All Too Familiar Part 4
Valerie and Shadow are back once more for part 4. If you're new to the story, the previous chapters can be found at the links below.
Tags: >! Medieval fantasy, F/Canine, first time, kissing!<
Valerie's eyes snapped open as Shadow gave a quiet huff, nudging her thigh with his snout from where he sat at her side. Valerie straightened in her seat, trying to banish the fog of weary boredom. Thanks. She mentally ‘pushed’ the word to Shadow the way she had learned to give silent commands. Reaching one hand down, she scratched behind her familiar’s pointed ears, running her fingertips through the creature’s ashen-black fur. The foreign ambassador was speaking now: something to do with growing seasons and the quality of linen exports. Blinking away bleariness, Valerie tried to pick up on the thread of the discussion, but unfortunately there were more interesting things on her mind than the details of a trade agreement.
Things with Shadow had developed quickly, both in her private and public lives. As both of them grew more comfortable with each other, Shadow had lost much of his uncanny stiffness. While he remained glued to Valerie's side whenever feasible, he no longer glared quite so balefully at anyone who approached her. For Valerie's part, directing Shadow had become second nature, to the point she hardly ever needed to command him aloud. As for their personal lives, Valerie had continued enjoying Shadow's attention whenever possible, and found herself returning the favor more and more often. She had become fascinated with Shadow's cock that had apparently been generated out of her own desires. Valerie had explored every inch of it with her fingers, lips and tongue from the tapered point to the knot that swelled at the base just before he came, and even the tight, furred balls that hung behind. Valerie felt herself growing warm just picturing running her tongue up the slick, vivid-blue surface to the tip.
For all her fascination with it, and her and Shadow's thorough enjoyment of each other's bodies, there was one boundary they had yet to cross: she hadn't taken his cock inside her. She had brought the beast to her bed half a dozen times intending to consummate their bond, but each time she had hesitated. She dreamt of it regularly, to the point her own kind seldom played a part in her nighttime fantasies, only Shadow.
Shadow nudged her again as she began to daydream, but Valerie ignored him, indulging for a moment during the lull in the meeting. It was only when she caught the young dignitary winking back at her that she realized she had been staring in his direction, an expression of idle delight on her face. Valerie's expression immediately soured, but the young man had already turned back to the map spread before him on the table. Therein lay part of the problem.
Though Valerie would only admit it to herself, her desire for marriage may have been a short-sighted impulse born out of desperation. With Shadow sharing her bed, that desperation had vanished, leaving Valerie unsure of what to make of the idea. As was her habit though, the Queen seemed to unerringly hunt down the exact opposite of her youngest daughter's desires. This very morning, with a reluctant sigh, she had hinted that perhaps an introduction could be made with the visiting Prince of Lerix, if Valerie was so insistent upon marrying. Lacking a suitable excuse as to why the idea was no longer so appealing, Valerie had agreed to consider him.
Prince Sebastian was a handsome man, and from the parts of the negotiations she hadn't dozed through, seemed well-read and well-spoken. She knew enough of politics to understand strengthening ties to nearby Lerix through a marriage would be a boon to their own kingdom and still allow ample opportunity to visit home. Still, she found herself balking at the prospect. Valerie glanced down at Shadow, who met her gaze placidly from below. There was the other half of the problem.
How exactly to define her and Shadow's relationship eluded her. They shared a bed, and while Shadow seemed to understand her well enough, familiar or not, a dog was not a proper husband. While not as enforced as it once was, nobility were still expected to keep their virginity intact until their wedding night. Were she to marry, she wouldn't be able to keep up this tryst with Shadow, and the thought of losing that… bond… whatever she would end up calling it, shook Valerie more than she had realized.
Pondering this dilemma and the inevitable choice she would be forced to make, Valerie hardly noticed the negotiations reaching their conclusion. The Prince gave a polite bow in the direction of her and her mother before making an exit, presumably headed back to the guestrooms in the south wing. Rather than heading back to her own chambers, Valerie instead made for the castle courtyard, hoping a walk might clear her head. Ever dutiful, Shadow loped alongside her, sniffing for any threats that might be lurking between pillars or beneath the rhododendrons. With a thought, Valerie called him back to her side, resting her fingertips on his warm back as they walked.
