From the shadows of the smaller spacecraft, I watched as the demons split up, each group moving in a different direction.
The two that gave me the creeps stayed a bit longer with the three I was considering to be mine before they, too, went off in a huff. When the landing bay emptied, Fluffy poked his head out from under my hair and chirped at me.
He pointed in the direction where the three males were heading, and I nodded my head. There was nothing I wanted to do more than to explore the vast wonders of the universe, but I knew I had to be careful.
I might have lived in a cult all of my life, but I knew the dangers of being alone. At least I was finally dressed, even if it was in an overly long, makeshift dress using the sheet from the room I had slept in. It might not have been all that fashionable, but at least my bits were no longer hanging out for everyone to see.
I kept to the side, following the directions of the fluff ball as he led me in the direction I should go. Was I an idiot for following the directions of a cat? Probably. But seeing as I was abducted by lizards, experimented on by a ship, and sold to what I was beginning to think were cuddle fish, following a cat's orders wasn't that much of a stretch.
But the wonders around me started to make me feel more relaxed than I should have, to the point where I almost ran right into Purple Dude before Fluffy squeaked.
I put my hand over my heart, trying to calm it down. However, the second I saw what they were looking at, I was gone.
The three demon males were standing in front of a stall, talking to another male who could only be described as a werewolf. Between them was a table full of the softest-looking furs I had ever seen.
It's not like I could see a lot of furs on Earth. My experience started and ended with cuddling with the animals inside the stalls at the compound. There were a few times I thought about skinning a cat or two just so I could have their softness around me all the time.
I never acted on the impulses, but when I had mentioned it to one of my friends, she looked at me like I was a demon and went to go tell the Prophet on me. I kept my mouth shut about my desire for furs after that.
Hell, I even thought that I had outgrown those thoughts… right up until I was looking at all the beautiful furs in front of me.
"Try it," snarled the werewolf, the upper lip of his muzzle curling up to reveal his sharp fangs. I probably should have been scared, but I wasn't. "I beg you."
The purple dude unsheathed his sword and pointed it at the neck of the wolf, and I let out a gasp of fear. Not that the wolf would be harmed or that the demons could be hurt, too. All I could think about was the potential for blood to ruin the precious, precious furs.
My gasp might have been a little too loud because the heads of all four males swung around to look at me. If I thought they were tense before, it was nothing compared to how they were now. The demon's muscles and horns grew until they were almost doubled in size.
I had seen their look before, so that wasn't what worried me.
What had me completely fascinated was that the wolf seemed to shift in front of me.
While before he looked like a wolf in human form, now he looked more human; the fur along his chest and arms retreated, leaving unblemished skin underneath. He grew taller and wider, almost like his body was trying to make up for the size difference between himself and the demons. His muzzle, face, and ears remained fur-covered, and his ears stood straight up, if not slightly, pointing in my direction.
His left shoulder and both forearms were covered in armor plating. I couldn't see below his belly button, the table of furs covering his legs and feet, but I couldn't take my eyes away from him.
"Mate," he growled deep, his red eyes entirely focused on me.
"Hirini," grunted Purple Dude as he steadily held his sword at the werewolf's neck. "Go back to the runner. I am thankful that you are safe and sound, but I need you to leave. Right now."
I shook my head, my eyes never looking away from the male panting as if his entire life was centered on me. I couldn't say that I didn't enjoy it.
Besides, while the other two demons hadn't moved yet, something told me that they could explode in an instant. I was completely safe.
And I wanted furs.
I pointed to the black fur on top, the one that looked to be the size of the biggest bed I had ever seen. "Are you selling them?" I asked. I had no money to buy them, but I was sure that, given enough time, I could make some.
After all, I had made millions of credits for others by lying on my back and staring at the ceiling.
"I'm not," grunted the werewolf as he swept his hand over the piles and piles of furs. "They are all for you. Just let me know which ones you like best. I can go back to my ship and grab you more if you want."
"All for me?" I asked, looking at him from the corner of my eye as I squeezed between the Purple Dude and the edge of the table, running my hand over the black pelt.
"All for you," murmured the wolf, his voice taking on a seductive note to it. "My name is---" He said something that sounded like a bunch of roars and growls to me before I heard a male voice from my translator saying, "Axis Where The World Turns."
"Do you mind if I call you Axis?" I asked, my gaze never leaving the black fur under my hand. "My name is Ariel."
"Ariel?" repeated Axis, and I nodded my head. "Call me whatever you want. I am yours from this moment on—my mate."
His dedication to me after knowing me for only a few seconds should have scared me, but it only felt right.
I remember Lucifer talking about something like that with Pippa when I was strapped to the table… something about mates? My head started to pound as I thought about my time on that ship, but that pain was nothing compared to what came next.