Her pen tapped once against the page.
“We will build on that.”
She fixed her gaze steady on mine.
“I’m going to give you an assignment, Lena,” she said, her tone direct. “One that will, hopefully, help move you forward with consensual, comfortable touch and help you to engage in sexual contact when aroused.”
I swallowed hard.
“This will be a controlled exercise,” she continued, glancing briefly between the men before returning to me. “Simple in structure, but important in what it’s meant to build.”
“Handler Knox, you will be the first to assist Lena with this activity,” she said, turning to him.
Silas scowled.
“Handler Silas and Lena are mutually marked,” Dr. Hampton added, eyeing the healing marks on our necks. “Thatconnection brings bonding instincts into the equation, and for this, we need to remove all variables."
Silas didn’t like it, but he didn’t argue.
"Our goal is to build touch tolerance.”
Knox gave a small nod.
“During the exercise, Handler Knox will either sit or lie down, whichever position allows Lena the greatest sense of control,” she went on. “From there, all physical contact will be initiated by her.”
My chest rose slowly, carefully.
“Lena, you will decide where you touch him, how long to maintain contact, and when it ends. There are no required actions. Nothing youhaveto do. This is about exploration at your pace.”
Her gaze held mine.
“I want you to pay attention to your responses. Ask yourself, what feels neutral, what feels safe, and what feels…stimulating.It's especially important to recognize where your boundaries are.”
Color rushed into my face.
“If the exercise shifts,” she continued, “if it becomes charged and arousal is part of your response, that is not a failure of the exercise. It is useful information.”
Embarrassment burned beneath my skin.
“Arousal, in this context, can indicate a sense of safety within controlled conditions,” she said. “You are allowed to observe that response, and even act on it if you wish.”
Silence settled for a beat.
“However,” she added, her tone sharpening just slightly, “the rules do not change.”
“Handler Knox is not permitted to touch you at any point. No reciprocation. No movement toward you. His hands will remain at his sides,” she said, leveling a stern warning at him.
Knox lifted his hands briefly in surrender, then let them fall again. "No touching. Understood.All you,runt,” he said with a chuckle.
Dr. Hampton then addressed me. “You must initiate all contact, Lena. Every point of it."
My throat felt tight, but I nodded.
“Lena, I want you to try your best to be verbal,” she said. “Tell Handler Knox what responds to touch, what parts of your body tense up… and what parts relax. Tell him where you want to explore, Lena. Note what feels good when your hands are on him."
She turned to Knox, "Handler Knox, you may encourage and remind herto vocalize her observations.”
“Got it,” Knox said, more serious now.
