"They train well, all things considered," the Marak noted. "Once they've been impregnated, they become particularly docile. Their emotional bond with the offspring aids us in keeping order. They know a blast from a lightning rifle could harm their child, and so they are careful to behave and avoid such repercussions."

Garon stared at the Marak in horror. "You would kill one of my offspring?"

The Marak returned his gaze coolly. "No, of course not, Kael. But the surrogates do not know that, and so the threat is quite effective."

The door opened. A Marak guard escorted the newly impregnated surrogate inside. The man was crying, and he still looked as if he was in pain.

"Get in line," the guard instructed him.

The man appeared to be in a mild state of shock and stood frozen. When he did not immediately obey, the Marak guard pushed him roughly forward. The man stumbled, and another surrogate quickly reached out to steady him and help him get into line.

"#39681 is assigned to this dormitory. You will explain the rules to him and see that he obeys."

The Marak left, and the door closed behind it.

"Come lie down," a tall, hugely pregnant surrogate said the newcomer. "We'll get you cleaned up, and then you can rest."

The surrogate helped the man over to a cot.

"They-- Oh, god. They--" The man cried harder. "They raped me."

"It's okay," the other surrogate soothed him. "Just lie down." He helped him onto the cot. "There you go."

The dark-haired man curled into a ball on the bed. The other surrogate ran some water in a basin, found a washcloth and brought it over to him. The surrogate sat down on the cot beside the weeping man and gently wiped away the seminal fluid from between his legs and cheeks. The dark-haired man flinched, but he didn't resist.

"That's better." The motherly surrogate tenderly stroked the man's hair.

"Did they do it to you, too?" the dark-haired man asked, his mouth trembling.

"Ssssh," the surrogate said. "It's over now. Try not to think about it."

But the dark-haired man only grew more upset. "Did they do that to you?" He pointed to the other surrogate's enormous belly.

"It's not the way you think. Everything's going to be just fine. You'll see."

The dark-haired man froze for a moment, and then his eyes went wide. "Oh, god. Oh, my god. Did they do that to me, too?" He shook his head desperately. "No. No! Not that."

"It's going to be okay," the other surrogate assured him. "Try not to get so upset. You are pregnant, but it's going to be wonderful. I promise."

The man stared at him in disbelief. "Wonderful? Do you even know what you're saying? Or have they totally brainwashed you? We're men, for god's sake. It is not wonderful. Those disgusting things fucked me in the ass against my will, and now-- Now, I'm-- " His whole body shook as he cried.

"This is my third baby," the surrogate told him. "I was upset at first, too. I thought it was unnatural, disgusting, everything you're thinking right now. I hated them for what they'd done to me. All of it. The sex. And the pregnancy. But once you give birth-- Well, it's the most indescribably joyous thing you can ever imagine. It changes how you see things. And it has nothing to do with brainwashing. I swear."

The dark-haired man wouldn't look at him. "I don't know what's wrong with you, what they've done to your mind. But I still remember what it means to be a man, what it means to be human. And I don't want this thing growing inside me." Tears streaked his face. "I don't care what you say. I'm not like you. I'm never going to accept this."

"Maybe you can learn to think of it as an opportunity instead of an outrage. A chance to experience something you never could have experienced in your old life. Because the fact is that you are pregnant. You will give birth when the time comes. And when this baby is weaned, you will do it all over again. That's just the way things are now. You're going to have to make your peace with it. Or they will hurt you. And your baby."

The dark-haired man sobbed into his pillow.

"Okay," the other surrogate said. "We'll leave you to yourself for a little while, give you a chance to calm down and think about what I've just said. We can go over the rules when you're feeling better." He got up and rejoined the other surrogates who were gathered a few feet away. The dark-haired man went on crying.

"He'll be okay in a few days," the motherly surrogate assured the others. "You all remember how it was in the beginning."

The other mothers nodded.

"We'll let him sleep for a while, and then make sure he eats something."

Garon frowned as he watched. "This one does not seem particularly pleased to be pregnant."

