Chapter 38: Whipped

Story by Tesslyn on SoFurry

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#38 of The Mating Season 4


Chapter 38: Whipped

Though Kel had forgiven Zaldon's betrayal, he hadn't forgiven Alea. He decided one night to walk over to Alea's hut and confront her about keeping her paws off Zaldon. So while Zaldon was asleep in their bed, Kel got up and crept out. He didn't have to know where Alea lived: all he had to do was ask one of the royal guard. They gladly gave him directions and seemed highly amused by the jealousy of this hard-bodied warrior, whose black fur and magnetic green eyes they lusted after as Kel marched away.

Kel got lost twice before he found Alea's house that night. It was very late by the time he found what was unmistakably the skinny warrior's home: Alea had been described as having a passionate love for weapons of all kinds from whips and chains to axes, daggers, rope.

Kel hesitated on the threshold, and for the first time, he felt a rush of fear. He was about to enter the home of a hard and respected warrior, and what was more, he was alone. Kel shook himself. What was he so afraid of? She was just a female! He would probably intimidate her! He hoped to god he did, he hoped he would scare Alea out of her boney little head. And after he had, he would go back to Enya's big hut and climb into bed beside Zaldon. Maybe he would even suck Zaldon off in his triumph, and he would think to himself, "This belongs to me -- this muscle-bound beauty is mine!"

Putting on a grim expression, Kel knocked on the wall near the curtain of the hut. He waited a beat, hoping that he looked firm and frightening. Pricking his ears forward, he could hear movement inside -- hurried movement, as if he had startled Alea. He even thought he smelled more than one wolf. So Alea wasn't alone? Fine. He'd have to be twice as intimidating.

Kel squared his shoulders when the curtain was suddenly ripped aside. There stood Alea, her thin body covered in sweaty fur, her breasts heaving a little. Breathless, her eyes came in contact with Kel's chest: she was so short, after all. But those dark spheres drifted up until they were fixed on Kel's face and her lips twisted into a little smile.

"Hello, Kel," she said, leaning almost seductively against the doorway and pushing her hip out to the side. "I thought I'd be seeing you soon."

Kel's chest heaved indignantly. She sounded so mocking! So amused! Well, she'd soon wipe that smirk off her ugly face!

Kel opened his mouth to shoot off a retort, but nothing came out: a pair of arms snaked around Alea's thin body, a paw squeezed hard at Alea's tit, and a head appeared over Alea's shoulder with a little moan of longing.

"Come back to bed," groaned a voice.

Kel was taken aback to see Teesa's pretty, somber face stare at Kel out of the gloom of the darkened hut as dispassionately as if she didn't give a fuck what he thought. Her darkly auburn mane was a rumpled mess in her eyes, as was Alea's. Kel just stood there: Alea and Teesa had been inside having sex.

Alea jerked her head. "Come in, Kel," she said, eying Kel's body up and down.

Kel didn't like it when she swung some rope down from the rafters in the doorway, but when she turned away and swayed seductively into the darkness, he followed after her, determined not to look afraid or unnerved.

It was so dark in the gloomy little hut. Kel strained to let his eyes adjust to the darkness. He could hear the two females moving around the room. A low fire was built, but not strongly enough that Kel could see anything. He could just make out the slender shape of Alea standing beside the fire with the rope. Kel felt his cock twitch the tiniest bit: Alea looked stunning in silhouette! Her narrow waist, her sharp breasts that were slightly curled, almost as if they were asking to be sucked. She turned to the side a little, her tail fanning out behind her, and Kel also noticed for the first time that Alea had nice, high and plump ass cheeks. Her mane looked so lovely, rumpled and wild and falling to the small of her back. He averted his eyes and swallowed thickly, determined to feel nothing for this skinny creature -- this creature who had once raped his Zaldon!

Kel let out a sharp gasp when he felt a pair of arms close around him from behind. Breasts were smashed against his back, then a slender paw smoothed down his hard belly and suddenly grabbed his cock. Kel stiffened and cried out indignantly. Teesa's voice came in his ear, mocking and amused,

"He's getting a little hard, Lee," she said. "But he could be harder."

She started to stroke, but Kel grabbed her paw.

