The Season

Natalie never got used to working with the Nebu. It didn’t matter how many days she went to their research offices, as more of a liason than a researcher, their lives were still odd to her.

She met with Sh’tani, her primary contact, in the morning. The Nebu woman stood as tall as she could, even though she was still shorter than Natalie at around five feet. Their eyes were relatively large, black orbs that researchers back on Earth think implies a nocturnal heritage. 

Sh’tani nodded to her as she came out of the small apartment they let her use, and they walked side by side to the stairwell to get to ground level. 

That was the thing with Nebu architecture, everything was underground. When first contact was made, the appearance of fur, and the moving tails, many humans compared them to cats. In reality, they were closer to alien meerkats. Though their anatomy, external and internal, was so close to humans that researchers from both species were working day and night to understand any possible ancient connections.

The streets were clear, but this didn’t alarm Natalie. It was one of the differences between humans and Nebu that she was growing used to. They usually moved quickly to their destination, and didn’t like to stay in the open ground. With most buildings below ground on Nebu, the streets were mostly larger structures peeking over the surface, many painted the same dark browns of the rock, or kept a metallic gray. 

“Today,” Sh’tani began in the Nebu language, “We should get to see results from the winter studies. Just in time too.”

Natalie didn’t bother asking what it was just in time for. If she could avoid speaking in Nebuese, she would. The language was full of hissing and teeth chattering that was hard to emulate without getting laughed at by her alien hosts. 

They passed into an alley between buildings, and Sh’tani stopped in her tracks, sniffing at the air. Natalie passed her, another Nebu mannerism she had grown used to. They were sensitive to smells and sounds she couldn’t even recognize, though their vision seemed limited as a trade.

She walked out into the next set of streets, and saw something odd. It was a large Nebu, definitely larger than any she had seen, it was hunched forward, moving on all fours, and completely nude instead of wearing the practical leotards Natalie saw worn almost species wide.

There was a yelping noise, and Sh’tani grabbed Natalie by the collar and pulled her back into the alley.

As she was being pulled around the corner, the Nebu in the street locked eyes on her. There was something primal there, animalistic.

Natalie’s heart was beating when she got back into the alleyway. She looked to Sh’tani.

“What was that?” She asked.

Sh’tani was looking away, her body facing a building, and her hands covering her nose and mouth as if there was a poison in the air. She looked terrified.

“Sh’tani, what was that?” Natalie repeated.

“Is he gone?” She whispered between her fingers.

Natalie’s eyes went wide. She crept back to the corner and looked out into the street. He was gone.

Natalie had never seen a Nebu male. It was the greatest oddity when dealing with their species. At first, she thought she just couldn’t tell the difference between males and females. Then she confirmed with her contacts that she was using the proper pronoun for females, and without any further explanation, Sh’tani had explained that everyone she had met was female. It didn’t matter if she was meeting the local governess, or going out to eat, or in the workplace, there was never a single male.

“He’s gone,” Natalie said.

Sh’tani came up behind her quickly, sniffed at the air. “They are here early.”

Natalie looked around, “I only saw the one.”

Sh’tani made a thinking noise, something like a low growl. Their ‘fur’, which really wasn’t, seemed to bristle when they were this emotionally disturbed. The fact that Sh’tani was so troubled, had Natalie naturally on guard. Why would she be so afraid of seeing a man?

“You’re right,” Sh’tani said, “Maybe he is just an early one.”

Natalie raised a finger, maybe she didn’t understand what Natalie was saying. But Sh’tani had already regained her courage, and after looking both ways, was making her way across the street.

She followed close behind, and with a slight bit of additional caution, they soon made it to a building that poked out of the ground by about 3 stories. A stairwell lead them down underground, where they went through into a long hallway.

No sooner than they entered, there were clattering steps on the floor heading toward them. Natalie felt on guard, but soon saw a familiar face. It was the secretary, An’hari.
“Tani,” The young secretary said, “The administrator, she wants to see you immediately.”

Sh’tani seemed to hunch over at the sight of the woman, but she straightened herself and nodded.

The secretary had a hand to her stomach, and her expression was strange. It wasn’t a stance that Natalie had seen from a Nebu before.

 She grabbed Natalie, and they moved down the hall as fast as they could. They turned a corner to head deeper into the building.

It was divided between research offices, and actual labs. The doorways were open, and lead to rooms where different Nebu women worked at computers in small groups, divided off by cubicle-like walls.

There was a squeal somewhere down the hall, and Sh’tani stopped and sniffed at the air. She covered her nose again and whispered, “They are already here.”

