Godsforsaken

Chapter 13: Inconveniently In Heat

The rest of the negotiations went rather swimmingly, with Erin prodding the others whenever they started being obstinate, and I was rather impressed. I'd clearly misjudged her. Or maybe I hadn't and she simply recognized that keeping the world from ending was slightly higher priority than whatever petty squabbles for influence were going on between the tribal chiefs of the Wood Elves.

One thing I noticed throughout the discussions was that Yume seemed rather subdued. From what she'd told me the experience of being enslaved had made her rather timid but it seemed to have gotten better after she'd gotten a proper blade for herself again. But somehow that additional confidence seemed to have melted away.

I was worried she might have noticed that we'd been having fun with the collar that had tormented her and so I sat down next to her when we got back from our lunch, putting a plate down in front of her. And immediately, through the scent of the food, I smelled something else: cinnamon and plums.

I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close and she sucked in a sharp breath in response and stared up at me, a needy look in her eyes.

I grabbed her by the wrist and excused us, then walked her out of the room.

“What's wrong?" I asked. “Are you...” I couldn't bring myself to say it.

“In heat?" she finished, her voice a whimper. “Not quite. It can't be more than a day or two, though. It's... mortifying.” She rubbed her thighs together and looked down at the ground in shame.

“Does it get worse than right now?" I asked.

She nodded her head the tiniest bit. “A lot worse. Right now I have this... this unbearable urge to find myself a cave and make it nice and comfortable so that I can spend a week riding you in it.”

“I could think of worse ways to spend my time," I said wistfully.

“Me too, but we can't," she whined. “We have obligations. When we're done here we'll go back to the capital only to immediately be off to this Atlantis cult or whatever.”

“Atalanta cult," I corrected. “And I'm sure we'll find some time to take care of you.”

“You have no idea how needy I get," she said. “I've seen how you deal with Alisha when she's moon-drunk. Now imagine doing that for a whole week.”

I frowned. “If it's so bad how did you take care of this before?”

“I've been alive for quite a long time," she said flatly. “I hope you don't believe you were the first man I've been with.”

“I'm not naive, Yume," I said. “And that's not what I meant. We've known each other for, what, slightly over five months? So by my math the last time you had to deal with this you were under Ares' thumb, right?” She'd told me Ares had never touched her, had merely taunted her with the idea of taking her, so I admit I was curious.

A growl escaped her, low and deep, and her entire body vibrated at the mere mention of his name.

“He kept me in a cage," she growled. “He said he'd help me take the edge off if I begged him.”

My eyes widened. “What did you do to him?" I asked.

“I bit his finger when he reached through the bars of the cage," she said with a feral smile.

I bit my lip at that, then asked something I'd been dying to find out: “Did you manage to pierce his skin?” I'd heard conflicting accounts of just how tough the gods were. Some claimed it took master level magic to so much as scratch them, others claimed they were as vulnerable as mortals except for the part where if you killed them they just reappeared back in their respective realm, completely whole again and mightily pissed off.

“I did," she said. “His skin was tougher than it should have been but I did manage to make him bleed. If I'd used a Qi Burst I might have bitten his finger off. Why?”

“Just wondering," I said. “I did say that if I ever caught him I'd do horrible things to him, so it's nice to know that I could actually hurt him if I had the opportunity.” She smiled. “So, what did he do to you after you bit him?”

Her smile faltered. “That's when he told me he'd have his Chosen Ones use me before he took me for his own. And then he left me in that cage, to pleasure myself for a week straight.”

“That must have been a sight to see," I said.

“It was for him," she said quietly.

The beginnings of the smile I had turned into a scowl. “I am going to feed him his eyeballs.”

“I'll roast them first," she said. “Now, can we please talk about something else?”

“Of course," I said. “For example, what did you and Selene do last night? Were you this desperate last night, too?”

She blushed. “I was. She helped me take the edge off. She's... surprisingly aggressive when she wants to be.”

“Oh?" I asked. “Did she manage to tame you?”

