Hanna let her thoughts flow through her mind silently as Ethan cuddled her on the large bed. Eventually, she gave into her curiosity and wiggled out of his grasp. She didn't miss the barely audible huff he made as she sat up and she resisted the urge to laugh.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgbAsfY0Ob1
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTgf22r5WN
Hanna moved so she was lying partway on top of him, her breasts on his stomach, her head resting on her arms on top of his chest. Her brown eyes were alight with curiosity. Almost if she saw him as a puzzle that needed solving.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡinn4NSnB69
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0wLLmedeMC
Ethan twisted a lock of her hair in his fingers, trying to avoid meeting her piercing gaze. "What?"137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvK0PtEOSpt
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIKhmhAhMan
"Can I ask you some questions?" Hanna asked gently.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡplifgejjO6
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnadZcQucmT
"What kind of questions?" Ethan asked back tentatively.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKRAYdORVs
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkJmOsjedU8
Hanna bit her bottom lip, as if she anticipated refusal. "Questions about you, about being Charax, about the heat."137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUchgNUEewC
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokatJogSJg
Ethan bit back a sigh. That was a list of most of the things he preferred not to talk about. On the other hand, there were probably things she ought to know. "Go ahead. I'll try my best."137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7IEiNAX84a
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3YnVL7tBtW
Hanna smiled back at him eagerly. "What was in the pill bottle, the ones you took on the way here?"137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpaLl8HBeb
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JwoGRX21F
Ethan relaxed a bit. This was a more straightforward question than he had been expecting. "Sleeping pills," he answered honestly.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ28JggTTKvB
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcej84KsJ7w
"Special Charax sleeping pills?" Hanna asked.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Z7BJymTro
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzrCZuCSwo
Ethan smiled at that, slightly amused. "No, normal ones. Terran drugs work the same on us. I haven't been sleeping well this week."137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5yjceoxGi
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZpUqXgYtC
"Ever since the heat started?" Hanna suggested.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDa8h2UZJre
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDU2tlnnHXu
Ethan's smile vanished. "Yeah, it's one of the symptoms."137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKvuPNlhZi
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1KtdJrgCq
"So does that mean there are other symptoms besides...?" Hanna gestured downwards vaguely.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlkcGfnP25H
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7gysSOiIJj
"Besides the arousal?" Ethan sighed at the reminder. "Yes, and they get worse the longer it goes on."137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO58TKNqSOV
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdTy5vbTXE0
Hanna glanced down over his still nude body, brief but critically. "But it seems like you're doing better now than you were a couple days ago?"137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV0oqSlCchp
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTAD8c9ZmG
"I was talking about longer without sex," Ethan clarified.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT8CEZyrwNS
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZkIL8pQ7l
Hanna nodded back. "Right, what are the other symptoms then?"137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5XNMC0vZSv
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwXhqy8KWP
The faint nagging sensation at the back of his mind returned. He'd known that the heat was supposed to push his sex drive to the maximum but that's all he'd been expecting. He didn't realize that it would make him sweat buckets or keep him from getting more than a couple hours of a sleep a night. The changes had caught him off guard and left him scrambling to get everything under control for the first few days.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFbmosjNuM
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJx4woxPMw
By now, he was well aware of the physical symptoms. The ones he'd experienced so far, that is. He didn't know if his body would keep changing, or it this was what he was going to have to deal with for the rest of his life. It was difficult to believe all the other Charax managed like this. Or maybe there was something wrong with him.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMn3Vdb8htQ
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOrxk2D2N3a
He still had no clue if this was normal, other than that the kidnappers seemed to think it was normal. Not that they were a good source of information. He couldn’t believe anything they said, just because they'd said he'd lose himself didn't mean it would happen. There was no point in even mentioning anything about that, no need to frighten her with what was likely just another lie.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡplXiK1zRhf
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vLDETUk2V
"Insomnia, fever, mild tremors, restlessness." Ethan gave her the short list, the certain list.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdqR7Ndwzaq
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlkyz2TBuBE
"That doesn't sound fun," Hanna replied sympathetically.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6kxoWaAK7
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIyeWoryX7l
"It isn't," Ethan mumbled in agreement, before realizing he'd spoken aloud. "But it's not that bad," he added quickly.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJzdcQWvCqW
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz2SUXHXhSy
Hanna nodded slowly. "So how do you usually deal with it?"137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqe6bf1Jm1
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ViJpfHGLm
Ethan paused hesitantly. "I haven't had to before."137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkYIqqlcbs
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYjCrV99cx
"It's your first heat?" Hanna asked, surprised.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjspBlsuwvV
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs8PU5SGPoK
"Yeah, it usually starts about my age," Ethan answered.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo0JvsU4D1S
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFhl6460RF
Hanna took a second to process that, she hadn't expected him to be so inexperienced but that fact also answered a lot of other questions. "Okay, then how do other Charax usually deal with it?"137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELMpdj9qSk
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡolxGOmRtmA
I'd love to know that too, Ethan thought wistfully. Except there's nobody I can ask. He only had one older brother, who'd never even had a heat before they all split up, and no way to contact him, or any of his family on Earth. Plus, it took months to get messages back from Manina so he hadn't bothered trying anyone over there.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqmBZYo4F4r
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmUk3OOXym
He'd never seen his father during one of his heats either. His parents had always been away... and it was suddenly apparent to him why he had so many siblings.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7gSKXY9Xof
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgiBk5t8CSt
"My parents always went on vacations together to isolated places," Ethan offered finally.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaJDuXUYS5K
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbB1DHVW7NW
Hanna glanced around the room, noticing how old the place looked. She suddenly had the disturbing idea that they might be lying in the room he was conceived in. "So, um, is this— Did they...?"137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy3pUI2BC4R
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7AkH36Elq
"No, not here, I set this place up a few years for an emergency," Ethan explained quickly. "But places like this, yes."137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzFLNEmNKqa
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCvUrnI3Hq
"We've got that part sorted at least," Hanna said optimistically. "So how long have you been in heat and how long does it usually last?"137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmScd6YIb6S
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQWcnWXc1u
Ethan's breath caught in his throat, he wasn't entirely sure how long it would take to end on it's own, or what would happen to him in the meantime. "About nine days and I don't know."137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpUWN1zjeQ
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwC92S36SSY
Hanna looked at him curiously, wondering if he wasn't being honest with her, this seemed like very basic information. He didn't seem to know much about Charax biology at all. On the other hand, it wasn't uncommon for Terrans to get a poor sexual education either. "What about an estimate then? Two weeks? Three weeks?"137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLvbLLltYWs
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfBXoD4GuFS
"I really don't know. My parents' vacations always varied." Ethan's mouth felt dry. "If you need to go... I'll understand." He gripped her arm tight in contrast to his words.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIncTUHKpUf
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmfg5nuflto
Hanna glanced at his hand. "Let's not jump to any conclusions just yet. How long did your parents' trips last?"137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIiC2gorwK
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ77DrSWQdCu
Ethan consciously released her arm, slightly embarrassed. "The memories aren't very clear. Maybe a week, maybe a month, but..."137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ekFzxgMHC
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Hj24vlAFZ
"But what?" Hanna prompted.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4b1UPN49P
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBE7dezbbMh
Ethan shifted uncomfortably. "Those trips they went on. My mom always came back pregnant."137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8WJhJu6Lfc
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEvWKke8ECp
"Always?" Hanna raised a skeptical eyebrow.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcUSocGBAIL
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl2hd4Cnuyq
"Always," Ethan confirmed.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7bOQDZLVE
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRZe8NmSro
Hanna tilted her head slightly. "That seems odd."137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGAuL2FgA90
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9gExw0nZdp
"Not for us. The more a Charax woman is... stimulated, the more likely it is, and the men are more virile in heat," Ethan explained.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMyPA8ABOCr
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjjgLrBF24p
Hanna wondered what he meant by 'stimulated' exactly, but she wasn't sure she wanted to know. "The time varied but there was always... so do you think that triggers the end of the cycle?"137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzmSU3A74KI
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPyjqbGeOU
Ethan looked at her skeptically. "What trigger?"137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDIOfulFruz
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqz6dIFT0Vz
"Do you think pregnancy triggers the end to the heat?" Hanna clarified.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYfKcUFiBn
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjvbVBLXWj1
The pregnancy pheromones causing the heat to end early... Ethan didn't know if that was true, he didn't want to think about it. He'd realized it was likely inevitable considering what they'd been doing with zero protection. Or had already started.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEEbpa48Gp
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyOwNnbDyQE
He mentally kicked himself for not thinking about it sooner. It wasn't only that he didn't feel like himself, he was missing things that should have been obvious. Not considering pregnancy when he didn't want a child, that was a significant lapse. Part of him wanted it, a very primal part, but he knew he shouldn't, for so many reasons. Even though he wanted the heat to end, he didn't want it to end that way.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxnLIjUZuR
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡscSqxANkhZ
Which meant he needed to stop this, stop fucking her, but he wasn’t even sure that was possible. Even if he knew that was what he wanted now... in the moment he might completely change his mind. Her being here, so close to him, it was risky.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLUuSRqDGG
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡISQd9J3ePZ
That meant he'd have to ask her to leave. His stomach twisted at the idea. He'd tried isolating himself here at the start and it had been torturous, worse than struggling to hide the symptoms all day. Just a bit of human contact had been worth all the risk of going back to the city at the time. Now he regretted the decision, but he still didn’t want to do that ever again.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnITzU2ofv
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWukPBF5bW3
He didn't know what staying here on his own for a prolonged period would do to him. Except that the dealers thought he'd go insane.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qnVY6APcR
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGsvbYfgbCS
He couldn't help thinking of the possibility. Without a partner, would he start to lose his mind? Was waiting it out on his own not an option? That didn't seem right... yet it was starting to make a twisted kind of sense.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzwebn8Jq7
