Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79603 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79603 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
No! J’are worked hard to rein in his feral impulses. Above all, a male must respect a female’s wishes, he reminded the wild, animal part of himself. He could not hurt or force her—that would be wrong and it would ruin the Claiming. Besides, she had promised that they would be doing holding and scenting tonight and that was something.
They were going somewhat out of order, his rational mind thought, as well as it could. The Claiming period for a Nightwalker Kindred was normally Holding, Scenting, Bathing, Tasting, and Bonding. Imani had started in the middle, which was a bit disconcerting for his animal side.
But it doesn’t matter what order we go in, he told himself. As long as we get to bonding in the end.
And then Imani stepped out of the rain room, wearing only a towel wrapped around her luscious body and all rational thought deserted him as the feral side took over almost completely.
He could smell her sweet scent, even under the soap she had used to clean herself, and it was intoxicating. J’are couldn’t wait to smell her more deeply—to know her through his sense of smell and touch as he knew her through his sense of sight.
Rising from the place on the floor where he had been crouching in a patient squat as she showered, he looked down at her.
“Now,” he said to her, “Scenting.”
Sixteen
“Uh, what?” Imani looked up at the big Nightwalker uncertainly. He’d been waiting and watching her patiently as she took a shower in the luxurious shower stall—his pale green eyes on her body had made her feel nervous. Now she was even more nervous since he seemed to think it was time to do something she had promised him.
Well, you did promise him, remember? asked that maddening little voice in her head. You told him the two of you could do “holding” and “scenting” whatever that means. Guess you’re about to find out.
Well, not yet, she wasn’t, Imani thought.
“I’m sorry, but I, uh, have to brush my teeth first,” she said, fumbling for an excuse on why they couldn’t do “scenting” yet. “It’s part of my bedtime routine and I can’t skip it. You should brush your teeth too,” she added, frowning. “Good oral hygiene is important.”
“Brush…teeth?” J’are looked confused.
“Look, I’ll show you.” Imani reached for her toiletry kit—which she had brought with her into the bathroom—and pulled out her toothbrush and toothpaste. As J’are watched in bemusement, she began to brush her teeth.
At last he seemed to get the idea.
“Clean teeth!” he exclaimed.
Imani nodded and rinsed her mouth.
“Exactly. Now let me see if I packed an extra toothbrush…”
She started digging through her kit but J’are was already ahead of her. Reaching one long arm over her shoulder, he pressed a small silver panel which was located to the left of the 3-D viewer over the sink. It popped open, showing a selection of long silver styluses that looked a little like a cross between a writing instrument and a dental device.
As Imani watched, the big Kindred plucked one of the silver pens from the panel and pressed a tiny button on its side. At once a beam of pale red light shot out—but it was only about an inch long. J’are aimed the light at his teeth and began to make motions like he was using a water pik.
It was Imani’s turn to be fascinated. Was this how they cleaned their teeth here? Experimentally, she took one of the silver pens and turned it on. Carefully, she tested the short red beam of light against her finger and found that it felt a little like a water pik too. There was a gentle pressure and a rushing feeling which was actually quite pleasant.
When she tried it on her teeth, she was surprised at how well it worked. It not only cleaned the enamel, it also whitened it as well, so she looked like she’d had a whitening treatment at the dentist. Perhaps the strangest thing, though, was that the short beam of pale red light actually had a flavor. It tasted slightly spicy and sweet—a little like cinnamon, Imani thought.
When she was done using the light pik, as she had decided to call it, she thought her mouth had never felt so fresh and her teeth had never looked so white. It was nice to find there was something to like on this world, when she had begun to think she hated the entire planet.
“That was really refreshing,” she told J’are as they put their piks back in the silver compartment. “But now I need to get dressed for bed.”
“Bed,” he agreed, his eyes glowing. “Holding and scenting.”
“Um, about that…” Imani wasn’t sure what to say. She wished she hadn’t recklessly promised him they could do “holding and scenting” when she didn’t know exactly what they entailed. But he had agreed there would be no tasting or bonding, so how bad could it be? She hadn’t been aboard the Mother Ship long, but she knew what those two meant and they were very sexual—she would just have to hope that holding and scenting were less so.