Junction - 1. Junction

“So we just dump this out on the ground?” I could barely span the rectangle of scratchy grass. Moshe held two of them by the cords tying them into the rough shape, easily hefting one in each hand.

“Well, you need to break the twine and break off flakes of the hay, spreading it out in a long line. That way the cattle can come eat all at the same time. And you might not want to take too long about it. They’re coming.”

“They’re coming?” I squeaked. Those things were a lot bigger than I’d thought they’d be. And they had these wicked sharp horns on their wide heads.

Miah laughed. “Relax, Lisco. They won’t hurt you. Unless they’re spooked, cattle are pretty gentle.”

I could hear them coming, making those deep, low calls. They said nothing, but carried a lot like Moshe’s vibrations. I didn’t want to be standing anywhere between them and their food when they arrived, no matter what Miah said. Moshe lifted his arms and jerked on the thin ropes, snapping them easily. The grass tumbled to the dry ground and broke apart.

“Now just spread it out.”

Moshe began scattering the grass. I tried to break the rope on mine, but it was amazingly strong for something so thin. It dug into my skin. “Ow,” I hissed. Damn it. I missed my true form’s scales. This human form with its many limbs was interesting, but it was very fragile in many ways.

“Try just dropping it.” I did what Miah suggested, and the rope came open with a pop. The ends of the rectangle came off, and I quickly tossed bits apart in a line. “There. Done. Can we go?” I wanted to be on the other side of the fence—far away from the cattle churning up a thick dust cloud as they approached the barn.

“Yeah. HC: Reverse, three-sixty, and forward twenty meters.” Moshe strode ahead of Miah in his hover chair, leading the way back to the gate. I didn’t wait—I darted over and slipped through the wires in the fencing instead.

“What else do we need to do this morning?” Moshe asked.

“General improvements around the place. The barn is fine, for now, but the house needs some work.” Miah looked down at his lap. “It’s not nearly as nice as your apartment.”

“It’s cozy,” Moshe said. “I like it.”

I raised an eyebrow. I didn’t actually like the house, but we could fix it up without much work at all. What I really didn’t like was Miah’s scent and his body language. He’d been amused by my fear of the cattle and pretty relaxed overall, but now his scent had turned bitter. I could hear his pulse speed up, and I could sense heat as it began to gather under his arms and around his neck.

“Are you worrying that we will want to go back to our apartment if you don’t make the house improvements a priority?” I asked bluntly.

“Well.” Miah drew the word out, not making eye contact.

“Don’t be stupid. We’re not going anywhere. We might not have planned to become stakeholders, but we like being on your land.” I shook my head and leaned down to kiss him on the cheek. “Silly human.”

Miah turned red. “Sorry. But the barn really is okay, and we have all that hay you guys stacked up yesterday covered and safe from the weather. I’d like for the irrigation canals to have a bit more time to fill up before we begin breaking up the soil so we can do the planting, so for now, yeah, the house can be a priority. The seedlings we bought in the city are growing well in their pots and don’t need to be replanted yet.”

“As long as you’re sure. I love it out here.” Moshe spread his arms wide and turned in a circle. “Lots of space, good air, plenty of quiet.”

“We’re not going anywhere,” I finished. “Not unless you tell us to go.”

Holding up his hands, Miah smiled. “Not for a while yet, anyway, right?”

He kept acting like we were only with him because we had to take care of him. Yet, from time to time, he spoke without thinking and made comments like we were here to stay. Which we were, even if we hadn’t quite convinced him of that yet.

Knocking out the wall was nothing when Moshe was the one doing the demolition. Miah explained how to mix up the whitewash plaster, and we smoothed it over the wall to create a seamless transition between the two bedrooms.

Now we had one room, but it was much bigger, and we still had two closets. More than enough room for all our stuff, and our giant bed—one that would hold Moshe, Miah, and me—didn’t dominate the space quite so much.

“I think I’ll paint in here when the plaster dries. All this white is too much.”

Miah was watching Moshe as he hefted the dresser to move it to its new location by the far wall. His hair, as pale and soft as his fur, stuck to his face. Moshe blew out a breath to get it out of his eyes. “I like white,” Miah said absently.

I snickered, but didn’t say anything. I liked Moshe’s hair, too. Usually I spiked my crest of blue hair, but since we’d gotten to Miah’s stake, it was more work than it was worth. I’d been braiding it back instead.

“What about green in here, though? With some brown around the windows and doors?”

“That would be nice,” Moshe rumbled. “I like green.”