“Never," Yume said with a smile that exposed her long canines. “But... she did show me that I can't push her around the way I can Alisha and Anna. It was... nice.” Then she looked up at me. “So, what did you do with the two of them?”

“We... had a little contest to see which of them wanted the notebook more," I said, not quite lying. “Alisha won. She was... very convincing.”

“I suppose that explains Erin's comment then," Yume said quietly. “Gods I wish you'd worked me over like that instead.” She grabbed my hand and pulled it down to grab the inside of her thigh.

I could feel her wetness running down her legs and was once again reminded of the fact that Yume didn't believe in silly inconveniences like undergarments.

“I'm not so sure about that," I said as I rubbed up and down on her thigh, grazing the other one with my knuckles. “It got a little intense. So intense even Alisha was at her limits.”

“You're just making me more jealous right now," she purred and strained to pull me down into a kiss.

“Then maybe I should mistreat you a little next time," I growled. “I could do with that sexy glare of yours again.”

She bit her lip and rubbed herself against me. “Gods, this is mortifying.”

I chuckled. “I've never seen a woman so upset about being aroused.”

“I'm decades older than you," she hissed, but she didn't stop grinding against me. “I'm supposed to be level-headed and responsible. And yet here I am, practically humping your leg. I hate being in heat.”

“It's not that bad," I said. “I know you're smart and responsible, but these urges are part of you as well.” I reached down with the hand that wasn't rubbing her thighs and pulled her chin up to make her look at me. “If it wasn't for those urges you never would have submitted to me.”

She kissed me again, open-mouthed and full of need. “You make a convincing argument," she said when she broke the kiss. “But still, I'm worried about how we'll handle it.”

“Well, you know how we deal with Alisha's moon-drunk day," I said.

“Exactly," she whined. “My poor butt won't be able to take an entire week of that.”

I chuckled. “I'll ask Anna. Maybe she knows something. Maybe a potion that'll calm you down. Failing that, maybe she has some trick to make me infertile for a while.”

“Oh gods above that would be amazing," Yume whined and shoved my hand even deeper.

“Gods, you're needy," I said and got on my knees.

When we were both standing the height difference between us was damn near comical, with me being over a foot taller than her, but somehow with me on my knees the difference was even more apparent as I could still look her in the eyes without craning my neck up too much.

Much more importantly, though, it also gave me a great angle to push two fingers into her soaking wet, sweltering hot pussy.

She pressed her eyes closed and threw her head back as she felt my fingers enter her. She was panting and tears were running down her cheeks, but I wasn't alarmed. I was used to this reaction from Alisha already, the relief of finally being filled, though it was a little disconcerting. Alisha only got like this on her moon-drunk days but if Yume was to be believed this was only a prelude for what was to come. How desperate would she be if she was properly in heat?

I definitely needed to have a chat with Annabella.

“Is this what you wanted?" I asked as I curled my fingers up inside the little fox.

“Yessss," she hissed. “That. Just that. Please, don't stop.”

“Are you sure about that?" I asked. “Someone could be coming down this hallway at any moment. Someone might come out of the audience chamber to look for us. And you want me to kneel here and make you come?”

She growled at me. Not the deep, rumbling fox growl but just the growl of a cute, exasperated girl. “Yes," she finally whined. “I want it. I want you to make me come right here.”

“Such a naughty little fox," I teased as I kept working her needy pussy. She was soaking wet and her arousal perfumed the entire hallway with the scent of plums and cinnamon. “Do you think you can take a third finger?”

“Yesss, give it to me," she begged.

So I pushed a third finger inside her, stretching her out even further. “Lift your dress up," I commanded. “I want to see your pretty pussy stretched around my fingers.”

“Mmnh," she whimpered and complied, hiking up her garment to let me see her gorgeous, hairless pussy stretched out by my fingers working her. Her juices were running down my hand already and pooling on the floor.

“What a randy little vixen you are," I muttered as I kept stroking the bumpy spot inside her, making her roll her hips.

There was the quiet sound of a door opening and I saw Yume's big fox ears twitch and turn in the direction of the sound, but instead of making her want to stop she just rolled her hips harder and her pants turned into whines. Apparently she rather liked the idea of someone catching us in the act.