"What the fuck," he said in a low voice, "do you think you're doing!" He shook Teesa off and snapped at Alea, "I came here to talk about Zaldon --"

"So?" said Alea, and Kel actually gulped when she pulled a length of rope taunt between her paws with a sudden jerk. She smiled slowly and her fangs glinted in the darkness. She advanced.

Kel felt ashamed of himself when he actually took a step back. He backed into Teesa, whose breasts brushed him again when she grabbed him by the mane and suddenly kicked his knees out from under him. Kel started cursing and growling threats, unable to believe what was happening. But it all happened so fast, he barely had a chance to fight. Teesa kicked him between his shoulder blades and he fell forward on paws and knees, sputtering angrily. He felt ashamed of himself when Teesa rammed what was undeniably the handle of a leather whip in his anus and his whole body was paralyzed with the pleasure of it. He closed his eyes, his brows knitting together, and she laughed at his groaning.

They were warriors, all right, but Kel reminded himself that he was a warrior too! He struggled up, ignoring when that leather handle sank deeper. He didn't know what he was going to do: he didn't at all intend to really hurt either one of them. But there was no way in hell he was going to let this happen! He struggled and bucked, twisting around and snatching at that stupid whip. He tried to grab Teesa's tail to stop her, but she flicked it out of reach and rammed the butt of the whip yet again. Kel shuddered and fell forward with a moan. He bowed his head and grimaced. Why did that whip have to be so damned wide? And when she sank it so deliciously deep, he whimpered and whispered Zaldon's name before he could stop himself.

He felt his cheeks burning when Alea was suddenly standing over him, laughing at him. She squatted down, and Kel was incensed when she started tying his paws together with the rope! He pulled back and started twisting, struggling against the binds, growling and flashing his fangs. Alea ignored him and kept tying his wrists with a deft skill that told him he was by no means her first love slave. Kel nonetheless kept struggling, and when it looked as if he was getting free, Teesa ripped the whip from his ass and brought it down on him. Kel sagged on his knees again from the lashes. They didn't fall hard enough to really hurt, but they stung badly. He could feel his ass cheeks throbbing from the little pain and fell still for fear more of the blows might come: the last thing he wanted was to be whipped blind by these darkly smiling females!

When Alea had finished binding Kel's wrists, she stood and took a step back, and her slender body was in silhouette again. Her paws were on her hips as she observed Kel. Kel couldn't see her expression in the darkness, but he knew she was probably smiling in triumph: he was kneeling in front of her, his hard chest heaving from the struggle, his muscular arms bound. They had done this to him far too easily. He felt like a fool for walking in this hut alone!

Teesa came to stand at Alea's side, and she ran the length of the whip against her palm, staring at Kel as well. "He's so . . . sexy," she whispered. "He's not all like any of the males around here! I mean, look at that black fur! And his green eyes, those are rare too."

"No wonder Zaldon loves him," Alea added with a thoughtful nod. "All he could talk about when we met was Kel. Kel this. Kel that."

Teesa laughed softly. "Isn't he the one whose name Zaldon used to call out in bed?"

"The very one. Zaldon described Kel to me so many times I'd be a fool not recognize him."

Kel blushed to hear these things, but he couldn't help blurting out angrily, "So you knew we were lovers when you brought us here! And yet you still fucked Zal --"

"Silence!" Alea snapped, her skinny body tensing.

Kel bowed his head and squeezed his eyes shut when Teesa actually slapped him across the face with the folded whip. The stinging blow came so sharp that tears sprang to his eyes. He kept his head down, not wanting those tears to shine in the firelight.

"Aw, I heard a sniff," said Teesa. "I think I hit him too hard."

Kel felt a rush of burning humiliation when Teesa lifted his chin with the whip and peered apologetically into his eyes. Kel couldn't believe it when she knelt down in front of him, and letting her tongue slide slowly between her glossy lips, she licked away his tear. Kel shivered. This had never been done to him before! And when Teesa pinched his nipple, his cock stood upright. Kel was horrified, but Teesa only told him he was cute.

Standing behind her, Alea snorted. "You're too soft on him, Teesa. It's obvious he came here to try and frighten me. But he must learn: Alea gets what Alea wants -- including Zaldon -- and there's no wolf that can stop her. Give me that whip."