"It's part of the normal adjustment process," the Marak said. "New surrogates are resistant at first, but they quickly accept their altered reality. The other surrogates help facilitate the transition, as you can see."

The Marak's comm device buzzed again.

"There's a mother ready to deliver in the birthing suite," it said. "If we go now, we can witness it."

Garon nodded eagerly. "Yes. Let's go."

It was only a short distance to the birthing suite. The Marak hurried into the control room, and Garon followed closely on its heels. Inside, there were a number of technicians. Each one sat in front of a console and monitored several birthing chambers.

"No one attends a surrogate while he is in labor?" Garon asked.

On Krill, birth was a celebration. A pregnant woman's family rushed to her home when they learned she had gone into labor. They waited in the great hall and entertained friends who wanted to be on hand for the happy event. It was considered a great honor to assist the bringing of new life, and only a woman's closest kin, usually her husband, mother and sisters, attended her in the delivery room. They helped divert the woman's attention from the pain, eased her burden, and physically supported her while she delivered the baby.

"Labor can last many hours, Kael. It would be an inefficient use of resources to assign a technician to each surrogate for that length of time, and besides, their attention is only necessary during the critical end stage of labor. We monitor the surrogates very carefully from here and give them instructions as needed. If there is an emergency, a response team is quickly deployed. But most deliveries transpire without incident."

"I rather doubt the mothers see it that way. You don't think they're frightened? That it would make them feel safer to have someone with them?"

"First-time mothers do tend to exhibit signs of nervousness, but they still manage to successfully birth healthy offspring. That is all that is relevant to the achievement of our objectives. But perhaps you will be reassured to know that experience does assuage their fears. Once they have been through the process the first time, they are much calmer during subsequent births."

The Marak led him from console to console, so he could watch the surrogates preparing to give birth. In one room, a short, red-haired surrogate walked around the perimeter of the small birthing chamber. He was apparently between contractions and moving around to stretch his legs. His belly hung low, and he held his back to help support the weight. He was singing softly to the baby, something low and melodic. Garon guessed it was lullaby.

"This is his third child," the Marak said. "He's only at the beginning stage of labor. His contractions are still ten minutes apart. I'm afraid we won't have time to see him deliver."

In another room, a surrogate squatted, practicing breathing exercises as he rode out a series of contractions.

"This is a second-time mother. His labor is well underway and should be very easy. We may be able to come back and see this birth after we witness the one that's about to occur now. If you'll follow me to the last console."

Garon followed it to the end of the row and took a place behind the Marak technician at the console. The surrogate was a mature male with dark eyes and light hair. He appeared to be rather panic-stricken.

"Do not be alarmed, Kael," the Marak assured him. "This is a first-time mother, and he may become very emotional. But all vital signs for the surrogate and the offspring are within acceptable tolerances. There is no danger."

"Help me," the surrogate begged. "Please, god. Help me!"

His face was bright red with strain, and sweat beaded along his hairline and above his lip. His legs trembled as he squatted. His belly rippled. His organ was dark purple and swollen. It stood straight out from his body, and milky droplets glistened at its tip.

"Make it stop. Please, make it stop!" he pleaded.

"Can't you at least give him something for the pain?" Garon demanded of the Marak.

"Pain medication at this stage might harm the child and impede delivery. This surrogate is very close to giving birth. The worst of the contractions are over, and according to the instruments, his anus is fully dilated. It's almost time to push."

At that moment, the surrogate froze, and his eyes went wide with terror.

"Oh, fuck! It's coming out my ass. I feel it. You bastards! What the hell are you going to me?"

"Surrogate #45128," the technician spoke calmly into the comm port. "Soon, you should feel your sphincter pulsing open. This is a sign that it's time to push."

The surrogate shook his head. His face was streaked with tears.

"No!" he said, emphatically. "Just cut it out of me. Please! It's too big. It can't come out my ass. I can't take it."

"Surrogate #45128, remain calm. Do you feel your anal muscle opening?"

