Case Study: Interspecies Mating, page 42
Rizor tightened his hold around Shoshana. She grinned, rubbing his arm. Finally, they were going to hear about their own case. She was eager to know what they found. It was a chance to see her relationship through someone else’s eyes.
Kwee continued the narrative. “In the ways of his people, subject one had his mating instincts triggered by scent. This caused the normal spike in sexual hormones, the maturation of his venom sacs, as well as the activation of the part of his brain associated with deep emotion and mating. All of which fit within the Standard parameters of changes expected of a male ratchi. After he was triggered, he was isolated and prevented from meeting his mate until she could be debriefed and fitted with a scanning device so that we could observe all changes within her.”
Fway spoke, “Subjects one and two were introduced to each other in isolation. Once again, subject one had all the expected changes of a ratchi male. Subject two did not experience any specific biological changes at this time. With repeated exposure, however, subject two’s brain chemistry and hormone concentration began to fluctuate and change. Not by huge amounts. Nothing out of the range of what would be considered normal for a human, but the changes, especially in brain function, were definitive and irrefutable. These are the first physiological signs of a human mating bond. This is confirmed by our human-human pair bond and their body and brain changes.”
Kwee’s turn. “Once subject two’s changes had reached their peak, without her knowing it, she agreed to allow subject one to conduct his mating ritual upon her. It is during this time that we noted the biggest difference between human-alien pairings compared to human-human pairings. During the mating ritual, subject one marked subject two in the ways of his people. In so doing, subject two experienced a drastic change in brain function and hormone fluctuation, far and away outside the bonds of normal human mating. However, comparing her reaction to that of a ratchi female, we found far more similarities.”
“We believe,” Fway said with all apparent excitement, “that humans possess a unique ability. One that will define them far more than their inherent sexuality. Adaptability.”
“The human female body is capable of adapting to gestating and nursing alien offspring in a way highly similar to that of the alien she carries,” Kwee added, nearly whistling her excitement. “Her body chemistry itself changes. And while research into that continues to be ongoing, we are capable of comparing what we know to the mating process and discovered similar adaptations that take place.”
“Through mating a ratchi,” Fway said simply, “subject two began to resemble, at least physiologically, a ratchi. The changes have caused no disturbance in her body function. She continues to operate at optimum health. However, the moment the mating bond was sealed between them, her body adapted to him as a means of strengthening the bond.”
“Comparing this to other alien-alien bondings,” Kwee said, “we can find no other species that will have such a drastic, profound, and deliberate adaptation of their body to their mate. More research is needed, but it is believed that this is what helps human females to successfully gestate hybrids. It is definitely what makes humans so easy for aliens to mate. How easy that is, and how common human-alien mating is, also requires more research.”
“For case one,” Fway said, smiling, “this adaptation has taken full effect. Subject two is just as connected to her mate as any ratchi female would be. We were able to compare this case to the five human-domini pairings and can report that the same is true for them as well. Their minds and bodies have similarly adapted. In the way of the domini, they are incapable of feeling desire for any but their mates. Similarly, subject two will likely find herself reacting to her mate in a way that mimics the ratchi. Namely, she will likely see an increase in aggression during periods of ovulation. She will not become as aggressive as a female ratchi, but the change will be notable.”
Shoshana grimaced as Rizor nuzzled her head. She remembered that particular experiment. After returning to the moon base and getting back to work, Fway and Kwee had asked if she would be willing to let them send her through a menstrual cycle while being scanned with Rizor present. They made sure she wouldn’t actually ovulate, but the hormone surges were the same. And when it came time for the ovulation cycle, she found herself mad.
Rizor just standing there, looking at her, made her angry. And horny. A strange and potent combination. It had taken all of her self-control not to attack him. Something that he clearly wanted and that made Fway and Kwee laugh.
She was going to have to keep her ovulation off whenever she didn’t want to be pregnant. Because if she ovulated, she would attack him. And if she attacked him, that would set him off and he would fuck her, and she would almost definitely end up pregnant.
It was pretty strange, but not all that unfamiliar. It was like PMS but to a much higher degree and at the wrong time of month. And when she told him that, Rizor had been excited. If she would get mad at him when she was about to have a period, that meant they’d have crazy sex every time. Another reason to keep her period off. She didn’t need to be out of control like that.
Their crazy sex was debilitating, and the recovery time was long. She wasn’t opposed to it happening, she just couldn’t have it happening any random Tuesday.
The scientist pair told her that her increased aggression wasn’t as violent as what a ratchi female would experience, but just the fact that she was experiencing it at all was incredible. Her body had adapted to being the mate of a ratchi just like that.
The very concept was crazy, but she couldn’t deny its truth since she had felt the changes herself. She knew that Rizor was her mate without it, but it was nice to have that physical, scientific proof in black and white.
She really had been made for him. They were made for each other. And knowing all that, how could she deny the concept of mates?
