“Is that going to be a problem? We figured you’d be comfortable sharing a cabin with him. There are two bedrooms.”
“That’s fine.” Beauty tried to hide her excitement at seeing him again. “He isn’t angry at me for getting him into trouble?”
“He was never in trouble. The males were just concerned for your safety. Everyone is aware that he didn’t harm you. It’s all good.” She paused. “Do you want to talk first?”
“About what?”
Breeze lowered the bag to the floor and pressed her back against the door, staring at Beauty. “Sex.”
Her cheeks turned really warm. “No.”
“You’re going away with Shadow. He won’t offer to share sex with you but he’s still male. I’m going to give you advice whether you ask for it or not. Are you ready?”
Embarrassment filled her that the other woman could read her so well. She nodded sharply, more than willing to listen to anything Breeze had to say.
“Okay. I’ll assume you’re curious but I’m guessing any sexual experience you’ve had wasn’t enjoyable.”
Beauty fought back tears as memories surfaced. “No,” she whispered.
Anger glinted in dark-brown eyes. “I wish I could kill that bastard who had you under his thumb but that’s another day when we catch him once he returns to the States. It’s not that way when you share sex with someone who cares about you and who wants you to enjoy the experience. Our males do both. They are different from humans, which is a good thing. A Species male would never hurt you. They growl and are aggressive but saying no to them means stop. They will. Am I clear? If he’s lost in passion then just box his ears. That’s opening your hands and hitting his ears on both sides at once. You’ll have his attention. A male would never strike you back. Repeat the word ‘no’ and he’ll retreat immediately.”
It stunned Beauty, thinking about hitting one of the big men. They were fierce. “Are you sure this ear boxing won’t make a man really angry?”
“Oh, it will, but they’d never harm a female. I promise you that. That’s another huge difference between our males and the humans you met when you were in captivity. They would never find honor in harming someone they knew would be defenseless against their strength. They will skulk away to calm but return in a better mood.” She drew in a deep breath, exhaling slowly. “Shadow won’t initiate sex with you but you could go after him. Do you want me to tell you how to go about that?”
Beauty nodded.
“Strip naked. Tell him you wish to share sex. Be blunt. That way he can’t mistake it for anything else.”
“What if he doesn’t want me?”
Breeze laughed as all the tension faded from her features. “He’s male, hon. You’re beautiful. You were given that name for a reason. Shadow isn’t a moron or blind. He’ll want you. And remember this. It’s important.”
“Okay.”
“He’s more afraid of you than you are of him. Trust me on that.”
Doubt assailed her. “I believe you’re wrong.”
“I’m right. For all their macho crap, nothing is scarier to one of our males than someone they think might break under them. You haven’t seen any of our males fall for humans but I have. It’s some funny shit but don’t repeat I ever said it.” Breeze sobered. “Shadow was abused while in captivity. Just know that he’s got some sexual hang-ups too and he will be sensitive to what you have survived.”
It hurt Beauty to be reminded about Shadow’s past. “He knows what it’s like to be spun around and pinned down while someone hurts him from behind?”
Breeze closed her eyes and breathed heavily for long seconds before she focused her gaze on Beauty. Rage simmered there. “No. His suffering involved drugs and machines. Do me a favor though. Tell Shadow to take you facing him if you decide to share sex with him. Tell him it’s important and I said so. Can you do that for me?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” Breeze pushed away from the door and lifted the bag. “Let’s go. The helicopter pilots should be prepared to fly you to Reservation by now. Just tell Shadow if the flying frightens you. I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to be comforting. The ride isn’t long.”
“I’ve never been conscious before while in the air. They drugged me when I was brought here.”
“It will be fine. I’ve flown lots of times.”
The hallway was empty but Beauty wasn’t lucky enough to avoid the women when they stepped out of the elevator on the first floor. At least ten of them stood silently waiting, their expressions worried. It was Tiny who spoke first.
“Enjoy your vacation, Beauty. Have fun.” Her gaze darted to Breeze. “She’ll be safe, right? You promised.”
“She will. A very nice male is going to escort her there and he’ll keep her safe.”
Tiny shuddered a little and Halfpint stepped to her side to hold her hand. She looked nervous but obviously forced a smile. “We will miss you but we know you need some freedom.”
Beauty walked over and hugged the duo. They didn’t understand why she wanted to leave the safety of the dorm but the fact that they accepted it meant a lot to her. “I’ll be back before you notice I’m gone.”
They both appeared doubtful of that but they quickly hid their emotions. “I’m sure that’s true,” Tiny whispered. “Be careful of the male.”
