Here is a gratuitous and unnecessary vore scene thrown in for your enjoyment. This is a shorter chapter, but the story gets on in chapter 4.


Chapter 3

Jake had not been in the air for more than a minute when he caught sight of telltale ripples in the water. Skimming down close to the ocean surface, he snatched the fish out of the water with his bill. It was lucky he had found anything. Sam was primarily a fish-eating bird, and probably wouldn’t eat anything ese. The herring was just the right size. Flying back to the cave, he gave the fish to Sam.

She took it shyly, hesitantly stepping towards him and then backing away to a greater distance. He could tell she was still quite afraid of him.

“Thanks for the fish. Do you want to share?”

“Nah, the whole thing’s too small for me. I've still got to go get mine.”

“Okay." She murmured, "good lu- g... good hunting. I hope you catch something.”

“I do too! I'll be back soon.”

He stepped out of the cave, and into the air, heading off towards a new hunting ground he had found last week. He had eaten several mice there, and a second helping was just what he needed. Although mice weren’t normal fare for seabirds, he particularly enjoyed them; they tasted good and slid easily down his gullet. Gulls were nothing if not opportunists.

Jake set out towards his goal, passing craggy cliffs, beaches and sand bars as he skillfully rode the thermals, gliding with little effort over the scenic terrain. Hunger twisted in his belly, rumbling with growling urgency. Jake urged himself onwards, eagerly approaching his goal. Faster! He could see the green grass from here now, just over a mile away.

Two minutes later, he alighted gently on the grassy plain, waiting among the tall grass for any sign of dinner. The blades of grass whispered quietly around him. There was a gentle sea breeze blowing, but it was already beginning to fade with the coming dusk. Jake could see it gently swaying the flowers that intermittently dotted the field around him.

There was a rustling to his left. Turning, he jumped into the air with a single flap of his wings, catching sight of a brown shape streaking through the grass. In a blur of motion, he dropped down onto the prey, seizing the unsuspecting mouse in his bill. Pleased with his success, Jake eagerly lifted his thrashing prize into the air, beginning to salivate in anticipation of the coming meal. He quickly snapped up the frantically squirming mouse and then tossed his head back, swallowing hard to sate the hunger within his belly. A slight lump slid down the length of his elegantly curved neck before vanishing into the depths of his belly. A shiver of satisfaction ruffled black and white feathers.

Then Jake glanced around quickly, making sure no one else was planning to steal his hunting ground, and then took to the air again. Turning his attention back to the ground, Jake quickly located another mouse. This one put up more of a fight, just managing to slip past his jaws as they snapped shut behind it. Jake flapped his wings, flying over the fleeing mouse and striking from above. Against sharp beak and hungry intellect, the prey stood no chance. Snatching the mouse from the ground with his bill, Jake raised his prize triumphantly into the air. With a flick of the neck, he tossed the prey into his eager jaws, glomming the mouse in a single bite. Jake paused a moment, enjoying the terrified squirming of the prey against his tongue. The prey’s delicious flavor urged him to swallow, and he did just that, gulping eagerly. This mouse was larger and more spirited than the last one, however it was still easily small enough to swallow in one gulp. His throat undulated, neck feathers protruding slightly as the mouse was forced down his gullet, sliding wonderfully into his crop.

The next mouse thrashed and squirmed weakly, desperately trying to escape the grip of his bill. Jake could see fear in his prey's eyes as he lifted the squirming prey high into the air. With a flick of his neck, he quickly snapped the mouse up. Beginning to feel hunger less urgently now, he took some time to savor the flavor of his prey, eagerly licking and tasting the mouse with his tongue. He was drooling copiously now, reveling in predatory delight at the wonderful feeling of the squirming mouse rubbing against his tongue. The pleasant sensation urged him to feed. He swallowed hard, the distinct ‘ulk’ of his gullet muscles audibly ramming the unwilling prey violently down his gullet. A slight lump slid down the length of his neck before disappearing into his stomach.