“Speaking of green, how about a nice salad for dinner with some chicken breasts? We’ve been working all day, and lunch was a while ago.” I was hungry, so Moshe and Miah were probably really hungry. I’d been making food that was easy to feed to Miah, since he’d lost the use of his hands during our misguided mating hunt. Some of our native plants in the dome had damaged his hands to the point any movement would cause him agonizing pain. The doctors had said he’d be disabled for two weeks, plus another two weeks before the cast on his leg, from when he almost fell down a cliff during the mating hunt, would be ready to come off.

We’d really screwed up.

Thankfully Miah gave us another chance. We’d planned to stay at our apartment in the city with him while he healed, but the early delivery of his cattle had prompted a move to his stake. He’d been uncertain about letting us come here, but it was our dream come true. We were out of the city, and well on our way to being bonded to him.

Making sure he ate better than he ever had before was part of my agenda to make sure Miah never wanted us to leave so we could enjoy the open country, even if it was still a bit bleak.

“Chicken and salad. Yum.” Moshe slid the dresser against the wall and stood up, putting his hands just above his ass and arching backward, making his back pop. “Ahh. I could use a break anyway.”

Miah smiled. “I haven’t had a fresh salad in forever.” I knew that. Interlanders lived far from the city, and even there fresh greens were seasonal and very expensive. The supplies Miah had planned to purchase had been mostly canned or frozen. With the transporter, I was able to get in fresh produce from the communal dome gardens; shifters needed fresh food, so we all took the time to grow what we needed for both our human and true forms. It was just one more thing we had to offer Miah if he completed the bonding.

Besides, living with Moshe meant I never underestimated the ability to use food to make someone happy. Good food, and lots of it, was a major part of my plan.

“I’ll just get that started. Moshe, why don’t you and Miah clean yourselves up for dinner?” Moshe needed some physical contact with Miah, and I could use some time alone.

I went outside to our shuttle. No way was I cooking in that kitchen. That would be our next upgrade. Until then, what we had worked. I hissed out a quiet tune as I baked the chicken and assembled the salad.

“You’re singing,” Moshe said as I carted the food into the house. His white hair was slicked back, and his lips were red and slightly swollen.

“That’s singing?” Miah’s lips were red, too.

“Yes, it is.”

“So Moshe rumbles, and you hiss. Is it weird that you’re aliens, yet your true forms are so close to Earth animals in some ways?” Miah navigated his hover chair up to the table.

“Organic life is very similar throughout the universe, actually. Besides, most beings use what’s familiar to make the unfamiliar more relatable.” I set the bowl of salad in the middle of the table.

Miah leaned forward over the table and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes. “Chicken smells good. So tell me, does chicken really taste like everything?” He grinned.

“How could chicken taste like everything? It’s chicken. It tastes like chicken, doesn’t it?” Moshe asked. He grabbed one of the chickens off the platter and began tearing it apart with his fingers, making short work of removing the legs from the body. The breasts were soon on his plate beside the legs.

“It’s a joke. Humans say many things taste like chicken.”

“Ice cream doesn’t taste like chicken. Neither do apples. Or cheese. Or fish.” Moshe frowned. “Lots of things don’t taste like chicken.”

“It’s just a joke,” Miah said. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not even a good one.”

“Okay.” Moshe shrugged. “You want some chicken first or salad?”

“I’ll help him. You worked hard today, Moshe. Just eat your chicken.” I was using a fork and knife to lay out both breasts from the second bird on one plate and slicing it into thin pieces. I placed some salad in a smaller bowl. “I thought we could share, since neither of us eat as much as the beast over there.”

“Thanks, Lisco.” Miah didn’t even change colors when I fed him a bite anymore. He just leaned forward and gently took it off the fork I offered him. He chewed happily. “This is so great. Lettuce, spinach, and tomato. Did you put dressing on the salad?”

“Just a little oil and vinegar mix with some herbs. I wanted everything to taste really fresh.” I took one bite for every three I gave Miah. I had munched a little as I cooked, enjoying some raw meat while I was alone. Some humans objected to our more primal tastes in the city, and we’d learned to hide it when we indulged. Still, the baked chicken was juicy and flavored with salt and the same herbs I’d put in the salad dressing.

Moshe ate his chicken as well as the remainder of the salad out of the big bowl. He finished before we did, but he sat there talking with us. He kept asking Miah stories about growing up in the Interlands. His childhood had been about work, from sun up to sun down, but those who stuck it out were committed to the land. The interland was bleak and harsh, but the far flung community of stakes—neighbors up to a hundred miles away—helped each other as best they could.

