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This is a teaser excerpt from my book-in-progress, Inhuman_. Keep in mind it will most likely be further edited before finalized. You can read the original chapter here. See journal for details._

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-- CHAPTER NINE --

CLOSE CALLS

Sean stood perfectly still amidst the brush, all senses on alert. He strained to detect any hint of movement, any sign of a presence, yet the woods around him were perfectly still and silent, save for the flitter of leaves drifting down from the fiery-colored canopy, or the occasional bird taking off from a fruit bush. The air was slowly cooling, even though the patchwork of golden sky visible through the trees indicated the evening was only just on its way. Sean felt inwardly thankful for his military suit with its advanced insulating materials.

His eyes and ears peeled for any suspicious sound or motion, Sean started forwards slowly, taking care to avoid stepping on fallen twigs or foliage to try and keep his location and movement secret from anyone lurking in the area. He was aware of everything: The squirrel scampering up a tree to his left, the leaves crunching quietly under his light steps, the snap of a twig somewhere up ahead. He knew full well he was most certainly being watched by unseen eyes. He just had to find the lurker before time ran out. That was the game, after all, and his adversary was very good at it.

But, so was he.

He paced for a few minutes, hyperalert, and finally caught a break as a peculiar scent filled his nose: rich, musky and slightly sweet like peppermint. It was quite unique and unmistakable, and Sean grinned in silent victory as he knew he had essentially just won the match, despite not having yet made visual contact with his target.

Sniffing like bloodhound, he followed the trail, honing in as it grew stronger the nearer he drew. Stealthy as a cat, he zeroed in on a large tree trunk, several feet across and shrouded in shrubs. The scent was at its strongest here, enough to practically intoxicate him. He heard a tiny rustling sound from directly behind the trunk; he leapt out around the side.

'Gotchya!'

Aki squealed in shock and jumped about ten feet in the air, stumbling over a protruding root. He quickly grabbed her around the waist and they both fell against the broad trunk, laughing.

'You're a credit to your reputation,' she said, sounding amused yet disappointed at having lost the round. 'I never even knew you were there!'

'I used to sneak around for a living,' he pointed out, still grinning. 'It'll take more than those big fluffy ears of yours to catch me. And besides,' he added quickly as her eyes flashed, 'you aren't exactly hard to find these days. Call it an unfair advantage.'

'Oh, no fair!' she whined grumpily. 'How am I supposed to hide with all that's coming from under my tail?'

Sean blinked. 'Well, just wash more or something,' he said with a shrug.

'Yeah, sure, like that's ever worked,' said Aki with a roll of her eyes. 'I've been trying. Been bathing and scrubbing like crazy for a week. It's not going away, it's just getting stronger.'

As Aki had told Sean while he was in the infirmary, the anthros had a biannual estrus period, going into season every spring and autumn. This cycle was the same for all villagers, regardless of species, leading Sean to assume that they (or, rather, their ancestors) had been bioengineered by their ancient human creators into adopting such a biological timetable.

The result, as Sean had noticed it during the past few days since the autumnal period began, was that every single villager suddenly became much keener on mating, something that left Sean feeling somewhat uneasy. The air around the village felt heavier and thicker than usual, filled with the pheromones of hundreds of villagers of dozens of species becoming increasingly sexually active at once. The result was an intoxicating blend of scents that left Sean slightly lightheaded all day long, particularly at in the afternoon when the peaking midday heat only made things worse. The pheromones' effects were clearly felt, both by the anthros and, to his discomfort, in him, who felt himself grow more energized and aroused, something he tried to hide as best as he could.

'It'll be over in a few weeks, sis, just hold on,' came Nessi's voice.

Their third playmate arrived through the trees, her spotted ocher fur coated in dirt and leaves; she had apparently lied on the ground, hiding from Sean as had Aki. With her arrival, Sean detected her own unique scent, an odd but not unpleasant mix of grass and lavender.

