But Lee remembered how they’d gotten thehumshusinto his own mouth. He remembered this one had the buzzer that had unlocked his own tight jaw. He swallowed his eagerness, and felt for the button on the humshus. It took just a second to turn on, and then Asher was crying out, his teeth parting.
As gently as he could, Lee slid thehumshusin. The buzzing turned off the moment he got past the teeth, but that didn’t stop Asher fighting. He spoke, but the words were muffled by the long insert sliding across his tongue for the back of his mouth. It was a sputtering mess as Lee fed the gag in, but some part of Lee even liked that, watched rapt as he filled up Asher’s slim throat. It made the low buzz of desire roar fiercely back to life.
It struck him suddenly that this had been Eral and Ronet’s experience. He’d understood on a surface level the role when he’d volunteered for this, but standing in front of Asher andfeeding him thehumshus,something Lee knew in his core would ultimately help Asher feel happy and settled and full… Lee understood and appreciated even more what Eral and Ronet had done for him. How much love it took to stand firm on what they knew would help him even as he cried and protested. They’d been so strong to take care of him, so dedicated to making him safe and happy here.
He understood, too, what a rush it was to care for someone like this. The power of helping Asher burned through him, and even watching him struggle against thehumshusas Lee snapped it in place was a kind of drug.
“It’s going to make you feel better,” Lee said again. “I promise.”
Asher shook his head, as if trying to shake off what was happening. Lee wondered what his expression was underneath the blindfold. Was he angry? Was he sad?
There was so much Asher didn’t know, so much he didn’t understand about this place yet. But he would. He had Trenet and Vrayl now, and they would take care of him. And if they needed more help, if Asher needed a Human presence, Lee would be there. He made the vow silently to himself. Later, when they were alone again, he would bring it up to Eral and Ronet. He would tell them how much he wanted this, how good it felt to be helpful.
Lee stepped back, and immediately Vrayl scooted closer again. Both his and Trenet’s hands smoothed over Asher, crooning soft, relaxing sounds at him. A purr kicked up again in Trenet’s chest.
“How are his vitals?” Trenet asked.
Vrayl took a glance at the device on his wrist. “He’s anxious, but he’s… he’s settling.” He sounded awed. “Already his heart rate is dropping.”
“That’s good. That’s so good.” Trenet looked up and met Lee’s eyes. “Thank you,yshainLee. It means a lot to us that you would help Asher with this. That you would give him one of yourhumshus.”
Now that the task was done, the shyness returned. “You’re welcome,” he said, voice small. “I hope it helps.”
And then he was shuffling quickly back over the space and dropping into Ronet’s lap. His mate took him back in with arms open. The Dresht nuzzled him, and when he turned his head, Eral was there to give him a nuzzle as well.
“It was such a nice thing you did, Lee. We’re so proud of you, of how far you’ve come.”
He felt proud too. He’d struggled like Asher for so long, but now he was finally, finally on the right path. Everything was so easy here, so carefree. As he glanced back at Asher being soothed by his mates, Lee knew he had no desire to go back to that state. He liked doing well, and how everyone was proud of him now. It felt good.
Then the device on Vrayl’s wrist pinged. For a moment, Lee feared the worst, that it was alerting them now that Asher wasn’t doing well.
Vrayl must’ve had the same thought, because he was quick to check. “Oh,” he said with surprise. “It’s time for his treatment. Would you mind?”
“Oh, not at all,” Eral said with clear familiarity of whatever Vrayl was talking about. “Here, I put them in thepzechfor safekeeping. I’ll show you.”
Vrayl and Eral got up to go retrieve whatever it was, and Lee took advantage of hishumshusnot being on. “Asher’s treatment?”
“Yes,” Trenet said, stroking Asher’s hair, who had slumped against the Dresht. Calming. “The Venigashen.”
That caught Lee’s interest. He knew of the Venigash as preparation for the Season. The jelly-like eggs that made him so full and blissful as they prepared his body to take Ronet’s eggs.
Did that mean Asher would experience a Season soon?
“Eral said you didn’t have to go through the same thing,” Trenet continued at Lee’s questioning look. “Asher… because he was so malnourished when he was found and how he still struggles with food, it was recommended by the Match Agency that he be given Venigash every other day.”
Every other day?That—Lee could hardly wrap his mind around that.
“It will help prepare him for our first Season, but right now it’s mainly to get his nutrient levels up into healthy zones.” Trenet said. “We brought his with us, since they're rather time sensitive and we like to keep him on schedule.”
Lee gaped, eyes wide. Asher was going to be filled with Venigash here and now?
Holy shit.
The arousal that had started to ease up flared back up inside him with an intensity that had him gasping. Lee had never seen anotheryshaintake eggs. Of course he hadn’t.
But what would it be like? Did Asher like it?
No… no, of course he didn’t like it. He was probably still struggling taking them. But if he got them every other day, maybe he was getting used to it? Maybe he was starting to enjoy it, just as Lee had?
