Eternal Beasts

Figuring Things Out

Still, he didn't stay asleep long, the urgency of their situation pushing deep into his subconscious mind to pull him back to awareness. His eyelids fluttered, then Jared was completely awake. And in doing so, he discovered the room was now completely in the dark as outside a winter storm came howling in off the Pacific to lash at the city with hard rain and lightning. Even as his eyes were drawn to the drumming on the window's glass, he saw a flash and felt the rumble of the thunder through the bed.

- That was a close one, - Samantha breathed over the bond. Jared glanced over at her and found the griffon in nysim form as awake as he was, staring at the window with her golden eyes.

- Yeah. Definitely not the kind of weather you fly in, - he said.

- Oh, I don't know, - she replied somewhat breezily. - Might be fun, trying to dodge those lightning strikes! -

Jared chuckled softly.

- You're nuts, Sammy, - he sent with a fair amount of mirth over the bond and his smile broadened when she giggled. Then he couldn't help stiffening in surprise when suddenly her face was against his throat, her nose and lips nuzzling at the throb of his carotid, her hand on his chin to hold him in place.

- I like your smell, my Jared, - she breathed over the bond, her words suddenly heavy with desire and need. - It makes me feel warm and tingly inside. -

- I moved too much, didn't I, - he unfroze to say, trying to use levity to ease back from what could be a dangerous situation.

- Mm, maybe, - Samantha admitted. Then, with a final nuzzle, she drew back.

- You make it very hard for me to not think about making us a mated pair as well as a bonded pair, - she said with a frustrated sigh.

- I think we better stop sleeping in the same bed then, hey? - he said, looking over at her. - At least until you're a griffon again. -

Samantha reluctantly nodded.

- That might be for the best, my Jared, - she said, huffing another sigh. - Damn this nysim body! Full of limitations and sexual traps!! -

Chuckling, Jared untangled himself from her and the still sleeping Nikeera to slide to the edge of the bed and stand. A glance at the digital clock sitting somewhat askew thanks to the book dominating its perch on the top of the dresser, yielded it was now 11:30 at night.

- It's late, but Nikeera will need something to eat when she wakes up, along with something to drink. With everything on campus now closed, outside of the odd vending machine, I'll need to run offcampus to get some food and supplies for the rest of the night. - He paused to look over at a frowning Samantha. - I need you to stay here and keep her safe while I'm gone. I know you don't want to, but I'm the only one that can get supplies here. And she needs protection. -

- I know, - Samantha replied a little sullenly, clearly not happy with going from being turned on to being relegated to guard duty.

- Sorry, Sams. I hate doing that to you. Can I get you anything while I'm out? To make it up to you? -

Samantha looked at him, her golden eyes glowing in the darkness.

- I wouldn't mind one of those steaks, if you can find one, - she said, a hopeful smile appearing on her face.

- Okay. I'll see what I can do. Be back shortly. - And then he was grabbing his hoodie and a rain shell to throw over it against the storm and going out the door, locking it behind him.

Both Samantha and Nikeera were up by the time he returned nearly an hour later.

"There you are!" Nikeera said, standing up from the edge of the bed where she had been sitting, to walk to him and slip her arms around him as he pulled the rain shell off.