HAPPY HOUR

Misunderstood

Her hands were sweaty and she felt like her insides have turned into ice.

"I plan on having many pup's." He was talking, but the blood rushing on her ears made it difficult to understand what he was saying.

"Kaail..." He voice was barely above a whisper. "When you say Pup you are referring to what exactly?" Inside her head she knew what he was talking about, but refused to acknowledge it. He couldn't be serious.

"Offspring, Taiga." He clarified. "Yautja mate with purpose."

She felt stupid. Years of practice helped her keep a neutral face. " I see..." Unconsciously she removed her hand that was still resting in his forearm. " May I ask you something Kaail?" She was still smiling, but had lost the glimmer in her eyes.

"Yes."

"Why the women that are picked up by Yautjas, are never seen again?"

"By our law, once we choose a Ooman female,  we are bound to her for the duration of her life."

She heard him, but she couldn't grasp the meaning of his words. " I don't understand. Why is that?"

"We simply can't risk information about us leaking. It is for the best that Ooman Mates are kept under the clans protection." He was nonchalant about the subject.

"I understand." She was disappointed. Felling a bit lost and confused. "May I ask why are you guys taking Humans as mates?" Taiga heart was beating painfully fast.

Kaail made a subtle growl, obviously this wasn't a subject he found easy to talk about. " Many centuries ago, there was a war between us and another species. Those cursed fuckers had used a bioweapon with a deadly vírus against us. The cowards developed a disease that didn't affect the males, but would kill females in only two days. Those who survived, had became unfertile." Kaail overall posture changed. He was clearly angry with the subject. "It took our scientist years to find a way to minimize the disease effects. Even now, yautjas female are far-in-between. Only a small handful are capable of giving life. With time, we learned that Oomans females could propagate our seed."

"Ohh.. so it's a logical solution." She concluded out loud.

"Yes." He regarded her suspiciously. "You seem upset."

She smiled to him. " It's a lot to process. I can't fathom the hardship your kind had faced." She lied through her teeth." Bioweapons are really a low blow."

Kaail whole body went rigid. "You dare to lie to me Ooman?" He accused.

She paled. Ashamed, echoes off her own voice promising not to lie to him during the date resonated in her mind. "I am sorry." She lowered her head. She took a deep breath. " I am just feeling a bit disappointed." She was fidgeting with her purse, not daring to look at him.

"Explain." He demanded.

"I... I think I have expected something different." She gathered courage from the depths of her heart. "I don't think I am able to be with someone solely based on duty."  She couldn't hide the disappointment on her voice.

Kaail watched her carefully, his gaze penetrating, and Taiga could feel his eyes on her. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze. How could she have been so naive? He was a Yautja, and here she was, trying to fit him into her romantic expectations. Despite the professional smile still plastered on her face, she felt a wave of sorrow wash over her. She had allowed her own fantasies to guide her actions, and now she didn't know how to confront the reality of her situation. What was she thinking? The weight of her misplaced expectations bore down on her, threatening to overwhelm her composure.

"What was it that you expected?" He sounded genuinely curious.

"I don't know how to explain it."  She still couldn't bring herself to look at him. " Maybe I am just being silly, but I want to be loved, to feel like I am important to someone. I don't want to be mean to an end..."

"Look at me, Ooman," he ordered. When she didn't comply, he continued sternly, "I do not enjoy repeating myself. Look at me." Reluctantly she raised her eyes. " I could just take you away and fulfill my duty with my clan, if that was what I desired." Kaail patience was on it's limits and it showed " But that's not what I am looking for."

"Then what are you looking for Kaail?" She asked, heart clenched anxiously.

"Someone I can come back home to." He admitted.

Taiga's head was spinning. She searched into his unique eyes for any signs of deceit but only found honesty."You think I can give you that?"

"I don't think, I know it."

His statement brought back the butterfly's and she blushed"I don't know if I can be a good mother..." She blushed.

"You already know what not to do."He offered, " And you won't be alone."

As she looked at him, her mind wandered to the future. In a fleeting moment, she envisioned him playfully engaging with their child in a backyard. The thought of their potential offspring brought a warm smile to her face, and she pondered how delightful it would be if their children resembled Kaail.

Contemplating her life's crossroads, Taiga weighed her options. Kaail desired her willing companionship, a commitment until her last breath. On the other hand, she could decline and forge her own path, albeit one marked by solitude and the singular goal of survival. Reflecting on her limited prospects, she acknowledged that even if she managed to leave Earth, what awaited her beyond? Having not even started high school, the prospect of a lifetime spent tirelessly making ends meet loomed. The destination after leaving Earth remained a vague uncertainty; she had heard whispers of Proxima B and its purported job opportunities, but beyond that, the path was shrouded in ambiguity.

"I am scared," she admitted, vulnerability coloring her voice. The hunter regarded her for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. Suddenly, without warning, he skillfully pulled her onto his lap, causing Taiga to emit a small, startled sound at the unexpected maneuver. "What are you doing?" she whispered, mortified by the compromising position she found herself in.

He held her there, straddling him, her small hands resting on his shoulders for support. Kaail's hands were on her waist and he was making small circles with his thumbs. "Still felling scared Ooman?"

Taiga's mind came to a sudden halt. Instantly, she felt a wave of relaxation wash over her. Sensing the warmth radiating from him, with his powerful thighs between hers, the only barriers between their most intimate areas were her pants and his codpiece. Risking a glance down, she noted the hem of her dress creating a visual blockage, offering a small comfort. Despite her trembling hands, she began to explore Kaail's chest, disregarding his chest plate entirely.

Slowly dragging her eyes back up, she was startled to find his gaze had transformed, the once discernible color now replaced by an intense, almost completely black hue.
"No, I am not scared anymore."

"Your body already knows to whom you belong to." One of Kaail's hands traveled slowly up her body, coming to rest on her neck. There, he closed his hand around her throat, bringing her face even closer to his. "It is time for your mind to accept this fact. You are mine, Taiga."