AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Cara stared back at her in rebellious silence, but Flora knew she was right. Cara’s abilities were starting to activate. They might not be able to give her a month.
“It’s stress,” Cara insisted, but there was no conviction behind her claim. “My parents were abusive. You wouldn’t believe the things they allowed to happen to me. On Earth they would be arrested.”
Flora moved closer to the bed. “What sort of things? Altorians approach many things differently than humans do, but there are strict laws against abuse.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Cara shot to her feet and darted away, putting distance between her and Flora.
“My mates represent you now. They are your advocates. If you were harmed in any way, they will see that the culprits are punished. Even if those culprits are your parents.”
“I… you might not think it’s as bad as I do.” She looked at Raina warily. “You both seem pretty accepting of all this shit.”
“Tell me what happened,” Flora coaxed.
Cara had backed herself into a wall. She crossed her arms, then uncrossed them. “My parents narrowed down my suitors to three teams of two. They showed me pictures and detailed resumes. Then they took me to the Citadel and let all six finalistsexamineme.”
It didn’t take a lot of imagination to figure out what that meant. “They undressed you?”
“They didn’t need to,” Cara said bitterly. “I was stripped naked by Citadel staff and strapped down to a table designed for these examinations. It was obvious that this sort of horror goes on all the time. Women are treated like breeding stock, and you don’t seem concerned about any of it.”
Flora was concerned. If the examination had gone beyond pushing boundaries into abuse, Flora would insist that those responsible were held accountable. However, Altorian practices had to be judged by their cultural standards. Flora paused and glanced at Raina. She hadn’t said a word, but she was intently following the conversation. This would soon happen to her. It might be easier for her if she understood what to expect.
Turning back to Cara, Flora chose her words carefully. “I need you to be brutally honest about this. Did you enjoy what was done to you, and not just your body? Did at least part of you respond to being dominated?”
Cara looked at her then averted her gaze. “I didn’t want to enjoy it.”
“That’s not the same.”
“I know,” Cara cried, sounding helpless and confused. “I was humiliated and angry, utterly helpless, and they made me feel things I didn’t want to feel. So many things.”
Cara had just described Flora’s first night with Draven and Noratu. Except her mates hadn’t stopped at triggering unwanted orgasms. They had claimed her in every way a woman could be claimed. The memories made her shiver and ache, her body immediately preparing itself for more of their demanding passion.
Just to be sure they were talking about the same thing, Flora asked, “They aroused you?”
Cara shot her an annoyed look. “It was more than that.”
Flora knew exactly what that meant. “They turned you on in ways you didn’t expect to find arousing.” It wasn’t a question. She had no doubt that it was true.
“Did they spank you?” Raina sounded intrigued and her cheeks pinkened. “Oh, my God, did the spanking get you hot? Is that why you’re so freaked out?”
Knowing that Raina’s fascination would upset Cara further, Flora tried to smooth things over. “The physiology of Altorian females makes us naturally submissive. Living on Earth taught us to be—”
“I knew you wouldn’t think this was a big deal. That’s why I didn’t want to tell you.” Cara stalked over to the window and stared out into the gathering twilight. “You might enjoy being humiliated and having absolutely no control over your body’s responses, but I hated it.”
Flora recognized what her cousin was feeling. She’d held on to the same denials until her mates stripped away all of her excuses. Altorian females needed to be dominated or they couldn’t be completely fulfilled. But Cara wasn’t ready for that sort of honesty.
The first thing Flora needed to do was to find out who the finalists were. Draven likely knew them. If any of them were honorable males, that might be a good place to start their search for Cara’s mates. A month really wasn’t a lot of time.
Cara was clearly in no mood for long explanations, so Flora summarized what Noratu and Draven had told them. “My mates are now the official representatives for you and Raina. They will assess the potential mates and screen out anyone who is unacceptable. Once they have narrowed down the list, the final choice will be up to you and Raina.”
“How is that any different from what my parents did?” Her shoulders shook, but she continued to face the window.
“Did your parents give you a say in any of it?” Raina asked from the doorway.
Cara finally turned around, tears streaming down her face. “I don’t want to choose my mates,” she cried. “I hate it here. I hate everything about it.”
Flora skirted the bed and wrapped her arms around Cara. “I know this is scary and it all seems so wrong, but you won’t believe how fast that changes. Your power is stirring whether you want it to or not. Very soon you will need help controlling it.”
Shaking her head as she wiped away her tears, Cara whispered, “I don’t want to live the rest of my life on my knees, taking orders from two domineering males.”
