“You would consider that over the simplest solution?” he demanded.
She shrugged, tucking a tuft of curls that had escaped her ponytail back behind her ear. “I see it this way—you walking up and smearing whatever you ejaculated into your hand on me, which will not only be cold but an uncomfortable experience, versus getting it from the source and perhaps finding some pleasure while we’re together. Unless that violates a cultural taboo for you. I’ve heard Ragoru only sexually enjoy their mates—I’m not sure if it is because they choose not to, or are biologically incapable of doing so. Are Mintars similar in that respect?”
Faltz frowned and shook his head. “We are not so reserved. Sharing pleasure is encouraged. Sometimes, when there is a surplus of unmated females, those females will enjoy the company of many males courting her. Part of that is showing what physical pleasures they can give her before she bonds to a male she favors,” he said. He looked at her, his brow drawn down. “You would truly prefer to be rutted?”
He seemed to be having difficulty processing this point. She decided to take pity on him.
“I can’t say yes or no for certain until I’ve seen what I am working with and you explain how it would work between our species. At the moment, I’m leaning toward a hard yes, however. It may be a bit… unusual, but I think we can find a way to enjoy ourselves and accomplish our goal all at the same time.”
He snorted in disbelief. “And what makes you think that I will ever let you return, once I have a taste of that cunt?”
She arched an eyebrow and smirked. “Because I have your number, Mintar. You are growly and gruff, but you are obviously honorable if you are willing to go to such lengths as to rub your cum all over me,” she finished with a giggle.
To her surprise his full lips pinched and then quirked up in the smallest of smiles.
“You are truly surprising, female. I am not sure whether to be amazed or to hurry to clan lands so I can take you into my home and show you exactly what you will accepting. Only then will we see if your words are honest, or the bravado of a frightened female who can’t bear the idea of a Mintar’s spend on her.”
She cocked her head at him. “You’re in for a surprise, Faltz. I am not some shy society virgin kept by her family only to be married into the harem of a noble house.” She leaned forward, settling the weight of her breasts on his back as she whispered, “I have done far more than I am sure you have dreamed of. I have had my body worshipped in houses of pleasure and pain, feasted from, tied and suspended for carnal delights, and every part of me invaded to seek out unknown pleasures. I have been defiled at times, and while I didn’t enjoy everything done to me, I loved much of it. What do you think that you can show me, Mintar, that you think will send me running?”
Beni traced his shoulder blade with the tip of her tongue, making the muscle leap beneath her and the male gasp as she trailed a hand down the muscles of his abs. One steely hand caught hers, and he yanked her to the side and forward so that she hung beneath his heated gaze. His breath heaved in and out with raging desire and, parallel to her face, running along the plane of his front body, Beni could see the swollen rise of a genital sheath.
A shiver raced through her. Perhaps she had taunted him too much?
Faltz leaned down so that his nose was scant inches from her own.
“Soon, female. But if you balk and change your mind, you will submit to the administration of my seed in the manner that I offered without complaint.”
Her eyebrows rose as she realized something very important.
He did not believe her.
Jerking with silent laughter, Beni smiled up at him in agreement, interest already curling like white fire through her body—perhaps made even headier by the glower directed at her. He stiffened, nostrils flaring, and a look of surprise descended over his features before it was snuffed out beneath an impassive mask.
Oh yes, this Mintar was in for a surprise. He engaged her interest—now there was no going back for her. She wanted him.
She always did have a taste for the forbidden.
They continued in silence for a time, him walking at a brisk clip and her riding, before his voice broke the silence.
“How is a human female so…?” His voice fell off as if uncertain how to ask in a way that wouldn’t offend her.
Beni snickered. “How am I so experienced and educated in such things?” she filled in helpfully.
He nodded silently, and she shrugged.
“I suppose it was bound to happen. I read many of the romance books in the library,” she said as she settled against him more comfortably.
“What is a library? Or a book?” he asked.
Beni sat back and stared up at the back of his head incredulously. “Well, a book is filled with writing. Sometimes it’s filled with writing about history, or to teach certain subjects, and then other times stories to entertain us. A library is a place where many books are kept for the people to have access to.”
“It is like a scroll then? Our clan priest keeps many scrolls with information on our most ancient history, many of which came with us when we left our homeworld. Some of them contain legends.”
She nodded eagerly. She wouldn’t have thought another species would have something like books or a written language and the ability to read, if she were being completely honest. That was probably something she should keep to herself. But now, knowing that they did—her fingers itched to get ahold of the scrolls. Maybe she could learn to read them… No, no, she wasn’t going to be there long enough for that. More was the pity.
“Yes, they are quite similar!” she said. “Of course, we no longer use scrolls. From what our history books say, we used to use scrolls in ancient times, but eventually began to sew pages into books, which is terribly convenient for storing and reading them.”
Faltz turned his head and gave her a skeptical look. “For what purpose would you need such ease? The priest never complains, and anyone who wishes to read something just goes to him and he locates the information we wish to read.”