“So this one time, the old Chinney barn roof came clean off in a storm. We had to scavenge the parts from the countryside, dragging back the broken sheets. Everyone pitched in what they could spare, and we had a work party to put a new roof on the barn. There was a limited amount of time before the ice season would start and do irreparable damage to his hay stores and the young calves brought in for the winter.

“It was like a patchwork quilt—bits of metal pieced here and there together, and I swear there wasn’t a straight edge on a one.” Miah smiled, leaning back in his hover chair. “We had a potluck for dinner that night, and some of the ranchers had instruments they’d carried along with them. It was my first dance. I was about fifteen, gangly and awkward, all knees and elbows. I was staring at Billy Pruitt, and his sister Betty was staring at me. Boy was that interesting when I got up to ask him to dance. I thought she was gonna scratch someone’s eyes out, and it was a toss up whether it’d be his or mine.” Miah chuckled.

“Did he dance with you? Did you kiss him?” Moshe rumbled a little at the idea. I reached over and stroked his thigh, calming him down. Miah’s story was the past.

As long as Billy Pruitt didn’t still live around here.

“Danced, yes. Kissed, no. Billy isn’t much for swinging toward men. He confided in me after the dance that his sister had been mooning over me all summer long after we’d gone on a community picnic and she saw me swimming with my shirt off. He was sick of hearing about how we’d be perfect for each other and how she’d be Betty Jonahson before the end of the next year.”

I broke my silence. “So he danced with you to spite her. Sounds juvenile.”

“And not very nice,” Moshe added.

“Well, we were juvenile. Just teenagers, really. Everyone does stupid stuff when they’re young.”

Moshe picked up the dishes and began carting them to the sink. “But you said she wanted to marry you. If you were that young, surely you wouldn’t have been thinking about marriage yet.”

Miah sighed. “I wasn’t, but that wasn’t normal. I was the strange one, not thinking about who I was going to settle down with. People said it was a bad idea, going off to the city to get an education, but I was determined. I had an idea that I could make things better, but there was a lot I had to learn before I could follow through with my plans. Most of my time and energy was focused on getting a scholarship and finishing college.”

“So did Betty Pruitt marry someone else?” Moshe turned around, leaning against the sink. “Or are we going to have to warn her away from our man?”

Rolling his eyes, Miah shook his head. “She was married the next year, but to Jarl Fisher. Last my mother mentioned her, they’d had four kids already.”

“What about her brother?” I asked. “The one you had eyes for.”

“Rebecca Altruiman. They have a set of twins.” Miah looked up at me and then over at Moshe. “You guys don’t have to worry about anyone. I had no one to court, even if I wanted to. No time, and no inclination. Besides, I like you guys here with me.”

It wasn’t a declaration of heartfelt feelings, or even a request for us to stay. But… we’d take it. Miah just needed a little more time.

“Let’s move to the living room,” I suggested. Our nice big couch was just waiting for some snuggling time.

“I could definitely enjoy getting out of this chair for a while. Not that it isn’t comfortable; you guys really did spend way too much money on this model since I’ll only need it for about another week or two.”

Moshe picked Miah up out of the chair and gently set him down on the couch, making sure he was comfortable. “We didn’t mind.”

“Besides, just because the pilltock fluid would have dissipated from your hands won’t mean that you’re healed. Your leg is going to be a problem for a while.” I sank down onto the couch beside Miah, supporting his weight when Moshe turned him sideways and began rubbing his good leg.

“Yes, but with my hands free and my strength back, I’ll be able to use crutches.”

“Which will keep your hands busy supporting your weight, so you won’t be able to do anything else,” I pointed out. “Or you can keep using the hover chair we got you, and be able to do some of the chores around your stake so you won’t be so frustrated.” I hadn’t known we’d be out here when we ordered the chair the day after we hunted Miah in the dome, but I’d foreseen the problem of his mobility when we viewed the options the hospital had to offer. Besides, we could afford the best, and he deserved it.

“Okay, okay. I’ll keep using it.”

“Good.” Moshe rumbled softly as he rubbed the base of Miah’s bare foot, flexing and pushing against the muscles. “How’s that feel?”

“Wonderful.” Miah was leaning hard against me; I liked that he didn’t think I couldn’t support his weight, even though I was smaller than him, and a lot smaller than Moshe. He was a warm, solid weight against my side. I ran one hand over his hair.