“That’s fine.” Beauty tried to hide her excitement at seeing him again. “He isn’t angry at me for getting him into trouble?”
“He was never in trouble. The males were just concerned for your safety. Everyone is aware that he didn’t harm you. It’s all good.” She paused. “Do you want to talk first?”
“About what?”
Breeze lowered the bag to the floor and pressed her back against the door, staring at Beauty. “Sex.”
Her cheeks turned really warm. “No.”
“You’re going away with Shadow. He won’t offer to share sex with you but he’s still male. I’m going to give you advice whether you ask for it or not. Are you ready?”
Embarrassment filled her that the other woman could read her so well. She nodded sharply, more than willing to listen to anything Breeze had to say.
“Okay. I’ll assume you’re curious but I’m guessing any sexual experience you’ve had wasn’t enjoyable.”
Beauty fought back tears as memories surfaced. “No,” she whispered.
Anger glinted in dark-brown eyes. “I wish I could kill that bastard who had you under his thumb but that’s another day when we catch him once he returns to the States. It’s not that way when you share sex with someone who cares about you and who wants you to enjoy the experience. Our males do both. They are different from humans, which is a good thing. A Species male would never hurt you. They growl and are aggressive but saying no to them means stop. They will. Am I clear? If he’s lost in passion then just box his ears. That’s opening your hands and hitting his ears on both sides at once. You’ll have his attention. A male would never strike you back. Repeat the word ‘no’ and he’ll retreat immediately.”
It stunned Beauty, thinking about hitting one of the big men. They were fierce. “Are you sure this ear boxing won’t make a man really angry?”
“Oh, it will, but they’d never harm a female. I promise you that. That’s another huge difference between our males and the humans you met when you were in captivity. They would never find honor in harming someone they knew would be defenseless against their strength. They will skulk away to calm but return in a better mood.” She drew in a deep breath, exhaling slowly. “Shadow won’t initiate sex with you but you could go after him. Do you want me to tell you how to go about that?”
Beauty nodded.
“Strip naked. Tell him you wish to share sex. Be blunt. That way he can’t mistake it for anything else.”
“What if he doesn’t want me?”
Breeze laughed as all the tension faded from her features. “He’s male, hon. You’re beautiful. You were given that name for a reason. Shadow isn’t a moron or blind. He’ll want you. And remember this. It’s important.”
“Okay.”
“He’s more afraid of you than you are of him. Trust me on that.”
Doubt assailed her. “I believe you’re wrong.”
“I’m right. For all their macho crap, nothing is scarier to one of our males than someone they think might break under them. You haven’t seen any of our males fall for humans but I have. It’s some funny shit but don’t repeat I ever said it.” Breeze sobered. “Shadow was abused while in captivity. Just know that he’s got some sexual hang-ups too and he will be sensitive to what you have survived.”
It hurt Beauty to be reminded about Shadow’s past. “He knows what it’s like to be spun around and pinned down while someone hurts him from behind?”
Breeze closed her eyes and breathed heavily for long seconds before she focused her gaze on Beauty. Rage simmered there. “No. His suffering involved drugs and machines. Do me a favor though. Tell Shadow to take you facing him if you decide to share sex with him. Tell him it’s important and I said so. Can you do that for me?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” Breeze pushed away from the door and lifted the bag. “Let’s go. The helicopter pilots should be prepared to fly you to Reservation by now. Just tell Shadow if the flying frightens you. I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to be comforting. The ride isn’t long.”
“I’ve never been conscious before while in the air. They drugged me when I was brought here.”
“It will be fine. I’ve flown lots of times.”
The hallway was empty but Beauty wasn’t lucky enough to avoid the women when they stepped out of the elevator on the first floor. At least ten of them stood silently waiting, their expressions worried. It was Tiny who spoke first.
“Enjoy your vacation, Beauty. Have fun.” Her gaze darted to Breeze. “She’ll be safe, right? You promised.”
“She will. A very nice male is going to escort her there and he’ll keep her safe.”
Tiny shuddered a little and Halfpint stepped to her side to hold her hand. She looked nervous but obviously forced a smile. “We will miss you but we know you need some freedom.”
Beauty walked over and hugged the duo. They didn’t understand why she wanted to leave the safety of the dorm but the fact that they accepted it meant a lot to her. “I’ll be back before you notice I’m gone.”
They both appeared doubtful of that but they quickly hid their emotions. “I’m sure that’s true,” Tiny whispered. “Be careful of the male.”
