Three Square Meals Ch. 126

He did as she asked, resting against the tree trunk as his nymph matriarch caressed him. Losing his sense of sight heightened the rest of his senses and he was immediately aware of Jade's minty fragrance tantalising his nose.

"I'm glad you like how I smell," she said with amusement. "But you have other, sharper senses..."

John slowly brushed his fingers down her back, enjoying the delicious feel of her soft skin as he followed the gentle slope to the curve of her bottom. He let his hands cup her cheeks, kneading the firm flesh until he felt Jade respond to his brazen fondling, her skin noticeably warming with her arousal.

"Your touch feels wonderful too," she breathed, pressing herself against him. "But that's not the sense I'm referring to either..."

He stuck out his tongue and playfully licked her shoulder, leaving a trail of goose bumps along her skin. Jade tasted pretty good too.

"I don't think you're taking this seriously!" she protested with a giggle. "Unless you're planning to lick the Progenitors into submission?"

"Ahhh... no, definitely not," he replied with a grin. "I'll save the licking for you."

"Good boy," she said, giving him a tender kiss, before pulling away from his embrace. "Now focus... and just listen, Master..."

John's ears were sharp anyway, but with his eyes closed he became much more attuned to his sense of hearing. The jungle seemed to come alive with sound, millions of creatures great and small enacting their own life and death struggles throughout Arcadia's primal forest. From chirping insects to squawking birds and growling mammals, his ears were assaulted by the cacophony of noise surrounding him.

At first it was too much to deal with, his mind rebelling against the dirge of sound coming from the local fauna. He could feel Jade watching him and didn't want to disappoint her, realising how much this meant to the earnest Nymph. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to focus on the medley of noise and pick out specific animals amongst the din. He heard a series of sharp barks, which sounded like a warning cry, quite unlike the belligerent shrieks from creatures fighting over territory. Rotating his head slightly, he pinpointed the direction of the cries, then noticed that the rest of the jungle was quieter in that direction.

"There's something over there..." he murmured, nodding in that direction while straining to hear. "Leylira... she's unsettling the local wildlife."

*Be the cat, John, not the mouse,* Jade urged him. *It's time to hunt...*

He opened his eyes and found himself face to face with Jade in her hulking tiger form. She padded backwards, giving him plenty of room to move away from the tree trunk. John turned to face the direction of the warning barks and set off into the jungle, jogging at a steady pace as he got his bearings. Now that he was ducking under foliage and leaping over tree roots, he found it harder to concentrate on the telltale sounds that had tipped him off to Leylira's presence.

*Become one with your senses, Master,* Jade encouraged him, bounding along at his side. *Don't think about it... just feel... and let your instincts guide you.*

Running through the forest was raising his heart rate, his blood pumping as he weaved through the dense undergrowth. Jade was right; there was something primal about immersing himself in the hunt and he felt more alive than ever before. Acting purely on instinct, he tuned into the sounds of the jungle, filtering out the chatter as he concentrated on the telltale signs that would lead him to his prey.

He was surprised at how noisy Jade's heavy paws suddenly sounded, after previously being impressed by her quiet progress through the forest. Fortunately, she ran with a steady gait, so it was easy to tune out the repetitive thump-thump of her padded paws as they landed on the leaf litter. He heard a high-pitched series of cheeps, the unfamiliar alarm call cutting through the rest of the noises, and giving him his next clue to Leylira's location.

Peeling away to the right, he realised that the catgirl was moving quickly, and he increased his pace to close the distance. Glancing to his side, he caught a glimpse of Jade barrelling through the ferns, her ears pricked up and alert as she listened for their quarry. She darted a glance his way, her emerald eyes sparkling as she got caught up with the thrill of the hunt.

*Do you feel it, Master?!* she exclaimed, her voice vibrating with excitement.

John caught a flash of orange in the distance, the sight of his fleeing target sending adrenaline coursing through his veins. Running faster, he grinned as he realised that with his longer legs he was outpacing the sprinting Nymph, gradually closing the distance between them. He saw Leylira more clearly now as she darted between the trees, running full tilt to escape his clutches.

