Lil pressed close to the ground and crawled towards a thin cluster of trees nearby the group.

He peered through the branches and studied them eagerly. They were older than him. By about seven or eight cycles, but they were still young enough to reproduce.

Three of them were blatantly unhealthy; skin sallow, even for a human, with skinny or unfit bodies. They would never give his eggs the nutrients they needed and Lil dismissed them instantly.

The last two were more promising. Although one of them was sucking on a white stick, lit with fire, that smelled harsh and toxic.

Lil was deeply unsettled by it, but he sat on the icy ground and waited.

Eventually one of them left the group. It was the one with the poisonous stick.

"I gotta take this." He said, waving a small electronic device at his companions.

Lil mouthed the words silently. He knew three of those words, but he was confused by the context until the Human lifted the device to his ear.

A lighter voice rang out, female, and Lil's head tilted with interest.

He didn't identify with a sex himself - Sanalons were neither male nor female - but he knew Humans (like most species) identified with two; one carried eggs and the other fertilized them.

A female host would be more convenient, because of her womb, but it wasn't strictly necessary.

"Merry Christmas, baby. No, I can't make it. You know the pace I'm working at." The male said.

Lil concentrated hard on his words. Baby? Did he already have a littling? But the voice didn't sound premature. Perhaps it was an endearment.

"Alright, but...it's my birthday next week." The female was saying, "You'll be there, right?"

The young man sighed and threw the stick to the ground, to Lil's relief, and crushed it with his boot.

Their conversation became agitated after that and Lil couldn't catch most of the words - but he could tell by the male's stance, and his expression, that he wasn't happy.

"Because it's my future. Fine. Bye." The male tapped the device in his hand and put it in his pocket.

He stepped further away from the group, reaching the edge of Lil's hideout, and took a trembling breath.

Lil saw a shine of tears in the male's brown eyes and his chest tightened with sympathy. He took a deep breath himself, feeling the eggs heavy in his belly, and stood slowly.

His suit rippled to match the branches around him, but his movement was enough for the male to notice him.

For a moment the Human just stared blankly, mouth falling open. His lips were wide and full and his teeth were straight and healthy, despite the poisonous stick.

Lil smiled and waved his hand the way he'd seen Humans do on screen. "Hi."

The male's eyes widened and he took two fast steps forward.

Lil's smile faltered and he moved back uncertainly. His canines were sharp, and he was quick, but this male could easily overpower him with his bone density alone.

"Noah! You coming?" One of the Humans shouted and the male, Noah, called back.

"Yeah, in a minute!"

When those brown eyes focused back on Lil all traces of tears were gone and they'd taken on a sharp gleam.

Lil darted behind a tree and peaked warily past the trunk. His instincts warned him of danger, but his heat was making it difficult to focus.

"Hey," The male's gaze softened and his voice lowered to a gentle murmur, "are you lost? Do you need some help?"

Lil liked that tone very much, but he hesitated still. There was something predatory in the male's face, but that could also be a sign of sexual dominance.

Lil had studied a lot of moving images of Humans mating and he understood that bigger male's usually dominated. Lil hoped this male wouldn't resent him, if he was to carry his eggs.

"I'm Noah. You're not from around here, are you?" The male spoke again, still using that wonderfully soothing voice.

Lil wet his lips nervously and saw the male's dark eyes dart down to follow the movement. And there it was. Sexual interest. Lil was sure of it.

"N-noo. I'm not." The words felt clumsy and off-key in his mouth and Lil wished he'd practiced more. He didn't want Noah to think he was stupid.

But Noah began to smile, flashing those white teeth, and brushed a swathe of dark brown hair away from his eyes.

"I thought so. Are you cold? Do you want to come inside?" Noah asked and held out a hand, palm up.

Lil considered that hand a moment. It was long fingered and broad with a flush of blue and green veins beneath beige skin. It almost looked like his mother's colors, but without the pearlescent shine. She was a Felune and Lil had inherited her eyes.

The resemblance was reassuring and he took another deep breath for courage and reached out slowly.

Their hands touched and the male's skin was warm and full of water. Lil sensed the moisture running beneath the dermis and he hoped his own skin didn't feel dry in the cold.

Noah's fingers closed gently around Lil's palm and pulled him closer. He stank of the smoke from the stick, but Lil held his breath and focused on the male's pleasing features.

