Kyle nodded, too intent on the plate of food in front of him to really pay attention. Still, hungry as he was, he waited to see if the Tygerian observed any religious rituals before eating they did on some planets. Taz gazed over at him approvingly.

“Thank you for waiting for my permission. You may eat, darling. I know you’re very hungry.”

Kyle gave him a resentful glare. He hadn’t been waiting for permission, only trying to show good manners. Since his resentment was being ignored, however, he began eating some kind of bread with a spicy kind of butter on top. He found it to be delicious. There were small meat pies and what looked like yams too, piled high on his plate. Kyle gave each dish his attention until he’d cleared it all away. He finished with a mug of sweet-tasting milk and leaned back in his chair to find Taz watching him carefully.

Taz smiled at him. “You have nice manners. That’s good. It’s very important as my nobyo that you be able to teach our children how to act properly.”

Kyle narrowed his eyes. “Our, uh, children? We—I mean—you have children?”

“Of course, darling. Well, our first son will be here soon, anyway. I must have you properly bonded and trained by the time he gets here.” He smiled and picked up his own mug of milk and took a sip.

The conversation Kyle had with his cousin, Blayde—could it have only been a few days before—suddenly came back to him. What was it he’d said? That’s one reason the Tygerians purchase love slaves. The love slaves rear their babies for them…They call their captives their nobyos. To them, it’s almost like a spouse and another father for their children. They keep them very submissive…

Kyle felt stunned. He’d joked with his cousin about it—now it didn’t seem to be funny in the least. So this was why he kept insisting on calling him Nobyo instead of his name.

“You-you really want me to be your damn nanny? I thought Blayde was exaggerating.”

Taz frowned at him. “I don’t know who Blayde is, and I don’t understand this nanny, but I don’t like your tone. As I have explained, we call our love slaves our nobyos, and they are like our mates, as I believe you call it. Our nobyos are very special to us—we trust them with our children. This is a very great honor.”

“I-I don’t know anything about children! Especially babies!”

“The servants will help at first, Nobyo, and you’ll soon learn. You worry too much. Are all Lycans like this?” He stood up and came around the table toward Kyle, whose mouth suddenly went dry at the sight of his naked body. His brain went tilt and whatever they’d been discussing suddenly didn’t seem all that important anymore.

His wolf, who had been sleeping inside him, suddenly stirred and Kyle felt his cock thicken. His mate was so damn beautiful. Kyle stood to meet Taz and reached for him without thinking, drawing him into his arms.

Taz came willingly, smiling down at him. “You’re beautiful too, Nobyo.” Kyle looked up in surprise to meet his twinkling gaze. Gods, had he said that aloud?

“Now that you’ve eaten, I don’t think I can wait any longer to bond with you,” Taz told him. “Are you feeling well enough, darling?” Taz held him tightly in his arms, rubbing his hands over his naked ass.

“Gods, yes,” Kyle said, pulling Taz’s head down toward him. He took his lips fiercely, thrusting his tongue inside his sweet mouth and rubbing his cloth-covered erection against Taz’s naked groin.

Taz made a wordless sound and picked him up again by holding him tightly around his waist and walking backwards toward the bed with him, still ravishing Kyle’s lips with his own.

* * * *

As Taz carried him toward the bed, he thought how nice his nobyo felt beneath his hands, and he couldn’t imagine how he’d managed to wait so long to claim him. He tumbled him back on the bed and dropped down over him to continue their interrupted kiss. His lips were soft and warm, and he enjoyed the feel of his nobyo’s tongue inside his mouth. This wasn’t a custom of the Tygerians, but he found that he quite liked it. He would encourage his nobyo to service him this way in the future.

Taz pulled back to look down at him. He was so pretty, with his tanned skin and golden-red hair. And those eyes and eyelashes. Taz thought he’d never seen any prettier, even on the females he’d known. He ran his hands over the muscles on his nobyo’s chest and stomach. All his and everyone he knew would be envious of this beauty and strength under his command. Taz bent down to nip at his neck, marking him. He wanted to cover his baby in bruises that would show everyone exactly who he belonged to.

Taz felt his nobyo’s rigid cock beneath him and quickly untied his thong and ripped it off, throwing it down beside the bed. His Lycan’s beautiful long cock sprang out, hard and hot.

He touched it and his nobyo groaned, pushing up into his hand. He answered him with a groan of his own and fell down on top of him, rubbing their pricks together. His nobyo’s lovely cock leaked pre-cum copiously, and he was grinding back against him. Taz pulled his wrists above his head and held them there so he could bite his neck again.