At the sight of her, Aki scoffed and looked to the canopy above in exasperation. 'Why don't I just bend over, raise my tail and draw a great big arrow saying "Right here, come and get me!"?' she grumbled.

'I'd like to see that,' Sean commented.

Aki looked at him for a moment, then slugged him on the shoulder.

'Shut up, or I'll bend you over,' she shot back with a grin.

'Fine, then you could join me.'

Aki's eyes flashed, a precursory sign that Sean had learned preceded a pounce: indeed, in a blink of an eye, she had lunged at him and they were then wrestling on the ground like unruly children, any sense of dignity vanished. Nessi just stood at their side, chuckling at the spectacle.

'You're just like any other horndog, aren't you, all you wanna do is get under my tail!'

'Well, that's your fault for having such a cute -!'

Sean stopped himself just in time and felt himself turn red; even tangled together on the ground, he saw Aki blush as well, before she yowled at him and they tore at each other with renewed vigor.

'All right, cubs, come on,' said Nessi, playing the mature role of the trio as she so often did despite her laughter.

After some coaxing, Sean and Aki fell apart, lying on their backs, staring at each other with wide toothy grins, looking very much like mismatched siblings. Then, as if to emphasize Nessi's point, they heard Kira's voice echo through the trees, calling them back to the village for suppertime.

'And don't make me wait on you again!' her voice finished.

'Well, stop waiting around, then,' snickered Aki quietly from the ground. The three of them broke into a fit of suppressed giggles at the idea of how Kira would've reacted had she heard her daughter address her so insolently.

Nessi diligently helped them to their feet and they brushed the debris out of their clothes, hair and fur, still flushed and grinning. They headed out towards the village, their noses and minds already filled with scents and images of the great meal to come.

'I am not looking forward to being in that crowd when I smell like this,' Aki muttered glumly as they came out of the woods.

His attention brought to it, Sean noticed her scent was indeed wafting around her like a beacon, particularly stronger than Nessi's. He'd noticed foxes seemed to smell stronger than most other species in the village, the distinctively vulpine aroma particularly strong in the air wherever they went.

'Oh, don't worry about it, everyone else smells, anyway. No-one'll even know yours from anyone else's,' reassured Nessi, putting an arm around her friend's shoulders. 'And besides, Sean will defend you,' she added, glancing sideways at him with a smirk.

'Oh, protect me, Sean!' wailed Aki theatrically, swooning into his arms like a damsel in distress. 'Save me from the evil horny masses!'

'Have no fear, my dear, for I shall smite any sex-starved horndog who come too close,' Sean proclaimed in a noble tone.

All three were still laughing by the time they reached the village, its wooden façades radiant in the early evening's golden glow and a calm breeze ruffling the various trees that stood out above the rooftops. The alluring aroma of the feast to come was already wafting through the air, even overshadowing the villagers' musk, eliciting salivating mouths from all as they made their way to the village square, the large bonfire already crackling merrily.

Supper was as delightful an experience as always, even with the added underlying tension of everyone's simultaneous season. Everyone was still far more concerned about the feast and their fooling around with friends than they were about sex, but it was hard not to notice the heightened levels of excitement displayed throughout the assembled villagers. There was some mild flirting, but not much more than there always was, and all were able to keep their heads on and enjoy the meal.

Sean and Aki sat together at the front as they always did, if only to make sure Sean was one of the first to reach the food. Though he was always eager for an early serving, he had long since sated his famishment from his sojourn in Krypp's care, and it was now his turn to be continually amused and bewildered at how much Aki ate. Nessi would often join them with Nati and Singar as they ate, the gemstone of her mating necklace glinting in the firelight along with all the others. Sean couldn't help but notice Aki eyeing it every now and then with a curiously vacant expression, which he imagined was her trying to hide her longing.

