o0o
Leneivi could only too easily imagine what he might be like in bed. Dominant and aggressive. And given his build, she wondered if his male organ would match his powerful frame. She'd had fierce and strong lovers in the past and was no stranger to rough sex, but would she be able to withstand passion from a being far more powerful than she?
"Are you chaste?" he asked. She was tempted to say no, but one of the tenets of Kada was honesty. If one didn't want to answer a question, they would respond with silence, and let that speak for itself. She tried to turn her face away from his, and could only avert her gaze.
"Have you been with men? Women? Both?" he demanded quietly. She kept her gaze down, trying to squirm free of his grip, feeling the flex of his bicep against her side.
He shifted, and Leneivi found her back pressed against the wall, her hands pinned near her head by a pair of tentacles. He nestled himself between her thighs as he brought his face level to hers.
"Does my appearance disturb you?" he asked bluntly.
"You are... intimidating," she admitted in a voice barely above a whisper.
"This is how I was made. Accept it, just as I accept how you were created, as well."
There was calm logic in his words, an observation that at one time, hadn't mattered. She'd been polite and civil to the entire group. However, now, to consider being mated to one... sharing intimacy with him... A soft gasp burst from her throat as she felt one of his hands lightly cup one of her breasts. She tried to jerk free, but his grip was too strong, and his tentacles barely budged when she sharply tugged her wrists against them.
Several tentacles remained hooked in her hair and around her head, keeping her from turning away.
"Look at me," he commanded. Slowly, her gaze met his.
"You are absolutely certain you want me? But you do not even know me!" she protested quietly after she felt his embrace tighten a bit.
"We are never wrong about our mates," Zand'n replied calmly, one of his tentacles sliding along her cheek. "I can see that priests and priestesses are valued among your people. They do credit you with summoning us and thus saving your land. However, mates are valued to my kind, and you are the greatest treasure I could ever have."
"I am not something to be owned," Leneivi replied archly, lifting her chin. "I am not a treasure to be taken and hidden away."
He stared at her, letting out a slight breath. Before he could speak, they heard footsteps, and a young man dressed in a comfortable tunic and pants dyed indigo appeared in the doorway, a wristband on his arm denoting his occupation as a priest of Kada.
She made eye contact with the priest just around Zand'n''s shoulder. Like her, he was dark-haired and -eyed, with an olive complexion.
"Is... everything all right?" the young man asked. Leneivi was tempted to call for help.
"We require privacy," the Teuthid stated, turning his head a fraction to the left to cast a sidelong glance at the intruder. The priest's eyes met hers again. She shot the Teuthid a quick glance before looking back at her fellow servant of Kada. Battling reluctance, she gave him a brief nod. He was quick to retreat, and she let out a shuddering breath as she contemplated her fate.
"That was wise," he whispered. She did not make eye contact.
"Can you let me go? For a moment? Please." She felt his grip tighten for a moment before she was allowed to pull back, his tentacles sliding from her body. She took several steps away, moving into the sunlight and welcoming its warmth on her scalp. She took in a gulp of air, trying to clear her mind. Kada, help me, she prayed. Mercifully, her would-be mate was silent, standing where she'd left him.
"What does... being a mate consist of?" the priestess asked, keeping her back to him. The Teuthids were reticent about their own world, revealing little about their society, and the world of R'lyeh. The only thing they would say about mating was that the women would be very valued and treated well.
The Teuthid remained silent for a moment, as if surprised. Finally, he spoke. "The function is comparable to what your people here call wives. You will be well-provided for."
"And in turn, consummation is... required?" Leneivi clarified. Again, there was a brief silence from Zand'n.
"Not immediately."
She raised her eyebrow and slowly turned to him.
"Some couples choose to share other pleasures before they engage in intercourse. This can be done in courting." He shrugged. "I see no need to put off our consummation, as pleasure can be shared afterward." At these words, he stepped towards her. "I have taken some time to prepare my abode for you, to ensure your comfort."
"Uh... thanks." What else could she say to such a statement? Her eyes flicked to his groin area without thinking, but his loose clothing gave very little in indication to the characteristics of a particular trait. Feeling her pulse race in what she recognized as a panic attack if not by that particular title, she whipped away from him and fled from the space, darting down the hall and up the stairs to the top of the temple.
At the apex was an open space reined in with a chest-high parapet, and in the middle of the space was a larger-than-life statue of Kada, Hir arms spread out in peaceful benevolence. Measuring nearly twenty feet tall, the statue was visible from many parts of the city. Leneivi blinked as she slowly turned around, taking in the view that surrounded her.
Your life in exchange for many, she mused. She sighed before she heard footsteps ascend the stairs, and turned to see Zand'n. She tensed as he emerged through the portal, his steps swift and sure. He paused and looked up to regard the statue of Kada.
"Len..." Zand'n breathed. She bit back a whimper, wondering if she had roused his wrath. He glanced around once before returning his attention to her, approaching her until he had her backed into a corner. "This is an appropriate place," he murmured.
"Pardon?" she whispered.
"If you think your god will pluck you from my embrace, let Kada intervene." He waved toward the statue. "Here is as good a place as any. Then perhaps you will cease your struggle."
"What? No, Zand'n. Please." She knew she was out of time, and tricks. She slid down, huddled in the corner with her knees drawn to her chest. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him remove his cuirass before he shrugged his robe off his shoulders, revealing a loose-sleeved tunic. He let his robe drop to the floor with a flick of his wrists, spreading it out loosely.
"You are bound by our compact," he reminded her. "Your King, and all your fellow mages and priests, made a vow. Will you be the first to break it?"
Her head dropped to her hands. Why had her service to Kada led to this? When she felt hands pull her forward, she went along meekly. She was maneuvered onto the robe, which provided a thin layer of comfort. Her skirt was inched up her legs, his fingers sliding along the flesh of her thighs.
The clouds were thick above her head, promising a gray day despite the brilliant morning. She felt slightly cool air on her inner thighs and looked down to see the material gathered around her waist, and blushed as she took note of Zand'n's scrutiny. His hand slid between her thighs and she felt fingertips gently poke at the moist cleft beneath her manhood. A finger slid in, and then another, and she felt them wiggle around firmly as he sunk them in deeper.
She lifted her arms above her head, giving out a soft moan as his fingers slid in up to his knuckles, flexing within her and scissoring. One of his tentacles slid into her tunic through her collar, to wind around a breast and rub against her nipple. Her hand slid along the surface before coming to rest on his leg, squeezing it. Another tentacle wound around the base of her cock before winding its way upward. It was much like the dreams she'd had before...
