Moose Attacks

[Demeter]

Rhea looked down at the woman sleeping in her bed and smiled softly. Chastity seemed so innocent while she slept, curled up like a child with one hand fisted by her face. While dressing for the day, Rhea wondered about her past. There just wasn't a cruel bone in her body but last night's conversation suggested that she'd suffered some sort of horrendous episode. Not to mention the scars she'd run across while exploring Chas' body the night before last. The Curantis didn't want to talk about those scars.

So, instead of trying to figure out her past, they'd gone flying. They'd flown for hours last night. Rhea had loved watching the simple joy of flying shining on Chas' face. And when the woman had grown tired of flying in the colder air, Rhea had taken her for a ride. She chuckled at the memory of Chas' laughter as she'd pulled spins and loop-de-loops.

But she couldn't linger with the memories forever. At the moment, she had to get into the station and deal with whatever chaos had happened during her day off. She buttoned the last button on her flannel shirt, set the alarm for Chas, left a note on her pillow and headed out. She spent the day at the office, handling paperwork ("No, Mr. Mayor, the tales of being trampled by the moose are exaggerated. Yes, Mr. Mayor, I'm cleared for work") and fielding gossip about how the doc's car had been parked outside her apartment for two night ("Yes, Thomas, she swings that way. No, Thomas, you can't watch").

With the exception of Thomas, because she couldn't escape her deputy, she let the locals imagine what they wanted on that one.

The night, while she steered a small cart through the dry goods store, Rhea spoke with her mother on her cell. "Yes, Mom, she's a woman. No, she's not creepy and yes, I'm happy to see a woman. Well, it's none of their business who I see. Men just don't get me off as well as a woman can. Yes, Mom, I had to say that."

She eventually managed to hang up the phone and shook her head at the clerk. "Mothers. They never shut up! Got any good wine back there, May?"

While the young woman went scampering off to find the good wine, Rhea idly pondered the point of sale displays. Her parents were fairly accepting of the fact that she liked women, uncommon for anyone at the Holding, and she knew that they'd like Chas when they met her.

Once she had her wine and had paid for her purchases, Rhea drove over to the clinic. She was there, leaning against her Jeep when Chas came out the front door. Rhea shook the bottle of wine at her. "How 'bout your place tonight?"

[Maira]

When she had woken to Rhea's alarm, it had taken a few disoriented minutes for her to find the darn thing and slap it into silence. She opened one eye to see just what time it was that Rhea thought she needed to be up and groaned, it was almost a full hour before she normally rolled out of bed. As she had no idea how to work the silly clock, and knew there was no way she wouldn't oversleep if she tried to snooze for just another few minutes, Chastity finally convinced herself to just sit up. When she did, she noticed the note from Rhea on her pillow and she couldn't help but smile. Wouldn't Finn be interested to know that she had spent two nights in bed with another woman. He always liked to tease her about her latest relationships, he claimed it was a big brother's duty, but she had a feeling that news of this particular relationship would leave the older man speechless.

After reading the note, Chastity went about getting her clothes together and making herself a cup of coffee from the pot Rhea had left brewing for her. Then she headed home to get showered and dressed for the day. Her patient load that day was surprisingly slow and it gave her way too much time to think about things. Finally, before she could talk herself out of it, she sent her brother Finn an email telling him that she thought she was about to get herself into a possibly serious relationship with a woman. His almost immediate reply made her laugh and smile at his threats of doing the whole big brother "treat my sister right or else" speech. She had never felt safer with anybody than she did with Finn, and strangely she didn't feel terribly scared of Rhea either. Nervous, sure, but not scared.

By the time 6pm rolled around, Chastity was more than ready to lock up and head out. She'd sent her nurses and receptionist home early so Chastity had taken the extra quiet time to finish up on paperwork from her day off. When she finally headed out to her car, Chastity stopped dead at the sight of Rhea leaning casually against her Jeep parked right next to Chastity's car. And she was holding wine and suggesting they go back to her place that night instead of Rhea's.

Chastity too had had to field some interesting questions about why her car had been at Rhea's place two nights in a row, and now if Rhea's Jeep spent the night at her place there would be no denying what was going on between them. It was a tiny town and people liked to speculate and talk. Trying to be casual, Chastity asked in what she hoped was a playful tone, "Are we dating then? Because the talk on the town is that we're just sleeping together."

[Demeter]

Rhea smiled at Chastity. "I don't care what the people of this town think. They all know that I like women. It was about five years ago, not long after I came to serve the town as Sheriff, when the older women of the town surrounded me and wanted to know if I thought the men that lived here were below me or something. See, I'd only be in town a few months and, well, a new woman was pretty much considered fair game to the men. I, however, had declined every invitation I'd been offered within those months. I must have seemed so stuck up to the locals.