"Yes! And it hurts! My ass is killing me. You're killing me. I'm going to die. Oh, god. I'm going to die."

"Surrogate #45128, you are in no danger. But you do need to push," the technician instructed him. "Just as if you were having a bowel movement."

"Just cut it out of me! Please!"

"That is not possible. You have to push. The sooner you cooperate, the sooner it will be over."

The surrogate took a deep breath, pushed and screamed.

"Aaaaagh! Oh, god. Oh, god. My ass is ripping apart."

"Stay calm. Continue pushing."

The surrogate panted for breath and then pushed some more.

"God! Get it out of me. Just get it out. It's too big. It's tearing me up inside."

"Keep pushing," the technician said. "It's almost over."

The surrogate held his belly and wailed loudly as he pushed as hard as he could. And then, Garon could see the offspring's dark head begin to emerge from the birth canal. The surrogate saw it too, in the reflective surface of the wall. He screamed in terror.

"Push!" the technician commanded.

The surrogate grunted and gritted his teeth as he made one final heave and pushed the baby all the way out.

Two Marak technicians hurried into the room. The first went to the infant and used a surgical instrument to free the baby from the natal membrane. It attached an environater to the child's neck. The baby took its first breath and then started shrieking.

The Marak researcher turned to Garon. "Congratulations, Kael. It is a female. Your people have another healthy offspring."

"Is the surrogate going to be all right?" he asked.

The birth had left the man's anus torn and bleeding. He moaned in pain as the other Marak technician attended to him.

"The technician will repair the muscle and administer pain medication. The anus will be just as strong as it was before. This surrogate will be able to give birth to many more offspring."

The technician helped the mother onto an anti-grav gurney. The other Marak carried the infant from the room.

"The offspring will be cleaned and given a complete physical in the natal health unit. If there are no problems, she will be returned to her mother in the nursing suite."

Garon nodded. He could not trust himself to speak. Of course, he had held each of the weaned infants that had been delivered to Krill, before turning them over to their adoptive families. Being Kael did have its privileges. But to see his children actually being born, to witness their first moments of life-- Well, it nearly overwhelmed him. It had been such a long time since he'd seen little hands balling into fists, little eyes squinting as they took in the world for the first time, little feet kicking with the sheer joy of being alive. Nothing had ever been more beautiful, on any planet, in any far corner of the cosmos. He was certain of it.

"We can make a stop at the natal unit if you would care to examine the offspring for yourself," the Marak said.

"Yes. I would. But first, I want to see that other mother deliver."

"Very well."

The Marak led him back to the appropriate console. The mother had already started to push. His face was set in an expression of intense concentration. He breathed rhythmically in and out as he pushed. He held his cheeks open with his hands and felt for the offspring. As the head crowned and the child started to emerge, he guided it the rest of the way out and gently cushioned its landing. The mother slumped forward in exhaustion. Marak technicians responded as they had to the other birth.

"How would you describe the level of pain you are experiencing?" the Marak asked the mother.

"Um, about a five, I think," he said. "It definitely hurt a lot less than the last time."

The Marak nodded and administered the appropriate dose of medication. The other Marak had already freed the infant from the birth sack and was about to take the baby away.

"Wait," the mother said. "Please. Can't I just hold the baby for a moment?"

The Marak technicians exchanged a glance. Clearly, this was not the usual procedure. But Garon felt certain they'd been instructed to encourage the emotional bonding the Marak found so useful in controlling the surrogates.

The technician laid the child in the mother's arms. "It is a male," it said.

The mother smiled blissfully down at his baby. "He's so beautiful," he said.

They allowed him to cuddle the child for a few minutes, and then the Marak took the baby back. "He will be returned to you in the nursing suite," it said and left the room.

The other technician carefully examined the mother's anus and then mended it. "Is this degree of pain management sufficient to your needs?" it asked.

The mother nodded. "Yeah. It's really not too bad. A lot better than last time."

"You will be transported to the nursing suite now," the technician said. "The offspring will join you shortly. You will be able to rest while the offspring nurses."