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoCuBZ9XeHc
He couldn't forget how the dealers had been completely right that he'd had sex with the first woman he could. She had appeared and... he'd done exactly what they said he would. All his earlier intentions had been utterly discarded, and he was still doing it.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjJyW3130P
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGOEKwBFVz
"So?" Hanna prompted abruptly. "Could it stop the heat?"137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiSA1fQ0IP4
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmVNw2ojZA
Ethan saw her, lying on his chest, waiting patiently for his answer. "...it could," he answered reluctantly. "Charax release and react to pheromones. It's possible."137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMgC4pxa6Ol
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg9TT4a7npV
Hanna shrugged slightly. "I guess it doesn't matter, that isn't going to happen anyways."137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDyxWcHIpJj
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡezhLJD7TXf
"What?" Ethan lifted his head up to get a better look at her.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxtXf3mFhNV
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSXxTH5UB21
"Let's just say it'll be a while before my birth control wears off," Hanna answered dismissively, distracted by her own thoughts.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Dk7DL6eZX
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLdE0W1ZLXk
"Oh," Ethan uttered in a small voice, her answer driving home how idiotic he'd been.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzfdSyzPP4
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ZuCcPGrDl
Ethan realized just then that he'd never actually asked her about birth control. Another thing he missed. He threw his head back against the pillow. He should have asked. He looked up at the blank ceiling. How had this not been on his list of priorities?137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUewFOH8078
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVYn2WTj5Sd
Hanna noticed his troubled expression. "Ethan? Is that a problem?"137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5nGoLim50K
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKtWf2o6f1
"No. No, it's not. Sorry." Ethan tried to focus on the present. That was one thing he didn't have to worry about, he should be happy about that. "I should have asked about that sooner. Sorry."137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBB8pwVTIMo
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7emh4OJOuZ
Hanna shook her head, concern on her face. "No need to apologize. I know the heat is messing with your head." She saw he was about to protest. "Listen, I knew this would likely happen. It's taken care of." She tried to give him a reassuring smile. "Believe me, I know how it easy it can be to forget things in the moment."137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtAsblP8r2t
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGcYy4cWfE
Ethan still looked troubled. "You're sure?"137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnytXuPEUGp
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydsKr5cShA
"I'm certain," Hanna reassured him confidently.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgrw2AN9wtX
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF3e0LatpxI
"Okay," Ethan said quietly, his frown not leaving entirely. "It'll got away on it's own. We can wait it out." He paused, watching her uncertainly. "Is that alright?"137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0LMxKGmFuW
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBsEkACg4P
Hanna smiled suggestively. "I don't mind."137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlb09loW7GD
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOymYwnQHGJ
At least one of us is enjoying this, Ethan thought tiredly, smiling inwardly. He was starting to feel the strain of everything their activity on his body, the soreness bleeding through his turbulent emotions. "Any more questions?"137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnKbXoqkmU7
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYNQYwEa7v
Hanna thought for a moment. "Wait, what happened when your father went into heat and your mother was pregnant? Because don't Charax pregnancies last a long time? Years or something?"137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSnZemVnj3E
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAjF4WIJUkr
"Twenty to twenty three months usually," Ethan corrected her.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXSmdxGS1l2
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSJSxpjsP5
"And aren't the heat cycles a lot shorter?" Hanna asked.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡytrI2TFL2u
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0IpJxkfMn
"Four to six months," Ethan added. He frowned as he understood Hanna's point. "I don't know. The timing of it doesn't make sense." He yawned. "Got your next question yet?"137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvdpZyQB2a
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZGYkZ95Rt5
Hanna wanted to ask him more but she was getting the feeling that she was pushing her luck. She needed to think about this for a while. "Just thinking. I'll let you know if I have any ideas."137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdgUBZo6BR
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxjD4MkRdk
"Okay?" Ethan replied uncertainly.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnI94zpTVcb
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCPIG3QWkpH
Hanna sat up and stretched out her arms. "I'm going to go clean up."137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgdlaCGvbc
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG09nn4e0iF
"Okay," Ethan mumbled, pulling to blanket over himself.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0GQ1LXguW
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ390ZEV8vyr
Hanna went to get her clothes from the bathroom. He'd given her a lot to think about, as even the basic information she had known about Charax heats was so wrong. That itself wasn't much of a revelation, he had been acting nothing like the sex monster she'd been prepared for.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmyjIxzbtix
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCQwLJgu8U
The whole conversation had left her feeling more worried than before. She thought the heats usually didn't last more than a week, but Ethan's had already been nine days and didn't show any sign of letting up. He already seemed drained, another two weeks in heat sounded incredibly taxing.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWh4vCFhjfn
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFUy4sfF6m
He doesn't enjoy it, even now, she thought sadly. How's he going to be in a week?137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7a253qSsLa
137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnF8YczH9CH
She'd never heard the heats could be dangerous, for the Charax at least. She hoped she wasn't wrong about that.137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCDtt9k9rvk
Penana
search
Loginarrow_drop_down
Registerarrow_drop_down