He still noticed her scent in the air, yet as Nessi had said, it was suitably masked by all the other smells hanging over the assembly. He did notice several guys glancing at her perhaps a little too insistently, however, particularly a young bull who was a veritable mountain of muscles and who was seated a few yards away, the look in his eyes a little too keen for Sean's taste. Thankfully, no-one made any moves on her as she ate in peace. He idly wondered if his habitual presence at her side had anything to do with it.

Eventually, all the mango juice he'd consumed along with his steak, along with the numerous drinks of water he'd had earlier that day, ended their journey through his system with a warning for him to head into the woods. He excused himself, taking a moment to count the number of chicken legs Aki had devoured, and waded through the crowd, taking extra care to avoid treading on anyone's tail. He fielded a few greetings and returned a few waves of hands, then emerged from the square and headed down nearby alleyways between buildings to the outskirts, a path he had since memorized by heart with exploring the village with Aki.

As he left the final row of cabins, he thought he noticed the faintest flicker of a shadow in a neighboring side street, as though someone had just disappeared behind a corner. He stood still, staring at the shadowy spot for a moment out of instinct, then shook his head and continued towards the nearby treeline, deciding he'd only seen a stray bird swoop by or something.

His business conducted, he strolled back into the village down the same alleyway he'd came from, taking his time and enjoying the rare moment of inactivity in the otherwise bustling streets. The sun was well on its way down into the horizon now, casting its usual golden-red streaks into the clouds hanging over the deepening blue sky. Sean had to shield his eyes from the glare when not in the shadows of buildings. He would've found his way to the village center even if he hadn't known the way by heart, thanks to the scents and sounds of food and conversation drifting in the air.

'Hey,' came a voice behind him.

He turned around. That same gorgeous lioness who'd been teasing with him with her sultry looks and enticing little smiles was slowly sauntering towards him, her hips swaying sexily and her tail swinging behind her slowly, rhythmically, almost deliberately. He found himself curiously unable to move as she came up to him, stopping when she was close enough for him to smell her scent all around him: dry yet spicy, an aroma that immediately went to his head. Her lime-green eyes shone softly in the reflected dying sunlight, a keen look on her leonine face.

'Uh ... hey,' he said back, quite absently. She was certainly making no effort to dissimulate her intentions this time, not with the way she was slowly coming up to him, staring at him, almost into him, as though he were the center of her world at that moment. He took a few steps back but she followed just as closely, and all too soon he had backed clumsily into a wall. He could bolt to either side, but his mind and legs were equally paralyzed.

''Hey'?' she said in a low, husky voice that was as sweet to his ears as the rest of her was to his other senses. 'I've seen you looking at me, Sean. I thought you would have more to say than 'hey'.'

She was now quite close, too close, barely an inch between them. Every fiber of Sean's mind was telling him to get out of there, but his body wasn't listening - at least, not to his brain.

'Sorry?' he said lamely, his speech center suddenly blank.

The lioness grinned wider, those emerald eyes peering intently into his.

'I've seen you around with that Aki.' He thought he heard a soft whine in her voice, hidden beneath the layers of seduction. Her expression was discernibly hungry, now. 'I know she's not giving you what you want. What you need.'

She leaned into Sean, who struggled to melt into the stubbornly solid wall behind him. Supporting herself with her right arm against the wall, she raised her left hand and rubbed it up against his lower chest, sliding it higher across his uniform, pressing her own chest into his as she came up against him, her musky scent overwhelming, her body heat engulfing him, her eyes shining as they got closer -

Sean suddenly snapped to his senses and pushed her back, fast and hard enough to catch her by surprise and send her stumbling back several steps. He glared at her silently in mixed desire, anger and embarrassment, and then turned and hurried down the street towards the village center, glancing only once over her shoulder to see her standing where he'd left her, looking upset, her tail limp.

He rejoined the crowd and soon sat back down in his spot, right next to Aki, who was engaged in conversation with Nessi. They both glanced at him as he settled down, but though Nessi turned back to Aki after only a quick smile, Aki did a double take and narrowed her eyes curiously at him.