It helped the surrogate onto the gurney.

"It's a boy," the mother said, sleepily. "I had a little girl before. I'm glad it's a boy this time."

"An equal distribution of males and females is advantageous to a species that reproduces by sexual means," the Marak said.

Garon supposed this was its notion of congratulating the mother. It pushed the gurney out of the room and took the surrogate to the nursing suite.

The Marak researcher turned to Garon.

"So you see, Kael. Birthing does become easier for the surrogates. Most are even eager to become pregnant again, to make up for the loss they feel when a child is weaned. Of course, they still dislike being sexually penetrated, but their personal preferences are of no concern. Artificial insemination is not successful for your species. So to become pregnant, the surrogates must engage in intercourse."

"Perhaps they could learn to like it if it were more personal and less brutal," Garon said dryly.

This seemed to rankle the Marak. "Our methods are efficient, Kael. The contract stipulates simply that we are to deliver healthy offspring. How we do that is completely up to our discretion."

The Marak's comm device buzzed. It pressed a button and talked into it.

"Both infants have already cleared the natal unit," it told Garon. "Our physicians found them both to be in perfect health. We can observe them in the nursing suite. Come this way."

They took a lift down three levels. The Marak punched in yet another access code, and they entered the nursing suite. Inside, individual rooms opened off a long hall. Each room had a large window through which the nursing mothers and their babies could be observed. A Marak technician rolled along the corridor. It stopped at each room long enough to record a few notes on a data pad.

The nurseries were fairly comfortable compared to the other Marak facilities. The floors were carpeted to protect toddlers from injury, and the walls were painted with cheerful, colorful patterns to help stimulate the neurological development of newborns. There was a small bathroom where the mother could bathe the infant, as well as take care of his own needs. Dominating the space was the traditional nursing couch that all mothers on Krill used. It was the perfect design to allow the mother to rest comfortably while the baby suckled. Krill newborns required around-the-clock feeding, so mothers and children slept together until the baby had been weaned.

"The infants are weighed daily to ensure they are receiving sufficient nourishment," the Marak said. "The surrogates are also monitored, to be certain they ingest the correct balance of food supplements and liquids. If a surrogate is not producing enough nourishment, we can usually resolve the problem by adjusting the diet."

Garon nodded distractedly. He was too busy walking along the hall watching the mothers with their children. Each scene filled him with tenderness. There were infants of all different ages. Their mothers held them just the way mothers on Krill did, cradled along the thigh, the baby's head resting on the mother's belly. In one room, the baby could not have been more than a few days old. He suckled hungrily, but his vision and coordination were just beginning to develop. The nursing organ would slip from his mouth, and the mother would have to gently guide him back to it.

"That's it," the mother said as the baby started to suckle again, tenderly stroking the child's back as he nursed.

In another room, the mother and child had fallen asleep together. The mother's arm was curled protectively around the infant. The child's hand still clung to the nursing organ. Another mother was up walking around, carrying a fussy baby, rocking the child in his arms, humming to her softly to help soothe her. One child was already crawling. The mother squatted on the floor and held out his hands. The baby scuttled over to him. He giggled when his mother picked him up and kissed him.

"Look at you!" the mother said proudly. "Aren't you a clever baby!"

At the far end of the hall was the new mother whose delivery Garon had just witnessed. The technician was trying to get him settled with the baby on the nursing couch.

"The offspring rests like this," the Marak explained as it positioned the child on its mother's body. "And you must help introduce the nursing organ into the offspring's mouth. Like this."

The Marak guided the infant to the mother's teat.

The mother watched in panic as the child started to nurse. He shook his head frantically. "I don't think that's right. I shouldn't-- It can't-- Not from my cock."

"Your anatomy has been appropriately altered. This structure no longer serves as a sexual organ, but as a means for the offspring to derive nourishment from your body."

"But it hurts. My cock is sore."

"Your nursing organ is sore because it is swollen with nourishment for the offspring. Allowing the offspring to nurse will decrease the discomfort. It may even begin to feel pleasurable."

