Intended Ch. 11

Sala blushed. "Did you tell him we are exclusive to each other?"

"He already knew. He suggested that perhaps my wishes are...placing limitations upon your own desires, and since then I have been wondering if he is right." Jakal took her hands in his. "If you wish to bring the Spiritwalker or another to our furs, or share your body with someone else, I will not object. I do not want you to feel...held back because of me. Sala, what do you desire?"

"You have never held me back. And I already have what I desire," she responded, drawing one of her hands away to touch his face. "Since the Spiritwalker has been here, he has shared furs with a great many people, including some of our friends. Our relationship may appear limited to him because he does not understand the bond we share. That is his limitation, not ours.

"I will not deny I find him attractive, and before you, it might have been enough to accept his offer. But it seems small and unimportant compared to what I have now. I do not wish to be with anyone but you." Leaning forward, she kissed him.

Their tongues entwined as their bodies came together, arms wrapping around the other. When their lips parted Jakal kissed under Sala's chin and along her jaw, working his way to her ear while she sighed with pleasure, caressing his back. The sucking and pulling of his warm, wet mouth on her earlobe made her tremble to the core, and her fingers suddenly tightened, gripping his firm body.

Taking hold of the bottom of her tunic, he slipped it up and over her head. Dropping it to the floor he sat for a moment, transfixed. A few scars and faint bruises remained on her supple tan skin, but they did nothing to mar her beauty.

His eyes drifted to her breasts, rising and falling with her heavy breaths, their dark nipples contracted into points. Unable to resist, he reached out and cupped them in his hands, savoring their weight and shape and the way they fit perfectly in his palms. Her eyes closed, lips parted, Sala sighed, leaning into him when his searching fingers fondled her nipples.

Jakal withdrew, standing up to remove his leggings. His mate joined him, untying the thong. Hooking her fingers on either side of his waist, she pressed her nose under his arm for a moment, smiling as she drew in his male scent.

"You smell so good," she told him, flicking her eyes upward, watching his expression as she knelt, sliding his garment down his legs.

Lifting one foot and then the other, he stepped out of them. Sala set the warm leather to the side before returning her hands to his body. His eyes closed, a hum rumbled in Jakal's throat as her fluid hands glided up his legs. He started with a gasp when her fingers made contact with his manhood.

She played with it first, enjoying the pliable, velvety skin covering his turgid tool and how he trembled under her touch. Lifting it to her lips, she closed her eyes, listening to his throaty murmurs as she rubbed his shaft from cheek to cheek, grazing it each time it passed her parted lips. He sucked in his breath when her tongue swirled around the tip for the first time, his muscles clenching as a shock of pleasure flooded his body.

Pulling back the foreskin, she took the head between her lips, mouthing it while her tongue swept over its smooth surface. Bringing him deeper, she shifted her legs and reached between her thighs. She fingered herself, plunging her digits into her sex.

Removing his manhood from her mouth, she coaxed Jakal's legs apart and brought her slippery fingers to his rear opening. He gasped as her fingertips caressed the soft, wrinkled skin, and moaned with unexpected pleasure when a finger entered him at the same moment she took him back between her lips.

Burrowing deeper into his hidden passage, her digit found the mysterious organ she first discovered during their stay at the great river. Massaging it gently, Sala sighed while she bobbed her head, stroking him in and out of her mouth.

"Oh woman!" His release imminent, he held the top of her head for stability, his body quaking.

She felt him tensing as his manhood thickened in her mouth. Noticing that the lobed organ in his back opening also seemed to swell, she stroked it faster. Holding him firmly between her lips she flicked her tongue around the tip of his shaft.

"Uhhh!" he groaned. A fire blazed through his body as wave after wave crashed through him, his burning manhood spurting again and again into Sala's waiting mouth.

Withdrawing her finger, she suckled him for a few more moments until his organ stopped twitching. Looking up, she smiled at her mate. She reached out her hands and he helped her up. Holding her close, he kissed her passionately before ravishing her throat.

Taking his hand, she led him to the furs. Lying down, she beckoned to him, eager to feel his hard figure pressed into hers. Climbing onto the platform, he lay on top of her. They sighed when they connected, skin on skin, and for a moment they simply held one another, staring into the other's dilated eyes.

Unable to resist her any longer, the Light-Eye ran his hands all over her soft body, rumbling as he suckled one breast and then the other.

"Oh yes, ohhh," she sighed, stroking the tight muscles of his back and shoulders. Her sex ached, and she rolled her hips, seeking relief.

Jakal growled when her smoldering center rubbed against his pelvis. "Woman. You burn for me."

Lowering himself between her legs, her mate hummed as he rubbed his lips all over her inner thighs. Sala writhed, kneading her breasts and squeezing her nipples. "Mmm, please...yesss," she whispered, reaching out to run her fingers through his hair.

Teasing her sensitive skin with his tongue, he worked his way to the source of her heat. When he reached his destination he breathed her in, moaning as his nostrils drew in her heady musk. Wrapping his arms around her outstretched legs, he dipped in and tasted.

