Chapter 20
Ahstahl
Entering our personal quarters, I watch Aercek gently toss Keelie on the soft surface of our bed and have to stifle a laugh at the disgruntled look on her face.
My frater has laughed more since meeting Keelie than he has the entire time he and I’ve been bonded.
It warms my soul to see him finally letting loose.
I’ve never felt shorted or that I wasn’t enough—our relationship is fulfilling in its own way—but having a mate allows him to show his softer side.
Setting her backpack on the low-backed couch in the common area, I move over to the elevated bed and extend a hand to help her down. At the same time, Aercek stalks over to the vidsystem to check on any communication we may have missed while wooing our mate in the woods.
“Come, little one. Let me show you our quarters.”
Pulling her along, I show her the sanitation room and how to operate the controls to the cleansing stall and waste disposal unit.
By the time I’m through showing Keelie everything so she can be somewhat self-sufficient, Aercek is done at the vidsystem and is sitting at our personal dining table staring at the bed.
Ah.
I hadn’t thought of that. Our species is communal sleepers, even if it’s platonic. We don’t do well alone, but Keelie’s consented to so much already. Is it really fair to ask her to share a bed with us?
“Aercek and I will be happy to sleep elsewhere, so you can have the bed to yourself, Keelie.”
She pauses for a moment, looking back and forth between the bed and us before making a decision.
“I don’t want to run y’all out of your room or bed. I’m not quite ready to jump into sex, but sleeping together doesn’t bother me. To be honest, I’m tired of sleeping alone and waking up cold.”
Her tone ends almost bashfully, and I lean down to nuzzle her cheek with mine. “It will be as you say. We just want to make sure you are comfortable here with us.”
Keelie yawns in response. “I’m not sure what time it is, but it’s got to be pretty late. I’m going to get ready for bed.”
And with that, she fetches her backpack and goes back inside the cleansing room, the door whooshing closed behind her in a decisive motion.
Glancing over at Aercek, I see that his face is slack in astonishment.
Neither of us was under any kind of impression that she would feel safe enough to sleep between us.
Especially not the first night aboard our ship.
Grinning at him, I move over to the bed to pull the covers back. “How did we ever get lucky enough to have a female like her?”
Rubbing a hand across the base of his horns, he replies. “I don’t know… but I, for one, am going to thank the gods daily for blessing us with her.”
“You and me both, frater.”
KEELIE
After brushing my teeth, I pull on my pajamas and peer at myself in the mirror.
A set of men’s red and black flannel pajamas is reflected back at me.
Thankfully, this isn’t a set of Wayne’s old clothes, because that would be a little bit too weird for me.
They’re not skimpy or revealing since I packed for camping out in the mountains, not with seduction in mind.
A pang of regret hits me, and I have to take a moment to think about my feelings.
Do I want to seduce my mates?
The more I use the word, the more I’m sure I’ve made the correct decision.
Somewhere deep inside me, it feels right to be here with them.
Even with that said, I know I’m not ready to jump into having sex, regardless of how physically appealing I’m beginning to find them.
I’ve always fancied a good monster romance book, and now I’m living it in real life.
It’s literally every book girl’s dream come true.
Smiling to myself at the thought, I gather up my clothes and walk back into the suite. “Ahstahl, what am I supposed to do with my dirty clothes?”
Pausing, he stops fluffing pillows and regards me thoughtfully. “Hmmm. That’s a good question,” he starts. “We don’t wear garments in the same fashion that humans do, since our fur and scales protect us from the elements.” He waves to himself and Aercek as he speaks.
Striding over to me, he takes the clothes and enters the closet, calling out from inside. “There is a bin in here we can use.”
Emerging from the small room, he moves over to where Aercek is lounging and takes the seat next to him before continuing. “Is that sufficient? We do have a cleaning system for the bedding, which we can easily add your clothes to.”
“That works perfectly! Thank you kindly,” I reply with a grin. “What about your females, though? Do they wear anything to cover up…” My words trail off as I gesture to my chest.
Aercek chuckles and replies. “Some females choose to wear lightweight coverings across their chest, and some do not. It’s more of a personal fashion choice rather than a societal standard or obligation.
Our culture is not as rigid as others regarding the concept of nudity.
We’re beasts, after all—albeit intelligent ones. ”
“That makes sense. Am I expected to be naked?”
Aercek must see the panic I feel stamped all over my face, because he hurries to assure me.
“Not at all, little anima. We have other non-Dewlvrkgnari mates, and they dress however they want within their personal comfort level.”
“That makes me feel a lot better. I don’t think I could ever be okay strolling around in public completely naked.”
“Just for posterity's sake, neither of us would be opposed to you being without coverings in public or private,” Ahstahl says with a playful leer.
Rolling my eyes at the two of them, I walk over to the bed and climb up, mindful of the predatory attention focused on me. Settling onto the mattress, I sigh in relief at how comfortable it is.
Glancing to either side of me at the empty spots, I shoot my mates a quelling look. “Well? What are you two waiting for?”
I watch in amusement as they silently scramble into the bathroom, disappearing behind the closed door for roughly five minutes before they come back into the main room and part around the bed, sliding in on their respective sides.
Aercek is on the side closest to the door, and pulls me to him until my back is pressed firmly against his chest. Ahstahl scoots closer, tucking his nose in the crook between my neck and shoulder.
In unison, they inhale deeply, and all the tension seeps out of their big bodies. The claustrophobia I expected never sets in. Instead, a feeling of safety envelops me, and I slip into sleep less than a minute later.