Chapter 4.
These and other memories passed through his mind as he sat quietly on the edge of the nest. He was still uncomfortable staying this close to his mate, especially at night. But soon after the infant’s arrival, he felt a need to remain close; out of curiosity; but also out of a need to watch over and protect them.
As he sat there contentedly, watching his son suckle, his mind wandered back to that day, not so long ago.
It was the day they met in the clearing. He remembered reaching out to touch her face, not with the knuckles on the back of his hand (as was customary in his former “family”), but with the palm open, fingers extended. He remembered how she flinched at his touch, but remained still as his hand gently cupped her face. Most of all, he remembered the look in her eyes. His heart seemed to skip a beat as he remembered how she touched his face in return. She KNEW! And she knew how to let him know that she understood!
He remembered her scent. She was nearing estrus. Up until that moment he had been completely unaware. From the moment of their meeting in the clearing, all his attention had been focused on the wonder of the event. Overwhelmed as the implications raced through his head, he started when she arose from her position. Holding eye contact for another brief moment, she turned away from him, presenting herself.
What took place then lasted only a few seconds. He remembered grasping her hips and thrusting, then thrusting again, and again. Then the explosion. His mind reeled as his body quaked with the exertion of his first-ever ejaculation.
Afterwards, an uneasy silence descended on them. She had not wandered off as he had seen others in the “family” do in the past. Instead she had turned again toward him and sat down. He had no idea what to do next. He looked at her face, her hand, then down toward that place on her body where he had so recently been. Finally, not knowing what else to do, he stood and shuffled uncertainly toward the safety of the undergrowth. Looking back over his shoulder, he saw that she was following.
The rest of that day was one of confusion and uncertainty for both of them. Neither knew quite what to do next. Instincts weren’t the problem. Each had succumbed to that dominant part of their nature, more out of the drive for self-preservation than anything else. But the ‘conscious’ aspects of this new relationship presented a whole new set of rules.
Accurate communication was going to be crucial if they were to survive. Both of them knew this. But could they communicate this to each other? To try to do so in broad daylight was fraught with too much danger. It was too distracting. One needed to be wary in order to survive. Better that they wait for the cover of darkness to conceal them.
In the early evening they selected a tree set well apart from the others, with a good view of the surrounding area. Then, after watering and other duties, they both quickly ran up into the thick foliage and built sleeping nests.
Neither had any idea what they were going to do next. For both of them this was a complete departure from the reality in which they had previously existed. Each of them knew that the other was experiencing exactly the same thing. Each had departed their former family knowing that they would never return, regardless of the outcome of their meeting. Each of them had chosen to risk being left totally alone rather than not make the effort to communicate with the other.
As the light began to fade, they sat close to each other, looking into each other’s eyes, touching, caressing, holding, communicating as much as they were able.