Chapter 79
Seventy-Nine
Ayla
Over the last few days, there had been multiple attacks.
We'd heard about most of them after they were all done, but the Reapers had a method of using the dogs as messengers, and it was working out.
Neighboring camps could be summoned for support and updates were moving quickly up the line of campsites.
Even better, the Moles would hit someplace, meet resistance, and then retreat quickly. So far, according to the messages, the casualties had been minimal. That was the good news. The bad? While the Moles hadn't been systematically moving down the line of camps, they had been mostly moving west.
That meant they should hit us any day now.
Because of that, our schedules had all changed.
Everyone was staying up later and sleeping as much as we could during the day.
Lansin was adamant the dogs would be enough during daylight hours.
Since the Moles would be nearly blind, and dogs could hear or smell them long before we could, it was the best option.
So our shifts were now divided through the dark hours.
We didn't have a true schedule, though. The nights had started getting colder, and fast. To keep warm, we needed a fire.
Sitting around the fire was bad for our eyesight, so a pair would head into the trees to watch for shadows moving until they got too cold.
And it was currently my turn. Holly and Pepper seemed to like this weather. Rymar? Not so much, but he'd still volunteered to join me. He'd also brought a wonderfully thick blanket to wrap around both of us.
The pair of us were far enough into the woods that the fire was only a speck behind us and the voices of our friends couldn't be heard.
Rymar had found a big tree, then kicked dried leaves up around the base and sat down.
It hadn't taken much encouragement to get me to sit between his knees, and when he wrapped the blanket around both of our shoulders, it was almost pleasant.
"So," I asked, relaxing into him, "is this winter?"
"We're right at the cusp," he admitted. "There's a few weeks where it's really cold, but mostly it will be about like this."
I glanced back to see him. "What about snow?"
He chuckled. "It doesn't snow every year, and sometimes it's only a little. Other times it's a lot and lasts for about a week. Usually, that's right around the winter holidays."
"The Moles probably won't hunt then," I realized.
"We can hope," he said, pausing to let out a sharp but short whistle. "Girls?"
Under the blanket, I pointed in the direction of my dogs, making the fabric poke out on that side. "They're sniffing over there, probably chasing the scent of a squirrel or rabbit that was out earlier."
"I can just never see Holly at night," he admitted. "Pepper's a shadow, and hard to find, but I can do it. Holly? She might as well be invisible."
Which made me giggle. "I can see her."
"Good." Then he pulled me closer. "But I have a question, and I want an honest answer, okay? Not an answer to make me happy, or the one you think is right, but the kind you'd give a friend you can trust."
"I do trust you," I assured him.
He leaned forward, putting his mouth next to my ear. "When do I get to hear your opinion about sex?"
I tensed. "Um..."
"Saying, 'I don't know' is an answer," he assured me.
"I..." I had to twist a bit to see him easier. "Is it wrong?"
"Nope," he said. "I'm not completely sure which 'it' you're talking about this time, but the answer is the same.
You have three partners. Those three partners aren't idiots.
We're also friends, and we do talk. That means I know about you hunting with Zasen - in the most vague terms. I also know about you and Kanik.
Also vague. I think he said something like, 'She made the decision and is no longer a virgin. ' But that's about it."
"And it's okay to talk about," I said, mostly reminding myself. "In the compound, such things were never discussed. At most, a woman would mention the chance of pregnancy. Copulation, fornication, and marital duties were just not discussed!"
He chuckled. "Well, I'm still not a Mole. I'll also talk to you about anything you want to hear. You just have to ask."
"Okay," I said, deciding to see how true that was. "Did you have sex with the red man who was an asshole at your bar?"
"Qavan?" He shrugged. "Yes. Oral and anal. Oral is like what Zasen did. Anal is in the butt."
"I had sex with Kanik the normal way," I said, turning back toward the trees.
It was easier. If I didn't see him, my face didn't get as hot. I also didn't mind telling him. No, that was a lie. I wanted to, but I had no clue if it would be wrong, and I didn't want to mess up things with Kanik.
"I bet Kanik's a good lover," he said. "I mean, the man's sexy."
"He really is!" I gasped, looking back - and giving up on my attempt to not blush. "And he's so nice to me. Gentle? I'm not sure, but he never makes me feel like I'm stupid."
"Because you're not," Rymar said. "But was it okay? Did it hurt as much as you thought it would?"
"No..." I found myself smiling and unable to stop. "It feels good."
"Yeah." He reached up to tuck a loose hair behind my ear. "That's why women seek it out. See, Dragons know something Moles don't. If we share the pleasure, then it's even better. There's something amazing about making the person you're with feel like that."
"So..." My face was much too warm. "If I want to do it again, I can ask?"
He lifted a brow. "Him?"
"Well, yeah."
"Shit, Kanik will gladly agree," he assured me. "Zasen too."
But I noticed he'd left something out. Sheepishly, I asked, "You?"
"Ayla, are you asking me to have sex with you?"