"Anyways, the women confronted me and I told them that I didn't think the men were below me. They were all honest, hardworking guys but I just wasn't interested in any of them. And I say, looking straight at those women, that I was more likely to jump their daughters rather then their sons," she grinned at Chastity, "I came out to this town in a big way and it doesn't matter to me what think of my personal life, though some of the men haven't given up on me yet."

Rhea pushed off from her Jeep and stood in front of Chastity. "As for the dating, I'd like to get to know you more but there isn't much of a night life here. Whatever night life we have, we make for ourselves. Now, Chastity, do you care what others talk about? Just sleeping together or the Point Hope version of dating, I like spending time with you."

[Maira]

Rhea had a good question, did she care if other people talked about them? She thought about that for just a moment and then realized that she really didn't care. For the first time in her life that she could remember, Chastity was actually feeling pretty comfortable with how things were. And that included spending time with Rhea. So, if she wanted to continue to feel comfortable and, dare she say, happy with how things were going she was just going to have to deal with being a subject of town gossip.

In answer to Rhea, Chastity finally smiled and told her boldly, "Well as you're now fit to go back to work, you're also fit to take a girl on a proper date. If people in town are gonna talk, we may as well give them some real proof to base things off of. After dinner, you are more than welcome to come over and we can split that bottle and laugh at all the gawkers."

[Demeter]

Rhea grinned at Chastity as she leaned forward just a bit. "Why don't we make a trip to the store and have dinner at your place? The only place to eat out around here is Lilia's restaurant and it's going to be very crowded tonight. We can save that for another night when we can actually get a table in a reasonable amount of time."

Chastity agreed to the plan and they took Rhea's Jeep down the market. Together they wandered the aisle, picking out the main course and dessert. At the checkout, Rhea spoke to Chastity while running her debit card through the machine. "I'll drop you off at your car and follow you back to your place," the smile she threw at Chastity had the checker raising both eyebrows. Within ten minutes of there departure, Rhea was sure the whole town would know that the Sheriff and the Doc were having dinner together at Chastity's place.

She followed Chas along the streets, parked the Jeep next to her Subaru and followed the doctor into her house. Together, they cooked dinner in Chastity's small kitchen, dancing around each other. Every once in a while, Rhea would steal a kiss from the woman. After dinner and after feeding each other dessert, they sat on the couch, drank the wine, and Rhea told Chastity more about the Brood and the holding.

Towards midnight, Rhea's cell started ringing. "Sorry," she said while picking up the phone. "I'm pretty much on duty twenty four/seven. Just hold on a second," she said and stepped away. "Sheriff speaking. Evenin' Aluki. Oh all right, I'll be right there."

She discontinued the call and looked at Chastity. "Sorry, drunken fist fight at the bar. This could talk awhile. Will you leave a light on for me or do I have to go back to my own cold bed in my lonely apartment?"

[Maira]

The evening had been wonderful, shopping together, cooking together, dinner and then dessert. After dessert they snuggled on the couch with their wine and Rhea told her about the holding and dragons. It was probably the best date she'd ever been treated to and they hadn't even gone out. Between the wine, a full stomach, and being super comfortable Chastity was starting to get a bit sleepy when Rhea's ringing phone jarred her to alertness.

Glaring at the intruding piece of technology, Chastity nodded her head in understanding when Rhea said she had to take the call. After all, it would be the same if one of her patients were to call after hours. When Rhea finally hung up and explained that she was going to have to go deal with a bar fight, Chastity scrunched her face up, that didn't sound like a fun way to spend what would likely turn into a few hours.

At Rhea's question about if Chastity would leave a light on for her, or if she'd have to go home to her place, Chas smiled and answered, "I'll do you one better Sheriff, since you're likely gonna be a while, how bout I give you my spare key? That way you can let yourself in if I happen to crash before you get back." With that, Chastity got up from where she was and padded over to her junk drawer in the kitchen and rummaged around until she found her spare house key and held it out to the other woman.

[Demeter]

Rhea grinned when Chastity handed her the key. She kissed the key and then tapped it against Chastity's lips. "Well, then, Doc, I guess I'll see you in a few hours."

It didn't take too long to drive to the bar and, meeting up with her deputies, Rhea dived into the fray. It took a bit, with Rhea throwing a few punches of her own, but they got things sorted. And then she spent several hours resolving conflicts and writing reports.

It was nearly four in the morning when she let herself into Chastity's house. She crept through the house until she found the bedroom. She quietly stripped down to her underwear and crawled into bed. she kissed the sleeping Alati woman, smiling at her mumbled greeting.

"That took longer then I thought it would. Give me a few hours of sleep and I'll take care of breakfast." She snuggled under the covers next to Chastity's warm body. "And you. I'll take care of you in any way you desire."