His lover squirmed beneath him and struggled a little. “N-no. Not like this, Taz-lan.”

“Yes, sweet one, exactly like this.” Taz moved up to cover his lips again, tracing them with his tongue. He moaned and practically attacked Taz, trying to fuck Taz’s mouth with his tongue. Instead, Taz grabbed his tongue with his lips and sucked it hard into his mouth, taking control away from his nobyo. His eyes opened wide and though he didn’t try to pull away, Taz could hear the growls start up in his chest.

He pulled away, laughing. “You like to fight, yes, Nobyo? Go ahead. It will make my victory over your body even sweeter.” His nobyo made an angry sound as Taz moved his lips down to his nipples. Complaints and curses in what must have been his own Lycan language filled the air, but Taz ignored them, holding tightly to his wrists and biting now at his nipples. He worried one nipple with his teeth and his tongue until his nobyo was groaning and begging.

“P-please stop, Taz. Gods, stop!”

“That’s right, beg me,” Taz said, smiling down at him. Even though his nobyo was complaining and cursing, he still pushed his hips up and ground against Taz’s cock restlessly. Taz knew he was enjoying this much more than he was letting on.

He smiled down at him again. “Of course,” he said, “if you really don’t want me to make love to you, I will let you up. I have no wish to force myself on you.” He lifted his body up a little by his elbows and knees, still holding his nobyo’s wrists, but denying him the friction on his cock now. His nobyo bucked up wildly beneath him, trying to touch him again and gave a little cry of dismay.

“No, no, I want…I want you, Taz-lan. I do want this.”

He lowered his body back to cover his nobyo, who immediately ground up into his groin. His cock was jerking and swelling beneath Taz. Taz bit his nobyo’s shoulder and then licked the hurt away. He leaned up on one elbow and started stroking his nobyo’s cock in long, slow pulls that make him cry out and beg for more. His shaft was red and swollen, leaking more and more pre-cum, and Taz let his hand drift down to the flesh beneath the Lycan’s balls. He felt the plug there. It had been held in by the tight thong, but was sliding slowly out, so he pressed the heel of his hand against it to push it back in.

His Lycan tensed and cried out, looking up at him with those big, beautiful, scared eyes. Taz kissed him again. “Will you let me bond with you now, darling? I want you so much.”

The Lycan hesitated a long time—so long Taz thought he might refuse him, and he wouldn’t force this on him. He’d have to want to bond with him for the full effect to take place. Tygerians also secreted certain chemicals in their semen that, with males at least, created a strong, unbreakable bond. It was why Tygerians had to be careful to whom they made love, and never fucked anyone except their chosen nobyos, though oral sex or mutual masturbation was permissible. Young Tygerian males frequently used each other’s bodies for that. True bonding, however, was reserved for their chosen ones.

After an achingly long time, his lover gazed deeply into his eyes and nodded. “Yes, Taz-lan. I want you to make love to me.”

Taz caught his breath at the depth of emotion in his nobyo’s eyes. He kissed him tenderly. “I will always care for you, darling. I will keep you safe. You have my vow.”

“You’re my mate,” he answered simply. “I have to be with you. If this makes you happy, then I’ll give it to you.”

The sweetness of the reply struck a chord in Taz’s heart, and he covered his nobyo’s face with kisses. Tenderly, he reached down and pulled the plug gently from his nobyo’s sweet hole and placed it on the table beside the bed. He found some oils he had left there and spread them liberally over his cock. Then he put some of the oil on his fingers and gently inserted one finger in his nobyo’s ass, carefully checking to see if he was in any pain.

His nobyo held himself rigid, but the plug had done its work well, and stretched him properly. Seeing how stiff his nobyo’s shoulders had become—he was gritting his teeth as if this was something he must endure but not enjoy—Taz crooked his finger up to touch the small bundle of nerves he knew was there. He and his friends had been taught that this spot would make their nobyos feel good so they practiced, locating this spot on the anatomy charts, so they could pleasure their nobyos one day.

When he found the spot on the Lycan, he swiped over it gently with his finger and enjoyed the look of surprise and pleasure on his face.

“Oh, gods!” his nobyo cried out, and his eyebrows rose. Taz continued to rub his finger over it. His nobyo’s eyelids got heavy and he licked his lips. Taz thought him very beautiful. He fell down between his legs, pulling out his fingers and nudging his cock against his nobyo’s sweet hole. “Sweet boy,” Taz murmured to him, and eased his shaft inside him. His hole clenched around him like a fist, despite the stretching by the plug, and Taz was almost overcome by the heat and the sensations.