His instincts were crying out for him to use his powers and chase her down with a quick burst of psychic speed, but he resisted that urge, savouring every moment of this pursuit. John flashed a grin at Jade and found her watching him intently, as if she was waiting for something. In a moment of epiphany, he knew that catching the catgirl wasn't the real purpose of this hunt, or at least, that was only part of it. Jade wanted him to break free of the restraints his upbringing had left on his own mind... the limitations that prevented him from fully embracing his psychic powers.

In her way, Jade was trying to free him too.

He skidded to a halt and looked at the Nymph in surprise. *I'm right, aren't I?*

*You're the Lion,* she said softly, circling around to rejoin him. *A creature of power and instinct. Your instincts cry out at you to move faster... faster than any normal man can run, so embrace that urge... it's as natural to you as breathing.*

John's pupils flared as he immersed himself in the chase once again, this time enhancing his speed with his psychic abilities. He leapt over roots, clearing a dozen metres in a single jump, then zig-zagged between the trees as he rushed to make up the lost ground. His eyes blazed with a bright blue light and the foliage turned transparent, allowing him to see for hundreds of metres through the forest. A teeming menagerie of animals were concealed amongst the leafy camouflage, but he wasn't interested in bugs, birds, or beasts.

He spotted Leylira's luscious figure in the distance, the catgirl's tail lashing from side to side, acting as a perfect counterbalance as she sprinted nimbly through the jungle. The powerful muscles in her legs bunched and contracted, propelling her at great speed as she ran, and she showed no signs of tiring as she maintained her furious pace. John was running several times faster though and the athletic Nymph looked like she was moving in slow motion as he sprinted after her.

Diving to catch the fleeing catgirl, he wrapped her up in his arms and they went down in a tumble, rolling together in the ferns until they came to a stop. John propped himself up on an elbow and grinned as he looked down at the tiger-striped Nymph, wary for danger in case the feral tigress tried to scratch him.

Leylira looked up at him with a lovely smile. "Hello, Master."

"You're not going to attack me, are you?" he asked, returning her smile.

Her amber eyes softened and she gave him a tender kiss. "No, Master, not this time."

John gently brushed a lock of her jet-black hair away from her beautiful face, then leaned down to kiss her back. This time their lips merged together with passion, as they both succumbed to the thrill of being the hunter and the hunted. Her skin was warm to the touch, but not from the chase through the jungle. The Nymph was panting with arousal because her master had caught her.

By the time Jade caught up, her feline sister was wrapped around John, the wet sounds of their union mixing with their earthy cries. She shifted effortlessly into her humanoid form, then glided across the clearing to join them, kneeling down behind John as he ploughed Leylira with powerful thrusts. Jade smiled with satisfaction as she gently lapped his quad, her tongue caressing the heavy weight of his balls that were packed full of cum. Soon their delicious contents would be filling her sister's belly, helping Leylira to break free of her bonds... and grow stronger.

***

Edraele reclined on the chaise longue and let out a contented sigh. "Lunch was wonderful, my love. Thank you so much for a delicious meal."

Luna smiled as she knelt beside her matriarch and handed her a tall crystal glass. "After so many years just cooking for myself, it's always a pleasure to prepare food for you." She blushed and added, "And being fed was certainly a novel experience. I don't know what I did to deserve such pampering, but I thoroughly enjoyed it."

"Thank you for indulging me. It was something John and Rachel did on a date and I was eager to try it for myself," Edraele replied, taking a sip from the glass before putting it down. She reached out to brush the back of her fingers over Luna's toned stomach. "With John's impending arrival, my thoughts turned to you sporting a full tummy... I can't imagine why."

The assassin's eyelashes fluttered at the intimate caress. "I can't wait for John to return... I just hope I have a chance to be with him before he's called away on the next emergency."

Edraele frowned, knowing that her lover was probably right about John's visit being cut short by another galactic catastrophe. She paused a moment later and looked at Luna with concern when she heard her thoughts. "Wait... why would you think that you aren't as high a priority to John?"

Luna blushed self-consciously, still unused to her innermost feelings being so exposed to her telepathic lover. "Well... I'm not a noblewoman like everyone else he'll be seeing while he's here. I'm sure John will want to spend lots of time with you and the Young Matriarchs, and I know you're planning for him to get more intimately acquainted with the leaders of the other thirteen Houses..." She smiled wistfully and continued, "It's alright, Edraele. I understand how important all of you are to the future of the Protectorate."