He craned his head back farther, looking into my eyes. “Will you tell me about your history now? Moshe’s always asking for stories about my life growing up, but I know next to nothing about how and why your ships came to Earth. Your species is nomadic? Have you met other sentient species?”

“We didn’t leave our planet by choice,” Moshe said.

“I’m sorry. You don’t have to talk about it if it upsets you.” Miah rubbed Moshe’s leg with his uninjured foot. “I don’t want to make you sad.”

“You deserve to know our past. But you can’t tell anyone what we share with you. The peace between our kinds is tenuous, mostly because there are things you don’t know about your own history.” I rubbed Miah’s shoulder, running one hand down his bicep and back up. “Living on Earth is our only hope to find peace.”

“History was never my best subject.”

“This goes beyond what you might have learned, to what your Earth Unity Coalition will not allow you to know. The world war you experienced, where your governments scorched the land and destroyed so much of your planet, prompted a race for space. Hundreds of years ago probes and small robotic ships had been sent to the planets in your galaxy, and even beyond to the closest galaxies. But it took a long time for any to come back with viable options for human habitation.”

Miah broke in. “But it didn’t work. No country could build a ship or engine to travel that far. That’s when the concentrated efforts to remove the pollution and retake the land near the oceans began.”

“That’s not exactly true,” Moshe said. “There was one ship, but it didn’t leave until after the first chemical bombs went off. Your species might have made it to another planet, but they were stopped before they got very far. It is too dangerous to allow humans to spread from Earth unchecked. There are other aliens out there.”

“There are what?” Miah’s voice rose in volume and pitch. He jerked his foot out of Moshe’s grip and turned to face me. “No way. Something would’ve leaked. They couldn’t have covered up meeting aliens before you guys.”

“You’re right. I didn’t say the Earth Unity Coalition knows why that one ship didn’t make it, just that there was one and that it didn’t get very far. Scans proved that humans sabotaged their own salvation by infecting yourselves. One, or more, of those bombs set off contaminated your cells with a chemical combination that isn’t harmful to humans, but can be very harmful to many alien species. Your DNA and cellular make up is quite unique and you carry the means to devastate many planets, just from simple exposure. It was decided that the risk was too great to allow.”

“Many alien species? How many are out there?”

“A lot. A quarantine was ordered, cordoned around your solar system. No ships in, and no ships out.”

“Then how did you get here? Why did you come here?” I put one hand on his back, rubbing his shoulder soothingly.

This was why we didn’t tell the humans everything. Just one person, and he was panicking. Their culture was heavily monitored and restricted by their Coalition, but you couldn’t stop people from being people. That kind of hysteria wasn’t limited to humans, either.

“Our ships really were on their last legs. Our long-range engines were out of fuel. We’d been hiding on a planet just a few light years away, deep underground. We’d hoped it’d keep us safe from the Tarquiek.” I wanted to spit, after saying their name. I took a deep breath.

“They are relentless. They drove us away from our home.” Moshe rumbled, a threatening sound that filled the small room. “And every other planet we tried to hide on. There was no escaping them, until we came here. But so many of us died before we found refuge on Earth. Our ability to shift allowed us to adopt forms that could adapt to your planet. It kept us safe, because no one else can do what we do. But by the time we got here, there were only four ships. The Tarquiek killed billions, and only a few thousand of us are still alive.”

Miah’s eyes were huge. This time I needed to lean on him. I wiped at the tears in my eyes, a phenomenon I’d never felt before this form. He lifted his arm and let me snuggle against his chest. Moshe reached across Miah, putting his hand on my back. He enveloped both of us in his arms. “Why? Why did they do that?”

“The Tarquiek are a relentless species. Their version of war is to eradicate their enemies, down to the very last being. There was a misunderstanding, and a ship carrying one of the members of their ruling family was killed by our planetary defense grid. And we’re not popular with others; our ability to shift and mimic other species scares them. Humans found it comforting that we looked familiar, but most thought we’d seek to integrate and overtake their governments because there is no way to know we’re shifters if we’re not in our true form.” I rubbed my face against Miah’s chest, absorbing his heat to combat the chill running through me.

“No one cared if the Tarquiek exterminated our species in retribution for their fallen nobles. The Tarquiek are ancient and very advanced technologically. They overwhelmed our defenses in days. Those who could make it to ships fled, but most died when the Tarquiek razed every single settlement on our planet. Other planets made noises of shock and horror at the genocide, but none offered us sanctuary or assistance when our ships began to fail as we fled the Tarquiek armada. Lisco’s entire family was lost when their engines went offline and drifted into your sun. My family had been killed on Emolga IV when we were caught by an advanced scout strike force.”

