Page 17 of His Human to Learn

I frown and cannot even look Toron in the eyes. I do not like causing trouble. I do not like making life more difficult for those who have made mine and Thro's lives so much better than they ever were. I clench my fists together and force myself to look up at him.

"I do not understand what is happening or why it is happening, but I am sorry for any trouble it has caused you. For any trouble I have caused you."

Toron begins to laugh, realizes I am being very serious, and then snarls at me. All of the humor leaves his body as he marches into my room until he is standing right in front of me.

"You have nothing to apologize for. You have done no wrong. The mating ceremony needs adjustments. We have been discussing them for relationships like yours that happen without anyone noticing until it is too late. What is happening now? You are going to go to the mating ceremony, you are going to follow the rules, and you are going to be mated to your female in three days."

"Why so much talk of rule following?" I ask as I swallow the lump in my throat.

I very much crave Toron's approval. He is not the first male in this tribe to show me kindness, but he has shown it to me the most often. It is something for which I am immensely grateful.

"You are not an angry male, so I will tell you even though I know it will upset you," Toron sighs as he leans against the wall and crosses his arms in front of his chest. "A male has been claiming your female is allowing him to woo her. He has been telling many of this, and I think the only reason you do not know is because he has told others not to make you, Thro, or me aware it was happening. Something about you thinking she is your mate."

"She is my mate," I snap at Toron, my scales itching in an unfamiliar way as my eyes flash red. The need to fight him lasts only a moment, and my eyes turn back black, and my claws sink back into my fingers. Toron watches me with a curious expression before I avert my eyes and repeat myself in a much calmer voice. "She is mine."

"I know this, my brothers know this, and your female knows this," Toron says, sounding more upset than I was. "Some males think she belongs to another because of lies, and because of these lies, they are also wondering why they are not allowed to woo the females freely. By going through the mating ceremony, your mate is proving the male is a liar, and she can claim you as well."

"Which male has been making up these lies?"

"You know him, Joll, the one whose mother used to teach your brother and the human female. I do not know what he aims to gain from his lies about your mate, but they will be proved wrong in no time. This will all be forgotten." Toron moves back toward the door. "I need to make sure Kal is okay with handling everything this evening. Can you get yourself to the great hall on your own?"

"It is a short walk. I doubt I will get lost." I try my best to joke with him, but I can feel a heavy weight in my chest. Toron taps the doorframe once before turning and leaving me on my own.

Thoughts that make me think Tori is only going through this mating ceremony to prove to others that this male is a liar run wild in my head. I do not want her to be forced to mate me. I hate even more that it is because of a spineless male who wishes to force her into mating with him. How he could think this plan would work is beyond me, but it will not be successful. No, it will be even less than successful. I will prove Tori is my mate, but I will not mate her until I am sure that she chooses to be with me in all ways. Not because she fears what others may think about her if she does not.

I must have sat on my bed for longer than I realize, just thinking about Tori and how she might be doing this for reasons that make the beating in my chest feel hollow and broken. The clouds outside have darkened slightly, which means it is almost time for me to be in the great hall.

I dig through my wardrobe, going through the tunics one of the other brothers gave me when he found his mate liked him best in blue. I still do not know which of the colors is Tori's favorite, but I do know I have traded her one red tunic, one brown, one grey, and one purple in exchange for the clothing she wears around her hips that presses against the place I most often think about.

Even just thinking about the undergarments I have traded her has me stretching to my tallest to grab for the small wooden box I keep hidden on top of the wardrobe so Thro does not find it. I hold it tight to my chest before closing my bedroom door and opening the box.

I only have one pair of her undergarments left. I have been meaning to trade with her again, but have not found the time. I pull them out and wrap them in my hand as my cock hardens in my pants.

With one last glance outside, I make sure I have enough time and then pull my pants low enough that I can fist my cock in the hand holding Tori's undergarments. I hiss long and hard as I begin to pleasure myself with her clothing. I think about the first time I found out human females wore these.

It must have been at least half a year ago when Tori was outside helping to prepare the fields before storm season. The wind was strong, and she was wearing one of her skirts. The goddess blessed me that day when I looked over at just the right time to see Tori squealing and trying to push the skirts back down. Her face was bright red, and her smile was huge.

I replay the memory in my mind, my breathing growing more labored. In my mind, Tori looks around the fields, notices no one but me, and then smiles as she pulls the hem of her skirt into her hands, raising it to reveal more than the tease of her I saw, thanks to the wind.

The hiss that leaves my chest now rivals the one I made when she showed herself off to me. I keep pumping myself as my body tightens in pleasure.

My mind races through my interactions with Tori, scouring for the perfect moment. The moment I want to think about as I fill this last pair of her undergarments with my seed. All previous memories come to a harsh halt. This might be the last time I will do this because she will be my mate soon.

Sure, I might still sneak away with a pair of her undergarments and dirty them, but I will much more frequently want to fill her. My jaw clenches as I think about filling her, filling her undergarments, and then having her wear them. I release into the fabric, wishing so badly Tori was here now so I could tell her what I want to do to her. How I hope to keep her wet and dripping with my seed. How I want her covered in it. I want to rub it into her body, coat her clothing, and then send her out into the world marked as mine.

I snarl and snap my teeth as the last of my release shoots out of me and into the fabric. I wipe the tip of my cock, and then frown down at the undergarments. If I were a smarter male, I would not have done this when I had somewhere to be, because I very much would like to wash them in case something happens and I am forced to continue pleasuring myself with her traded clothing. Instead, I tuck them into my pocket to dispose of later.

The house is quiet as I leave. Thro has gone back to the farm today because he cannot be trusted not to try to interfere in the mating ceremony. I love my brother more than anything. He is one of the best males, but he also gets himself into trouble.

It is for the best that he is not here, though I do wish he were. As much as his troublemaking can annoy others, it brings me joy to know he can be himself in this tribe. It helps to calm me and has helped me realize that this tribe is filled with good males.

As I step out of the house, the tribe seems eerily quiet, and I realize this is because almost no one else is there. I can faintly hear a babe crying from one of the other houses and laughter from another. The paths around the tribe are empty. I look around, waiting to see if anyone will show up, and I am surprised when they remain strangely barren.

The walk to the great hall from Toron's house is not long, but it is still a few minutes. I have made the trip many times, but I have never once felt unnerved as I do now. I keep looking around me, my claws lengthening in case they are needed. It feels as though I am being watched.

There's scampering around one of the buildings, and I am almost certain I see a smaller male, one who is the same coloring as Thro, and a human female, duck around the corner. I snort, knowing Thro has almost certainly recruited Jen into his mischief. Or maybe she has recruited him. All I know is that I was worried for nothing.

At least, I think I am worried about nothing for a few short moments before someone hits me in the back of the head. The world is dark before I feel my body hit the ground.

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