“Our first case study has been closed,” Kwee said. “The pairing has stabilized and there are no further changes. By their request, they are not prepared to reproduce. However, also by their request, we have run a simulation to determine their reproductive capability.”
Fway continued, “Though reproduction is not our team’s specialty, the agreement with Earth meant we were not capable of disclosing the results of that simulation without informing everyone. If you will be so kind to indulge us, though this is only a small case, we wish to present those findings now so that they can know their own future.”
Kwee tapped at her tablet, continuing from him. “For a typical human-human pairing, it is most commonly to result in a single offspring, delivered live after a period of forty human weeks or twenty-eight tendays. For a typical ratchi-ratchi pairing, it is most commonly to result in one to three eggs laid after thirty days, of which only one or two is typically fertilized, with incubation lasting thirty tendays.”
“Based upon our simulations,” Fway said, “we believe that, in the case of a ratchi male-human female pairing, what will occur upon successful fertilization is a single offspring that will be laid by the female as an egg between thirty and seventy days, with incubation lasting thirty tendays as normal for a ratchi.”
“Dang it,” Shoshana breathed even as Rizor let out a relieved sigh. She nudged him with her elbow, making him chuckle.
She did not look forward to laying an egg. Even just thinking it made her feel uncomfortably like a chicken. But she knew that Rizor had been worried. Live birth was not something his species did, and the idea made him uneasy.
Kwee continued, “These particular simulations have an 83% chance of being identical to what will happen in reality. Of course, the only way to know for certain what will happen is for it to happen, but advanced simulation techniques like these have proven to be accurate 95% of the time in the past.”
“Dang it,” Shoshana grumbled again.
Rizor nuzzled her, whispering so the mics didn’t hear them. “I can’t wait to have our hatchlings in an incubator. Are you sure we can’t get started now?”
“You have an incubator hidden somewhere in our room?”
He was silent for a moment. “I can order one.”
“Still no. I want to be in our nest when I, ugh, lay our egg.”
He chuckled. “As do I. Can we do it first thing when we get to Hr’ssri?”
“Maybe,” she said playfully, earning a nipping bite over her mating mark. She smiled, holding back a laugh as she nudged him off her.
She couldn’t deny that she was feeling the breeding call. She was surprised, but according to Fway and Kwee, it was very normal. The breeding urge hit the hardest at the beginning of a mating. It would calm down after they had their first hatchling, but it was very common for matings to result in a youngling very early on. Most species didn’t even try to resist it.
She guessed she was part of that now because she was eagerly thinking about doing it when they got to Hr’ssri. Maybe not the day they arrived. She wanted a chance to get comfortable in her new space first. But definitely soon. The whole egg laying thing was still messing with her, but not enough to dissuade her from the family making plans.
Being mated was strange, but she wasn’t as upset with it as she expected. She was looking forward to her strange, alien life with her alien mate.
Fway finished the presentation. “This concludes the definitive findings we currently have. Of course, we have many more studies still in progress. However, for case one, we have learned all that we can at this time. We thank you for your attention and look forward to our next opportunity to disclose more findings.”
The audience clapped, surprising the scientists, making Shoshana chuckle, as the live feed ended.
Shoshana and Rizor pushed themselves off the wall to approach Fway and Kwee. The pair turned to them with big smiles.
“Great job,” Shoshana praised. “You did well.”
“Thanks,” Kwee smiled. “Couldn’t have done it without you two though.”
“Am I really laying an egg?”
“It’s not bad, I promise.” She chuckled. “I lay eggs too. It’s actually very easy. Very quick.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry. It’s not that I don’t believe you, but I feel like this is just something I’m going to have to experience before I can say for sure that it’s not that bad.”
Kwee didn’t seem offended. She just laughed as Rizor put a hand to her back.
“You’re going to be so pretty round with my egg.”
“Down, boy,” she ordered, grinning. “No point getting excited now. We still have eight months before we’re done here.”
He grumbled at the reminder, but it was playful.
Fway and Kwee moved away to speak with Vigo. This was just one part of their experiments. They still had a lot going on.
But nothing that was going to affect Shoshana and Rizor. She didn’t mind giving them a verbal report after she was pregnant just for the record, but she wasn’t willing to become pregnant now for the sake of their experiment.
Shoshana and Rizor were approached by a few of the subjects while most people either lingered around or left the room to continue on their day. They were congratulating them. The approval and support made Shoshana smile as she accepted their well wishes.
One of the last people to approach her was Rae – the only female human scientist on the base. She still looked haggard and tired. If anything, she looked worse. Shoshana frowned upon catching sight of her, really getting concerned now.
“Hey,” Rae greeted, trying to smile. “Congrats on your mating. That’s the right way to say it, isn’t it?”
“It is,” Rizor confirmed. “Thank you, female.”
“Sure. So, erm, random question, but did you do something special to trigger the mating thing?” She asked, looking between them. “I mean, is there something specific that you have to do? Or like a perfume or something to wear?”
Rizor shook his head. “That’s not how mating works. There’s no choice in it.”