“I’m so sorry,” Miah said. He hugged me to him. “I can’t imagine what you’ve lived through. My family isn’t close, but they’re here. If I lost them that way…. I don’t know how you guys can stand it.”

“Your life hasn’t been easy either,” I pointed out. “You know the meaning of hardship, and you left all you knew behind when you went to the city for school. You’re strong and steady, but you have the intelligence and drive to try something no one else thought you could do. And all because you want to make things better for everyone. That inner strength and determination is part of what drew us to you in the bar where we first saw you.”

“Moshe’s strong, and you’re smart. I’m nothing special,” Miah said.

“Don’t say that. You are. Even if you can’t see it.” Moshe palmed the back of Miah’s head, turning his head to face him. “You are special to us.” Before Miah could object again, Moshe leaned down and fit their mouths together.

From where I was leaning against Miah’s chest, I was just inches from them. I could see their lips move as their tongues met and gently tasted each other. The scent of their arousal wafted through the air. My heart sped up, and my organ rose between my legs. I hissed as they broke apart.

Miah glanced down at me, his pupils blown wide.

“Ours. You’re ours,” I said fiercely. I leaned up and claimed his mouth, thrusting my tongue inside. Far from the soft sensual claiming Moshe gave him, I took what I wanted until Miah was moaning for me.

“Bed,” Moshe rumbled. I agreed.

I scrambled off the couch. Moshe hefted Miah in his arms. Watching him do that made my organ throb. He was strong, no matter what form he was in, but Moshe was so gentle. The bond we shared went deep; we’d met and known it was right between us from the start, just like when we met Miah. If we’d never been attacked by the Tarquiek, Moshe and I would probably never have met, and we certainly wouldn’t have known Miah.

Fate worked in mysterious ways, and I didn’t pretend to understand the chain of events that could so easily have been different, leading us all to lives that never intersected. Instead, our paths had led all three of us together, to this point.

“Lisco?” Miah called. Moshe had stopped in the doorway to the bedroom and turned around. “Are you coming?”

“Yeah.”

Moshe put Miah down on the side of the bed and stripped immediately. He was thick, muscles stacked up on muscles. Soft white hair, similar to his fur in his true form, covered his chest and curled around the base of the thick stalk of his semi-erect cock.

The sight made my mouth water. I loved tasting him. I would have his cock in my mouth—soon. He carefully helped get Miah’s soft shirt over his hands. They’d taken off his bandages while I'd cooked dinner, leaving his pink palms exposed. The scratches had healed, and Miah barely winced when he moved them. “I think the pilltock juice is gone. I haven’t had any spasms in my hands today.”

“The doctor said two weeks.”

Miah narrowed his eyes. “Dr. Connor said I needed help walking for two weeks because my hands would be too weak for crutches. I don’t want to use my hands to support my weight right now.” He looked down at his hands, staring at them, moving his fingers gently. “I want to touch you. Both of you. I want to do… more.” Miah’s face turned that delightful red color.

Yearning filled me. If Miah could participate in our loving more fully, our bonding would grow stronger. “Are you sure you’re ready for that?”

“Maybe not everything. Not today. But you seem so sure, and”—Miah took a deep breath—“we have time, right? You have both said you want to stay with me, here at the stake. That we’re bonding. I know you already have a bond with each other, but I want that for all of us, together. I don’t want to live here alone. I don’t think I could bear it by myself, not after I’ve known what it’s like with you by my side.”

“We don’t want to leave you.” Moshe dropped to his knees in front of the bed, his head still chest high on Miah. “All I want to do is stay here with you. I love the way I can be myself; you accept my true form. I never thought a human would, but you do.”

“To stay, we have to bond fully. Without a tie to you, we’d be unable to stay away from the Dome. We have to transform a lot more if we’re not bonded with a human, and we need to be on land made for our natural forms with plants native to our home planet. But that’s not a reason to bond; this is a big decision. We know it’s a lot to ask.”

Miah swallowed. “What would I have to do? Do we have to do it all tonight?”

“No,” I shook my head. “Remember, this is nothing like those stories. We started bonding already, but it’s tenuous. We shared intimacy and have created a link between our souls. The more we touch, the closer we are, the stronger that link will become between us. You won’t become a shifter, but you’ll gain the ability to understand our languages when the bond is fully formed. There may be some changes; other bonded humans have been able to sense where their mates are or have gained stronger physical senses. But you will still be you.”