"Oh yes, oh yes!" She jerked as his warm, moist tongue explored her lower lips. Fingers tangled in his long hair, she lifted her hips on unsteady legs, offering herself to him.

Moving a hand to her sex, he entered her with two fingers, stroking in and out while his mouth sought out her button, swollen and unsheathed. Encircling it with his lips, he kissed the tiny organ with his tongue, groaning as she thrashed and pleaded, pulling at his hair, calling his name.

Withdrawing his digits, he slid them down to her secret passage. His wet fingers traced the puckered opening, and Sala gripped his head, crying out when one of them slipped inside.

Jakal removed his lips from her erect node while his finger continued pressing forward. When the tight ring accepted its full length, he pulled back slowly before thrusting it back inside her.

His pumping finger increased its speed. Sala's groans changed into wails when his tongue resumed caressing her nerve bundle. "Ah, ah, ah! Please, Jakal, please!"

Her body trembled just before the first wave rocked through her. Wrapping her legs around his head, she jumped and jerked, screaming for him.

When she released him he crawled on top of her. He kissed her eagerly and then resumed squeezing and sucking her breasts. As he grunted with pleasure, she felt him growing hard against her inner thighs. A surge of excitement flashed out from her womanhood, and her hips undulated in response.

Sensing her body's readiness, Jakal took hold of her arms and pinned them above her head. "I want you, woman," he stated simply, staring at her with lust-filled eyes as he pressed his erection into her groin.

"Then take me," she urged, opening herself to him.

They groaned as he sank into her depths, their bodies becoming one.

Feeling her sex quivering around his manhood, Jakal pushed forward, seeking the full embrace of her wet heat. His legs shook as he struggled to maintain control.

"Uhhh...you feel so good," she moaned, her eyes closed, grinding her pelvis into his.

With a growl he began to pump with long, deep strokes. Sala broke her arms free and snatched his buttocks with both hands, pulling him into her, gasping as his muscles flexed with every powerful thrust.

He gnawed on her lips and chin before crushing his mouth against hers, stabbing his tongue inside. His thrusts grew harder, more insistent. The air filled with their grunts and groans and the wet slap of their bodies' friction, the musky scent of shared lust permeating the room.

Reaching his peak, Jakal moaned her name before losing control of his body. Digging her fingers into his back, Sala cried out for him. Her womanhood spasmed, milking the remaining essence from his organ as their bodies bucked and jerked against the other.

Their skin damp with sweat, their chests heaved as they recovered. Murmuring a wordless protest when he rolled off her, she turned to face him, snuggling close. Tucking his hair behind an ear, she kissed his jaw for a moment, humming with pleasure as her lips rubbed his stubbly skin.

"I love you, Jakal," Sala said softly, looking into his eyes as they caressed each other's face.

"I love you too," he replied, kissing her with feeling.

On a crisp morning two days later, Sala and Jakal, with the Fox Clan's spiritual leader between them, walked slowly through the golden grasses just outside the settlement.

"Spiritwalker, I, we cannot thank you enough for everything you have done for us. You saved my life."

The shaman squeezed the young woman's arm. "I am glad I could help. But child, you need to understand it was the Great Spirits who intervened. They knew I should have done more to protect you before leaving our Camp and they gave me another chance. My greatest sorrow is what you had to endure because of my inaction."

The Light-Eye stopped walking. "What else could you have done, Spiritwalker? Our people just witnessed how difficult change comes to your caste, if you will excuse me for saying so, and that was with overwhelming evidence. I truly doubt they would have done anything based solely on Sala's word."

"I agree," his mate concurred. "I do not understand the ways of the Great Spirits, but I think they came to you in a dream because they knew you of all people could help us. Without you, I, and probably Veba, would have died.

"If that happened the Spiritwalker might have been able to trick people into believing his lies, and go on abusing others. Our people might have turned against each other, with some believing he was guilty while others defended him. That might have been the disaster the Spirits were warning you about.

"Many have said your presence comforted them during this time; I know it has for us. Perhaps the dreams had to be powerful to convey how much we needed you. And you answered that call."

The old woman gazed at Sala. Both their eyes glistened with emotion. "Child, are you certain I cannot convince you to become my acolyte? You understand the ways of the Spirits far more than you think. You have much of the knowledge, and our Clan would welcome you both. You already have friends there. You possess something special, and I think you would make an exceptional spiritual leader."

The young woman hugged her tightly. "Thank you so much. I wish I could tell you yes, but I do not feel the call to serve. I believe I am meant to contribute to our people in other ways."

She nodded her acquiescence. "You have already made an important contribution," she pointed out. "It may have taken us almost half a moon cycle to reach a consensus, but your testimony helped sway the others to abolish the privilege of selection."

The trio resumed walking. "Spiritwalker, I understand you recommended our people's next spiritual leader. Do you know her...him well?" Jakal asked.

The Spiritwalker smiled. "The acolyte trained at Red Deer Clan's Camp. It is closest to my own, so I have had many dealings with my colleague there, as well as with her acolyte."

"Does he...she consider herself a woman or a man?" he asked sheepishly.