“Do you want my mouth on you, little fox?" I asked. I wasn't entirely averse to being caught but I didn't really need the embarrassment, so I decided to speed things along. Yume loved being eaten out and came really quickly from it.

“Oh gods yes," she whined.

I smirked and then pushed her against the wall, then placed her thighs on my shoulders and buried my face between her legs.

She wrapped her legs around my head and buried one hand in my hair as she held the other over her mouth, trying to muffle her squeals of delight as I started licking her overflowing pussy. One of my hands was on her hip to steady her but the other was still fingering her pussy and I could tell the feeling of being worked inside and out while someone could catch us at any time was driving her wild.

“Mmmmh!" her muffled squeal sounded out, loud enough to make me cringe, and I sped my ministrations up some more, sucking her little pearl into my mouth and licking and prodding it with my tongue even as I kept stretching her pussy out with my fingers. “MmmFMMCK!”

In the back of my mind I could feel Syr's attention on me. I could almost always feel her when she wasn't currently snooping on what her body was up to but very rarely had I felt her quite this focused on me.

Like what you see? I thought at her.

You have no idea what it does to me, she thought back, no idea how crazy it makes me.

Which part? I asked as I kept working Yume's clit and insides. Do you imagine doing this or having it done to you?

Both, she admitted. Mostly having it done to me, though. Sharing your body is giving me some... unique experiences, but I am a woman after all.

Can you masturbate in this astral form?, I asked.

There was a long pause before she admitted: …Yes.

Then appear right next to us and work yourself for me, I commanded. I want to see you fucking your pretty little pussy as you watch me make her come.

Syr let out a whimper and then appeared right next to Yume, sitting on the floor with her knees pulled close and her legs spread, part of her dress held up between her lips to give me an amazing view of her pussy.

It only occurred to me just then that I had never seen Syr naked before and the glimpses I was getting from my vantage point were almost too tantalizing to bear. Her breasts were huge and full and sagged only the tiniest bit, almost defying gravity but not quite, and her pussy was puffy and bare and soaking wet.

She wasn't gently stroking herself, either. With one hand she pinched her clit between thumb and forefinger and with the other she plunged two fingers in and out of her tight pussy, the digits coming out wetter after every thrust.

I let go of Yume's clit for a moment and muttered: “Good girl.” My voice came out as a deep rumble and my little fox shivered in response.

“Mmmn!" both Yume and Syr whimpered in response.

Then I looked up into Yume's shining blue eyes and told her: “Now come for me.” And then I gently bit her clit.

She threw both of her hands over her mouth but even so her shriek echoed across the hallway, a loud and high: “Hhhnnnnhhaaa!”

At the same time Syr doubled over and came with a gasped: “Fuuuuck!”

I held Yume up until her breathing evened out and then gently lowered her to the floor and gently kissed her forehead. “Good girl," I told her quietly.

You too, I told Syr. You're so gorgeous when you go wild like that.

Syr blushed.

But you know what would be even more amazing? I asked.

W-what? she asked.

If you licked your juices off your fingers for me, I told her.

Her blush deepened even further but then she held her hand up for me to see and licked her fingers clean.

Good girl, I said. I can't wait until I can taste you for myself.

Neither can I, she said, so quietly that I barely heard it which was ridiculous since we were speaking mind to mind.

Just at that moment I felt Yume grab my collar and pull me down into a rough kiss. Her eyes were wild and I could feel her rubbing my crotch with one hand. I was already rock hard after seeing the two beauties coming at my command but I also knew we couldn't do that. It had already been way too risky to do what we'd just done but what Yume wanted just then was just not possible.

And then the door to the audience chamber opened.

I almost jumped out of my skin and only caught myself when I saw Alisha alone coming out.

She smirked when she saw Yume almost mindlessly pawing at me as she showered my face with kisses and said quietly: “Honestly, that was pretty bold of you. I'm not sure if I should be jealous or impressed.”

“Everyone heard it, didn't they?”

