Taming the Beast (and his friend)

By the time I'd finished feeding Gharret, his cheeks were a bright red and the nudging on the back of my thigh had become a rather persistent knocking. I set the plate down, noticing how quiet in the hall it'd become. When I looked up, I noticed there were only a few stragglers, but the ones that remained looked highly embarrassed. Perhaps this scene had been a bit too sexual, even for the unmated males.

I shifted to get off of him, but he gripped my waist to keep me solidly against his form. Panting softly, he leaned in, breath against my ear. The smell of the roast chicken and various vegetables was not an unpleasant one, either.

"Please stay a moment…until I can calm down," he muttered, then began to growl softly. I froze in place, but quickly realized he wasn't doing it to be aggressive. If anything, it had more to do with the hard lump I'd been sitting on.

I nodded and he leaned back a little in his throne, attempting to relax, but he fidgeted, grasping at my waist as though he were fighting himself. He then shifted in his seat again, winced, then sighed. I watched his expressions silently, beginning to feel a small amount of pity. It was as though he'd been programmed for this and was having to fight against that very programming.

"Frustrated…," I muttered, watching his ears twitch in my direction.

"Hm?"

"You're frustrated. Standing now would only prove that. I've been feeling it this entire time…" He blushed heavily and glanced away, though his situation seemed to get slightly worse and he winced and growled before leaning in to whisper.

"I would take you right here and now in the middle of the Hall, if only to prove to everyone they can't have you," he snarled. His other hand not preoccupied with my waist landed on my thigh and he gripped it almost painfully before taking up a handful of my dress and tugging gently at it.

"Gharret…," I said firmly, but he didn't seem shaken as he tried to roll his hips against my thigh. I grumbled. This was more for his sake than mine at this point, so I shifted again in his lap, against his hands as he struggled to let me do as I please and shift me into a better position for his release.

I gripped his face with both hands which caught his attention. He blinked a little up at me and I thought back to how my sister would calm her dog, sometimes, and how the poor thing just melted into a giant chocolate puddle of Labrador…

I slipped my hands up his face and, using the pads of both my thumbs, began stroking the bridge of his nose where the crease of his brows were, and up over his brows. Steadily, methodically, I applied a gentle but firm pressure, passing my fingers over those spots in tandem.

It took a few moments for him to react but slowly and surely, he began to relax. First the thumping stopped and the uncomfortable lump disappeared entirely. I continued a few moments longer before I paused and looked down at him. He'd gone entirely limp and was like putty in my hands. I smirked.

"Better?" I asked him gently and he nodded with a sigh.

"Where…did you learn to…do that…?" he asked lazily. I only chuckled in response before I pecked a kiss to his forehead.

He blinked a little at me in surprise, then melted into a relaxed smile, shifting his position to lean his head on his hand again.

"My secret." We chuckled a little at each other and he seemed content to let me have it. The hand that was at my waist was also relaxed enough that I could stand.

As I got to my feet, he sighed a little, reaching for my hand and gripping it gently, lacing his fingers with mine after a moment. I paused and looked back at him.

"My only wish is your happiness…" A touch of sadness entered his voice and he refused to look at me, though his cheeks had pinkened slightly. I blushed in return and smiled a little.

"I know…"

His confession hit me like a ton of bricks and honestly, I could barely move, much less release his hand. He let me go as I moved around the table and made my way down the dais. As much as I was beginning to enjoy my time spent in his presence, I needed a moment to myself to clear my thoughts.

I could feel his eyes on me as I left through the rear entrance and hurried along down the hallways, and though I knew where his room was, I couldn't bring myself to enter. Instead, I found myself leaning against the wall outside it, slowly sliding down until my butt found the floor. Quietly, I pulled my knees against my chest and buried my face.

What an awful lot they have in life. All the beauty of the landscaping and the prizes therein only concealed a greater horror. What kind of god could create a world like this? Forcing them to fight each other for potentially one, singular chance to pass on their genetics? Clearly, over time, it's worked in their favor, producing stronger offspring with every new generation, but…

I shook my head. Maybe that was the purpose of this world. To create strong creatures. But then what? The wheel keeps turning and they just get stronger and stronger? What stops it? What's the end goal?

The worst part of it all was just how chained to it they all were…and they didn't even know it…