“So if we… if we make love, it’ll make the bond stronger? You’ll be able to stay here with me and not go back to the city?”

“Yes.” Moshe put his hands on Miah’s thighs just below his shorts.

I could barely keep myself from reaching out to Miah. “You need to be sure.”

Miah put one hand on top of Moshe’s and held the other out to me. I blew out a breath shakily, air escaping me in a hiss of excitement. I stepped closer. Miah gently cupped my cheek, rubbing my bottom lip with his thumb.

“Take off your clothes.”

I didn’t take my eyes off his, except for when I had to step back to lift my shirt over my head. I sighed in relief as I peeled my tight pants down my legs, my erect organ pointing straight up at my belly when it was freed from the stretchy fabric.

The air in the room was charged with lust. Heat radiated off their bodies, and I wanted nothing more than to curl up between them and bask in their warmth.

“Moshe, can you help get us up on the bed?”

He carefully lifted Miah up first, helping him squirm out of his shorts at the same time. Miah had a good sized cock, and it was bright pink and hard. Moshe’s wide hands gripped my hips and lifted me up beside Miah. I was sandwiched between them when Moshe climbed onto the bed behind me.

“What do you want me to do?” I wanted to make Miah happy, the way he had made me happy.

A red tide crept up Miah’s chest and neck as I straddled his hips. “I”—he cleared his throat—“I want to be inside you. Can… can we do that?”

I groaned. It’d been a few weeks since Moshe had put his cock inside me. We couldn’t breed, but we’d discovered the human bodies we had made this close mimicry of the human reproduction act very pleasurable.

And Miah wanted to do that with me.

I nodded eagerly.

Miah licked his lips, and I couldn’t help but take a taste. I leaned forward and licked at his bottom lip, tasting him and making them wetter, before I delved inside to let our tongues dance together. For the first time, Miah slid his hands down my back and to my ass. He cupped me, pulling me down so our organs were sandwiched tight together.

He gasped, throwing his head back and arching up against me. “Oh, Jygp. Oh.”

His hands really were better, because it took a lot of effort to break his grip. “Not yet,” I said. “Not like that. I want you inside me.”

Miah panted. “I don’t know what to do.”

Moshe reached out and unclenched one of Miah’s hands. “Stop that; you’re going to hurt yourself. Why don’t you let me help get you both ready?”

“Lisco?” Miah looked up at me.

“We’ll take care of you.” I smiled at him.

“You’re going to love it. I do, when Lisco lets me feel inside him. We’re so close, it’s like being two parts of a whole, but now we’ll get to be three parts.”

Miah blanched. “I don’t think I’m ready to have anyone inside me.”

“You don’t have to be. That’s not what I meant,” Moshe assured him. He urged me off Miah and between them once more. Soon I was on my side with Miah nestled against my back. His cock rubbed against my ass every time he moved. He kissed my neck, down to my shoulder.

I could barely wait to be prepared; I wanted him inside me so bad. Moshe flipped around so he was facing my feet as he laid on his side in front in me. He’d already grabbed a bottle of lube, and I was dripping, ready for what I knew was coming. He lifted my top leg, easily holding it up.

“Deep breaths.” I did what he said, but the smell of Moshe’s arousal was very strong. I couldn’t quite reach him, and right then my focus was on the way his slick fingers were circling my opening. Still, the scent of him sent waves of pleasure that helped me relax into the touch. “More.”

I knew how to get it. I reached out and pulled on Moshe’s hip. He moved closer to me. I started rolling the round, soft orbs in his sack in my hands the way he liked. He rumbled. “You’re distracting me.”

“Don’t care.” I wanted to touch him.

Moshe lowered his head and licked the tip of my organ. I made a sound, and Miah groaned. He was watching us over my shoulder. “That’s so hot,” he said. His moist breath against the side of my neck and my ear made me shiver.

“Feels good,” I gasped when Moshe finally entered me. His thick fingers filled me up, creating delicious pressure. I pushed against them and rubbed against Miah’s cock at the same time. I wasn’t going to last long. The smells, the heat, the way they touched me so close… it was more intense than anything I’d ever felt.

“Get him inside me, Moshe, please.”

“Need more slick.” The snick of the cap was loud in the room, filled only by my impatient sounds as I squirmed between them. Miah was quiet behind me.

“You’re going to feel so good inside me,” I assured him.

“I don’t want to hurt you. I’m not sure how to get inside at this angle. I thought you had to be behind someone on your knees.”

