talk' should likely wait.

Both of them were covered in blood, her clothing ripped in places. Scratches and cuts littered her body. The blood encrusted fire extinguisher weighed heavily in her hand.

Tai'dqei appeared in worse condition, though the threshold was likely larger for a yautja compared to a human. Parts of his netting were ripped or completely missing, his armor dented and scraped, large smears of blood coated him. She wasn't even sure if he was badly injured or not. If he was, he didn't act like it, but Rayelle suspected that no yautja would, especially high on battle fervor.

"You should go," he finally growled, still not stepping closer to her, not trusting himself. He had to fight himself just to say those words. Her excuse to the others had stirred wonderful carnal heat in him, but Tai'dqei stuffed it down. She wasn't going to humor his instincts, wasn't going to let him rut her right there. Not in the state either of them were in. "Whatever needs to be discussed can be addressed later."

She looked up at him, her expression appraising and unreadable. He tensed as she stepped closer, the muscles tightening down his back. Intuitively, he was preparing for something. What it was, however, he wasn't sure.

Whatever considerations she had about waiting dissipated. Between her surgeries and arriving at the resort, she had stalled. Trying to make sense of her feelings toward the yautja man, so capable and comfortable with killing. Their time apart had given her perspective, understanding.

In this moment, they were here. Together. The danger - according to Tai'dqei - was handled for the moment. Zav, the likely ringleader, was dead. Their little audience had finally retreated to safety. The calvary was on the way.

Rayelle took another step closer to him and had to bite down a laugh as Tai'dqei seemed ready to stumble backward a step. Tilting her chin up, narrowing her eyes while still smiling, she demanded, "Why?"

"You know why." He growled, clearly frustrated. The frayed ropes of his restraint were ready to snap as she took another step closer.

Rayelle's smile widened a little further. He was trying so hard to be good, to not touch her, he completely overlooked her signals. Then again, maybe her signals were foreign to him, considering they were completely different species. Still, she tilted her head to the side, licking her lips before pressing further, "Do I?"

"Ye-" A sudden splurt of foam from the extinguisher caught him in the face. An annoyed rumble vibrated from his chest as he reached up and swiped the mess from his mask's smooth visor. Only to catch sight of Rayelle dropping the extinguisher, turning, and running.

She was fucking running.

Tai'dqei didn't even get a chance to stop himself. No thought lit between his brain and feet as he took off after her. With a snarl, he charged, quickly gaining ground. The second she heard him start rushing after her, excitement prickled through her veins.

The excitement sparked as she sensed, more than felt, a hand reach for her hoodie's hood. A bead of mild disappointment, at the game being short-lived, pulsed through her.

But it didn't have to be that way, she realized.

As Tai'dqei triumphantly closed his clawed fingers around her hood, prepared to yank her back against his chest, Rayelle writhed out of the jacket. She slipped from one sleeve and spun, sharply turning to slip from the other sleeve.

A half-snarl, half-hiss left the yautja as he instantly dropped the hoodie, wasting no time to lunge for the woman. He only barely missed snagging Rayelle as she turned a corner and his boots slipped in a pool of blood.

There was a brief second of confusion, as the sound of his boots faltered and skidded, a dull thump against a solid surface. Glancing over her shoulder, she had to bite back a laugh. Even in the fading red light, she could see him push off the wall he had slid into, a smear of blood that trailed from a puddle the evident culprit to Tai'dqei's fumble.

Was he so focused on her, he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings? The prickle of excitement jolted, piquing sudden and high.

Ducking and dodging through the wartorn Rerli 3 resort, Rayelle only caught glimpses of disaster between bumbling through darkness. Over spilled carts, around large fallen foes, and under vents torn from the ceiling. Tai'dqei had certainly done a number on the place, if that was all his doing.

Some of the damage had to be from other humans, fighting to survive. Part of her knew that. But that part was quickly being shoved to the wayside as delight and hormones took over. There'd be time to worry and fret and grieve later.

Right now, she just wanted to steal some time with Tai'dqei. Even if running away from him appeared counter intuitive to that. More than once, she stumbled and gasped, sure that Tai'dqei would descend on her in her mistake.