As they did, she wondered if she would have felt the same hesitation had she been granted her initial wish for a human bodyguard to warm her sheets. It hadn't taken her long to dispel the notion of taboo from Shadow's attention, though that had been her early impressions of the creature. The more time they had shared, the less Shadow seemed a tool of convenience, than a devoted and attentive lover in his own right. She thought on this a while, eventually rounding back into the stone corridors of the castle. Any further rumination was halted at the sight of the strange pair leaving from her own chamber door.
“Prince Sebastian,” Valerie greeted him warily. “I didn't think to run into you here.” Echoing her attitude, Shadow stepped forward into a tense crouch, blue eyes locked on the Prince. He turned around the sound of his name as Valerie approached and he leaned casually on the corridor wall.
“Lady Valerie,” he returned the greeting with a broad grin. “Aren't you a tease!” He chuckled, dropping his voice to a conspiratorial tone. “I was waiting so long I had a look inside, and found this little darling waiting for me! I thought I'd have to take her back to my quarters for the night.” His white teeth flashed in a grin as he threw his arm around the shoulders of the young woman behind him. It was one of the castle servants who tended to her chambers. Allie: Valerie recalled her name after an embarrassing pause. She was a timid thing, but an efficient worker. It had taken her a month to stop giving a start whenever Shadow approached her—and him to stop being so suspicious—but these days the two had made their peace. Allie’s eyes met Valerie's with a pleading look, and Valerie's own expression darkened.
Glancing down the hall towards her own chambers, there was no sign of the rest of the prince's retinue, nor were there any of the castle guards. Valerie insisted none be posted outside her door now that she had Shadow; more to stop any eavesdropping than anything.
“Now that you're here, though… shall we?” The Prince continued, nodding towards the door. He let his arm slip from Allie's shoulders but kept it outstretched as he leaned on the wall, blocking Allie from making an easy exit. “Oooh,” he crooned as if a thought had just occurred. “Or is she meant to join us?” Valerie’s scowl deepened and Shadow's hackles rose quietly beside her.
“I think there must be a misunderstanding,” Valerie said, her tone clipped but polite. “I was just retiring to my chambers for the evening. Alone.” The prince's smile faltered, but quickly returned. He pushed off from the wall, reaching for Allie’s wrist.
“Ah, perhaps another time then, my Lady. Come along then, darling. Seems I'll be enjoying you by myself.” Seeing the way Allie flinched away from his touch, a rush of anger surged up in Valerie's chest. Anything she had found attractive about the brash young man had soured. He was nothing but a rake and a brat: too used to getting his own way to know when he wasn't wanted. As her temper rose, her eyes shot daggers at the impudent Prince.
“Allie, you can go,” she said carefully. “I’m sure Prince Sebastian can find his way back to the guest wing on his own.” The prince's tongue clicked irritably.
“Arrogant bitch,” he spat with a glare. “You think I don't know how many suitors have come and gone from this place?” He leaned closer, ignoring Shadow’s warning growl. “The stuck-up third princess of a backwater kingdom, and you think even your servants are too good for me, is that it?” He let his hand drop to his side, where it came to rest on the handle of a fine side sword he wore on his belt. It was an ornate, silver thing, but surely no less deadly for its ornamentation. Sudden fear poured into Valerie's righteous anger, and then several things happened at once.
Shadow became a dark blur at her side. Allie shrieked and stumbled backwards. Prince Sebastian howled in pain, and the taste of blood, bitter and inexplicable, blossomed on Valerie's tongue
Shadow's jaws were clamped around the young prince’s wrist.
The Prince choked off his cry and strained to draw the blade, but the beast's grip was firm. Disoriented by the sudden burst of foreign stimulus, Valerie was stunned for a moment, several heartbeats ticking by before she realized her own sensations were somehow blurring with Shadow's.
She could feel the sharpness of her—his—teeth and taste the trickle of blood, but she also sensed the restraint: Shadow's bite was hard enough to draw blood but he held back, enough to halt the threat, but no more. Valerie could feel him questioning, waiting for her instructions even as he skidded and snarled, keeping up his grip as the Prince fought in a growing panic to free his arm.