The child suckled hungrily, one hand curled around the mother's nursing organ. She stared up at her mother with large, serious eyes.

"I feel like a pervert," the mother said. "Where I come from this is a really, really bad thing to do to a baby."

"You must learn to adjust your perceptions to fit your altered situation. The offspring must nurse. It is not being harmed. If you do not allow the offspring to nurse, it will die. You don't want your baby to die, do you?" the Marak asked.

The mother watched his daughter nurse, as if mesmerized by the sight of her drawing sustenance from his body. He stroked her head, a little tentatively, a little shyly, but with great tenderness.

"No," he said. "I don't want anything to happen to her."

"Then you must take care of her. Make sure you hold her where she can reach your nursing organ. We will monitor your progress in case you need help. And provide additional instructions when necessary."

The man nodded. He curled his arm around his daughter and held onto her more protectively.

Garon imagined for a moment that it was the golden-haired man, cradling their child, nursing their baby. An intense jolt of longing hit him hard. He had not felt anything remotely like it since that day long ago when he'd first seen Jaina. He just wanted to finish up these unpleasant dealings with the Marak as quickly as possible, so he could get started on a new life, with his new mate, the life he had been promised by his heritage and denied by the capriciousness of fate.

"That concludes our review, Kael. I trust you are satisfied with our operation?"

"Yes," Garon said, grudgingly. "It does appear-- effective."

"Then let us complete our transaction. We have drawn up the appropriate legal document for the transfer of the agreed upon planets. All we need is your signature code to conclude our business."

The Marak offered him a data pad. Garon accepted it with a sour expression. He quickly reviewed the terms to make certain nothing had been altered or added, but the Marak were known as honest, if shrewd, dealmakers for a reason. Everything was in perfect order.

Garon entered his signature code. "Remember that if you fail to deliver offspring as promised--"

"Yes, of course, Kael," the Marak said. "If we default on our obligations, we forfeit our compensation. We understand the terms of the contract. We will not fail to honor them. And that includes our offer of surrogate #04631 for your own personal use. If you still wish it."

"I do," Garon said. "I wish it."

He would have liked to sound neutral, even indifferent. But he could not keep the longing out of his voice. His need was too great. He could not hide it from the Marak, as much as it shamed him to show any vulnerability before a creature such as this.

"Then we will bring the surrogate to your quarters upon your return there," the Marak said. "Is there anything further, Kael?"

"No," Garon said. He gave a formal bow, as Krill custom demanded. "The people of the Krill Empire offer thanks for your service on our behalf."

The Marak inclined its head. "It has been most enlightening, I assure you. I will have one of our security personnel escort you back to your quarters. Your transport will be cleared for departure at 0900 tomorrow."

Another Marak materialized and led Garon through several long corridors, onto a lift, and finally to his sleeping chamber.

"Is there any thing further you require?" the Marak asked him outside the door.

"No. Well--" he stammered. "There is a surrogate--"

"Yes, Kael. The surrogate is en route to your quarters. Is there anything else?"

"No. Thank you."

The Marak nodded in acknowledgement and departed. Garon went inside to wait, rather nervously. He paced from one end of the small room to the other until the door chimed.

"Come," he said, his heart pounding.

The door opened. A Marak guard dragged the golden-haired man inside. Garon had to admire the surrogate's fighting spirit. The man grabbed onto the doorframe and when the Marak tried to pull his hands free, he bit it. Garon was less amused when the guard jabbed the lightning rifle into the man's neck and fired.

"Aaaagh!" the man screeched and slumped to the floor.

The guard raised the rifle to administer another jolt, but Garon grabbed its arm.

"Enough," he said. "Leave us."

"Kael, this surrogate is rebellious. He should be returned to the holding area to have his behavior modified."

"That will not be necessary." Garon escorted the Marak to the door. "Thank you."

The Marak did finally leave, but only hesitantly. Apparently, it took its duties as disciplinarian quite seriously. Or perhaps, it was concerned for Garon's safety. Clearly, it would not be good for business if one of their most important clients was murdered by their merchandise.