Natalie took a step back, but Sh’tani gripped her at the wrist, her long nails digging into her flesh. They pressed past the research desks and made their way to the office at the end. The door opened for them, and they stood in a room with the lab administrator.

If the administrator had a name, Sh’tani and the others in the building weren’t willing to speak it, so neither was Natalie. She was tiny, as far as Nebu went, but she was also special. The flat hairs of her ‘fur’ were a gray, almost white. Natalie learned quickly that these Nebu were given a wide berth. They were usually in high positions. It wasn’t like the race politics that had plagued humanity for so long, these special Nebu were born within the mass population, like a genetic abnormality.

“Administrator,” Sh’tani said, turning her head away from the woman.

The administrator looked at Natalie, and Natalie looked away as well.

“You may have already noticed,” The administrator said, “But the season has started early.”

“We should get you to safety,” Sh’tani said, “Cancel the day.”

The administrator tapped her nails on her desk. The sound, in the silence, drove on Natalie’s nerves. There was something here that wasn’t being said, but Natalie was starting to guess what it was.

“No,” The administrator said, “At least not for the day. We have to get that report to the governess, and she won’t accept the season as an excuse while so few are in the streets.”

Sh’tani made a noise that Natalie recognized as a Nebu curse.

“We will make today voluntary for non-essentials,” The administrator said. Then she stopped talking, cutting herself short.
There was a second tapping, just behind the sound of her nails.

Natalie looked to Sh’tani, and saw that Sh’tani was looking up. There was a window, high up in the Administrator’s office. It was just above the surface, letting in the early light. There was a face there, a Nebu, with nails against the glass, tapping.

Natalie dared to look at the administrator, and saw that the woman was tapping in time with the nails at the window. Natalie looked away.

“Always the same one,” The administrator said, “He is early. This is my…”

Then she said some word Natalie didn’t know, some mix of joy and pain.

Sh’tani grabbed Natalie and lead her out of the office.

“Lock it after we leave,” She said to the administrator over her shoulder.

They moved into one of the cubicle areas, and Natalie saw that many of the women working looked frantic. They were working fast, with their fingers moving across their keyboards at a rapid pace.

Sh’tani sat down, logged in, and started to work.

“I’m going to tell them they can go home,” She said, “Then we will get you back.”

Natalie looked around the office space. They could see out through a window to the hallway. She could see that some women were stealing peeks to the hall.

“Am I in danger?” Natalie asked.

Sh’tani looked at her, “I don’t know.” She said succinctly.

There was a wave of gasps through the room, and Natalie looked to the window.

A Nebu male was in the hallway. It crawled on all fours like the one before, and its eyes scanned back and forth. 

Most of the women covered their noses, and she could hear some of them whimpering.

“I have no time for this,” Sh’tani whispered. She didn’t sound confident, like an addict on the edge of crumbling.

Natalie watched as the male moved down to the next set of doors, then stopped, and sniffed at the air. It turned, and went into a doorway.

“There,” Sh’tani said as she hit a key, “We should go.”

Natalie didn’t have to be dragged this time. Some of the other women got the message, and began to pack up their things. Natalie lead the way out the door, and moved back down the hall toward the entrance.

When they passed the door that the male had gone into, she could hear squeals coming from within. She looked for just a moment, and saw several women, lined up outside of a cubicle, looking at something. Whatever they were watching was happening inside a cubicle, and she couldn’t see.

They moved past, and made it back to the entrance hallway. There, Natalie came face first with what Sh’tani was so afraid of. An’hari was bent forward over her desk, her supplies scattered over the floor. Her clothing was ripped off of her back, and a male had mounted her from behind. His hands held hers to the desk, his body pinning her down. When he thrusted into her, she let out a cry that Natalie recognized, it was the squeal, a noise she had never heard out of a Nebu before. 

Sh’tani grabbed Natalie and tried to pull her toward the exit, “We have to go.”

Natalie resisted, “Shouldn’t we help her?”

Sh’tani growled in anger, “Does she look like she wants help?”

Natalie looked again, and An’hari squealed once more as her and the male behind her moved in rhythm. That wasn’t a noise of pain, it was pleasure. Is this what they were afraid of?

She let herself be moved, and they moved with the crowd toward the exit. A few women had passed them, and as they made it outside and to ground level, a few males were there in waiting. The women screamed, and scattered in different directions. The men sniffed at the air, and two chased after one woman, while another followed a second.

“Come,” Sh’tani said, “This way.”

They ran away from the crowd, and Natalie looked back over her shoulder to see that men were on the side of the building, hanging there, peeking over the roof. They had surrounded them, maybe they were there the whole time. 