“Stop!” Valerie shouted, with authority that surprised even herself.
The entire scene froze. Both Shadow and the Prince turned their eyes towards her, and even Allie halted in her retreat.
“Prince Sebastian,” Valerie began, hiding the quaver in her voice. “If you need help finding your way back to your chambers, I am sure Shadow here could escort you.” Giving a glance to her familiar, she coaxed him into releasing the Prince's arm. “Otherwise, I will be retiring for the evening.” she finished, still eyeing him warily.
Sebastian snatched his hand back, nursing his injured wrist. A few flecks of blood splattered on the flagstones. He opened his mouth with a sneer but a growl from Shadow, made him think better of whatever he was about to say. Instead, he turned on his heel, skulking off down the hallway. Valerie let out a long breath as she watched him vanish around the corner. The hallway seemed to spin, the fading adrenaline and aftereffects of the strange melding leaving her drained and unsteady. Turning to check on Allie, she found the maid had already gone, taking the chance to slip away while the Prince was distracted. Shadow licked her hand gently, pulling Valerie back from staring down the empty hallway.
“Come on,” she whispered quietly, tugging open her chamber door. The lock bolt thudded behind them, the bed creaking as Valerie settled her weight onto the edge. Raising her hands, she found them shaking. Shadow nosed himself beside her, leaning against her legs and tucking his head beneath her elbow. Valerie gave a tired smile, stroking his neck. “Thank you,” she murmured. Not bothering to undress, she lay down, appreciating the comforting weight as her familiar clambered into the bed beside her, laying his head on her shoulder.
Even after the tension of the confrontation had eased from her limbs and the last of the day's light had faded from her chamber window, Valerie lay awake, staring at the darkened ceiling. Shadow rested his head against her, calm but always alert.
Valerie had never thought she would ever need Shadow to fulfill his intended role as a bodyguard. She didn't know if Prince Sebastian truly intended to draw his weapon on her, but she had been glad of Shadow's presence regardless. While it had obviously frightened her, she didn't think the cocksure prince would try anything else. The encounter rattled her in other ways though, shaking loose some of the comforting familiarity of her and Shadow's relationship. She could almost still taste the prince’s blood in her mouth, but even the sudden meld had been less disturbing than the realization Sebastian's actions had given her.
The Prince had the audacity to assume she would bed him then and there, and when she had refused, he intended to take Allie out of convenience, using his position to ensure she wasn't likely to refuse. Had she not been intending to do something similar, had her original plan for a human bodyguard not fallen through? Had she not done the same with Shadow? He had seemed, or perhaps even been, a simple and almost mechanical creature at first, but now she knew better. He had shown a personality of his own, and was obviously eager to serve as he had this evening, but Valerie still held all the power. She wasn't sure her commands, even subconscious ones, were something Shadow was able to refuse.
Sensing her distress, Shadow licked Valerie's cheek, but stopped immediately when she flinched away. His blue eyes, slightly luminous in the dark, stared with what looked like a worried expression, and some of the tension eased from her own face. “Sorry,” she murmured, laying her head back down and allowing him to comfort her. She stroked the fur of his neck in the dark. “I'm sorry.” As she settled back down, Shadow lay alongside her, keeping his nightly sleepless vigil up as she finally found sleep.
~
“Lady Valerie!” an aged voice called, startling Valerie from where she had been staring into a patch of flowers in the castle gardens. “Good to see you enjoying the pleasant weather as well.” The voice may have been familiar, but the surroundings were not.
Elric, the court physik, was making his way toward her. He was aided by a stout cane of polished wood that Valerie hadn't seen before, though as she thought about it, she wasn't sure she had ever seen the old alchemist outside of the castle’s halls before.
“Oh! Hello, Elric,” Valerie blurted, quickly collecting her thoughts. “I could say the same to you. I didn't expect to run into you out here.” The older man stopped on the path next to her, and Shadow trotted up to him. Elric offered a hand for him to sniff.
