Chapter 15 – A Strong Performance (R-18)

  “We have documented several types of rifts. Some are simple and want to consume mana then dispense its monsters to secure its foothold. Others want to lure people or animals inside to consume them and their energy. Both are sinister and both should be destroyed.” - Order Stabilitas new hire briefing.

  “I can’t believe the first thing you did was start eating.” Val grumbled from where she sat pressed into Kurt. She was doing her very best impression of being glued on.

  After Kurt had gotten the beak out, he had noticed the damage caused to his legs from the kicking bird. He had promptly pulled out several snack bars that were very high in calories. The downside to his lycan side was that being part elf, he didn’t have the body mass to sustain healing for very long. If he was seriously wounded, he either needed to use magic, like a talisman, or eat a lot of calories to fuel the regeneration.

  “Sorry, did you want some?” Kurt asked as he finished off his fifth chocote covered protein bar. He looked down at Val as she had her arms wrapped around him and was using him as a body pillow.

  “Not funny.” She said.

  After the fight had ended, Val had tched onto him and rubbed against him, trying to get as much contact as she could. Kurt thought he understood her actions and did his best to ignore her armor and equipment digging into him. Still, they needed to get on with it.

  “Alright, up and at em.” Kurt said, standing and lifting Val as he did. She hopped to the ground a moment ter and stepped back to get ready.

  They slid down the side of the root, one at a time while the other watched for any surviving birds. There weren’t any still alive or if there were, they were long gone from the killing field that had grown around the tree.

  Kurt could still sense the pull of the core, stronger than when they first entered but less precise direction and more a general area. They had a pretty good idea where the core was none the less. Walking through the archway, he looked around.

  The inside of the tree was a retively open, if poorly lit. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the lower light before he could see. Other than a small pile of dead birds, near the snare trap, there were few bodies inside. There was little of anything inside.

  They looked around, trying to see if there was something they missed, and it took a moment for Val to look up. “Oh, damn it all.” She pointed upward and Kurt followed her arm to the floating blue gem hanging thirty feet above them.

  “So, what do we need to do with it again?” He walked around and eventually settled for standing almost but not quite directly below it. There was nothing else in the cavernous tree beside this crystal-like gem that looked to be about the size of a basketball.

  “We need to destroy it and if possible, recover the pieces. Well, the fragments just get us a bonus but still, I want it.” Val said as her ears folded, and her tail shed.

  Kurt looked up at the core again. “Do we have to break it a certain way or is there a process that we need to follow?” He was eyeing the core, looking for any weak spots or defenses. He couldn’t see either.

  Val shook her head. “No, just break it and get the bits. Just this stupid…” Val was interrupted by a sharp crack as Kurt shot the core.

  While Val had been fuming about the pcement of the crystal, Kurt had been eying the surface and looking for any possible enchantments or defenses as he walked around. He didn’t see any and after confirming that there wasn’t some ritual, he just shot it.

  The bullet hit the core and knocked it aside with a bright blue fsh. The force of the impact was enough to make it bounce against the wall of the tree before it fell to the ground. It was still a blue color but no longer had a soft glow as its center had been repced by a fragmented 5.56-millimeter bullet.

  Val just stared at the now very dead core. “I guess…that works too.”

  Kurt pulled out another rge heavy duty trash bag from his backpack and walked forward. He carefully rolled the ball into the bag before tying it off. They then took one st look around and started walking back to the entrance. They did radio Penny and let her know they were coming this time, and that they had killed the core.

  As they walked, they chatted and Kurt observed if it wasn’t for the murder birds and the fact that it wanted to consume their entire realm, the rift was actually pretty nice. Val had to agree but wished for a little breeze to accompany them. She settled for holding hands with him as he reached out and ced his fingers with hers.

  They walked back, taking their time as they strolled hand in hand toward the rift entrance. Val told him that they would disconnect the rift after they returned. Kurt was worried it would drift off and start anew somewhere but she assured him that after disconnecting, rifts would colpse in a sort of implosion. Kurt decided to walk slightly faster after learning about the possibility of imploding in the void between realms.