Where had they been all this time? Why had Natalie never seen them before?

“This is insane,” Natalie shouted.

Sh’tani pulled her faster, squeezing Natalie tight. They made it to an alley across from the lab, and Sh’tani pushed her up against the wall. The Nebu woman sniffed at the air in a frantic succession of breaths.

“What is going on?” Natalie said, “Why are they acting like this?”

Sh’tani looked at her, “Usually we have another week or two, they are early. They come when it is time.”

Natalie shook her head, “Time for what?” 

It seemed that Sh’tani was done talking. The incredulous look she gave Natalie was enough to tell her that she should understand what was happening. So Natalie went with her first guess, mating season.

“Can we make it back across town?” Natalie asked.

Sh’tani seemed distracted, it had to be something she smelled. Natalie tried to look left and right, then she looked up. 

A dark form crashed just in front of them, kicking up a wave of dirt. Natalie screamed, and heard a low growl.

When the dust cleared, Natalie realized it was Sh’tani, her teeth out, and growling at the large male before them. The male Nebu started to stand, moving from his hunched over position to his full height. 

It let out a growl of its own, and while Sh’tani’s was frightening, the male Nebu shook Natalie’s bones with its deep rumbling timbre. Natalie backed against the wall, and looked over to Sh’tani.

Her female companion had stopped her growl, and instead her had whole body pressed against the wall. She was making a different sound, a sort of wimpering noise, her knees pressed together and her arms stretched out to her sides.

The male Nebu stepped forward, and sniffed at the air. It was like they were blind without scent. Natalie knew the Nebu were short-sighted, but the Nebu sniffed at Natalie, looking straight at her chest while it did so, then it moved to Sh’tani, sniffing longer and harder.
“Please,” Sh’tani whispered, “Please, not this year.”

The male Nebu didn’t seem that different from her. he was dirtier, larger, and his nails were definitely larger. It was something about his stance, about the way he held himself, that made Natalie quake. 

She took in a deep breath to hold it, as the male drew itself closer to Sh’tani. It put one hand against the wall beside her head, chattered its teeth, and made a noise.

Was that a word? Could they speak? It barely sounded like any word she knew.

“No,” Sh’tani replied. 

So it was speaking.

The air in her mouth felt odd. It had a taste to it, like some perfume sprayed directly at her. She didn’t want to gag on it, draw attention to herself. She took a breath through her nose, watched the display before her. The male looked at Natalie, and she couldn’t help but stand up straighter in response.

There was something about him, a sort of power, control. He looked at her, and her body felt conflicted, a fearful heat growing in her gut. At least, she hoped it was fear.

There was a loud growl from down the alley, and all three of them turned to look. It was another male. It sniffed at the air, then charged down the alley, stopping only just before it got to them. The first male went back to all fours, and the two stared each other down, chattering at one another, circling.

“We must go,” Sh’tani said. She pushed Natalie toward the street.

At first Natalie couldn’t move, and Sh’tani pushed harder.

When she finally found the strength, she took a step, and the first male turned and hissed at her. She recognized that word, “Stay.”

Natalie and Sh’tani ran, and when the Nebu tried to turn and stop them, the other male struck him across the face. A fight broke out, and Sh’tani and Natalie made their escape to the street.

Her heart was beating, and her legs felt weak already. There was something about that encounter that confused her, scared her. What exactly happened back there? The look in Sh’tani’s face when the first male was approaching her, it was changing, away from terror, toward something else.

They passed an alley, and Sh’tani slowed long enough for Natalie to look. A male had a woman pinned to the ground, her voice crying out in pleasure. Sh’tani dropped her grip on Natalie, and let her arms fall slack to her side. 

For a moment, it was almost like Sh’tani was entranced, watching as the unknown woman’s body pushed back into him, as her tail flung wildly, her voice calling out to anyone who would listen. Sh’tani took an uncertain step forward. 

Natalie grabbed her host at the shoulder, “Come on,” she said, “We have to go.”

Sh’tani looked at her, and her expression wasn’t filled with terror as Natalie expected. 

“Right,” Sh’tani said, “We have to get you back. The apartments are usually safe.”

They started to run again, taking the long way around. They pushed toward a stairwell that lead down into the complex of apartments Natalie called home. As they took the first step, they heard a growl from below. A male was at the door to the apartments, and turned at their first step, his eyes locking on Sh’tani.

She stood up straight, and Natalie tried to grab her at the wrist, tried to pull her away.

