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.Why would he? She twisted her mouth in wry remembrance of the briefings she’d relied on in making her decision to come to Parseon.They had glossed over so much.Did the Terrans even know how different the Parseon people were? She shuddered now at how many chances she’d taken by exploring alone without an escort.Any male at any time could have abducted her like Marlix had—or attacked her like the betas had done.A paper-thin Treaty offered little protection against Protocol-sanctioned entitlement.Tara combed a hand through her curls and sucked in a long breath of air.She remembered the cries she’d heard and the manner in which Marlix had attempted to have sex with her.“I heard a female’s voice here last night.”Urazi busied himself with peeling a vegetable.For the longest time, he did not answer.“Yes,” he said.“Did Marlix, uh, abduct her the way he did me?”He shook his head.“No.She was procured.Purchased for the evening.”“You hired a prostitute?”“What is that?”“It is a person who is paid to have sex.”“She wasn’t paid.Her alpha was.”“That makes it worse, not better,” Tara said.A discomfort that felt a little like jealousy lodged in her stomach.“What about Marlix?” She had no business asking the question.“Did he use her services too?” He’d been with her all night, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t been with the other woman earlier.Urazi shook his head.“He didn’t want to.”Tara knew she was being far too nosy, but what the fuck.Marlix had kidnapped her.She might be rude, but he was a criminal.At least on Terra, he would have been considered one.“So let me get this straight—excuse my pun.You and Marlix are supposed to be anointed partners, but you have sex with females?”Urazi blushed.“I wish you would not speak of it so boldly.It is not something we are proud of.”“But what about the females you purchase? Don’t they talk about it?”“They would not dare.”“Why doesn’t Marlix just purchase a breeder from the BCF?”“I have encouraged him to do so, but he has been resistant to the idea.”“He is afraid of shaming himself by overindulging?” she guessed.Urazi’s ears turned bright red.“One last question, and then I’ll shut up.Is anal sex the norm here?”Urazi looked surprised but not uncomfortable.“How else would you do it?”“Well…vaginally.”His mouth drooped in distaste.“That is for breeding.And it is not something males enjoy.”Marlix had seemed to like it.“But what about the woman’s enjoyment?”Urazi laughed.Then he met her gaze and sobered.“Oh.You are being serious.” He lifted a shoulder.“Nature did not endow females with the ability to find pleasure in sexual contact.In fact, it is quite painful for them, and they would avoid it if they could.This is why we do not ask.”Outrage on so many different levels swelled, and Tara gaped.Finally she found her voice.“I enjoy sex.When it’s consensual.” She gestured between herself and Urazi.“The way we are conversing…have you ever talked with a woman like this before?”He shook his head and shrugged.“I would have nothing to say to a female.”“You have plenty to say to me.”“You are Terran.You are different.”* * * *Entering the Bazaar, Marlix headed straight for Tara’s booth.Despite her seeming lack of concern, a sense of urgency drove him to haste.He still could not believe she bled like that every month.He shuddered.As he wove through the crowded Bazaar, he treated those who lacked the intelligence or speed to leap out of his way to a glare and growl that would be remembered long after he’d left.He would be wise to avoid attracting attention, but Marlix did not care.He found Ramon alone in the booth.His back to the entrance, the male straightened bolts of fabric on their stands.Though Terrans did not differentiate between levels of status or ability, Ramon typified a beta male, his demeanor passive and subservient.Replaying memories of the way he’d held Tara, the urge arose in Marlix to disassemble Ramon limb by limb with every passing second that the insignificant male breathed.But if he killed the man before he spoke to him, he would not get what Tara needed.Marlix strode inside.Ramon whipped around.Recognition widened his eyes.“You! Where is Tara?” he demanded with more bluster than Marlix would have predicted.Ramon would never touch Tara again.He was not worthy.She needed a warrior to protect her, care for her.Only he would hold her, stroke her, bury himself in her receptive body to feel her clench and cry out in ecstasy.He had intended to release her at some point, but Marlix decided now he never would.He would keep her because she belonged to him.She would accept it because she had no choice.He ignored Ramon’s question.“Tara sent me.”“How is she? If you’ve hurt her…” Though his words withered, they hit their mark.Doubts about Tara’s condition assailed Marlix.She hadn’t acted injured.In fact, she had seemed healthy, yet the blood… His manhood was proportionate to his size, and she had been so tight.Despite her protests to the contrary, how could he not have hurt her? No one bled as a matter of course.That did not make sense.The two races couldn’t be that different.He should allow her to rejoin her people before he damaged her further.At the mere contemplation of separation, bleakness such as he’d never experienced descended, and he knew he could not do it [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]