Jack's Daily Grind

Jack looked over at the Queen and her smile was brilliant. He looked at Aaros and she was looking at the Prince's plate with more than a little unease. He turned to the Prince.

"I would be honored to share the meat with you!" Jack replied.

The Prince's smile was huge! FennHark made one more attempt to interfere and FennLann snarled at him. FennHark shut up but he looked gloomy.

The plate contained a slab of red meat cooked so the center was bloody. Not Jack's favorite but for the sake of ceremony he'd give it a go.

The Prince cut a large piece off and picked it up in his fingers. He tore a piece off with his teeth, chewed it and swallowed it quickly. He handed the chunk to Jack who tore a piece off and chewed it. When he swallowed it the Prince howled so Jack joined in. When they finished they smiled at each other and the Prince turned to Queen Elissa and bowed deeply. It was the most profound display of respect the Phem Kalos had ever made to the Altarians. Jack was picking up the scent of the Queen's regard for him again and he began to ache with need.

He looked away from the Queen and his eyes were trapped by gold ones. They seemed to be looking into his soul. She saw the meat in his fingers and he reached forward to offer it to her. She leaned forward and ate the meat directly from his fingers. As her lips kissed his fingertips his need rocketed and he felt a rumbling in his chest as he growled. He pulled his hand back and saw the Princess had a faint smile on her lips as she chewed the meat. FennLann was grinning as he watched his cousin and Jack. Another chime rang and Aaros led Jack back to his seat. Gold eyes followed him the entire way.

"Jack! Use the herbs!" Aaros hissed to him.

He blinked and reached to his pocket. He held it to his nose and breathed in deeply. He repeated this two more times and tucked it back into his pocket as he held his breath. He felt his heartrate slow and his mind was clearing. The ache eased but didn't go away. There had been just too much stimulation. He needed time and fresh air with no female musk.

Jack looked down and saw his plate had been cleared. The second course was in front of him and it was a vegetable he wasn't able to digest so he had to pass. All he'd had to eat was the small bite of rare meat. He felt his stomach question what it had just received. It hadn't seen meat in a very long time.

The rest of the dinner flowed by and Aaros spoke with the waiter to bring Jack something substantial as he seemed a little wobbly. The kitchen staff snuck a sandwich out of the kitchen loaded with a variety of veggies and a thick layer of a protein rich spread Jack liked. He smiled gratefully at Aaros and practically inhaled the sandwich. He felt so much better afterwards.

The desserts came out signalling the end of the meal and Jack was about to eat his when he was flagged down once more by the Prince. He went up to the head table, once more bowing to the Queen then walked over to the Prince.

"This dessert is a rare treat from our planet. Please try one." FennLann offered a plate with a number of small pastries with a meaty center. Jack popped one in his mouth and bit down. The center was a little squishy but it had a delicious nutty flavor. He caught on pretty quickly that the squishy part was some form of insect larvae but he'd eaten more outrageous things when he was learning wilderness survival techniques during his stint as a forest ranger back on Earth. He also knew that the insect larvae wouldn't have been allowed through the Gate onto Altaria if it hadn't been biologically safe for the environment.

"Delicious! Is the larvae only available for limited time?" Jack asked.

Aaros looked a little ill and gaped at Jack.

FennLann laughed at Aaros' look of dismay and pointed at Jack. "I knew I wouldn't be able to shock you!"

Jack smiled and looked into gold eyes once more. The Princess was holding out a light little puff pastry, one of the Altarian desserts. She had that little smile on her lips again. Jack leaned forward and she slipped the morsel into his mouth. She left her fingers between his lips so he gently kissed her finger pads as he pulled back. Her eyes glowed and she licked her lips as she pulled her hand back.

He headed back to his table with Aaros and pulled the packet of herbs out again. He inhaled deeply but it wasn't helping.

"Aaros, the herbs... they're becoming less effective. There's too much-"

The final chime sounded and people got up from their table and began to mingle.

Aaros looked at him with concern. Surrounding Jack with admiring Altarian females was going to be problematic. It was too early in the event for him to make a graceful exit too. Maybe she could get him out to the balcony where he could get some fresh air.

Jack's eyes spotted the Prince's Councillors make a beeline to the bar. He hadn't pictured them as the type to drink.