"He refers to himself as a man but considers himself to be both. As all those with Shared Spirits, he has both female and male characteristics; this particular individual prefers that each person makes their own determination based on what their spirit sees in his. It may be a little confusing at first, but your people will adjust, and he, or she, will simply become the Spiritwalker."

"What made you choose him over the other acolytes?"

"There were several reasons. His dual nature gives him a special connection to the Other World. It is very rare -- even rarer than a Light-Eyed One -- for an individual to be born possessing the feminine and masculine in one body. They have been chosen by the Spirits for some special purpose to represent the needs of all people. That is why nearly all with Shared Spirits join the spiritual caste.

"This individual is particularly sensitive, very connected to both worlds, and has a wisdom far beyond his years. It is difficult to explain, but in my estimation, he demonstrates a genuine commitment to serve.

"The Wolf Clan has experienced a trauma, had their trust betrayed by one who must be trusted above almost all others. Now with more coming forward with stories about the Spiritwalker, your people need someone truly special to heal them and restore their trust. It will be a great challenge, but I am confident he will serve your people well."

"I am glad we decided to stay for the joining," Sala said, stepping carefully between the trees.

"It was good to see Veba so happy," Jakal agreed, shifting his pack. "For a while I did not know if she was ever going to recover."

"It took me a long time and I had you, and my nightmares lasted all winter. I think it was worse for her. She had to find a way to live with taking another's life, even if it was to protect her own. She was so lost in her guilt she could not see Letan loved her until the Spiritwalker finally pointed it out."

Spying a rare sunny spot on the ground a short distance away, Jakal asked, "Would you like to stop and have our midday meal over there?"

The woman agreed and they soon reached their destination. The Light-Eye pulled a couple of pelts from his haversack and spread them on the grass warmed by the sun. He then hiked Sala's tunic above her waist before coaxing her onto her back. Lying at her side, he stroked her slightly rounded belly.

"I am sorry we never completed your training, but given the circumstances..." He leaned down and kissed her. "I cannot say I am wholly disappointed."

"Mmm." She smiled, holding his face in both hands as their tongues twirled. Her back arched when his fingers slid up and made contact with one of her swollen breasts. His touch never failed to send powerful streaks through her, but lately her body seemed extra sensitive.

After they finished kissing, the Light-Eye propped himself up on an elbow, lazily caressing her full mound. He smiled as she shivered, her nipple tightening under his hand.

"Have you heard the latest rumor about the future child of your hearth?" Sala asked, playing with a spiraled strand of his hair.

"There have been so many. What have you heard?"

"According to Ditil, someone at the All-Camp Gathering -- he cannot remember who, of course -- said the Great Spirits spoke to them in a dream and revealed I will have twins and both will be Light-Eyes."

Jakal chuckled. "Did he say if they would be girls or boys?"

"I am not sure; probably one of each," she giggled.

"Well, twins or not," he began, nuzzling her neck, "girl, boy, Light-Eyed One, it does not matter to me. I only want the child of my hearth to be healthy."

Turning his chin toward her, she kissed him. "That is all I want as well." Reluctantly she sat up. "We should eat our meal. If we hurry we can arrive at the great river before the day grows long."

"We have a little time," he insisted, nibbling her shoulder.

Sala shivered. "No, we do not," she laughed, leaning away from his lips. "Our 'little breaks' along the way have caused us to spend an extra day traveling. Besides, Keta said no more than eighteen days and it was hard enough to get her to agree to that. I want to spend as much time at the river as possible."

She looked over her shoulder and gave him a coy smile. "When we get there I promise we can spend an entire day sharing pleasures."

Jakal flopped on the ground beside her and looked up with hopeful eyes. "Only one day?"

Laughing, she poked him in the side. "All right, two days."

"Is three out of the question?"

She chuckled and pulled him up. Giving him a fast kiss, she said, "Come on, my silly mate. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can play."

After a quick meal they resumed their journey. Although they maintained a brisk pace, they talked and joked along the way. Traveling alone together again, returning to their own special, secret haven filled them with exuberance.

When moisture wafted against their skin they quickened their pace. Before long they heard the rush of running water, and then the trees thinned until at last they burst out into the bright summer sun.

It was even more beautiful than they remembered. Dropping their packs, their eyes soaked in the lush greens of the trees and bushes and grasses. Colorful patches of red, yellow, purple and white flowers dotted the landscape. The river rolled blue-green, flowing endlessly to an unknown destination.

"Jakal, look!" Sala squealed, pointing at the waterfall where a rainbow shimmered in the spray.

Smiling widely, she peeled off her garment and tossed it to the ground. "Come, my love. Let us play in the falling water."

Grinning, her mate stripped off his leggings. Hand in hand, Sala and Jakal jumped into the pool with a splash, laughing as they raced through the mist to the endless cascade. Their drenched bodies then came together and, wrapping their arms around each other, their lips joined as one.

Thank you for reading my first (ever!) novel. I hope you enjoyed the story and will consider voting for it. Feedback is welcome and appreciated; I would love to hear from you. :)