Page 13 of Elias

Elias shrugged as he tugged down his sleeve. “The royals love tradition. I knew what I was letting myself in for but couldn’t go through with it. I pulled out and ran for my life.”

“That’s your only experience with a woman?”

“I had a few fumbles before that, but we start late. It’s another cultural thing. Most Retars don’t get laid until we’re twenty-five. We have a couple of partners to gain experience and then mate for life.”

“Your culture sucks. I’d have died from sexual frustration if Draxdans did that.”

“That it does.” Elias stared at the wall. All he’d wanted was to find his life mate, not get eaten alive.

“Buddy, your experience was a crappy one. It won’t always be like that. You’ve got to believe there is something better out there. Something that makes your balls clench and your dick hard as steel. Maybe that something is called Hayley. Is that why you have this interest in trying again? Is this woman making your dick twitch?”

“She’s all I think about.” Elias sounded like a weak-minded fool but felt a shiver of excitement at the thought of being close to Hayley. She could be different. It might be possible for him to find sex pleasurable without worrying about any risk to his life.

“You need to do more than think if you’re into her.” Tegor poured out more whiskey. “Take her out, get to know her, make sure she doesn’t like using her teeth during sex. See if she’s open to wearing a gag. Experiment. You can make this work if you really want her. And, if she’s into you, she won’t mind trying stuff and making sure you get off too.”

Elias toyed with his whiskey glass. “I could buy her a gag as a gift.”

“Noooooo. Do not do that. She’ll think you’re weird. And she’d be right. Women like chocolates and candy and sweet talk. Show her you like her. Don’t suggest the starfish position and a gag, or you’ll never get to experience the pleasure hidden between a woman’s thighs.”

Elias blew out a breath. There was so much to think about, so much he could screw up. “No gag, no talk of favorite sex positions. Got it.”

“Until you’re naked and have fucked a few times, don’t go laying down that crap.” Tegor downed his whiskey. “This has been a great evening, but I need to get out of here. I’ve got a date lined up. Even if my date doesn’t work out, I’ll be having sweet dreams tonight.” He patted Elias on the shoulder as he stood. “Let me know when you have another evening of entertainment lined up, and I’ll be here.”

“Will do.” Elias stood and walked to the door with Tegor. “Thanks for the advice.”

“Anytime, buddy. I’m always happy to watch people fuck as I get drunk.” He grinned as he left Elias’s room.

Elias’s head was full of questions and possibilities. He needed to chill out, or he’d never get any sleep. He flicked off the info pod and switched to a news broadcast.

A flicker of surprise ran through him when he saw a representative from the Retar government standing behind a podium, looking serious. What was going on back home that required such an official announcement?

Elias returned to the couch and turned up the volume.

“I can confirm an investigation has been opened. The shameful increase in reports of Retar males not completing the mating act with their female will not be tolerated.”

Elias’s stomach twisted, and he stared at the screen in horror. The government official continued.

“In the last two years, there has been a twenty-five percent increase in disenchanted females, whose mate reneged on their agreement. The mating behaviors are well-known, and these males would have had full knowledge of what they entered into. There have also been reports of males abandoning the females during the mating act.”

Elias licked his lips. It felt like the official spoke directly to him.

“It is believed that the organization My Single Alien is partly to blame for this rise in abandonment. They provide opportunities for male Retars that have previously been unavailable.”

Elias pressed his lips together. Was it such a bad thing to want to be safe and have a partner who wasn’t going to bite you once you’d mated?

“These opportunities are cowardly. This particular agency is profiting from inadequate males who have shown they are not worthy of being a part of our community.”

Elias grimaced. Anger and disgust burned through him. He’d considered himself a failure for such a long time. Now, it was being confirmed.

“The investigation will take place over the next month. All those males who have been reported to us will undergo scrutiny by a specialist committee to determine their punishment.”

Punishment! He was being punished because he wanted to live? The joy drained out of Elias as he saw a series of photographs of males they were interested in talking to. He didn’t breathe again until he was certain he wasn’t among them.

“We are urging any female who believes she has been wronged by a Retar male to come forward and reveal the traitor. This practise cannot be allowed to proliferate. Do not consider yourself a failure if this has happened to you. The burden of responsibility lies with the male who did not satisfy you and abandoned his duty.”

Elias ground his teeth together. If Princess Isolt had not reported him, she soon would. He could remember her screaming in frustration and rage as he’d abandoned her. That would not go unpunished. This committee meant business.

“Males brought in for questioning will have an opportunity to redeem themselves,” the government official said. “We are offering a one-time opportunity. They can mate with their female if she chooses to have them. But they must go through the entire ceremony.”