Being larger, Tai'dqei had to take more care moving around a building clearly made for human-sized entities. The bulk of his armor slowed him down, catching on debris or bodies skewered to walls or the ceiling. It was utterly infuriating.

Further, whatever Rayelle had sprayed at him was playing havoc with his helmet's thermal sensor. Though, he supposed running into that wall hadn't helped, either. A background thought noted he'd have to get it repaired.

Either way, it made following her movements in the emergency lighting aggravating. Even as she staggered on occasion, whatever ground he gained was lost as the world habitually plunged into darkness. Without his thermal visor, the shadows forced him to slow lest he make another ill-thought mistake and lose her completely.

The longer he followed her, the worse the heat in him grew. As frustrating as the situation was, as ridiculous as he felt for blundering, Tai'dqei was determined to scratch this fucking itch. It gnawed at him for too long. The hunger for her ached through him, spraying fire over his nerves and making it difficult to think logically, to plan, to defend against Rayelle's own tricks.

His thoughts whorled around her. How she'd feel under his hands, under him. Her softness, her heat, the sounds she'd make. An excited growl perpetually caught in his throat as he plunged on, this time not slowing as the lights dimmed.

Rayelle's desperate feet wove the way back to the 1990s and 2000s areas, trying to recall the mental map she had of Rerli's resort. She nearly ran by the door she sought, but she thankfully saw it in the last second of red light.

She ducked through it and into the strangely quiet and seemingly untouched library. Once the lights bathed the world in red again, Rayelle picked up her pace. Racing through the stacks, she tried to remain silent on her feet and attempted to not drip any gore on the library's offerings.

She wasn't exactly sure where to go, just yet. For now, she was just leading Tai'dqei on a chase. That seemed the important part, she figured. It got the blood pumping, the heart racing, anticipation rising. At least, that's what it was doing for her.

Thoughts of what would happen when Tai'dqei did get his hands on her plagued her under-thoughts, as her forethoughts tried to find the next obstacle to make the chase satisfying.

The door slammed open just as she made it three-quarters of the way across the library, to the door on the opposite side of the room. Slapping a hand over her mouth, quieting her gasp, Rayelle ducked down. In a crouch, she moved quietly until the bulk of a desk shielded her.

"Rayelle!" Tai'dqei barked, sending a shiver down her spine as his authoritative tone rattled her bones. His own pace slowed as he peered around. The room appeared to be a cache for books in tall shelving units. So tall, it easily hid Rayelle from view.

Further frustration pulled a growl from his throat.

Coming up to a shelf, he eyed the books. Flashes of memory flickered in his head, from his time with Rayelle, watching her bent over a book and reading. Tai'dqei gave a thoughtful click, as an idea struck him. Working off a theory, he snatched a book off its shelf, flipping it open. After one last glance around, finding no hint of Rayelle, he experimentally tore a few pages.

For a wild second, Rayelle tried to make sense of the hissing sound. It sounded familiar, but nothing dangerous. Realization struck her like a truck and her eyes widened.

Was he tearing pages out of the book?!

Jumping up from her hunkered down spot, losing the protection of a desk, she yelled at him, "Tai'dqei, don't you dare!"

His attention snapped toward the movement before she had even called out. Tai'dqei chittered with satisfaction. Forgotten, the book carelessly dropped to the carpet as he bolted toward her.

A yelp squeezed through her lips as she darted the final feet toward the door, bounding over the threshold and slamming it shut behind her. She doubted the yautja would cause further destruction in the library. There was no doubt in Rayelle's mind he'd only damaged the book to rile her. She only hoped it wasn't something valuable or irreplaceable.

If so, Tai'dqei was going to get a tongue lashing after this was all over.

She had barely stepped out into the hall when the door knot behind her rattled. Her heart leapt in her throat as her feet carried her fast down the hall, not caring how heavy her footsteps thudded against the tiles. Desperately, she looked around for another destination. There'd be little obstruction for Tai'dqei's pursuit in the hallway.

Faint relief swelled as her eyes landed on the kitchen's swinging doors. Swerving toward the door, she pushed through, hearing Tai'dqei gaining behind her. An excited apprehension nipped across her nerves, once more. The sensation dropping deep into her center.