  Once they reached the small clearing with the portal, they saw Penny standing on the other side, still in grey scale. “Congrat…. Holy Shit!” Penny stopped halfway through her greeting at the sight of Kurt. “What happened?”

  Kurt looked down, having mostly forgotten about his appearance. His chest was covered in blood along with his pants. While his vest might be saved, there wasn’t any hope for his pants or shirt. His boots were also pretty bad, but the leather might be cleaned up.

  “Ah, does the order have undry services I can use?” he asked after Val had assured Penny that he was fine. “I can try but my washer might not cut it.”

  Penny had calmed after Val had talked to her but was still slightly shaken for some reason. “Um, yes. I can take it with me after I debrief you. It might just end up being repced though.” She said while looking at his shredded pants.

  “Sweet, can you take this and exchange it for us too?” Val said as she held up the bag with the core and spped the side. “It’s probably more than 90% intact.”

  That made Penny’s eyes widen, and she readily agreed as they walked back to the house. It was early evening and Kurt was still hungry. “Hey, can we debrief after we get cleaned up?”

  “Oh, yeah that’s no problem.” Penny answered.

  “Great, one more question. Steaks or burgers?”

  Val was the one to answer this time. “Steaks! Our first rift clear, we celebrate.” She practically cheered as she hung off his arm. Kurt noted it was the arm not covered in his blood.

  When they reached the porch, Val and Penny relieved him of his gear and he put his bloody and ruined clothes into a trash bag. He then walked to the bathroom, passing through the kitchen to grab a cold beer for his hot shower. After cleaning off and getting some non-bloody clothes, he went to get dinner ready, getting a cat call from Val as she swapped pces with him in the shower.

  Kurt got dinner rolling shortly after. While his potatoes might be instant, the rest of the food was not. Grilled steaks with green beans with some surprisingly tasty instant potatoes made for some full bellies not long after. They ate and drank while Val told the tale of their rift kill. She did gloss over the part where Kurt was stabbed, leaving it more as a foot note.

  Eventually the sun had set, and Penny made her excuses as she left. She promised to get ahold of them in the next couple days with their reward for the flowers and dungeon core. Kurt also expressed his interest in meeting with her about improving the rift dives.

  “Thanks for dinner.” Val said as they watched Penny leave through the hub.

  “No problem.” Kurt said. “I’m gd you enjoyed it.”

  Val hummed and pulled his hand, giving him a gentle tug to go back inside. “Movie?” She asked.

  Kurt agreed and they started heading for the stairs. He booted up the computer and picked out a rom com that he figured Val would like. He had found that she didn’t care much either way and was just happy to sit together and watch.

  As was customary, Val snuggled in against him as they watched the show. Kurt didn’t think anything of it at first but then he noticed that she was constantly rubbing against him. She did a sort of wiggle to work ever closer and her hands never stopped moving against him.

  As the movie was ending, he looked down and saw her tail swish happily as she pressed even closer, practically crawling into his p at this point. She was also not so much ying on the couch as she was ying on him. Just as the final scene pyed and the credits began to role, he turned it off and hoisted her into his arms.

  In one smooth motion, relying on his lycan strength, he was carrying her upstairs as she clung to him. He didn’t have to work hard as she took it upon herself to wrap around him while he walked. He skipped right past any pretense of them having separate rooms and went straight for his. He did leave the door open, an obvious invitation to leave if she wanted.

  Kurt sat on the edge of the bed, Val straddling him and sitting on his p. She looked at him from her slightly elevated position and ran her hands along his face. She didn’t say a word, she didn’t need to as she leaned in and kissed him.

  They had kissed before, often teasing but this one shifted to more serious, more driven to the goal of becoming more than colleagues. Val kissed him passionately, deeply, pressing into him like he was about to drift away.