Teesa looked as if she didn't want to, but she passed the whip to her lover. Kel watched, his chest starting to heave again as Alea moved close. He felt an odd surge of gratitude when Teesa put a comforting arm around his neck and kissed him wetly on the cheek, almost as if she was trying to protect him from what was about to happen. "You're so pretty, Kel," she whispered in his ear, and his body tensed with a grunt when she sank a finger under his tail. Kel couldn't believe it: a female who liked anus? She sank in two fingers and spread them, fingering Kel now lovingly between his hard ass cheeks. Kel felt his stiff cock twitch a little at this touching and he blushed that he couldn't stop his sudden moans of delight. Oh, why were they doing this to him? He closed his eyes and silently admonished himself again: he should have stayed in bed with Zaldon!

Kel's eyes flew open again when he felt the whip come down hard across his cock. It was such a stinging, such a vicious blow that he gave a choked cry. Alea pulled back her arm and the blows came again and again, harder and faster, Alea's little breasts shivering from the violence of the smacks. Tears poured from Kel's eyes -- not from pain but from humiliation. His cock throbbed harder and thicker with each stinging blow and he was horrified to feel pre-cum seeping from the opening in his head and dribbling over, all the way down to his balls. Teesa touched a slender finger to his dripping fluids and tasted them with a smile. He blushed, unable to look at her.

"Look at that," said Alea breathlessly and paused the tormenting blows. "He likes it!" She laughed to herself. "Well, I don't know why I'm surprised. Zaldon told me you liked it rough, Kel."

Kel's green eyes flew open wide. Zaldon what! He wanted to sink into the floor. He knew without a doubt now that Zaldon had probably lain in Alea's bed the night before and told her about the couple times that he and Lynny had fucked Kel so many years go. As always, Lynny had been very rough with Kel and that didn't change when Zaldon joined them. After they had fucked Kel, they lay in the bed with him in-between, and Lynny had proceeded to torment Kel's cock into spurting with alternated licks and hard smacks. He had done this right in front of Zaldon, as Zaldon watched with a hard-on and Kel bore it all with red cheeks! Kel shivered just thinking about that time in this moment -- this moment when he was down on his knees, the captured victim of these two little warriors.

"Don't be cruel to him, he weeps so," said Teesa, pushing Kel's mane back from his eyes.

Alea only gave a cold laugh, and catching Kel off guard, she suddenly kicked him in the chest. Kel fell hard on his back, the wind knocked out of him. Oh, god, why was this happening? He had come here to talk, and here he was, in yet another miserably humiliating predicament.

Oh, Zaldon! Zaldon, wake up and realize I'm not there! Then it hit Kel: the golden ring! He could summon Zaldon with the ring and get out of this mess! Kel's thoughts were shattered, however, when Alea suddenly slammed her pussy down on his rigid cock. She was so juicy and wet, so tight and hot, that Kel's toes curled and his body convulsed from the blast of pleasure this sudden squatting caused him. Alea leaned back on her paws and started rotating her hips, her sharp little breasts thrust out. But she never closed her eyes. To Kel's intense embarrassment, she stared right at his face with a small smile as she rolled her hips around with such deep and sucking pulls of her pussy that Kel felt as if his cum was being milked out of him. He gasped and squirmed under her, his chest heaving, his eyes hooded weakly as he came very close. Alea seemed very satisfied by his helplessness. She leaned forward and tweaked his nipples as she rode him, whispering down to him, "You like that, baby? Zaldon liked it too. That's why he came here last night!"

Kel closed his eyes to shut out her mocking face. He heard a moan, and when he looked again, Teesa had come up behind Alea and was massaging her breasts even as Alea kept up her steady rape. Alea's eyes were closed and her head fell back against Teesa, whose eyes were also closed, her brows knitted together as if Alea had the softest tits in the world.

"God, he really is thick," Alea whispered breathlessly. "And strong. The way he pumps against me . . . oh, god . . ."

Kel saw Teesa pinch Alea's nipples, and she shuddered in Teesa's arms as her hips kept up their gyration.

"But he's not as big as Zaldon," Alea went on. She opened her eyes and looked down at Kel derisively. "The other night, Zaldon filled me so deep I swear he rammed my spine. And I sat on him hard. His balls slammed my pussy, I fucked him so deep. He lost control. He sucked my tits, he grabbed my ass. And he didn't whisper your name anymore, Kel. After that, he was shouting out 'Alea! Oh, god, Alea, don't stop!' and I didn't stop. Not for hours." She laughed nastily.

