A Satyr's Mate Ch. 11-12

I nearly lost consciousness from the climax that hit me. It tipped him into his own release, his cock pulsating long after all the semen had been ejaculated. It was several long minutes before it stopped, and another minute for his cock to begin to soften.

I finally found my voice. "What just happened?"

Dolphus removed his cock and let my buttocks rest on the leaves beneath me before collapsing onto the ground. It took him a few seconds to catch his breath. "My body's reaction to you is more intense, more focused somehow. I became overwhelmed with a need to claim you. I'm sorry."

I struggled to free my hands. I wanted to touch him, reassure him. "It's okay. Please don't be sorry. I love that side of you, too. It's part of who you are." I tried to free myself again. "Please release me. I want to touch you."

Dolphus reached behind my neck to remove the bindings, and then suddenly stopped. "I want you to agree to one more thing."

I sighed. "Whatever you need, my demanding mate."

Dolphus cocked an eyebrow at me and I realized that I wasn't free, yet. Until I was, I should probably mind my manners. "I want to bring you to climax in front of Aeron and Lena."

"I've already climaxed in front of them. Have you forgotten our last breeding already?"

"In the off-season."

"Whatever for? I thought you didn't want to do that in front of Aeron."

"I think he should experience it. With Lena there."

"Why?"

"I think it might prompt him to embrace his human urges, too."

"What makes you think he has any? You didn't before I came along."

"I've observed his cock twitch in off-season. When Lena is near. I think they just need coaxing."

"Why do you care if they have sex in the off-season?"

"If they do, others will follow."

I wasn't tracking why this was suddenly so important to him.

"I have a theory. Just as your reproductive system has changed from monthly cycles to only a few times per year, your strongest being in autumn, like a satyress, I believe that ours must be capable of doing the opposite. Maybe our cycles are more flexible, able to be more human or more satyr, depending on our behavior. If I'm right, we might be able to train our systems to allow reproduction more than once per year. That would surely increase our numbers."

He was right about my cycle changing, although I hadn't realized he'd been observant enough to track the progress. His logic was worth consideration. There must be more similarities in our reproductive systems than we realize. Otherwise, satyrs wouldn't exist in the first place.

"Will you do it?"

I'd forgotten that he was requesting something of me. "Oh. Yes. I'll try to do that."

He untied my arms and released my legs, then pulled me into his lap so he could inspect the bite marks on my neck and shoulder.

"Are you satisfied with your handiwork?"

Dolphus smirked. "For now."

"Good. Because next time you're going to have to catch me first."

"You never make things easy, do you? You are a horrible slave."

I craned my neck to look up at him, my jaw agape.

Dolphus pinched my chin. "But a perfect mate."

***

Our pairings were less intense over the next two days. We refrained from using tethers again, though I was certain it was going to come up in the future. He'd enjoyed that little session a little too much for it to be a one-time occurrence.

Soon we were once again standing on the landing overlooking Sibiu, on our way back home.

"I think this is my favorite spot of all."

Dolphus tilted my face up so he could kiss me. Our time together had done a lot toward bringing us closer to one another. Just as he was deepening our kiss, we were startled by the sound of something crashing in the distance.

We pulled away to turn toward Sibiu, where the noise originated. A large cloud of dust was rising from one of the buildings. Faint sounds of people shouting rose up the foothills. There were explosions and a fire broke out on the far east side, just before the Suddein forest. People were screaming and running in all directions. I gripped Dolphus' arms in horror.

"Father. Valame."

Dolphus wrapped his arms around me, never taking his eyes off the commotion. "They've destroyed the council building but they aren't attacking citizens."

I buried my face in Dolphus' chest and uttered a silent prayer for my father and Valame. A few minutes later, Aeron appeared at our side.

"It begins."

I turned to watch the chaos, my back firmly pressed against Dolphus' chest. Guards stood at exit points around the city, indicating that this was no raid. They clearly wanted to keep people inside. This was a coup.

"They are organized and well-trained."

Dolphus nodded his agreement with Aeron's assessment. "I estimate around fifty."

Sensai descended down the trail and flanked Dolphus on the other side. "Alert the others, shall we?"

Both Aeron and Dolphus studied the scene unfolding before us. Aeron shook his head. "Non. Most of them already know by now. We will gather in council."

Dolphus added, "We'll need a pair of sentries here."