I shook my head. “Loving can be done in many positions. And you won’t hurt me. Don’t worry; Moshe will help you.” Miah groaned, and I knew Moshe was rubbing lube on him. Then Miah’s cock was at my opening.

“Push in slow,” Moshe told him. “I’ll hold you steady.” Moshe still held up my thigh with one hand, opening me up, and the other was wrapped around Miah’s shaft. He had both of us in his hands, bringing us together. I gasped and let out a deep breath, hissing as the wide head of Miah’s shaft split me apart and pushed through the tight ring of flesh.

“That’s it,” Moshe rumbled.

Miah wrapped an arm around my chest and pulled me close as he slowly filled me up until his hips were nestled against my ass. I could do nothing but lay there and take it, relishing the slow burn. We were both breathing hard, frozen for a brief moment when the magnitude of our first joining hit both of us.

“Move. I need… I have to.”

I nodded. “I’m ready.”

After that, words escaped me but I made all sorts of sounds. Miah pulled back and thrust in, using his strong body to slide home in short thrusts that jabbed at the gland inside me. Moshe licked all around the rim of the head of my shaft and then sucked on the tip.

He was dripping with need; I could smell the strong musk of his pleasure. I wanted to taste him, so I leaned my head forward and sank down over his cock, pushing and pulling on his hips to make him move at the same rhythm Miah was using as he took me. I sucked hard, getting sweet tastes of Moshe’s fluids.

We all moved together, writhing on the bed. I was lost in the pleasure of having them both inside me. I’d never felt anything quite like it as the sensations took on a desperate edge.

“I can’t wait,” Miah cried out.

I could feel Moshe’s muscles tightening, but before they could trip, I was over the edge, coming harder than I ever had before.

Moshe choked and pulled back, but kept sucking on my shaft, pulling my seed from me. Miah shouted and clutched me to him, burying his cock inside, pressing against me as he groaned and shook.

It took me a few moments to recover, but I hadn’t released Moshe’s cock. Relaxing into the warm afterglow, I was able to reach up and massage his sack as I sucked him from base to tip, taking his entire length.

Miah reached over me, resting his hand on Moshe’s stomach above his shaft, stroking the soft white hair. That touch seemed to set Moshe off, and he rumbled as he came in my mouth. I swallowed his bitter seed, relishing the knowledge I now had part of both my bonded inside me.

Moshe collapsed to the bed, breathing harshly. He let my leg relax. Miah slowly eased his cock out of me. We were tangled together in a heap, sweaty and messy.

“That was amazing.” Miah kissed my shoulders. “I never imagined it would feel like that. Thank you.”

After I had enough time to recover and could walk, we’d cleaned up in the tiny bathroom and then settled back into the bed to sleep. We were all exhausted after the long day, and morning would come early. I got to stay between them, basking in their warmth. It was heavenly.

A strange alarm went off, waking us up earlier than usual. “What is that?”

“The pasture shield alarm!” Miah sat up in bed. “We have to get out there. Now!”

“Hold on, let me help you.” Moshe stood up and pulled on a pair of pants. I was already sliding into a pair. Miah had already squirmed into a pair of shorts Moshe handed him. Then he picked him up and walked out to the living room to get Miah’s hover chair.

“What do you think happened?”

“Either something big got in or the cattle got out. I just don’t know. Damn it! We need to get a holo screen hook up so we can see where the breach is when an alarm goes off.” Miah had never cursed before, but he was very agitated. This was his livelihood.

“We’ll put it on the list to order when the sun is fully up. Calm down,” Moshe said.

I started yanking my pants back off.

“What are you doing? We have to get out there.” Miah frowned at me.

“I am. But you guys can only go so fast, and there’s a lot of ground to cover. I’m going to fly over the perimeter of the stake and find the breach.”

“Oh. Oh yeah. Okay. I’m sorry. This is just what I was most afraid of. I can’t be everywhere at once.”

I leaned down and gave him a quick kiss. “Well, we’re not going anywhere, remember? You don’t have to be everywhere or do everything by yourself. Stay with Moshe, and I’ll find you soon.”

We went outside, and I shifted. The ground rose up to meet me as my back limbs melted together, and I shrank down until I was in my true form, a long lean creature with flexible bones. I curled up and then stretched out. My scales scratched a diamond pattern in the dirt. It’d been too long since I’d shifted.

The wind, never quiet for long, ruffled my wings. I stretched them out and caught the breeze, then snapped them shut, forcing the air under my body until I was gliding along just above the ground. I found a slight rise and slipped over the top, gathering enough space to extend my wings fully and snap them shut, shooting myself up into the air.