“Yes, good to get out of the old tower once in a while. I'm growing a few of my own ingredients in the garden as well, and came to check on them.” He gave a chuckle as Shadow licked his fingers and allowed himself to be scratched behind the ears. Hardly a trace of Shadow's initial distrust still showed when it came to Elric; Valerie had taken to visiting more often whenever she had questions about Shadow or other arcane matters, and she had quickly become rather fond of the old alchemist, to the point she felt silly being scared of the man as child. She sensed there was something not entirely truthful about his words today though. “Perhaps I might walk with you, my Lady?” he offered. Valerie accepted.
“You seemed lost in thought,” Elric spoke up as they rounded the corner of the path furthest from the garden gates. “Something to do with a young man whose hand I patched up last night?” Valerie looked away. “It wasn't that serious,” he assured her. “Though you'd not think so from the way he moaned about it. I'm not sure if it's any consolation, but he seemed rather embarrassed by it. Told me he cut it practicing fencing with one of his tutors, as if a rapier had teeth.” Valerie opened her mouth to explain, but Elric forestalled her with a raised hand.
“I'm not trying to press for details,” he reassured her. “That young man strikes me as a fool and a cad. I trust he deserved it.” The alchemist's eyes softened and he stopped to turn to her. “I just wanted to make sure you both were okay,” he offered, giving Valerie her space but running the back of his hand over Shadow's coat. Shadow looked up at Valerie from where he sat in between them. Her eyes glanced between him and Elric as she hesitated. The familiar lay down, pushing his head against Valerie's calf.
“I… we're fine. Thank you for the concern, Elric. Just gave me some things to think about when it comes to Shadow and I.” Elric nodded, but didn't seem satisfied with her answer. “I don't suppose my mother will be pleased that she's finally set up a marriage candidate, only for me to sic my familiar on him,” Valerie half-joked, trying to change the subject.
“If you ask an old bachelor, marriage is overrated,” Elric snorted. “Let alone to that puffed-up little prick.” Valerie blurted out a short laugh at the unexpected vulgarity. Elric let the conversation drop after that, though Valerie still felt it eating at her.
“I just…” she blurted before she could stop herself. It was easy to confide in the alchemist and she valued his insight, but it was often difficult to dance around her and Shadow's relationship. “I worry I've treated him too callously,” she said. “Having him serve me regardless of his own will.”
“You have a kind heart to worry about such things, Lady Valerie,” Elric chuckled. Shadow gave a soft whine and nuzzled Valerie's legs. Hiking her dress, she crouched down to pat him. “But I wouldn't concern yourself.” He smiled, watching the pair. “Shadow here strikes me as a creature who is exactly where he wants to be. You treat him well, and I think he does so in kind. I wouldn't be surprised if that were the reason the more arcane nature of your bond has progressed so quickly.”
Shadow pressed his head into her touch, and she felt some of the tension go from her shoulders as she sensed the truth in Elric’s words. While Shadow had always obeyed her wants without question, she had learned to read his own desires as well, though the stoic beast had a habit of hiding them sometimes. Watching him melt as she scratched his glossy dark fur, she felt the rest of her worries begin to ease. It also gave her an idea. When Valerie turned to thank Elric, she found he had busied himself examining a patch of herbs a short way down the path. With a soft smile, she called Shadow to heel as she made her way back into the castle.
~
Briefly, Valerie considered taking her evening meal in private and avoiding the dining hall: the dignitaries were likely to have been invited, and she had no interest in seeing the Prince after what had transpired the day before. Avoiding her mother’s glares was tempting as well, though eventually she conceded that making an appearance would do more to smooth things out with the Queen in the long term.
Valerie made a point of being punctual, entering the dining hall and allowing a servant to pull out the chair next to her mother. She weathered a stern look with a remorseful nod before settling into her seat. She would be due for a lecture, but for now, her mind was on other things. Shadow took up his customary place on the floor beside her, calm and alert. Further down the table, Prince Sebastian himself sat, pointedly avoiding looking in Valerie's direction. His hand was bandaged to a comical degree, and he frowned as he moved to pick up a utensil with it, then hesitated. Was this really the sort of man I wanted to marry? Valerie thought. He looked like a petulant child as he wavered, then called a servant over to cut his meat.