The Prince and his cousin approached his table as he and Aaros stood up. SennLann was no longer clinging to her cousin and now he could really see the languid fluidity of her walk. Mesmerizing!

Queen Elissa walked over with them and gave Jack a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek before she moved on to another group requiring her attention. Jack felt flushed so he fished the little bag of herbs out of his pocket and took some deep sniffs. He felt a small hand on his and opened his eyes to see wide gold eyes staring at the little white bag. Her nose was twitching madly and she was licking her lips in little darting motions. She tugged at the bag but Jack didn't let go as his head was still swimming from the Queen's musk. SennLann's sharp nail cut a small hole in the pouch causing some leaves to spill out and fall. She scrambled and caught them.

Jack watched in surprise as she rubbed them on her face under her nose and she quickly nibbled at a few. She snorted cutely and her eyes began to shine again. She grinned at Jack.

Jack was going to ask her what the herbs did for her but FennHark arrived with a tray of wine glasses with white wine. He handed one to FennLann and one to SennLann. Then he held the tray while FennDurr and Jack took a glass. Aaros abstained as she was on duty. The Councillor took one and set the tray with the remaining glass on a nearby table.

FennHark then offered a toast but Jack's eyes were drawn back to the Princess as he noticed she had some leaves stuck to her upper lip. Automatically he reached over to brush them off. One landed in her wine which immediately turned black. Jack went still.

In the background FennHark was struggling to get their attention back to his toast but Jack's buzzing mind drowned him out. He still had the packet in his hand so he dropped a leaf into his own wine but nothing happened. He sniffed his wine and it smelled normal. He took a sip and it tasted fine.

FennHark blustered to the end of his toast and Jack saw the Princess lifting her glass. Without thinking he reached out and plucked the glass from her fingers. She froze with wide eyes as he handed her his glass. Her eyes flared and she smiled that sexy little smile at him. She accepted the glass and took a sip. Jack looked at the Councillor who stared back expressionless but the muscles in his jaw were jumping.

FennLann was watching Jack with a serious expression. He hadn't taken a sip from his glass yet. Jack set the suspect glass down on the tray. Then he reached over and dropped a leaf in the Prince's glass. Nothing happened. Jack felt his shoulder muscles relax. Curious. When he looked back the Councillors were walking away and the glass with the black wine was gone as well.

"Jack? What's going on?" Aaros asked.

"I don't know. The Princess' wine reacted strangely to the herbs. Hers was the only one which did." He looked at the Prince questioningly but the young Phem Kalos was watching the backs of his retreating councillors with wide eyes. He looked back at Jack.

FennLann's face then split into a wide grin. "The Fun Thing!" he gushed. "It's time!"

Jack grinned in return though he still felt a little uneasy.

"Perhaps we could get some fresh air first," Aaros stressed knowing Jack was struggling.

He looked at her with a smile. "That's an excellent idea! Let's head out to the balcony!"

The Prince frowned but Jack leaned in to whisper. "That's where the fun thing is." The young warrior immediately brightened up and practically dragged their group outside. SennLann slid up next to Jack and took his arm. She looked up at him with a smile and once more he was lost in her intense gaze. Then they were outside and the fresh cool air washed the haze from Jack's brain. A few other couples were there and a small group of officials discussing something dull. In a corner was his surprise covered by a sheet.

The Prince made for it and was about to pull the cover off when Jack laid a hand on his arm.

"First things first," Jack said. The Prince looked at the covered object with frustration but nodded.

"The combat technique I am about to demonstrate to you is ancient on my planet. Two opponents meet in a very controlled environment to eliminate outside variables and pit their will and strength against each other. As I mentioned, it is a bloodless battle but there are dangers. Done incorrectly, pitted against unbalanced forces, it is not unknown for bones to break. Technique is extremely important and skill must be built up over time to perfect your battles. Jack pulled back the cover on the table and breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the Embassy Couriers got his order right.

It was a tall table with four bright red foam pads bolted to the top and the two red hand grip dowels bolted at opposite edges.

FennLann, SennLann and Aaros all went still with confusion looking at the odd placement of the objects on the table surface. The Prince was especially confused. "This... seems rather anticlimactic."

Jack laughed then held up his hands. "It's just the arena. Each of these has a function but the arena is kept simple for a very good reason. This is an arm wrestling table."

