And then when he had the cords placed right where he wanted them, she discovered another knot now positioned right against her clit. At first, she didn’t think it was anything but a way to embarrass her. But he continued to move the ropes across her body, twisting, wrapping, knotting them according to some plan she didn’t understand. It became a complicated harness that crisscrossed over most of her upper body.

She looked down and thought it was almost pretty, the way it constricted and decorated her body, but she still didn’t understand the point of it yet.

He turned her all the way around slowly, checking each line and knot and then he sat back looking satisfied. “Perfect.”

“I don’t understand what it’s for. If it’s just for decoration you could have done it over my clothes. It’s pressing into some delicate places.” She frowned and tried to tug the ropes down with both hands, to relieve the pressure. It didn’t work. Everything was too tightly knotted and wouldn’t move.

“It’s not for decoration, though I’ll admit, it looks nice on you.” He tilted his head examining her, and she flushed. “Does anything hurt?”

“I—It’s just uncomfortable. There’s a knot pressing against my—my—” She couldn’t make herself say it, so she stopped there.

He gave her an amused look. “It’s supposed to be there.”

“But why?” she asked.

The amusement grew until he wore a broad grin, but he just shook his head. “You’ll find out. I have some hunting to do before dark. Stay close to the cave.” With that last order he grabbed his game bag and left her to discover what he’d done.

It didn’t take long. She crossed the cave to watch him go, and as she moved, she could feel the sensation of the ropes rubbing and pulling. The knots seemed especially well-placed to create friction and she found herself growing excited. But she knew if she walked too much, the rubbing would become unbearable in her near-heat state.

She ended up returning to her bedding and staying there for the rest of the afternoon. Which was exactly what he’d wanted, of course. She had to admit it was a creative way of getting her to rest, but she wasn’t entirely sure how productive it was since it left her feeling agitated from the arousal that never went away.

Napping failed and only the thought of him coming back and catching her at it, kept her from taking the edge off with her fingers, while she was lying there. It would get worse when her heat was fully on her. When that happened, she could masturbate all day and it would do nothing to satisfy her. Only a male would be able to do that, and Jahk was the only male around.

Being with him in that way wouldn’t be the worst thing ever. He was kind and caring, at least when she obeyed him, she thought, as she gave the confining ropes a tug of annoyance. He’d be a good parent to her children if the mating was fruitful. The only problem was he wasn’t actually a choice, because she had no other options.

She shouldn’t blame him for what her body was doing, but she did in a way. She blamed the colony more and her own biology too, but there was enough left over. He made her stay by him when they both knew what it would mean. It wasn’t logical and she knew it. She couldn’t take care of herself now, not when she was so weak.

She hadn’t done so well on her own even before she’d gotten sick either. She was used to being a confident adult, but now she felt like a child. It made her resentful of the way he tried to keep her safe. She had to admit though, that his punishments were far more enjoyable than what she would have received in the colony and their rules were just as strict.

But everything he did had a sexual tone to it. It reminded her of her femaleness and stirred up her biological instincts in a way that made her crave things. It was ironic that the colony had wanted to use her as an incubator but had pushed her in the opposite direction.

Jahk, without even trying, seemed to make her want the mating. She wondered what it would be like with him, that frantic coupling that couldn’t be avoided. She’d had sex before, of course, most teens and early adults played with such things in their off hours. It was an enjoyable way to spend time together in a dome that held few entertainments.

But those were not true matings, and from what she’d read that was a very different thing. The birth control suppressed all of the intensity, so the passion never went beyond satisfying. Once her body was ready, she would lose all control of herself. She would be desperate for what only he could give. It was an awful thing to contemplate and she hated it.

That was a lie. She loved the idea. It invaded her dreams and made her want to jump on him when she woke up. He knew it. She could see it in the way he looked at her. There was hunger in his eyes, and it was all for her, but he was waiting for her to make the first move.

In some ways she thought it would be better if she threw herself at him; it would ease some of her sexual frustration and make things more tolerable for a bit longer. More importantly it would be an actual choice she made, rather than something her biological needs forced on her. She thought about it, pictured herself doing it, but in the end, she just didn’t make up her mind in time.

Chapter Nine

He looked pleased to find her curled up in her bed when he returned. The knowing smirk on his face made it clear that he knew why she was stationary instead of moving around. As soon as he took care of the game he’d brought back for their dinner, he motioned her over and began to release the ropes from her body.

“Looks like you got some rest. How do you feel?” he asked, as his hands moved skillfully along the lines, undoing knots.

“I guess you could say that. The ropes weren’t exactly comfortable. I’ll be glad to have them off,” she replied in a tone that was a bit sulky.

“I would say discomfort is the point of it. It’s to remind you not to move too much, so your body can rest.” He paused and then grinned. “Among other things.”

She scowled at him, narrowing her eyes. “What other things?”

He tugged the rope and it slithered between her legs and made her gasp as it came free. She was positive he’d pulled it in just such a way to make it stroke her hard bud of a clitoris and she had to close her eyes for a second to keep from jumping him on the spot.

“Well, you know historically this kind of restraint was used to keep naughty mates in line during the time leading up to their heat. It was important to keep them close for safety, but also the stimulation could make for interesting times in the bed.” He looked up at her as he coiled the rope neatly and then frowned. “You didn’t know that?”

She could feel her face getting hot under the short fur and shook her head. “I’ve never seen anyone tied like this. It’s not… I thought it was something you made up to punish me.”

He laughed. “When I punish you, you’ll know it,” he assured her. He hung the rope on a hook and started to prepare a meal. He motioned her over. “Come watch, you’ll need to learn how to do this,” he said.