Beside her, Shadow’s ears twitched: a subtle sign, but coming from Shadow, it caught Valerie's attention. He didn't seem to sense a threat, so she reached her hand down, placing her palm on the back of his neck to soothe him. As she did, she felt a small mental hum, like a conversation behind a closed door too indistinct to make out. She pulled her fingers back and the sensation faded, but she recognized the feeling. Whatever that burst of connection had been when Shadow attacked Sebastian, it seemed to have left something open behind it. Glancing quickly about to ensure she wouldn't make a scene, she reached for that feeling again as she sank her fingers back into his fur.
She braced for a flood of sensation, but the feelings were dull and indistinct: it was like trying to peer into a rippling stream, while before she had been dunked head-first. Her senses themselves were unchanged: she could still see the dining hall, hear the clinking of plates and soft conversation, but there was a foreign emotion she couldn't quite decode. The feeling intensified when Valerie made another glance toward Sebastian. Valerie pulled on that feeling, though how exactly she was doing it, she wasn't sure. Anxiety. Questioning. The tightening in her chest felt no different from her own: just without an apparent cause. She looked down at Shadow. He kept his posture stoic and alert, not betraying the emotions she sensed in him. She gave him a little scratch behind the ears, and some of that feeling eased.
Across the room, Sebastian was sullenly stabbing at his meal with a fork in his off hand. She tried to bring herself to feel sorry for him, but couldn't manage it. She pushed the feeling towards Shadow. It's okay. You did the right thing. With that, the anxious feeling faded away entirely, replaced with something faint and familiar, if seemingly out of place. Was that… hunger? Valerie paused with her fork halfway to her mouth. Shadow kept his eyes forward at attention, but the feeling was unmistakable. As a familiar, the canine had no need to eat or even sleep, but Valerie had never considered he would even be able to. She lowered her fork, letting the connection fade as she selected a fatty piece and palmed it, slipping it beneath the table. She almost laughed when she felt Shadow solemnly take the piece in his mouth and swallow it reverently: it was a much needed bit of levity.
As Shadow's blue tongue snaked out to lick her fingers clean, it covered her amusement with a deeper warmth, reminiscent of the first time she had felt Shadow's tongue on her hand. Her lip curled against her teeth as she thought about that night. He had come a long way since then, and Valerie thought that she had too. She gave the loyal beast one last pat before returning to her dinner, feeling more assured than she had in a long time. She made her decision.
~
When Valerie and Shadow arrived back in her chamber for the night, she quickly shut the door, double checking the lock before letting out a shaky sigh and a shy smile. It was time. She drew the curtains while Shadow made his customary sweep of the room, and she lit candles and placed them on the desk. The summer sky would still be light, but she wanted this to feel special. The light was dim but warm, darkening the corners so it felt like this chamber was the whole world. Valerie surprised herself with the shakiness of her movements; it seemed odd to be so nervous about this after all they had done, but at the same time this was something more. It might be the closest she would ever have to a wedding night. Valerie turned to face away from her familiar, watching him through the silver dressing mirror. He sat, head slightly cocked as he watched her and her reflection as she began to undress.
Often, she would simply hike up her skirts to allow Shadow access, but not tonight. She didn't know if brides really made a show of things on their wedding nights, but it seemed the right thing to do. She had been naked with Shadow dozens of times, but Valerie still found herself blushing as she met Shadow's gaze in the mirror, watching intently as she undid the many laces before slipping the dress down from her shoulders. She stepped out of the garment, pausing a moment before moving on to her undergarments. Shadow's tail flicked once as she lifted the shift over her head, and Valerie caught a hint of telltale blue in the shade between his legs. She grinned.
“Come on.” Valerie eased herself onto the bed, laying back with her knees raised. Shadow hurried to follow, clambering onto the mattress before, head between her knees. His mouth hung slightly open showing vivid mouth and tongue that seemed to glow against his dark fur. He bent his neck, breath hot on her midriff as he inhaled her scent. Valerie shuddered with need and apprehension. “Wait,” she whispered, beckoning him closer. Obediently, the dog stepped forward, one flank brushing the side of her knee as he moved over top of her, front paws to either side of her chest.
