“I told you I gave up my Quaww ways when I joined Prince Zirene’s cause.” Q opened his winged arms. “What can I do to get a chance?”
The table was silent as everyone watched the two leaders interact.
What history did these two have?
B tapped her empty glass on the table in thought and peered over to me. She smirked as a chuckle escaped her lips.
“I have a way for you to prove yourself, Qran.”
He followed her gaze to me and looked between us, confused. “I thought you didn’t want to live in a flock…”
B rolled her eyes. “Selena has never been dancing before. If you can show her a good time and respect her boundaries, I will entertain allowing you to take me out sometime. But…” B smiled and pulled Q to her, guiding the side of his feathered head to her lips.
I watched as she blocked her face with her hand as Q’s face flooded with multiple expressions—lust, confusion, curiosity, mischievousness.
The burning on my face and throat slowly traveled along my body, creating an uncomfortable heat. Was it from the drink or the embarrassment of being the center of attention? I didn’t have this reaction when I was on the Assembly floor, yet somehow, I felt even more out of my element here.
Wetness dripped between my legs, forcing me to stop myself from rubbing them together.
“Ready to dance, Selena?” Q asked.
His voice jolted me from the cloudiness of my inner thoughts. I blinked a few times and shook my head, trying to focus on the here and now.
“Selena?”
Q now stood next to me as he offered his hand, his face scrunched in confusion as his pale green eyes searched mine.
“I can understand if you don’t want to…” he trailed off.
“Dancing isn’t a part of Circuli culture. I am sure your nestmates won’t mind,” Kaica said.
I glanced at B. “Are you sure you don’t mind? I mean… I don’t want to ruin anything between you before it even started.”
B raised a hand toward Q. “I wouldn’t trust any other male, other than the few who are already in your clan, to dance with you—my brother included.” She crossed her arms and leaned back. “Besides, if Q messes up with you, he ruins any chances he has with me. I won’t even start entertaining a male who can’t respect and treat any of my sisters well.”
“If you are fine with it, then…” I grabbed Q’s hand as he pulled me out of my seat. “I guess I will take advantage of the opportunity.”
Q pressed his hand against my back and led me away. “I want my reward after this,” he said behind me.
“Then show her a good time and bring her back in one piece,” B shouted.
He led me silently through the crowd. It seemed Q also had a reputation on the station. Everyone’s reactions to him were slower compared to the sisters, but once they saw who he was when he tried to squeeze past someone, they automatically moved out of the way without a word.
We stopped in the middle of the room, and Q turnedtoward me as the dancers gave us a respectable amount of space around us.
He chuckled. “This is going to be fun.”
“What is?”
He placed his hands on my hips. “Do you want to face me or away from me? Typically, the female leads, but since this is your first time, I don’t mind being the aggressor.”
Nothing he said made sense. I did a quick survey of the crowd. It was too dark to make out colors, but I assumed the smaller and more slender members were the feminine ones. They were either surrounded by taller and bulkier forms, sandwiched between two, or paired up with one. There were a variety of other pairings—including all feminine and all masculine.
They all had one thing in common.
Someone was in control.
“What is easier for you?”