"Where are you from?" Noah breathed and Lil smiled; this was going so much better than he could have hoped.

"Anoter woorld." He attempted and glanced up at the sky meaningfully.

"Noah, what the hell are...is that a girl?" One of the unhealthy males, with a large nose and short yellow hair, focused on Lil and his teasing grin faded to a look of shock.

"Holy shit, is that paint?" Big nose exclaimed and Lil pulled back, only to have Noah's fingers crush his hand and jerk him forward.

"I don't think so." Noah's eyes were alight with excitement and Lil writhed in his grip.

"Let goo! Let goo!" He demanded, reaching for his knife, but Noah trapped him in a bear hug and forced his arms to his sides.

"Brian, take his..." Noah's voice cut off in a shout when Lil bit his shoulder, sharp fangs slicing through layers of fabric and piercing skin.

"Aarr! Fuck!" Strong fingers gripped Lil's long hair and ripped his head back.

It hurt terribly and Lil screamed for help in his own tongue. A rough hand clamped over his mouth, fingers digging into his soft jaw, and forced it shut.

"Agh!" Noah shook his arm and Brian cackled with nervous laughter.

"You're gonna need a tetanus shot!"

———————————————

And that was how Lil found himself dragged inside the building, bound to a table and stripped to his skin.

He fought, but his strength was no match for the Humans tough bones, and one of the males struck his stomach carelessly; crushing several of his eggs.

Lil howled with loss, but they simply strapped a gag to his mouth.

Needles lined with tubes were attached to his arms and filled his bloodstream with stinging chemicals. It briefly made him tired, before it travelled to the surface of his skin and evaporated.

They examined him for hours; prodding and inspecting each of his openings. One of them even unfurled his member to its full length and opened its petals with a sharp little instrument that left a nauseating pain.

They ran hand-held lights over his body that burned his skin and made him drink something that made his head ache and his stomach roil. He threw up the little food he'd eaten that day and drooled pitifully around the gag.

The Humans eventually left him in the dark; terrified, hurting and dangerously dehydrated.

—-————————————-

Some hours later Noah returned and the lights switched on in a blaze of white. Lil cringed away and hissed low in his throat.

Noah approached him and touched his arm, stroking his skin with warm fingers.

His pale features were stark and harsh in the icy light and Lil wondered how he'd ever found this male attractive.

"Like rubber." Noah murmured to himself and made a note on the digital tablet in his hands.

He checked the screen beside Lil's table and walked to a metal contraption in the corner that ran water, when you passed your hand over it.

Noah filled a cup, moved back to Lil's side and wiped a wet finger across his pink skin. Lil instantly absorbed it and his body cried out for more.

With a thoughtful expression Noah lifted the cup and tipped the contents all over Lil's torso.

The cold came as a shock and Lil jerked in his restraints, then calmed when the water flowed into him. It was full of strange metals and chemicals, but it still provided immense relief.

Noah touched Lil's chest lightly, feeling the softness with a wondrous expression.

"Incredible." He breathed and his palm brushed over Lil's nipple.

Lil twitched and trembled beneath the touch. He didn't want this Human anymore, but he was in heat and he couldn't help his response. His member was already stirring; eager to slide into a warm vessel and fill it with young.

Dark brown eyes shot up to meet his stare and there it was again; Noah was definitely interested and Lil felt tears slide down his cheeks.

How could he have been so stupid? He was only fifteen cycles, fresh out of his parents nest, and he'd never fought a day in his life. Why couldn't he just have controlled himself and waited until next season?

Noah's hand slid down Lil's body in a way that was both repellent and arousing. He didn't want this, but there was nothing he could do to stop it.

To be continued...

A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter please comment and 💜

A brief summary on Lil's character and species:

Name: Liliyanen. (Pronounced: Leel-Leey-ah-nén).

Age: 15 years old.

Species: Sanalon.

Sanalons are an endangered hermaphrodite water species from the planet Qantin. They are unable to interbreed and insert their eggs into a 'host', where they develop for five years before one or two hatch. In the event of an unwilling host the Sanalon injects a stream of calming endorphins to subdue their partner. Due to their controversial mating ritual Sanalons are banned on several planets and many consider them parasites.