"Not now!" I hissed. "Rymar, we're guarding!"
"Okay, okay." But he was grinning. "And yeah, that's pretty much how you ask. Or you can just seduce your man. Start kissing him, slide your hands over him, and tug him to a bed, or the ground, or a somewhat private place? I promise the three of us won't say no. Not unless there's a good reason."
But I caught that little word. "You too?"
"Me too," he agreed. "You can also say what you want. Like if you just want a man to go down on you? That's what we call oral sex, going down. Or if you just want a quick fuck - which is regular sex without all the warmup. Or maybe you want all of it."
"I just say I want something?"
"Oh, you can do it seductively," he said, leaning in to kiss the side of my neck. "Ayla, I want to take you back to our tent, take off all your clothes, and kiss every inch of your skin before sliding inside your body. I want you to make me feel so good." Then he leaned back and lifted a brow.
I had to clench my legs together to keep my pulse from sinking too low. "We're on guard duty!" I reminded him.
"Which isn't a no," he pointed out. "So try saying no?"
"Not right now," I decided. "I'd say later, but then everyone's in the tent."
"You know, it's okay to do that when everyone's there, right?"
And I turned all the way around to gape at him. "What?"
"Well, your partners," he clarified. "But, if you wanted me, Zasen, and Kanik? We'd be okay with that."
"To just watch me?"
"No," he said around a laugh. "To all touch you. Kanik could kiss you, and Zasen could fuck you, and I could do the mouth thing, all at the same time."
"Oh."
The man winked at me, then leaned back against the tree. "You can also pick one person, or two. We won't be upset at all. There's nothing wrong with it, and that's part of what a partnership is. It's how good families work, Ayla."
"I'd feel guilty," I admitted. "If I tried to pick two and leave someone out?"
"Start with two," he assured me. "I mean, you've got one man down.
Two is the next step. Three when you're comfortable with that.
Oh, and sometimes, you might want a certain thing, and three men is too much.
Or maybe you just want a certain feel, and one of us feels like the right choice for that.
It's all okay, and you're allowed that."
"What about you?" I asked. "Men are supposed to like the act, but if I'm the one who gets everything..."
"It's a little more complicated than that," he explained. "See, you can ask. We can say no. We can ask and you say no. That's the whole consent thing we talked about a while back."
"Oh."
"Like, I could ask if you'd be willing to let me and Kanik have sex with you because I've always wanted to try that with him.
Maybe it's not the right time, or maybe you're not into it.
I still made it clear what I wanted, and you explained your feelings.
In the end, it all works out." Then he hummed, thinking.
"It's also possible you don't want to have sex that much.
Or maybe never again. We'll accept that too.
See, we like you, Ayla. The rest is just extra, no different than you getting a second dog. One was good. Two is even better."
"I sometimes feel awkward," I admitted. "I mean, I don't know what to do!"
"You will," he said. "I promise we're not judging your performance or anything. It's more that we want to be with you, as much as you want to let us. We want to share with you. Secrets, touches, conversations, and our bodies."
"I like that," I decided. "And yes, I think I'd like - "
Both of my dogs jumped up, staring out into the woods. I tensed, and Rymar was immediately scrambling to his feet, but before I could even reach for my bow, Pepper took off, barking her head off. Holly was right on her heels.
"Moles!" Rymar bellowed, diving for his own weapons.
And the first man screamed. I wasn't sure which of my dogs had bit someone, but one of them had. When two more dogs streaked past me, I knew Lansin was coming, and he'd bring the rest. Hopefully, he'd sent his third dog to alert the next camp over.
And then they were on us. Shadows rolled through the forest, all heading the same way - at us. I shot, picking my targets haphazardly, but wanting to take down as many as I could. Beside me, Rymar was doing the same, but his arrows were flying wildly.
Then a man rushed me from the side. Dropping my bow, I grabbed the krael from my belt and ducked, but a yellow tail shot over my head, hitting the Mole in the gut. He was dead, even if the fool didn't realize it yet, so I turned for the next.
And found myself face-to-face with Gideon.
"You..." I growled.
He grabbed my braid and slung me into the leaves. "Ayla Ross." And then he kicked.
Once before, he'd done the same to me in the dining hall. Back then, I'd been helpless. Fighting back would've only resulted in more punishment, so I'd taken it - and survived. Now it was his turn.
His leg came at me and I grabbed it, then twisted. He fell. I rolled on top of him, but I'd dropped my krael to grab his leg. That left me with only my hands - and two other weapons.
"Kill!" I screamed, slamming my fist into Gideon's face the way I'd seen Dragon men do with each other.
He hit back, knocking me over, then rolled to get above me. Gideon's hands found my neck, and he squeezed as hard as he could - until Pepper slammed into his side.
Her growls were deep and vicious. Her speed carried him not only off me, but three feet away. Then my beloved new dog thrashed, clutching this asshole's arm in her mouth.
And he screamed. The sound was the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard.