𑣲

He'd walked into your arms without saying anything, back into the hotel room after reconvening with the team, no doubt heartbroken, no doubt feeling like he just wants to hide away from the world right now, away from all the interviews and the questions, and into your arms.

"You played so well baby," you whisper into his ear, "So good, this whole tournament, you should be so proud of yourself."

And you feel a little triumphant at the way he mewls at your words, rubbing his face further into your chest. It's true, what you said, he always puts his all into everything. But it must be so exhausting to carry that weight, and all you want is for him to let go of that pain.

"Amazing, you were amazing," You don't stop, you kiss all across his face, whisper sweet reassurances, "Top Goal scorer," another kiss, "So strong on the pitch," kiss along the jaw, "Never gave up." You trail your kisses across his cheek, back to his ear to whisper sweet nothings.

"I just..." he says, voice small "I just thought we could go further you know? Like we could really make it this time."

"I know... I know," you whisper, you rub at his chest. Resting your head on top of his and stroking his arms

You're about to close your eyes, let sleep and exhaustion take you both but then you look down and notice the tenting present in his shorts. You wonder if it's all the compliments you've been giving him, he always got a bit going when you praised him in the past, or if it's still the adrenaline of the match, or maybe how his head had been nestled into your breasts for the past hour.

"Ugh forget about that-" he starts, but you shush him. Giving him soft eyes that you know make him all quiet.

"Let me take care of you, baby, okay? Can I do that?"

You'll do anything to make him feel better, and he looks at you with such gratefullness.

"I- yeah, yes, please-" he whines and you're off.

You trail your kisses down his neck, soft and wet, dropping to your knees in front of him while he sits on the edge of the bed. You lay your palm on the buldge of his shorts, rubbing up and down slightly, his hips respond to your touch and he moans from above.

You don't hesitate, pull his shorts and underwear down and almost get slapped in the face with his dick. It's aching, weeping, begging to be touched, to be milked by your mouth, and who are you to deny such a sweet thing?

You look up at him, he looks back perked up but still a bit of lingering sadness from the match- you're determined to get rid of all of that ache, to suck him so thoroughly, make him feel so good, that he won't have space in his brain to think of anything but pure pleasure.

You nuzzle your face at the base of his cock and he keens out- so sensitive. Place wet, sloppy kisses at the base, rub your cheek along the sides of his dick.

"Babe..." he whines, hips jerking up at how you're teasing him.

Good, you're getting him all hot and bothered, let him think of nothing but how badly he wants to come.

"Yeah?" you whisper, licking at the lower part of his shaft.

You suckle at the base again, avoiding his fat tip where you know he loves to be sucked at. You continue your ministrations, teasing and placing slopping kisses, his voice getting more and more desperate.

"Hmmph-" he whines, "Please, babe, I need- need you-"

Yes, you think, this is how desperate you want him.

"I'm sorry," you murmur, "Let me take care of everything, okay?"

He looks thoroughly wrecked, face and chest heaving, but he nods, laying over his control, finally relaxing under the weight of the pressure.

You shift up and finally, finally, take his sobbing head into your mouth.

The effect is instant, his head thrown back, his voice letting out moans and whimpers.

You don't stop, you suck at his tip, run you tongue through his slit and lap up all his sweet, sweet precum. You flatten you tongue underneath the sensitive ridge of his head and he outright shouts, so keen on what you're reducing him to. His cock is so thick, fills you're mouth so utterly, you move you head down further and further, taking in more and more of him and feel yourself getting wetter at the feeling of being completely choked on his cock.

You're slobbering over his dick, sucking hard and lapping it all up, your hand covers the base, jerking him up and up. You twist in time with your sucks and he's moaning out your name in desperation.

You pull off his dick and he whines.

"Babe, what? why-"

"I want to try something, okay?" you saying, using your does eyes again. You must look a sight: lips swollen, wetness all over your chin.

He looks at you like you're beautiful, "What is it?"

You look back at his cock in consideration, You slap it against you cheek a few times to test out your idea.

"Ugh- babe-" he groans, "What're thinking."

It's a big dick, you've always know, takes up almost all your head you notice as you nuzzle your face into it. And you've never done this before, but tonight is all about him, his pleasure, and letting him lose control.

"I want you to fuck my face."

"Huh?" he says, haplessly, still a little lost from all the pleasure, "You sure?"

"Yeah baby," You place a soft kiss at the tip of his dick, "I want to be so good for you, will you let me?"

"It's just... I've never done it before, what if I hurt you?"

"I'll tell you if it is, okay? I promise."

He still looks a bit hesitant, so you bring out the big guns.

"Pleeeease, Jude," you whine, rubbing your face on his dick, "Please, I want you to fuck my face so bad, I need your big cock to stuff my mouth."

"Holy shit- okay, okay," he scrambles up from the bed, and you smile, pleased at your power.

You shuffle into place, kneeling on the floor and wait patiently as Jude gets into place.

He smiles down at you, takes his dick that's already leaking cum and wipes it on your swollen lips like a sticky lip gloss. You lick your lips and gather his cum back into your mouth, eyes closing at how good it tastes.

"Fuck-" he chokes, stroking his dick at the site, "You're gonna be the death of me, 'm so close."

You grin at his words, "That's okay, can't wait to swallow your cum, Jude."

"Jeez, okay, shit-"

He takes both of his hands and gather your hair back, you start opening your jaw as far as you can, you'll need as much space as you can get to fit him all in. You relax your jaw, stick out your tongue expectantly.

He feeds his dick into your mouth, slowly. It stuff you instantly, because not only is he big, he's thick and your lips stretch you take him all in.

"You okay?" he asks.

You groan around him in response and he swears he almost comes then and there.

"Fuck, fucking hell," He's accidently shoved the rest of his cock into you, "Sorry, shit, you good?"

You're full, mouth full, throat full he's all around you and it feels so fucking good. You moan again and he starts moving his hips, starts fucking into your mouth.

He's so loud above you, telling you you look beautiful, you take him so well, that you're mouth is so sinful but all you can think about is his fucking cock, shoving in and out of your throat, swallowing your thoughts whole. You're slobbering all over his dick, eyes watering, you can't do anything but let him take control, let him take whatever he needs to make himself feel better, to gain some control back after the loss.

"Shit, babe, you're a fucking sight to see."

You whimper at his words, it feels so good. His hips find a faster rhythm, shoving deeper in each thrust, his hands threading through your hair.

He snaps his hips harder and harder, getting more confident with each thrust, taking out the anger and frustration into your soft mouth. And you take it all, swallow every gag and let your jaw grow numb at being fucked so ruthlessly. You get wetter at the thought

"So close- 'm so close, your mouth so fucking warm 'n perfect-"

His thrust are stuttering, getting more errattic, and you can't wait to be filled with his semen.

"Okay- fuck, I'm gonna-"

He bullies himself as deep as he can into your mouth, stopping there to finish. You feel his hot spurts of cum coating your throat, he comes so much but you swallow every bit of it. It tastes saltly and exactly like him and you whimper at how stuffed you feel.

He softly leaves your mouth, and you cough slightly as he does. He comes down, kneels with you, strokes your hair and wipes lovingly at the corners of your eyes were tears had formed.

"So good, babe," he murmurs and you catch your breath, "You did so good for me, make me come so hard."

"Yeah?" you say, voice slightly hoarse, smiling at all the praise.

"Are you kidding?" he grins, "You were fucking perfect for me."

You lean your back against the foot of the bed and settle into his shoulder, energy depleting.

"Wasn't it my job to be giving you compliments tonight, not the other way around?" you tease.

"Oh shit," he says, frowning a little, "I forgot about the match."

"Oh... I'm sorry for reminding you."

"No- no, not at all," he whispers, kissing your cheek, "You're the reason I forgot in the first place, remember?"

You hum at his words, feeling sleepier by the second.

"Thank you, by the way," he says after a second, "Not just for... you know but everything. You really helped me, I don't know what I'd be feeling if it wasn't for you."

You open your eyes and see him look at you adoringly, and your insides glow at the feeling.

"It's okay, it's what I'm here for."

"Yeah, just, I love you so much." he whispers against your temple, placing a kiss there.

"I love you too," you say, choking a little.

He laughs, "I'm getting you some water, okay? And ice chips."

He stands to get up but you tug him down.

"Later, okay? Right now just stay with me."

He settles his head above yours, smiling, "Okay."

FIN.

౨ৎ

Dortmund.

Dortmund was bliss.

Dortmund was your youth, the place you blossomed and the place you first found love with him.

You were eighteen, barely out of girlhood. Your room was still painted baby pink, and your lingerie was still stitched with delicate bows of innocence.

And Jude, well Jude was golden.

A golden boy, with golden skin and a golden future. One which he made you believe you were in.

You met on a rain filled afternoon in the middle of April, the clouds were grey and gloomy, the rain on the pavement made the city smell of damp and earth. You were working at the front desk of a small cafe, one which was tucked behind a bookstore that most of thr tourists missed. He ordered a hot chocolate, with extra whipped cream and his brother laughed at him. Then, they tucked themselves into the booth away from the public eye, not that there were many people in the cafe that day.

All that shift, you felt his eyes on you. When you were collecting empty cups and wiping down tables. When you were refilling the baked goods and pouring coffee.

When he left, he left his number and a note on a napkin.

-y/n, call me

Jude

And since that day, it had seemed your world had never stopped being dizzying.

The early days were sweet. Secret. Sacred. A special sort of magic that only exists between two teenagers falling in love for the first time. Walks through the cobbled streets under the warm glow of street lamps, sitting in the empty stands of the stadium after training just to talk about nothing. He'd hold your hand so carefully, so delicately and he'd kiss you with so much raw love.

It was easy back then, light. You fell in love with him before the world did.

But the golden days were just gilded.

Rot lay beneath.

The fame came quickly, and with it came the late nights and the turned off location. The texts slowed, as did the affection and the effort.

You started to see glimpses of a boy that didn't belong to you, a boy so different than the one you were in love with. The Jude in the club surrounded by the bottle girls in scandalous clothing, the Jude in tabloid headlines with body lingering close to someone that wasn't you as he partied in Ibiza.

The boy who had once kissed your forehead and caressed the freckles on your face became the man that called you clingy for asking why he had come home at four am. He became mean in moments and then unbelievably loving in the next.

He would go two days without saying anything to you, just to show up at your door with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and telling you everything you wanted to hear. You believed it because you were eighteen and so madly in love, blinded by the sweet days before he was consumed by the money and the fame.

You failed to realised he had changed so much because it changed overtime.

The jealousy grew like mold under his skin. Infecting him slowly before it began to grow on you like rot.

He would hate when you posted photos without him in them, he hated when you couldn't text back right away and he especially hated when other men would look at you.

His jealousy would wrap around your ankles and pulled you under every time he would whisper, "you know it's you and me forever, right?", then he would be gone to the night for a few days.

And you would wait.

You would stay for way to long because you were blinded by how good it once was. You told yourself it could get back there, that you could fix this.

But eventually, loving him blurred into losing yourself. Everyone around you saw that, they saw the way you got thinner and the way your smile vanished. You paled. You lost the sparkle in your eye. And you couldn't go on.

So, you broke up. You left him.

But it never really ended.

Every time you were moving on, he would come back with false promises and declarations of love. He would sleep with you, make you feel things no one else could and then once he was satisfied that you were still attached to him, he would leave.

You used to think love was supposed to hurt a little, that ache in your chest and the longing. That was meant to happen, right?

But eventually, after the constant back and forth, it was no longer hurt. It was hollowing.

He’d show up at midnight, a hoodie pulled over his head, the smell of cologne and cold night air clinging to his skin. He’d kiss you like he missed you, like you were the only home he ever knew. And for a few fleeting hours, you'd let yourself believe he was yours again -- the boy from Dortmund, the boy who left his number on a napkin like it meant something.

But it never lasted.

In the morning, he’d be gone and he left behind crumpled sheets, lipstick stains, and a quiet that screamed.

You knew it wasn’t love anymore -- at least not the kind you deserved.

It was dependency, it was history, it was heartbreak dressed up in nostalgia. Each time he left, he took a piece of you with him and slowly but surely, there was no more of you left to give him.

And the sickest part was -- Jude knew. He knew how much you loved him, and that you would always come back to him. That made him careless about you. Reckless, unloving but possessive in a way that didn't feel romantic but suffocating. You were just he safety net, his comfort.

So you left. You didn't tell him where you were going. You didn't want him to chase you.

Paris.

Paris was refreshing.

A new city where Jude didn't exist, a city where his face wasn't plastered everywhere.

And a few months later, you got the text from a friend.

Jude had left Dortmund, and had gone to Madrid.

And those streets in Germany you used to walk down hand in hand, now only existed in your memories. Your eighteen year old ghosts were all that haunted them.

You were sat on your windowsill in Paris when you got the message, the city lights twinkled below in a way that reminded you of the lights in Dortmund. You arms wrapped around your knees in the big oversized jumper as winter began to settle into the city. You didn't cry, but it did feel like the whole world had shifted -- he was gone, Jude was really gone.

Both of you now in different cities in different countries, and Dortmund lay in the past.

Dormant and untouchable.

Over a year later.....

It was early spring in Paris, the city moved in a quiet hum as the sun made it's first real appearance as the winter wore off. The trees along the Seine were beginning to bloom with lush green leaves and sway in the light breeze.

You were sat at a small table near the edge of the river, one leg crossed over the other and a leather bomber jacket draped over your shoulders. Your lipstick stained the coffee cup a deep red, and a lit cigarette was held firm between your fingers as you enjoyed your lunch break.

You were twenty one now, and you had lived in the French capital for long enough to look like a local. You knew the cobbled streets like the back of your hand, you spoke the language fluently.

Your boyfriend sits across from you, wearing rayban sunglasses and his dark hair pushed back. His olive skin glowing under the sun, his hand rubbing across the stubble on his chin as he laughed at something you said. He wasn't a footballer, but a business advisor -- a very good one, with top clients all over the city and its suburbs. He didn't chase fame, only wealth and that wealth he wanted to spend on you. He was the kind of man that was chivalrous, he opened the doors for you, and he remembered how you took your coffee always. You never walked on the road side and got forbid you ever had to pull out your own chair.

You didn't love him yet. Not quite. But you can feel it budding inside you like a flower about to bloom, it's slow and familiar in the best way. The calmness and the steadiness of the fall, the love that didn't ache but tingled.

You took a drag of your cigarette, exhaling to the sky before meeting his eyes again across the table.

Charles is his name. So simple and classic, like everything about him.

He reaches for your hand, just to touch you because he likes the feeling of your hand in his. You let him take it because he touch feels like the warm of fire on your skin. He begins to ask you about work, and you answer with eagerness. You loved your job, it was in a publishing house and it paid better than the cafe job back home in Germany.

Although, Germany didn't really feel like home anymore. Paris had become yours, no longer just a city you fled too but the city that became you. This city didn't hold the ache of painful memories but the light of an unwritten future. Right now, that future tasted like a handsome man, a dark coffee and a cigarette.

You smile contently, leaning back into the chair and watching the river flow. The Eiffel tower in the distance, only the top being visible over the beige brick buildings.

"J'ai une question pour toi," (I have a question for you) Charles says, pulling you out of your gazing.

"Oui," You nod your head with a smile, signalling him to continue.

'Il y a un gala de charité dans quelques semaines à Cannes. Je vous invite à me rejoindre," (There is a charity gala in a few weeks, in Cannes. I want you to join me), He said, his finger drawing rings about the rim of his coffee cup.

You cock your eyebrow and tilt your head at him, "Charity or business?"

Charles laughs, low and hoarse, smooth like caramel. Then he holds his hands up like he had been caught, "You got me, mais je te veux là" (you got me, but I want you there)

"Qui sera là ?," (who will be there?), You ask.

"Des hommes d'affaires, des hommes d'affaires très riches. Des célébrités, des mannequins, vous savez, les coupables habituels." (businessmen, very rich businessmen. Some celebrities, models, you know the usual culprits.)

"alors j'aurai besoin d'une robe," (then i'll need a dress), You grin, giving him your answer.

"You can have whatever you want, ma cherie"

You blush under his words, and his thick french accent. He's so perfect and you struggle to understand how you got so lucky. He takes care of you in a way no one else has, and he made you realise that you were capable of loving after him -- after Jude.

-

The riviera air smelt of salt and jasmine, the dusk sky above bled in shades of rose and gold over the lapping waves of the blue sea. Cannes was like a dream, the warm sun setting but still lingering in the air.

You followed Charles around the venue, your arm linked into his. Camera's flashed in all directions, capturing actors and actresses alongside billionaires and their heirs. You felt out of place, being surrounded by such luxury and beauty. You felt like you stood out, but Charles had assured you that your were merely paranoid and that you looked the part.

The dress he had bought you was the nicest thing to ever touch your body. White and satin. Sleek and elegant. It was sculpted to your frame like it had been stitched on it. The neckline dipped low, and the back was open. A delicate white stole lay over your forearms and around your back. Your hair was pulled up into a styled up do, one which left the nape of your neck bare and able to show of the expensive diamond necklace Charles had gifted you.

Charles took your hand as you ascended up the stairs and into the grand ballroom where the big crowd waited. He looked every bit a Parisian socialite. The perfectly tailored black tuxedo with the matching prada bow tie. He greeted the staff by name, charmed a sommelier on the way inside and whispered how beautiful you looked into your ear as he guided you to the bar.

Inside, the gala was magnificent. Chandeliers rained golden light over everything, catching the glass of champagne flutes and the expensive fabric of designer ballgowns. A string quartet played elegantly in the background. Waiters moved through the crowd like shadow.

After getting a drink, Charles guided you to the table you were seated at. Some of his work colleagues already there and waiting. His hand was placed protectively on the small of your back in a way that made you feel a mix of desired and adored. Charles pulled out the chair, and you sat down ready to enjoy the night ahead.

And you didn't know, you didn't sense it because you had moved on. You weren't nineteen and obsessed anymore. You couldn't feel his eyes on you, you didn't notice him across the room watching your every move like he was seeing a ghost of him.

Jude.

He hadn't wanted to come, it was a club obligation. Something about good press and even better exposure. So, here he was, in a black suit and a heavy rolex on his wrist while he drank a glass of champagne. Kylian was talking nonsense about the models on the dance floor in his ear but he wasn't focussed on that.

He was focussed on you, and whoever the smugly dressed, gel haired man on your arm was.

so i heard you found somebody else.

and at first, i thought it was lie

His girl -- or at least the girl who had been his. The only girl that had ever been his. His first love, the one that left and never came back. The one that never responded or answered his messages. The girl whose siblings refused to talk to him.

His girl who is here, working the room so effortlessly like it was where you belonged. Chin tilted up slightly, shoulders back. A soft smile on your plump lips, a smile he hadn't seen in so long. You're confident and calm, and your hand in looped around his arm. Some man with olive skin and a stupidly well fitting suit which let Jude know he was a man of business because only businessmen care about suits like that. He was the kind of man that looked like he could give you everything Jude never could, older and more mature. He hated that.

and you.

You looked ethereal.

Mature and shaped. The white satin clinging to your skin in a way that shouldn't be turning him on as much as it is. Your bare back exposed under the golden light, and he can tell from the definition that you have been in the gym. Your skin was glowing across your collarbones, like oil was brushed upon it. The expensive Cartier necklace was glinting in the light. Jude knew it was Cartier because he had seen it in the shop recently, and he also knew that it cost double your yearly salary at the cafe. He doubted you had had such a big promotion since moving away that you now had spare ten of thousands just lying around to be spent. He didn't doubt that the businessman on your arm did.

Something like jealousy simmers under his skin, heating the collar around his neck. But how can he still feel jealousy over a girl he hadn't seen in over a year.

Jude looked at you again, Kylian still chatting nonsense in his ear as he picked up two glasses of champagne from the waitress and downed them both. He would need to be drunk if he was going to be in a room with you and be able to cope.

There was no trace of the girl in Dortmund, the one who would cry into the sleeves of his hoodies when he got back drunk at four in the morning. No evidence of that softness he was guilty of exploiting. You'd hardened but not in bitterness, but rather confidence. Like you knew you were better without him, like you to never let anyone treat you like he did ever again.

i don't want your body

but i hate to think about you with somebody else.

Jude watched as you sat down at a table beside the man. He watched as he leaned in close and said something into your ear. You giggled and then blushed. Rose flush tinting your cheeks. Then he kissed your bare shoulder.

And suddenly, Jude wasn't breathing because he's hearing your laugh in his head, the laugh you only gave when you were happy. The laugh you used to give to him, in tangled bed sheets or in the passenger seat of his car.

our love has gone cold

your intertwining your soul somebody else

You laughed again, this time leaning into the shoulder of the man next to you. Jude watched as that same man smiled from ear to ear, like he had earned it. Like he’d worked for that laugh and that blush, and maybe he had. Maybe he bought you flowers after long days at work, or made coffee just right, or didn’t disappear for three days without a word and come back smelling like perfume that wasn’t yours.

Jude swallowed hard, adjusting his collar once again because he was remembering the way he treated you at the end. Like you were his personal play toy, one that he would toss to the side when he got bored or a new model would enter his dm's. It wasn't because he didn't love you, as hard as it is to believe, but he did love you. He was just too young, too rich, too famous and surrounded by other young footballers who partied hard and fucked harder. He wanted that, but he also wanted you to come back to. He wanted the best of both worlds and for a short while you let him get away with it, so he kept going and going until one day you vanished.

And now you're here.

And he feels like the boy in Dortmund again.

And he doesn't want to see anyone else with you, because he can't bare the thought that you're not his.

You'll always be his -- the most special girl in his life. His first love.

He grabbed another two flutes of champagne and drank them quickly trying to dull the feeling in his chest.

"Jesus, that's your fifth one in about ten minutes," Trent said, coming to stand beside him and Kylian.

Jude grimaced as he felt the burn down his throat.

He was still only watching you, letting trent's words float off him like water off a ducks back.

You adjusted the hairs on the man beside you's head, gently running your hands through the onyx strands. That got him wondering.

He wondered if you’d run your fingers through Charles’ hair the way you used to with his -- slowly, absently, while you talked about your day. He wondered if you still wore oversized jumpers to bed, if you still pressed cold feet against warm legs in the middle of the night, if you still danced barefoot in the kitchen light after coming home drunk from a night with your girls.

He wondered if that man knew you the way he did.

i don't want your body

but i'm picturing your body with somebody else

He wondered if that man knew the parts of you that at one time only he had ever touched. Did he make you feel as good as he once had? Did you bite just under his ear the same way you used to for him?

However, the worst part was Jude starting to realise he didn't really know you at all anymore.

You weren't that shy German girl anymore.

And yet he still wanted you all the same. He felt that pull in his chest to reclaim you, make you come back to him because he still loved you. He always would, but he couldn't give you the relationship you wanted. He still wanted to party, to fuck other woman in the bathroom stalls of exclusive nightclubs, to slide into model's dm's after a long day of training but he wanted you to be waiting for him when he wished to settle down.

You were his wife. All the others were just fun.

I don't want your body

I don't want your body

"Whose caught your eye, ey?," Trent said, jokingly because he didn't understand just who Jude was looking at.

"See her in the black dress," Jude nodded in your direction, and both Trent and Kylian followed his glare.

"Fit, but seems like she's got a fella lad," Trent laughed. Kylian with him.

"She's my ex girlfriend," Jude said with a crisp bluntness. The words almost painful to get off his tongue.

"What," Trent's head snapped to his friend in shock, "That's not y/n is it?" He asked because he had heard Jude mention you more than a few times in his life. The girl that he let get away, the one that he would eventually go back to as if you would just be sat waiting for him.

Jude just nodded.

"Fuck lad, that's heavy," Trent breathed out, slapping his best friend on the back.

Jude didn't have to speak again, the clench of his jaw said enough. He grabbed another champagne flute, finishing it off quickly. The alcohol swirled in his system making his skin hot and his feet sway. Tipsy but not drunk.

Trent gave him a once over, noticing his friends cold stare and clenched fists. "What're you gonna do, bro?,"

"She's my girl, always my girl," Jude's words were almost ominous, they even made Trent feel uncomfortable. How could the girl in black be his when she was being kissed and loved by another man?

"I don't know man. She looks happy," Trent offered.

"I've seen her happier," Jude nonchalantly replies.

Trent just rolls his eyes, he can't believe his friend. Out of all the women in this room, he wants the one who has moved on. He wants the only girl who he shouldn't have, but that was Jude. Selfish. The Golden Boy who always got what he wanted.

The night went on and still Jude's eyes were always on you.

His table was a couple away, he had a direct view of you but you still hadn't noticed him. You had been to entranced by Charles to even make note of what colour the carpet was, let alone look around the room.

But when you did, when you took a brief moment to glance around at the venue while Charles went to the bathroom, your whole world was rocked at the very foundations.

Your eyes caught his like a slap across the ballroom.

You blinked, your face instantly paled like you had seen a ghost because in a way you had. He had been dead to you since you left Dortmund, but now he was here and breathing and looking at you with that same cheeky glint that you once fell in love with.

The air between you shifted. The music faded out into the background. Your hands began to tremble. You heart stuttered and your lungs seemed to forget how to fill.

Jude.

Sat across from you in a dark suit, with dark eyes and a dangerous smile. He didn't seem shocked to see you, in fact he looked like he had been waiting for you to notice him all night.

Your mouth hung slightly parted as you took him in.

He looked older, harder but it was still him.

The boy who once made you feel invincible.

The boy who then made you feel rotted to hollowness.

Your throat went dry.

You weren’t ready for this. You thought you were. You thought enough time had passed, enough therapy, enough Paris nights wrapped in the arms of someone who wasn’t him. But now, in one glance, it all came flooding back.

The napkin.

The cobbled streets of Dortmund.

Rain-soaked April.

His hands around your waist at three am.

Him saying you’re mine, always.

Him leaving. Then apologising just to leave again.

Suddenly, your white dress feels suffocating, and your skin is beginning to burn.

You want to look away. You want to pretend that this is just a strange coincidence, and that the man looking at you now is just a stranger that holds a familiar face. But you can't. You can't tear your eyes away from him. You can't breathe. Not properly. There isn't enough air.

Charles returns, his voice low, asking something you don’t hear. Your hand is still clenched around the edge of the table, nails digging into the smooth surface as you fight the sudden surge of emotions crashing into your chest. The sound of your heartbeat is deafening, almost drowning out the murmur of the party around you.

Charles notices the shift in your mood, his brow furrowing in concern. "What is it, mon amour?" he asks, following your gaze. He’s seen how you stiffened, how you were caught off guard.

You tear your eyes away from Jude, shaking your head. "Nothing," you murmur, but the lie feels thick in your throat. The sharp edge of truth digs into you as you glance back at Jude. He hasn’t moved. He’s still watching, still waiting. "I just need to get some air" You tell Charles as you cup he cheeks in the palm of your hands and place a delicate kiss on his lips.

Get someone you love?

Get someone you need?

With that, you stand from the table and quickly make your exit to the venues grand garden. You don't need to check if he's following. You know his ego well enough to know he will.

You walk briskly through the garden, the crunch of gravel beneath your heels the only sound that cuts through the pounding of your heart. The manicured hedges, the dim glow of lanterns strung in the trees, all seem to blur, fading into the background as you move further into the quiet solitude of the garden. You feel like running.

"This is the last place I ever expected to see you"

When you hear his voice, you wished you had.

You freeze. You don't turn to face him. Instead he comes and stands beside you. Close but not touching. Just enough that you can feel the heat of him. You move your hands behind your back, awkward and unsure of what to do with yourself. You never imagined you'd ever be this close to Jude again.

"Your boyfriend seems like a good guy" He says hoarsely but you know that possessiveness and that entitlement he still holds onto is behind every word.

"He buy you that necklace" He looks at you, but you keep facing forward. He chuckles at your stubbornness. "You used to hate diamonds"

That makes you snap.

"I hated them when they were bought as an apology for shitty behaviour. I hated them when they were a pity present" You finally look at him, and you see the smirk that lets you know you have given him what he wanted; a reaction. Anger was better than nothing. You wished he would just leave. Just walk away and let you breathe.

But that isn't Jude. He never gives up on you, not when he knows there is a chance you might actually have moved on.

“Is that what you think they were?” he asks, his voice almost too calm, too steady. “A pity present?”

You don't answer immediately. There's something in his posture, in the way he's watching you, that makes your chest tighten again. A betrayal of your body as it remembers who is standing in front of it. The man you once knew so well seems to be fading into someone else, someone more distant, harder to read. But that possessiveness? It’s still there. The thing that makes your skin crawl.

"I'm not that stupid anymore" You pause, "So don't treat me like I am"

His eyes flash with something. Whatever it was, it’s gone almost as quickly as it appeared. He shrugs, his gaze dropping to your neck for just a second, focusing on the necklace that is reflecting the golden light of the garden's lanterns.

That light is also reflecting from your glowing skin, Jude notices. He also notices the way the wind is catching in your hair and the fact that you look more etherial than you ever have before. And that you look like the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. And you're not his.

You feel the weight of his gaze, and it presses down on you so deeply. He doesn’t say anything, but you can almost hear the thoughts racing through his head. He’s always had a way of making you feel like you were the centre of his world, like everything you did mattered, like the very air you breathed was the most important thing to him. 

You face away from him again, looking out to the Seaview ahead.

"I love you" He says. "Always will"

You keep facing forward, although your heart drops when you hear those three words.

"And I know you love me too" Jude faces forward as well.

You stay silent. Swallowing hard as your eyes begin to gloss.

"And in a few years I'll be ready to be a good man for you, a husband and a father and whatever you need me to be"

He says it so matter of factly, like it's already written and fated. Like it's easy.

And that's when you feel it - a shift in your abdomen.

"I love him" You release and a weight lifts from your shoulders. A weight you hadn't known existed until this moment. "And I'm happy. Truly happy."

I can't give you my soul

'Cause we're never alone

"It will pass" Jude says, "You and I are meant for each other, in every universe, in every life. It will always be us in the end"

"No."

I don't want your body

You're firm with him now, because he needs to actually hear you know. He needs to know that this time there is no coming back. In the middle of this garden in the middle of the French Riviera, that this will end. For good.

"You're my past, and he's my future" You croak out trying to remain strong.

Jude looks at you.

I hate to think about you with somebody else

And in his mind he can't fathom the fact that that he is about to watch you leave in the arms of a man that isn't him. But as you turn, and walk back into the gala he doesn't reach out to stop you because he cannot imagine a world where you don't come back to him.

You don't look back as you walk inside the gala once more, leaving to boy from Dortmund stood alone.

You'd looked back for him too many times.

Now forward was all you could see.

They aren’t strict or anything, in fact they loved you. They loved you in the only way they knew how: through control.

But in their eyes, they werent being cruel, and were just preparing you for the life Eywa intended.

You were told not to rush through life. Taught not to seek a mate too soon, not to entertain the attention of boys just yet, and to devote yourself to the Tsahìk’s teachings.

Right now, it felt very far away as your body lay on the soft grass, breathing heavily after the intense orgasm Neteyam had just given you. His strong arms were wrapped around your waist from behind, spooning you as he pressed kisses behind your ear.

You squeezed his hand that rested on your waist in which he squeezed back. You turned onto your back and looked up at him. He leaned down and met your eyes before you pulled him into a deep kiss, arms wrapping around his neck.

You both sighed into the kiss. When you pulled away, he tried to lean in again but you placed a finger on his lips, stopping him. “...Neteyam,” you whispered, looking away while your arms stayed around his neck.

He hummed, before pulling you back into another kiss, and when he pulled away, he brushed the hair from your face gently. “I missed you, baby…”

You didn’t respond and just let him hold you even though you knew you shouldn’t. You had already ended things with him weeks ago. You told him it was over. Yet here you were again, letting him touch you like you still belonged to him.

You had heard the elders talking about pairing one of the huntresses in the clan with the Olo’eyktan’s first son for the upcoming mating ceremony in the next moons.

It hurt more than you wanted to admit.

That was why you gave Neteyam that stupid excuse, telling him you wanted a break because you had fallen out of love.

After all, it wasn’t as if your relationship was anywhere near actual mating; the two of you were strictly forbidden. Hell, you could get yourself killed if your parents ever found out that you hadn’t been a virgin for a long time, all because you had been secretly dating Neteyam.

At first, he didn’t believe you. He even laughed and said it wasn’t a good prank. But your face told him you were serious. The pain in his eyes that day still stayed with you.

After that, you started distancing yourself from him. You worked more with the elders knowing he couldn’t approach you easily when others were around.

But Neteyam kept coming back to you anyway. He would get himself injured on purpose just to have a reason to see you. Every visit was supposed to be quick and professional, but most nights ended with him fucking you senseless, your soul feeling like it was leaving your body.

Even though you kept telling him to stop being foolish, and warning him about the danger of getting caught, he never listened. He just refused to believe you really fallen out of love with him, not when his heart was still so ready to tear down the stars and give you everything you thought was impossible.

“You must stop this, sneaking me out into the forest like this… I told you that I—”

Neteyam cuts you off by pulling you into another sloppy kiss. He moved on top of you again, lifting your legs to wrap around his waist as he rubbed his cock against your pussy. You pulled away from the kiss and pushed his chest, sitting up.

“I said stop.”

Neteyam’s eyebrows knitted together in pain as he looked at you. You had to turn your face away because seeing him like that made your chest hurt too much. “I’m sorry… I don’t know what I did wrong. Why are you doing this, baby?” he whispered, reaching for your hands on your lap.

You swatted his hand away and grabbed your loincloth, fastening it around your waist. “I’ve told you already... I don’t feel the same anymore. It’s as simple as that.”

Neteyam sat up beside you, pulling on his own, his eyes never leaving your face. “I don’t believe you, not even a little,” he choked out, his voice cracking. “Please... tell me what’s happening. I’ll fix it, I’ll do anything you ask of me, just talk to me. You may tell me any lie, but don’t ask me to believe that your love has simply vanished…”

You fixed your hair and top with shaking hands then turned toward the village. But before you could walk away, he grabbed your wrist. When you looked at him angrily, he let go reluctantly, eyes dropping to the ground with trembling lips.

“Why won’t you tell me anything?” Neteyam asked, his voice thick with emotion as he stared at you. “We were whole before this... we never even fought, and I made sure to give you every piece of me that I could… whatever burden you’re carrying… let me bear it with you. Please.”

He stared at your back as you breathed, listening to every word he said. “What part of ‘I fell out of love’ do you not understand, Neteyam?” you replied. “We’re simply not meant to walk the same path. There’s a far better match for you out there—”

“I don’t want anyone else,” he cut in, raising his deep voice. “I only want you…”

You finally turned to face him, biting your lip hard. “Well, I don’t.” Your eyes met his golden ones, now glistening with unshed tears.

He looked like you had just stabbed him, his ears pinned back and his tail stopped moving completely. “Don’t say that… please,” he whispered, stepping closer to you. “You’re lying to me... I know you are. I can see it in your eyes.”

“Believe whatever you wish but you must stop coming to me. Stop sneaking into my hut. Stop… everything!”

Neteyam frowned. “I love you, y/n…”

You felt tears burning hot behind your eyes once again. You desperately wanted to tell him everything, about your endless worries, what you had overheard, and how you’d wanna be in his arms again. But the words remained heavily stuck in your throat, refusing to come out.

“I have to go. Do not follow me.”

You knew both of you had no real say in whatever the council decided for your futures. You told yourself you were doing both of you a favor, even if it was breaking you inside.

It wasn’t long before Neteyam found out about his own arranged mating. He sat through the meeting, nodding along to everything they said, but his mind was elsewhere. He was connecting the dots, realizing this was probably why you suddenly ended things with him.

After it ended, he left as fast as he could and went straight to look for you. He was lucky to find you alone. When you heard a footsteps, you already knew it was him, so you kept your back turned and continued wiping the jars.

“Is that it? You’re letting me go just because I’m to be arranged with another?”

You sighed, placing the jar down a little too hard against the wood before turning to face him, looking him straight in the eyes. “Yes.”

“Why?”

You scoffed, crossing your arms. “Why not? Do you really think we could go somewhere from this?”

Neteyam furrowed his brows and stepped even closer, braids swinging, his tall frame towering over you as his ears pinned back. “So you’re just going to throw me away? Throw us away? Just like that?”

“What else can I do?!” you shouted. “What can you do?! The Council of Elders has already spoken. You cannot defy them!”

“I can,” he stated, his golden eyes blazing. “And I will. If that’s the only hurdle between us, I’ll stand before them and end this arrangement myself.”

Your eyes widened i shock, you opened your mouth, but the breath caught in your throat, forcing yourself to speak. “…If you do that, you’ll never see my face or hear my voice again, Neteyam. I mean every word.”

You watched his eyes widen as he looked away, his throat bobbing as he swallowed hard, “What do you want me to do then? Just force myself into this? You know how much my heart belongs to you. Why won’t you let me fight for us?”

You turned your back to him completely, refusing to let him see the pain on your face. “There’s nothing left to fight for. This was bound to happen sooner or later anyway... I’ve been disobeying my parents for far too long already.”

Neteyam stepped closer and wrapped his arms around you from behind. He buried his face in your neck, whimpering as he breathed in your scent. “Please… do not do this. It hurts, baby. It really hurts.”

You swallowed hard, your eye twitching as you felt the warmth of his tears burning against your neck. You pried his hands from around your waist and turned back around to face him. “Go. You must meet the girl. And wipe those tears away.” You snapped your gaze aside, utterly unable to keep looking at his expression.

“I—”

You clenched your jaw and pushed him to the entrance. “Just go, Neteyam. Please. Stop making this any harder.”

It felt like your heart was disintegrating into a thousand pieces as you watched him walk away. His shoulders were slumped, his posture broken, looking like he had to drag the entire weight of the world just to take a single step away from you.

The two of you kept your distance from each other, against your will. He knew very well how much you still wanted him, just like you knew how badly he still craved you.

You later found out that the woman he was arranged to mate with was Reyna’lin. She was one of the best huntresses in the clan, beautiful, amd talented. You weren’t surprised she was chosen.

You often saw them together around the village, walking side by side, talking and getting to know each other. Sometimes they went deeper into the forest together.

However, his gaze always found you, even when you tried to hide. You looked for him too, only to make sure you could avoid him.

Right now, you were talking with the sky-traders who had just returned. And from the corner of your eye, you saw them together. She was holding onto his biceps, pulling him toward the offerings while smiling brightly. She looked perfect beside him, there was no doubt she was one of the most beautiful girls in the clan.

Visiting Mo’at more often for extra lessons helped distract you from thinking about him. You knew there was a possibility something was forming between Neteyam and Reyna’lin. You wouldn’t even blame her for he’s a good man. Majority of the girls in the clan would feel their knees weaken every time he walked by and smiled at them politely.

Your thoughts were interrupted when a female voice called from outside. “Is anybody here?”

You wiped your hands on a cloth and opened the curtain. Your eyes widened when your eyes landed at Reyna’lin and Neteyam standing there. “Good day,” she said, flipping her hair while squeezing his arm. “My boyfriend thought climbing a tree without looking was a good idea. Now he’s injured. Mo’at told us to go here, so I guess you’ll have to do it. Can you make it fast?”

You opened the curtain wider. “Ah— yes, come in.” For a second, time felt like it slowed down when your eyes met Neteyam’s. You quickly looked away. “Just lay him on the mattress then you can go.

Reyna’lin raised an eyebrow at you. “I’m not leaving my boyfriend here. Why can’t I stay while you treat him?” She crossed her arms.

You waved your hands. “We cannot show the herbs to anyone. It’s not safe for the wound if someone stays inside during treatment.”

She stepped closer, eyes narrowing. “Are you saying I carry dirt on me?”

“No! I’m only saying it’s safer this way. If he got injured from climbing trees, the wound might be serious.” You gulped.

Reyna’lin was about to argue again when Neteyam spoke up. “Reyna’lin, just go. It’s already hurting.”

She rolled her eyes, walked back to him, and kissed his cheek. “I’ll be back, okay?” She patted his shoulder before leaving.

You gulped again, ignoring the ache in your chest after seeing that. You nodded at her as she walked out. Then you approached Neteyam. “Where’s your wound?” He pointed at his chest, you examined it and saw it was a deep open wound, probably from tree bark.

You took your premade herbs and sat on the mattress beside him, keeping a respectful distance. Theb began wiping the wound with a clean cloth, making him hiss from the sudden contact.

Even after almost a week of silence, he couldn’t stop looking at you.

As you applied the herb, he bit his tongue to hold back a groan. You remembered the old days when you would scold him for getting injured so often. Back then your kelku was filled with banters and laughter when you were alone together, now it’s filled wit silence.

Neteyam took his time examining your face. He watched how your eyebrows moved when you focused on his wound, how your nose scrunched when you pressed the cloth against his skin, and how you bit your lip or gulped often.

He just couldn’t stop admiring you.

A strand of hair fell onto your face, so he reached out and tucked it behind your ear. You looked up at him and leaned in closer. His eyes widened, gaze dropping to your lips as he started leaning in too.

Just when he thought you were about to kiss him, you pulled away and grabbed the bowl behind him. His ears fell back in embarrassment. He mumbled, “...Sorry,” and bowed his head.

Your heart skipped a beat when he finally spoke after staying quiet since Reyna’lin left. You nodded your head, feeling heat rise up your neck from being so close to him.

Then, for some reason, you were glad you had finished treating his wound, wrapping the bandage tightly around his chest to cover the open cut.

You patted his forearms out of habit, like you always did when treating him. You ignored what you just did even though he noticed it too.

You stood up and went to your jars, then approached him again as he sat up. “Here. apply this every evening,” you instructed, placing the jar in his hands. “The paste will draw out heat from the wound and keep the flesh clean while new skin forms beneath it. If you neglect it, the cut will heal poorly and leave a thicker scar.”

He looked at the jar in your hand, then back up at your eyes. You gulped when your gazes met. “I will not.”

You flinched at his response. “Come again?”

“You heard me. I. will. not.”

“That’s not a suggestion, Neteyam. You must. The flesh won’t mend as it should otherwise.” You pressed your eyebrows together, not liking his stubbornness.

“Then let your own hands tend to it. Surely you wouldn’t leave your patient to dress his own wound. What if I were to do it poorly?”

You scoffed at his attempt and pressed your tongue against your teeth. “Then you’ll have only yourself to blame. Or have Reyna’lin tend to it. Surely she would not mind helping her boyfriend. I’ll be far too occupied once the others return from patrol anyway.”

Neteyam stepped closer, pushing the jar against your chest until your back hit the counter. “And I said no. Either you tend to it yourself or I shall let the wound remain open. If it scars, then so be it.”

You rolled your eyes. “Did you do this on purpose as well? Injure yourself again just to trouble me?”

A faint smile tugged at his lips. “Perchance I did. Is it working?”

“If you won’t take it, Neteyam, then stop wasting both my time and yours.”

He still refused to take the jar from your hand. “I would never call seeing you a waste of time, Y/n. I won’t let anyone tend to my wound. Not even my grandmother. If these hands are to heal me, I want them to be yours.”

You felt yourself getting pissed. “You cannot be this stubborn. Just apply the herb yourself. Why must you make this so difficult?”

He took another step toward you, leaving barely any space between your bodies. “Because I want you to… If you refuse, then I shall tell grandmother that my healer has neglected my wound.”

A humorless grin spread across your face. “Are you threatening me?”

“If that’s what it takes to see you…” His voice dropped to a whisper. “Then yes.”

You shook your head. “Stop this, Neteyam.”

His body pressed against yours, trapping you against the counter. He brought his mouth close to your ear, whispering. “I miss you so much, Y/n. Do you not miss me too?”

You bit your lip hard, trying not to moan when you felt his hard cock pressing against you through his loincloth. His hands moved down to your ass, squeezing gently while his fingers brushed your tail.

He sucked on your earlobe, knowing exactly how sensitive you were there. “Tell me you don’t miss my touch. Tell me you don’t miss me.”

Your thighs rubbed together, breathing getting heavier. “N-Neteyam…” you groaned, pulling on his hair to try and push him away. But your body arched toward him instead, wanting him closer.

He kept whispering against your ear, hands still on your ass. “Let me take care of you again, baby. Let me make you feel good like before, please…”

You were about to give in completely when you heard footsteps outside. Reyna’lin’s voice carried through the air as she bid farewell to her friends and headed toward your hut. You pushed Neteyam away, heart racing. “Move.”

Reyna’lin escorted him back to his family that night. She even gave you looks, implicitly telling you not to make any move on him.

You felt sick to your stomach, really.

-

You let out a hiss when the heavy grinding rock slipped, striking your finger instead of the medicinal leaves you were supposed to be crushing. Grimacing, you brought the finger to your lips, blowing over the throbbing skin, only to hear a sigh from a woman standing just behind you.

“Sorry, Tsahìk,” you murmured, ducking your head in apology.

Mo’at stepped forward, placing a hand upon your shoulder. “One whose thoughts wander far beyond the forest shouldn’t be tending to the wounds within it.”

You gave her a small, sheepish smile, leaning into her comforting touch. “It won’t happen again.”

She gently adjusted the lace at the collar of your top before speaking, “The clan gathers by the hearth in celebration while you stay here. Leave the returning warriors to the hands of the other healers for a time.”

“I insist. I want to help.”

“Your thoughts are elsewhere.“

You assured her it was nothing more than a simple lack of rest. Though she didn’t look convinced, she gave your shoulder a parting squeeze and urged you to find your sleeping mat the moment the opportunity arose.

But before you could slip away, your friends caught you by the arms, dragging you right into the village. The great communal campfire crackled, a group of young hunters had gathered right across from you, their laughter booming over the sparks.

“What about you, y/n?” your friend, Ayrein, asked from your right, her eyes gleaming as she pointed toward the young men laughing in front of you. “What do you think of those guys? Aren’t they handsome?” She nudged your side playfully.

Your eye twitched, “Uhhh…”

Ayrein let out an exaggerated groan. “There she is... Teyanä, I told you she’d dodge the question again.”

The two began arguing over their little bet, each insisting they had predicted your answer correctly and wagering tonight’s dinner as if you weren’t sitting right in front of them.

“I guess they’re.. okay,” you said, glancing toward the group of young men. Both of them looked at you, waiting for more, but you just shrugged your shoulders. “…That’s it.”

“That’s it?!”

“Don’t be boring, y/n,” Ayrein shook your shoulder and turned your head so you would look at the boys. “Just look at them! The finest warriors in the clan, and every one of them is unmated. They keep us safe, bring back our food, and you’re seriously telling me not a single one has caught your eye? Look again, they’re all fine!”

However, your gaze went to the side where you saw Neteyam talking to the children, smiling down at them as he gave them meat.

Your heart skipped at the sight. You had always known how naturally children gravitated toward him. Perhaps it was because he was the eldest, or the kindness simply came as easily to him as breathing. Watching him make them laugh warmed your heart in ways you wished it no longer could.

"...Really fine," you mumbled.

Ayrein covered her mouth to hide a giggle while Teyanä simply pouted, reaching over to steal a piece of roasted meat from her leaf-plate. “By the way, Tey,” Ayrein said between bites, “why aren’t ya with your hunter?”

Teyanä brushed a long braid over her shoulder, “He said we’re going out into the forest tonight. He has been planning something since sunrise and told me to just be ready.”

“Then why are you still here?”

Teyanä giggled, a deep blush rising on her blue skin. “I’m already prepared, sister. I believe we’re going to mate tonight. I told him I’m in my heat cycle, so I expect he’s going to do something about it.”

“Ma Eywa! Seriously?! Right in front of Y/n too?!” Ayrein glared at her, making a sound of mock disgust before wrapping an arm around you to pull you into a protective hug. “Ignore her. She’s a disgrace.”

Teyanä crossed her arms, a sly smirk playing on her lips. “Do not act so innocent, Ayrein. As if you didn’t just return from the brush of a male’s tongue between your thighs before you walked over here.”

“Hey! No vulgar words in front of Y/n!” Ayrein warned. You chuckled. “It’s alright, Ayrein.”

They looked at each other, before Teyanä finally broke the silence. “No offense, Y/n, but are you really not going to seek a mate anytime soon?”

Ayrein’s smirk faded into a frown, and she nudged your arm gently with her shoulder. “Yeah... Are your parents still... y’know?”

You offered them a small smile and looked on the dancing fire. “I suppose so. I just... I don’t see myself pursuing anyone right now. It’s not that my parents would forbid it, they would just rather I wait.”

“But do you want to? You’re already of age!”

You let out a sigh, your gaze drifting toward the group of young warriors sitting nearby, laughing as they stole food from one another’s plates. “I don’t mind the idea. I just don’t think any of the men you keep trying to pair me with are the ones I would choose.”

“Then go for my brother!” Ayrein said, making you and Teyanä exchange a glance before she continued with a wide grin, “He’s one of the clan’s cooks and I believe he prepared the very meat you’re eating right now, so if you choose him, he will surely keep your bowl full of it.”

You felt a drop of sweat at the suggestion, murmuring, “I don’t believe that’s a wise choice, Ayrein... I’m older than him.”

She tossed her hair over her shoulder with a huff. “Yeahvlike a year! He’s mature, skilled, and gentle, and the more I think on it, the more I see how well your spirits would match.”

Teyanä whistled, nudging your side. “This is the first time I’ve ever heard her offering her own blood to anyone. Ayrein, why the change of heart?”

Ayrein rolled her eyes, scoffing, “It’s just that the other young women here are too entitled, and my brother is one of a kind... he’s exactly the kind of man who could win you over, Y/n.” she winked.

The next day, Ayrein introduced you to her big brother, whose name is Eykxan. You were familiar with him as one of the cooks, but you weren’t really used to talking to boys since your parents didn’t recommend it. However, this guy immediately took an interest in you.

As Ayrein had said, he started giving you food. Every time he saw you, he offered you one of the meals before anyone else could get skme. He also let you taste his new dishes first, letting you try them before the others.

Eykxan was very gentle with you. He always made sure to give you what you wanted and looked for. He told you that before he courted you, he would first court your parents for their permission to take you as his mate.

You just kept nodding and giving him a warm smile, making him flush every time. He was actually serious about it. After two weeks, he already got your father’s approval for always bringing your family early dinners.

Your mother, however, didn’t share everyone else’s opinion of him. During meals, she would always send you looks whenever he sat too close, telling you not to encourage his attention.

Not that you ever did.

The very thought of someone trying to win your heart left a bitter taste in your mouth, for it had belonged to Neteyam long before Eykxan entered your life.

That only made the guilt worse as you hated thinking about him while another man was openly pursuing you, especially when Neteyam himself was meant to be spoken for.

Although Eykxan seemed determined to earn your affection. Every time he came to visit, he arrived with freshly picked flowers in hand, offering them with the same proud smile feeling that each and every gift brought him one step closer to your heart.

Yet every time you looked at them, you found yourself frowning instead. A good thing is that he remembered that you liked flowers, but never that you disliked seeing them plucked from where they bloomed.

Someone else knew how much you hated that.

You remembered the day Neteyam laughed when you told him you disliked picking real flowers because they withered too quickly and you hated stripping the forest of its living beauty. He had only smiled, calling you adorable that night.

Then the very next day, he returned with a bouquet of flowers woven from fabeics. Holding it out to you with that smile, he scratched the back of his neck and said, “You told me you didn’t like real flowers, baby. But you never said anything about woven ones.”

You forced a smile though, not wanting to hurt Eykxan’s feelings. “Thank you, Eykxan.”

“Of course, darling,” he said before grabbing your hand and kissing the back of it. You smiled awkwardly and pulled your hand back, placing the flowers on the grass.

“By the way, you should ease in with the... names. And the touching as well. My mother isn’t fond of either. I hope you understand.” You offered him a polite smile.

“I do understand,” Eykxan let out a chuckle. “But y/n, we’re alone. Surely you don’t think I would disrespect you.” His hand rested against your waist. “I’m only trying to make you feel comfortable, I would never do such a thing.”

Your eye twitched. “And I said no. I don’y like it when... you do that.”

He looked at you before withdrawing his hand. “Of course.” He smiled, “My bad. Thought we had grown close enough for something as harmless as that.”

A knot formed in your stomach. “Sorry.”

“Yknow, Y/n… we should—”

“Eykxan.”

Before he could finish his sentence, a voice called out from behind you. You both turned your heads to the source.

Your heart dropped when you saw Neteyam standing there. The boy beside you quickly sat up and bowed respectfully. “Sir!”

Neteyam looked at him with a serious expression. “The kitchens are short-handed and the evening meal begins soon. Tell me, what excuse am I supposed to give the Olo’eyktan for your absence?”

Eykxan looked nervous. “I’m sorry… I just—”

Neteyam cut him off. “Go.” He pointed toward the village, telling him to leave. Eykxan didn’t even glance at you before walking away fast.

When he left, you sighed then picked up the flowers and were about to leave too. Before you could take a step, Neteyam grabbed your wrist, you turned around, heart beating fast when your eyes met his.

“Are you okay?”

You pulled your wrist away and gave him a small smile. “Yes.”

Neteyam stepped closer. “He was making you uncomfortable.”

You shook your head. “No, he wasn’t, Neteyam. He just gave me flowers.”

His gaze fell on the flowers in your hand. He scoffed, braids swinging as he moved even closer. “Yeah? Are you trying to convince yourself?”

You frowned. “What are you implying?”

Neteyam tilted his head. “I’m implying how you dislike freshly picked flowers. That your tail lashes aggressively when you grow uneasy, and your left eye twitches every time you lie. Just as it is doing now.”

You looked away. “You don’t know me.”

Neteyam grinned. “I do. Far better than he ever will.”

You stepped back. “Just leave me alone, Neteyam. I refuse to see you—” Before you could finish, he gently pushed you against the tree and pulled you into a kiss. You stumbled into him, swallowing your words.

His hand held your jaw as he deepened the kiss. When his other hand moved to your waist, you gasped, giving him the chance to slide his tongue into your mouth. You felt his smirk against your lips when your hands moved to his biceps instead of pushing him away.

You pulled away first, keeping your head lowered as you stared at the floor with a deep frown, whispering, “We shouldn’t be doing this…”

Neteyam refused to step back, his warmth remaining flush against yours as he asked, “Why?”

You bit your lip, avoiding his gaze as you murmured, “Reyna’lin might see us, and I… I don’t wish to bring another woman such misery.” You tried to unwrap your arms from his shoulders, but his hands held yours in place, “Then don’t bring it upon me either.”

“What?”

You looked up at him with furrowed brows as he leaned in to press a kiss against your cheek, his breath trembling as he whispered, “Don’t make me miserable too… I cannot endure this life without you.”

“Oh, Neteyam…” You held his cheeks, he closed his eyes and leaned into your touch. He pulled you into another kiss hands moved from your waist down to your ass, squeezing and making you hiss.

You kissed him back just as hard, fingers tangling in his braids and pulling him tighter. The jealousy from knowing someone else could be having this made you kiss him even more possessively.

Neteyam groaned into your mouth, his hands gripping your waist before he pulled back to breathe, his chest heaving as he gasped, “I cannot stop thinking about you…”

You bit your lip, gulping hard as you stared up at him, “And what would your future mate think of this?”

Neteyam shook his head fast, ears pinning back as his golden eyes started to water, desperate to convince you as he choked out, “She’s not my future mate. I’ll never give her or anyone else that part of me... it’s all yours to keep.”

You looked away fromn his face, swallowing the lump in your throat as you whispered, “Don’t say that…”

“Please... Don’t push me away again.”

You felt your own eyes sting, heart dropping when you heard him sniffle. You didn’t like seeing Neteyam cry. Groaning in frustration, you pulled him back into a kiss. “You’re so irresponsible.”

Neteyam brought your face closer and kissed you, starting slow until you parted your lips. He responded by placing a hand on your leg and throwing it over his hip.

Your mouths were wet and slippery as he humped against you. You tightened your arms around his shoulders, pulling his hair for support as you could feel his hard cock bulging and rutting against your pussy desperately.

He whimpered into your mouth, hands sliding under you to squeeze your thighs. “May I taste you, baby?”

You hummed against his lips, too weak to resist. He dropped to his knees, looking up at you before biting his lip when his eyes fell on you rubbing your thighs together.

He looked up at you again with that pleading gaze, asking you to open your legs for him, so you did. His heart thumped louder than before. He was trying hard to keep himself together, not wanting to rush this moment with you.

He pushed your loincloth aside and examined your wet pussy, swiping his tongue across it before letting his fingers rub your clit in circles. You sighed, throwing your head back against the tree as your hand found its way to his braid.

He buried his face between your thighs and began devouring your pussy. “Fuck… missed you so much.”

Your hand tightened against his braids, moaning loudly. “Neteyam… oh fuckkk.”

His fingers pressed against your folds, rubbing your clit in slow circles again, then slid his tongue inside you. He looked up at you from between your thighs with teary eyes. “Tell me what you want.”

You whimpered. “Fuck… fuck me.”

He groaned and pushed two fingers inside you, curling them perfectly. “Shit… you want that?”

You nodded fast, thighs shaking. “Yes— hurry. I’m so close.”

Neteyam kept sucking and fingering you, making sure you felt every inch of his fingers and the way his lips wrapped around your pussy. “Fuck— Neteyam—”

Your eyes rolled back when you came on his tongue. Right then, he didn’t stop. He kept licking through your orgasm, making you whimper. “So hot and beautiful..”

You were shaking, pulling his hair, but still letting him lick you. “Noo, it’s….” He looked up at you with desperate eyes, lips shiny with your wetness. “Let me do it again. I missed making you feel good.”

You just sighed happily and gave in, legs trembling as he licked you thoroughly. You knew how much he loved eating you out and making you cum with his tongue, as every time you were together, he would always find a way to give you pleasure.

He was certain he could last a whole week without cumming if it meant he could eat you out from time to time.

When he noticed your legs shaking, he held your other leg and let it rest on his shoulder. Now you were fully riding his face, rolling your hips onto his tongue as he lapped at your juices.

“So wet… All this for me, right?”

You threw your head back against the tree, moaning shamelessly. “Mhmm yes…” He brought you to another orgasm, making him groan loudly against your pussy, addicted to your taste. And when you couldn’t take his tongue anymore, you removed your leg from his shoulder and pulled him up by his hair, kissing him hard and tasting yourself on his tongue.

Your pussy was still clenching and throbbing from the orgasm. You wrapped your arms around his neck as your tongue fought for dominance. He submitted to you, whimpering into your mouth as you pulled harder on his braid.

You pulled away, biting his lip while keeping your eyes on his half-lidded ones. Your lips moved down to lick his jaw, sucking on it gently. He whimpered, hands restless on your waist as you kissed your way to his ears.

When he felt your tail lashibg slowly against his legs, he reached for it and caressed it up and down. You sucked on his earlobe, making him sigh. Your hips swayed as your tail did, his own tail curling from your presence alone.

You pulled away and squeezed his cheeks. He smiled down at you. “I missed you, y/n…”

You whispered seductively against his lips. “Need you to fuck me.” You pulled his chin closer and kissed him before pushing his head to your neck so he could suck on your skin. You brought your hair to the side and turned your back to him, giving him more access while grinding your ass against him.

Neteyam groaned, licking your shoulder and grinding back against your ass, he held your waist. “Yeah? Need me to do what?” His hands guided your hips toward his aching cock.

You felt his hard length sliding against your ass. “Fuck me…” you begged before letting yourself fall onto the grass on all fours. He went down with you, squeezing your ass with both hands before smacking it hard, you hissed from the sting.

“Gonna let me fuck you raw in this forest while your new suitor prepares the clan’s feast?” he teased, making you whimper. He slid your loincloth aside and teased his tip against your hole. “He isn’t my suitor, Neteyam. We’re not together… I don’t even like—”

Your words were cut off when he licked your back, making your back arch from the sudden touch. You let your head fall onto the grass, hands fisting tightly in it. Your hips raised and rolled against his tip as his fingers rubbed your pussy.

You felt his lips pressing directly against the sensitive skin of your tail. Involuntary pleasure shot straight up your spine, causing your tail to twitch and brush eagerly against his face before you could even think to stop it. He let out a smug chuckle, “Glad to know you’re still hung up on me.”

Hot flush rushed to your cheeks as you scoffed furiously. “And are you not?” you fired back, glaring up at him from where you lay, your tail delivering a slap right against his bare chest.

“Oh, y/n… I know you know the answer to that.” He finally pushed his cock inside you slowly, watching how you took him. He threw his head back when he bottomed out, thrusting slowly to let you adjust.

Even though you had done this many times before, you still couldn’t get used to his size.

He was long and thick, fitting inside you perfectly. It felt like his cock and your pussy were made for each other. You clenched around his girth when the thought of belonging to each other crossed your mind.

Neteyam watched you thrust your hips back onto his shaft, taking your own pleasure when he wouldn’t move. He chuckled and leaned down to kiss your back. He grabbed a fistful of your hair and held your hips, thrusting deep into you.

You moaned louder when he pulled your hair, making your head tilt back. He kissed your cheek. “Oh Neteyam… so big…” Your legs trembled under you as his legs straddled yours.

“Nothing to feel sorry for. I know it’s big.”

You bit your lip at his arrogance, clenching around his cock as he groaned, biting his own lip to hold back another sound while keeping his hand gripped hard on your hip, and your hair.

“Fuck,” he whimpered, “missed being inside you like this.”

You moaned uncontrollably, pushing your ass back to meet his thrusts while whispering, “Neteyam… faster.”

He leaned over your back, pulling his hand away from your hair and reaching down to slide beneath your top accessories, lifting the piece to bare your breasts to the cool air while his palm massaged the soft weight of one breast, squeezing before rolling your nipple between his fingers.

You let out a gasp, your back arching into his touch as his other hand reached around to find your clit, his thumb rubbing it in tight, wet circles that had you weeping into the grass.

“Do you feel how wet you are?” he murmured, his thumb pinning your clit with pressure to make your thighs tremble before he increased the pace of his hips.

You nodded fast, whimpering a desperate yes against the dirt as he groaned again, thrusting faster while your nipples hardened under his rough fingers.

​“Want you to remember this feeling, okay? Remember exactly how you feel right now,” he said, hips driving relentlessly into you, holding you right on the edge of breaking.

You couldn’t stop the clenches around his cock, moaning his name endlessly as he buried himself deep inside you over and over. His breathing filled your ear, he then pulled his fingers from your nipple, pressing his broad palm flat against your lower back to guide your hips, his gaze locked downward as he watched himself sliding in and out of your soaking core.

“I feel so hot... everything hurts, please just fill me up…” you begged, the double stimulation of his cock filling you and his fingers working your clit making your vision blur.

You were utterly undone, his name spilling from your lips because your brain couldn’t process anything else. The universe narrowed down to this forest, the heavy weight of him, and his length rutting into you.

Neteyam groaned, his hand tightening on your hip as he slowed his thrusts to savour the tight pull of your walls, whispering, “Don’t say that, baby, or I’ll cum too fast… I don’t wanna finish yet.”

“Push deeper...”

“Kiss me…” he breathed, and you turned your head around, fisting your fingers into his braided hair to pull him down into a breathless kiss that he moaned into. “I don’t wanna stop…” he cried out against your lips, his grip on your hips tightening securely before your next words shattered his control.

“Fuck me like you missed me, Neteyam.”

Neteyam let out a loud, uncharacteristic cry, his hips snapping forward against you as he confessed, “I did miss you, so fucking much,” his thrusts turning wild and deep.

You were both breathing heavily, your bodies moving together as the risk of being heard in the forest made the friction feel bunch times more intense.

“Neteyam… I’m close again,” you moaned, and he rubbed your clit faster, demanding, “Come for me, let me feel you,” until you groaned, clenching hard around him as you came.

Neteyam bit his lip again, thrusting through your orgasm while his thumb kept heavily vibrating against your overstimulated clit, gasping, “Oh, shit… you’re squeezing me so tight, I’m g-going to cum too.”

You pushed back against him, whining, “Do it inside me,” until he collapsed against you with a trembling breath, his fingers digging into your hips as the last of his heat spilled inside you.

He leaned down to press his forehead against your back, his tail loosely uncurled on its own, letting you feel the frantic beating of his heart against your skin.

The bioluminescence on his whole body flared bright, glowing in sync with yours as you two shared the orgasm, the friction of his body leaving you done while your whimpers were swallowed by the humid night air.

When he finally moved to pull out, the slick liquid pooled down your thighs, making you shiver at the sudden loss of his cock inside you while you hissed in place, your tail curling when you felt his fingers push the cum back into your pussy.

You sighed as your top accessories fell back into place, covering your flushed chest. He then caught your jaw, tilting your head up to press a lingering kiss to your lips while murmuring sweet words to you, both of you staying like that for a moment before you finally collapsed into the grass, breathing hard.

He lay beside you, pressing gentle kisses to your cheeks until your breathing finally regained. The moment you sat up, he did the same, his worried eyes never leaving your face. He watched as you reached for your discarded loincloth, he took a hold of your forearm before you could stand. “Let me help you.”

You shook your head, avoiding his gaze as you gathered your things. “It’s alright,” you whispered. “I’ll take care of myself.”

“Y/n, please. Let me make this up to you. Let me fight for us…” His shoulders fell, before standing to adjust his loincloth around his hips, dragging a hand across his face, wiping away the tears he had failed to hide.

“Neteyam, clean yourself up.”

“Forgive me, baby...” he whispered, guilt can be heard in his voice, he’s regretting how everything had unfolded, pulling you into a sex session right after the guy who obviously had feelings for you just left, and especially after you had tried so hard to push him away.

You turned back to him, cupping his cheeks with both hands. Pressing a gentle kiss on his cheeks, you lingered for only a heartbeat before letting your hands fall away, the faint smile on your face disappearing.

“I’ll leave first. Follow after me... and don’t let yourself get caught, okay?”

-

After that, the two of you returned to pretending the other didn’t exist. It was easier that way anyway. At least, it kept suspicious eyes away from the truth the two of you had worked so hard to hide.

By the time you got home, your family had already begun the evening meal. It wasn’t long before Eykxan arrived at your family’s place as well, sending you an apology for leaving you alone in the forest.

Your mother scowled, questioning why the two of you had been alone in the first place, then turned to Eykxan and asked why he had left a lady on her own.

He mentioned having duties to attend to and couldn’t escort you back himself, though he insisted he had left you in the care of a trustworthy man. Your mother’s expression didn’t change, nearly growing angry at the thought of you being left alone with another male, until you intervened to calm her.

You assured her that everything had been perfectly fine, explaining that the Olo’eyktan’s eldest son had personally accompanied you safely back to the heart of the village.

As you inspected your pouches for any danages, the curtain was suddenly thrown back wherein an energetic voice pierced the atmosphere.

“You’re blooming, Y/n!”

You snapped your head toward the entrance, watching your friends stroll in with a trader’s bag slung over their shoulder.

“Did my brother finally make his move on you?” Ayrein teased, a wicked grin spreading across her face. “I mean, not that I would wanna hear the details of how he—”

“No, Ayrein,” you cut, shutting down the topic. The last thing your heart could handle right now was discussing men. You pointed a finger at the bundle in her hands. “What’s that?”

“We only hope we’re not disturbing you, but the sky-traders arrived at the outer camp earlier, and we managed to get some supplies for you.” Teyanä said, stepping forward and pointing to the bag.

“They arrived?!” you gasped.

“...Yes?” Ayrein blinked, exchanging a confused look with Teyanä. “Did you not hear the horns blowing across the canopy?”

“No!” Panic flared in your chest as you wiped your stained hands frantically on a cloth. “I didn’t hear anything. I needed to trade something to them before they packed up and headed back to the base.”

Teyanä sets the heavy woven bag down on your mat with a thud. “Well, you better hurry if it’s that urgent. They usually only stay by the lower platforms for a few hours to trade medicine and tools with the warriors.”

Your heart hammered against your ribs. You had been so completely lost in the memory of… him.

You cursed under your breath, quickening your pace toward the lower forest platforms where the late sky-traders usually set up camp.

Occasionally, you bowed your head to the passing elders who acknowledged your presence with nods, though your mind remained completely preoccupied.

Your eyes drifted down toward the Tlalim airships, where several people stood talking with the others and examining the newly brought offerings.

Taking another step forward, your heart suddenly dropped as your eyes widened at the sight unfolding just a short distance away.

Huh…

You spotted Neteyam’s broad back as he placed a beaded necklace around Reyna’lin’s neck, her hands resting on his biceps as she smiled up at him. The moment her gaze clashed with yours, her smirk widened maliciously as she stepped closer into his space, her body disappearing behind his large frame.

From your angle, all you could see was her head tilting and leaning deeply into his, making it look exactly like they were sharing something intimate that you wouldn’t even dare name.

Nausea surged through you, forcing you to avert your eyes instantly as you spun on your heel, abandoning the trading tents to head back toward your kelku.

You swallowed hard against the lump in your throat, your pulse throbbing painfully against your skin as you practically sprinted away from the scene.

You completely forgot about the items you had intended to trade, the vivid image of Reyna’lin’s triumphant grin before she leaned into Neteyam burned into your mind.

Hoeever, you tried to tell yourself you had no right to feel this shattered, especially since the council had already decreed their future together as leaders of the clan.

Yet, your heart still ached, ruined by the memory of his desperate confessions in the forest only days prior.

He had held you oh so tight, whispering about his undying love and how desperately he missed you, but now it all felt like a sickening lie.

You had never wanted to think of Neteyam this way, but the harsh reality staring you in the face proved he was likely just after your body.

The realization cut deeper than any physical wound, leaving you entirely hollowed out as you retreated into the shadows of the village.

“Oh my! Why are you crying, Y/n?!” Ayrein gasped, her eyes widening as she took in your flushed nose and trembling lips.

“I… I didn’t see them,” you lied, wiping away the hot tears you hadn’t even realized were falling until she pointed them out.

“It must’ve been that important for you to be crying over missing them,” Teyanä noted, crossing her arms before offering a reassuring shrug. “Don’t worry, they return by the next moon.”

Don’t worry…

It was the phrase you kept repeating to yourself like a hollow mantra, though it did nothing to stop the heavy grumpiness that took over you for the rest of the weeks. You intentionally pulled away from the village life, determined to avoid drawing any sort of interaction from anyone around you.

Your mornings were consumed by helping Mo’at prepare the winter poultices. You successfully avoided Neteyam, and whenever your paths did cross near the communal fires, you made sure your gaze never lingered on his face for more than a millisecond.

While avoiding most people had been easy, Eykxan had practically integrated himself into your daily life.

He constantly brought early meals to your family, laughed along with your father’s jokes, and brought fine fabrics for your beloved mother to gain her favor. He also saved the best cuts of roasted meat specifically for you, making sure your bowl was full before anyone else’s.

Eykxan had been there during the weeks when you were drained, noticing your sour mood and constantly bringing you flowers alongside neatly leaf-wrapped meals.

You wouldn’t really admit, but having an accompanist was exactly what you needed to silence the aching noise of heartbreak inside your chest.

You were currently sitting by the lower riverbanks, scrubbing the sticky residue of crushed herbs from your wooden medicine bowls. Then a shadow suddenly fell over you as the person slid down onto the mossy rock, its fingers brushing your jaw to tilt your face up.

Your entire body went rigid as you slapped his hand away with irritation, “Eykxan… you startled me.”

“You wouldn’t be so jumpy if you actually welcomed my presence, pretty,” he replied, shrugging with a grin that made your eye twitch before he let out a low chuckle.

He attempted to flirtatiously invite you to a secret meeting spot in the forest, claiming it is both of your spot away from the noise of the village. When you point out that you don’t actually share a spot tofether, he got a bit clumsy with his words before giving up and promising to just come and get you later.

You informed your friends that you wouldn’t be able to join them for dinner because Eykxan had asked you to meet him. They just giggled at your explanation, then began swarming you to help you get ready instead.

Soon enough, you were on your way into the forest with your hair unbraided, your friends had put in colorful decorations and hairpins to brighten your strands.

He had indeed come to you to fetch you, presenting you with yet another flower alongside a leaf-wrapped bundle of your favorite food. Throughout the entire walk, he made sure to guide your steps, keeping his hand resting against your waist.

You finally arrived at a secluded clearing near the lake that he claimed as your shared spot, even though you had never been here with him before. You simply ignored the comment as he spread a mat over the grass, taking a seat beside him as the two of you began to talk, slowly getting to know one another.

The conversation went from village gossip to your personal life, his questions gradually becoming more invasive as the twilight deepened around the lake.

“I mean, I’ve been courting you for almost two months now, Y/n, the least you could do is tell me about your past experiences. Surely a beauty like you had suitors.” he said, leaning back on his arms.

“I told you the answer already.”

“There’s just no way you don’t. Your parents are incredibly easy to please, especialy your father! Just tell me who else walked into your life and had him giving his blessing to court you in just a matter of weeks? I literally charmed him,” he grinned to himself, making you look at him offended.

“What did you say?”

“I said it’s easy to trick your father, it’s just your mother that’s stopping me from going full out on you. She’s so unnecessarily strict like? As if I’m going to impregnate you the second we’re alone. No offense, y/n, but how pathetic it is that she won’t let you be with the finest cook of the clan unless you sneak out,” he rolled his eyes.

“That’s because she cares about me, Eykxan. And you’re not courting me. I never gave you permission to,” you said, sitting up straight before he matched your stance, his expression hardening.

“What do you mean? I’ve been giving you a taste of what it feels like to be fed by the best in the clan. I have done nothing but show you the kind of life you’ll have as my mate. No other man can give you that, y/n.”

“You… never asked me to.”

“I don’t have to, that’s expected. The things I did for you, do you want me to count them?”

“Eykxan, please—”

He raised a hand, ticking his fingers one by one in your face. “One, I mend your father’s hunting gear, a difficult task for a weapon that was about to fail him by the way, yet I did everything to fix it. Two, I give your mother the rarest weaving fabrics, the ones you would never obtain easily unless the sky-traders came and you offered your own blood, you should know I have my connections. Three, I prepare the most exquisite meals specifically for your bowl, ensuring your whole family eats like royalty... Do you know how many women in this village wish they had someone like me providing for them every day? What even is courting for you?”

He leaned into your face, prompting you to scramble up from the mat, though he rose just as fast to loom over you. “Eykxan, I appreciate everything you do for us, you know that. I’ve always told you how grateful I am, but that’s not you courting me because I haven’t given you permission.”

“Your father did. He explicitly told me that he would be the happiest to have me as his son-in-law,” he said, stepping closer until you were forced to take a step back.

You moved uncomfortably at his suffocating closeness. “That’s… my father. My mother didn’t agree to anything, nor does she know about this. I didn’t even know your intentions were like this—”

He scoffed, “Are you serious? You’re telling me I made all those sacrifices of risking getting caught reserving the best meat and neglecting my own kitchen duties just for a woman who claims she did not know? You must be completely stupid to think a male of my status does all that for free!” He suddenly shoved your shoulder, the force making you stumble hard against the massive tree trunk behind you.

“Eykxan, t-that’s not—”

“You know what I learned while humbling myself to feed you and your family, Y/n? I learned that you’re nothing but a selfish, ungrateful woman who’s hungry for attention,” he stated, his gaze dropping to your lips as he stepped into your space, his hand caging you against the tree.

You swallowed hard, your left eye twitching as his eyebrows furrowed, your heart stuttering at the sudden toxicity rolling off him.

“Just so you know, I turned down two of the finest women who wished to court me this season. All because I chose to be loyal and waste my time on you. And yet you play the victim, refusing to let me get a single taste of what I’ve rightfully earned.”

You flinched violently when his hand clamped around your wrist like a vice. “E-Eykxan, I demand— it hurts—”

“Oh don’t be so dramatic, princess. It doesn’t hurt,” he dismissed sharply, tightening his grip as he leaned in until his breath hit your cheek. “Yoi’re the one hurting me. You won’t even let me touch you, acting like you’re too innocent for the best male in your circle. Do you have any idea how humiliating it is to cater to you while you give me nothing in return? You’re going to start showing me the respect I deserve, starting right now.”

“Let go... please,” you whispered, tears of frustration stinging your eyes as you tried to pull away, but he only pressed his weight heavier against your body.

“She said let go.”

His body went stiff, jaw tightening as he turned his head toward the darkness where Neteyam stepped into the moonlight, his yellow eyes pinned onto Eykxan’s hand around your bruised wrist. He removed his hand and knees from you, making you release the breath you were holding.

Eykxan chuckled, raising his hands and facing him, blocking you from the elder son. “Don’t worry, my girl and I were just doing—”

“Did you not hear what she said?”

“Huh?”

“She said let go.”

Eykxan shifted his weight, still shielding you away from the warrior. “Sir, I don’t think you understand, she and I agreed to meet here, her father already gave me his—”

Before he could finish the sentence, Neteyam moved with the lethal speed of a viper. He stepped into Eykxan’s personal space, his hand clamping around the front of Eykxan’s neck with enough force to cut off his breath instantly, slamming him back against the tree, making you gasp.

“I do not care what her father said,” Neteyam hissed, his face inches from Eykxan’s as his ears pinned flat against his head in pure aggression. “If someone tells you to stop, you stop. If I see your face near her again, I’ll personally ensure you never step foot in the communal kitchens again. Now, get out of my sight before I forget my position.”

You covered your mouth, watching the boy sprint back toward the village while clutching his throat. You let your knees collapse down the grass, letting out a breath, the release of tension making you give out.

Neteyam was by your side by then, dropping to his knees and grasping your shoulders. “Are you alright? Did he hurt you?”

Wiping the cold sweat from your forehead, you forced yourself up and shoved his arms away. You turned to walk back to the village, but he stepped into your path, blocking your escape. Your gaze snapped up to his, your pulse still racing. “Move.”

He shook his head, looking down at your troubled face with deep concern. You inhaled and tried to step around him, but he matched your movement, making you glare at him in pure frustration.

“Didnt you hear what I said—”

“I’m not moving until you speak to me.”

“There’s nothing for us to speak about,” you stated, twisting your arm to break his touch.

“There is. The fact that you have cast me aside for months… what’s the meaning of that?”

You let out a harsh scoff, your hair swinging over your shoulder. “Maybe the fact that you’re to be spoken for, and I refuse to stand between a future Olo’eyktan and his chosen woman?”

“What are you saying?” He raised an eyebrow, and his clueless expression only fueled your anger. “Stop tormenting me,” you snapped, attempting to push past him only to collide directly with his broad chest. “I said stop—”

“You always do this, you close yourself off and tell me nothing. How am I supposed to fix us if you won’t even let me—”

“There’s no us, Neteyam! Understand that. There’s no us now, nor will there be in the future. Everything we had, I left in the past along with your empty promises, so I suggest you—”

He seized your arm again, desperation bleeding into his features. “Why must you make things so difficult for us?”

Your eyes widened at his words, a bitter laugh escaping your lips as you stepped into his space, your voice dropping to a harsh whisper. “You mean, why must you always be the perfect son?”

His jaw slackened, his pupils contracting as the words hit him. He blinked, his mouth opening and closing before he could barely utter, “...What?”

“I believed you, Neteyam. When you swore you would fight for us, I trusted you. I never forced your hand because I believed you would protect our dream.”

Tears finally spilled over your eyelashes, your bioluminescent dots flaring in the dim forest light. He stood frozen, swallowing hard as he let you pour out your agony.

“y/n…”

“...I doubt you know how deeply ashamed I feel whenever our people praise your devotion as her suitor.” The suppressed rage of the past months finally broke free, spilling out of you unchecked.

His eyes widened in horror as the weight of your words crashed down on him, but before he could speak, you pressed on.

“When you told me you dreamed of mating with me under the Tree of Souls and raising a family... you have no idea the joy that brought me.”

He stood completely paralyzed, his heart shattering into pieces as he watched the tears stream down your face. He wanted nothing more than to reach out, to wipe away your sorrow and hold you against his chest, but your next words anchored him to the spot.

“The day you pulled me away from that starving creature and looked me in the eyes, my soul knew yours before my mind ever could. I saw my future there. I saw my husband... the father of my children. I knew that vision by heart, that’s why I risked a lot.

Every dream I ever dared to have had you in it. Every prayer I whispered to Eywa carried your name. I loved you long before I ever found the courage to say it aloud, and even before I knew your name.

But you’re just sooo perfect, aren’t you? So perfect that I kept wondering what someone like you ever saw in someone like me. I suppose that’s why I could never understand how we fit together. I should’ve known there was always going to be something wrong.

You’re the man every child looks up to. The one who never disappoints his father. You carry the weight of your clan so proudly, yet the moment it’s us standing before you, you set me down first.”

You didn’t fail to notice the way he swallowed hard, his eyes trembling as tears gathered along his lash line. His lips had flattened into a tight line, fighting to keep his composure, yet you couldn’t waste this moment without telling him what had been haunting your mind.

“You’re the finest warrior Omatikaya has ever known. But when it comes to us... You’re nothing more than a coward, Neteyam.”

Finally, you sniffled, turning your head away as your trembling lips pressed together. You wiped your tears, refusing to look at him. You couldn’t bear the thought of seeing the tears you knew were already slipping down his cheeks because of the words you had just spoken.

You never imagined you would say them to him. Not before, and certainly not now. If there was ever a future where those words left your lips again, you hoped it would never come.

Letting out a heavy sigh, you turned to leave, but his hand clamped around yours, pulling more tears from your eyes. “Let go, please..."

“You won’t give me a chance to talk?”

“No. I have a trial with the Tsahik at dawn and I must rest. If you have words to say, swallow them for I’m no longer listening.”

“Please... you know our ways better than anyone. I cannot— I must not—”

You whirled around, wrenching your wrist from his grasp. “When you spoke to Eykxan and told him that when someone says to stop, you stop. So now, I’m telling you this: Stop approaching me. Stop looking for a past that’s dead. From this sun down, Neteyam… we are nothing but strangers.”

Sleep didn’t come easily after that.

You spent the entire night muffling your sobs against your sleeping mat, your chest tightening as you struggled to catch your breath, tears streaming endlessly until you were exhausted from weeping.

The next morning, Mo’at noticed the way your eyes were swollen and heavy, but she made no remark on that state.

On the other hand, Neteyam was no better. She didn’t fail to see the lack of motivation in her grandson. But he still moved with that lifeless gait during his regular perimeter patrols, flying his ikran on scouting missions and checking the borders for any signs of the sky people, doing it all with no rests, tiring his banshee.

It was obvious to the Tsahik that he was desperately seeking extra duties and more duties to keep his hands occupied.

Whenever he returned from the dangerous hunts, he would hand the heavy tools and gathered goods over to the village cooks, giving a polite bow to the elders before retreating right back to his tasks.

Lo’ak had to constantly shake his older brother awake, as Neteyam no longer resembled the Olo’eyktan’s proud first son. He stopped smiling, barely touching his meals, and his mind wandered so badly during patrols that the other people with him literally had to yank him out of the path of a charging viperwolf.

His skin looked dull, the bioluminescent dots on his body barely glowing in the dark, and his tail trailed limply along the ground, while his ears drooped to express his misery.

Neteyam had been sinking into a place so dark that even hope struggled to reach him, your words from that night in the forest echoing louder than anything else, along with all the ones he never had the chance to say.

Your teary stained face haunted his thoughts, tormenting him from the moment he woke up until he tried to sleep. Your voice replayed in his mind, each word striking him just as painfully as it had the night you said them.

Reyna’lin practically had to force him out of his state, dragging him across the village grounds while leaning closely into his arm as she rattled on about their plans for the day. She tried her absolutw best to cheer him up, bringing him along to gather resources and whispering sweet things, but every single attempt failed.

He just allowed her to drag him along through the high forest canopy, following her across the massive branches to hunt and test his skills once again, yet no amount of physical distraction could fill the void inside him.

He went through each day like a puppet, for no duty nor pastime could soothe his aching heart the way your presence once did.

“You’ve been lazing around…”

Reyna’lin said, rubbing her hands on Neteyam’s lap. He just looked down from the tree, the two of them sitting 50 ft above the ground on one of the thick branches.

Reyna’lin held his cheeks, caressing them. “Would you ever tell me what’s going on inside that pretty head of yours?” Neteyam nodded, not really listening to her words, his mind was somewhere else.

She leaned up and pressed a soft kiss on his cheek, trying to get some reaction from her future mate. He didn’t pull away, nor did he lean into it. His body stayed numb as his eyes stared blankly past her shoulder.

Reyna’lin straddled his legs, taking his hands and placing them on her waist. She held his jaw and turned his head so she could kiss his neck. Neteyam’s hands just rested there, not moving at all.

His heart felt like it was breaking again. His ears stayed pinned back, tail not moving. His eyes were half-lidded, wanting nothing more than to fall asleep. He could barely hear her whispering seductively in his ear, her breath hot against his skin.

She guided his left hand up to the side of her breast, humping slowly against his leg, looking for any friction as she kissed his neck again. Neteyam stayed completely still, not responding to any of her touches.

Reyna’lin kept going, pressing her body closer and whispering more desperate things into his ear as she tried to force a spark from him. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, her hands tangling into his braids, sighing and begging his body to acknowledge her.

He just let his head fall back against the tree, staring up through the canopy at the distant stars with unblinking eyes. His hands remained limp where she had placed them, refusing to grip her, refusing to push her away, detached from the skin-to-skin contact.

Her movements grew more desperate until the whole lack of warmth from him became too loud to ignore. Slowing down, she pulled back from his neck and cupped his jaw, leaning in to finally connect her lips to his.

He could feel her warm breath brushing across his skin, causing his eye to twitch, but just before their lips could meet, she stopped herself. Pulling back to examine his face, she saw what he was trying so hard to hide.

She let out a low groan of frustration, shifting so she was simply sitting between his legs rather than straddling him, her hands dropping heavily into her own lap. She watched as a tear spilled over his eyelashes and rolled down his cheek, He looked away into the dark canopy as he sniffled to himself.

“Just spit it out, Neteyam.”

-

Weeks later, you managed to stay far away from both males after that night, as the ordeal had took the soul right out of you. The news of the incident traveled its way to the Olo’eyktan’s ears, and he immediately sent Eykxan out on a grueling, solitary hunt so he could reflect on the gravity of what he had done.

Your friends also found out what happened, and a devastated Ayrein went down to her knees to bow before you and your parents, sobbing as she begged for your forgiveness. She felt responsible for the mess, since she was the one who had insisted on pairing you up with her brother.

Relief washed over you when Jake decided to keep the issue confidential between your two families, making sure rhat no gossip would ruin anyone’s standing. You didn’t want to bring shame upon his family, especially since your best friend was only trying to help you experience life beyond your family’s expectaions.

“I told you it’s alright, please don’t drown in your guilt,” you murmured, chuckling as you tried to pull away from her tight embrace.

She shook her head, her hands still trembling against your shoulders as fresh tears welled up in her eyes. “No, y/n, I have all of you to thank for being so merciful… for not demanding my brother be locked away in the dungeons or shamed before the clan! You’re far too considerate, and you truly deserve nothing less than a proud warrior who gives you everything!”

Teyanä suddenly stepped forward and pinched Ayrein’s skin to silence her, her own tail flicking with sharp annoyance. “Hey, stop speaking of mates right now! That’s the exact reason why y/n was almost harassed! I now understand why auntie was so against this pairing from the very beginning!”

Ayrein pulled back, resting her hands on your shoulders as her eyes searched yours. “I’m just really glad that Neteyam was there to come to your rescue. I cant even imagine what could’ve happened otherwise…” she murmured with a deep frown.

You swallowed hard against a dry throat at the very mention of his name, a wave of heavy realization washing over you. You were grateful too, but you realized that you hadn’t even gotten to properly thank him that night, giving him nothing but a cold shoulder and harsh words when he was desperately just trying to communicate with you.

A sense of shame settled in your chest, knowing he always seemed to appear right when you needed saving, yet whenever he asked for just a moment of your time, you couldnt give it.

“Me too, y/n. we’re both so sorry for forcing you into this whole mess,” Teyanä sighed, stepping closer to pat the top of your head.

You shook your head, wanting to ease their guilt. “Id admit, a part of me had been curious to see what would happen if he kept this up. But there was another part that just knew something was off about him. Sorry, sister, for my soul didn’t see him.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, y/n,” Ayrein interrupted, squeezing your shoulders. “It’s all my fault for not taking the time to ask how you two were doing, I just assumed the best and thought my… brother was conducting a proper courting. I must apologize as well for making so many inappropriate jokes, I definitely made you uncomfortable.”

Your friends made sure you forgot all your negative thoughts, dragging you along with them down to the river for a swim. The water was cold, feeling incredible as the three of you sat with your backs to the rushing falls, letting the heavy pressure of the cascading water give you a free massage.

They even left their boyfriends behind for the time being, abandoning their usual day in a life just so they could protect your peace and hang out with you for the next few weeks.

Mo’at also made sure to avoid overworking you, going noticeably easy on you during your recent training sessions to give your spirit time to heal. She purposely assigned you lighter tasks, allowing you to focus on guiding the younger apprentices while she took full charge of leading the daily rituals for the clan.

You bid farewell to the young girls, sending them out after they hugged, and thanked you for the lessons today. Your heart felt full of warmth from their pure cuteness, bringing a genuine smile to your face.

You then began cleaning the Tsahik’s hut, clearing the tables and mats the children had used for the class before picking up the leftover materials to store them away safely.

Humming while washing the wooden cups and bowls was your usual hobby, but the melody died down when a rush of heavy, panicked footsteps echoed right outside the entrance.

“C’mon!”

“Over there!”

You dropped your cleaning cloth and yanked open the curtain, stepping back to let the frantic warriors carry someone inside. There were too many of them crowding around, blocking your view of the injured hunter as they rushed toward the medical mats.

“What’s going on?” you demanded, approaching the group as they laid the body down onto the soft mattress. The warrior closest to you turned, out of breath as he explained, “We need Tsahik… he fell from a very dangerous height.”

“Who is—”

Your voice caught as your eyes finally tracked down to the unconscious male covered in cuts and bruises, your lungs seizing up when you realized it was none other than Neteyam.

You shoved the males out of your way, kneeling beside him to look at his wounds while demanding a report. “What happened?!”

“W-We were assigned to the afternoon patrol at the high cliffs, but we didn’t realize he had drank some of the heavy ceremonial wine from today’s ritual,” the lead warrior admitted guiltily, his tail twitching.

“We only caught the scent of it once we were high up, and before we could ask, he fainted, lost his balance, startled his ikran, and plummeted straight down.”

You let out a gasp, your heart hammering against your ribs as you scrambled up to gather your emergency herbs. One of them added, “It was fortunate that he landed directly on the huge leaves… it absorbed the momentum and saved his life…”

“Fortunate?!” A hiss ripped from your throat, your ears pinning flat against your head as you glared at the reckless patrol team. “Get out of here! Go find Tsahik!” you snarled, enraged that they hadn’t even bothered to check on their fellow warrior before taking to the sky, knowing damn well he could’ve died if those giant canopy leaves hadn’t caught his fall.

When all of the warriors finally left, you pressed your palm against Neteyam’s forehead and then his neck, checking for his temperature. You turned his palm upward, placing your fingers on the thumb side of his wrist to gauge his pulse, counting the rhythm of his heartbeat.

You let out a sigh when you realized his vitals were stable, turning away to sit on the floor and begin grinding the healing herbs together. Your hands suddenly froze when a painful groan cut through the room, causing you to look back over your shoulder.

He began to sob, bringing a trembling hand up to clutch his head before shifting his entire forearm to cover his eyes. You felt the ache in your chest at the rare sight of him breaking down, his broad shoulders shaking with every ragged breath.

“Y/n…”

Your heart dropped at the vulnerable sound of him calling out your name beneath his arm. Quickly finishing the herbal paste, you crawled back over and sat beside him, gently reaching down to rub his tear-stained cheek. “Shhh…”

He didn’t take his arm off his face, sobbing even louder than before as he gasped for air. “I… I need to see y/n… Please bring me to her…” Your eyes widened, his body tensing up when you tried to pull his arm away. “Hey,” you whispered.

“Don’t— Don’t touch me, please… I don’t want anyone touching me but her,” he choked out, entirely blind to his surroundings.

“Neteyam, I’m here…” you said, finally prying his arm away from his face. He squinted hard against the light, his swollen yellow eyes blinking rapidly until they locked onto your worried face and the deep frown on your lips.

A smile broke through his tears before he abruptly bolted upright, startling you. “Y-you have to lay down before you hurt yourself—”

Neteyam threw himself onto your lap, crashing onto his knees right in front of you as he wrapped his arms tightly around your waist, burying his face against your skin to inhale your scent. He kept weeping against you, throwing you shock as you watched him ignore his fresh wounds just to jail you in his embrace.

“Y/n, forgive me please!” he cried out, squeezing you tighter against his chest. Your throat tightened, and you swallowed hard. “Stop it… you have to lay down!” You desperately tried to peel his arms off your waist, scrambling to your feet the second you broke his grip, but he immediately shifted and wrapped his arms around your thighs instead.

“Please… talk to me…” he begged, his ears pinning completely flat against his head in sheer desperation as he locked his hold around your legs. Your tail lashed violently from side to side in frustration. “Hey! Stand up right now—”

He didn’t listen, dragging his heavily bruised body forward across the mat, nearly causing you to stumble before you caught your weight. He looked pathetic, completely broken down by grief as he clutched the fabric of your loincloth, burying his wet face directly into your lap while his broad shoulders shook.

“I can’t do it… I can’t live without you— I’m so sorry... I’m a coward, you were right... I’m such a coward man.”

“You need to calm down! Your wounds are terrible, you’re not sober, and Mo’at might walk in at any moment!” you pleaded, placing your hands over his trembling shoulders to push him back. Instead, he pulled your hands down, gripping your wrists with a strength to press your palms flat against his wet cheeks before forcing himself to look up at you.

He was begging so hard he could barely catch his breath. “Let her see. I don’t care anymore. Y/n... I cannot do this, I cannot sleep… every time I close my eyes, I just hear you yelling at me and I see the look on your face.”

Your heart twisted in your chest, the anger you had carried for days now smothered by a wave of pure sorrow.

Your warrior was a mess.

You forced yourself to look away from his gaze, your eyes darting anxiously toward the entrance of the pod as you waited for the Tsahik to return.

“Please… look at me...” he whispered, “I’ll crawl through the mud for you, y/n. Just please don’t look at me like I’m nothing to you…”

“What’s going on here?”

Your eyes went to the entrance as Mo’at pulled back the curtain, her gaze taking in the sight of you gripping Neteyam’s cheeks while he’s on his knees before you. He didn’t even look back at his grandmother, ignoring her presence as he waited for you to meet his eyes again.

“He—uhm…” You swallowed hard, the words dying in your throat as you struggled to find an explanation before she stepped closer, then took her grandson’s arms away from your thighs and forced his weak body down onto the medical mattress.

“Hand me the herbs.”

Your feet stuttered over the woven mats as you retrieved the wooden bowl you had been mixing earlier, avoiding Neteyam’s longing eyes. “Sorry…” you mumbled, hands trembling, giving the remedy.

“You will tell me what’s happening here, y/n,” Mo’at spoke, her eyes locking onto you as she began to assess his injuries. “Why was my grandson on his knees?”

You inhaled, looking down at your lap as you prepared to speak, but Neteyam cut in before you could even form a syllable. “I’m in love with her.”

Your eyes widened, snapping up to look at him as he stared right back at you. His skin twitched in pain as Mo’at applied the stinging herbal paste to his wounds, but he didn’t care, making your heart beat fast in your chest as he continued.

“I have longed for y/n for so long, and I cannot… I will not walk the path with anyone else, grandmother,” Neteyam whimpered, he refused to break eye contact with you.

“Y/n?”

Finding it incredibly difficult to speak under the weight of her presence, you cleared your dry throat. “We… we were walking together in secret before, but I took matters into my own hands and severed our relationship so that… he could fulfill his duty to the clan,” you whispered, a hot blush of embarrassment creeping up your cheeks as you confessed your forbidden love to the highest authority.

“Y/n, I—”

Neteyam opened his mouth to protest, but he was suddenly pinched by Mo’at, forcing him to shut up as she looked up at you. “And how does all of that make you feel?”

“What… what do you mean, Tsahik?”

“Do you want him to fulfill his duty to the clan?” she asked directly, the blunt question making your chest tighten as you looked down at the woven mats, entirely unwilling to give a straight answer while Neteyam sat right there, desperately waiting for your words.

“It wouldn’t be inaccurate to say that I... wouldn’t wish for him to do such a thing... though I cannot exactly deny that I wouldn’t be opposed to the possibility of wanting him to. But should that ever happen, I’d wish that it be of his own choosing, rather than the consequence of any wish I may... or may not... have held.”

Neteyam tilted his head, his ears twitching in confusion as he tried to understand your words. His bruised brow knitted together as he looked from you to his grandmother, wonderjng whether the wine had finally gone to his head because not a single sentence you uttered seemed to make sense anymore.

Mo’at let out a hum, her eyes softening as she soon realized and saw right through your protective walls while her grandson remained baffled.

“What do you mean—” Neteyam began, before he was cut off by a hard smack from Mo’at.

“You brought this upon yourself, child, you knew very well that you had a patrol this afternoon, yet you allowed yourself to get drunk,” she scolded, “What kind of warrior are you behaving like, and what would your father say if he saw you right now? You had best be glad I ordered your patrol members to keep this foolishness away from Jake or you would be facing much worse than my medicine.”

He winced, scratching the back of his neck as he muttered an apology and looked down at his lap, thoroughly ashamed to be getting lectured like a child right in front of you.

Both of your hearts were still thumping wildly against your chest. Is this it? Out of all the people in the clan who could’ve discovered the secret between the two of you, it had to be the Tsahik herself.

Later that night, Mo’at instructed you to stay and watch over Neteyam, who had fallen into a deep, heavy sleep mostly due to the effects of the wine, informing you that she had urgent business elsewhere in the camp.

Before she could step out, you asked her to keep your secret safe, and she gave you a nod, saying that your truth was not hers to tell before patting your shoulder.

Left alone with your racing thoughts, you sat just outside the entrance, peeling the fibrous veins from a basket of medicinal leaves to keep your hands from shaking.

“Hey.”

You snapped your head up from your work, not having heard a single footstep approach, only to find Reyna’lin standing before you with a wave and a smile. “Is Neteyam inside?” she asked, her fingers pointing toward the curtained entrance.

You straightened your posture, a tight knot forming in your body as you gave her a nod. “Yes, he’s asleep though, but you may go inside.”

She nodded and went inside, leaving you alone with your thoughts again, as a pit formed in your stomach.

Of course she would visit her future mate.

Check on him.

Make sure he was alright.

You shook your head, swallowing the bitterness that threatened to surface. Out of everything, you refused to resent her for worrying about the man who was, by all accounts, meant to become her husband, even if a part of you still wondered whether Neteyam’s heart belonged to you too.

You let the frown stay on your face though as you resumed peeling the leaves and putting them in the bowl for tomorrow’s children’s lesson.

“Y/n?”

You looked up and saw her leaning against the wood before she approached and sat down beside you, purposely bumping your shoulder.

“Yes?”

“I suppose we haven’t had a proper meeting. I was such a bitch for some reason, so… sorry for that,” she said, pointing to herself with a grin.

You nodded. “It’s alright. I didn’t really... mind.”

“Well, that’s good to know, because next week me and Neteyam are to be mated under the Tree of Souls, before Eywa…” her voice trailed off as she looked at you. She saw the way you swallowed hard.

Then she burst into laughter.

You looked at her, confused. “What?” Reyna’lin wiped her eyes, still smiling. “I’m kidding! We’re absolutely not gonna be mated!”

Your eyes widened. “...What?”

“Oh please, cut it out, girl. I know you have a thing for him. Not even a thing, let’s be real. Who knows, you could be carrying his child already for how many times he has sneaked you out and fucked you!”

Rhe free way she spoke had a hot blush burning purple across your cheeks, your mind racing as you wondered how she could possibly know any of that. Did he actually tell her that?

“There’s no life growing inside me! We didn’t even mate.”

“Yet!”

Seeing your stunned silence, she finally let out a sigh, clearing her throat as she leaned her head dangerously close to yours. You instinctively flinched away, but she only gave a knowing smirk.

“He told me. Everything.”

-

“Just spit it out, Neteyam.”

He didn’t look at her, keeping his head turned away. He inhaled a deep breath, letting another tear slip down his cheek before he finally spoke. “I’m already in love with someone else.”

He expected her to gasp or slap him across the face evem but she only stared at him. “It’s the healer girl, isn’t it?” she asked, making Neteyam snap his gaze toward her.

“She isn’t just some healer; her name is y/n, and she saved my life. She’s the love of my life, so I cannot do this, and I absolutely won’t.”

He braced himself for her to scream and run straight to his parents to ruin his reputation, but insteaf, he watched her stand up, then flinching when she suddenly clapped her hands together and let out a cheer.

A massive, satisfied smirk spread across her face as she let out a happy groan, throwing her hands in the air “Greatmother, thank you!” she exclaimed, bouncing excitedly on her feet.

Neteyam blinked, “...huh?”

She rolled her eyes at him, her smirk only growing wider. “Do you have any idea how exhausting it has been acting like some lovesick maiden? Man, I’ve been waiting for weeks for you to finally grow a spine and refuse this arrangement.”

Hs was stunned. “...you’re not mad at me?”

Reyna’lin scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest as she asked why she would be mad. “Unlike you, I’m not some girl born with privilege, meaning I cannot just walk up to the council of elders and tell them ‘hell nah’ without bringing shame upon my family. I needed your ass to do it for me, ‘coz you have the bloodline.”

“Sorry…”

She raised an eyebrow at him, “Why are you apologizing for loving this girl?”

“I’m not apologizing for loving her, I’m apologizing for wasting your time.”

“Oh then, apology accepted!” she grinned, though her expression changed when she noticed he was still frowning deeply. “What are your plans then? Isn‘t that chick expected to be with someone else now? She could’ve already fallen for the cook before your jealous ass interrupted their so-called date.”

“That wasn’t a date, he was harassing her,” he said, “And I… I don’t want that. I don’t want her to fall for someone else… I want her to keep thinking about me, even after I return to Eywa… I don’t want her to fulfill our dream with someone else…” he cried out pitifully.

-

“—And I stared at him with wholeee disgust, I didn’t know the mighty warrior could get any more pathethic than that!”

You stared at her in pure shock, your mind spinning as you tried to process the wildly unexpected story she was telling.

“Oh by the way, sooo sorry too for almost initiating sex with him,” Reyna’lin said, giggled. “I was getting so bummed out that he wasn’t doing anything with that position of his! I had to rile him up… and you too, heh.” She winked at you. “Remember the day when the sky-traders were here? I made it look like I was leaning in to kiss him, when in reality I blew on his eyes because he was glaring like he was angry at me. We cannot let the elders see that, right?”

She laughed. “and before you panic, I threatened him to put the necklace on me.”

You stared at her, jaw slack as your mind scrambled to piece together the whirlwind of information. Reyna’lin leaned back, looking satisfied with herself. She was really talkative... you found yourself struggling to keep up with the pace of her words, your mind chasing after the details as she spoke far too fast for a mind already burdened with heartache to fully comprehend.

“I’m gonna be honest with you… I can’t imagine the depression I put you through! I mean, your man was in deep, girl. He must love that pussy of yours so much to not even give this huntress a chance to prove herself! I’m kidding by the way if you couldn’t tell.”

Earlier that day, you had fallen asleep on the woven floor mats that night, collapsing from exhaustion after changing his bindings and watching the rise and fall of his chest.

As the early morning light began to filter, you woke to the sensation of a large hand stroking your hair. You opened your eyes, and looked up to find Neteyam staring down at you with a stupid smile plastered across his face.

You sat up, rubbing the sleep from your eyes as your ears twitched in relief. “You’re awake…” you whispered.

“I am,” he rasped, his voice hoarse from sleep.

You nodded before standing up to tend to your morning routine. After washing your face with fresh water, you popped a crisp mint-leaf into your mouth, chewing on it to freshen your breath before gathering the freshly crushed herbs from yesterday. Settling yourself back down on the mat beside him, you caught sight of his wide grin. “Why are you… smiling like that?”

“Because I missed you. So much.”

The confession made your lips pout, a hot flush rising to your cheeks as you forced yourself to focus on the task at hand. You peeled away his old dressings to reapply the cool herb paste onto his wound.

Even though he knew his injuries were tko sensitive, he couldn’t bring himself to look away, his golden eyes tracking your movements as you worked over him.

You were so focused, your expression oh so serious, and the sight of your dedication only made his smile grow. Finally, as if overwhelmed by his own affection, he forced his gaze away, looking down and burying his face in one hand to hide the deep purple blush spreading across his cheeks.

When you finally finished tying the clean cloth, you patted his forearm. “All done,” you murmured, preparing to stand up.

Before you could even rise to your feet, Neteyam’s hand shot out. He caught you by the wrist, pulling you back down to the mats with a gentle tug. Before you could gasp, his hand traveled up your jaw, and he pulled your lips down to meet his.

A whine escaped your throat against his mouth, your tail curling, but you didnt pull away. Instead, you melted into him, kissing him back with a matching hunger born from the weeks you had spent apart.

His grip around your waist tightened, his large fingers digging into your skin as his other hand guided your captive wrist up to his shoulder, prompting you to drape your arms securely around his neck. He tilted his head, deepening the embrace, and you could feel the vibrations of his purr against your lips as you both smiled into the kiss.

Neteyam let out a groan when he tasted the fresh sting of a mint on your tongue. He caressed the smooth skin of your hip while your hand migrated to his cheek, pulling him closer, desperate to lose yourself in his warmth.

“Oh, Eywa.”

You tore yourself away, eyes widening in sheer horror as your gaze collided directly with Mo’at, who stood at the entrance carrying a heavy foraging basket.

Panicking, you scrambled to your feet, nearly tripping over your own tail as you rushed to take the basket from her hands to help her carry it inside. Your throat swallowed hard, your chest tight with the terrifying knowledge that the Tsahik had just caught you thoroughly mouthing her grandson.

Neteyam who was unbothered, bit his lip to hide his amusement, his tail flicking happily as he watched you nervously move around his grandmother.

Mo’at didnt say a word as she let you take the heavy basket from her arms. She stared at your clumsy actions with an arched eyebrow. Walking past you to check the shelf where the children’s lesson herbs were stored. “I trust the medicine was applied to the wound, and not just... swallowed?”

Your ears pinned flat against your head, a deep purple blush exploding across your neck. “I—yes. The poultice is fresh. He’s bandaged too.”

Neteyam let out a muffle chuckle, trying desperately to look innocent as he adjusted his blanket. He flonched when his grandmother turned a glare in his direction.

“And you. The Greatmother granted you a second chance at life, not a license to exhaust yourself before your ribs have even knit back together. Lie down before you bleed through those fresh linens.”

“Yes, Grandmother.”

Mo’at sighed, shaking her head as she began sorting through the basket you had set down. “The camp is already waking. Go, y/n. Wash the mortar and pestle, and prepare the courtyard for the youth, we’ll do the lesson there. We’ll not speak of what your mouth was busy with. Keep your mind on the healing arts today.”

“Noted. Thank you, Tsahik,” you squeaked out, bowing before you grabbed the dirty wooden tools and bolted out, your heart still racing.

As you stepped outside to the washing station, a familiar giggle made you freeze. Reyna’lin was leaning against a nearby tree trunk, idly braiding a piece of twine, a massive smirk on her face.

“Well well well,” She purred, strolling over to you with a swing in her step. “Judging by how your face is, I’m guessing you either saw a ghost... or the mighty warrior finally used his mouth for something other than crying.”

“It’s not what you think it is…” you stammered, your ears burning as you tried to focus on washing the residual herb paste from the wooden bowl. She just rolled her eyes, letting out a scoff. “Also… why are you even out here so early?” you asked.

“I came to get your man since we’re supposed to have training class together this morning,” she explained, casually tossing her braid over her shoulder. “But I completely forgot the idiot almost died thats why he’s cooped up in there!!!”

Over the following weeks, Neteyam’s strength returned, his wounds finally knitting together under your devotion until he was once again whole. He walked into the sacred council big tent, stabding at his side was Reyna’lin. Together, they turned down the arranged mating match, fulfilling the exact defiance Reyna’lin had desperately needed from him to save her own family.

The elders gasped in surprise, demanding to know who could possibly replace the match they had so chosen.

Before Neteyam could even open his mouth, Reyna’lin boldly stepped forward, slinging an arm around your shoulders and pulling you into the light. “My heart belongs elsewhere, my people. In fact, I introduce to you, y/n—my cute mate!”

You froze, your tail going completely stiff while your ears raised, the elders gasped. Neteyam’s head snapped toward her so fast his braids swung, murderous glare at Reyna’lin that could have pierced thr Great Leonopteryx.

Catching his deadly look, she quickly cleared her throat, clearing her hands with an innocent grin. “Ah—apologies, I mean his! She’s his girlfriend. My bad you guys!”

When you finally found a moment alone with Neteyam, away from the eyes of the clan, he looked down at you, examining the details of your face. He told you that he wanted to court you properly this time. Even when you insisted that he didn’t need to prove himself anymore, that your heart was already his, he remained too persistent though.

He took your hands, his eyes locking onto yours as he murmured that he would pursue you every single day, no matter what you said.

And he kept his word.

Knowing how much you disliked real flowers, always preferring to leave the living flowers untouched or saved purely for healing, he got creative. He would spend hours weaving artificial blossoms out of dried reeds, supple leather cords, and fibers, shaping your favorite medicinal plants into a permanent bouquet that would never wither.

If you so much as whispered a craving, even those rare fruit that only grew at the dangerous summits of the Hallelujah Mountains, he wouldn’t rest until it was in your hand, even if it meant flying through turbulent winds just to capture a taste you’d only mentioned yesterday.

He had become an inseparable part of your family dynamic too, perhaps too much. It wasn’t uncommon to walk into the family tent and find them arguing over who got to keep his company…

Your father was usually showing him the intricacies of a new weapon design, while your mother had him sitting knee-to-knee with her, teaching him the finer points of weaving. He didn’t mind at all, he had even taken it upon himself to craft the both of you a matching loincloths.

you often found yourself having to “steal” your own boyfriend away from your parents, who treated him more like their favorite child than a suitor.

Even when the day ended and you were long asleep beside him, his care didn’t cease. You’d wake up to find your kit transformed as he would spend his night re-wrapping the worn leather grips of your tools so they wouldn’t blister your palms.

And whenever the traders arrived, he was always the first at the stalls with you. He ignored the weapons and the pelts, his eyes instead scanning the wares for rare beads or iridescent shells that would catch the light just right against your skin.

It was really full of love.

For the first time, you both had the permisssion of your families to see each other freely. There was no more hiding in the shadows, no more burying your affection away from the people’s eyes.

You could finally sit across the campfire, lock eyes across the crowded circle, and share a longing look before ducking your heads with matching smiles.

Best of all, you could finally hold each other close, free of that old, bitter anxiety, knowing you didnt have to tear yourselves apart the second someone walked through the curtain.

You let out a ringing laugh as Neteyam nearly slipped right off his ikran when you suddenly swooped your own mount right over his head, startling it. He let out a booming shout of laughter that echoed through the open air before diving after you, pushing his to fly faster to chase you down.

Laughing breathlessly, you guided yours toward the highest, most secluded cliffside, landing gracefully and scrambling down from the saddle. A squeal escaped your lips when you heard the heavy thud of his own mount landing right behind yours, Neteyam giving chase across the rocky plateau.

Just as you thought you were going to escape, his large hand shot out and caught the very tip of your tail. You let out a playful hiss, spinning around on your heel to face him, in which he hissed lowly in return.

You both froze, biting your lips as you simply looked at each other, the rush of the wind howling around you. You let out a giggle, looking down with deeply flushed purple cheeks before stepping closer into his space. Reaching up, you looped your arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss.

You both let out a contented sigh against each other’s lips. Every single time you kissed him, it felt like the world around you was calming down, the howling winds of the cliffs fading into a murmur. Neither of you could fail to smile into the intimacy.

Slowly, you pulled away to breathe, resting your forehead against his as your eyes closed, simply soaking yourself in the reassuring beat of his heart. You opened your eyes and gave him a sly grin before leaning in again. Just when he thought you were going to capture his lips, you sank down to your knees on the grass. Your hands slid down the blue skin of his as you went down slowly.

Neteyam looked down at you, eyss blown wide and hungry as you gazed up at him from below. He leaned over, his large hands caressing your cheeks before his long striped fingers brushed against your lips.

You parted them, darting your tongue out to lick his thumb before drawing the two of his fingers into your mouth. A muffled moan vibrated in your throat as your tongue swirled around them.

He swallowed hard, a purr rumbling in his chest while his tail curled on its own. You wrapped your hands around his wrist, guiding his fingers deeper in your mouth making you gag. When you pulled his hand free, you let your tongue roll over every inch of his damp skin, your eyes never leaving his blown-out gaze.

You reached for the edge of his loincloth, tugging it slightly for a permission. A chuckle escaped his throat as he lifted it for you. Your breath hitched as you came face to face with his cock. Grinning up at him, you leaned forward and pressed a warm kiss to the very tip.

Your hands wrapped around it, stroking him up and down. He let out a whimper, his hand burying into your hair for support. He threw his head back, his ears pinning flat against his hair.

“Stop teasing, please…”

You bit your lip from him moaning and swiped your tongue across his tip, licking away the slick bead of pre-cum leaking out from him. You guided your tongue down the underside to wet him completely before finally taking him deep into your mouth.

Your cheeks hollowed around him as you sucked, your eyes locked on his face. Neteyam moaned at the sight of you, his hand in your hair guiding the bob of your head on his shaft. “Taking it so well… can you still fit it all?”

“Mhm… it got bigger, baby,” you mumbled around him. The vibration of your voice made him let out a hiss. He looked down, watching your tail wagging behind you, your ears twitching with satisfaction.

Just before the movement could push him over the edge, he let out a desperate groan and pulled your head away. He couldn’t risk spending himself just yet, especially since you haven’t come first.

Sitting down on the grass to meet your height, he cupped your jaw and pulled you into a deep kiss. His chest heaved against yours as he breathed you in, using the collision of your lips to ground himself and soothe the aching throb of his cock.

“Baby…” he breathed against your skin, pulling back to rest his head against your shoulder. You let out a hum as you felt his calloused fingers slide beneath the edge of your top. A shiver ran down your spine as his thumb brushed over your bare chest, his touch hot as he began to tease your nipple, making your tail curl in responsr.

“I wanna try something that we haven’t done before.”

“What is it, pretty boy?”

Neteyam looked up at you, cheeks flushed. “I want… I want you to sit on my face. If that’s okay?” You blinked, surprised by his request. Your face heated up fast as you processed what he just said.

“Are you sure? I don’t wanna suffocate you with my… weight.” Neteyam shook his head, hands resting on your thighs. “I’m sure. And you won’t.”

You bit your lip. “What if I hurt you?”

He squeezed your skin and leaned up to peck your lips. “Again, you won’t.”

You hesitated for another second before moving up his body. You positioned yourself over his chest, thighs on either side of his head. Neteyam untied your loincloth before looking up at you with wide eyes.

“Baby… I’m not sure about this. I don’t think I can behave.”

He smiled softly. “Trust me, okay? If you’rr okay with it, then it’ll be fine. I got you.”

You nodded before lowering yourself, not putting your full weight on him yet. “Tell me if it’s too much?” Neteyam nodded, hands holding your thighs. “I will. Just sit, please.”

You finally lowered yourself onto his face. Neteyam immediately held your thighs firmly and started licking your pussy, moaning against you. You gasped, hands gripping his hair as pleasure shot through you. “Oh… Neteyam…”

He held your thighs tighter, tongue moving eagerly. You tried to keep some of your weight off him, but he pulled you down harder. “Don’t hold back,” he mumbled against your pussy. “I want all of you. Suffocate me if you may.”

Neteyam knew he was losing it.

From the way your lips sucked him down had already left him hard and aching against his loincloth, but now that he’s tasting you again pushed him straight over the edge. He was practically mindless with need, his hips humping the air as he starved in your inner thighs.

You moaned louder, hips starting to roll against his face. Neteyam groaned, eyes rolling back as he tasted you. “So good… that’s right, use me.” You were breathing hard, trying not to crush him but losing control from how good his tongue felt.

He licked you hungrily, sucking on your clit while pushing his tongue inside you. “You’re so wet, baby...”

You grabbed his braids tighter. “Neteyam… fuck.”

He kept sucking and licking, still addicted to your taste. You were shaking, rolling your hips faster on his face. “Neteyam… I’m close.” He groaned against you, eyes rolling back again. “Go on… let me taste you.”

You came hard with a loud moan, thighs trembling around his head. Neteyam moaned too, drinking every drop as his eyes rolled back. “Oh shit…” You squeaked, quickly lifting yourself off him before falling onto the grass beside him.

Neteyam sat up and moved on top of you, pulling you into a kiss. You wrapped your legs around his hips and your arms around his shoulders, deepening the kiss. Your back arched against his chest as you both moaned into each other’s mouths.

You pulled away from the kiss, gazing up at him with almost heart eyes. Neteyam smiled down at you, and cupped your cheeks. Your jaw dropped, heart stopping for a moment as you had a feeling of wgat will happen.

“Y/n…” he mumbled, his voice cracking with an emotion so raw it made your chest ache. “Not once did I ever regret chasing after you. Everything that I did, I would do it again, a thousand times over.”

You smiled, your heart swelling to the point of tears. “Neteyam…”

“I’ve always known... ever since we were children, I knew that the woman I wanted to lead and raise this clan with was you. The day I saved you, I also knew. It’s you that I want for the rest of my days, y/n. I’ll choose you over and over again, in this life and the next.”

You couldnt bring yourself to utter a word. Neteyam noticed the tears slipping down your cheeks and used the pad of his thumb to wipe your wet eyes. “I know we always dreamed of mating beneath the glowing tendrils of the Tree of Souls, and I promise you, I’ll still take you there no matter how much you want. We’ll stand before the Greatmother and give her a show of our romance.”

You laughed and his eyes burned into yours, his hand traveled down to the base of his neck, carefully bringing his braided queue forward. “But I cannot wait another night to bind my soul to yours... Will you please let me choose you? Right now?”

“...Yes. We’ll do it again and again and again and… again,” Your heart hammered against your ribs as you brought your own in front, your hands trembling as you both looked at it. When the neural tendrils of your queues met, blooming and wrapping around each other, a violent gasp left both of your lips.

You felt the agonizing pain he went through when he thought he’d lose you, the pride he felt standing up to the elders, and the warmth of how consumed by you he was.

Neteyam groaned, the intensity of the bond sending a massive shriving through his long frame. He leaned down, burying his face in the crook of your neck as his unreleased length pressed against you, holding you so close like he wanted to press you directly into his skin.

He pulled away from your neck the moment you murmured for him to, his heavy breaths fanning over your skin. Reaching up, you cupped his high cheekbones, guiding his face down to capture his lips in another lingering kiss.

When you finally parted, you stayed close, your eyes tracing the breathtaking pattern of the bioluminescent dots glowing across his skin, pulsing in sync with his racing heart.

“I’m so in love with you, Neteyam.”

His breath hitched, his chest rising beneath your touch. “I—I’m soooo much in love with you more… y/n.”

You could feel his love flowing through your bond. You pulled each other back in, dissolving into a heated making-out session. He didn’t wanna pull away from your lips for even a second, his hands gripping you as your kisses were the very air he needed to breathe.

He guided his cock down, teasing the sensitive entrance of your heat. The sudden touch made you let out a breathless moan into his mouth. Pulling back from the kiss, you locked your arms around his broad shoulders, burying your face into the crook of his neck. “Put it in…”

He didn’t make you wait, sinking his hips in, he guided himself inside you. The slick warmth from your recent release combined with his own made the entering smooth, his thick length stretching you open completely.

Heat coursed through your shared bond the exact moment you were filled. Neteyam froze, holding himself perfectly still to let you adjust to his size. “Y/n…”

You could feel how much he wanted to move but was holding back for you. You wrapped your legs tighter around his waist, pulling him deeper. “Move, Neteyam… I need you.” He groaned and started thrusting, “You feel so good, baby. So warm around me.”

You moaned, hands running down his back as he moved inside you. He kissed your neck, breathing against your skin. “I’ve wanted this for so long…”

You tilted your head to give him more access, fingers digging into his shoulders. “Me too… missed feeling you like this.”

“Missed you more…” He kept his pace slow and deep, making sure you felt every inch. “You’re so tight.. I love it so much.”

“R-Right there…” Your back arched as he hit that perfect spot inside you. Neteyam groaned, burying his face in your neck again. “Right there? Does that feel good?”

You nodded, moaning his name. “Yesss… don’t stop.”

He lifted his head to look at you, eyes soft even as he kept thrusting. “I won’t. I love being inside you. Especially right now… I can feel almost everythng.”

You pulled him down for a kiss, tongues sliding together slowly. Neteyam broke the kiss to rest his forehead against yours again. “I missed you so damn much… I just really hope I won’t ever wake up from this dream.”

You bit your lip. “I don’t wanna wake up as well if that’s the case.”

Neteyam kept his weight balanced over you, chest pressed against yours as he moved inside you. His breath was hot against your ear with every slow thrust.

You moaned loudly, arms wrapped around his back. His golden eyes stayed locked on yours, darkening with heat as he watched your face. “You’re so beautiful like this,” he whispered, voice rough. “I cannot believe I get to have you. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever gazed upon.”

You blushed hard, cheeks turning deep purple as he kept praising you. “Neteyam…”

He grinned, still thrusting. “I’m the luckiest man alive. Getting to be inside you like this, feeling you clench around me… it’s everything I’ve ever wanted.”

You whimpered louder, legs tightening around his waist. Neteyam kissed your neck, still whispering against your skin. “I don’t know hwo many times I have to say this but you’re so perfect… I could stay like this forever with you.”

Your hands moved up to his face, pulling him down for a kiss. He kissed you deeply, hips still rolling slowly. You whined into his mouth. “Neteyam… I’m close again.”

He groaned, picking up the pace just a little. “Okay, baby. Let me feel you come around me. You look so pretty when you do, y’know.” You blushed even harder, moaning his name as the orgasm washed over you.

Neteyam kept moving through your orgasm, chasing his own release. His thrusts became deeper and a little faster as he kissed your face. “Fuckkk baby… you’re squeezing me so tight.”

Yor legs wrapped around his waist as you took every thrusts he gave you. Neteyam groaned against your neck, breathing hard. “I-I’m so close, y/n…”

You held onto his shoulders, nails digging in. “Go on, Nteeyam. I want to feel you.”

He whimpered, hips snapping harder as he got closer. “I’m going to fill you up. Going to cum so deep inside you. You want that?”

You kissed his neck, whispering against his skin. “Do it. I want it all. ​W-wanna be swelled with your children...” you cried out softly, your back arching up into his. “Wanna carry your life inside me, please...”

“F-Fuck...” He whimpered, thrusting deep one last time before he came hard. His body shook as he filled you, moaning your name against your shoulder.

A synchronized moan tore from both of your lips as your walls suddenly clamped tight, pulsing and clenching around him as you felt him cum inside you.

You heard his racing pulse, felt the thud of his heart, your minds bled into one another as you knew his thoughts, felt the devotion consuming his mind as he completely lost himself to you.

He stayed buried deep inside you, his breaths hot over your neck as the aftershocks of his release slowly calmed down. Sinking his weight over you, his large arms wrapped around you, pulling you so close against his chest.

“Forgive me, yawne…” he whispered into your shoulder.

You let out a tired chuckle, your fingers tangling into the beads of his braids. “I can feel you, Neteyam. You feel guilty?”

He seallowed, burying his face deeper into the crook of your neck, queues still connected. “I do. I feel like we spend so much of our time in heat... I don’t want you to think I only see you for this. I mean—”

Your heart swelled at his adorableness, pulling back to look into his eyes, you cupped his cheek, letting your thumb trace his high cheekbone. “But I love this with you, Neteyam,” you whispered softly, your thoughts bleeding straight through him that he could feel the truth of it. “It makes me feel so beautifully close to you. Especially now, knowing our souls are tied.”

“Did you mean that, too?” he asked. “When you talked about... yknow...” He couldn’tbeven finish the sentence, a dark flush spreading across his face as you laughed at how flustered he was.

“About having your kids?” you teased, your smirk widening. You caught his jaw, pecking his hot cheek affectionately. “Of course. I meant every word, baby. You’re the only one I want to bear children for.”

He smiled, pressing a peck to your jawline while still holding you beside him. “I see you, y/n.”

“I see you, too.”

Your parents were always as supportive, especially since you were an only child. They gave you praise freely, often reinforcing every step you took without doubt.

And that kind of attention turned you into who you are.

Now, you’re known as one of the most capable huntresses in the clan. People speak of your name when asked about skilled ones, those who can do both hunt and treat wounds.

You can track, fight, and heal when needed, moving between roles depending on what the situation demands.

Because of that, praise has followed you for most of your life. It became expected even, and over time it built the attitude you now carry.

“Y/n, that’s your eleventh cup already. Stop before your father drags you out of here himself.”

You only grinned wider, slamming the wooden cup back down on the table and asking for another pour. “Pey’, what are ya sayin’? Thiz is greatuh!” The elders around you laughed along, more excited than concerned as you kept going.

You just returned from a successful mission and the celebration quickly turned into something louder than expected when Jake approved of it. Praise kept coming from every direction, and you just stood in the middle of it.

“Don’t mind them, y/n!” One of the elders said, making Peyrral let out a tiny gasp.

“The mighty huntress!”

“Drink! Drink! Drink!”

Peyrral groaned as she stood nearby with arms crossed, watching the entire scene with annoyance, Vetxo just stood beside her.

An elder lifted you onto his shoulders, cheering and praising you like it was a ceremony. Your face had turned flushed, your smile stuck in that exaggerated pleased expression you always made when praise piled up too much.

“These old hags need to stop feeding her ego like this,” Peyrral muttered, glaring at the group. She uncrossed her arms immediately when an elder bumped her shoulder while passing.

“Yer jus’ jealous, lil one! Let ‘er enjoy ze moment. She earned it, did je nah?”

Peyrral scoffed, “Unbelievable, can barely even understand a word…” Vetxo tilted her head, before clearing her throat to speak. “He said we’re jealous of Y/n. That we should let her enjoy herself while it lasts.”

“I am NOT jealous of y/n! Mind you, I only had two cups. I would never let myself turn into that.” She gestured toward you. “Look at her. She has training tomorrow, right? Enlighten me how she’ll function!”

“She just usually does.” Vetxo shrugged. “Let’s just wait until the noise settles, then take her home after.”

Peyrral pouted, but didn’t retort. Both of them stayed where they were, watching over you as the celebration continued a little longer.

It only grew louder as more elders fed into the atmosphere around you. Drums echoed again, voices overlapping, the whole clan caught in the energy of your success.

“Enough.”

It was a voice that carried immediately, cutting through the fun. The drumming stopped mid-beat, and the noise began to settle as everyone turned toward the source.

There, Neteyam stood at the edge of the gathering. “It’s already past midnight. Please lower the noise as others are resting.”

The man holding you on his shoulder quickly lowered you back down. You stumbled when your feet hit the ground. “Hey!” You hit the old man, before preparing yourself turning toward Neteyam.

“There he is,” you said, tilting your head with a smirk. “The party-pooper. Why do you always do this, man? Afraid I’m getting more attention than you?”

Neteyam gently took your hand and lowered it away from him without hesitation. “No one is envious of you. I am simply asking for respect toward those who are already taking a rest.”

“So yes,” you added, turning back to the crowd, “he’s a party-pooper!”

The crowd laughed along, Neteyam exhaled through his nose, used to you pushing boundaries like this.

“She’s not entirely wrong, Neteyam,” one of the elders called out. “Come join us. You worked the mission as well.”

“C’mon, Neteyam!”

“Drink with us!”

Neteyam gave a small, respectful bow of his head. “I do not drink. I apologize.”

The reaction was immediate. A mix of laughter and disappointment spread through the group. “Boo!”

“Excuse me?” Neteyam asked, taken aback as the crowd reacted like that.

“One night won’t kill you!”

“You’re with the clan’s finest tonight. Do not refuse it!”

You crossed your arms, watching him with amusement. “Wanna see who can handle more drinks, pretty boy?”

Neteyam looked down at you for a moment, expression unreadable as you smirked confidently up at him. There was a pause, like he was considering it only long enough to make a decision.

“No.”

You flinched. “No?!”

“I will not participate in a drinking competition. Especially not when we have training tomorrow under the Olo’eyktan. You should also be resting instead of prolonging this gathering.” He glanced at the crowd, then back at you. “It would be wiser if you returned as well.”

You stared at him for a second, like you were processing what he just said and deciding which part annoyed you more.

“‘WiSeR’?” you mocked. “Are you insinuating that I can’t handle a night out, Neteyam?” A few people nearby quieted a little, sensing the shift in your tone. “I just came back from a full mission wherein I led, fought, healed people on the way back, and you’re standing here telling me to go rest like I’m some child?”

Neteyam didn’t react, only watched you like he was waiting for you to finish before responding properly. “That’s not what I said, Y/n. I am simply saying you’re overextending yourself unnecessarily.”

You scoffed. “No, that’s exactly what you’re saying. You always do this. You talk like I need to be managed. Like I don’t know what I’m doing.”

People exchanged looks, unsure whether to laugh or stop the argument.

“You think I’m incapable of deciding for myself just because I’m not standing here acting all stiff like you?”

Neteyam frowned as he lowered his voice enough for you to hear. “That’s not what I think. You’re not making a proper decision right now. You’re not sober, at least drink water, there are children nearby watching you speak to me like this.”

Your eyes squinting at that, “Then stop making this difficult. If you don’t want me to be celebrated, then go back to whatever duty you have and stop trying to act like you’re competing with me for the position.”

Neteyam’s eyes widened at the accusation. “That’s not—”

“You don’t have authority over me,” you cut in instantly, stepping closer without hesitation, whispering next to his ear. “Just because you’re the Olo’eyktan’s son doesn’t mean you can order me or my people around like this.”

Peyrral leaned toward Vetxo, lowering her voice. “Should we stop them?” Vetxo watched the two then shook her head once.

“Let’s not.”

-

That night did not end well. The news of your argument reached the Olo’eyktan faster than either of you expected, and by morning, both you and Neteyam were kneeling in front of him.

The punishment was simple: clean the village, no ikran flying, and assist with any work for a full week.

For Neteyam, it wan’t harsh. He had endured stricter consequences before when a clan discipline was involved. He assumed this would pass quickly, he also thought you’d treat it the same way.

You didn’t.

“But sir—”

“No buts, Y/n,” Jake cut in, “One complaint and I will extend it to a full moon.”

That shut you up, your mouth closed. You stayed still, arms tense, glaring down at the ground.

Jake looked between you both, “If I hear another issue from either of you, involving each other, I’ll deal with it more strictly next time.”

He sighed, palming his face. “I’m being lenient as we have active missions and need capable hands. So, for now, your usual duties will be redistributed. The people will compensate for your absence during this period.”

The two of you nodded along.

“Your punishment starts tomorrow. If there are no questions, and there must not be! Then, you’re dismissed.”

You stepped out of the kelku, and your hands were still fisted at your sides. You were clearly sulking, irritated with energy spilling out with every step while Neteyam followed behind with distance.

“Y/n—”

“Do not.” You turned the moment he said your name, cutting him off. “As you can see, I’m very much livid. This punishment wouldn’t have happened if you weren’t acting like an asshole.”

Neteyam stared at you. “Listen. We received this because we were both involved in that argument.” He took a small step closer. “We can still complete the tasks efficiently if we cooperate…”

“I don’t know, Neteyam,” you said, “I do not think ill be able to focus with you nearby. I’d rather complete this alone. No offense.”

No offense taken… Was what he wanted to say, right before he watched you walk away from him without looking back.

Neteyam understands that you view him as a rival for leadership, but he never saw himself as competing against you. While he once pursued the role of Olo’eyktan out of duty to his family and clan, his feelings eventually changed, and he began imagining a future where the two of you would lead together, with him as Olo’eyktan and you as Tsahik by his side.

It wasn’t something he planned, and definitely not something he would say out loud just yet. Because if you ever heard him say that, you would laugh at his face.

Because truly, how could he fall for someone who has always made it clear she cannot stand his presence?

But despite your behavior toward him, Neteyam had always admired your strength, beauty, and ability to stand alongside the best hunters of the clan. Because the two of you were constantly paired together throughout your training, his admiration deepened into something far more personal.

But things didn’t turn in his favor.

You didn’t simply dislike him, you seemed to want him out of the way entirely, beneath you, and no longer a threat. As far as he understood, the reason was that you knew he was pursuing the same leadership position you wanted for yourself.

-

“This is what you get for arguing with the golden son.”

You groaned, letting the broom drop to the ground. “Drop it already, Pey’. I’ve had enough scolding entering my very smart brain today.”

“How long does this punishment even last?”

You crossed your arms right back, mimicking her stance without thinking. “A whole week! Which means I’ll miss the exchange with the Tawkami clan, and I won’t meet the Tsahìk of the Metkayina.”

You panicked over the possibility of missing two major once-in-a-lifetime events and started spiraling, only for them both to point out that you were already losing your mind over it.

“Please, you guys have to help me get out of this!”

Vetxo glanced at you, leaning back against the rock. “What can you do?”

“I can like… clean the village, take whatever job they throw at me, and I’m not even allowed to see Seya.”

Peyrral dismissed your complaint about your ikran, questioning why it was even part of your punishment, you agreeing as fast, then she suggested you spend your time helping the healers since it was one of your strengths anyway.

Vetxo looked at her, then back at you. “No. I suggest you try something else.”

“I already know everything, Vet.” you scoffed, flipping your hair. Both of them stared at you, judging. “…Continue.”

“There’s one thing you’re not good at.”

“Yeah? Name one!”

“Weaving.”

You froze for a second, you slapped your knee then laughed like she had just told a ridiculous joke. “Right. Okay. So I think I’ll go with Pey’s idea. I’ve always said she gives better ideas than you anyway. So Im definitely doimg what she said.”

“Actually, I agree with Vetxo.”

You quickly rejected the idea of weaving, insisting that you despised it, but Vetxo said that you’d have to learn it eventually considering it’d be necessary for making your future children’s loincloths, you shut the idea down entirely, insisting that you weren’t having children.

Peyrral watched you with mild irritation, “But you want the Olo’eykte position. You’ll have to… continue your line.”

“Then I’ll be the one to end that tradition.”

Peyrral threatened to extend your punishment if you kept babbling, forcing you to bite back your tongue. Reluctantly giving in, you agreed to go before your frustration got any worse.

You headed toward the weaving kelku with Peyrral and Vetxo, continuing to complain on the way. Convinced that nobody actually enjoyed weaving, you tried to persuade them to stay and suffer through the work with you.

“Girls? What brings you here?” one of the women asked, hands pressing against her cheeks. “You’ve come at a fortunate time, we have very few commissions for this week.”

“Good day! and that’s wonderful to hear, ma’am,” Peyrral replied, “Though we’re not here for an accessory.”

Vetxo nodded. “We’ve come to offer our dearest friend to your care, if it’d please you of course. She has been… quite eager to lend her hands among your work.”

“Is that so?”

“She even insisted that we bring her here ourselves. She said, and I quote, ‘I’m rather shy to ask the kind women on my own…’”

Peyrral and Vetxo shamelessly exaggerated your reputation in front of the weavers, much to your annoyance. When the weaver asked who you were, the two presented you to her, leaving you no choice but to put on a sweet smile and introduce yourself politely.

“Oh my… Y/n?” the woman gasped, covering her mouth as the others turned toward you as well. “Don’t youhave training today?”

You tried to answer but Peyrral stepped in and claimed your training had been rescheduled, adding that you were so dedicated to serving the clan that you couldn’t rest without finding another way to contribute.

The woman was convinced by her explanation and assumed you came to help for the day, but before you could confirm it, your friends eagerly volunteered you for an entire week instead.

“Oh my,” the woman beamed. “That’s very generous of you, Y/n! I shall make sure the Olo’eyktan hears of this.”

“Yes…”

“Thank you so much, Lady Ka’li,” Peyrral hugged the lady, then bowed her head. “We shall leave her. We trust she will be of great help to your hands, especially as she prepares to serve our clan in the future.”

Before you could protest, Peyrral shoved you toward the weavers and dramatically bid you farewell, teasing that she and Vetxo would miss working with you.

After that, you watched the two walk away from the kelku, even humming to themselves as if they hadn’t just abandoned you.

You stood there for a moment, jaw tight, before turning back to the women who were still smiling at you with clear fondness. “Please, do tell how I may be of assistance.”

The weavers explained that there was little work available due to a lack of recent commissions which gave you hope that you’d have an easy week. Unfortunately, thanks to your friends’ exaggerated claims about your eagerness to help, they decided to keep you occupied anyway.

‘Those bitches…!’

“We would rather have you stay with us!”

“Let us get to know you better.”

“That’s right!!”

Your relief vanished as the weavers immediately overwhelmed you with endless questions. Though internally frustrated, you maintained a polite smile and composed posture while enduring the interrogation.

“Tell us, dear… has anyone ever caught your eye yet?”

Another leaned in right after. “Or are you already looking for a mate at this time?”

When the conversation turned toward courtship, you insisted that finding a mate wasn’t a priority, emphasizing your ambitions as the future Olo’eykte. Even when asked about the upcoming courting moons, you made it clear that you would only participate if it didn’t interfere with your responsibilities.

Then they brought up having children which you dismissed the idea, explaining that your priorities were centered on serving the clan.

“And the Tsahik path? You’re skilled with healing.”

“My father taught me what real duty looks like. I won’t settle for less when I can do more.” You smirked.

“...What do you think of Olo'eyktan's son?”

You answered. “Lo’ak is… hardheaded. He acts before he thinks. But I guess he can do well if scolded enough.”

“And Neteyam?”

“He follows his duty well, it’s commendable.”

“Do you find him… attractive?”

The question carried more weight, but you answered honestly anyway, confused as to why it was being asked. You described Neteyam as a constant obstacle to your focus, viewing him primarily as a rival because the two of you were pursuing the same leadership position.

You shrugged again, “Although he’s strong, sure. Not useless like most of the boys.” The ladies nodded watching you lean back. “So I’ll say this… he’s competent. But I’m still better at what I do.”

You looked at the ladies, seeing them still waiting for an answer. “But attractive? I dont think about it that deeply. If someone’s worth noticing, they usually know it already. Like me, I know I’m strong, so I believe that I’m attractive!” You grinned, touching your cheeks.

When the weavers mentioned that your admiration for strength meant you found Neteyam attractive, you rejected the comparison, insisting that no one, including him, operated on your level.

“Kindly answer straightforwardly!”

“Listen. If I call myself beautiful, which I already am, that doesn’t mean I’m strong. But if I call myself strong, then it naturally includes being beautiful, because in my vocabulary, strength is part of what makes someone appealing. So yes, I’m attractive because I’m strong. That’s the baseline, and it doesn’t extend outward. Other people being strong doesn’t automatically place them anywhere near my level of attractiveness.”

The lady gasped, “But you said you find yourself attractive because you ARE strong, and you said he’s strong too. So technically—”

You argued that strength and attractiveness were separate qualities, insisting that acknowledging someone else’s strength didn’t mean you viewed them as equally attractive as you. Confident in your own beauty, you ended up questioning the matchmakers if they doubted your attractiveness.

“Oh no, Y/n, you’re attractive!”

“There’s no doubt about that!”

“Do you find him cute at least?!”

“He’s… alright.” You nodded.

The ladies finally let out a sigh of relief as they had finally extracted something usable out of you after all that vague logic.

“But I’m the cutest, so I couldn’t care less!”

-

It has been four days since you and Neteyam began serving your punishment. Since then, you’ve only been allowed to watch your people enjoy themselves during evening gatherings while you’re assigned to cleaning duties, with the elders teasing you as they pass by and you snapping back at them.

You’re also growing aware of Seya, your ikran, whom you haven’t seen in days. The absence sits in the back of your mind, but you take some relief knowing Peyrral and Vetxo have been taking it upon themselves to feed and check on her while you’re occupied.

“Yeah, and just so you know, Seya is pregnant.”

“What?!”

You dropped the stick holding one of the finest meats within the clan, the food falling against the ground as Vetxo spoke. Your head snapped toward her, completely thrown off by the statement.

“I said… Seya is pregnant. Your ikran?”

You were shocked that everyone seemed to know something you completely missed, saying you would’ve noticed if there had been signs. Vetxo pointed out that while you noticed the anger, you failed to understand what was actually causing it, leaving you demanding to know who the mate was.

They exchanged a look, confirming something without words. Vetxo gave a small nod, letting Peyrral speak instead. “We’re guessing… Neteyam’s ikran.”

You sat up fast, already pacing. “When did this even happen? I shouldn’t have left her alone with his… that bird in that cave weeks ago. I knew something was off. Neteyam must’ve planned this.”

“Are you serious?” Both of them spoke at the same time.

You believed he had been trying to compete with or undermine you, complaining about how much he had irritated you over the past weeks, that eveb his suggestion that the two of you work together sounded like a move, leaving your friends stunned by how you actually misunderstood his intentions.

“What are you going to do then?” Vetxo asked.

“I’m going to put some sense into that golden son’s brain.” You clenched your fist, deciding the outcome of the conversation in your head.

“Y/n, shouldn’t you check on Seya first and see how she’s doing?” Peyrral asked. You scoffed and turned away. “I am going to see her.”

Except you didn’t.

You had only one goal that night, and it was to find Neteyam te Suli Tsyeyk’itan.

It didn’t take long for you to find him helping the cooks prepare food for the clan. You then marched straight up to him, knocked your shoulder into his to get his attention.

“Follow me. Now.”

Noticing your mood, Neteyam followed you into the forest, but you stopped him before he could get too close. Turning to face him, “Haven’t you heard my ikran is pregnant?”

Neteyam’s eyes widened before softening, a small smile forming as he looked at you. “That’s… a good thing. Congratulations.”

“What do you mean congratulations?!”

“Did you not want your ikran to be pregnant?”

“Your bird impregnated mine!”

“W-what do you want me to do then?” Neteyam stiffened at your grip on his wrist,

You demanded that he have your punishment removed, but he told you that he couldn’t just ignore clan protocols. But you pressed him further, frustrated by the restrictions and especially by the fact that Seya is still with her ‘pervert’ mate.

“Teyu isn’t a pervert,” he defended, furrowing his eyebrows as he looked at you when you insulted his brother.

“I don’t KNOW, Neteyam!” you shot back, tightening your grip on his wrist. Before he could argue again, you yanked him forward, dragging him along the path.

“Where are you taking me?” he asked, trying to match your pace without actually resisting you too hard.

“To your father’s kelku.”

“That isn’t something we just walk into—”

“It’ll be!”

-

“What’s this?”

You straightened, stepping forward with way too much confidence for the situation, “This is our offering. Mine and Neteyam’s. Mostly mine, let’s be honest.”

You pressed a hand against Neteyam’s arm, “In exchange to lifting our punishment, because clearly there has been a VERY serious incident involving his bird and mine.”

Neteyam sighed as you continued, “She’s pregnant, sir. P-reg-na-nt. And I demand, respectfully, the mother be allowed to see her child.” you crossed your arms.

Jake just stared at you. “Say that again.”

A sudden breeze made your confidence falter, so you shoved Neteyam forward to deal with his father instead.

“Dad— Sir,” he corrected, clearing his throat as he tried to gather himself. “Teyu and Seya… they mated without me and Y/n knowing. I was also surprised when she told me, as I didb’t sense anything from my ikran that suggested… this.”

Jake questioned how either of you knew about the pregnancy if you were forbidden from seeing them. You stepped in to defend yourself, insisting that the information came from your friends and that you had followed the punishment without breaking the rules.

“Really now, y/n?”

“Yes, sir! I’ve been nothing but a dedicated huntress in carrying out this punishment that was bestowed upon me by Toruk Makto himself. You may ask the weavers yourself, even they kept going on about how fortunate they are to have me working for them. I mean, anyone would feel lucky to have me around.”

Neteyam almost wanted to palm his face, looking at you as you speak, now pouting up at his father, “Unless you, Sir, no longer see my value and would rather risk our people in the middle of a war. Then… I suppose someone has to be sacrificed eventually…”

“Y/n, you’re speaking to the Olo’eyktan. Be polite,” Neteyam whispered under his breath. you shot him a glare. “I’m being polite, golden boy.”

You redirected your attention to Jake, asking for permission to see Seya. After a long, weary sigh, he finally motioned for both of you to come inside and continue the discussion.

Neteyam remained distracted by his father’s reaction, assuming the disappointment stemmed from a simple breach of protocol. You, on the other hand, cared about none of that as you brought up Seya again.

“I know, Y/n, I just need the two of you to listen before I decide what to do with your punishment.”

Once you were settled, Jake revealed that he would have to postpone both the exchange with the Tawkami and the meeting with the Metkayina, signaling that something serious had come up.

Your head snapped up instantly. “What?!”

“How come, sir?”

Jake’s jaw tightened before he answered. “I was informed by our sky-watchers that there’s a possibility that Mangkwan may make a move. We’re of course preparing for a potential intrusion, and I need all available warriors ready.”

Your tail flicked hard behind you before you could stop it as you heard the name of the clan. He paused then added, “That includes lifting your punishment early. You two are needed back in active duty.”

Neteyam understood where the conversation was leading, his surprise evident as he began to piece it together. Jake then confirmed his suspicion, assigning both of you to a covert mission that would require infiltrating Mangkwan territory.

While the mission itself didn’t intimidate you, the thought of going to their territory brought Seya to mind, what unsettled you was the worry that your ikran wouldn’t be safe in her current condition.

As if catching the same concern, Neteyam spoke up, “But Sir… our ikran…”

Jake then expressed his disappointment that neither of you had noticed what was happening with your ikrans, reminding you that your bond should’ve made you aware of changes like these. As you and Neteyam reacted uneasily, he made it clear that this disconnect was a serious issue that needed to be addressed before either of you could be trusted with a mission inside the enemy’s territory.

You two were dismissed that night. Now you stood inside the council gathering, surrounded by warriors, hunters, and elders who watched your every movement as the map lay spread across the center table. The clan’s artists had marked routes, terrain details, and territory lines, waiting for your input.

Your finger traced a path across the ground route marked on the map. “Hence, I have decided that infiltrating their base on foot would benefit us. We’ll move inside their base, gather information directly from within the clan, and see if they’re preparing an attack. The process, you can leave that to us.”

An elder leaned forward. “Can you at least tell us what you have planned? This is a dangerous task, and if anything happens to you two, it’ll be harsh for your ikrans who are already in a compromised state due to its mating season.”

“The Mangkwan are nothing but a problem that needs solving,” you said, stepping closer to the map. “I will be the one to do it properly. For my clan.”

Neteyam glanced at you, but you ignored him and pointed at the route, ears still pinned back. No one else seemed to notice the small shift in your posture.

You presented a plan to infiltrate the Mangkwan by disguising yourselves with matching pigments and fully adapting to their appearance and behavior. Based on your observations, you explained that their leadership seemed to rely more on fear.

You reiterated your request for the artists to prepare materials that would allow you and Neteyam to mimic their appearance as accurately as possible for the mission.

“Daughter… Are you certain of this?”

You answered with confidence when your father approached you, insisting that gathering information was the least you should be capable of if you hoped to lead one day.

“I’ll protect y/n, sir.” Neteyam nodded to your father and you glared at him before paying attention again to the feedback of the elder.

“How will you execute this plan?”

You stepped forward again as your hand hovered over the map. “One of our sky-watchers reported that they hold nightly gatherings, similar to ours. That’s where we enter, when they’re distracted.”

The plan was to depart before nightfall and enter during active movement, allowing you two to blend. You intended to take the lower forest route despite the difficult terrain, using the thick canopy and uneven ground to mask your presence and disrupt recognizable sound patterns. Once inside the territory, the priority would be observation, studying their behavior, speech, and mannerisms closely enough to imitate them.

The others nodded, exchanging glances as your plan began to settle in their minds. For once, it didn’t sound like you were charging headfirst into danger, but walking into it with purpose.

After explaining more details, you crossed your arms and gave a small shrug. “and that’s how a very capable and quite frankly deserving Olo’eykte executes a properly calculated plan. Otherwise, I’m not convinced any other approach here would work as effectively.”

The mood eventually went down.

While the council acknowledged the plan was well thought out, concerns were raised about the risks of sending their own people deep into enemy territory without support.

However, Neteyam stepped forward before you could respond. “Her plan is structured and it accounts for Mangkwan behavior. I’ll ensure the execution remains controlled.”

You let out a scoff, crossing your arms tighter as you glanced at him before looking back at the council.

“Since it has been said, yes, my plan is structured. Obviously. I’ve delivered results every time I was given responsibility, it’s only logical that I’d continue to do so. If anything, this is the safest way you’re gonna get information without losing more people… especially the great ones, me!”

You were fortunate to have the clan supporting you and your plan, as they should. What caught your attention more was how quick everything began moving the moment you finished speaking.

The thought of leaving for the mission without Seya weighed heavily on you. For someone who shared such a deep bond with their ikran, the separation settled uncomfortably in your chest.

You reflected on Seya’s behavior lately and realized the signs had been there all along, from her unusual restlessness to changes in her appetite. What you had once dismissed as exhaustion now seemed far more significant in hindsight.

Vetxo who sat beside you spoke, “Don’t worry, we’ll take care of your girl,” she reassured you, glancing toward the direction where Seya had been secured.

You exhaled at her words, the tension in your shoulders eased. Even if you wouldn’t say it out loud, you trusted them with her more than you trusted most things right now.

-

“Ow! Not so tight, old hag!”

You let out a sharp hiss as Ikeyni tightened your braid with no mercy, pulling your hair back with force.

Ikeyni, Olo’eykte of the Tayrangi Clan, didn’t flinch at your complaint. “Shut your mouth, skxawng. Didn’t you say you wanted to blend in? If they find beauty within the clan, you’re gonna get your ass slapped.”

“They’ll slap my what?!”

“Your butt, dummy.”

“But why would they slap my butt?”

“It was just… an expression.”

You continued anyway, completely confused. “How come people here aren’t slapping my butt though? I’ve always been called the epitome of beauty. What about you? Do you wanna slap my butt?”

Ikeyni went still for half a second, then looked at you like she was regretting ever opening her mouth that led the conversation here. “No.”

After getting your hair done, the right side was slicked tightly back against your scalp, it almost felt uncomfortable with how still it was. The left side remained looser and layered, falling over your eye as the artists worked, giving you that look of mimic.

You remained still as the weavers completed your transformation, having already prepared your skin with an ash soak before layering grey-blue pigments carefully across your body to mimic Mangkwan coloring. Once finished, you stepped out in the new garments, adjusting to the unfamiliar feel, only for your gaze to fall on the materials and a clear look of disgust to cross your face.

The top was barely anything, a thin wrap secured tightly around your chest, more like a bandage than actual clothing.

“Check you out. Looking pretty decorated.” Vetxo tilted her head, giving Peyrral a slow examination as she adjusted one of her fallen straps.

“Only now do you decide to look at me?” Peyrral grinned as she let Vetxo fix her lace.

“Stolen things usually don’t get my attention, you see.”

“Good thing I took this from y/n then.”

From a short distance away, you let out a groan while still trying to adjust the tight band across your breasts. “You guys look at this! These are suffocating my babies.”

“You wanted to lead missions like this, did you not?” Peyrral nodded once in agreement. “Consider this part of your properly calculated plan.”

You were about to enter enemy territory, the Mangkwan’s own ground, and for the first time since the plan began forming, small doubts started to creep in at the edges of your mind.

“I know you guys would miss me but dont miss me too much…”

They joked that they could finally experience peace again now that you’re leaving, you laughed it off, pinched both of them in retaliation, and stepped back.

Later, Mo’at stepped forward once the clan had gathered, she lifted her hand, eyes moving between you and Neteyam. “Eywa hears what is spoken, and what is not.” Her hand lowered, resting near you and Neteyam’s chest. “May Eywa walk beside you when your eyes cannot see clearly, may she steady your breath when your spirit wavers, and may she return you to us when your task is done.”

You stood there, you felt your father step closer beside you. He didn’t say anything at first, just looked at you with an expression that didn’t quite hide his worry.

“You will come back…” he muttered. His hand rested on your shoulders before pulling away. You gave a small nod, “Of course.”

On the other side, Neteyam stood with his family gathered close. Neytiri reached up to adjust something near his shoulder, his siblings lingered, Tuk had already wrapped herself around his leg, holding on tightly while Kiri stood at his side, her hand wrapped around his forearm, then Lo'ak stayed just in front of him, trying to keep out of the cheesy moments, but it slipped the moment Neteyam reached out and placed a hand on his head.

You and Neteyam moved through the forest in silence, both alert as you scanned the surroundings, with him keeping his bow ready and carrying both your supplies. You took the lead, unwilling to place yourself behind anyone, while he followed eith no protest after insisting on carrying your bag as a sign of respect, which you accepted without argument since it worked in your favor.

“Get down!”

Neteyam followed your movement immediately, though his voice came out confused. “What? Why?”

“Heh. I was just testing the golden son’s awareness,” you said with a smirk, trying to get a reaction from him.

“Seriously?”

Later, the two of you moved through Mangkwan base without drawing suspicion, blending into the flow of their people. Eyes followed you with a nod, especially when they noticed the dead nantang being carried by you. It had nearly attacked the two of you earlier, forcing you to draw your bow and do what was required, before offering a prayer to send the creature back to Eywa.

To them, you weren’t strangers, just a warriors returning with something worth celebrating more. Your hips shifted side to side with confidence, while Neteyam walked just behind with his arms resting behind his head, with a arrogant grin on his face.

“Olo’eykte not here, Olo’eykte there, come.”

‘That easy?’ you thought.

The hunter reached out, hand moving toward the nantang as if to take it from you but before he could, you hissed at him to make him back off.

Of course you weren’t sure if it was normal for their men to take the heavier load from women, but you werent gonna risk your plan over that.

The hunter led you through the center of their base, pushing past bodies that made space for your arrival. The closer you got, the more the noise settled, all eyes went toward the woman being surrounded ahead. When you reached her, you dropped the nantang to the ground with enough weight to make it noticeable, then adjusted your posture, copying the bow the others gave.

“Olo’eykte, I back!”

A woman wearing a feathered headdress questioned your identity, prompting you to maintain your disguise and act offended while reminding her of your supposed earlier introduction.

From the moment you stepped in, it was already clear to you how they functioned. Their speech was broken, their words lacking structure, but their reactions were easy. And unlike your clan, their system was not rule-based but hierarchy-driven.

She circled you slowly, her fiery gaze never leaving your cold one as she studied you from every angle. “This is the first time I see one of my people walk in like this… so confident of themselves.”

Neteyam watched from the crowd with growing unease, forced to stay hidden while you stood close to the her. Though he trusted you, his inability to help and the risk of the situation left him tense.

The woman stepped closer, closing the distance between you intentionally. Her hand reached out, catching one of your braids, twirling it around her finger as her eyes studied your face.

She physically asserted her control over you, threatening your kuru with a dagger while suggesting she could turn you into her puppet. Holding your fate in her hands, she challenged you to give her a reason not to.

You defended your value by claiming you understood how enemies think and behave through observation, making yourself useful beyond brute strength. Though she questioned whether you were anything more than a distraction, you challenged her judgment, insisting she wouldn’t see you that way ever.

“How sure are you?”

“Very sure.”

Then she straightened, turning her head toward one of her hunters. Without taking her eyes off you, she lifted her finger and signed to the creature below.

“Throw.”

The hunter obeyed, dragging the nantang away and tossing it toward the fire pit where it would be prepared, the act speaking of acceptance.

Behind you, the crowd erupted into celebration again, you turned, scanning through the crowd until your eyes caught a familiar pair of golden ones. Neteyam stood among them, his gaze showing pure concern, silently asking if you were alright.

You held his stare, tightening your expression in response, giving him a clear signal through your eyes alone. He understood, and without breaking the act, he moved with the crowd to join the cooks.

You didnt wait for the gathering to end after that, stepping inside the leader’s hut. Your eyes adjusted as you scanned the place, metal accessories scattered, weapons displayed.

“I… see you, Olo’eykte.”

you said as you stepped further in, eye twitching as you watch her tend to the fire, adding something that made the flames rise higher.

“My people normally don’t approach with fiery heart.”

“now that change,” you whispered, moving closer behind her, your gaze lowering to observe what she was holding. In her hand was a slender pipe, a tepi, and within her palm a mixture of ash and powder.

“Before we fix your tongue,” she said, turning to face you, “Varang must see your soul first.”

Your eyes went from the tepi to her face as she stepped closer. “Be still,” she commanded. But you shifted back instinctively, she closed the distance again. “I said, be still.”

You obeyed just then. The moment the tepi was lifted to touch your nose, she blew instantly, the powder hitting you, flooding your senses before you could react. You staggered, eyes rolling to the back of your head, “W-wait…” you stuttered, your body giving in as you dropped to the ground.

Varang watched your pupils react, you tried to steady yourself but your body felt hot, your thoughts felt messy, it was overwhelming.

She turned back to the fire, throwing the remaining powder into it. “Fire is precious… Anything deadly could happen to you, and you’ll feel it… that moment where you think something will come for you.” She tilted her head looking back at you. “But it does not.”

You forced yourself to stay present, even as your body reacted, your breathing uneven. When she reached for your kuru, bringing it forward, your body tensed.

“We will begin fixing you… but first,” she started lifting her hand slowly, revealing the tattoo on her palm, an eye staring back at you, “you answer me.”

“Who is your name?”

“n/n.”

“What do you seek, n/n?”

Your thoughts blurred, the powder pressing against your mind, “You. I come for you, I seek you.”

“You wish to serve me? Be my puppet?”

“…Yes. I need that. Help me.”

After gaining Varang’s trust and letting her fall into the version of you she wanted to see, you walked toward the meeting point you and Neteyam had agreed on.

Inside the cave, Neteyam was seated fixing yout things, checking each piece confirming nothing had been taken. His ears flicked when he heard your footsteps.

He turned, already rising before you entered. “Are you okay?” he inquired, eyes scanning you from head to toe, searching for anything off.

“Duh,” you replied, smirking as you walked further in. You tugged at your braids, loosening the tension from the tight style, your scalp already beginning to itch now that you were away from them.

“She didn’t hurt you?” he pressed, following you deeper into the cave as you started looking for your bow.

“She didn’t. She wouldn’t anyway… I got it, Neteyam.” You stepped aside, rolling your shoulders. “I didn’t think I’d ever be so happy being called someone’s puppet or slave. But I swear, Neteyam, it works. She believes it.”

You explained how your plan had been working more easily than expected, even wondering if Eywa was guiding you, before sharing what you learned about the Mangkwan losing faith after their forest burned and no help came.

As Neteyam watched you, he said he still believed in Eywa, but understood why they would question her after experiencing that kind of suffering.

You bit your lip, holding in a giggle as you glanced at him. “Of course you’d answer it like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like the golden son would…” you muttered, rolling your eyes. He studied your fsce, then spoke. “And how would you want me to answer it then?”

You shrugged, “I don’t know… maybe less empathetic?”

“I cannot do that, I feel for them.”

“Of course you do…”,

He tilted his head at you. “You don’t?”

“I… do, too.”

-

“Lady n/n! Olo’eykte seek you!”

Over the past weeks, Mangkwan had grown to treat your name with respect, something you carried with arrogance despite knowing your position under Varang.

Your patience had been wearing thin as she continued to stay vague and ahead of you, refusing to reveal anything despite your attempts to question her plans.

Her repeated answer only deepened your frustration, and the growing uncertainty began to weigh on you, making it harder to focus in a place where even a single mistake could cost everything.

You kept your silence, even from Neteyam, maintaining distance as planned and treating him like nothing more than another presence in the clan, though his attention still lingered.

What played on you most was not Varang or the war, but yourself, slipping into something you could no longer fully control, while despite the position and access they gave you, you were left with nothing that you really needed.

You clicked your tongue under your breath, jaw tightening. How stupid have you been?

Maybe you had miscalculated and they had been the ones playing you all along, letting you believe you were ahead while guiding you straight into their grasp.

Your thoughts snapped the moment you felt a pull. A Mangkwan had grabbed your tail again, fingers curling around it. You turned, irritation can be seen through your face, eyes glaring as you yanked against their grip.

“Let go!”

You hissed at them, but they only laughed, their attention lingering in a way that made your skin crawl as others nearby began to watch.

Your tail flicked as you pulled back, posture straightening while your gaze hardened, letting your temper slip to remind them of who you were.

“That’s what I’m talking about,” you muttered, before letting your hand shoot forward, fingers wrapping around their queue.

You pulled them closer, copying Varang’s exact behavior. “You dare laugh?” Their breath hitched immediately, body going still beneath your grip.

You held their gaze for a moment longer before releasing their kuru, then shifted your eyes toward the nearby warriors who moved immediately, stepping forward to drag the individual away without question.

You then headed straight for Varang’s hut. “Took you long enough to arrive,” she said without looking at you working over something at the fire.

“My apologies. Mangkwan have been getting on my nerves.”

“What were they doing?”

“Nothing important. Just… touching my tail. I do not like it when people do that.”

She hummed. “If they cannot satisfy you, how would they satisfy me, n/n?”

You didn’t react, only tilted your head. “I promise, it’s nothing, I am just easily irritated lately. I let the warriors handle it. Please. Tell me why I am here.”

“I have the plan ready.”

Your heart dropped at that sentence, a smirk still found its way to your lips as you lowered yourself onto the ground, settling comfortably inside her kelku, “Yeah? I’m listening.”

Varang didn’t look at you. “It speaks…” she murmured, pointing at the flame, while you watched the movements of her hands along it.

“What’s it telling?”

“It shows me patterns… movements that repeats itself, even when it thinks it changes.”

You let out a soft breath through your nose, leaning your weight onto one arm. “Sounds like a riddle.”

Varang grinned wider, teeth flashing in the firelight as she spoke again. “It is as is. We strike the Omatikaya at their weakest point, their sacred grove near the old kelku ruins.”

You were confused, that, really?

“The sacred grove? That place is heavily guarded. How will we get past their warriors without losing too many of our own?”

“How do you know?”

“From… the last battle. I told you I know a lot about them, I practically already memorized them.”

“It’s easy. We send a small group first to draw their hunters away. While they chase shadows, the real force circles from the east river and burns everything they hold dear. They will never see it coming.”

You smiled, gulping. “It sounds… awesome. What if the first group gets wiped out too fast though?” You muttered then Varang’s hand slammed against the ground beside her, making you flinch.

She stared at you hard. “Are you questioning me, brat? This is how we’ve always fought. Fire does not ask for permission. It burns what it wants.”

You quickly lowered your gaze, heart beating faster. ‘Damn it… I need to calm down.’

“No, Olo’eykte. I am only making sure the plan is strong as I want us to win.”

“Good. Because you will lead that first group. Within this war, you are to show me your usefulness.”

Your stomach dropped. Leading the distraction group sounded like a death sentence, but you forced yourself to nod.

“That’s … I am honored. What about backups? Will we have them close by in case things go bad?”

Varang laughed. “Backup? I thought you were as smart as you claim to be? You either succeed or you burn with the enemy. That is the plan.”

She stood up slowly, towering over you, “You came here wanting power, wanting to stand beside me. This is how you earn it, little flame. Unless you’re suddenly afraid?”

You shook your head fast, letting out a giggle. “Me? Afraid? I am not. I will do it. When do we move?”

“Five nights from now. Prepare yourself well, n/n.” Varang stepped closer and grabbed your chin roughly, forcing you to look up at her. “Do not disappoint me. I have no patience for those who squander what little worth they’re given. I do not keep the feeble, nor do I tend to the useless. If you prove yourself to be either… then I will see you burned out of my sight like ash that dared to think itself fire.”

The plan felt too reckless but you knew you shouldnt push too hard or you’ll blow your cover.

Three nights before the war, you were assigned a small group of five warriors, while Neteyam’s placement remained unknown to you. With security tightening among the Mangkwan, any form of contact between the two of you had became impossible.

While your clan prepares with care, the Mangkwan trained through brutality, pushing their warriors through cruel methods. You watched, disturbed by the way rhe young fighters were shooting at living targets in a spinning board:

Two days before the war, the harsh training continued without rest. Varang kept pulling you aside to go over your role again and again.

Varang assigned you the role of “messenger,” a position that sounded important but actually placed you alone in dangerous combat zones, keeping you away from the main force.

One day before the war, Mangkwan kept pushing themselves harder, you could barely believe you were only hours away from a war commencement.

Hours away from facing your own people.

16 hours before the war, the weight of everything pressed on your chest, but you ignored it. You hadn’t seen Neteyam in days. The thought of him fighting somewhere else without knowing the truth made your stomach twist.

12 hours before the war, the camp grew louder as final preparations began. You moved between groups, listening to every order while trying to memorize escape routes.

5 hours before the war, you decided this was your only chance. You would try to break away early and reach your people before everything started. Even if it meant risking everything.

3 hours before the war, Mangkwan gathered in formation, eyes wild with excitement for death. You stood among your small group, grip tight on your bow.

You took one last look around, hoping to catch even a glimpse of Neteyam. Nothing. You whispered a prayer to Eywa and readied yourself to move at the first opportunity.

You tried to move through the crowd unnoticed, keeping your head low, but you were seen anyway as a hand suddenly seized your wrist, and before you could react, it pulled you around to be faced directly.

“Where are you heading off to, n/n?”

You forced a grin and answered. “Just… gonna take a fresh breath of air before we murder those people.”

Varang grinned back at you. “Well, save those fresh breaths for later. We begin now.”

Your stomach dropped. “The war starts in three hours. What’s the rush? Those people will not win against us anyway!”

Varang caught you and tightened her grip, accusing you of disobedience as she revealed the plan to ambush early. Without waiting for your response, she dragged you back to your group, leaving you shaken and realizing you might no longer have a chance to send a message to your clan.

Varang shoved you forward into the middle of your small team. “Messengers who wander off tend to lose their tongue.”

You stayed under the warriors’ suspicious stares… For the first time since arriving, you no longer felt in control and only cornered.

One of your group members nudged you. “Lady n/n, Olo’eykte watch you closely, you focus.”

You swallowed hard and gripped your bow tighter, you hissed at him. “I am focused, bitch. Focus on yourself.”

Panic continued to build as you realized Neteyam and your clan had no warning while the ambush was already underway. Mangkwan began moving through the dark forest, splitting into groups, and you followed your assigned team behind Varang, your heart pounding the entire time.

Varang looked back at you with a grin. “Draw them out… make them chase.”

The plan still felt completely off. Too dumb. You didn’t understand these people and how rhey work. So, you tried one last time as you neared the fork in the path. “Olo’eykte, maybe we should adjust. If I take a smaller path through the thick trees instead, we can—”

Varang cut you off with a harsh laugh and grabbed the back of your neck roughly. “You still question me… after all I have granted you?”

“N-no!”

She shoved you forward toward the narrow trail that led to an old abandoned cave near the grove. “Go. Do as I have commanded. Drive them in, if you must… and draw them deep.”

You stumbled a little but caught yourself. Panic was rising fast in your chest now. Your group moved ahead with you at the front. You kept looking back, hoping to see Varang or any chance to run, but she stayed behind watching, the cave entrance appeared soon after.

Something felt very wrong.

You turned to your team. “We wait here and make noise when they come then draw them inside.”

Suddenly heavy footsteps came from behind. Varang stepped out of the shadows with two of her strongest guards. She was smirking. “Well done, n/n, you have led them exactly where I desired.”

You froze. “What? The plan—”

Varang walked closer, towering over you as her guards blocked the cave entrance. she let out a scoff. “There was never such a thing. You thought to play me, stupid… you were seen from the very first breath.”

“What are you talking about? I’m—”

Varang laughed loudly and grabbed your arm, yanking you toward the deeper part of the cave. “Every meeting, every word… you truly believed yourself clever. A spy wearing borrowed skin, thinking she had fooled us? Me?”

You struggled against her grip, heart pounding wildly. “Let go! I do not know what you mean! I have always followed you—”

She shoved you hard into a small hole chamber inside the cave. You stumbled and hit the rocky ground, panic flooding your body as you looked up.

Varang stood there, looking down at you. “You and your little companion is lucky.”

Her guards started pushing heavy rocks and old wooden bars across the opening. You tried to push yourself up, “No wait! Where is he!”

She watched you struggle with amusement as her people pushed more heavy rocks to block the entrance. You slammed your hands against the closing gap, voice cracking. “Varang! Please! Do not hurt them!”

“Such a request… I am not your weak mother. You do not ask. You must prostrate yourself before me.” The last rock slid into place with a heavy thud, sealing you inside complete darkness.

You screamed and banged on the rocks until your fists hurt. “Let me out, you bitch!! Asshole!”

You kept screaming until your lungs burned, calling for help like someone might still hear you through the weight of the rocks sealing you in. It was too dark to see anything properly, only a thin line of moonlight from above breaking through the opening, where the trees moved against the sky.

Panic took over completely. You paced the small cave fast, breathing hard, tail lashing wildly behind you.

How did she know?

What about Neteyam? Is he safe?

You slid down the wall, hands shaking as you pulled at your braids in frustration. Tears burned in your eyes but you refused to let them fall.

You felt completely trapped, unsure of what to do as fear took over your body. The situation made you feel weak, and you blamed yourself for everything, hating how you had fallen right into her plan.

Your thoughts spiraled toward your father’s disappointment, your clan’s broken trust, and the promise you made to Neteyam that everything would go according to plan.

Leadership no longer mattered to you in that moment, only the fear of what might have happened to him and whether he was safe or already caught.

You stood up and started pushing against the rocks with all your strength, but it wasn’t budging. You screamed and hit the wall again, fists hurting. “Fuck!”

Suddenly you heard noises outside. Rocks were being moved, one by one. Your ears perked up fast. You rushed to the entrance and pressed your face close to the small gaps.

Then you heard his voice. “Y/n?! Are you in there?”

It was Neteyam.

Relief hit you so hard your legs almost gave out. You threw yourself against the opening the moment it was wide enough. “Neteyam!”

Neteyam caught you and pulled you out, hugging you tight against his chest. You hugged him back just as hard, heart still racing from both fear and relief. You both pulled away at the same time.

“Are you okay?” you asked.

“Are you okay?” he asked at the exact same time. You answered first. “I am fine. They locked me in here. I shouldn’t have been chosen for this mission… this is my fault. I should’ve never been—”

“Y/n—”

Your voice cracked as you looked at him, panic rising fast. “Where were you? I couldn’t even— I couldn’t help anything. I ruined this!”

Neteyam’s grip tightened on your arm immediately, “Hey. No, listen to me.”

You tried, but your breathing was still trembling.

“This is not on you, you didn’t cause this war. You didn’t lock yourself in this place. You’re here now with me.” Your hands shook as he held your gaze. “You’re not alone in this. We’re partners, right? I need you.”

“N-Neteyam— I’m scared,” you admitted, voice breaking. “I don’t know what to do. S-she— Varang—”

Neteyam exhaled, pulling you closer. He was panicking too, but seeing you like this made it worse, like your fear doubled in his chest. “I know, I hear you. I’m right here. I need you focused. You tell me what’s going on.”

You broke down in front of Neteyam, admitting everything had been a lie and that you had been completely misled.

“We will track them, Y/n. We already know their direction.”

Your head whipped toward him. “H-how can we do that?! We don’t even have our ikrans, they have their dragons! I’m sure they’re already there by now. And our people—”

“Just follow me!”

You both started running out of the cave together, the forest blurred as you ran side by side. You felt safer now that he was with you.

You both ran as fast as your legs could carry you, pushing through the exhaustion. Neteyam held your hand tightly the whole time, guiding each other toward the loud battle noises and Mangkwan war horns. Your ears picked up every distant uell.

“Neteyam, I think they went that way!”

“We will go there. Hold on tight, okay?” He squeezed your hand and nodded. “Mhm!”

You were exhausted from the confinement, your energy nearly gone as the battle came into view. Instead of your clan, you found the Mangkwan already clashing among themselves in disorder.

You pulled Neteyam behind some thick bushes to hide when you spotted Mangkwan riders flying above with bows in their hands.

You watched in silence too as Varang jumped from one nightwraith to another. She grabbed a warrior by his queue and sliced it brutally with her dagger, killing him.

You felt sick seeing it.

You were lucky you never experienced that side of her… you sighed deeply and held Neteyam’s hand even tighter. He noticed how nervous you were and gently pulled your head against his chest, not letting you watch the scene any longer.

“I’m glad I found you,” he whispered against your hair. You nodded and held him closer for a moment.

“We have to get out of here,” you said as you pulled away.

You took his hand and followed the direction the Mangkwan had gone, moving in as their battle cries echoed through the forest. Before you could go further, a voice called out from behind, stopping you both in your tracks.

“stop there, traitors!”

You and Neteyam turned around fast. He recognized the warriors who had guarded him earlier and emerged from the side.

You raised your bow without hesitation, fingers moving to pull an arrow from your quiver. The shot was clean, the arrow slicing through the air before striking the guard straight in the neck, dropping him instantly.

You let out a scoff, already reaching back for another arrow, your focus locked on finishing it. But in that moment, your attention stayed forward for too long, and you failed to notice the second guard lifting his bow, already aiming straight at you.

One arrow flew straight.

Neteyam saw it at the last second, so he pushed you back hard and stepped in front of you. The arrow struck him in the upper chest with a heavy thud. He groaned loudly from the pain and held his chest.

“Neteyam!” you screamed and caught him as he stumbled forward. Blood started spreading fast across his chest.

Your hands immediately pressed against the wound, panic flooding back stronger than before. “Fuck!”

You heard a loud familiar cry from above. You looked up and saw Seya diving down fast with Teyu right behind her. The ikrans attacked the remaining warrior, enraged.

You lifted Neteyam onto your back, careful with his wound. You ran to the edge of the cliff and called for Seya without waiting to see her in your sight. You jumped, trusting her completely.

She caught you both smoothly, you adjusted fast on her back, connecting your queue to hers while keeping Neteyam secured behind you. He groaned loudly every time the wind moved the arrow still stuck in his upper chest. More blood kept coming out.

Teyu flew above you, watching for any more threats. You didn’t know where you were going, but you trusted Seya to take you somewhere safe. She flew toward another cliff closer to your village.

You could see the battle starting below. Mangkwan forces were closing in while your people prepared to fight.

You bit your lip again out of habit. You landed with Seya and carefully helped Neteyam down to the ground. He groaned in pain as you laid him on his back.

“Take a deep breath, Neteyam!”

You broke the arrow shaft in half, then pushed the head through to pull it out completely. Fresh blood poured out fast. You grabbed a big leaf nearby and tore fabric from your loincloth using your teeth to make a tight bandage.

“Y-Y/n… go to them. Find a safe place—” Neteyam’s voice was deep and hoarse. It startled you and made your panic worse. “No! I’m not leaving you here!” you snapped back.

You pressed hard on his wound with both hands, trying to stop the bleeding. He kept groaning every time you moved. “Leave me be, Y/n…”

“Please, do not do this to me, Neteyam! I’m fucking panicking already. I don’t know what to do, just let me help you!” You tied the fabric around his wounded arm from the metals, tears stinging your eyes.

Neteyam reached up and put his hand over yours on his chest. “Y/n… I need to tell you something.” He breathed heavily and looked at you.

“You waste time! I’m tryna keep you alive!” You pressed harder, hands shaking. Neteyam gave a weak smile despite the pain.

“...I don’t want you to become the Olo’eykte, Y/n.”

You froze for a second. “What are you saying? I refuse to talk about that right now!”

He continued anyway despite your retorts, “I didn’t want that position just to surpass you. I wanted it so… you would stand with me. As my Tsahìk.”

“Stop talking, please. Save your strength!”

Neteyam squeezed your hand weakly. “I have wanted you for so long. Not just as a rival. I want you as my mate, my wife, the mother of my children. I want us to lead together, to have a family… even if they’re running around causing trouble like my baby brother.” He let out a painful chuckle. “That’s why I push so hard. So I can have you beside me instead of against me…”

“Shut up already Neteyam!” You tightened the fabric, voice cracking. “Why are you telling me this now?! Cant you see you’re bleeding!”

Neteyam tried to comfort you by confessing his feelings and distracting you from the situation, but you snapped at him, refusing to think about anything except saving him.

You kept pressing hard on his wound, but the blood kept seeping through your fingers. Your hands would not stop shaking no matter how hard you tried to control them. Neteyam’s breathing was getting heavier, and it only made your panic worse.

“I can’t- y/n, I don’t wanna see you like this—”

“Well stop talking about stupid things so you can save your air!” you hissed at him, “I need to stop this bleeding first. I cannot lose you, skxawng!”

You broke down with the battle closing in and no supplies to help him, you grew more desperate, admitting you had no idea what to do.

Neteyam lifted his hand weakly and touched your arm. “Y-you’re doing enough. Just stay with me.”

“You stay with me! I told you this mission would work and now… look at you!”

More blood came out when he tried to move. You cursed loudly and leaned more of your weight on the injury. “Stay still, damn it! Seya, Teyu, Help me!” You called for the ikrans again.

You took a deep breath and tried to think clearly. “Okay… okay. I will do something, then we move. We have to reach the healers. Until then, I need you to stay with me. Please.”

Neteyam gave you a smile. “T-there you are, my stubborn girl. I-i’ll have to know your answer so…”

You hissed at him again but your hands stayed gentle on his chest. “Shut up and save your energy. Im still mad at you for jumping in front of that arrow.”

“I can’t let you get that instead.”

“That was for me!”

The panic was still there, heavy in your chest, but you refused to let it stop you. Neteyam needed you right now, and you woulnt let him down again.

Seya landed and crouched low so you could lift Neteyam onto her back. He groaned loudly as you moved him, one hand clutching the leaf bandage on his chest. You tore another big leaf in half and tied his wrist tightly to Seya’s harness line.

“Stop groaning so much!”

You climbed in front of Neteyam and wrapped his arms around your torso. He rested his chin on your right shoulder, whimpering softly when the tie on his wrist pulled tight. “Bear with it for now.”

You connected your queue to Seya’s and took off fast into the air. You chose the shortest path toward the clan, flying high into the clouds to avoid any Mangkwan riders. Neteyam held onto you tighter as the wind hit his wound.

“We’re almost there… Just hold on a little longer, Neteyam.”

He pressed his face against your shoulder. “I’m still here. Keep flying...”

You arrived at High Camp with urgency, drawing immediate attention as people rushed toward you, shocked at Neteyam’s condition.

As Mo’at stepped in with a serious expression, you quickly freed him from the harness while the crowd gathered, their voices rising in alarm around you.

“What happened?!”

“Are you alright?!”

“Is that blood?!”

You jumped down from Seya and warned the clan that the Mangkwan were already on their way, their leader aware of the truth. Despite your exhaustion, you immediately searched for the leaders, asking where your father, Neytiri, Jake, and the others were.

One of the elders stepped closer. “They already left. We knew something was wrong when we received no word from either of you. The Olo’eyktan took most of the warriors ahead to meet them.”

Norm appeared in his avatar body and moved. “We’ll take a look at him.” He carefully lifted Neteyam and carried him toward the science tent. You watched them go, heart still racing.

Peyrral and Vetxo pushed through the crowd and ran to you. “Y/n! Are you okay? What happened out there?!” Peyrral shook you.

You shook your head, still panicking. “A lot… everything went wrong. Neteyam got shot b-because of me.”

Mo’at raised her hand and spoke. “Give her space. Now.” She gently took your arm and pulled you away from the crowd toward her kelku. “Come, child. Let me see your wounds.”

You followed Mo’at and only then realized your own injuries, breaking down in her care as she tried to calm you, you apologized through tears, blaming yourself for Neteyam’s condition.

Mo’at wrapped her arms around you and stroked your back. “Hush, child. You have done what was placed before you. Neteyam chose his path, do not dishonor it by turning it into guilt.”

You kept crying, voice shaky. “What would my father think… letting Toruk Makto’s son get hurt like this because of me?” Mo’at continued cleaning the red paint and dirt from your wounds, her touch steady and calm.

“He would give thanks that his daughter has returned alive. Your father and the others have already gone ahead to face the enemy. The silence from you both didn’t sit well with them…”

You whimpered and looked down. “So… me and Neteyam went through all that for nothing?” Mo’at shook her head as she applied fresh herbs to your cuts. You hissed when they stung.

“Not for nothing, my child,” she replied, voice full of quiet wisdom. “Your ikran sensed the danger through the bond. Eywa moves in ways we do not always see. You know this. Your bond with Neteyam, and with your ikran, carried warning back to us. It gave us time we wouldn’t have otherwise had.”

After what felt like a long session with the Tsahìk, where your wounds were treated and your thoughts were cleared, you stepped outside. The moment you did, your two friends were already there, pulling you into them without hesitation.

“We were so worried!”

“I’m fine, you guys,” you replied, letting yourself stay in the embrace for a second before pulling away. Physical contact still felt strange right now, especially with everything happening. “We need to help the others.”

“Y/n, no,” Peyrral snapped, pinching your arm to anchor you in place. “You’re staying here with us.”

“But—”

“We’re not letting you go back there. Did you see what happened to Neteyam?” Vetxo cut in.

Your expression changed fast, eyes widening as the memory hit. Your head dipped, tension tightening in your jaw.

Your friends warned you that if the arrow had truly been meant for you, then you were still in danger, also the fact that the enemy likely held deep resentment toward you for betraying them.

“I…” your voice faltered, words collapsing before they could form properly. “It’s all too much…” You covered your face with both hands.

Your friends led you down to the nearest river to remove you from the disguise, the cold air biting at your skin as Peyrral carefully started removing the metals in your body.

“Usually we’d be scolding you nonstop but clearly we care about you too much for that right now” Vetxo said from where she sat on a nearby rock, leaned back as she watched Peyrral work on you.

You scoffed, trying to push back into your usual attitude even if your breathing still felt uneven. Peyrral pinched your skin harder. You hissed and tried to pull your arm away from her. “Watch it!”

“I know you too well, Y/n. I know you’re already planning to sneak back into the battle the second we finish cleaning you up, aren’t you?”

Your eyes widened because she was right.

You were thinking exactly that.

Vetxo straightened her back and crossed her arms. “Do not even think about it. Let the old people handle this one.”

You looked down at the ground, ffowning. “It’s… my fault though. The battle is happening because of what i did out there.”

Peyrral rolled her eyes. “They’re not attacking because of you. They’re just selfish and greedy. They burn everything they touch just to take more life.”

Vetxo nodded and moved closer. “Right. So stop acting like everything revolves around you, miss wannabe olo’eykte.”

You gritted your teeth when vetxo towered over you. “Hey!” you hissed, and hissed right back, Peyrral giggled and poured water over your shoulders. She started scrubbing the red Mangkwan paint off your skin with a rough piece of fabric. “Enough, you two.”

Vetxo crouched down, scooped water in her hand, and splashed it straight onto your face. “Wake up, n/n. You’re back home now. I don’t wanna go back to babying you again.”

You wiped your face and glared at her. “Do not baby me then!”

Peyrral and Vetxo reassured you as they cleaned your wounds, subtly sharing a look, while you admitted feeling useless staying behind. Peyrral had to remind you that you already did your part in the fight, and Vetxo nudged you, and told you to stop trying to be rhe hero all the time.

It was fortunate that the battle ended sooner than expected. The elders, warriors, and hunters finally returned, many of them injured. You stood among the crowd and scanned every face, looking desperately for one specific person.

“Y/n!”

You turned quickly and saw your father. He was barely injured. Your eyes filled with tears as you ran straight to him. “Dad… I am sorry…”

Your father pulled you into a tight embrace, relieved that you were safe, while you broke down against him, apologizing and admitting that your plan had been exposed.

Your father chuckled and stroked your hair. “You have nothing to apologize for. I am just glad you came back to me.”

You pulled back a little and looked at him with teary eyes. “What happened out there?”

He stood up and patted your head. “They backed off. We have Toruk Makto on our side after all.” He to smiled and looked toward the crowd where Jake was guiding the warriors with Neytiri beside him. “Talk to them, daughter. They were worried sick about you and Neteyam. Where is he?”

Your eyes widened at the mention of his name. “He… he got shot b-because of me, dad. He’s with Norm right now.” You looked away, guilt heavy in your chest.

Your father sighed. “Nothing bad happened because of you. Go speak to his parents. They need to see you.”

You nodded and walked toward the crowd. People parted to let you through until you stood in front of Jake and Neytiri.

She rushed to you and held you tightly, Jake offering his hand on your head beside her, it just made your emotions tighten more. When she pulled back, concern took over as she asked if you were alright and demanded to know where her son was.

You bit your lip hard. “He… he took an arrow that was meant for me.”

Both of them gasped. Neytiri turned to Jake, worry on her face as the news settled in. She moved in quickly, pulling you into a tight embrace, “Oh greatmother…”

Jake kept a hand on your head, grounding you as he spoke. “I see you, Y/n. I am glad you are back safe.”

You held back your tears as you explained that Neteyam was still being treated, she comforted you, reassuring you that her son is strong and had only done what any warrior would to protect someone he cared for.

You struggled with how calmly they told you to rest, but Jake urged you to do so after everything you had done.

But insisted on going with them to the science lab as you needed to see Neteyam who was now lying on the white mattress, chest wrapped in fresh bandages, no longer in disguise, breathing slowly.

You finally let out a breath you did not know you were holding when Max turned to everyone and spoke. “He will be fine. He lost a lot of blood, but he’s stable now. He just needs rest.”

Kiri reassured you that it was not your fault, explaining that Neteyam had always been the type to put others before himself. Though you were surprised by her words, she acknowledged you sincerely, saying she was glad he has someone worth protecting.

You looked down at the white tiles. “I just keep thinking… what if I had gotten shot instead? That arrow was meant for me anyway. I feel like everything that went wrong out there started because of me.”

Kiri uncrossed her arms and touched your hands. “You survived the Ash people and came back with my brother. Thats more than enough. Stop carrying the whole forest on your back, Y/n. You will collapse.”

After that, Kiri brought you outside for fresh air, away from the lab’s sterile silence. The two of you ended up talking more than you expected, your thoughts slipping into memories of Neteyam and everything that happened in the desert clan.

You didn’t even fully understand when it changed, how you went from avoiding him to trusting him, maybe even relying on him, despite how much you used to find him unbearable for how flawless he seemed.

It has been two weeks already, and Neteyam is yet to wake up, the elders reassured you that he would wake soon. You visited him almost every day, sitting beside his bed and talking about everything happening in the clan while watching his chest rise and fall.

Right now a big dinner gathering was happening down at the camp. You sat with your friends, biting into the skewered meat.

The three of them were talking about something, but your mind kept drifting back to the cave and the battle.

“—y/n?”

You flinched when Kiri said your name. You looked up at her, confused. “huh?”

Peyrral grinned and leaned forward. “She said she is pregnant and wants you to be the auntie of her child.”

Your eyes widened. “What?!”

Vetxo pinched your waist hard. “She is joking! What the hell, Y/n? Why were you not listening?”

You rubbed the spot she pinched and rolled your eyes. “I was just thinking!” The three of them groaned at the same time. You sighed. “‘Kay. What is it?”

“The courting moon is around the corner. Do you have any plans?”

You raised an eyebrow and pointed at yourself. “Me? Plans? No man ever has two balls to approach a beauty like me.” You flipped your hair.

Vet’xo crossed her arms and smirked. “Really? No man?”

“No man.”

“Then what do you call Neteyam?”

Your ears heated up instantly. You remembered the confession he gave you while bleeding on the ground, how he said he wanted you as his Tsahik, as his mate, how he wanted a future with you.

You quickly cover your ears with your hands, knowing they turn purple when you blush. “What are you guys grinning for?!”

Peyrral looked away while Vet’xo kept smirking. Even Kiri looked interested. She leaned closer, “Do you like my big brother, Y/n?”

You shook Kiri, denying it, and dismissed your other friends, which immediately triggered Peyrral to call you out, offended as a joke by how you labeled them after everything they had done for you.

“Whoever gets hit will be hit.”

“You’re just deflecting, y/n!” Peyrral pointed at you while you got your arms crossed.

And they were right, you actually had no plans for the courting moon, never needing to prepare since attention always came to you naturally, which as it should. The weavers though still offered to dress you for the occasion, so you had no choice but to join. The event itself centered on admiration, where people presented handcrafted offerings as expressions of genuine affection.

It was nothing new.

And yet for some reasons, you found yourself thinking about it…

It wasnt long before you were back to teaching the young children again. You rolled your eyes with a grin when one of the boys started showing off his dance moves for you.

“Alright, wrap it up, Ao’kurr,” you said as you stood up from the rock and clapped your hands. “Everyone, break is over. Get back to stance number three. We will fix each of your positions today.”

You crossed your arms, trying to look strict. The kids just giggled at your face. “ExCUSE me? What are you all laughing for? I said stance number three!”

One of the children pointed behind you excitedly. “Look, lady Y/n!” You turned around fast and your heart dropped. Neteyam stood there, looking at you with a small smile on his face.

He was finally awake…

“You’re still teaching them that old stance? I thought you were a fast teacher,” he teased, chuckling.

“Ne… teyam?” you said, voice barely above a whisper. You bit your lip to stop yourself from smiling too wide and slowly walked toward him, making sure this moment was real. “You are… you’re back.”

“I am.”

You couldn’t stop staring into his golden eyes, and he couldn’t stop staring back at you. Both of you were smiling like idiots.

The children started making loud awww sounds and giggling at the two of you. “Does this mean training is dismissed?!” Ao’kurr exclaimed.

You quickly enforced the training routine, threatening to remove them if they refused, which immediately made the kids protest and complain.

The children begged you to let them rest, using Neteyam’s return to sway you, and you nearly gave in to scolding them. But the moment you heard a chuckle behind you, your focus broke, your heart reacting before you could stop it.

You slowly looked back at him. “Cmon, teacher Y/n… the kids are right,” he said with a grin. You pouted, glaring, and crossed your arms. “Neteyam, do not baby them.”

“I am not babying anyone. I just woke up from my long nap. I want to be alone with you.”

Your ears turned purple so fast that you didn’t have enough time to cover them with your hands, and heat rushed up your neck, but Neteyam stayed calm, still smiling at you.

“Whatever. Fine. A short break for yall,” you mumbled. The children cheered even louder and ran to hug both of you at the same time.

When the kids ran on their own, you walked side by side with Neteyam through the forest. Your hands were clasped behind your back while his right hand rested gently on his freshly bandaged chest. His left hand moved as he spoke about what it felt like during the long weeks he was unconscious.

You walked slowly, matching his pace. He was not yet at full strength after being unconscious for so long, his body still recovering from the blood loss—his circulation slowly stabilizing, oxygen flow returning to his brain and muscles as his nerves and strength gradually came back.

It felt strange hearing his voice again after so many days of that deafening silence.

You didn’t even wanna admit it, but you had really missed him. The thought made your cheeks turn a darker shade of blue, you even tried to hide it by looking straight ahead.

“Y/n?”

You turned to him. “Yes?!” Your eyes widened before you looked away again, unable to hold his golden gaze for long, because every time you did, you would remember his confession when he was bleeding.

He scratched the back of his neck, looking a little worried. “I apologize. Do you… not want to be alone with me right now?”

You shook your head fast. “No! I mean… no. I don’t mind. I don’t really care.” You crossed your arms and turned your face away.

Neteyam chuckled at your reaction. You glanced back up at him. “What?”

“I just cannot believe I didn’t get to see you for weeks.”

You felt heat rising up your neck again. “I mean… I would wonder the same if I didn’t see a beauty like me for two weeks,” you said, rolling your eyes.

You tried to keep your distance by reminding him you wouldnt give up your position just because of what he did, but he responded saying he didn’t expect anything and was simply happy to be with you, leaving you groaning.

The two of you kept walking until you reached the Veil Pool inside the hidden cave. You stepped in slowly, letting the water reach above your knees while it barely touched Neteyam’s calves.

You grinned at him when he said something he usually would say before. “The two weeks of sleep didn’t change you at all?”

“I never changed, Y/n. I am still the same. Like the old me, I still think you are as beautiful as the moon.”

Your heart skipped as he reached out and touched your forearm, giving you time to pull away if you wanted.

“Liar…” you muttered.

“What’s there to lie about?”

You moved your hand and touched his right bicep without thinking. “Everything. About me being beautiful as the moon or whatever.”

Neteyam caressed your hand. “You are, though. You’re the most extraordinary girl i’ve ever known, as bright as the sun and more luminous than the moon itself. You’ve been the light guiding me forward.”

You bit your lip and looked away before turning back to him. “If that’s true… if you really find me beautiful, Neteyam…” He waited, watching you closely. “Then why haven’t youtouched my butt yet?”

Silence filled the air.

Neteyam blinked, caught off guard by what you just said. “Say that again?” He leaned forward a little, thinking he heard you wrong.

“I said, if you find me beautiful like you claim, how come you haven’t touched my ass?” Neteyam pulled back, eyes wide. “Why would I… do that?”

You pouted and crossed your arms. “Ikeyni told me that if someone truly finds me beautiful, they would touch my butt. Maybe even slap it, or squeeze it.”

Neteyam stared at you. “She said that?!”

“Yes, she did!”

“Why would she say that…” Neteyam’s voice trailed off as he scratched his head. He couldn’t meet your eyes, trying to push away whatever image just popped into his mind.

After all, he was no better than any other man when it came to you.

You shrugged. “It’s whatever. People were exaggerating anyway. now that I think about it, it’s really ridiculous. There are other girls who are far more—”

You stopped talking the moment his hands rested on your waist. You looked up at him and saw him gulp hard.

His big palms slowly slid down to your hips, paused for a second as he took a deep breath, then continued lower until both hands settled firmly on your ass.

The closeness made you grin. You felt his hands palming your ass perfectly, like they belonged there.

However, to you, it simply meant he really found you beautiful, admitting to it.

But to him… Oh, you don’t even ask.

“I knew it,” you mumbled, looking up at him with a smirk. You rested your hands on his forearms before wrapping your arms around his neck.

Neteyam’s voice came out shaky. “Y-you like that?”

“Of course I do, Neteyam. I like it very much.” You smiled and rested your head against his chest.

He muttered, “That’s… good to know,” His hands stayed on your ass, unsure what to do next.

“You wanna squeeze it?”

Neteyam’s eyes widened. Before he could say anything—

“Woah…”

You and Neteyam turned your heads at the same time. Peyrral and Vetxo were standing there watching.

Vetxo slowly covered her eyes with her palm. The second Neteyam realized they saw everything, he snatched his hands off you.

You looked at him suspiciously before turning back to your friends. “What’s up?”

Peyrral scoffed before crossing her arms and glared mostly at Neteyam. “‘wHat’s uP?’ Seriously? What’s UP, y/n?”

You crossed your arms too, copying her stance. “Yeah, what’s up?” you repeated sassily, not taking her attitude.

Neteyam facepalmed and covered his mouth with his hand. Vetxo peeked through her fingers. “Are they done, Pey?”

“Oh, they should be!”

You raised an eyebrow, genuinely confused. “Why are you covering your eyes, Vet?” She lowered her hand and looked straight at Neteyam. “Ask him.”

You turned to Neteyam, who was now looking away like the cave walls were suddenly very intriguing. “What happened, Neteyam?”

He cleared his throat and waved his hands. “I swear it’s not what it looks like!”

Peyrral hissed. “It should NOT be what it looks like, Neteyam.”

You raised both arms in confusion. “What?? What does what look like?!”

Vetxo walked over and grabbed your wrist. “Yknow what, Y/n? Come with me. The Olo’eyktan is looking for you.” She started dragging you toward the entrance. You looked back at Neteyam and Peyrral. “What about them?”

Peyrral answered without breaking eye contact with him. “We’ll be there.” You frowned as Vetxo pulled you away.

You sat with Vetxo by the campfire, with some children toasting over it. After hitting her harshly earlier for her joke about the Olo’eyktan calling for you when in fact not, you settled back on your hands.

Your attention drifted when you heard footsteps approaching from your left, and you glanced over just in time to see Neteyam and Peyrral returning together.

Peyrral wore her usual grumpy expression, arms tense at her sides, while Neteyam was frowning, his brows drawn slightly together.

You raised an eyebrow at the sight, watching them for a moment before looking away as they drew near, stealing a glance at Neteyam, who didn’t even bother to look back at you.

-

A few sleeps remained until the courting moon began within the clan, and the village was already shifting into preparation. Decorations were being hung across the walkways, woven details and small offerings to show appreciation among the people.

You had just returned from flying, spending the day with Seya and letting the wind settle both of your thoughts. Jake had finally allowed Seya and Teyu to be together again, now that she was no longer in that irritable phase.

You two stayed high up in the mountains with her, watching the sunset while rubbing a cooling herb on her belly that you prepared on the spot. Her skin had been itching, and it also helped calm her mood for the day.

“Lady Y/n, you are finally back.” One of the elders grabbed your forearm gently after you finished caressing Seya’s snout and pulled you toward her stall.

“I am, Elder Kxara. Did something happen while I was gone?” you asked, letting her guide you in the crowd.

She informed you that her stall would be among the first offerings, now presenting meat prepared by her husband instead of her usual weavings like the other moons, her grip on your forearm tightening slightly as she awaited your reaction.

“Alright then, I’ll buy the most expensive one!” you said, flipping your hair. Kxara gasped. “Lady Y/n, are you sure? This one is quite big and expensive!”

You rolled your eyes at her. “Just give it to me, woman!” She giggled and went behind her stall to prepare the finest seasoned yerik meat.

“Here! It has been seasoned with my love… may it sit well with you.” She placed the meat on the table.

You grinned and reached down to your loincloth for your pouch. And before you could pay, a hand stopped you.

You looked up and saw Neteyam. “Here,” he said, paying for the meat with his own offering and smiling at the elder.

“Lord Neteyam!” Kxara beamed.

“Hey,” You pouted up at him. “That was supposed to be mine!” Neteyam grinned down at you. “It’s all yours, lady Y/n. Let it be my treat for today.” He emphasized the title.

You crossed your arms. “And what does the mighty warrior, Lord Neteyam, owe this little ol’ me for?” You leaned in closer as he did the same. “Because… you took Teyu’s mate out for a ride?”

You put your hands on your hips. “That was just our little date since your pervert bird stole her from me.”

“Well for what, I have no need for a reason when it comes to honoring someone as faultless as you, Lady Y/n,” he said as he pressed a kiss to the back of your palm, earning an immediate eye roll from you.

“Why, thank you, Lord Neteyam.”

“Jt’s always my pleasure, Lady Y/n.

The two of you walked along the stalls, stopping to look over different offerings as you occasionally had Neteyam pick up this and that for you.

You were smiling more than usual throughout the day, and although social interaction normally drained you quickly, being with him felt different like it kept your energy recharged.

Neteyam noticed it too, not just the way your energy stayed unusually full but how you would subtly roll your shoulders and gently crack your neck often.

So he did what he had to do.

He carried all the things he bought for you as you dragged him back to your kelku. It was already getting dark, but the first day of the offering stalls made the camp busier. You pushed the curtain open and stepped inside.

“My father is on patrol tonight. He will be back tomorrow. Just put everything on the ground,” you ordered, stretching your arms. You turned to him and smiled. “Thank you for today. I strangely had fun with you, my lord.”

Neteyam set the items down carefully and smiled back. “Of course, my lady . It was nothing.”

You shook your head. “It was not nothing, Neteyam… After everything that happened, I should be the one treating you.”

He stepped closer and fixed a strand of hair that fell over your ear. “I wanted this, Y/n. I wanted to spend time with you.”

You bit your lip and looked away for a second before squeezing his biceps. “If you wanted to, we could have done it without you emptying your pouch.”

He chuckled softly. “I wanted to do it. I approached the stall and paid for the meat myself, right?”

You rolled your eyes but could not hide your smile. “Yeah… well, what can I do for you in return?”

Neteyam shook his head. “There is nothing I want in return. Although… I would really appreciate it if you let me take care of your body tonight.”

Your eyes widened. “W-what?”

“Let me massage you. I noticed you cracking your bones while we were walking. You must be exhausted after flying with Seya all day.” He held your hand gently.

“Oh…” You looked away, cheeks warming.

“Why?”

“Well, you do not have to, Neteyam. I am perfectly fine—”

He cut you off. “I insist, Y/n. Please, let me help.”

You rolled your eyes but pushed the curtain to open your sleeping area. “Fineee. My herbs are in the jars in the kitchen. Take some.”

You started removing your heavy accessories and when he came back, he began to take off his cummerbund and arm guards as well.

He noticed you struggling with the top piece because the pebbles on the band got tangled. “Do you need help?”

You turned to him and pointed at the mess. “I just realized how heavy this is…” you groaned, cracking your neck again.

Neteyam helped you remove the accessories and set them aside with his own things. He sat on your soft mattress and patted the space in front of him. You sat between his legs with your back facing him.

He moved all your hair to your left shoulder. “When are you gonna get your hair braided again?” he asked while opening the jar of herbs.

“Probably tomorrow. Peyrral and Vetxo usually do it for me. The braids from the disguise still hurt my scalp. It’s too sensitive.”

You closed your eyes and sighed when he applied the cooling herb on your back. The sensation felt really good.

His hands moved slowly from your neck to your shoulders, pressing with the right amount of strength. You whimpered when he worked on a particularly sore spot.

“How does that feel?” he whispered close to your ear. You hummed, almost melting under his touch. “Really good… don’t stop.”

Neteyam’s hands worked slowly down your back, pressing into the tight muscles. His thumbs circled along your spine, easing the knots you did not even realize were there.

“You’re really tense here,” he murmured close to your ear. His breath brushed against your skin, sending small shivers down your spine. “Relax for me, Y/n.”

You hummed in response, eyes half-lidded. His hands felt warm and strong, sliding lower until they rested just above your hips. You shifted, pressing back against his touch. “That feels good, ‘teyam…” you whispered.

Neteyam let out a hum and continued, his palms gliding over your lower back again with more pressure, thumbs digging in.

The air in the kelku felt thicker now. His fingers occasionally brushed the sides of your waist. You bit your lip wheneber his hands moved to your thighs, kneading it before sliding up once more.

His hand moved to massage your stomach, before his fingers slowly moved upward to your chest, gently massaging your breasts, making you lean back against him.

You turned your head slightly, looking at him over your shoulder. “Keep doing that…”

Neteyam’s hands stilled for a second before he leaned in closer, lips brushing the back of your shoulder as he continued the massage.

He massaged the edges of your breast gently, making sure not to apply too much pressure; he knew it could hurt you badly, and that was the last thing he wanted. Instead, he had you biting your lip when his fingers that were cold from the herbs, pressed against your nipples.

His touch became slower, every press of his fingers sent warmth spreading through you. You could feel his breathing getting heavier against your skin as his hands explored the curve of your waist and thighs.

“Neteyam…”

He kept pressing a kiss on your cheeks before pulling back. “Tell me if you want me to stop, okay?”

“No, don’t stop…” you whined, grabbing his hands and placing them on your inner thighs. “It aches here too.”

“Yeah, baby?” he whispered, squeezing and massaging your thighs painfully slow. His other hand moved to your knee, gently opening your legs further apart. You rested your head back on his shoulder, breathing heavier. “Mhm… ‘Teyam.”

Your fingers dug into his biceps, nails scratching against his skin as the pleasure built. His hand suddenly brushed against your loincloth, making you hiss softly.

You kept whimpering, hips moving. “Just relax. You don’t have to move,” he murmured against your ear.

He reached for the ties of your loincloth and started untying it. You helped him remove it completely, letting it fall aside. You grabbed his hand again and placed it back between your thighs, right where you needed him most. Both of you were breathing hard now, hearts racing.

“Please… Neteyam,” you begged, not even sure what you were asking for. He kissed along your neck. “Hm? Please what?” His fingers slid along the sides of your aching core, rubbing up and down slowly to ease the ache.

“Touch me…” You moaned louder and spread your legs more for him. One hand stayed gripping his biceps while the other held onto his knee.

“Are you sure?” He said, searching your face as you swallowed, tightening your grip. “I am. just… go slow. If it’s too much, I’ll tell you.”

“Say stop and I stop, okay?”

“Mhm… I trust you.”

He then finally touched your pussy directly, massaging gently before pulling away instantly. You whined at the loss.

Neteyam opened the jar again, added more herbs to his fingers, and applied them back to your inner thighs. He slid his fingers over your pussy once more, rubbing slow circles on your clit. You guided his forearm with your hand, showing him exactly how you wanted it.

You tilted your head more, giving him better access to your neck. He breathed in your scent deeply while continuing those steady circles, making your hips move against his fingers.

He kept rubbing slow circles on your clit with his herb-slick fingers, pressing just enough to make your hips twitch. “That’s it, y/n… feel how wet you are already?” he whispered against your neck, voice deep.

You moaned and pushed back against his hand, needing more. He slid one finger down and slowly pushed it inside you, curling it. “So tight… just breathe for me, okay? Let me take care of you.”

It was inevitable to not whimper and grip his forearm tighter when his fingers kept hitting the right spots, you couldn’t help but roll your hips in circle against his finger that went in and out painfully slowly.

Neteyam added a second finger, stretching you good while his thumb kept rubbing your clit. “Good girl… look at your pussy taking my fingers so well,” he praised, sucking on the side of your neck. “You feel so good around it, baby. So warm and wet. Wish you could feel it…”

He kept the pace slow, pumping his fingers deeper while whispering in your ear. “Mhm… move your hips just like that. Show me how much you like it.”

You whimpered louder, legs shaking as the pleasure built higher. Right when you felt yourself getting close, he slowed down and pulled his fingers out.

You whined desperately, trying to chase his hand. “N-Neteyam, c’mon…”

“Not yet, baby. I want to hear you beg a little more.” He chuckled and applied more of the herbs to your inner thighs before driving his fingers deep inside you once again. When he curled them against that specific spot, a gasp escaped your lips.

“‘teyam… please, I need it…” you begged, voice shaking. He kissed your shoulder and kept moving his fingers at that same torturing slow pace. “I know you do, pretty girl. But you’re going to be good and wait for it, right? I want you to feel everything.”

He kept edging you like that bringing you close again and again before slowing down, praising you the whole time. “So cute when you moan like that.”

His other hand stayed on your thigh, holding you open while he worked you with his fingers. You were trembling, breathing hard, completely lost in his touch. “Please… I can’t—”

He licked the spot under your ear and whispered hotly against it, “Yes you can, baby. Just a little longer, alright?”

Neteyam pulled his fingers out slowly and kissed your cheeks. “Turn over for me, please. Lay on your stomach.” You obeyed and laid down on the mattress, face turned to the side.

He began pouring more herb onto your back and started massaging it with his heavy hands. His palms moved from your shoulders down to your hips, pressing and sliding smoothly on your skin.

You whined loudly and unconsciously lifted your ass toward him. He noticed immediately and poured more herb onto your ass, massaging it thoroughly with both hands.

You spread your legs a little more and lifted it without thinking, showing him everything. Neteyam groaned and slid his hand between your thighs again. He pushed two fingers back inside you, moving them while his other hand kept kneading your ass.

“That’s it, baby… let me hear you,” he murmured, voice rough. “You’re so wet for me. So good.” You moaned and whimpered continuously, hips moving back against his fingers.

“Good, just like that. You take my fingers so well… letting it slide faster from your wetness. You like it that much?”

“F-fuck, Mhm.. Neteyam..!”

He curled his fingers inside you and sped up a little, hitting that spot over and over. You were trembling hard, begging between moans. “Neteyam… please… I’m so close…”

“Come for me then.”

And so you did, your orgasm hit you hard. You cried out his name, body shaking as you clenched around his fingers.

Neteyam didnt stop though. He kept moving his fingers through your orgasm, drawing it out longer. “Good girl… keep going. You look so pretty when you cum.”

You tried to close your legs but he held them open gently. “Too much… ‘Teyam…” you whimpered, still sensitive.

He kissed your shoulder again. “Just a little more, baby. You can take it, right? Trust me…” He kept fingering you, thumb rubbing your clit, pushing you straight into overstimulation. You moaned loudly, body twitching under him. “Damn it…”

“You’re doing so well, baby. One more for me, yes?”

Neteyam kept moving his fingers faster after your first orgasm, not giving you any break. His thumb rubbed tight circles on your clit while his fingers curled deep inside you.

It wasn’t sooner when you came again with a loud moan, body shaking uncontrollably under him. Even after your second orgasm, his fingers didn’t stop. He kept pumping them faster, drawing out every last bit of pleasure until you couldn’t take it anymore.

You grabbed his forearm and flipped yourself onto your back, breathing hard. “N-Neteyam… I… fuck, stop—” you panted, chest rising and falling rapidly. He finally slowed down and pulled his fingers out.

Neteyam licked his wet fingers clean while looking at you. “I’m sorry… Are you okay, baby?”

You caught your breath and gave him a small smile. “More than okay…” Neteyam leaned down and pressed gentle kisses on your cheeks, then your forehead. “Stay here. I’ll grab you some water.”

He stood up and went to the kitchen area, coming back with a wooden cup filled with water. You sat up slowly, still trying to process everything.

The massage had turned into something much more intense. You could’ve expected a day where you took your last breath, but you definitely didn’t expect it to end with his fingers inside you instead, and you were not complaining at all.

Neteyam sat beside you again and handed you the wooden cup. “Drink slowly,” he said. You took a sip, still feeling the aftershocks running through your body.

The next day, you woke up in a good mood. You chose your lightest feather accessories this time, the ones that complimented your skin perfectly. You felt light as you danced while walking along the stalls, greeting the people who bowed at you.

Your steps halted when you spotted Neteyam and Peyrral talking in the corner. Peyrral had her arms crossed tightly, glaring up at him. Neteyam looked flushed, ears pinned back as he listened to her, nodding.

You rolled your eyes without thinking. A strange feeling settled in your chest. Instead of walking toward them, you changed direction and headed toward the river for a swim.

You kept glancing back at them as you walked away. Peyrral looked serious, saying something while pointing at Neteyam’s chest. He rubbed the back of his neck, blushing.

The sight made your stomach twist a little.

You turned away completely and continued walking. cursing under your breath. You didn’t wanna think why your best friend always seemed to pull Neteyam aside for private talks lately.

But you refused to think of Peyrral that way as you would never let a man come between a friendship you valued very much.

Unfortunately, the planet seemed to have other plans. No matter how much you tried to keep your thoughts clear, only a few hours later you found them together again, assisting the elders as they carried out offerings for the third day.

They walked beside the elder, engaged in a conversation as she smiled up at them, and your left eye twitched at the sight again, not to mention you had barely spoken to anyone since yesterday, choosing instead to keep yourself busy.

By the sixth day, with only one day left before the courting moon began, you had successfully avoided most interactions within the clan. Whenever contact happened, you quickly found excuses to leave, slipping away before anything could linger.

You tried not to dwell on your thoughts too much, telling yourself it gave you more time with Seya, where you could relax, rub her belly, and lean into her warmth.

Right now, you were sitting on the forest floor, chewing on a cannonball fruit, or Rumaut as the locals called it, after dropping one you had climbed high into a tree to get, considering it was usually your father cracking it for you.

Your ears twitched when you heard footsteps approaching from behind. You glanced over your right shoulder and saw Neteyam walking slowly toward you. “Hey.”

You mumbled a hi before turning back to your food, ignoring him. “May I sit here?”

“Do whatever you want,” you replied, licking the sweet juice from your fingers as he sat down near you, leaving some space.

Neteyam held out a neatly wrapped food in an edible leaf. “Here.” You looked at the offering, then glared at his face before looking away again.

“Keep it, Neteyam.”

He pulled the food back and stared at it. “...I made this with the cooks today. They wanted to see if I still remembered everything they taught me during our punishment.”

“You must have done it with Peyrral,” Your eye twitched as you mentioned her out of nowhere, unsure why it came out like that, though you meant no harm.

Neteyam frowned, looking genuinely confused. “Why would I do it with her? She’s not even a cook.”

“How would you know? She is a great cook. She would make a good housewife too. Think about it.”

He looked even more lost. “I meant that she was not with the cooks during our punishment… Why are you telling me this? Is everything okay?”

“All’s fine.”

“What about us? Are we?”

“Why wouldn’t we be?”

Neteyam lowered his head. “You’ve… barely talked to me lately. I don’t know if I did something wrong… or if it’s because of what happened before. If you didn’t want that, I’m—”

“Are you having an affair with me?”

Neteyam looked at you with eyes widened. “Pardon?”

You turned your whole body toward him. “I said, are you cheating on someone with me?”

Neteyam looked offended, “What? Who would I even—”

You kept pushing. “Do you like Peyrral?”

Neteyam straightened his back and let out a sigh, “First of all, you’re not an affair to me, Y/n. I would never dishonor anyone in that way. Second, I’m not with anyone else, and I’m not cheating on anyone with you. And I do not have feelings for Peyrral. I have feelings for you… I told you that already, didn’t I? There is no one else.”

You gulped. “Do not lie to me, Neteyam.” He looked straight into your eyes. “I am not lying, Y/n.”

You narrowed your eyes. “Then what were you two talking about at the Veil Pool?”

He tried to recall what had happened at the cave that day, realizing you were referring to the moment Vetxo pulled you outside while Peyrral spoke to him alone.

Back at the cave, she watched him scratch his neck awkwardly, he even tried to walk past her toward the entrance, but she quickly grabbed his ear. “Ow!”

Peyrral accused him of inappropriate behavior and refused to believe his attempts to explain, while defending her best friend.

“Let me explain—”

Peyrral continued interrogating Neteyam, convinced he had brought you to the Veil Pool for suspicious reasons and refusing to accept any excuses. Neteyam repeatedly denied her accusations, insisting he had no bad intentions and desperately trying to convince her to believe him.

Peyrral crossed her arms, glaring at him. “You better start explaining properly then, golden son. Because from what I saw, you looked exactly like those guys who only want one thing from her, and you know what that is.”

Neteyam admitted that you had asked him to prove that he genuinely found you beautiful by touching your ass, explaining that he went along with it because he didn’t want you to think he had been lying.

Peyrral groaned and rubbed her face with both hands. “That stupid girl…” She pinched Neteyam’s arm hard. “And you! You knew better than to agree to something like that!”

He admitted that he shouldve explained things better and apologized, but she still struck his chest above his bandage, warning him not to take advantage of you or she would make him regret it.

You were at a loss for words as he explained what had happened after you left them alone. You cleared your throat and spoke again, forcing yourself to continue, “What about the day after you… after our night? I saw you two talking in the corner.”

He immediately understood what you meant, clearly remembering the awkward and embarrassing details from that conversation with Peyrral.

Neteyam was helping an old man carry heavy offerings to the stalls, smiling politely at everyone. His smile faded the moment he saw Peyrral standing in the corner, arms crossed, nodding her head to the side, clearly demanding he come over. He excused himself from the elder and walked toward her.

Peyrral immediately confronted him, making it clear she already knew about what had happened to the two of you, while Neteyam tried to explain himself.

She sighed loudly and cut him off. “The courting moon hasn’t even begun… and yet someone already forgot where his hands are meant to stay.”

Neteyam tried to explain that everything had happened with your permission and that he genuinely cared about you, but Peyrral cut him off before he could finish.

Peyrral hit his chest with the back of her hand. “I went to her kelku yesterday to bring the meal she asked for. Instead I heard her moaning your name like that. Let me guess, she’s no longer a virgin now, is she?!”

Neteyam blushed deeply, face turning purple. He reassured her that nothing more had happened and that he had respected your boundaries the entire time.

“Listen to me very carefully, boy. If you ever leave her crying, I will personally walk into your family’s kelku at night, take the sharpest dagger I own, find the exact hole where that arrow went into your chest, and push the blade deep inside it until your blood runs down your body again. You understand?”

“What about when you two were helping at the stalls?” you asked, still not fully convinced. “She pulled me aside again to scold me, but an elder came and asked for our help with the heavy baskets.”

You frowned and continued. “I also saw you with her and Vetxo in the forest that day. Peyrral had her hand on your hair while Vetxo was laughing at both of you. What was that all about?”

Neteyam rubbed the back of his neck, ears turning slightly purple. “They cornered me before I could go hunting. Vetxo asked what my plans were for the courting moon. I mentioned that I’ll court you seriously… Peyrral hit my head and warned me not to court you with just pleasure. Vetxo laughed at how purple my face got.”

“and what about the time she was looking at your songcord?” you crossed your arms, finally pulling out every moment you had seen them together.

“She was talking about how I would need to add a piece of you into my songcord one day, because I want you as my mate.”

You went quiet and looked down at your lap, frowning. You felt stupid for accusing both Neteyam and your best friend when in reality she was only trying to protect you, while he had been defending himself this whole time just to prove how zerious he was about you.

He lifted your chin so you would look at him. He leaned in, hesitated for a second, then pressed a soft kiss to your cheek. He pulled back just enough to meet your eyes while his hand stayed on your cheek and the other held your hand on your lap.

“Y/n, I promise you there’s nothing between me and her. She only talks to me to warn me and make sure I do not hurt you. That is all it has ever been. I apologize for how it looked like.”

You looked away, “No, I’m sorry…”

Neteyam kissed your forehead. “You have nothing to apologize for. I’m willing to talk about everything.”

You kept your gaze down. “Just take my apology…”

He smiled. “It’s alright. Although I fail to understand why you would think that way about me and her when she already has someone else.”

Your eyebrows furrowed. “What? No she does not.”

Neteyam raised an eyebrow at you. “What do you mean? She and Vetxo are together.”

Your eyes widened. “What?! No, they are not!”

Neteyam looked surprised by your reaction. “Uhh… they are, Y/n…”

“How? Did they tell you?” you asked, still in disbelief. Neteyam scratched the back of his neck. “Not exactly… but Vetxo made a joke once. She said that if I got to remove your… umm innocence before she got to remove Peyrral’s, she would actually ride a nantang…”

Your jaw dropped. “What…”

-

Neteyam hovered over you on the soft grass, his body warm against yours. He licked your earlobe slowly, making you whimper and rub your thighs together. The conversation had quickly turned into this after mentioning the night before, and you were already aching for one another.

He moved down to your neck, licking your skin before reaching your collarbone. You lifted your accesories, exposing your breasts. Neteyam immediately replaced your hand with his tongue, rolling it around your nipple while his fingers played with the other one.

“Oh… Neteyam, I missed this,” you moaned, throwing your head back. He hummed against your skin and switched sides, sucking harder on your other nipple.

His free hand grabbed your leg and wrapped it around his hip, pressing his hard cock against your loincloth.

You wrapped both legs around him and pulled him closer to your core, pushing his face into your chest. He started grinding slowy, humping you through your loincloths. You could feel every inch of his hardness rubbing against your throbbing pussy, the fabric the only thing stopping him from entering you.

“Fuck, baby… you feel how hard you make me?” he groaned against your neck. “All this for you. Just from touching you.” He kept rolling his hips, pressing his cock right against your clit with every thrust.

You moaned louder, matching his movements desperately. He sucked harder on your neck, right on that sensitive spot that always made you loud.

“You like when I grind on your little pussy like this?” You whimpered and nodded, nails digging into his shoulders.

Neteyam suddenly pulled back, making you hiss in frustration. He lifted both your loincloths at the same time, exposing your wet pussy. He groaned at the sight and wrapped his hand around his cock, stroking it while his other hand went between your legs, rubbing circles on your clit.

You grabbed fistfuls of grass, needing something to hold onto. He teased his tip against your folds, sliding it up and down your pussy without pushing inside. “Look at you… so wet and needy for me.”

He kept rubbing his thick cock along your slit, pressing the head against your clit before sliding back down to tease you.

The risk of someone walking by in the forest only made everything hotter as you were whimpering and begging loud, hips chasing his cock.

“Please, Neteyam…” you moaned. He leaned down and gave your forehead a kiss before moving lower. He spread your legs wider and kissed your inner skin, he didn’t waste time as he buried his face between your thighs, licking your pussy hungrily.

“T-Taste so fucking good, baby,” he whimpered, sucking on your clit while teasing your hole and pushing two fingers inside you, remembering how it gsve you so much pleasure.

He ate you out like he was starving, tongue and fingers working together perfectly. Every time you got close he slowed down, edging you again and again. “Hold it for me…”

You shook your head, telling him you couldn’t because you were feeling too horny, and he simply nodded against your core, letting you go. When he finally let you cum, you cried out loudly, you were shaking, moaning his name over and over, thighs squeezing around his head.

But he didn’t stop there though, he kept licking you through your orgasm, “One more, baby? Give me one more, pleasee…”

Neteyam pushed your legs wider apart and kept sucking. He sucked on your pussy, groaning against your wet folds. Moving faster, swirling his tongue around your clit before pushing it inside you, tasting every drop you could give him.

“Fuck… baby,” he groaned, voice muffled. He sucked harder on your clit, eyes half-lidded when your juices coated his tongue. “I could eat this pussy all day…”

You moaned loudly, hips jerking against his face, hands pulling his hair. He held your thighs down and kept devouring you.

It wasnt long before another yet orgasm hit you hard. Your whole body shook as you came on his tongue, crying out his name.

Neteyam didn’t pull away. He groaned loudly when he felt you cum, eyes rolling back again as he drank every drop. “That’s it… give it to me.”

He kept licking through your orgasm, pushing two fingers back inside you while sucking on your clit. You were shaking, trying to close your legs but he held them open. “Neteyam…—” you whimpered.

He looked up at you, lips shiny with your wetness. “One more, baby. Just one more. Please, I need it. Let me taste you again.”

He dove back in even hungrier, tongue flicking fast on your sensitive clit while his fingers curled deep inside you. You were sensitive, your pussy kept throbbing, coming again within seconds, thighs trembling around his head, pulling harder on his hair.

You didn’t know what to do; you were shaking so hard from the pleasure he was giving you. You kept pushing his head away from your pussy, even as your hips involuntarily chased his tongue.

Neteyam moaned as if he were the one feeling the pleasure. He thrust his hips against the grass, desperate for any kind of friction, his eyes rolling back as he licked you through it, completely refusing to stop.

You were gasping, tears in your eyes from the pleasure. “Neteyam… stop, I can’t—”

When he heard the word he finally slowed down but still licked you, cleaning you up with soft strokes of his tongue, pulling away with a kiss on your pussy.

“Kiss me…” you demanded as he crawled up your body and kissed your lips, fighting with your tongue, letting you taste yourself on his.

You felt him smile against your lips, and you couldn’t help but smile back. You bit his bottom lip gently before deepening the kiss, holding his jaw as your tongue fought for dominance. Neteyam lets you take control, groaning into your mouth.

Before you could wrap your arms around his neck, he suddenly pulled away and sat up. His ears twitched as he looked toward the trees. You turned your head too, hearing your friend’s voice calling your name from somewhere in the forest.

“‘teyam?” you whispered, still breathing hard. He placed a finger on your lips, eyes scanning the area.

He looked back at you and pressed a soft peck on your cheek, then on your lips. He gently pulled your top and loincloth back into place, covering your body. The forest air felt cool against your flushed skin as you tried to catch your breath.

Neteyam reached for a nearby flask of fresh river water and used a soft damp cloth to gently pat your sensitive pussy and inner thighs, you shivered from the cool touch. He set the cloth aside and laid down beside you on the grass, facing you while resting his head on his palm.

His fingers tangled in your hair, stroking the top of your head until your racing heart started to calm down. You could hear his own heart beating even faster than yours. When you looked up at him, his cheeks were flushed a deep purple.

“Why?” you whispered. He looked away, clearly embarrassed. His hand moved from your hair down to your waist. “Nothing…”

The voices of your friends calling for you had faded away as they must’ve gone somewhere else. You noticed Neteyam was still breathing hard.

That was when you realized you had cum multiple times, but he had not.

You sat up on your elbow and looked straight at him. “Do you want me to suck you off?”

Neteyam’s eyes widened and he shifted his legs. “No, y/n. It’is alright.”

You frowned and sat up fully. “It’s fine by me. I want to do it.”

He sat up too and held your hands that were reaching for his thighs. “Yeah but you’re exhausted. I swear it’s okay. Don’t worry about me.”

You glared at him with a pout. “Neteyam…”

He looked flushed again. “Baby… it’s alright, trust me. Maybe next time.” You tried to argue but he leaned in and pecked your lips. “Let us head back to the village.”

Neteyam knew he would have to deal with his throbbing cock and the visible bulge in his loincloth later when he was alone. Just like the night he fingered you, he would probably end up jerking off while thinking about you again. It was nothing new for him.

-

The courting moon had begun a few days ago. Neteyam was indeed very serious about courting you, and he made sure everybody in the clan knew it. You finally told your friends everything that happened, especially Peyrral, including all your worries about the situation.

She listened before pulling you into a hug. “Im sorry for making it seem that way. I didn’t want anyone to hurt you.” She glanced at Vetxo, who nodded at her. “And… yes, Vetxo and I are together. Well, she courted me. I haven’t given her an answer before so we didnt mention anything.”

Both of them started babying you like parents for the rest of the day. They stole you away from Neteyam, cornering him earlier so they could have you to themselves. They spoiled you with your favorite fruits, braided your hair nicely, and kept feeding you snacks while laughing together.

You eventually told them more details about what happened between you and Neteyam. How he gave you pleasure with just his fingers and mouth, but refused to let you return the favor every time. Peyrral raised an eyebrow while Vetxo smirked. “He’s really holding back, huh?”

They started telling you more things mates usually do with each other, making you aware. The way they described it made your face burn hot. You kept imagining doing all those things with Neteyam, your mind filled with pictures of his hands, his mouth, and his body on yours.

Peyrral noticed your flushed face and grinned, Vetxo nudged you. “Don’t worry. When you finally mate with him, it will feel even better than what he did with his tongue.”

You covered your ears that were turning deep purple. “Stop it…”

You couldnt stop thinking about Neteyam and everything your friends just told you. The images in your head kept getting more vivid with every passing minute.

That’s why you found yourself pressed against the tree, Neteyam kissing you deeply as his hands roamed your body. You moaned into his mouth and wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him closer. He was already hard, his cock pressing against you through his loincloth.

He broke the kiss and started moving lower, intending to drop to his knees. “Neteyam…” you moaned, grabbing his hair and stopping him. “No. I want you now.”

He looked up at you with desperate eyes, pouting. “But baby… please. Let me taste you. I need it.”

You shook your head, breathing hard. “I said no. I want you to rail me against this tree right now.”

Neteyam hissed at your words, eyes darkening with lust. He stood up and lifted both of your legs, wrapping them around his hips. “You’re so needy, baby… where did you learn to talk like that?”

He pinned you on it, one hand on your ass while the other braced beside your head. “You want it badly? You want me to stretch this tight little pussy now?” he groaned, grinding his hard length against you.

You whimpered and nodded fast. “Yes… please, baby.”

He moaned at the nickname and pulled your loincloth aside, he rubbed his throbbing cock along your wet folds, teasing your entrance.

“Feel that? Dripping for me desperately.”

You moaned loudly, rolling your hips to chase his tip. “Put it in… damn it.”

Neteyam chuckled, sliding his cock up and down your pussy without pushing inside. “Not yet, baby. I want to hear you beg properly.”

You whined in frustration, nails digging into his shoulders. “Please… I need you inside me. Stop teasing mee.”

“Sorry, baby…” He finally pushed the head of his cock inside you slowly, stretching you open. You gasped at the feeling, legs tightening around him. “Oh… it’s—it’s so tight, baby,” he groaned, eyes rolling back for a second. “Squeezing me so good. Such a perfect pussy for me.”

He kept pushing in deeper, inch by inch, until he bottomed out. Both of you moaned loudly. “Take all of me,” he whispered hotly against your ear. “I’m barely all in, baby…”

Neteyam started thrusting into you, slow and deep. The tree bark scraped lightly against your back with every movement. “You’re so big, ‘teyam…”

You moaned his name over and over, legs locked tight around his waist. He picked up the pace, railing you harder against the tree. “Tell me how much you like it,” he whispered, lightly wrapping his hand around your throat like you had asked before.

“Love it so much, babyyy. Go faster, please..”

He groaned and fucked you just the way you like it, tail wrapping around your thigh to hold you even closer. “Yeah? I love it just as much, baby…”

“You wanna cum, baby? C’mon, let me feel you squeeze me.”

You cried out as the way he spoke so dirty made your orgasm hit you hard, clenching around him. He groaned at how tight you hugged his cock, but he didn’t stop, ensuring to fuck your orgasm through it with more thrusts.

“Fuck, N-Neteyam…!”

He fucked you harder against the tree, thrusting deep and fast into your tight walls. His hips snapped forward with every stroke, arching your back.

You were moaning uncontrollably, tail curling in pleasure, matching his pace by thrusting your hips back to meet every of his thrusts, letting his cock keep hitting that perfect spot inside you.

“baby… don’t squeeze me so tight,” he groaned, kissing you messily, tongue sliding against yours as he pounded into you. You whimpered into his mouth, nails digging into his shoulders. He pulled back just enough to look at your face, breathing hard. “Where do you want it, Y/n? Tell me.”

You moaned loudly, legs locked tighter around his waist. “Deep… deep inside me…” You kept thrusting back against him desperately, chasing that spot that made your eyes roll. “Please… fill me up. I need it so bad.”

Neteyam growled and kissed you again, harder this time, biting your lip as he railed you even faster, “Going to fill this pussy until it leaks out, may I do that?”

You were losing control, just nodding to whatever he was saying, saying nothing but his name, while thrusting your hips to meet his pace. Every thrust made wet sounds echo in the forest, and the thought of someone hearing you only made you wetter.

Neteyam was just as desperate, groaning loudly against your neck as he fucked you senseless.

“Neteyam… I’m close again—” you cried out, clenching hard around his cock. He kept slamming into you, hitting that spot perfectly every time. “Cum for me, baby. Let me feel it please.”

You came hard with a loud moan, body shaking violently as your walls pulsed around him. Neteyam groaned deeply, thrusting a few more times before burying himself as deep as possible. “Fuck… taking all of it, baby.”

Neteyam thrust deep into you one last time and came hard, groaning loudly against your neck as he filled you up. His thighs shook from the intensity, almost collapsing, but he held his ground, arms wrapped tightly around you so he would not drop you. He dropped his head onto your shoulder, breathing heavily while still slowly thrusting through both of your orgasms.

You lifted his head gently and pulled him into a deep kiss. He kissed you back, trying to match your energy even though he was still sensitive and dazed, his cock twitching inside you. You went down on your feet, arms still wrapped around his neck as his hands moved down to your waist and then your ass.

His fingers reached lower, rubbing your messy pussy, making you arch your back. You pulled him out of you slowly and watched as his cum leaked out of your pussy, dripping down your thighs. You bit your lip and looked up at him with even more lust in your eyes.

Neteyam was still breathing hard, trying to recover. Before he could say anything, you pulled him down onto the grass and straddled his thighs. He moaned into the kiss when you started grinding your wet pussy along his still-hard cock, rubbing against it while pulling his hair. “Y-y/n… please.”

You pulled away from the kiss and looked down at him. “You like that, baby?” you asked, rolling your hips in slow circles, teasing his sensitive cock. “Does it feel good when I do this?”

Neteyam whimpered, hands gripping your hips. “Yes… fuck…”

You smirked and kept grinding on him, sliding your soaked pussy up and down his length. You leaned down and bit his neck, marking him. “I wonder… if the girls in the clan could make you feel like this. Would you let them ride your cock like I do?”

Neteyam shook his head quickly, moaning. “No. Only you. Only you, baby. I beg you…”

You lifted yourself and guided his cock back inside you, sinking down slowly. He groaned loudly, head falling back. “Baby— I’m still… you’re going to kill me.”

You started riding him properly, moving your hips up and down while talking to him. “That’s right… all of this is mine. I want it so bad—I want my body molded to yours so completely that no one else could ever have me..” You clenched around him on purpose, making him whimper. “what do you think?”

Neteyam flushed, hands trembling on your waist, breathing ragged. “Y/n… it’s too much… I just came—”

You rolled your hips harder, riding him faster. “You can take it. Be a good boy and cum inside me again. Fill me up like you did earlier...”

You leaned down and sucked on his neck, leaving more marks for girls to see. He was moaning loudly now, thighs shaking underneath you from the overstimulation.

You kept riding him, whispering dirty words in his ear, rolling your hips in deep circles while looking down at his flushed face. Neteyam whimpered underneath you, hands gripping your waist tightly, he couldn’t even bring himself to thrust up.

“You don’t get to cum yet, okay?”

He groaned loudly, eyes glassy with desperation. “Y/n… please… I need to cum inside you.”

You smirked and clenched around his cock on purpose, making him twitch hard. “The mighty future Olo’eyktan begging like this? So pathetic for his… future tsahik.”

You leaned down closer, lips brushing his ear. “Your future is riding you, Neteyam. Does that make you hard? Knowing I’ll be the one standing beside you as your mate?”

He moaned brokenly, nodding fast. “Yes… fuck, yes. Please, baby.”

You sped up a little but still refused to let him cum, lifting yourself until only his tip was inside before sinking back down. “How many kids do you want, Neteyam? Tell me. You want me to carry your children, right? Build a clan with you?” You kept riding him. “Answer me.”

Neteyam was losing it, whimpering and shaking under you. “As many as you want… please, Y/n. I want it all with you. Just let me cum— I- I’ll give you everything.”

You grinned and kept moving, still edging him. “Not a single girl in the clan gets to have you like this, right?”

He looked completely wrecked, eyes rolling back every time you clenched around him. “Only you… only you, yawne. Please… I cannot hold it anymore.”

You rode him harder, still not letting him finish. “Beg better. Tell me how badly you want to.”

Neteyam was panting, voice cracking. “Please… let me cum inside you… fill you up…”

You quickened your pace, leaning down to pull him into a deep kiss while tugging on his hair. Neteyam thrust up to meet you, both of you moaning into each other’s mouths. You came hard around him again, whining loudly as his warm cum coated your walls at the same time.

He lost his balance and fell back onto the grass, pulling you down with him. You laid on top of his chest, breathing heavily while your pussy kept clenching around his cock. Neteyam wrapped his arms around you, one hand gently rubbing your back in slow circles.

Both of you stayed like that for a while, still connected. His cock was still inside you, twitching occasionally. Neteyam kissed the top of your head softly. “Are you okay, baby?”

You nodded against his chest. “Yeah… more than okay.” You stayed quiet for a moment before speaking again. “Neteyam… about what I said earlier. I meant it.”

He tightened his hold on you, heart beating fast under your cheek. He looked up at the swaying trees above, a small smile on his face. “Really? All of it? The future… kids… standing beside me?”

You lifted your head to look at him. “Yes.”

Neteyam searched your eyes, still a little unsure. “Even after everything? After I was so annoying and kept fighting over the position?”

You chuckled and rested your chin on his chest. “I changed my mind the day you risked your life to save me. When you took that arrow for me… that was the moment I realized I didn’t wanna lead without you.”

He smiled at you, caressing your cheeks. “Then we will do it together, baby.”

“Mhm…”

Neteyam smiled widely and pulled you back down into his arms, still buried inside you. “I like the sound of that… my future tsahik.”

“Of course you do, my future olo’eyktan.”