Jack took his tuxedo jacket off and with a smile he put it around SennLann's shoulders as she looked just a little chilly. Her eyes flared once more and he felt the heat in their gaze.

The Prince's ears perked up with the word 'wrestling' as Jack had expected. "Do as I do," Jack said as he stood on one side of the table. He took a grip on the dowel with his left hand and placed his right elbow on the square pad on the table, his arm pointed up and hand ready to clasp his opponent's hand.

FennLann's face split into a grin as he caught on to how this worked.

"OK, just to get started here are a few simple rules. Your left hand must remain on the dowel. Your right elbow has to remain on the pad at all times. You cannot touch your hand with your body during the match. Push your opponents arm down to touch the touch pad to win. Matches begin when the referee says go. Oh! And no claws!" Jack added as he realized the Phem Kalos were armed with deadly retractable finger hooks.

He showed FennLann how to grip palm to palm then they were ready. A crowd was gathering but they ignored it.

"Jack, you explained to me earlier that these battles were used to win fortunes. Care to place a wager on this match?" FennLann smiled craftily. Jack had been expecting that.

"It's our first match. We don't know how compatible our musculature is. Maybe we should wait for our second match," Jack reasoned.

"But the first match is the one with the most potential. It must be the first match!" he said excitedly.

Jack grinned at his enthusiasm. "Fine! What did you have in mind?"

"If I win I want this table and more lessons on winning techniques! Should you pull off a miracle and defeat me you may have this amulet." FennLann pulled a necklace from his shirt and Jack saw an amulet on it with some kind of family crest. Jack had already planned on giving the table to the young warrior so it wasn't a loss to him but he was uneasy about taking a family heirloom. He couldn't throw the match.

Jack didn't see SennLann go still when her cousin offered him the amulet.

"Well... Human?" FennLann grinned. Jack nodded.

Jack explained how to referee the match to Aaros who then put her hand on top of their tight grip. On 'Go' she lifted her hand and jumped back. Jack immediately went on the defensive as the Prince surged forward. Jack grimaced and stared into the smiling eyes of the Prince.

Jack detected the Prince was pushing in pulses, maybe it was technique or maybe it was how Phem Kalos muscles worked, in bursts. Jack built up his energy and waited for a trough in the pulses from the Prince's arm. With a grunt he attacked and the Prince snorted as his arm was pushed back a little. Jack built up once more and surged. They were back to their starting position. The smile was gone from the Prince's eye. A look of determination replaced it and he struggled to find Jack's technique. Jack poured on the energy and roared as he pushed FennLann's arm closer and closer to the touch pad. Then it was down. Aaros tapped the table to indicate a win. The crowd roared. FennLann smiled and shook Jack's hand.

"You are a worthy opponent!" the Prince said. He walked around the table and took the necklace from his neck and placed it over Jack's head. He then surprised Jack by pulling him into a tight hug. "Take good care of her Jack. She is precious to me!" FennLann whispered into Jack's ear.

FennHark and FennDurr roughly pushed through the crowd eliciting shouts of outrage from the Altarian guests.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" FennHark raged.

"I have completed the Phem Kalos bonding ceremony. Jack Danner has shared his food, drink and his warmth with the Princess. Now he has defeated her guardian in combat. She is his. It is Law."

"WHAT?" Jack and Aaros yelled. The nearby guests also gasped in shock and a buzz spread back through the gathered crowd.

"Impudent pup! You meddle with things you have no experience or right to deal with," FennDurr growled at the Prince.

"Better she lives on Altaria with an honorable being than die a puppet in your bid to start a new war between our peoples," the Prince growled back.

At the look of shock on the Councillor's faces FennLann dropped the overeager warrior act and a look of cold cunning slipped onto his features. "I've been aware of your plotting since the outset but I didn't know how you planned on doing it. Bringing one of our most precious resources to Altaria threw me off track as the thought of harming a female was so far outside of my ability to conceive. When Jack prevented SennLann's poisoning it was the final push for my mind to accept how monstrous my uncles had become. How thirsty you are for the blood of a war that no one wants. No one but you ancient fossils."

FennDurr roared and rushed at FennLann. FennHark went for SennLann thinking he could still salvage their bid to start a war if the Princess was killed on the enemy's world.