When the door closed behind the Marak, Garon turned back to his mate. He approached him slowly, trying not to alarm him, and offered his hand. The man studied him suspiciously before finally reaching out and allowing Garon to help him to his feet.

The golden-haired man held his arms awkwardly in front of him. Clearly, he was embarrassed by his nakedness. Garon found it ludicrous that the Marak could have imagined the surrogate posed any danger to him. Now that they were alone, the man's rebelliousness completely drained away. Garon could feel the anxious quickness of his breath, the trembling of his body. He had been fighting back out of fear, not malice.

"You are cold," Garon said gently. "I am sorry. These Marak think only of efficiency, never of comfort. If we were on Krill, I would offer you garments to wear, as your customs dictate. But I am afraid we will find no such amenities here on this space station."

The man kept his eyes lowered and did not respond.

"I am Garon, Kael of the Krill Empire, leader of my people," Garon said. "What is your name?"

"Ian," the man mumbled.

Garon smiled. "Ian. That sounds like a word in my own language. It means generosity of spirit."

"I don't want this," Ian said, softly, desperately. "Please."

"I know this is not what you would have freely chosen," Garon told him. "You were not raised to be submissive. Anyone can see that." Garon could not keep himself from touching. He ran his fingers lightly down the man's arm, feeling the muscles. "Nature has not designed you for it."

"So let me go. Please. Let us all go. We'll never come near your space again."

"I wish I could. But it's too late for that. You're already here, and I can't allow this opportunity to slip away, not when my people need you so much. We're dying, and only you can save us. Survival sometimes forces us to do things we wouldn't otherwise consider."

The man made a soft, strangled sound of distress.

"But I am here to offer you a choice, about how you serve us," Garon told him.

The surrogate looked up, surprised. And Garon was amazed once again at the bright, clear blue of his eyes.

"What kind of choice?" Ian asked.

"You may either stay here under Marak control or return to Krill as my mate."

Ian shook his head. "No. Please. You don't understand. I'm not-- I don't-- There has to be something else."

"There is not," Garon told him firmly.

Ian's expression twisted into a sneer. "Is that why you had me mutilated? You like to fuck other men, but not if they still have their balls?"

His voice was belligerent, but his eyes betrayed his misery. Garon felt for him, and he was ashamed of what his people had become. Perhaps, there was some way, in time, he could make it up to Ian. Perhaps, his own doctors would find a way to restore his manhood when he had finished bearing children.

"I would never rob a man of his most precious treasure for something so trivial. We need you to carry our young. The Marak assure me that this physical alteration was necessary to make pregnancy viable."

Ian stared at him. "Pregnancy?" he said, in horror.

"Yes. I want you to bear my children."

"But I can't! Do you get it? I'm a man. Like you. I don't-- I'm not capable--"

"You are. And you will. If not for me, then for some nameless soldier who just happens to be next in line."

Ian shook his head, his eyes filled with tears. "No. Please. God."

"But I want you to have better than that. I want to take you back to Krill where you will revered as the mother of our people. You will be an honored member of my court. And you will have anything you desire that is within my power to give."

"How about my freedom?" Ian said, bitterly. "Or my manhood?"

"Anything else."

"And if I say no?"

"Then you will stay here."

"And get fucked?"

Garon cringed at the brutality of the language, but he could not deny the truth. "Yes," he said.

"And get knocked up?"

"Yes."

"And have those things watching me every moment of every day? Zapping the shit out of me if I don't follow orders quickly enough?"

"Yes."

"So I don't really have a choice, do I?"

"You can choose to come where you will be cherished. That is not such a bad option, is it?"

"I've never--" Ian blushed. "I don't know how."

Garon gently touched his face. "I will show you. And I won't hurt you. I promise that you won't ever have to worry about that."

"Will you want-- Now?"

"To see if we are compatible. Yes."

"You want me to--"

"Go lie down," Garon told him.

"Are you going to tie me up? The way they did before?"