With a sudden flash of rage, Kel sprang upright. Alea and Teesa never saw it coming. They screamed as he slammed both of them to the floor, and trapping both their necks in the space between his bound arms, he started banging himself in Alea so hard that her juices were soon squirting against him. Kel was wild in his anger, grunting and growling, even leaning down to bite Alea's cleavage hard in his teeth. He fucked Alea so wildly that her breasts were soon slapping in his face. She was trapped under his hard, heavy body, trapped between the bodies of him and her shocked and squirming lover, and she could not escape. Kel smiled derisively at her, growling out insults as he fucked her. She shouted insults breathlessly back, but Kel felt a surge of satisfaction when the pleasure became so much that she couldn't insult him any longer: she could barely even breathe. Nothing but shrill, wheezing gasps came from Alea's mouth. She came with a weak cry, her juices spilling hot over Kel's cock, and when she sagged under him, Kel pulled out and sank himself into Teesa next.

Trapped under her lover with Kel's big arms around them both, it was Teesa's turn to wriggle and squirm, her cheeks flaming redder and redder the harder Kel fucked her. But Kel was gentler with Teesa, who had been so sympathetic and sorry before. He fucked her rapidly, deeply, hunching his back to get around Alea's splayed legs, and when Teesa came with a scream, Kel found himself on the brink of coming too. He quickly pulled out and felt another surge of satisfaction when his cum squirted against Alea's skinny thigh.

Breathless and drained after the sudden rape, the three of them lay in a pile, their panting filling the room, their fur drenched in their sweat and their own juices. Kel could feel Alea's sharp little nipples against his chest, the heave of her bosom as she struggled to catch her breath. Kel lay on top of them both, feeling as if he couldn't get up: his bound wrists were trapped under Teesa's neck, and she showed no sign of lifting her head to release him. So he lay there on top of them and fumbled with his tightly bound paws to twist the ring on his finger.

Naturally, it took Zaldon much longer to appear than he would have with magic: with the golden collar still fastened to his neck, Zaldon could not use magic, though he could still feel the magical tug of Kel's summoning. About five minutes later, and Zaldon burst into the hut, looking breathless and flushed. Kel couldn't believe he'd gotten there so fast, but struggling to look over his shoulder, he called, "Zaldon! Help! Get me up!"

Zaldon just stood there staring and Kel couldn't blame him: here Kel was stretched on top of Alea and Teesa, who were in turn both piled on each other under him, his ass in the air, his cum glossy on the thighs of both females, and his soft cock heavy against their pussy lips. All of them were still a little breathless and their fur was limp with sweat. It was obvious Kel had just fucked them both, but it was also obvious the two had bound him first.

"What . . . the fuck?" said Zaldon blankly, his paws falling to his sides.

"Z-Zaldon!" Alea begged. "Get him off me!"

Kel saw the desperation in Alea's eyes and felt very triumphant. Teesa, meanwhile, had closed her eyes and was just laying there with a little smile: had she enjoyed being with him?!

Kel couldn't believe it when Zaldon smiled darkly. "No," he said, advancing into the room, "I don't think I will."

"Zaldon!" Kel and Alea shouted in unison.

Zaldon ignored them both, and Kel let out a long moan of pleasure when he felt Zaldon's hard body consume him. The heat of Zaldon, the weight of him on top of them all -- Kel felt his cock swell up at once. Zaldon pushed his mane aside and lovingly kissed his neck. Kel smiled smugly at Alea's flashing jealousy, but he let out a shocked cry when Zaldon closed his paw around Kel's hard cock, and very carefully, he slipped Kel into Alea's pussy. Kel couldn't believe it. Neither could Alea. But Alea was so hot and tight as he filled her that they looked at each other and blushed to feel their most intimate parts reacting with sudden arousal all over again.

Then Zaldon spread Kel's ass cheeks with his thumbs and sank himself inside. Kel closed his eyes and moaned as Zaldon filled him, so thick and hot. Weak in his desire, he whispered Zaldon's name. Zaldon smiled and kissed Kel again as he rocked his hips slowly against him. With each slow and deep thrust Zaldon gave, Kel's cock was forced to thrust into Alea, who in turn cried out. Teesa, meanwhile, managed to slip her paws between their sandwiched bodies, and Kel could feel her massaging Alea's breasts.