“It’s just easier!” She laughed. “And that way, sometimes people can own books themselves. It used to be a common thing, but now getting a book copied is so expensive that few but the wealthy have books, which is a shame. But that’s what makes libraries so important, because they keep books where everyone can read them. My favorites are the romances. Adventure and true love were contained within the books, as well as carnal delights I longed to experience. Because of that, I went looking for it in perhaps the least reputable places out there.”
Now Faltz frowned and shook his head. “Why not just mate? A clever male would see to all his female’s desires. Everything you wished to have experienced he would have given you.”
“Not necessarily,” she said. “Not everyone is so adventurous. In any case, human males aren’t quite so available. If you wish to marry, then you are sharing your… uh, mate with other women he’s also mated to. Marriage, or mating as you call it, in the Citadel isn’t always good for the women involved. I see it as nothing but a terrible prison, so I sought to enjoy what I could without the inconvenient trappings.”
The male shook his head in wonder, his dark mane swaying and brushing her with the movement. It was surprisingly soft and silky.
“No wonder,” he said.
“No wonder what?” Beni asked, her curiosity piqued.
He shook his head. “No wonder so few females do not have a greater longing for their homes. Many miss certain comforts, but there is little complaint outside of that.”
Beni fidgeted. “I mean, it is not all bad. Many of the men can be quite nice, actually.”
“Is it not?” Faltz challenged, snorting as he picked up his pace. “What are things that would recommend your society?”
She blinked, startled by the question. “Well, we have fine foods and drink…”
“Food and drink are not unique to the human race.” Faltz laughed. “Mintars make sweet mead from honey we collect,
and wine from the wild grapes and berries that grow in the southern part of our territory, and our wild herds supply us with plenty of food while our flocks of bleaters provide material for our comfort.”
“We do have theaters, and restaurants where people go to eat at their leisure. And a museum that holds treasured items of our past.”
“We have storytellers and performers to entertain our clan, and great feasts where everyone shares in the work. I do admit though that some females miss the convenience of eating at the labor of another. As for a museum,” he shrugged, “our history is part of us. We do not see a need to leave it somewhere. Ancestral things are used and treasured.”
Beni bit her lip as she racked her brain.
“Your comforts are what set you apart,” Faltz said. “Your luxuries, or those that you can afford in trade for them. I understand why this would be alluring.”
“Our cities are our way of life,” she said. “It is our history and family—they are a part of who we are as a culture.”
He nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, but the most important parts of who you are as a culture you carry with you. You will see when you meet the human mates of the clan. They long for comforts that their males hope to someday provide them, but they add their culture to ours, and everyone is enriched by the exchange. But family—that can be the most binding. You are fortunate to have family waiting for you when many of them did not.” He glanced back at her, a grim smile pulling at his lips. “Do not worry, Beni. You will see your family again. I swear it.”
She nodded gratefully. She would be home soon enough. Until then, there would be so much to explore and learn. Maybe she could even write a book about her experiences when she returned home? The thought had appeal. She certainly had the skill to put the book together. It could be hidden in their secret library. The women that had been living in the Mintar community must have considerable information and stories to tell.
Chapter 9
A canyon opened up to the plains, its red stone catching the evening light, making the rock appear a brilliant red. Clustered up against the settlement were several domes made of branches that must have been hauled great distances, with leather laced snugly over the frame. Each dome had a long flap over the entrance, but some were tied back to reveal an inner flap made of brilliantly dyed wool woven in beautiful designs. Excitement filled the air as the hunters were greeted, and males and females alike busied themselves relieving the hunters of the packs full of meat and skins.
Among the bustle of bodies, Beni caught sight of several human women moving through the crowd. Although they were smaller than the Mintars, they pushed their way in to help with ease. As Faltz had said, there were only but a few women her own age. Some were herding Mintar children ahead of them. One woman wore a large sling in which a little body could be seen curved against her back, as a shy face peeked out occasionally from behind the woven cloth.
Beni caught herself smiling as she watched the little ones scampering around, their adorable little bodies more legs than bulk. The young males had the tiniest buds on their foreheads, marking where they would one day grow large, curving horns, whereas the females were easy to pick out due to their blue scales.
Despite differences in features which set them apart, the children—or calves, she recalled that Faltz had called their young—played together as they darted around the adults. Among them, the offspring of human stock stood out, appearing smaller and rounder in features than those who clung to the sides of Mintar females. Yet the bloodline was obviously strong, because they otherwise appeared wholly of their father’s race.
Beni was probably one of few living humans who knew why.
There was an old document she had found in the restricted archives. She wouldn’t say that she had been snooping through the archives. Transcribers were seldom allowed in there unless it was by special request from the council, in which case the archives were unlocked to fetch what they needed. She may have taken advantage of the opportunity when it arose to satisfy her curiosity when the elderly Mrs. Dansor drifted off to sleep in her chair. It had taken little effort to slip the archive key off the dozing woman’s wrist and proceed deeper into the restricted section. There she found a much-faded document that was written in two languages.