  For his part, Kurt reciprocated. He pulled her in close, pressing against her with as much of his body as she could stand. He ran his hands up and down her back and along her thighs, never lingering but always pulling her in.

  They kissed for a few minutes, lost in the passion of each other’s embrace and savoring the tase of each other’s lips. Val then broke away, grabbing his face and looking him in the eyes. It was like she was searching for something, and only she knew what it was. Kurt stared back, loosing himself in her eyes and their soft reflection of the moonlight from the window.

  “Val…” he began to say, not sure where he was going but wanting to say something, anything to the woman in his arms.

  “Kurt.” She said with a smile then leaned in quickly for another kiss before sitting up straight and pulling her shirt up over her head. “Now, Kurt.”

  He looked at the beauty before him as she bared herself. The gnces and peeks he had gotten before were nothing compared to the openness she now showed. Her breasts were pert, filling enough for his hand to fit perfectly in his grasp with light nipples that almost blended with her pale skin.

  She leaned forward, grabbing for the hem of his shirt and he let her pull it off. She ran her hands over his chest and shoulders, stopping for a moment at the nearly invisible scar from the rift. She once again pressed into him, forcing him to let go of her breast and wrap his arms around her again.

  She ground against him, working her hips over his p while maintaining the skin contact she craved. Kurt nibbled along her neck and ears, finding them rather sensitive as he nibbled at the edge. She moaned into his ear as he kissed along her jaw, working his way back to her lips. She wrapped her fingers in as much of his short hair as she could, pulling him in and deepening the kiss.

  While their tongues explored each other’s mouths, Kurt couldn’t stay seated any more. He hugged her close and lifted his hips, thrusting forward before rotating them both to y on the bed. Val was under him when they nded but he was careful not to press his full weight into her.

  Val, however, was not having any of that. She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him down atop her and grinding herself against him once more. She sacrificed touching him with one hand for a moment while untying the draw string of her pajama pants. Once the knot was undone, she tried to shimmy but couldn’t get them over her hips.

  Kurt could see, or rather feel, what she was trying to do and broke away, hooking his fingers in the waist band and slid them down. He got more than he bargained for as her panties came with, and he noticed how damp they were already. He pulled them all the way off, clearing her feet and tossing them aside.

  As he looked back, Val was staring at him. Well, she was staring at a particur part of him while she rubbed her thighs together. Kurt got the message and shucked his shorts off, letting them fall where he stood before he crawled back onto the bed.

  As he slid back onto the bed, he ran a hand up Val’s leg, wrapping his long fingers around her ankle then her calf before finally hooking his thumbs behind her knees and pressing them upward. She gasped slightly at the sudden and bold movement but rexed into it as he began running his palms over her thighs and kissed up her inner leg.

  Kurt could clearly see her clean-shaven slit as the fluids glistened slightly. He worked his way up before skipping over her and beginning to kiss at her pelvis. He heard her growl of frustration turn to a pleasant hum as he began kissing his way back down, always preferring to approach from that angle. A moment ter he got his first taste.

  She was slightly salty but otherwise had only a faint tang, but her smell, the smell was intoxicating to his wolf instincts. He dove in without a second’s hesitation, wrapping his arms under her legs to spread her open while he pped at her folds. He could hear her excited panting and the moans of pleasure as she tightened her thighs around his head.

  While he would never cim to be an expert, Kurt could read the signs and Val was giving a lot of feedback as to what she liked. He came to a rotation, a little pattern on the spots that she liked and the ones that drove her toward the edge. He used the pressure of her legs and the flexing of her abs to tell that she was getting close to her first orgasm. He tried to time it with the waves of clenching muscle around him as he put his lips around her clit and sucked while tickling it with his tongue.

  Val went wild above him. The hand that had been running fingers through his hair suddenly clenched down, grabbing at whatever she could while her other hand rubbed and pinched at her breast, craving the pressure from it. She bucked and writhed while Kurt held on and gently stimuted her, riding out her orgasm. As she settled, she pulled him up toward her and kissed him deeply, tasting herself on his lips.