“No," she said calmly. “Just me. I think between being born an elf and having eaten those mystic fruits I might have the best hearing in this entire village. But still, I didn't think you'd be quite that daring.”

“Sorry, Yume is a little..." I began as I felt Yume trying to shove her hand into my pants. “Out of it," I finished.

“Oh dear, is she in heat already?" Alisha asked.

“She said she wasn't yet and that it'll get worse.”

Alisha bit her lip as she watch Yume pawing at me. “Alright, I'll take her to her room and give her a good working-over. Just... tell the others she's having some girl problems and that you couldn't handle it. It's true enough.”

“Yeah," I said. “Thanks.”

Internally I just thought: Poor Yume.

And then I caught myself. Normally Alisha just kept going and going once she started eating Yume out and we needed a crowbar to pry her off the fox girl, but right now that kind of overwhelming attention was exactly what Yume needed, wasn't it?

“You're amazing, Alisha," I told her as she picked Yume up and led her off, one hand already inside the fox girl's garment.

“I know," she said with a grin.

**

I went back into the audience chamber and immediately told everyone the lie Alisha and I had cooked up. That I'd taken Yume outside because she didn't feel well and when I realized that it was something to do with girl troubles that went over my head I was about to head back and ask for help when Alisha decided to check up on us and helped Yume. Most of them bought it but Erin and Selene gave me looks. Selene already knew how needy Yume was and Erin was clearly the sharpest of Chief Silvermoon's wives, so this didn't surprise me much.

At least nobody called me out on it, which was just as good as nobody noticing it.

Clearly the others had noticed Alisha's absence though, because pretty much right after I sat down Chief Silvermoon left the discussion about quotas to Niamh and scooted over until we were pretty much face to face. I was already crossing my fingers, hoping for him to try the concerned father speech so I could tell him to eat a goat's asshole, but instead he looked a little sheepish as he said: “I suppose it's too late for me to apologize for the way I treated you?”

Now that he wasn't red-faced and furious I could actually tell that he had a good voice, strong and melodic. It made me smile a little as I remembered thinking the same thing about Alisha the first time I'd heard her say something that wasn't subdued or furious.

He was also a surprisingly handsome man now that he no longer looked as though he was about to explode. From what I'd seen so far many of the elven men in the village looked barely more masculine than the women, to the point where for some of the guards only the more feminine uniform gave it away as their hair and faces certainly didn't, but Chief Silvermoon was different. As a half-elf he was much more masculine, with a strong jaw and golden stubble that he kept neatly trimmed, clearly a symbol of status for him. He reminded me just a little of Prince Richard, though noticeably more mature and slightly less masculine.

“It's never too late to apologize," I told him, and I wasn't lying. I was a vengeful bastard by experience and inclination and, even if Athena wasn't constantly insulting me, I would still probably never forgive her for the way she'd ignored me when I'd begged for her help but this was different. I didn't want to be at odds with the family of my lover. They were certainly looking for advantages as any good politician might and from what that bastard Chosen One had told them their reaction probably did seem justified even if it had sucked for me, so I couldn't fault them for it... much. In the end it came down to a choice between building bridges and burning them and since I'd gotten my hands on Helios Edge I'd done quite enough burning on my adventures already.

“Then I wish to sincerely apologize for the way I treated you. If you are even half as impressive as Alisha claims you are then I don't think I could have possibly picked a better husband for her than you. It's clear to me now that she chose far more wisely than I did in my haste.” Then he held out his hand for me to shake.

I leaned over the desk and shook it, saying: “I'm glad we finally see eye to eye on this. Your daughter is spectacular.”

And it was a testament to just how well my women and I got along that saying such a thing caused Selene and Anna to smile and nod rather than give me dirty looks.

The chief smiled at me and then asked, almost offhandedly: “So, have the two of you considered when you'll be having children?”

And there it was. I'd known from the start that he hadn't just tried to make up with me to be friendly and I'd been waiting to find out what angle he was playing. Then again, this was relatively harmless as far as angles went so I just kept on smiling and said: “We haven't really decided on any specifics yet, but from what we've talked about so far I'm sure we'll start once the danger these Outsider cultists pose has been dealt with.”

