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“You were intending to submit, hmm?” Leaning back to measure my expression, he narrowed his eyes. “I do not believe you.”
“I’ve never been a fan of pointless masochism.” Hissing, I gladly countered his attack and delivered the death blow with a sardonic smirk. “And maybe I enjoyed the way you touched me last night. But you should know better than to make me beg.”
Preening from so simple a compliment, he began to purr, right there, out in the open. Pointedly ignoring the rest of what I snarled, he put his free arm around me. “I’ve only just begun exploring how I might pleasure you. But I will respect your modesty and save that conversation for later.”
Cyderial acknowledged his surrender with another kiss to the back of my hand.
But I was not fully appeased. “Are you done glaring at the humans and groping your mate? You’re not winning points with either party right now.”
Chuckling, he squeezed my fingers and gave me one final stroke down my back. “I will behave, and you will do the same.”
Coaxing me forward, he had the magic of forcing the crowd to part and make way, asking, “Where would you like to start?”
Tense, stiff in his care, I muttered, “You’re old; you know things. You choose the stall.”
On we walked, a decorated general and his inexperienced mate, passing market carts, beautiful woven carpets, jewelry, and food stuffs. Wherever we went, the bustle made room for us, the general watching me carefully for any sign I might have found a treasure.
But I had no idea what most of the items were, what their intended use might be, nor what to do with them.
I didn’t need a handwoven rug—the general’s home was already fully furnished.
As for skills or hobbies, I’d never been given much opportunity to develop any.
The musical instruments were beautiful, but I couldn’t even guess what sounds each might produce.
The pretty dresses were fun to look at, but also strangely intimidating to consider with a grown male staring at me the whole time.
Feeling like a bug in a jar, being watched closely by the humans, my every last breath being scrutinized by Cyderial, the novelty of the marketplace wore off. But he drew me to a stand full of colorful ribbons and small metal contraptions.
The woman behind the shaded tables gave a friendly grin at our approach. Crooked teeth and a beautiful smile, she was delightful in her greeting. “Welcome!”
And, shocked down to my toes, it seemed Cyderial knew how to be delightful as well. “What do you have for her hair? I would prefer it up, off her neck—” He gave me a smoldering stare. “—before she gets too hot.”
Only too happy to pick out something to show him, the woman began displaying her finest wares. Selecting a brass disk with elegant engraving, she looked to Cyderial, showing him the quality of the piece, before asking, “May I touch your mate to show you how it will look?”
“No,” he answered with no shame. Jerking his chin to the old woman’s younger companion, he demanded, “Demonstrate on this one. Should we like what we see, I will do what is required to attend to my female.”
“Hybrid men and their mates,” she said as if his possessive behavior was charming and ordinary, smiling as she summoned her assistant and pressed the bobble to the crown of her head. “You place it here, you see? Activate the machine, and allow it to twine in the strands until it clicks.”
Astonished, I watched as the disk melted, almost like liquid, into the hair of the woman before me, weaving itself into her tresses as it created a complex series of twists, all interlocking until the mechanism was no longer visible and the hair was coiffed in an elaborate style.
Fascinated, because I wanted to try it, annoyed that Cyderial found a loophole to get his way, I waited as the device was recovered and offered to my mate. Motionless under his hands, I shivered from the tingles of the little robot working its way through my much longer and far thicker hair. Mirror held up so I might watch, I failed to disguise my delight.
How strange it felt running through my tresses, the entire program taking less than a minute before I had a style that could rival anything I had seen in my forbidden magazines.
So that was how humans created such intricate styles!
“It looks just lovely on you, dear.” Crooked teeth beautiful in their asymmetry, smile seemingly genuine, the aging human offered a price.
Inexperienced in economics, having never handled money, I had no idea if it was fair or ludicrous.
Cyderial didn’t so much as barter. He simply agreed.
Completely taken with the novel bit of machinery, I listened intently as the old woman explained what I might need to know. “When you’re ready to retire for the evening, all you do is press the button tucked under here, and the arms will release.”
While I indulged in more vanity, the general toyed with the short tendrils of hair at my nape, petting me in ways that made me shiver. “Is that not better, sweet mate?”
I had been expertly outplayed, but I couldn’t care less. “Your tactics are ridiculous, but I like it very much, so I can’t complain.”