Jack plowed into him from the side knocking him away from SennLann and the two rolled onto the floor. They grappled and FennHark rolled onto his back with Jack on his chest. He had his left arm around Jack's chest with his claws dug into his shoulder. His right hand had a knife and he was trying to pull his arm down to drive it into Jack's chest. Jack had a grip on the arm but he was weakening.

Jack desperately tried to headbutt FennHark but instead heard a sickening wet thunk as the point of his horn drove through the Councillor's eye into his brain. FennHark stiffened and twitched then went slack. Jack pulled free and shook himself.

He looked to where FennDurr was beating FennLann against the balcony edge. The next moment Jack was charging full out. At the last moment FennLann saw Jack and dropped himself to the floor. FennDurr spun in place. Jack crashed into the big warrior's chest who flew backwards and up. His legs caught the balcony edge but his heavy torso pulled him over the top. FennLann grappled Jack's legs to keep him from following.

Seconds later there was a loud crash as FennDurr's body landed atop a press truck.

Jack sank to his butt panting and shaking with reaction. He leaned back against the wall and looked over at FennLann who was battered, bruised, and bleeding but alive and smiling back at Jack. "You are a very worthy opponent but a better friend I think!"

Jack smiled then a black furred Phem Kalos female was on his lap clinging to him. She grabbed his face and kissed him. Her clever tongue darted into his mouth and tangled with his and his need exploded. Rational thought washed away as he kissed her deeply and ran his hands over her sleek form. She purred as his hands touched her and she dragged him to the floor. She ground herself against him and he felt like he might pass out from how good that felt. He felt his cock pulled free of his pants then the indescribable bliss of it slipping into the hot velvet depths of a female. SennLann rode him hard and fast, undulating her body like a whip as she panted and moaned against his neck. Jack was so over primed he didn't last long but neither did she. He erupted into her and the need broke. That pressure, the unending ache, was gone. He felt a satisfaction like he'd never had before. His mind cleared and he floated on the bliss.

Then hands were pulling them apart. That was WRONG! He NEEDED her! His eyes snapped open and he looked at the tragic expression on Aaros' face.

"I'm so sorry Jack! She got to you before we could stop her. She was overcome with emotion. Oh Jack. I'm so sorry!" Aaros cried.

Then reality reared its ugly head and kicked him in the teeth. The Challenge. The Abstinence Clause. Banishment. He sat up and saw SennLann was being held back by her cousin who looked like he was in a lot of pain. Jack noticed he was still showing so he tucked himself back into his pants. He stood up and wobbled but hands steadied him.

"Jack. She must go with you. It is our way," the Prince said quietly.

Jack looked into her desperate gold eyes and felt his heart being pulled in multiple directions. He nodded and held out his arm. She was instantly against him and he felt the rumble of her purr.

He looked at Aaros. "How does this work? Am I kicked off the planet immediately? Can I go home and pack?"

"We go back to your apartment and get some rest. Tomorrow at 10AM we will meet your combatant and I will notify him that you have defaulted. You will then be taken to the Gate and sent away. You take nothing with you but the clothes on your back."

"Ah. OK. Well, do you suppose I might be welcome on Phem Kalos?" Jack asked the Prince.

"You are welcome in my heart but as you have killed a Councillor..." The Prince was looking at FennHark but paused to look over the balcony edge to see FennDurr impaled on some jagged metal below, quite dead. "...two Councillors, you would not be welcome on the planet. Also, SennLann must never again set foot on Phem Kalos soil. Were she to return she would be executed for having sex outside our species. These are both ancient and stupid laws I am powerless to change."

"Ah. Well. That's going to make my choice of destination more difficult. I'm not exactly welcome on Earth either," he sighed. "I'll think about it tomorrow. Let's go home."

Chapter 7

Jack woke with the strangest sensation. A tickling, scratching sensation on his balls and his cock was standing to attention as was its normal morning routine. He looked to his right and saw Aaros' back as she slept on her side of the bed.

He carefully lifted the sheets and he saw golden eyes looking up at him. He gestured for SennLann to climb up and she did, eyes on his, dragging her body slowly up his, rubbing against his cock the entire way. He sucked in his breath as his eyes closed with the wonderful sensation. Then he felt her lips on his and her tongue darted into his mouth. He sucked on it and she moaned and squirmed against his body. God! She moved like she had no bones!