His face darkened the tiniest bit but then his expression cleared and he said with a chuckle: “But just between us I'm sure we can decide on something more specific than that.”

My smile grew a little fixed, especially when I noticed Niamh's sudden interest in our conversation, but I just replied in that same cheerful tone: “I'm most certainly not making any decisions on that over Alisha's head. I respect her too much for that.” Why yes, I had just implied that he didn't respect his daughter. In fact I would have been happy to state out loud that I thought he had no respect for his daughter, but we were being civil right then.

I could practically see in his eyes that he wanted to get mad but before his face could twist into a grimace of anger he caught himself and just said quietly: “Yeah, I deserved that one.”

It was nice to see that when he wasn't out of his mind with anger he actually noticed subtle insults like that. He would make a pretty terrible ruler if he didn't, honestly.

He continued: “Very well, I won't pressure either of you, but please give it some thought.”

“Oh we're thinking about it," I said. “Very much so in fact. That's why we want to make sure the world we're going to have children in is safe enough for them.”

“You believe this Outsider threat is that dire?" he asked. I knew the tone. It was the tone that said it couldn't possibly that bad because if it was the gods would have intervened already. It was the attitude that had gotten my hometown destroyed.

“We spent most of the last month chasing a group of cultists trying to destroy the capital," I said, trying to stay calm even though I just wanted to yell at him. “Before that we fought a Dark Lord who was keeping Outsiders as pets and running experiments turning orcs and goblins into creatures of the Black Goat. We met Knights of Albion who were also worried about the Outer Gods stirring up trouble and wanted to strike up an alliance with our kingdom. If anything, I think we're still underestimating the scope of the problem.”

He blinked as my words sank in. I didn't think anyone had put it in terms quite that clear before. Of course I had also been ever-so-slightly manipulative with my phrasing. I'd pretty much admitted that Alisha and I weren't even considering having children until the Outsider threat was taken care of, so if us having children was so important to him it would be in his best interest to stop faffing about and helping us deal with it.

Honestly I was losing my patience with the situation a little. One would think that keeping the gods damned world from ending would be in everyone's best interest.

In all fairness I might be overreacting. Outsider cultists had been around for a long damn time and they'd never succeeded in ending the world or none of us would be there. But if even the ruler of another kingdom an ocean apart could tell that whatever trouble the Holy Maiden was brewing up was bad news it paid to over- rather than underestimate the problem.

“I'm beginning to see your point," Chief Silvermoon finally admitted.

**

“I can't believe this oaf," Anna fumed. “I sit there trying to explain the gravity of the situation to him for four gods-damned hours and only when you threaten not to knock his daughter up does he finally stop jerking me around!”

We were sitting in Alisha's bedroom since Alisha and Yume were probably still... busy in the other bedroom.

“I'm sorry?" I tried. “You're welcome? I love you?”

Her frown finally dissolved into a soft smile and she chuckled. “I'll take that last one.”

“I'm just glad it's finally over," Selene said. “I never knew this diplomacy thing was so exhausting.”

“To be fair," I said, “it's probably much less exhausting when you don't have someone like Niamh around, who thinks she's a smooth manipulator but has all the subtlety of a brick to the face.”

Anna let out an explosive burst of laughter at that, then covered her mouth.

“The real one to watch out for was Erin anyway," Selene said and I was a little impressed that she'd managed to pick up on it. I often forgot that Selene was very observant despite her upbringing as a farmer's daughter. “It's a good thing that you managed to win her over to our cause.”

“She was very reasonable about it," I said. “I'm just glad someone there understood not just the severity of the situation but also just how big of a boon Anna's offer actually was. Also, I wonder just what Sheila's role in all of this would have been. She was too busy kicking herself for the way she treated Alisha.”

“Better than being angry because Alisha fought back against their appalling behavior," Selene pointed out.

“True," I said.

“What's wrong with Yume, by the way?" Anna asked. “Her and Alisha are still not back.”

Selene and I shared a look and I said: “Well, about that...”