From the air, he could see the mice easily as they sprinted through the grass, trying to get away from the carnage. With the hard edge of his hunger mostly dulled, Jake began feeding in a more leisurely fashion. Grabbing yet another mouse up in his bill, he slowly, teasingly tilted his head back, allowing the mouse to slide down his tongue completely into the grip of his waiting jaws. He closed his bill around the mouse, teasingly licking the prey, soaking it in his avian saliva. Feeling the mouse rubbing against his tongue, he gulped gently, slowly and deliberately forcing the mouse into his throat. He reveled in the pleasant helpless wriggling as the prey slid slowly down his gullet. Feeling the food lump slow and stop, he swallowed again, forcing the bulge in his gullet the rest of the way into his waiting belly.

Swallowing two more mice in rapid succession, Jake finally felt too gorged to eat any more. Keening contentedly to himself, he nodded in approval, resting for a moment to allow his full stomach time to settle. He could still feel his prey squirming, pressed inside of his crop.

After the fact, Jake felt a bit dismayed at how gluttonously he had eaten. The hunger that had gnawed in his stomach had been especially strong tonight, even though just a few hours earlier he had been completely sated. It was probably a result of his close contact with Sam. Shamefully, he had to admit he had felt a slight predatory inclination towards her back in the cave. She was just too similar to the prey types he enjoyed eating.

Despite his feelings, any temptation he had to eat the puffin was far outweighed by his sympathy for her. She was hurt, and he would protect her as long as she needed it. Besides, he needed the companionship at this point. Seascape Reach was lonely. Everything was well under his control, and given time, he hoped his instincts would diminish as he got to know her better. His only fear was that she had noticed. Sam had seemed slightly nervous right before he had left on his hunt. Jake knew that if she had perceived that hidden longing she would never fully trust him. Sighing, he put the bleak thoughts out of his mind. The sun had set, and it was time to head back home.

Jake took to the air once more, flapping his enormous wings to lift himself from the ground. Slowly gaining altitude, he set a course for home, gliding leisurely with the dying sea breeze across the rapidly darkening landscape. The flight was smooth and satisfying and gradually his mood began to improve. He could feel the pleasing weight of his meal pulling downwards within him. The struggles of the prey within his belly were becoming fainter now. Soon, they would stop all together. He sighed in contentment.

Catching sight of a glimmer to his right, he spotted the first rays of the moon rising tenderly over the black sea. Soft, pearly white light enveloped the world, enchanting the ocean with a sparkling luster. Long shadows spread across the landscape below as it was bathed in moonlight. ‘It's getting late’ he thought, quickening his pace. Sam would be waiting for him (or more likely dreading his return), and he had already taken longer than he promised. Dipping low, he sped across the waves, rapidly approaching the cliffs of home. The exhilarating rush of the wind through his feathers was as good as ever, and as natural as breathing. Accelerating faster and faster, Jake soon reached top speed, the waves flashing by below at nearly fifty miles an hour. Seeing that the cliff was close ahead, he braked sharply upwards, rapidly gaining altitude. In one smooth arc, his flight climbed skywards, turning so that his path intersected directly with the shelf on the edge of his dwelling. The tight maneuver had greatly sapped his speed, and he was now moving at a leisurely pace once again. Gliding smoothly up to the cliff face, he braked, tail feathers fanning and wings flaring for the final descent, stalling just as his feet touched the ground.

Jake could feel the warm blood energy of exercise pumping vitality through his body, feeling more alive than ever. He paused a moment, to catch his breath, and enjoyed the cool breeze blowing gently outside the cave entrance. He hadn't pulled stunts like that since coming to Seascape, and had forgotten just how fun it could be. Speed for speed's sake was something that he rarely enjoyed. It simply wasted too much energy.

Inside the cave, Sam seemed to be looking curiously at the small pile of trinkets he kept near his sleeping space.