'What's up with you?' she said. 'You look like you just escaped death. And ...' She sniffed at him a few times and her eyes widened. 'Did you go sneaking around with a femme?'

'Um ...'

Sean chose to remain silent for the moment, staring alternatingly between the fire and her bright eyes. But he was then caught off-guard by the grin that grew on her muzzle. She glanced askance at Aki and Sean thought he saw the shadow of a wink before she looked back at him, her grin poorly suppressed.

'Oh, is that what you do when I'm not around? Go around and yiff all the pretty femmes you can find?' she simpered, her tone and expression positively cocky.

'No!' Sean spluttered, much more intensely than he should have. 'I mean, I don't, it was an accident, I didn't - she ... what?'

He stared in bewilderment as Aki and Nessi both doubled over in laughter, Nessi spilling half the contents of the goatskin she'd been holding up halfway to her mouth.

'Busted!' Aki cackled while Nessi scowled lightly despite her amusement and started wiping herself off. 'You dummy, Sean, I know it's not your fault, everyone's in season right now. It's not like you can resist the fatal attractions of the sexy ladies around here, is it?' she teased, her tone more dramatically sultry.

'It's ... it's not like that,' Sean said feebly. 'She accosted me, I didn't ...'

'Oh, will you relax?' Aki said with a renewed giggle. 'I'm telling you, that's just normal. So,' she said conspiratorially, 'who was it? Salana? That cute little brat, Linny? Not the shepherdess, is it? I know she's a bit of a lech, but -'

'No, no, no,' said Sean insistently. 'None of them. It's ...'

He hesitated and wasn't intending to actually identify the lioness, but then realized he didn't even know her name. But just as Aki looked like she was about to badger him some more, she looked up across Sean, her ears perking. Following her gaze, he saw, with a small shiver, the lioness-in-question walking back into the square, a gloomy look on her pretty face. She glanced across the sea of heads at him and her brow furrowed, but before he could return any expression, she'd looked away with a determined vigor, walking well away from him and sitting down somewhere on the other side of the square.

Aki looked at him, her jaw open comically, and then she was laughing again, almost as hard as last time.

'What, what is it? I didn't see!' said Nessi, craning her neck around to look for whatever had sent Aki clutching her ribs again.

'Yalena?' Aki said with a huge grin. 'Looks like she finally got her paws on you, eh?'

'Yeah - I mean, not really, we just ... wait, what?' Sean said.

'I've seen the way she's always looking at you like she wants to just eat you up,' Aki snorted, while Nessi laughed in turn behind her. 'Don't worry about her, you're not the first one she got. Though, I'm surprised it didn't take any longer. No wonder she looked so disappointed.'

'Wait - no!' Sean felt himself redden even more, feeling beleaguered. 'I'm telling you - stop laughing! - we didn't do anything! I swear, she just came and pushed me up against a wall, she tried, but I just pushed her away and I left her there. Absolutely nothing happened. I mean, she's not my type, and ...'

At least Aki restrained her laughter enough to still be able to speak to him this time.

'Oh, relax, doofus. I'm only teasing ya. If you say nothing happened, then nothing happened. But she has been wanting you for a while, ever since you got here, I think. I'm surprised she took so long to make her move. And that you managed to get away. You're certainly the first who didn't wake up naked with her in an alley somewhere.'

'So ... what, she's a slut or something?' Sean said blankly.

'Oh, no, not like that,' said Aki, glancing around to where Yalena had sat down amidst the crowd. 'It's that ... well, it's kinda complicated.' He ears drooped somewhat; even Nessi looked less amused now.

'What is?' Sean pressed.

Aki looked at him, and now she looked slightly uncomfortable. 'It's kind of a long story. But, well, in short ... her mate left her, around last spring.' She now looked somewhat glum. 'It didn't go very well for her.'

'Why? I mean, what happened?'