"Of course not. You are to be my mate. I will never treat you with anything but respect."

The surrogate laughed, without any humor. "I've seen how your kind 'respect' us."

"I cannot argue that point," Garon said sadly. "The scene you witnessed earlier--" He shook his head. "It's not supposed to be that way. I swear on the honor of my ancestors that it will never be that way for you."

The surrogate hesitated. Garon could easily read the conflicting emotions in his face. This man was no fool. Clearly, he realized it was in his best interests to give himself to Garon, to become his mate. But his warrior's pride made it difficult to acquiesce. Perhaps, in some ways it was easier to be forced than to choose.

"I will give you a good life," Garon told him solemnly. "I promise you this. Far better than the life you'd have here. All you have to do is let me."

Garon stroked his hand down Ian's back. He meant it to be a comforting gesture, but Ian trembled at his touch. Still, he did nod.

"All right," he said, his voice very soft. "I'll do it."

"Thank you," Garon said.

He took Ian's hand, led him over to the bed and had him lie on his side. Garon lay down next to him, his chest pressed to Ian's back. The intimacy was very arousing, and his cock quickly unfurled from its carapace and hardened. Ian's body tensed when he felt Garon's erection against his butt.

Garon kissed Ian's shoulder. "Try to relax," he said. "I promised not to hurt you. And a Krill never breaks a promise to his mate."

He reached for the vial of lubricant on the bedside table. The ever-practical Marak thought of everything. He squirted slippery stuff onto his fingers.

"Pull your leg up to your chest," he said.

He could feel Ian's breath quicken, but the man did as he was told, giving Garon access to the tender places of his body.

"Just relax," Garon said.

In that talk Garon's father had given him when he'd come of age, he had said: "To be a true man, you must become an accomplished lover to your mate. To be an accomplished lover, you must be patient." So even though Garon had already waited so long, he schooled himself to take his time with Ian.

Garon slowly stroked and teased the entrance to Ian's body, waiting for the man's muscles to unclench, for his heart to stop pounding with terror, his breath to quiet a little. Only then did he dip his finger inside and begin to explore the inner mysteries of his mate's body. Ian tensed again at the intrusion, but Garon continued to stroke him gently. Eventually, Ian relaxed again. Garon added another finger and reached deeper inside him, spreading slickness, opening him up for penetration.

When he touched a certain spot, a slight protrusion, Ian gasped and stilled. Garon froze. He started to pull his hand back. A Krill man did not hurt his mate. Ever. But then Ian rocked his hips back, forcing Garon's fingers deeper into his body, brushing them against that same spot again. Ian made a soft, throaty sound, and Garon realized that it was pleasure, not pain.

Garon kissed the back of his neck and began to stroke that little button inside him. Garon could feel the blood pounding in Ian's veins, the heat rising off his skin, as he twisted his hips and met each thrust of Garon's fingers. Garon had thought the procedure the Marak had performed on Ian would prevent him from being able to experience sexual pleasure, but apparently, he had been wrong. Ian's cock was erect and straining, flushed with need.

Garon had never expected to find the male form so erotic, but the notion that Ian's phallus would soon be swollen with nourishment for their child sent a shock of want all through his body.

"Touch yourself," he whispered in Ian's ear.

Ian instantly froze, and Garon could feel the hot burn of his embarrassment. Garon understood this reaction. A man who had never been trained as a submissive would find it a terrible betrayal that his body could find enjoyment in possession.

Garon kissed his shoulder. "Bodies react to being touched," he said. He gently fingered that electric place, and Ian bucked up wildly, trying to get more of the sensation. "Would it really be better to feel pain?"

Ian made no answer. Clearly, he would have liked to ignore his body's responses. But he just couldn't. He whimpered with need, took his own cock in hand and started to pleasure himself.

"That's it, my love. Just give in to it."

He withdrew his fingers. Ian moaned in protest, despite himself. Garon pressed his cock against Ian's entrance. He could feel Ian's heart speed up.

"Calmly, my love," he said.

He began to enter his mate's body very carefully.