“Jake! You're back. Did you find anything?”

“I sure did” he said, thinking of his pleasantly full belly.

“That's good” Sam said, looking visibly relieved. Jake figured she was afraid he might eat her if he was still hungry.

Changing the subject, she asked “What are these?” Gesturing at the pile of trinkets with a wing.

“Just some random junk I’ve found on the beach.”

“I don’t recognize most of it” Sam confessed.

“It’s mostly stuff humans left behind.”

Pointing at a piece of blue sea glass with his beak he explained,

“This is a smooth bit of some old bottle. I grabbed it because I liked the color.”

He gave it a tap, sliding it over to her, the glass making a clear ping as his beak hit the hard material.

“The color is quite nice” Sam admitted. “Is it your favorite?”

“Nah, I like slightly darker shade of blue, like the sea on a clear day.”

“Oh…”

There was a bit of an awkward silence. What would she say to him, a predator?

“What's your favorite color?” He asked, curious to see how’d she respond.

“My favorite's orange, like the color of the sky at sunset.”

“I’d’ve pegged you for green, but sunsets are fine too!"

San cast her gaze shyly on the ground. “I guess so.”

A moment passed in silence and then Sam asked “What about these other things? What are they?”

“Alright, this one- pointing to a small golden disk- is an old coin of some sort. I found it half buried in the sand just above the tide line on that beach I was talking about.”

Pushing the coin aside he continued.

“This is an old watch that stopped running a long time ago, this is a tea box, and that's a foam keychain float.”

He looked over to Sam, trying to gauge whether any of this interested her or not, and whether he should continue. She did appear curious, if a bit too shy to come and take a closer look. He pointed to a worn red triangle and a long thin string hanging on an outcropping on the wall.

“Over here is an old flag and a bit of rope.”

“What is a ‘watch’ for?” Sam asked suddenly.

“Humans don’t know when to eat or sleep without it.”

Jake smiled, tapping the watch face with his beak.
“This one doesn’t work anymore, not that’d it’d do much good to a seabird if it did.”

Sam smiled shyly, but kept her distance. Sliding the glass back towards the rest of the pile, she shivered, fluffing up her feathers for warmth. The temperature had dropped noticeably since the sun went down.

Sensing that she might be tired, Jake stretched and then laid himself down on the ground. He figured she would feel more comfortable if he fell asleep first.

“I'm going to get some sleep now if that's okay.”

“Sure. I think I might try sleeping soon, too.”
Sam replied.

Jake tucked his head under his wing, adjusting himself into a more comfortable position for sleeping. Today had been a long day and he realized he actually was tired. Sleep, when it came was most welcome.

……….

Sam watched Jake for a few moments before she was sure he had fallen asleep. Although he had shown no predatory interest in her, Sam still didn't exactly trust him. She was vulnerable in sleep, and wanted to be sure that the gull had dropped off before she decided to go. Distancing herself slightly, she tucked in a few feet away. The wind was cold, and she shivered, ruffling her feathers in an attempt to get warm. It felt as if she lay awake for hours trying to find some comfort in the cold grey stone of the chilly cave. Tossing about in an attempt to find warmth she didn’t fall asleep until a great deal later. When it finally came her rest was fitful at best.

……….

Jake awoke to a change in the light later that night. Casting a gaze at the cave entrance he noticed that the moon was no longer shining through. It was very dark inside the cave and would be several hours still until dawn. Adjusting his position to fall back asleep, he noticed Sam shivering in a corner. The air had become bitterly cold, and she was shifting uncomfortably in her sleep, seeming just moments away from awakening. He felt a pang of pity at the sight, and abandoned his sleeping space, extending his wing over Sam to shield her from the cold. Although she had never been truly awake, her body noticeably relaxed as he warmly enveloped her. Drifting back towards sleep himself, Jake gently cradled his neck around her, surrounding Sam in a warm embrace of soft downy feathers. The world faded away with blissful indifference.