Piled on the floor, they gasped, moaned, panted, and whispered against each other, slaves to their own ecstasy, silently yielding to the hunger in their bodies. Kel was overwhelmed by the sheer pleasure of it all: Zaldon so powerful on top of him, Alea's tight pussy sucking at his cock, and Teesa's pretty face as she gave pleasure to Alea's tits. He was shocked when Alea suddenly closed her mouth over his, but he kissed her back deeply. Zaldon seemed pleased by this, for Kel saw him reach down and stroke Alea's face with the back of his fingers even as he buried hot kisses in Kel's neck.

Kel's muscles trembled all over. He didn't want it to end, and it seemed for a long time as if it wouldn't. But Zaldon came with a choked cry in Kel's ear. Kel strained not to come with him, feeling his dick flinching inside of Alea. Zaldon lovingly pulled Kel's heaving cock from Alea's sucking pussy lips, and Kel came in his carefully stroking fingers with a strained cry. He sagged on top of Alea and Teesa again, and once again, they lay there in a pile, panting to catch their breath.

Later, when they were all cuddling in Alea's bedroom, Kel found it hard to look at any of them. He had never anticipated any of this! He was supposed to come here and scare the shit out of Alea, make her leave Zaldon alone, but here he was, snuggling either side of Zaldon with Alea -- Alea, who was the very cause of his jealousy and anger! Zaldon's big arms were around them both, and Teesa was snuggled on top of Kel, her eyes happily closed in her sleep. Teesa was so beautiful: the shape of her pretty face, her slender waist and her nicely shaped tits. She reminded Kel of a younger Aliona, and he kissed her head as she slept, thinking with a smile of his wife. He had thought Teesa was a hard and unfeeling warrior, but she had turned out to be such a kind and gentle soul. He learned in that moment to never judge a book by its cover.

"Shame on you, Zaldy," Alea said after a while. Kel saw her playfully pinch Zaldon's dark pink nipple when she scolded him. "How could you do that to us!"

Zaldon chuckled at her mock anger. "I wanted the two of you to play nice. There's no reason why we can't all get along. And besides, seeing you both together like that, your legs spread, Alea, and your ass in the air, Kel . . . I don't know why the two of you were even surprised I did it."

Kel blushed, imagining how he must've looked to Zaldon in that moment: his ass in the air, his muscular body tense in his strain to escape the locked position of his arms around the necks of the females.

"I'm sorry, Zaldon," Alea whispered. "I only did it because I guess . . . Well, I was jealous," Alea admitted darkly. "I only ever wanted your love! But all you ever talked about was Kel. So when Kel came here tonight --"

"You took the opportunity to humiliate him," finished Zaldon. "Alea! You know I love you --"

"But only as a friend. Not the way I'd like you to."

When Zaldon looked miserable and helpless, Alea kissed his cheek.

"It's okay, Zaldon," she told him. "I understand that you don't like females, though I tried very hard to change your mind."

"Too hard," chuckled Zaldon.

"So what's going to happen after the two of you leave here?" Alea wondered. "Going to go back to your home and your happy little life together?"

There was a pause, and seeing how Kel and Zaldon miserably avoided each other's eyes, Alea sat up.

"What? Don't tell me you're not together!"

"We're not," Zaldon whispered heavily and didn't look at anyone. He stared out the window and at the dark street beyond.

"Why the hell not?" Alea demanded, glowering at the two. She grabbed Zaldon's face, forcing him to look at her, "Zaldon, all you ever talked about was Kel. So why aren't you together? Why aren't --"

"I fell in love with Zaldon . . . when I was already married," Kel explained.

Alea looked at them both sympathetically as it dawned on her. "Bad timing, huh?"

"Really bad timing," said Zaldon, sitting up too. "But we still see each other from time to time. I didn't like the idea at first: I wanted to be married to Kel. You know that. I wanted to be his husband. But . . . I came to realize that life was just too empty if I didn't hold him every now and then. And besides, because we're not married, Kel and I can be together because we want to be, not because we have to be."

Kel sat up too, carefully laying Teesa's slender body at his side. He and Zaldon smiled at each other and kissed.

Alea smiled dreamily at the warm affection with which they gazed into each other's eyes. "I wish Teesa and I could be like that," she said, glancing at Teesa's sleeping form. "But . . . females with other females . . ."

"They'd stone you, I know," said Zaldon sadly and touched the back of his fingers to her cheek.

