He hesitates for a second, but does what I ask. Looks like I’m next.
Chapter 19
Katem
I give my back to Piper, but it does not stop me from picturing what she will look like without her coverings. The memory of Remi’s body is vague, but even if I could clearly recall every detail, none of them will be able to compare to mykeeshla. She is beyond pleasing to my eyes with coverings on. She will only be more so without them.
My mind is curious to know what these underclothes are that she says she will swim in. Why do humans need to wear two layers of coverings? I can understand why they would do so during the cold season, but during the warm one? What purpose do they serve? None of the mated males have mentioned their mates wearing coverings beneath their coverings. Perhaps this is knowledge only mates are supposed to have. It is meant to be private between them. I will ask Piper once she has stepped into the water.
The sound of her footsteps in the river reaches me, as does the hiss she makes, and I resist the urge to turn until she givesme permission. The humans’ need for privacy while naked still confuses me, but we have all come to accept it.
“Okay, you can turn around.”
I do so and find Piper standing with her arms crossed so the crests of her chest mounds are visible over the water’s surface. She shivers slightly.
“You are cold.” I move to guide her out of the water, but she stops it.
“I’ll be fine once my body gets used to the temperature.” She does not sound certain.
Trusting that my mate knows of what she speaks, I do not push. Already she is worried I will treat her differently because she is…no, I will not think of it. There will time later to do so. Now, we swim.
“All right. Show me what you know.”
Piper nibbles her bottom lip. “I don’t know anything. In fact, I’m about two seconds from a complete panic attack, because I’ve never been in water this deep before and I’m kind of freaking out that I’m standing here because I can feel the water rising up and over my head even though I know it’s not, but that’s what it—shit, shit, shit.”
She clings to me as my arms wrap around her and I lift her a small amount out of the water. “Breathe,keeshla. I have you.”
The heat of her cunt sears into me and the hard centers of her chest mounds poke into my flesh through the thin material of her second chest covering.
“Fuck, I didn’t think it would be this hard,” Piper says, her breath a soft caress against my neck. “I mean, we haven’t even done anything but stand here and already, I freaked out.”
“It is common to be nervous when attempting a task you have never done before. There is no shame in that.”
She lifts her head slightly. “What have you ever been nervous about that you hadn’t done before?”
“Mouth touching my mate.”
Her cheeks darken. “Oh.”
“I have seen nearly all the mated couples do this thing and yet, when it came time for me to mouth touch with my ownkeeshla, my hands trembled. I knew I would be so terrible, she would hate it.”
Piper grins. “She doesn’t hate it.”
I match her grin. “I am glad for this. Hopefully she will feel the same when the time comes for her to share my furs. That is another thing I am nervous about.” My smile fades. “What if I do it wrong? What if I do not please her? Worse, what if I hurt her?”
“You’re not going to do it wrong and if you…make love the same way you kiss, I will be much more than pleased. I’ve also heard it always hurts the first time, but only a little and only that once,” she says.
“Our mating will hurt you?” There is horror in my voice.
“Well, I don’t really know.” Piper shrugs. “It’s just what I’ve heard. Maybe they were wrong and it doesn’t hurt everyone. It will be fine, though. I promise, so you don’t have to be worried.”
After hearing this, I will do nothing but worry, but I do not share this concern with her, because in this time and place, she needs me to be confident and show her that it is all right to be nervous. She will conquer her fears, because my mate is strong.
“Let us both push our worries aside then. I will not worry about hurting you and you will not worry about swimming. There is nothing to fear while I am holding you.” I stare into Piper’s eyes. “Do you trust me?”
“Of course.” Her answer is immediate and without hesitation.
“Then trust me to keep you safe here in the water.”