Aeron nodded his head in agreement and Sensai turned to head back up the path.

"I'm going to see Ashira safely home first. I'll meet you at council."

********

CHAPTER TWELVE

Change

It was several days before we received news from Sibiu. The attackers had the city locked down tight with Father and Valame inside. Finally, they were able to convince the guards to let them leave. It helped that they were Baltian and not Sibian. And that Valame was pregnant. This last bit of news came as a surprise to me.

"They're being led by a red-headed man from Lyonesse."

Dolphus nodded once. "Trystan."

My father tilted his head in surprise. "You know him?"

Dolphus shook his head. "I know of him. His family lived in Sibiu many years ago. His parents were beheaded, if I remember the story correctly. Trystan fled."

"Apparently, he has returned. This time with an army."

"Ignatius?"

"Dead. Along with the magistrate. Amazingly, very few others were even injured. Sibians aren't known for their bravery. Most ran."

"It's a miracle they haven't been conquered before now. Then again, there is nothing of value in the land or the city." Dolphus sighed. "Sorry."

"It's quite alright. It's not my home."

"Did they state their intentions?"

"No. Not in so many words. They did lock up the head clergyman and schoolmaster, though. Everyone is just waiting."

"Did you get a sense that they were hostile?"

"No. On the contrary, the guards were actually polite. Firm, but respectful. They weren't aggressive in any way."

"This is good news. It sounds like Trystan merely wants to set things right."

"Well, he's on the right track. Next to Grachhus, the schoolmaster and clergy leader were amongst the most corrupt."

"He must've been receiving information from inside sources to know that."

Father shrugged one shoulder. "The mines, maybe."

I'd heard all I could stand. They were just going to stand there and throw around theories for the next hour, so I excused myself to find Valame. She was resting against the ledge by the window.

"Were you afraid?"

Valame turned to face me. "Not really. Concerned that you might be worried once you found out we were there."

"I was. We watched from a ledge. Why didn't you tell us that you were pregnant?"

"We haven't known for long. And I wasn't sure if you'd be happy or not."

"I'm thrilled. I'll have a half brother, or sister. It's what I've always wanted."

"Will you be staying?"

"Non. I mean, no. Sorry, satyr language. Dolphus will want to relay the news to Aeron as soon as possible. I need to let Mari know we're leaving soon."

Valame reached out to touch my arm. "Let her stay."

She motioned out the window and my gaze followed. Sitting on a patch of grass was Mari and Finn. They were talking and laughing.

"Finn has so few friends. I think he's lonely."

"Mari is fully grown and can make her own decisions. I just want to let her know in case she wants to accompany us."

Mari's voice came drifting through the window. "I can hear you from here, Mother. Go ahead without me."

I heaved a sigh as I rolled my eyes. "Damn satyr ears."

***

There was a lot of talk over the following days. I felt like I'd lost Dolphus completely to the council. The only person on earth with whom I was positive understood my situation, was Lena. Aeron was just as occupied as Dolphus.

We became fairly inseparable, dividing our time equally between the perimeter of the council gathering, which including the entire flock most days, and our domicile. Neither of us enjoyed flock business so we were content with sticking to the outskirts and watching the lambkin play.

Lucius was fully weaned and could be found playing with Ennus most days. Ennus was Aeron and Lena's third born, and Lucius' best friend. I found that interesting since they were conceived side-by-side. They probably would've been born at the same time had we not had to induce labor due to me being human.

"Do you like mating season, Lena?"

Lena's eyes widened in surprise. It was a bit of a random question. "Yes. Does you?"

I nodded. "Very much so. Do you know that Dolphus and I engage in that activity year round?"

I wasn't sure what others knew about our activities. We hardly hid it. "Non. How so?"

"Do you mean, how is it possible?" Lena nodded. "Well, humans have urges all the time and satyrs are part human, so it can happen."

Lena listened intently, nodding to let me know that she at least understood the concept, even if she wasn't sure she believed it.

"If you had the choice ... If Aeron was, you know, capable of engaging in that activity ... would you want to? Do you think you might get in the mood if he were maybe in that mood?"

Lena frowned as she thought about it, then a giggle suddenly bubbled to the surface, forcing her to hide her face to keep from drawing attention to herself.

"What?"

She nodded, smiling rather deviously. "Me think so, yes."