Sitting up on the sofa, Edraele looked directly into the assassin's yellow eyes. "You should never doubt how much John values his relationship with you. It's true that I'm very close to him as one of his matriarchs..." She said this with special emphasis on the word, referring to their psychic connection, not her position as ruler of a Maliri House. "... and the Young Matriarchs hold a special place in his heart as the mothers of his children, but no one else in the Protectorate stands above you in his affections."

"But I'm only an assassin," Luna protested, not quite believing her. "I struggle to believe that he could hold me in such high regard."

"John is drawn to exceptional women and those with martial talents he finds particularly intriguing," Edraele explained, her voice kind and patient. "He greatly admires your remarkable skill with a blade and considers you to be one of the most fascinating Maliri in the Protectorate."

"You really think so?" Luna asked, trying to contain her delight. "I've spent so little time alone with him... I never dreamed that he could feel that way about me."

Edraele gave her a coy smile and gently lifted Luna's form-fitting top, exposing her chiselled abdomen. "That's because you don't know him like I do," she murmured, leaning forward to kiss her lover's soft blue skin. Her lips brushed over the spot where John had healed Luna's scars and restored her fertility. "You'd be carrying his baby already if he wasn't worried about you getting hurt in the upcoming war. He feels very protective towards you now and wants to ensure you have a long happy life raising his children."

Luna brushed her fingers through Edraele's white hair, giving her a doe-eyed look through long lashes. "That would be wonderful..."

"I'd love to see thousands of deserving Maliri bellies swelling with his babies... but John is being cautious not to make that commitment with too many women. He wants to ensure that he has enough time to be a loving father to every child, which means carefully choosing the women who will become the mothers of his children. You're one of the select few, so I hope you realise how special he considers you to be."

Biting her lip, Luna smiled, a newfound sense of pride in her eyes.

Edraele kissed her, then gave her girlfriend a rueful frown. "I'd love to spend the afternoon showing you how special I think you are too... but unfortunately, I have a number of important duties to attend to. Can I interest you in some time together this evening?"

Luna nodded, then hugged her exuberantly. "Thank you for all the wonderful things you said! I love you so much, Edraele."

The Maliri queen smiled as she returned her embrace. "I love you too."

Rising from her seat, Edraele reluctantly headed to her office, exchanging a lingering look with Luna before they parted company.

*That was lovely, Edraele,* Alyssa said with admiration. *You managed to cheer Luna up and massively boost her self-esteem.*

*We're all really missing John,* Edraele replied, crossing her office before taking a seat. *My girls have been growing increasingly unsettled with the passing weeks.*

Alyssa's voice was filled with genuine regret as she said, *I'm sorry we've been away for so long. If it's any consolation, John's been missing all of you just as much.*

*I'd rather he were here instead,* Edraele murmured wistfully, activating the holo-interface on her desk. As several screens appeared before her, she continued, *How are all of you coping in the aftermath of the battle with Larn'kelnar?*

*Well... we badly needed a vacation before we arrived at Arcadia, so you can imagine what state everyone's in now after we lost Faye,* Alyssa muttered, her words tinged with pain. *She was everywhere, Edraele... and we relied on her so much. All the girls are missing her terribly... it's like the heart of the Invictus was torn out.*

*Come home as soon as you're able. I promise we'll do our very best to look after all of you,* the Maliri matriarch said sympathetically. *When you arrive at Genthalas, you can take a break from everything and I'll take full responsibility for looking after John. I intend to overwhelm him with swooning Maliri when he returns to us, so I hope he's prepared for weeks of pampering.*

*Thanks, Edraele,* Alyssa said with sincere gratitude, her voice throbbing with emotion. *I've really missed you too.*

A fond smile spread across the Maliri Queen's face and she shared her feelings with her fellow matriarch. Alyssa reciprocated and they both took a moment to relish the love and respect they felt for each other.

Edraele turned her attention to the holo-screens and started reviewing the status reports, listing the ongoing progress with the refits. The latest vessels to receive the attention of Genthalas' drydock belonged to House Perfaren, with two of Tsarra's fleets being upgraded concurrently, their refit almost complete. Next in line were those belonging to Valani and Nyrelle, with scores of cruisers and the first two battleships from both Houses already receiving new components. New drydock facilities were being brought online daily, so forces from House Ghilwen and House Baelora would begin the refit as soon as the last of Tsarra's ships left the shipyard.