'Oh, who knows.' Aki shrugged. 'Doesn't really matter. I guess he found someone he liked more. But, the thing you gotta understand, Sean, is that mates ... never leave each other. I mean, it's happened before, but it's extremely rare. Mating's a lifelong commitment, and when it breaks apart, there's always someone who gets a lot more hurt than the other. And that was Yalena.'

Sean looked over the forest of heads to where the lioness had sat down, too, even though he couldn't see her.

'She didn't look too broken up about it,' he commented, remembering her assertive swagger, that voracious look in her eyes.

Aki glanced at him. 'Why do you think she acts like this?' she said, her voice more subdued. 'She's lonely. She feels like her one true mate abandoned her - which he did, really. And now, she just goes around, yiffing all the cute guys she sets her eyes on. She's gotta be well into double digits now. That's why she's an easy joke to make, we laugh about it, guys always getting caught in bed with her, but still ... well, just don't joke about it to her face, I guess.'

Sean gazed at the unseen lioness, unable to stop his mind's eye from imagining her having sex with all kinds of guys in all kinds of places. He blinked, banishing the thought, and nodded at Aki. The three of them fell into a brief pensive silence, picking at the remnants of food on their goatskins.

Once the food had gone, they spent the rest of the evening as they always did, lounging about, conversing, sharing clumsy jokes they made up on the spot, or playing around with cubs as the young'uns seized upon their last bid at exerting themselves before their bedtime. The hours passed and the sky grew darker until Sean and Aki decided it was time to head down to the river to clean up. Suppertime didn't usually last as long as it had Sean's first evening, which regularly left them with enough time for a little last-minute fooling around in the riverwaters before going home for the night.

Aki took her time to scrub her fur extra vigorously, particularly around her nethers (Sean resolutely looked away, knowing that Aki smirked at him the whole time in her amusement at his sense of modesty), trying to get her scent out as best she could. She eventually gave up, disheartened and slightly frustrated, and her scent had barely decreased in presence at all. If anything, it might only have gotten stronger.

Once properly cleaned up, they ambled back up the sloping grassy shore leading into the village. The sun had disappeared by then, leaving only faint traces of fading violet in the few clouds that jotted the night sky, the twinkling stars already twinkling brightly across the velvety black. They walked and talked, holding hands casually as old friends and reflecting back on the day, particularly (to his mild chagrin) Sean's encounter with Yalena. He already knew he'd be the victim of relentless teasing about it for the next few days at least, so he simply indulged Aki's humor with a smile.

Nighttime was still a somewhat awkward moment for Sean. He was becoming increasingly used the anthros' lack of preoccupation with nudity, particularly Aki and Kira as they disrobed in before climbing into their cots, but he still felt that familiar flush creep up his face every night nonetheless. The two vixens certainly didn't make it any easier for him, taking their own mischievous pleasure in teasing him with just the sorts of poses and motions to make him blush. And naturally, he couldn't even bother to look away, his eyes helplessly drawn to their beautiful, tempting curves. Especially Aki's. Despite his own uneasiness, though, it only made her smile wider, evidently taking his attention to her body as a compliment.

Sean didn't feel happy about it, however. Rather, he felt dirty, staring at the attractive body of a young girl in such a manner, particularly one who, as his rational mind kept nagging him, wasn't even human. (Or, as his subconscious kept adding, not entirely human.) He couldn't tell if it was due to his societal conditioning from New Corinthea, but he couldn't help but feel unsettled at the sight of a teenage girl who obviously took enjoyment in posing for him - and knowing that behind his bluster and feeble protests, he did actually enjoy it, even if he would never actually admit it to himself.

Eventually, though, he'd be in his cot under the thick blanket, the candles would be blown out, and silence would fall between them like a shroud as thick and soothing as the darkness around them as the two vixens fell asleep in a matter of minutes, leaving Sean awake and thinking for a long while, his mind slowly filling with the exotic and tantalizing scents of Aki and Kira's seasons, until he finally slipped under.

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