"Does it make you tingly inside thinking about it?"

Lena stifled a giggle and nodded.

"Come on, we best get across the field before Aeron picks up your scent and asks questions."

I didn't bring up the topic again for fear of sending poor Lena into heat. I could see what Aeron saw in her. She was enthusiastic and sweet, and cute as a button. I also got the impression that she liked sex quite a bit more than the average satyress. I had a feeling Aeron knew that about her, too.

At any rate, I'd gotten the information I wanted out of Lena. Ever since I'd agreed to Dolphus' plan, I'd been worried that we might be starting something that she wouldn't want. Having that question answered was a big relief for me.

It didn't matter much because nothing was going to happen as long as the Sibiu ordeal continued. No satyr thought about anything but that.

***

"We need someone to make contact with them."

"Why you? Why not Aeron?"

Dolphus shook his head. "It's too risky. Aeron must stay here."

"Then, Sensai."

"He doesn't possess the verbal skills, you know that."

I was finished arguing about it. My stubborn satyr wasn't going to budge on this one. "Then I'll go with you."

"Non. That's not a good idea."

"Why not? I used to live there. The only person I needed to avoid is already dead."

"Non."

I stomped my foot in frustration. He was being downright obstinate. "Father can escort us. What could possibly happen to me while I'm standing between you and him? Anyway, I'd be proof that the flock means no harm to humans. That this is a neighborly sort of place."

Dolphus heaved a sigh. "Stubborn and brave, such a dangerous combination."

I knew I'd won when he said that. It was what he always uttered before he caved.

***

Time was of the essence with mating season rapidly approaching. Being as I was now part of the plan, I was thrust right in the middle of flock council affairs. I hated it, but if it won me a place at my mate's side, I would tolerate it. I wasn't about to let Dolphus go without me.

I think on some level Dolphus had to know that it would happen this way. Being a mated pair changed everything about the way you saw things. I couldn't picture making a big move like this without him, and I was pretty sure he was experiencing the same phenomenon. Each day that connection grew stronger, too. It was a true partnership.

The day before we were to leave for my father's house, we went to the lookout to make sure nothing appeared out of place in Sibiu. We noticed right away that the gates were no longer being guarded. Activity in Sibiu appeared to be back to normal, with the exception of the church and school. Vendors and townspeople flooded the streets, mining resumed, harvesting was commencing.

Dolphus jumped suddenly and crouched in a defensive stance in front of me. I clutched my racing heart as I finally heard what he was reacting to. Men were approaching. Sibian men.

Dolphus nearly knocked me over trying to guard me as they came into view. I peeked around Dolphus.

"Number Two!"

Dolphus startled when I called out. The Sibian slave that I only knew as 'Number Two' stepped forward.

"We've come on behalf of the new regime."

Dolphus eyed the two men. He could easily take them, if it came to that. I'm sure they knew that, as well. "What do you want?"

Number Two smiled. "You are a direct one." He extended his hand in greeting. "I'm Otho, and this is Valens."

Dolphus shook their hands. "Dolphus." I tried to step out from behind him, but he blocked me, keeping me firmly at his back. "This is Ashira."

I waved from behind Dolphus' back, having no other choice. I could've sworn I heard Number Two chuckle.

"We just want to be clear that what happened in the valley has nothing to do with your, uh, herd ..."

"Flock." I reminded him.

"...Flock, yeah. This is Sibiu business. There will be some restructuring, an election, a few things are going to change, but nothing with regard to any of the surrounding civilizations or species. In fact, Trystan is firmly against discrimination. It's why he organized this. To stop the insanity in Sibiu and make it a place that welcomes all races and creeds."

"What do you want from us?"

"Nothing. I mean, when things settle, in the spring, maybe, we should sit down and discuss what we can do for each other. Until then, we'll leave you alone to do your thing if you leave us to do ours. Fair enough?"

"Seems a reasonable enough request."

"Do I have your word on that?"

Dolphus nodded and extended his palm for a handshake. They shook and awkwardly nodded at one another for a few seconds before the two men turned to head back down the path. I couldn't believe it was over that quickly.

"Oh! And, Number Four...Ashira ... In case you haven't noticed, we've stopped hunting satyrs." He emphasized the words exactly the way I'd yelled them that day.

My face heated in embarrassment. The men chuckled as they continued down the path. I tried to think of something to say, but words evaded me.