“No?” She looked depressed. “You’re sure? There’s no way to, like, make it happen or something?”
“You have your eyes on someone?” Shoshana asked, smiling. Trying to be friendly while she pushed for information.
“Er, no,” she looked quickly away. “It’s not… Er, it’s a scientific inquiry. Yeah.”
That was a lie. An obvious one. Shoshana smiled, worried. If it wasn’t a mating bond, then no matter how much Rae wanted one, it wasn’t going to happen.
“Well, actually,” Rizor said thoughtfully. “The vir have some manner of choice.”
“They do?” Her head perked up. “Vir… That’s what Zeffir is, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. His people can mate lock to those who aren’t their true mates.”
“Oh. Okay,” she nodded thoughtfully. Then smiled quickly at them. “Sorry for bothering you. Thank you.”
“No problem,” Shoshana said. “I know I’ve asked you before, but are you doing okay, Rae? Is moon life not agreeing with you?”
“Huh? No, it’s fine. Everything is perfect here. Why?”
Shoshana just smiled at her. “Just making sure.”
“I’m fine. Er, I’ll see you around. Later.”
She waved at them as she walked away, her expression pensive, head lowered.
“Her scent is acrid,” Rizor said, whispering to Shoshana. “She is fearful and anxious.”
Shoshana frowned. “I really hope she’s okay.”
Rizor shrugged. “You’ll look after her. I know you will.”
She grinned, nudging him gently. “Come on. Let’s get back to work.”
Chapter 47
Rizor
Rizor ate quickly as he waited for Shoshana to get out of the shower. She just got back from her day off, and she was going to help him polish his scales while they watched the trikball game. They hadn’t been able to spend any time together because she had been with other human females, having her hair washed and re-braided. It was apparently a whole thing.
And the result was beautiful. The style she had chosen this time had thicker braids that ended sooner, allowing the bottoms to curl freely. They also formed a different pattern on her scalp. Lovely. He was eager to hold her, but she put him off, wanting to get clean first. She had apparently been doing someone else’s hair while hers was done. A whole line of human females helping each other. He asked to join her in the shower, but she had forbidden him. The game was going to start soon, and they wouldn’t get out in time if he joined her.
So, instead, he ordered food. Since she could eat hers in smaller bites as they polished his scales and oiled his quills, there was no need for her to eat immediately. But he ate his quickly so he could get it out of the way.
When his mate rushed out, she was doing that thing where she used one of the human towels as a dress, the edges of it opening around her thighs with every step. She freed her fresh braids from the cap she used to protect them from the water with a toss of her head.
“Did it start?” She asked, rushing forward to check the holo.
“Not yet,” he assured her. “You’re just missing the lineup.”
“No! Dang it,” she grumbled, tossing aside her shower cap. She hadn’t even tried to dry off and now was dripping all over the floor.
Not that he minded. He envied every drop that caressed her curves as she began rubbing herself dry, staring at the players on screen showing off. She wasn’t even trying to be sensual, but all that exposed skin, the view of her shapely ass right in his face as she stood beside the sofa, made his cocks harden under his slit.
“Hey, so I had a thought,” she started, not even looking his way, unaware of his distraction. “That quill oil of yours, do you think it will work on my hair? I mean, my hair is keratin; your quills are keratin. I think I want to try it.”
But because she wasn’t paying attention to him, chatting about meaningless things while having the nerve to arouse him, he couldn’t help but want to tease her.
With no warning and no build up, he let out an audible, powerful bellow.
Shoshana moaned, her knees buckling, letting her fall right into his arms. He pulled her into his lap, reaching between her legs to feel the rush of wetness that always accompanied the sound. He wasn’t sure if that was her adaptable physiology behaving as a ratchi female would, or if he just had her body trained to respond to him this well, but it didn’t matter.
“Careful,” he cautioned. “You could hurt yourself.”
“Ass,” she groaned, rocking against his palm. “You did that on purpose.”
“Well, if you hadn’t been shaking this luscious body right in my face, I wouldn’t have had to. This is all your fault, really.”
“Oh, yeah,” she grinned, rubbing her butt back against his groin. “I suppose I’ll have to take care of that for you, huh?”
He growled, yanking her up into his arms as he stood. Games and food and scale polish completely forgotten as he took her to their nest.
He fell backwards onto it, letting her straddle him as she pulled at the seals keeping his clothes on in a desperate quest for his cock. His bellow had been enough to make her needy for him, the sweet perfume of her arousal filling his nose. He loved how sensitive and responsive his mate was.
And he had almost missed this.
The lesson his female had been trying to teach him had been learned. Almost too late, but he had learned it.
And the prize for his forgiveness, for releasing that hatred, was his female straddling his body as she writhed against him, eager for his cocks. His love.
Divested of his clothing, she reached between them, ready to push him in.
He stopped her by rolling them over, looming above her.
“Aw, it was my turn,” she protested, running her fingers over the scars she had left on his flank, making him shiver with need.
“I think it’s time,” he said, making her still.