[Maira]

Chastity woke in the morning groggy but pleased to find that Rhea had indeed used the spare key to let herself in. The dragon was practically wrapped around Chastity and the Curantis couldn't help but smile in delight. She felt oddly giddy at the prospect of waking up with Rhea. The longer she was awake, Chastity slowly started to remember Rhea talking to her when she came in. Specifically something about breakfast. And, almost as if thinking about food was its cue, her stomach gave a loud grumble.

Laying happily snuggled with a sleeping Rhea, Chastity didn't want do disturb the other woman, but after trying desperately to go back to sleep herself her stomach rumbled again and she knew she wasn't going to be able to ignore it for much longer. She tried to slip out of bed so she could at least make herself a piece of toast but the way Rhea was laying wrapped around her, and over her in the case of one arm, that was impossible. With a soft sigh, Chastity turned and did her best to wake Rhea up. Finally the dragon mumbled something and Chastity told her, "Unless you want my stomach to eat me from the inside out, I need to get up and eat something Rhea. I can't get up though because you've got me pinned."

[Demeter]

Rhea snuggled closer to Chastity, wrapping her arms around the woman. "Don't wanna let you up. Don't wanna get up yet," she mumbled as she nuzzled Chastity's neck. A half-formed idea entered the sleepy sheriff's mind. She had a plan to tempt Chastity into ignoring her stomach and staying in bed just a little longer.

Before Chastity had a chance to know what was going on, Rhea had wiggled her way down under the covers. With Chastity's protests that she had to get up muffled by the fluffy duvet, Rhea slipped her hands under the Alati's pajamas. With Chastity's protests turning into pleas for more, Rhea set about thoroughly loving her in the early morning. 

Thirty minutes later, Rhea watched as Chastity stumbled from the bedroom. Grinning to herself, Rhea flopped back onto the pillows and snuggled down for some more sleep. As she cocooned herself in the blankets, Rhea thought about all she wanted to tell Chastity. She wanted to be completely honest about the Brood and tell Chastity about bonded partners and mates and mating hormones that just didn't give a damn about preference. And about how she wanted Chastity to be alongside her for the long length of her life. But it was all still too soon; she'd only known the Doc for a handful of days. If she told her all of it, she might scare Chastity off. She didn't want that and she'd never felt like this for anyone else in her life. 

Sure, Rhea thought as she squished her pillow into a comfortable shape, she'd had relationships with other men and women but she hadn't been sorry to see them leave. It had pretty much just been a good time for all involved. Mostly occurring during her years at college and the Juno police force, a quick boffing to scratch mutual itches and perhaps dinner had kept her satisfied. She'd made several life long friends that way but she'd never seen herself being with those people, intimately, for the rest of her life. There was no click that took things any higher then friendship. 

In fact those years away from Point Hope had been some of the most relaxing she ever known. Away from the pressures of the conservative holding and the small towns of northern Alaska, she was able to discover just who she was. It was in college that she'd received confirmation that she liked girls. In that way. She still liked boys but being with a woman gave her more pleasure. Men could scratch the itch, so to speak, but never gave her complete satisfaction. 

Just recently, she'd had the most flattering offer from the Peytons. Bennett and Isis Peyton had shown up in her town a little more than nine months ago. She'd known something was off because she was an Alati, though much different then Chastity, and he was of the Brood. Most of the mortals seemed to assume that they were siblings because it was widely known that he was looking for a wife. Of course, those out at the holding knew different. Isis wasn't a sibling but his bonded partner who was not only a Succubus but his wife in every since of the world. And together, they were looking for a female who was brave enough to form a triad with them. This had shocked the most conservative of the dragons at the holding and they'd gone around, warning all the mateless females not to get involved.

It wasn't so much the warnings that had kept the women away but Isis herself. They'd told her that the succubus made them feel strange and they were wary of her strange power. Rhea herself found the woman to be very attractive and hadn't minded how she'd felt around the purple haired Alati. And just a few weeks ago, the mechanic and pharmacist had invited her over to dinner where they'd offered their empty spot to her. She'd been flattered but turned them down. She said that even with Isis powers, she just wasn't that men really were better friends to her and that she wouldn't want to cut him out of a truly living relationship except for when she was in heat. They Peytons had accepted that and offered their friendship instead. Rhea had mentioned her friend Lilia to the pair as a possible third as she not only lived in town but had more liberal views on things. 

