“Foremployment?” Zul shook his head in disapproval, thinking that human politicians had much in common with politicians on any planet, including Uribern. Overall, they were loathsome, dishonest, self-serving, and utterly lacking in honor. The broad sweep of his horns narrowly missed knocking over a lamp.
Gil nodded and continued, “Females in Ursula’s homeland may go about as they please. They may go anywhere and do whatever they wish without a male’s protection.”
“Is Earth so safe then that females need not worry about being attacked?”
Gil chuckled and shook his head. “Many of the males in Earth’s cultures consider females their prey. I have made a brief study of this. Too few males act to protect them.”
Zul was appalled. “Do the males of Earth have no honor?”
Gil shrugged. “The males of Earth are puny compared to us, but still larger, stronger, and faster than the females. Most are neither warriors themselves nor affluent enough to purchase protection for their females.” He leaned forward, his expression twisting with disapproval. “I have read that, oftentimes, females carry weapons and learn to fight to protect themselves.”
Zul blinked at this astonishing revelation. He shared Gil’s disapproval.
“You’re getting off-track,” Bran murmured from where he sat at his desk.
“Right,” Gil said. “In short, Ursula demands many of the same rights here that she had on Earth. It pleases us to indulge her as long as she does not act foolishly. Except for the attack by the rosvoi—for which she is not to be blamed—she has demonstrated good sense and has not betrayed our trust.”
“And if it does not please you to indulge her?” Zul asked. “Do you simply forbid her what she wants, and does she accept it?”
Bran snorted.
Grinning, Gil said, “We often compromise. We do not wish to crush her spirit; that is a good part of why we love her. We will listen to her arguments and decide accordingly.”
“She is not obedient then.”
“She is often obedient because we do not abuse our authority,” Bran commented. “We do not make unreasonable demands of her, and we always listen to her objections.” He aimed a pointed look at Zul. “She is not a mindless animal or irrational child who needs to be controlled to prevent her from harming herself and others.”
Gil nodded in agreement. “We were not best pleased to allow her to have her little shop in the village, but when we realized how proud she is of her work and how well she runs hersmall business, we understood how important it is to her. What is important to her is important to us.”
“So,” Zul voiced his questions again, “what will she expect of us? Of me?”
“Ursula will expect your respect as well as your affection,” Gil replied.
“Respect?”
“Treat her as an equal, even though she is small and weak compared to any Urib female. She is smart and resourceful, and you would be wise to respect those qualities.”
Zul snorted. “She has no claws and blunt teeth. She cannot harm me if I make her angry.”
“But she can withhold access to her body,” Bran said. The base of Zul’s horns itched at the idea of being denied access to his mate’s lovely, luscious body. “We do not andwill notforce intimacy upon her. We fuck her only if and when she is willing.”
Zul nodded and replied, “To do otherwise is dishonorable.”
Gil grinned again, his eyes shining with amusement. “Luckily, ourelska’adiris nearly always willing and receives us with joy.”
Zul cocked his head to one side, musing on that statement. “She does not know about our pheromones, does she?”
“We have not discussed it,” Bran admitted. “But our mating pheromones facilitate intimacy, both physical and emotional, with her. If she were to believe she was being manipulated…” He shuddered. “Ursula has mostly settled into acceptance of Urib ways, and we wish to keep her happy, so we do that through compromise, as Gil said.”
“What does Ursula like?” Zul asked, thinking of ways to not lose her favor and be denied access to her body.
“Anything sweet,” Gil answered with a laugh.
“We import a viscous liquid from Earth called honey,” Bran admitted with a sheepish grin. “She drizzles it over almost everything.”
“She especially likes it on her breakfast foods,” Gil added.
Bran nodded. “I tasted it once. It isverysweet.”