Rayelle careened into the community kitchen, skirting the large island in the middle of the room. Tai'dqei burst in before the kitchen doors even closed and Rayelle turned to face him. She was painfully aware of heat rising in both her face and her core.

"Got you," he growled with pride, hands flexing at his sides as his steps slowed. Now, he walked like a big cat, eyeing its prey. And he was going to certainly enjoy eating her up. Even now, he imagined he could taste her sweetness on his tongue.

Rayelle's heart skittered in her chest, the blush worsening across her cheeks. Her chest rose and fell with deep breaths, but delight burned through her. Even if she wanted to, even if she hadn't been running, Rayelle wasn't sure she could calm her breathing. Electricity snapped in the air around her, both tempting her to give in and continue running.

Tipping her chin up, she tried to sound firm, a teasing half-smile crooked at her lips. "I don't think I'll let you catch me just yet."

A chuff of a laugh left the yautja and he moved further into the room, his steps measured and precise. He let loose another growl, his mandibles flexing. How to go about this, he wondered, a litany of raunchy scenarios playing out in his mind's eye.

As his brain fed him hormone-drenched thoughts, Rayelle's mind noticed his growl didn't possess an undertone of irritation or anger, like when he was fighting Zav. This growl felt playful, somehow. A cascade of quivering heat slid down her spine, as it had when he taunted her in the seat.

Her thoughts stuttered to a halt as Tai'dqei skillfully hopped up onto the island in one jump. His weight thumped hard on the counter. With an alarm curse, she pushed back against the far corner, though her eyes remained on his form.

The surprise turned into a cackle of amusement as, in his intense focus on getting to her, Tai'dqei hadn't noticed the ceiling rack of dangling pots.

Lips of metal pots caught onto the edges between his plates of armor, making him hiss and spit with displeasure. Once he was free of one implement, three more would tangle or bang noisily against him.

Thanking her lucky stars, Rayelle wasted no time racing around the island and the entangled yautja. His frustrated snarls followed her through yet another door and into a new hall. Rayelle's laughter, trailing behind her, sent a stab of impatient fire through Tai'dqei. With an annoyed howl, he grabbed the rack itself and yanked hard.

Parts of plaster and ceiling rained down, as Tai'dqei broke the rack free. A cacophony filled the air as pans and pots and metal utensils littered the floor. Tai'dqei didn't notice any of it. His fiery gaze turned in the direction Rayelle had gone as he tossed the rack against a far wall.

Before the rack and wall made an intimate impact, Tai'dqei launched himself off the island and raced after Rayelle.

He knew he was making ill-thought mistakes. Part of him was frustrated at his inability to think critically, too distracted by Rayelle to focus, but another part of him enjoyed the chase, her laughter and amusement. Even if it incensed something deep inside him, promising to make the rutting Rayelle was about to receive one she would never forget.

The longer the wait, the sweeter the end result. But he'd waited so long already.

After the clatter - and that howl that churned at her insides - Rayelle heard those familiar footfalls behind her once more. She barely kept from looking back. The worry she'd just stop and let him finish the game clashed against the continuously building desire in her.

But now, she had an idea of where she wished to lead Tai'dqei.

A sharp turn ended in a dead end, with no apparent exits. Rayelle spun on her heel, walking backward as Tai'dqei's steps slowed behind her.

His growl was smug, goading, as his head cocked to the side. "Dead end."

"That doesn't sound very sexy." Rayelle wrinkled her nose as her back nudged against a wall. Her hands reached behind her, looking for the console inlaid into the wall. It had to be there, she thought. Unless she got turned around, which was a possibility. Either result would end the same way, but her mistake only ended the game sooner.

Tai'dqei's response was only a growl and further steps toward her, closing the distance. Part of him waited to see what she'd do, though. Would she submit? Would she fight? Or did she have something else up her sleeve?

Her fingertips finally found the screen and she flashed Tai'dqei a cheeky smile. "Let's try once more."

His confusion morphed into complete surprise as she slipped back into the wall. Timed well, her escape coincided with the lights fading to black.

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