She hadn’t been able to read one of the two, but the other had been legible on what had appeared to be a contract. Legalese was frightfully dull to read, but on this one, she hadn’t been able to pull her attention away. It outlined an agreement between the Feriknikal and the main Citadels of the continent, plus a number of cities that she didn’t recognize. Humanity was dying of something called radiation poisoning. The alien species offered to help by altering human biology to allow them to tolerate the sickness, so that they might recover.
The offer seemed magnanimous, but it was not without a cost. In exchange, the human race would permit certain changes made to their DNA. It would not only restrict the number of human males born, to create a surplus of fertile females, but it would also make the human genome recessive and compatible with the other dying species who would be sharing their world.
Until now, Beni had not known what to make of it. Although she knew of the Ragoru, she had never heard of humans breeding with them. Now she was seeing instances of it between humans and Mintars before her very eyes!
There were so many women who never knew the love of a partner and went to clinics to pay to be impregnated. Some of the poorer women became accidentally pregnant by men who abandoned them after their dalliance ended. If women knew that there were other options…
A chill swept over Beni. Such knowledge would never be allowed.
“Are you well?” Faltz asked.
Only then did she realize that she was gripping his mane in a death-lock knotted around her fingers. She relaxed her fingers and nodded.
“All the women… with babies. No one knows,” she whispered.
The Mintar frowned back at her in confusion. “How would they not know? Everyone among the Mintar clans know, as do the Atlavans who inhabit the mountains to the south. We have taken human mates for generations, since our arrival on this planet. How can humans not know?”
She shook her head. It was real, and it was the biggest secret. “It is forbidden,” she finally choked out. “The information is locked away. I came across it by accident. It has been hidden away.” A gasp escaped her lips. “The Order—they have to know. They will kill anyone who knows! Oh, Blessed Mother, what have I done? I never should have looked! If they find out…”
“No harm will come to you,” Faltz soothed. “No one knows, least of all the Order. They rarely come near this part of the continent as it is.” He sighed. “It explains much, though, as to why females are so frightened of us when we encounter them. We are nothing more than monsters to them, aren’t we?”
“I’m afraid so,” she said. “Stories told to frighten us so that we stay at home and behave and do as we are told.”
“No wonder you were afraid at the sight of me—not that it stopped you long,” he said with a low chuckle.
Beni smiled despite herself. His words were true. How many others would be able to let go of their fear like her and be able to find a new life—perhaps something better?
“Nothing will change,” she said. “Not while the Order has control. Information can only be given in small amounts, and in secret.” Her eyes widened. “Like a book at my secret library. No, a book to share wouldn’t be enough. We need something more directly accessible for women coming—booklets!” she said. “My friend Tabby could help me. She excels at writing. What started as a way to save literature for women could also be a way to liberate them by sharing hidden information. Knowledge is power!” she shouted out in excitement.
Silence descended, and Beni noticed every eye on her. Several females and males wore startled expressions while a larger number of males looked at her with far too much interest. Beni shrank against Faltz’s back, hoping to disappear.
“I was hoping to
avoid everyone in the clan knowing of your presence,” he said dryly.
“Oops,” Beni mumbled.
Chapter 10
“Oops?” Faltz asked. The word did not make any sense and had nothing to do with the problem of their current circumstances.
“Uh, yeah…” Beni whispered. “Means that I made a mistake. I’m so very sorry, Faltz.”
He grumbled an irritated sound in his throat as he eyed several males who were shifting closer. Even though he had packs that he needed to be relieved of, he did not want one of those males anywhere near Beni when she did not scent of him. It would guarantee a conflict breaking out among them.
“Only the females,” he barked.
Several of the males frowned, and a few wilted back away from him at his tone, but it had the desired effect. The males turned their attention to assisting other hunters—not without casting glances back at Beni—while the females rushed to his side, pulling away packs with nimble fingers and practiced speed.
A familiar human female, Atem’s dam, drew up to his side with a sweet smile. Though her mane was graying, she was still one of the loveliest females Faltz had ever met. Praxlor had been fortunate when he took her for his mate. Faltz hadn’t yet reached his first rutting season when she came to live among them, but when he had been young and idealistic, he hoped for a mate like her. She took a pack from his flank and touched his side gently.
“I heard that you stopped amid the storm to help Atem,” she said. “I just wanted to thank you.”
“No thanks needed, Miram,” he returned.
Her gaze shifted to the female seated on his back and she arched an eyebrow. “I never suspected that you would be one to steal a female,” she teased.
He resisted the impulse to flush like a calf. He had been one of the most vocal opponents to using voice to influence females except when absolutely necessary, if they were distressed or in danger. No doubt many in the clan would be laughing at him now for showing up with a human in tow. He could feel Beni’s eyes on him as she looked from him to Miram. There was no telling what the female was thinking.
Librarian and the Beast: A Mintar Romance Page 6
