Carefully - gently - Zasen wrapped his arms around her back and returned the hug. "Thank you for being a friend, Ayla. Thank you for trusting me. For trusting all of us."
And this time, I wasn't even jealous. Instead, I was smiling, because that hug? It may have been the bravest thing she'd done yet.
Sixty-ThreeAyla
Every morning, I drank venom. When the single drop no longer had any effect, Kanik added a second. That took my breath away, but only for a few seconds - not minutes like before. My skin still got hot, and all the symptoms were there, but milder. Subtle enough I could deal with them.
And in the evenings, I used my bow. The first time, I missed the target, feeling like I'd undone all the work I'd put in initially, but Zasen said that was okay. It was a different weapon, so I had to learn its nuances. That was why he wanted me to have my own, after all.
After two days, I was hitting the target again. Even better, I was now making holes in the colored rings. Not the center yet, but I got closer every time. I was also getting stronger in the process. My arms ached from the effort, but they were getting thicker, more like the men's. Well, not that bulgy, but I could see the little bump in my own biceps now.
But on the third day after the rain, I woke up to dampness on my thighs. Confused, I lifted the blankets to see the bright red stain. My heart hung. I couldn't do this now! I hadn't even thought about it, and I'd almost hoped it would go away, but my time of flowering had returned!
What was I supposed to do?!
Carefully, I slid off the bed and ran to the bathroom. The door crashed closed loudly behind me due to my haste. But in the bathroom mirror, I could see my nightdress was stained, so the sheets would be too. I'd ruined all the nice things!
Flicking the lock to the bathroom door, I ran the water and started washing myself. I simply hadn't thought about it. I'd been so overwhelmed with everything happening in my life that I'd pushed everything else aside. Now, what was I going to do for the next few days? The house wasn't truly large enough for me to spend time alone.
The water was cold, but I wasn't about to leave the room and ask someone to light the fire for me. No, I'd been warned men did not tolerate the courses of a woman's body defiling their space. The stench was unpleasant, and the fluid was evil. I'd always spent the time of flowering in my room, but I didn't have one here!
A gentle tap came at the bathroom door. "Ayla?" The voice was Zasen's, and it sounded like he was only half awake.
"I'm sorry!" I mumbled.
There was a long pause. I heard his feet move down the hall, pause, and then return. "Ayla?" he asked again through the wood. "Are you okay?"
"Yes," I squeaked.
Zasen chuckled. "I saw the sheet, Ayla."
"I'm sorry. I'll take care of it."
He turned the knob, but the lock prevented it from opening. Outside the door, I heard him groan. "I'm worried about you, not the sheet. You ran out of the bedroom like there was a problem."
"I'm fine!"
"Cramps?"
"I said I'm fine."
I heard his body flop against the door. "Ayla, it's just blood. I have a sister and a mother. I'm well aware of how this works."
"I don't want to disturb you."
"Fuck this," he snarled.
Then I heard the lock click, and Zasen opened the door, his claw still shoved in the release. Without caring about my state of dress - because the nightgown was not proper at all - and stained - he marched straight to me and pulled the washcloth from my hand.
"I'm still not a damned Mole." He looked me right in the eyes. "Blush. Stammer. I don't care, but we're getting this out of the way right now, because it will happen next month, and the one after that." He reached over and rinsed the cloth in the running stream of water, and squeezed out the excess. "Now, how do you feel?"
"Fine."
He nodded and passed the cloth back. "Cramps?"
I licked my lips, but shook my head. "Not yet."
His tail lashed once behind him. "Okay." Then he glanced over to the counter. "So you're going to need a change of clothes, and I can at least get the water warming for you."
"I don't want to be a problem," I whispered.
He simply palmed the back of my neck. "You're not. Now what dress do you want?"
"They're too pretty to ruin." I looked away. "I'll wear the nightgown until it's over."
A deep growl sounded in his throat like he wanted to use profanity and was trying to hold it back. That made my eyes snap up, but he simply gave me a weak smile.
"I hate the Moles, you know that?" He sighed. "Dragons use pads. They sit inside your underwear and prevent anyone but those who share your bed from knowing. You can do anything you want while wearing them."
I swallowed, trying to find my voice. "But the smell…"
He simply looked at me for a little too long. "Is this one of those things you won't believe from me because I'm a man?"
I pressed both of my hands over my face and wished I could just start the day over. Curling over my bent legs, sitting on the edge of the tub, I was completely mortified. Maybe the nightdress covered some of me, but my shame was on full display. Zasen gently caressed my back, moving to stand behind me.
"I told you they changed us. A scientist did that more than five hundred years ago. They documented all of it. The world was changing too fast, people were starving, and the wildlife was taking over. They wanted to make humans who could compete, so they picked traits from the entire animal kingdom." He gently rubbed his hand between my shoulders. "Snakes and scorpions, so we'd be immune to their venom. Spiders too, I think, but I'd have to go back and check. Reptiles, so we could tolerate the heat. Cats for agility and speed, along with hunting instincts." Then he ran his hand slowly over my hair. "Most of the genes were from lizards and cats. Between the two, we got most of our physical traits."
"Why are you telling me this?"