With the thought that she should see if they'd contacted Lilia yet, Rhea drifted back into sleep. And woke hours later, terribly groggy and with the worst case of bed head. She all but oozed out of bed and crawled her way into the bedroom. After a long, hot shower, she dressed and made her way to the kitchen, straight to the coffee she smiled. Chastity must have started a fresh pot when she heard the shower running because the coffee was pipping hot and didn't feel like boiled sludge. After she'd drained a cup, Rhea turned to find Chastity standing behind her, offering her a plate with a sandwich on it. She looked at the meat filled sandwich and sighed. "You are wonderful. What do I have to do in order to keep you? Please say it's legal."
After polishing off her sandwich, Rhea called into the station to say she was taking the day off. She helped Chastity to move a bookcase, restocking the shelves with the heavy medical books while Chastity took care of some paperwork. Once those domestic tasks were finished, they sat together on the couch. And old movie was playing on the tv but Rhea was more interest in snuggling with Chastity then watching. Movie watching was broken up but long bouts of kissing and play wrestling on the cough. Not surprisingly, they had no idea what was going on in the movie.

Later, when the movie was over and they snuggled on the couch, listening to music as the first snow of the season started to fall. Rhea was flat on her back with Chastity sprawled over her. She had her fingers beneath Chastity's sweater and she stroked the woman's back. They were making plans for Rhea to show Chastity how to ready her house for the winter. Eventually the conversation drifted off and the two women drifted off into comfortable silence.

After a few moments, Rhea spoke again. "Hey, Chas, whenever you are ready, you can tell me about the scars on your ankles. I won't push but just know that I am here for you and will rescue you from your nightmares and monsters."

[Maira]

An early morning romp only upped Chastity's appetite and as she finally stumbled out of the bedroom, she made a beeline for the fridge. Food was a must, as was lots and lots of coffee if she didn't plan on tumbling back into bed with Rhea and sleeping the day away.

Chas had made a small pot of coffee when she'd woken up, but had finished off the whole thing by herself before Rhea even begun to stir. When she heard running water coming from the bedroom she put a fresh pot on to make sure that the Sheriff would have some nice fresh coffee which finished just in time for Rhea to come out of the bedroom, freshly showered and dressed. Chastity smiled as she watched Rhea head right for the still steaming coffee and then fetched the sandwich from the fridge that she'd made earlier. At Rhea's shocking question about keeping her, Chastity answered with more than a little sass, "You could always cart me off to Canada and marry me. Last I checked that's legal." The look of shock on Rhea's face that Chastity would actually answer like that just caused Chas to smirk devilishly.

After that brief interaction over coffee and a brunch sandwich, Rhea called in and took the day off and then helped Chastity with some much needed rearranging which allowed Chastity to actually get some paperwork done. After that, their afternoon was spent snuggling and supposedly watching movies, though there was more making out that watching movies going on.

Making out eventually tapered off and they just relaxed together on the couch, watching the snow fall through her favorite windows that overlooked the beach. There was small talk, and gentle caresses, and Chastity was starting to get a bit groggy when Rhea dropped a bomb on her and informed her out of the blue that if Chas ever felt like talking about her scars, that she'd be available to listen and rescue her from her nightmares. Immediately Chastity stiffened against Rhea and even though she was comfortable and groggy and warm, she felt herself pulling away. Before she could stop herself, Chastity was off the couch and walking into the kitchen.

When Rhea eventually came in looking for her, the dragon found her lover bent over and leaning her forehead on her arms doing some deep breathing. She knew she must look like she was having a breakdown, and she sort of was, but mostly she was just trying to work up the courage to tell Rhea what had happened. She felt a gentle hand on the small of her back, and with one last breath Chas stood up and really looked at Rhea. The other woman had concern clear in her eyes, as well as an obvious willingness to listen without judgement. Before she could chicken out, Chastity blurted out in a quiet rush, "The first sixteen years of my life I was a prisoner, from the time I could walk I was shackled by my ankles in a dungeon." Then, with a bit less panic in her tone she added, "If you want more details than that you're going to have to get me seriously tipsy, if not flat out drunk."

[Demeter]

The simple fact that someone had at sometime kept this kind and gentle woman captive angered all parts of Rhea. There was the cop part that first wanted to hunt the bastard down and then have the satisfaction if making that person her captive. And then there was the dragon part that not only wanted the same thing but wanted to keep Chastity safe. 

She gently turned Chastity in arms until they were face to face and hugged the woman. She nuzzled Chastity as she tightened her grip. "No one will ever hurt you so long as you are mine. I will make sure that all your dreams are good from now on."

Rhea drew away from Chastity and pulled her into the living room. "There's something I want to talk to you about," together they sat on the sofa. "Dragons have this thing. They take mates but before that most take what are called bonded partners. I know we have only known each other for a handful if days but I want you for our considerable life times. I can't take you as a mate but I want you to think about becoming my bonded partner."

That night, when Rhea took Chastity to bed, she made love to her gently and kissed the scars on her ankles. "Be mine, Chastity, and you'll never be alone again. I'll make sure that you are never locked away in the dark again."