Valerie’s gaze moved from his intense blue eyes and wet tongue to the impressive cock of the same shade that hung between his hind legs. Her own will had shaped it, shaped him without a conscious thought. A physical embodiment of her needs and the tool to sate them. Gods above, it's still intimidating though, Valerie thought to herself. Shadow's cock twitched as she stared, glistening and lined with darker veins. She moved one knee beneath him and brushed against its side, making it twitch again. It was hot and slick against her skin, enticing and alive.
Valerie pulled her gaze away with difficulty and closed her eyes, focusing on keeping her mind calm and blank. She craved it, and it was easy to command Shadow without thinking these days, but this needed to come from him. Instead, she took the loyal canine by the chin, guiding him closer as the connection from before began to buzz in her mind. Her breath caught, her sense of anticipation and arousal surging as her mind brushed Shadow's desire. Not just to please, as she had feared, but a need to feel her that was disorienting in its intensity. She fed her own desire back into the connection towards Shadow and felt it double, like shouting into a well until she gasped and Shadow whimpered. For a dizzying moment she didn't know where her senses ended and Shadow's began. She breathed her own scent as Shadow must have, and could feel the tingling rush it gave him.
Then, she kissed him.
Lips to his muzzle, she felt his tongue lick tentatively at her own, then push past her lips as she gasped in delight. Her cheeks warmed and she felt giddy as she wrapped one hand around the back of his neck, matching his intensity. The rush it gave her was almost paradoxical: she had felt his tongue in far more intimate places, and she couldn't believe they hadn't tried this already. At the same time, she hadn't been ready to see Shadow as, well, her lover.
Sharp teeth grazed her lips as she deepened the kiss, Shadow's long tongue sliding along nearly the full length of her own. Hot saliva pooled in her mouth and she had to be careful not to drool as she lost herself momentarily in the ecstasy of the kiss. Slowly, she sank back, Shadow's forceful kiss following until he loomed over her, pressing her head down against the pillow. Valerie opened her eyes and saw Shadow's were closed, looking reverent as he worked his jaw, careful not to hurt her as their tongues and teeth played together. Valerie shut her eyes and melted back into it, indulging in the rare moment of vulnerability from her familiar. She stroked his neck with both hands, pressing her knee gently against his twitching cock, dizzy with desire.
Finally, they broke away, breathless. Valerie stared up at the beast in wonder, then bowed her head. Shadow did the same, letting her cup his head in both hands and press their foreheads together. Their mental connection flared back in a rush, Shadow's hunger for her washing over her as he waited, not for her orders, but for agreement.
“Yes,” Valerie whispered, eyes still closed. “Yes Shadow, I want you too.”
As Shadow moved his hips into position, Valerie did the same. She pulled away to gaze up at him, taking in a sharp breath as Shadow's cock brushed against her inner thigh. Valerie didn't hesitate this time. It felt less as though she were losing something, but receiving Shadow fully for the first time, an indelible commitment to her lover, protector, friend and companion. Valerie nodded.
The tip of Shadow's cock pressed to her waiting lips. She sunk her fingers into the fur of his side, feeling the connection strengthen just before he pushed. Valerie gasped, eyes wild. For a single, blissful moment, she was both of them at once, feeling Shadow's cock enter her for the first time with Shadow's sensation of penetrating her layered overtop. He sank deeper. They held for a moment, his jaws slightly slack in a pant as he savored the moment himself before he began to thrust.
Valerie moaned, still reeling from the intensity of that moment as she let the connection blur away, focusing on her own body. Shadow pumped his hips slowly at first, her lips spreading around his shaft, her pussy welcoming the length like she was made for it. Or, more accurately, it was made for her. Pleasure surged with every thrust, new and familiar all at once. Valerie found herself gasping as the tip pushed deeper than anything she had felt, far deeper than his tongue or her fingers had ever been able to manage. More than that, there was a solidity to it, a delicious stretch as his cock pressed against her inner walls, filling her. Once she had her taste, all she wanted was more.