Alea nodded sadly and bowed her head.

Gazing at her with concern, Zaldon lifted her chin and said gently, "Alea, if you want to be happy with Teesa . . . you know what you have to do."

Alea bit her lip, looking frightened. "But this is my home, Zaldon!"

Kel shook his head. "A home where they'd stone you for your desires is not a home at all. I would have left the summer village with my family years ago if Zaldon and I had already been together." Then Zaldon could have been his husband even while Aliona was his wife, and they would have spent their lives together in the sun village. They would have been so happy.

"You could come to the sun village," Zaldon added. "You and Teesa would be safe there."

Kel didn't like the idea of Alea living so close to Zaldon: what if they fucked again? But since he knew Julyan would have kept a close eye on Zaldon, he didn't protest when Zaldon offered to give Alea a charm.

"A charm?" Alea repeated uncertainly.

Zaldon nodded, and taking Kel's paw, he showed her the golden ring on his lover's finger. "Kel only has to twist this, and I'll come. I could give you a charm like it, and whenever you're ready to leave this dump, just say the word."

Alea still looked reluctant. "I don't know . . ."

Zaldon sighed, but Alea didn't stop him when he fumbled for the bedside table. He reached past Kel and rummaged through a tangle of jewelry before finally pulling loose a pretty shell necklace. He placed it around Alea's neck, then told her that she must take his collar off.

Alea's eyes grew round. "Oh! But the q-queen's orders, the customs --"

Kel laughed. "The queen is my granddaughter, Alea. She's young enough that I could still throw her over my knee if I wanted to. She won't harm Zaldon. Take the collar off."

Still looking worried, Alea nodded. They saw her get up from the bed and she left the room. When she returned, she was holding a golden key that they knew she had probably taken from Teesa's things: as captain of the royal guard, Teesa kept the keys to the captives' collars.

Alea knelt on the bed and fumbled behind Zaldon's neck a moment. Kel heard a click. Zaldon's heavy collar fell away. Alea set it aside and Zaldon rubbed at his neck. With a wave of sympathy, Kel massaged Zaldon's shoulders and whispered, "Poor baby."

Zaldon kissed Kel's paw, a silent thank you, then turned to Alea. He lifted the largest shell on the necklace that was still hanging around her throat (which hung in the center like a bauble) and closed his eyes. They watched in silent fascination as the necklace started to glow and a heat emanated from it -- a heat so strong that Kel felt sweat dripping under his fur. The necklace was glowing red now, so blindingly bright that Kel and Alea shielded their eyes and Teesa drowsily awoke and did the same. It seemed that right when the light became too much, Zaldon suddenly let the necklace go, and it dropped against Alea's breasts, as cold and lifeless as if nothing had ever happened.

Alea blinked down at the necklace and touched it gingerly, as if it might burn her, but it was cool to the touch. She cradled the largest shell in her slender paw and gazed questioningly at Zaldon.

"Just hold on to it," Zaldon told her, "and think of me and . . . I'll be there."

"Thank you, Zaldon!" Alea whispered happily.

Kel bit his tongue when Zaldon cupped her face and the two of them kissed. But it was a brief kiss and only friendly, not passionate, and Kel was relieved when Zaldon said it was time they went back to the queen's hut. He readily agreed, and the two of them rose from the bed. They said their goodbyes, and as they were walking away, Zaldon put his big arm around Kel.

"See?" he said as they emerged on the street. "I didn't fuck Alea again. I fucked you, and you fucked Alea. And twice! I'm the one who should be jealous."

"Just promise me you won't fuck her when she summons you."

Zaldon chuckled at the flashing jealousy in those green eyes. "I promise, Kel," he said, squeezing Kel in his big arm. "But you know . . . so long as you and Julyan keep me worn out, I'll be too tired to fuck Alea." He whispered wetly in Kel's ear, "Wear me out, Kel! Wear this out!" He briefly grabbed his own cock, a silent indication that it would be inside Kel again when they got back to their room.

Kel blushed furiously, and Zaldon chuckled as they continued up the street.

Back in Alea's bedroom, Teesa fingered the shell necklace and looked at her lover in bewilderment.

"What's this about?" she asked. "I gave you this necklace! What did Zaldon do to it?"

Alea gazed off dreamily. "He was a true friend. That's what."