The pace of work at Genthalas was unprecedented in Edraele's lifetime and she was determined to maintain that tempo. The Maliri queen knew that they were reaching a critical juncture in their preparations for war and now was definitely not the time for complacency. If retrieving the Larathyran fleets proved to be impossible for any reason, John might be forced to rely on the current Maliri ships to defend the Protectorate and his allies.

Assuming the plan to acquire Larn'kelnar's crewless fleets went flawlessly, it would mean that the existing Maliri forces would be made obsolete overnight. However, that did not render the current work at Genthalas a wasted effort. There was the distinct possibility that Dana could research improvements to the thrall ships in the future... which would necessitate another vast refit program. Training the personnel at Genthalas to quickly and efficiently upgrade hundreds of warships would be of critical importance in the war against the Progenitors.

Her musings were interrupted when Edraele noticed a fascinating report from Genthalas security. The notification informed her of the sudden arrival of Gaenna Baelora's five daughters, the noblewomen arriving with the Baeloran Fleet earlier that afternoon. Edraele activated the security footage recorded from that reunion and watched the tense confrontation between mother and daughters.

Despite Gaenna's best efforts to remain civil in public, the Maliri Queen could see the tightly-controlled anger in the older matriarch's eyes. She panned the image over to the source of that fury and pondered the reason for the obviously uninvited presence of her five daughters. It must have been something of dire importance for the Baeloran quintet to risk provoking Gaenna's wrath.

She let the camera linger over Tehlariene, the youngest sister cowering and looking petrified of her domineering mother. It would be so easy to... handle the situation... adding another nubile maiden to the Young Matriarchs. Edraele felt a fluttering in her stomach as she pictured the beautiful Maliri noblewoman crying out in ecstasy, John pumping another heir into her fertile womb...

*Edraele!* Alyssa admonished her playfully, unable to hide the amusement in her voice. *You're getting as bad as me!*

*Don't worry, I wasn't planning on having anyone assassinated,* Edraele said defensively, an indigo bloom darkening her cheeks.

*Just imagine if John hadn't put a limit on how many women he wanted to get pregnant,* Alyssa teased her fellow matriarch. *Would impregnating a matriarch and her five daughters beat knocking up twin princesses and the Maliri queen for sheer naughtiness?*

Edraele moaned with excitement at that thought, finding both scenarios incredibly arousing. *Don't forget... the three of us all tried to kill John at some point and you know he has trouble resisting femme fatales.*

*Damn, that's true,* Alyssa conceded with a telepathic grin. *It looks like you and your daughters are still the hottest conquests in the Protectorate.*

The Maliri Queen laughed and relaxed in her chair. *That's reassuring to know.*

A chime from the comms interface rang out through the office, drawing Edraele's attention to an incoming call. She glanced at the identity of the caller and her angular purple eyes widened in surprise. Reaching for the helmet she kept beside her desk, she pulled the golden-plated armour over her head, then swiped her finger across to open the holo-screen. The stylised dragon icon of the Kintark Empire appeared as the connection went through, then it faded away to reveal a terrifyingly real dragon staring at the holo-camera.

"I am Empress Tamolith, ruler of the Kintark Empire," the enormous red dragon rumbled, inclining her massive head towards the armoured Maliri. "I am very grateful for the opportunity to speak with you, Queen Edraele... especially considering our Empires found themselves on opposing sides in the recent war with the Federation."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Empress," Edraele said, surprised by the huge draconic creature's deferential manner. "The Maliri Protectorate intervened at the Battle of Terra at the request of an ally, but I bear your Empire no ill will. I was aware of your recent ascension to the Imperial throne; please accept my apology for not having made diplomatic overtures as of yet."

"No apology is necessary. It seems we are living in turbulent times, with changes of leadership rampant throughout our galactic community. First Queen Niskera was crowned in the Trankaran Republic, then you claimed the Maliri throne, Fleet Admiral Devereux was promoted to command the Terran Federation, and finally I've joined this august sisterhood of rulers. The future promises to be very interesting indeed... if I am still around to witness it."