[Maira]

That Rhea didn't press for details sort of surprised Chastity. Considering the woman's obvious curiosity regarding her scars, she had expected the little tidbit of information she gave to have only increased that curiosity. But apparently, for now, it was enough. The hug from Rhea calmed Chastity rather quickly and when Rhea dragged her back to the livingroom, Chas followed willingly.

As they sat on the couch and Rhea spoke about bonding, Chastity listened carefully. She didn't say anything in response, just nodded a few times to show she was listening and mostly understood what Rhea was trying to tell her. Rhea's request for Chastity to think about becoming bonded to her gave the alati woman much to think about and she was pretty quiet the rest of the evening.

When they finally decided to call it a night and go to bed, Chastity wasn't really in the mood for their normal rowdy lovemaking and was surprised when Rhea's gentle caresses turned into something extremely sensual and very emotional for Chastity. She'd never been loved like that, so tenderly and so entirely. When Rhea kissed Chas's scars and then asked the alati woman to be hers and promised to protect her, tears silently slipped from the corner of Chastity's eyes and down her face into the pillow below her head. The tears weren't from sadness, they were because of the unfamiliarity of being cared for so much and the relief to know that she was truly wanted by another being for who she was, scars and all.

Wiping away her tears, Chas nodded once and then shakily answered, "Do it Rhea, please. Make me yours." As soon as the words were past her lips, Chas could feel a soft, warm sensation spreading up from where Rhea was cradling her scarred ankles. She hated those scars, wished they and the painful memories of her past that went with them were gone. When the warmth settled at the back of her mind, Chastity gasped first and then giggled excitedly when she realized that the person she was feeling was Rhea.

When the warmth began to fade, Chastity propped herself up on her elbows and gazed down at Rhea asking, "Was that all? As much ceremony as you've told me the Brood have for everything else I expected something a lot more involved than a little trickle of magic."

Only, Rhea wasn't looking at Chas. Didn't even seem to have heard her. Instead, Rhea was staring in shock at Chastity's ankles. Curious and a bit worried, Chas sat up and peered down at her ankles to see what was the matter with them. What she saw caused her tears from before to renew and her body to tremble ever so slightly. The scars were gone, utterly and completely gone. In their place were twin depictions of Rhea, in her dragon form, in flight. They encircled her ankles almost completely, with the tips of the tails curling away from the mouths, showing that while Rhea would surround her and keep her safe that she would never trap her.

Curious, Chastity thought back on her imprisonment. The memories were still there, but the pain that had plagued her for so long was gone just like the scars. She could remember clearly what had happened, but it just didn't affect her any longer.

Tears now freely falling, Chas asked, "What have you done? How is it all gone? The pain and my scars, they're just gone..."

[Demeter]

Sitting back on her heels, Rhea blinked at the new marks on Chastity's ankles. "I have no ida how I did that," she said on a sigh. Shrugging her shoulders, Rhea wiggled her way up toward the pillows until she was face to face with Chastity. "The magic acts on its own and I'm not one to question it," she said, snuggling close to her girlfriend while pulling the covers over their heads.

***

Rhea slouched in her chair behind her desk in the police office. She'd locked the door and swore that if anyone disturbed her for any reason, she'd them in the foot. Chastity was the only exception to the rule and her dispatcher was trying to get the good doctor over to talk Rhea into unlocking the door.

The first six weeks after her bonding with Chas had been peaceful and quiet and she'd all but moved in with the other woman. And then all hell had broken loose, starting with that Idiot Cadoza man thinking he could speed through town in heavy snow. He'd slammed his truck into her friend's cute SUV.

And it had all ended recently with Brood being banished from the Point Hope Holding and her leading a massive man-hunt for rouge Mutari. All she wanted now was a little quiet time with Chastity and to think on the outrageous idea the doc and her coconspirator had presented to her.

Mating with Grae would solve a lot of problems and he'd have to expectations of her. Most of the male Brood she knew would be miffed that she'd rather be with Chas then them but since Grae was infatuated with his own bonded partner...

She imagined that any normal female brood would be put off by the fact that Grae was one of the recently banished and that he had a Black Brood sister but that didn't bother Rhea so much. It would piss off her brothers, she thought, along with the fact that Grae was setting up house with another man. The one was a plus to Rhea, who'd set up house with a woman, and she found the fact that Grae had taken his banishment for defending his family with pride as another positive.

Sighing, because it wasn't a conversation she really wanted to have, Rhea reacher for her phone. Forehead plunked against the wood of her desk, she dialed Grae's number. "We need to talk. Our nosy docs have put their heads together. It is the perfect solution...us being mates."

[Maira]

As mad as he had been about the reason he was banished from the Holding, Grae also found it quite freeing. All his life he'd known he would be tied to it and with that tie came the pressures of conforming. Now that he was banished, he was no longer held to the same standards as those that still called the Holding home. If he wanted to formally take Cameo as his mate, instead of just his bonded partner, nobody could forbid him. Sure they were planning on getting married anyway but there still would have been the hushed whispers and sideways glances whenever duty required them to visit the Holding. Now they could do as they wished without anymore second-thoughts than normally came with big life decisions like getting married.