Dawn was already brightening the horizon. I stayed low, searching for any predators large enough to set off the alarm. I looked for the herd, happy to be above them instead of on the ground. I really hoped there wouldn’t be any dead creatures—that would devastate Miah. He only had fifty, which he said was a really small number for breeding. He’d need every single one to make his herd grow.

But there wasn’t anything out of the ordinary that I could see. Not until I turned toward the river. Then I found the breach. The entire herd had moved past the perimeter shield and were bunched up by the water.

I turned around and flew back toward the house. It didn’t take long to find Miah and Moshe. “I found them,” I cried down from the air. “They’re at the river. The canal is blocked by a mudslide, and the water dried up. I think they broke out looking for more.”

Miah looked relieved. “We’ll need to drive them back inside the perimeter and reset the wires, and then fix the canal.”

“You were worried about the sounds of my flight disturbing them, right? If you two wait on either side of the breach, we can use that. I might be able to drive them toward you.”

“It just might work.” Miah nodded. “It’s worth a shot.”

“Then I’ll shift and fix the canal while you guys fix the breach. I brought your pants, and Miah grabbed some tools,” Moshe said. “This time I’ll make sure to pack the earth better.”

The cattle were hard to drive away from the water. The sharp snaps of my wings made them uneasy, but they weren’t budging. Not until I started hissing. I darted toward the back of the herd and the sounds combined made them bellow and back away. I guess I really did sound like a snake, and they didn’t like that sound, at all. They finally started moving in the direction I wanted them to go, and after that it was a lot easier. I drove them back onto the stake and through the breach. Miah and Moshe shouted and made a lot of noise, pushing them farther from the breach as I glided down to the ground.

Light shimmered around me as I let the shift overtake me. My body grew, thickening and separating into limbs. My skin itched as I lost my scales. I stood up, brushing off a few clumps of soil. “You mentioned pants?” I didn’t want to work around the powered fence with my human form’s reproductive organs dangling free. I shoved my blue hair out of my face.

“Here you go.” Miah held them up. “The tools are stashed in the back pouch on my hover chair. We should have everything we need to splice the fencing. I’ll keep an eye out for the herd while you make the repair.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Moshe had already moved off, heading to the river to fix the dam caused by the crumbling soil. The rest of the morning was spent on repairs, and then we still had to feed the troublesome beasts before we could stumble back to the house.

“Oh man, I’m exhausted,” I said.

“Just another day on the stake.” Miah maneuvered into the house. “I could make some food, if you’re too tired.”

“Please don’t,” Moshe said.

“We’ve seen what you consider edible food. Those shakes you were willing to eat were awful.” I stretched. “I’ll make breakfast in a minute. I just need to sit down.” Moshe had taken up most of the couch, sprawling out in exhaustion from moving rocks to reinforce the walls of the canal where it joined the river, so I took the next best seat and plopped right down in Miah’s lap.

“Well hello.”

“Hi.” I snuggled in. “You smell good.” He felt good, too. Nice and warm. The heat soaked into my muscles, and I sighed.

“Thanks?” Miah’s forehead was crinkled up as he looked down at me.

“You’re welcome. So, is it always this exciting, being a stakeholder?” I smiled up at Miah so he’d know I was making a joke.

“Oh yeah, a bundle of fun. Sure you can handle it?” Miah ran a hand down my back.

“We can if you can.” Moshe yawned and rubbed his eyes. “But only after a nap.”

“What he said. Even the nap; I worked my ass off.”

“Feels like it’s all right to me.” Miah pinched my ass.

“Ow! Hey!” I jumped up, rubbing at the stinging spot. “I think I liked you better when you couldn’t use your hands.”

“I could kiss it better after we eat,” Miah suggested.

Moshe chuckled. “Sounds like a fair trade.”

I pretended to be affronted. “Hey! Thanks for the offer, but no thanks. I’m going to go make some food. And I might or might not share it with you, since you’re going to abuse my delicate parts.”

I headed out of the house to the shuttle to make breakfast, though it was closer to the midday meal. I made a rude gesture at the cattle near the barn. “You guys better stay put this time. I got a promise of some loving after lunch. You ruin that, and I’m going to make some steaks for dinner.”

It might be an idle threat, but hey, it made me feel better. Out of all the dangers I’d faced, dealing with some four-legged beasts with pointy horns was a small price to pay for the peace I’d found with Moshe and Miah. I’d never expected my life to lead me here, but I was glad it had.

We all had a chance to be happy now.