Shattered Bonds (continued)

Standing there in the doorway of the bathroom, she hesitated. Her need was different now. Making her way back down the short hallway, she did not know whether she would stop or continue on to the kitchen. At the open bedroom door, she paused, studying the smoothly muscled contours of of David’s back. Faint parallel lines run down its length, put there, she knew, by herself during ones of their more vigorous exhibitions of passion.

She slowly entered the room, closing the door behind her. The earlier chill she had felt returned for a moment and then passed. She let the robe fall to the ground and climbed back onto the bed. With slow, careful movements, she nestled up behind David. He murmured a short burst of noises deep in his throat, but stirred only slightly. It was enough though, Wendy realized, for her to snuggle in even closer to him.

His flesh was warm against her skin. He smelled of male musk and perspiration. She breathed it in with a deep sigh and closed her eyes. Before long, she slept again. David’s arms were not wrapped around her, but, for the moment, it was enough.

#

“Do you always restrain your males before you Bond with them?”

Wendy stared at Shanta. It took a moment before she could find her voice. Even when she did, it came out unnaturally high and faint.

“What . . .” she swallowed and started again. “What do you mean?”

“Last night, with the security man David,” she explained. “You restrained him . . . to the sleeping platform, before Bonding with him.”

Wendy felt fire along her cheeks.

Oh gods, she wondered with frantic embarrassment. What else did she see?

“No,” Wendy finally answered, taking a slow, calming breath. “It’s just something we do sometimes, um, for fun.”

Shanta cocked her head, studying Wendy’s expression. There was no doubt in Wendy’s mind that the young alien could see the bright glow of her cheeks.

“It brings you pleasure then?”

That’s one of way of putting it . . .

Wendy really wanted to change the subject, but she was afraid the inquisitive young [alien] might find someone else to ask.

That’s just what I need . . .

“Um,” she stalled, trying to find some kind of explanation that might not lead to just more questions. “It can.”

“Then it is not required for Bonding?”

“No.”

Please, please, please, let that be the end of it.

“Do other Human mates do it?”

Wendy started to explain that she and David were not “mates”, but stopped herself, not wanting to explore a new set of awkward questions about her relationship with the young security guard.

“I suppose so,” Wendy replied in what she hoped was a sufficiently non-committal tone.

She knew of at least one couple among the colonists who did—or had—at least based on a certain emergency call that she had received one evening a few years ago. She suspected at least one other pair, possibly even a mutual quartet, who did, but she had only inferences and innuendo as proof. Greg had humored her with it a few times early on in their relationship, but seemed otherwise uninterested. David had surprised her. Once he had gotten over his initial unease, he to appear the practice with enthusiasm.

“I would like to observe it again,” Shanta announced. “With other mates.”

Wendy looked around awkwardly, trying at the same time not to burst out laughing or insist energetically that the young [alien] drop the subject.