He had been busy grading papers when the thoughts about his new found freedom had distracted him. Then his phone began to vibrate in his pocket, causing him to nearly fall out of his chair. Muttering curses at whoever had startled him so badly as he fished the buzzing technology out of his pocket, Grae stopped grumbling when he saw who it was. He had been avoiding Rhea, sort of, since Cameo had brought up the option of taking her as his dragon mate. Before he could chicken out and send the call to voicemail, Grae answered the call but as he was greeting the sheriff she just blurted out that they needed to talk. Hearing what she wanted them to talk about, Grae panicked and hung up on her.

*****

When he got home from the school that evening, Grae cringed when he saw Rhea's car sitting in his normal parking spot. Then he saw Cameo's vehicle too and he nearly pulled back out of the parking lot. If Rhea was wanting to talk to him about what Cameo had proposed, and Cameo was home, there was a good chance they would gang up on him and give him no choice in the matter. What the hell had happened to his freedom?!

By the time Grae finally made his way up the stairs to the apartment above his sister's diner, Grae was snarling. When he opened the door he spotted his mate and his sister's best friend getting chatty over a couple of glasses of wine, with an extra two glasses set out and waiting. He presumed one was for him, and the other was for Chastity. Stopped dead in the doorway glaring at the two people who were now staring at him, Grae was more than a little surprised when the door swung open to hit him in the ass and he heard Chastity merrily announce, "Sorry that took so long, there is a conservation team in town and they ordered a ton of food right before I went down." Then she stopped short just before walking into Grae's back. He didn't move out of her way in time so she nudged him with the take-out boxes and told him to, "scooch!"

Prompted into movement, Grae not only got out of Chastity's way but continued right on into the bedroom he shared with Cameo and he shut the door behind him. If his messenger bag hadn't contained his work laptop, Grae likely would have tossed it in the corner by his desk but it did so he walked it over instead. Then, to postpone the inevitable a little longer, Grae yanked some more casual clothes from his dresser and proceeded to undress. He was mid-change when Cameo entered their room.

[Demeter]

Cameo sighed and told the girls that he'd be right back before following Grae into their bedroom. He shut the door before leaning against the frame. "That was rude, you know. We need to have a serious discussion about this."

Cameo swallowed a sign when Grae shot a loom at him. He crossed the room and came up behind his Dragon. He pressed his dace against Grae's back and took a moment to ruck up Grae's shirt and slide his fingers over the Dragon's belly.

He loved to be warm and he craved skin-to-skin contact with Grae. His habit of cranking up the heat to keep warm usually resulted in Grae wandering around their apartment half-dressed and pounced often. It was worth the high heating bill but, right now, it wasn't about drooling over Grae. He just needed the physical connection to get through this conversation. The topic was, after all, world shattering.

"I know you don't want to talk about this or even think about it but no one, not even you, can fight biology. I've talked to Ben and other broods from outside that hidebound holding and they all say the same thing. Your biological need for reproduction is unstoppable and to deny it would be harmful to you.

"Rhea is in the boat you are and perhaps its harder on her. She's told me that her brothers have been tossing their friends at her and I can just imagine what that is like."

Cameo squeezed Grae and lightly nipped his shoulder. He'd never kept it a secret that he didn't enjoy children. Then again, before coming up to Alaska, he'd had little contact with them while they were alive. But he'd also do anything for Grae.

"I can't give you what your biology needs. Science hasn't come that far and I don't know if it ever will. I have a confession to make, My Love, now that I know Dragons don't need to be true mates in order to reproduce, I am less and less willing to share you, even with Rhea," Cameo said. While he spoke, he tightened his grip, his blunted human nails lightly digging into Grae's belly. "You are mine, Mate," he hissed into Grae's ear. "If it were possible, I would gladly and proudly carry and birth your children but we can't do that and I refuse to see to see you suffer but science isn't that advanced."

Cameo circled around till he faced Grae. "Don't think about mating flights with Rhea. Think about jacking off to thoughts of me begging for it and think about coming in a cup that would be carried across the hall. I don't want you flying her," Cameo all bur snarled the words.

"Don't think of it as yours and Rhea's child. Think of this as Rhea being a surrogate for OUR child. A child that we would raise together."

[Maira]

He really had just wanted to go change and have a few minutes to to think. He wasn't intentionally trying to be rude. When Cameo followed him into the bedroom and called him on his attitude it took all Grae had not to growl at his mate, instead he just glared. He did not -want- to discuss the idea of him having children with Rhea because, much as he didn't want to admit it but ever since Cameo had suggested it, Grae's drive to mate had gone through the roof. He had been infinitely grateful for all of the drama at the Holding the days surrounding Lilia, Ben and Isis's mating ceremony because it had given him something to focus on other than all the ready females that could sense he was in desperate need of a proper flight and not just a romp in the sheets.

When Cameo proceeded to, in Grae's mind, lecture him on how science wasn't where they needed it to give his biology what it needed from Cameo and how Rhea was in a worse situation than he was, Grae nearly pulled from his lover's arms. Only the squeeze and light nip from the jaguar kept Grae from snarling at suggestion that Rhea was having a harder time than he was. If only Cameo knew... Just talking about his biological need to mate, and knowing Rhea was in the other room and that she was an approved partner, had Grae starting to tremble. The trembling was so slight, and Cameo was on quite the roll that luckily for Grae the Jaguar didn't notice.

As his mate declared that he actually didn't want to share Grae with Rhea, a groan actually slipped from the Brood and the trembling got worse as then Cameo's fingers dug into his still bare stomach. The somehow arousingly clinical way that Cameo addressed how Grae should get Rhea pregnant both caused his heart to race and his stomach to plummet. Surely that simple a method, without a dragon flight or human sex, would satisfy his or Rhea's mating instincts but if he could satisfy his needs with Cameo present rather than Rhea and have her still manage to wind up pregnant... He could only hope.

What finally got Grae to calm down enough to talk, though he was still trembling, was Cameo instructing him to consider the child he would be getting Rhea pregnant with as his and Cameo's with her only being the surrogate. That was something he could accept. He loved the woman that was his sister's best friend but for the love of all that was holy he did not want her as a mate through no fault of her own. She just wasn't Cameo.

"That I can do, Mate. Don't ask me to take her as a mate because I can't. Our bonding is too strong and I truly don't think a mate-bond would settle between Rhea and me." As he spoke, Graethyn turned in Cameo's arms to stare intently at the other man to make sure his words sunk in and made sense. When the jaguar smiled at him, Grae growled hungrily and burried his face in the crook of his neck as he informed Cameo through their bond, **I need you now, before I go back out there or I might jump Rhea against my will. She is too close to ready and my body hurts with this.**

[Demeter]

Cameo moved quickly and shooed the girls downstairs. He did so by popping his head out the door and advising them that this was going to take more time and that they should take their dinners downstairs. He'd text them when it was safe to return.

Rhea caught on first and she jumped up from the couch and dragged Chastity out of the apartment and down to the restaurant. She could have pulled her girl into the apartment across the hall but the noise of the family friendly restaurant would do better at drowning out the sounds of Cameo and Grae.

In the bedroom, Cameo found himself pinned to the door the moment he'd shut it. He wasn't quite sure when his motivation behind his little "Grae must have kids" speech shift but he knew that sharing his mate with anyone was no longer on the table. As Grae lavished his neck with attention (a spot that always made Cameo's knees turn to jelly and caused him to whimper), Cameo gripped Grae's hips and pulled him close.

It wasn't long before Cameo found himself being stripped naked and tossed on the bed with Grae crawling up after him. He wrapped his limbs around his Dragon and pleaded to be used.
***

Rhea watched in disgusted fascination as Cameo and Grae inhaled their meals. She didn't believe that they were even stopping to chew their food. She peered past them and wondered just how intense their evening quickie had been to have both men behaving like ravenous cavemen.

She shared a look with Chastity. Once the two had scraped the take out boxes clean, they relaxed into the couch cushion. Rhea didn't think she's ever seen Grae that relaxed.

Relaxed or not, they still had to talk about that issue. Something needed to be done. With the exception of Brother Theo, her four eldest brothers were tossing their single friends at her lately. Just today, she'd had to use her pistol to threaten the family jewels of one of the males. She squeezed her eyes shut as she recalled being backed against a wall by a large male. She wondered how her sisters-in-law could stand these guys.

She knew that Isis was working on some sort of anti-fertility charm for her. One that would, if Isis was successful, mimic the scent of Grae and cause others to believe that he was her mate.

Never mess with a century old Succubus that was attached to a fertility goddess, Rhea thought as Cameo and Chastity explained the artificial insemination process to Grea. There'd also been talk if In Vitro. And there was talk of involving Isis.

When she'd first heard that suggestion, Rhea had gaped at the two doctors until Chas had bopped her on the head and said not like that. They'd use Isis' knowledge of fertility to ensure a pregnancy occurred.

If Grae agreed, there was still a lot of things to be done. Lawyers, timelines and, Gods, they'd need a bigger house because no one would believe that Grae was her mate, even if only in name, if they stayed in separate homes.

She thought about her brother's friends. They were all the uber alpha male type who probably wouldn't stand for have a sheriff for a wife and they scared Chas. Ever since Grae's banishment from the holding, he'd been known as a bit of an dangerous one and she hoped that was enough to help her protect Chas.

When the two doctors were finished explaining things to Grae, she looked at him. "What so do you think? Should we give their ideas a try?"

[Maira]

The relief that surged through Grae when Cameo shooed the women downstairs to the restaurant, was immediate and intense. As soon as the door shut again, the dragon was all over his lover. When Cameo begged to be used, Grae happily obliged.

After they were both sated, Cameo texted Rhea that they could return back to the apartment. When they walked in, both men were eating like the ravenous beasts they were and Grae caught the odd look from Chastity and the slightly disgusted one from Rhea. He would have laughed, but then he would have choked on his dinner.

By the time they were finished eating, Grae was not only worn out from his romp with Cameo but quite full and the combination made him not only relaxed but quite sleepy. Only he knew that giving in to sleep right now was not an option and before he could doze, Chastity and Cameo started explaining all of their options in more detail. Rhea wasn't the only one to get bopped when using Isis was mentioned and she gawked. Grae had sat straight up and was just starting to verbally protest when Cameo swatted his upper arm and shushed him so they could explain that too.

When the two doctors were done talking, there wasn't even any time for Grae to think things over before Rhea was asking if they should give the ideas a try. Grae didn't even have to look at Cameo for reassurance because he could feel it through their bond. Instead he looked to Chastity and asked her, "Chastity, how do you feel about Rhea doing this? Not do you think it will work, but how do you feel?"

*****

Surprised to have Graethyn single her out, Chastity jumped at her name. She smiled nervously at him and answered quietly, "Honestly if it kept either of you from, especially Rhea, from struggling and being negatively affected by your biological need to reproduce I'd be willing to try just about anything. Even letting you fly her. But since none of us are exactly thrilled at that idea, its good that modern science allows for other options."

Apparently that answer satisfied Graethyn well enough because he nodded before turning his attention to Rhea and telling her, "You will be ready in three days. Until then I want you to stay either with us here or with Ben. Lilia told me that your brothers are being difficult and if you are with me or Ben during your down time then at least they shouldn't be able to haul you off anywhere."

Chastity felt Rhea bristle at the idea of having to depend on Grae or Ben for protection but she also knew how true Grae's words were. She had felt Rhea's spikes of fear each time yet another male had come near her and tried to force their suit. Before Rhea could object, Chastity butted in, telling her lover, "I think we should stay here. Being around each other will help the two of you give this attempt a better chance. Plus it will help fool the other males into thinking that Graethyn has claimed you since his smell will be lingering around you more." Out of the corner of her eye, Chastity saw Grae flinch and she had a feeling that Cameo was going to get a work out over the next few days...

[Demeter]

Once the two women were safely across the hall in the apartment Rhea still kept, Cameo turned to Grae and sunk into his lap. He nuzzled the dragon, content for the moment at simply being held. He knew that Grae was tense, frustrated and wary of the whole situation; Cameo felt the same and he wished that Brood biology was the same as Jaguar biology.

Simply getting laid by an exceptional partner was enough to cool his reproductive urges. Brood apparently required the presence of biological offspring to do that. Grumbling because of that fact, Cameo peppered Grae's neck with little love bites. When Grae's hands went from simply resting on Cameo's hips to squeezing and stroking, the cat raised an eyebrow. 'So soon, Love? I think that beats your recovery time from that weekend in the middle of no where. A handful of months ago, you did me a big favor by fucking me all over your den. I'm going to return that favor now and take care of you all over this apartment. Shame we don't have a cave handy right now. I had this particular fantasy of you riding me in that hot spring' he said through their bond.

He felt more then heard Grae's semi-hysterical laughter beneath him as he shifted his weight back and stared at Grae. "I'm so sorry for springing this on you. It needs to be done though. All the others I spoke with made dire predictions of death and insanity and I can't lose you. I just can't," Cameo said on a little sob before surging forward to kiss Grae. Through the bond, he did his best to communicate just how deep his need for Grae ran. If children and parenthood was the way to keep Grae, sane and whole, in his life, then, by the Gods, he was going to be best parent he could be to his little Grea-lings.

***

Across the hall, Rhea cuddled with Chas on her old, lumpy sofa. She wanted to be in Chas' cozy little house but the others were right, as much as it pained her to admit it. Between Grae's presence across the hall and the noisy family restaurant below, she doubted any other males would venture near her.

But that didn't mean she had to be happy about it. Just like the idea of motherhood was being forced on her now. She didn't blame Cameo or Chas for forcing this on her; they were part of the solution. She didn't know by what means her brothers thought they control the when, where and who of who would father her hypothetical children but she wasn't going to let them win.

Shuddering lightly, Rhea curled closer to Chastity and clung. It was either Grae or leave the area and Grae seemed like the better bet.