Sh’tani shook her grip, taking a step away from the stairs. The male rushed up on all fours, stopping just short of Sh’tani, sniffing at her legs like a dog on the hunt.

Natalie took a step away, uncertain what more she could do. She wasn’t a fighter, and Nebu women rarely carried weapons. In fact, the only time she saw a fight break out, their long natural nails were enough to make the conflict a dangerous one. Here, Sh’tani didn’t even have her nails at the ready, she stood stiff, as if being judged by a military superior.

The male circled her, sniffing at her rear. Sh’tani’s tail lifted out of his way, letting him lope around her, and come back to her front.

The male lifted to his full height, and again there was that chattering of teeth. Sh’tani didn’t reply this time, her eyes merely watched his, and her arms trembled. 

His claws shot to her outfit, digging into the material and ripping the front away in one strong pull. Sh’tani yelped, but stood fast.

The male barked a command that Natalie couldn’t understand, and Sh’tani looked to Natalie. 

“Go,” Sh’tani said, “Now, please.”

Natalie took a step toward the stairs, but she was finding it hard to move again. That taste was in her mouth again, was it fear?

The male barked again, and Sh’tani turned away from him, and fell onto her hands, her rear high in the air. He began to move over her, his hands gripping her at the side, keeping her in the best position. 

Natalie turned away and ran, opening the door to the apartments and running inside. When she turned back, she saw that the male was making no effort to follow.

The doors closed, and Natalie was left in the low lighting of the apartment complex. It was a long corridor, the roof looked like exposed rock. The floor felt more like a catwalk than a hallway. 

She looked one way, then the other, and took a deep breath. The halls were quiet. Natalie always found them a little unnerving. The Nebu could see well in the dark, so the apartment halls were kept darker than she would have liked. But it seemed that Sh’tani was right, the men didn’t seem able to get in. Which made the man right outside make sense, he couldn’t figure out how to work the electronic entry.

Natalie tried not to think as she walked the hall. The day was something different than she could have ever imagined. Women running from men in the street, the screams of fear turning to cries of pleasure. She didn’t know if this was ever something she would get used to. She did know that a long report would go back to her superiors on Earth, they would want to understand this, and keep it in mind for the future.

There was a clattering of metal behind Natalie, and she turned to look behind her. She was almost halfway to her room, and her heart had almost returned to a normal pace. When she turned, a shadow seemed to fall back deeper into the corridor. 

“Hello?” She said, quickly adjusting back to her Nebu language, “Anybody there?”

No one replied, so she picked up her pace. 

Why was it that the males didn’t seem to communicate? They could talk, but it seemed like they never bothered to have a back and forth conversation. The most she saw was Sh’tani saying no to a male, and even then they were only saved by another male arriving. Were they incapable? No, the fact that they had language at all meant they could process it.

This time she was sure, she heard clinks against the walkway, another set of steps. Except, there were too many. It was as if someone was walking on their hands and feet.

She looked over her shoulder, quicker this time, and saw a reflection in the dark, large orbs reflecting the limited light, a pair of Nebu eyes. Then there was a growl, low enough to make the walls feel like they were vibrating.

Natalie screamed and began to run. Her room wasn’t far now, if she could make it, she would be safe for the night.

The sound of nails on the walkway picked up behind her, coming further and further apart as his stride grew longer. At this rate she would never escape, it was a matter of time.

What did he want with her, she wasn’t a Nebu, she shouldn’t smell anything like a Nebu woman. She turned a corner, and as she regained her pace, she heard his body slide and collide with the wall. 

She stole a glance and could see him now, a Nebu, larger than any she had seen. Her room was ahead, at the end of the hall, so close that her hands were reaching ahead to grab at the handle.

She could smell him now, hear him breathing as he charged after her. He was right on her heels, picking up speed. She couldn’t hope to keep up this pace forever, she just needed a little further, a little longer.

Her hand hit the handle, pulled, and the door opened just in time for her to squeeze in. The male slid past, unable to stop as well as he was able to accelerate.

As she tried to get the door to close, his arm reached in. The fur, it was gray.

She clamped the door down, and he gave a cry of pain. Then the door closed shut.

Natalie pushed away from the door, her heart thumping against her chest. It was over. She could hear him growling outside, his nails probing the door, but she was finally safe.

Then the door handle clicked, and the door slid open. 

She tried to stand up and move to close it again, but the male stepped into her small space, nothing much more than a desk, an open ‘seating’ area with pillows for chairs, and a bed.

Natalie froze, unsure what to do. She didn’t want to stand, but knew she couldn’t outrun him or get past him. 