Faster, Valerie thought. There was no force of command behind it, but Shadow eagerly obeyed. He leaned in as he pushed his hips harder, building to a steady pace. His fur tickled against Valerie's thighs as she tightened them against him. She draped one hand over his neck, fingers sinking into the ruff of fur behind his head and let the other fall to the sheets below. She gripped a fistful of the fabric hard as Shadow made the pleasure surge, her hips bucking and back arching as she moaned. Her familiar's eyes held her gaze with intensity he often displayed. They narrowed as he increased the pace, and he let out a rare sound: a soft whine that slipped out almost tentatively.
Valerie raised her legs to either side until she could cross them over his hips, holding him to her like an embrace. She squeezed, pulling them tighter as she coaxed him deeper, faster. She was rewarded by Shadow's gaze losing some of its intensity, a quiet yip escaping his mouth. It was more reserved than her own open-mouthed gasps and moans, but she revelled in knowing Shadow was indulging in this just as much as she was. She had used her mouth and hands to please him dozens of times, and she got her own satisfaction from it, but there was something far deeper in the mutual pleasure, giving themselves to each other freely with neither in control.
Lost in the euphoria, Shadow's tongue was back in her mouth before she realized, ducking his head to kiss his master again. As soon as her mind caught up, she welcomed it eagerly. Greedily, she took the familiar's tongue deeper, running her own tongue along his and feeling the hot puff of his breath against her face. Valerie held his head in both hands, and all the while he continued to slam his hips down into her with increasing fervor.
Fuck…. God's above, Shadow… She couldn't speak, but continued to moan into his kiss, the sounds muffled by the relentless lap of his tongue. She pushed the words into their connection instead, and felt the sentiment echoed back from Shadow, impressions more than words. His hips worked furiously, making Valerie tremble as his cock slipped in and out. Shadow's rapid breath was the only sign of exertion: he seemed inexhaustible. Pulling his head closer, Valerie pushed her tongue past his sharp teeth, squeezing her legs around him at the same time. Being with him like this was utter bliss.
Shadow, I… She knew it in her heart, and this final step was a testament to it, but she still hesitated for just a moment to form the words. I love you, Shadow. As soon as they formed in her mind, she felt a sudden blush of warmth in her mind coming from both of them, and she didn't hold back. Fuck, Shadow… I love you… I love you, I love you, I… Valerie squeezed, ankles locking and core clenching as a climax overtook her. She pulled away from the kiss to bury her face in the crook of his shoulder, fur tickling her closed eyes. With each shaking breath she took in his unique scent: the expected animal musk and sweat of his exertion mingling with sharper notes of ozone and petrichor. She let him fill all her senses as she came.
Shadow trembled, slowing as Valerie’s body clenched around his cock, but he did not stop. Instead he pushed through gently, letting Valerie savour the moment. She did so gladly, riding out the climax as every thrust from Shadow buoyed it upwards, sustaining her pleasure for a few beats longer. Keep going, Valerie pushed towards Shadow as the grip of the orgasm began to slacken. Don't stop for me. Shadow listened, building his pace back up slowly as Valerie let her head fall back into the pillow. He licked her face as she relaxed, leaving her skin wet and her heart full.
Straightening, Shadow put on another burst of speed and Valerie gasped as the fading vestiges of her first orgasm gave way to the building promise of a second. Shadow’s thrusts took on an uncharacteristically frantic air and Valerie urged him on, to let her familiar indulge in her body, to let him be fuelled by his own desires in this. His white teeth gleamed, blue tongue flicking in and out as he panted, keeping his head steady and eyes fixated on hers. Valerie met her gaze, chewing her bottom lip against the furious pace he drove. Finally, she felt what she had been waiting for.
Valerie had seen Shadow's knot dozens of times, and knew well what it meant. She had felt it in her hands, against her lips and on her tongue, but she had never felt it inside her. A part of her was still daunted by that, but she pressed on, nodding. It began as a slight swelling at the base of Shadow's cock, but it quickly grew until it stretched her lips with every thrust, forcing Shadow to slow as he met resistance. Valerie's hands trembled as another climax began to mount just out of reach, until…
“Annh!” Valerie cried out a moan of pleasure and discomfort as Shadow pushed forward, and then faltered. The edge of his knot ground against her outer lips, but had finally swelled too large to push through. Shadow made a quiet whine, twisting his head and pushing one more time before hesitating.