Dolphus turned to face me. "We're not the only ones who find that amusing, I see. Let's go see Aeron."

It was quickly decided to cancel our visit to Sibiu. Dolphus and I still had to inform my father of our change in plans, though, so we headed down to the Baltian settlement the following morning, much as we had planned in the first place.

It was honestly a relief to get away. I adored the flock, but I'd not had a moment alone with my mate in far too long. I was missing him even as he slept next to me in bed and walked beside me on the path. I would've done anything for another couple of days away with him.

We didn't stay long. Neither one of us felt like visiting, and mating season was about to commence. Two good reasons to cut our visit short and head back up the trail toward home. We did stop at our usual picnic spot, and even followed the creek bed to where Dolphus had buried our dead son. It felt like a dozen years had passed since that time, the memory was so vague to me.

As we were making our way back to the trail, we heard voices in the distance. I checked Dolphus' reaction to see if I should be alarmed. He was relaxed, with an amused grin on his face. He just shook his head and prodded me toward the path. He was as anxious to get back as I was, mentally exhausted from the recent events, and desperately needing some peace and quiet.

Once back in our den, I crawled onto the bed to nap. Dolphus joined me, which was a highly unusual occurrence, since he never napped.

He stroked my hair and nuzzled my ear. I drank in his affection, so thirsty for it that I didn't care if it drowned me.

"Mari is no longer parthenos."

I tried to remember what the term meant. Dolphus had explained it to me once before but I couldn't quite recall in what context. "Does that mean she is fully mature?"

"A bit more than that, Shi. She is no longer pure."

I rolled onto my back to face Dolphus. "I don't understand. She only just reached maturity and won't come into season for a few more years, I thought."

"She has already had her first cycle."

"What? She didn't tell me this. How do you know?" I answered my own question. "You smelled it."

"The voices we heard earlier ... they belonged to Mari and Finn. They'd just finished coupling."

"Did she hear us?"

"I'm not certain."

"That explains her being gone for hours at a time. Oh, Dolphus, what does this mean?"

"That's up to Mari."

"It must be hard for her to split her time between the two worlds. I'd so hoped that she'd become alpha satyress someday. She has such a mind for flock business."

"I think we all hoped that, Shi. She's proven herself intelligent enough for the task. But if she accepted that position, by tradition, Aeron would have exclusive rights to breed her."

I was very conflicted about that for so many reasons. I'd grown very fond of Aeron. I was also fond of Lena, and I couldn't help but feel in my heart that they were a mated pair. So, while Aeron and Mari would produce strong offspring, I couldn't accept it. Then there were the other reasons why I rejected the idea, having nothing to do with the practical side, and everything to do with how I was raised. "She's so young, Dolphus."

"She is fully mature. You cannot measure the age of a satyr in human development years."

"I'm not ready for her to take this step."

"That is why I am telling you now. You must prepare yourself for these life changes."

"Finn is a nice young man. How will you feel if she chooses him as her mate?"

Dolphus frowned. "I will not feel anything. I am not the one who chooses him."

I realized that I was asking the impossible again. "Would you accept their mating? Would Aeron?"

"I have already accepted it. I do not know what Aeron's reaction would be."

"He accepts Loomis and Haibu, doesn't he?"

"He tolerates their ways because there are so many males. It does no harm to the flock for two bucks to couple. In Mari's case, Finn is taking away a valuable female. Worse...one that has strong alpha tendencies. I am not sure how Aeron will take that."

"What will he do?

Dolphus shook his head. "It is up to him."

I let my mind wander back to Mari and Finn. They would produce beautiful, Baltian-satyr babies. If she mated with Aeron, their offspring might be darker than average, but the lambkin's fur would most certainly have reddish highlights. All Aeron's offspring did.

I'd often pondered how it was that there was so much variation in the satyr coloring. Dolphus said that there had been a time when all satyrs were a dull gray, resembling more closely Loomis' fur color. This makes for excellent camouflage as it is very difficult to detect a gray satyr on the side of a rocky cliff. The flock, however, was a variety of colors ranging from near white, like Shala's coat, to Mari's jet black mane, with all variations of grays, reds, and tans in between. Aeron's line was distinctively auburn, while Sensai consistently produced sable colored offspring when he bred, and Dolphus, of course, produced the darkest lambkin.