He was large, his gray scale giving him an odd appearance unlike the usually dark Nebu, and his eyes locked onto her in the dim room. He sniffed, and in that moment Natalie saw a chance that this was all a fluke. If he smelled her, and recognized that she wasn’t what he was looking for, wasn’t the Nebu woman he imagined, he could leave.

She stood, and the male’s fingers moved to the switch to close the door behind him.

Natalie ignored it, and waited as he went back to all fours, stepped forward and sniffed at the air around her thighs. He took a step forward, and his arm came forward, gripping her thigh and turning her so her rear faced him. 

It was embarrassing enough that fitting into Nebu society lead to her wearing such a tight fitting outfit, but now this primitive man was sniffing at her butt, his eyes focused on her every curve.

She tried to control her breathing, hoping to avoid giving off any sign she was like the Nebu women that had been mounted today. Still, she found her heart thumping, and her knees locking.

The male stood, his height reaching past her head, his furred chest front and center before her. She could smell him now, without a doubt. That taste in her mouth, the odd flavor, it was like a musk. While her first instinct was to find it offensive, she realize it wasn’t, it was a comfortable smell, a homeborn smell.

She could feel that heat in her gut again, and her heartbeat only accelerated as she realized what was happening to her. This male was turning her on. 

The gray male barked at her.

“I don’t know what that means,” She said, unsure how well he could understand her.

His hands gripped the front of her outfit, and with a twist of his nails, ripped it away from the stomach down, exposing her flesh to the room. Then he barked again.

She recognized the bark, it would be a lie to say she didn’t. It was the same command that was barked at Sh’tani outside.

The male repeated it a third time, then began to growl. Natalie could feel her legs wobbling, and thought she feared she might regret it, she began to turn away. When she kneeled over, putting her hands onto a resting pillow, she could feel him nestle up close to her, his hands gripping her outfit and pulling it aside, the warm fur of the male pushed against her nude skin.

More than that, she felt a large pulsing warmth touch her thigh, it was him, his excitement already obvious. The Nebu gripped her side, but while she feared his nails, he didn’t use them, his hands merely positioning her nudging her forward or back as he moved closer, his tip touching her sensitive lips, his stomach pushing against her lower back.

Natalie tried to deny it, but she was stiff with anticipation, unsure what to expect, what to do. When he first pushed in, her mouth opened in shock. His warmth filled her in a way unlike any man before. He pushed in deep, and found the leverage to hold her side, caress the soft skin of her stomach. 

When he was in as deep as he could go, she could feel his hands probing her side, and she was unsure what to think. Was this to make sure she was still safe? 

His hands went to her hands, grabbed them, pinned them before her. She was beneath him now, enveloped by his size, his heat pressed up against her, his pressure up against her and within her. Then he began to move.

He started slow at first, and Natalie’s body took time to adjust to what felt like an ever expanding girth. Then he moved faster, his body sliding against her, stroking her with not only his length, but his warmth, his body. It sent thrills up her spine as he entered, and down as he left. It wasn’t long before she could hear a whine in the room, an odd noise, her own cries of pleasure.

No matter how she wanted to deny it, or fight it, she was mounted and had succumbed. She could feel her body begin to tingle, a heat rising up from her gut and spreading over her whole body. If he didn’t stop soon, if he didn’t leave her, she wouldn’t be able to hold back. Her hips were already moving in rhythm, pushing back against him as he plunged into her, her voice crying out to her unnamed partner.

Then she felt the rush, her eyes squeezing tight, her toes curling as pleasure washed over her whole body. She squeezed at his hands as they squeezed hers, and she could feel him drive in deeper as her own climax drew one from him. 

Natalie collapsed there, uncertain what to do beneath the beast that had invaded her room.

He stayed there on top of her, keeping her pinned, making a pleasant growl in her ears. With time, Natalie felt herself fading away, her eyes lilting with the exhaustion of the day. She tried to fight it, unsure what the fate was of the women caught outside, but soon her eyelids slipped closed.

When she woke up she was nude on her room floor, lying in the dark. The male was gone, and instead she found Sh’tani seated next to her. 

The Nebu female was also nude, and seemed to have enjoyed a rest as long as hers.

“What was this?” Natalie asked, “Is it like this every year?”

Sh’tani put a hand to her stomach, and made a noise of satisfaction that Natalie wouldn’t forget. “They were early,” She said, “But when it is the season, it is hard to deny…”

There was that word again, like a mix of joy and pain. Natalie decided how to translate it herself, she could check on it later. In the meantime, it seemed to her a lot like romance.