  “Inside.” She gasped between breaths and urged him closer with her legs. Kurt sat back on his haunches and adjusted her, angling her hips upward as he lined up his rock-hard member and pressed into her. Kurt groaned as he felt her hot, wet insides wrap around him. Inch by inch he slid inward, pacing himself as he did.

  Below him, Val squirmed as she adjusted to him. She gripped at his arms as he entered her while they kissed. He moaned into her mouth after finally hilting himself, cock fully buried inside her. They stayed like that for a few moments, gently grinding against each other while they kissed.

  Kurt began thrusting in long, slow stokes, lowering himself to his elbows and partly resting his weight on Val. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down into her and burying his face in the crook of her neck.

  Slowly, he picked up the pace and began thrusting with more strength and speed, occasionally pausing as their hips met and allowing her to grind against him for a moment. Eventually he had to set a faster rhythm. While he was enjoying the affection and closeness, that Val wanted, he also had his own wants and needs.

  Raising himself up and pnting his hands on either side of her, Kurt adjusted again. After sliding his knees to a better position, he began to piston in and out with more speed. He readily traded length of thrust for faster pace.

  He set his tempo and felt Val’s hands return to his arms before they started roaming over his chest. Her breaths were coming out in little, moaning pants every time their hips met. Her legs wrapped around him, gripping against his hips and pulling him into her.

  She looked up with a lust filled gaze as she moved her hands to rubbing at her breasts again. She pinched at her nipples and began to moan as he worked in and out of her. “There, keep going. Right… fuck, fuck, oh…” her voice trailed off and she started moaning again.

  Kurt could feel her clench around him, and he was about reaching his limit. He was tightening his abs and flexing, trying to hold off for a little longer. “I’m close.” He said hoarsely, his voice a husky, deep whisper.

  “Inside, it’s ok. Inside plee…oh, oh, hmmhmm haa.” Her words came at just the right time. With a few thrusts, Kurt hilted himself again, leaning heavily into her as he came in her. Val locked her legs behind him while he gave a few more short, hard pumps, matching the spurts of his orgasm.

  Rocking his hips as he shot his load deep inside her, Kurt lowered himself to his elbows, rejoining their lips and kissing passionately for a moment. They broke the kiss, resting their foreheads against each other as they worked to catch their breath. As his own orgasm finally petered out, he buried his face in Val’s neck, kissing and nibbling at the soft flesh.

  Val ran her hands up and down his back, her ankles still locked around his waist and holding him to her. She pressed her own face to against his, just enjoying the closeness and his scent. She reveled in the weight of him pressed against her, and his desire to stay inside her while they settled. She had been watching him closely, watching his eyes. She loved the attention, the single-minded focus he showed while they made love.

  Val thought on that for a moment. Love. It was still very early in their retionship, they had only met a few days ago. If she were to think about it in a logical sense, she could feel the emotions growing quickly for him after spending so much time together. Now though, now she felt a connection she never had before and pnned to pursue it until the end of her days.

  Kurt had finally caught his breath and somewhat calmed down. While he hugged Val to him, he came to the realization that this was what he wanted. He wanted closeness, and someone to share with. Not share as in let them borrow something or do a favor for, but to share life with. His pns to live a quiet life may be over, but he could at least try to live a life with the woman he had grown genuine feelings for.

  Lifting his head, he gave her a soft but passionate kiss. He did ignore her grumble as he withdrew his length from her but mollified her by rolling them onto their sides and pulling her into him. After Kurt found a good position that he wasn’t being tickled by her ears and tail, they cuddled there for several minutes. Arms wrapped around each other, and legs intertwined, they basked in the afterglow with occasional kissing, petting and a lot of skin contact.

  Eventually they had to break away, back to reality, using the bathroom and getting slightly cleaned off. Their trips to the bathroom were brief and before they knew it, they had rejoined under the covers, snuggled together as they drifted to sleep.

  Kay_Ship