"Slowly," he said.

It had been so long since he'd been inside someone, not since that last time with Jaina. He'd almost forgotten how amazingly good it felt to have his cock enveloped by the sweet, hot tightness of another person's body.

"Gently," he said, as he worked his cock further inside.

It was as much to remind himself as it was to reassure Ian. He needed so much, and the urge just to plunge into Ian's welcoming warmth nearly overwhelmed him. But a Krill man did not hurt his mate. Garon gritted his teeth and forced himself to go slowly.

Despite his care, there was still pain. He could feel it in the set of Ian's body. He could hear it in the sounds he made. Virginity never yielded itself without a fight.

But slowly, Ian's body began to open to him. Garon kept moving deeper and deeper inside him, until he was fully sheathed. He stopped for a moment, to take it all in, the steady throbbing of Ian's pulse, the spicy scent of his sweat, the fierce inferno of his flesh. It was the first moment of peace and satisfaction Garon had enjoyed in twenty years.

And then the need came crashing back to him, and he had to move. He began to thrust gently in and out of Ian's body. Soon, Ian's grunts of discomfort became surprised "oohs" of pleasure. Garon angled his strokes to hit that little button, and Ian responded wildly, pushing back against each thrust, taking Garon's cock deeper inside his body.

Ian's cock had softened during the initial pain of entry, but it quickly hardened again. Ian stroked himself in time to Garon's thrusts. Garon could feel Ian's thighs start to shake. And then Ian was bucking uncontrollably, yelling out his pleasure, coming hard.

Garon had never been inside a man's body before. He could not have imagined how Ian's orgasm would cause his muscles to clench around Garon's cock, squeezing and massaging his own climax out of him. He roared in ecstasy as he emptied his seed into his mate's receptive body. His orgasm was so intense that he lost touch with reality for a moment or two. When he regained himself, his cock had softened, and he carefully withdrew from Ian's body.

Ian's shoulders shuddered, and his back hitched. He was sobbing. Garon could understand his sorrow. Ian was not designed by training or inclination to be the object of another man's pleasure. He had never felt a man come inside him before now. How it must have shocked him that he could come from being penetrated, that he could actually like it. In some ways, that might be more painful than being raped.

So Garon let him cry. He would be patient with him, as befitted a Krill man, especially the Kael. Eventually, he knew Ian would come to accept his new life. There was just one thing, though, that Garon needed to know.

He put his hands gently on Ian's butt and parted his cheeks.

"No. Please!" Ian begged. "Not again. Not now. Please!"

"Sssh. Hush, my love," Garon said. "I am not going to penetrate you again while you are still sore from the first time. I just need to see. To know."

And there it was. The telltale sign. Ian's anal ring had turned bright red, just as the Marak had said. Garon had to blink back tears. His mate was pregnant. At long last, he had the one thing he had wanted more than anything else in his whole life.

"Is it-- Am I--" Ian asked.

"Yes," Garon told him. "But don't worry. Everything's going to be all right."

"Oh, God." Ian cried harder.

Garon held him as he wept. Ian did not relax into his embrace, but he didn't he pull away, either. Garon felt the light flutter of hope in his chest, finally, after everything. He knew Ian would come to accept him eventually. He was certain of it. Maybe, he would even love him some day, once they had children together and shared that unbreakable bond.

When Ian had cried himself out, he fell into an exhausted sleep. Garon listened to the soft intake and exhale of his breath. He'd never felt more wide awake in his life. He gently caressed Ian's belly, marveling all over again at the softness of his skin. Soon, he would be round and swollen with new life, as Garon's heir grew inside him.

Whatever guilt Garon had felt toward Ian's species fell away from him at the though of holding his own child in his arms. If he was doing wrong, then he would gladly pay the price for it in the after life when he stood in final judgment before the pantheon of gods and goddesses. Until then, he planned to savor every moment he had with his new mate. He intended to love his children as no children had ever been loved before. He wanted everything he could get of the sweetness this life had to offer.

After all, he had waited so long.

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