“No,” Valerie whispered, cupping Shadow's chin and bringing his gaze back to her. “Don’t stop.” Neither of them had been supposed to end up this way, what Valerie and her familiar had become was unprecedented. Nothing had happened the way either of them expected things to go, but that hadn't stopped them yet. We'll make this work, she insisted. They were still learning each other, their needs, their bodies: they would learn together and keep learning, one step at a time. It's okay.
Shadow tried once more with a slow grinding motion. Valerie let out a moan, the pleasure surging back to her as Shadow's knot failed to push through, but instead ground against her clit, hot and throbbing with his need. There, like that! Valerie thought to him. Encouraged, her lover began to thrust again, ending each with a slow grind as he pushed his knot against her. Keeping one hand on his chin, she snaked the other down between their bodies, until she could reach between her legs.
Her fingers found Shadow's cock, impossibly warm and slick with her own arousal. She followed it with every methodical thrust, splitting her fingers around the narrower base to cup his knot against her palm. She could feel his heartbeat against her skin, and she squeezed gently, the way he always loved when she took him in her mouth. Shadow's whole cock twitched at that, and she did it again, massaging gently in time with his thrusts. Her familiar shifted one paw, letting his head hang lower as his eyes finally broke away from hers. He sped up, the knot becoming fully hard in her grip. She massaged him even as his shaft plunged into her slit, soaked and slick from her first climax. She pulled gently towards herself, urging him on to thrust faster, grinding harder against her clit. Cheeks red and sweaty, Valerie inclined her head, wrapping her free hand behind Shadow's neck bringing her lips to Shadow's ear. Trembling, she whispered the thing she needed most. The thing they both needed.
“Cum in me, Shadow.”
The words had hardly left her mouth when Shadow gave a final whine and thrust his hips against her. Valerie clenched hard on the length of his cock, his knot pressing tight against her clit as she squeezed in time with the involuntary spasms. Hugging him fiercely, she squeezed her eyes shut, jaw tight as a second surge of pleasure, even stronger than the first broke over her. Shadow's paws scrambled as he shifted, his cock grinding side to side, and Valerie could feel the pulse of his cum pouring into her, accompanied by a deep, blossoming warmth. For one blissful moment they seemed to be in utter sync, her pleasure becoming his and back again, ytheir shaking breaths and rapid heartbeats all blurring into one rhythm.
Then, slowly, they relaxed. Valerie released her grip, slipping her hand free as Shadow settled his weight down onto her, chin resting on her shoulder with his eyes barely open. Valerie embraced him with her other arm, savoring his comforting weight and warmth as they lay together in the dark of their room. Shadow's breathing slowed, and when she brushed her mind against his, she felt only a contended buzz. She smiled at that, slowly stroking her lover's head as she lay her own head back.
This had been what they were building towards. In a way, Valerie felt foolish for hesitating for so long: Shadow being the one to take her virginity—no, giving her virginity to him—felt like an acceptance of who they already were, rather than some profound step. In that, Valerie was glad she had waited until her heart and mind were in the right place. She knew now that she belonged to him as just surely as he did to her, a bond deeper than any that could have been possible with her own kind. The night hadn't been flawless, and yet it was still somehow perfect. Valerie reminded herself that this was not the capstone of their relationship, but only another beginning.
Running her fingers through her beloved’s fur, she caught herself, then did a double take that filled her with almost as much awe as it did amusement. Shadow's eyes had drooped fully closed, his breathing even and slow. She flicked one ear experimentally and Shadow twitched with a quiet puff of breath, but didn't stir: he was actually asleep. Valerie had thought it impossible for the familiar, but there was obviously still a lot they didn't know about each other. Strangely enough, Valerie found that thought comforting as she let herself carefully settle back down, not wanting to disturb him anymore.
It was her turn to lie awake, watching over him for at least a few moments. Thoughts of the future lingered at the edges of her mind: what this meant for her and for Shadow. The steady rising and falling of her lover's chest against her own kept them at bay. Whatever was to come, they would be together. Finding resolve in that, Valerie closed her eyes, letting Shadow's comforting presence guide her off to sleep for their first night truly together.