Everyday Life as an American Host

by Viktorformosa

Jack's life has suffered one hell of a shock lately. As things settle down however, one act of generosity draws the attention of the Inter-species Exchange and its local coordinator Mr. Smythe. Now Jack has an opportunity to change his life ,for better or worse, when he is asked to host several liminals for the Homestay program. OCs, SI(ish)

31. Chapter 31 Tetra's Story Part 3

I do not own Everyday Life with Monster Girls.

Also, this is definitely a Mature rated chapter. Sex and language. Enjoy.

Chapter 31 Tetra's story: part three.

The monster-woman's harsh panting was perfectly synchronized with her oscillating hips. Taut yet massive breasts swayed like a metronome mere inches from her human partner's chest. A fanged maw exhaled a hot draft against his cheeks.

Her arms pinned his hands deep into the soft bed. Her pedipalps framed around his thighs and hooked under his shins. With each driving thrust, his toes brushed the underside of her abdomen.

Under her dominance, he clutched the monster's clawed fingers like a vice. He alternated gritting his teeth and gasping to persevere her assault.

"Ah!" He exclaimed. Something within him threatened to spill out. He closed his eyes and tried to hold it back. "I'm...gonna...I can't..."

"Just a little...longer..." She implored.

His toes curled in and he bent his knees. "I'm...sorry...ah...I'm gonna-"

"Almost..." Her hips gained speed, pressing against his own with greater force. "Almost..."

"That's not." He chastised. A surging warmth overwhelmed his lower regions. "Oh Godz!" He bent his neck in.

"There!" She exclaimed with lust.

Their hot flesh quivered where they connected. His member released into the woman with a powerful rush. Her gap responded with a wild and wicked spasm. Fulfilled carnal desires flooded their bodies.

Her spine arced back as pleasure raced along her nerves. Her breasts flicked droplets of sweat into the air as they flopped back to her chest.

They froze together, like time itself had stopped. Neither even dared to breath, the fears of shattering the fragile moment stilled their very souls.

"...Aaauuuhhhh." Tetra exhaled with satisfaction. Her torso fell limply over Jack and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"Gods. Damn." He breathed.

He stared at the chandelier's candle lights, trying to focus his thoughts. "I'm.. godz..I..."

Tetra turned her head in and nibbled on his ear. "Shut up Jack." He clamped his jaw obediently. "Just... let me hold you a minute." Their excited breathing slowed. The ecstasy high bled off in tandem.

It was actually four minutes before she stirred and pushed herself off of him. Jack sidled to the side of the large bed, careful not to jostle his sensitive part too much. He ran a hand down his face to wipe off the slick sweat. "Okay...that law needs to change."

She chuckled at his side. "Indeed." She reached across and cupped the far side of his chin, turning it toward her. "So, Mr. rock star, how do I compare?"

He closed his eyes and let out one incredulous laugh. "I honestly can't remember right now." The corner of her lips stretched in a cocky smirk.

"Not that the other ladies were terrible." He amended. His eyes opened partially. "I just..." He shook his head. "I honestly can't recall them right now."

Her chin tucked down. "Others?" A hint of mock offense colored her tone. "How many?"

Jack exhaled in exasperation. "Not that..." He rattled his head. "That part of my life is over. I'd rather not get into it right now."

She pursed her lips. "Fair enough." She pushed up her torso, which incidentally agitated her massive bare chest, and gazed down at him imperiously. "But I'm better than all of them, right?"

He raised an eyebrow at her hubris. His tongue slide in and out, scraping his incisors. "Yes Tetra," He responded in faux-mockery. "You're better than all of them."

Her chin thrust out. "Just so we've established that." He snorted and half-face palmed.

"Ready to go again?" She asked.

Jack took a moment to evaluate himself. He smacked his lips and took a long breath. "I could use something to drink. It's kinda dry down here."

She hummed and leaned over the side. "There should be...Ha!" Jack heard the wood on wood scrape of a drawer being drawn out. His girlfriend leaned back up with two water bottles in one of her hands.

"Oh nice." He exclaimed and accepted one. "Where'd you get that?"

She unscrewed the cap on her bottle. "Bottom drawer of the nightstand."

He hummed as he took a gulp. "What else is in there?"

After taking a sip, Tetra recapped her bottle and placed it on the top of the stand. "Let's see...condoms...tissues...sanitizer bottles... Oh!"

He cocked his head. "Oh?"

"A notepad and pen?" She announced and righted herself, items in hand.

Jack snorted again. Good gods...

Her brow furrowed. "What's this for?"

He was genuinely shocked and tilted his head slightly. "You're the ego-maniacal arachne and you don't know?" She didn't quite frown at him.

"To keep a record." He supplied with half a sigh.

Tetra blinked once. "Oh...oooh." Her eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. "A record of how many times or what we've tried?"

Jack gave out a full sigh.. "Or both." He concluded.

Tetra let out an unnervingly evil giggle. The kind you'd expect from the unbalanced sadistic villainess who'd just discovered some new method of torture for the hero in a TV series.

She scribbled a note and made a check mark with a flourish of her hand. Then she scribbled more notes and started cackling to herself. Jack just laid there, both despairing and excitedly anticipating what his girlfriend's diabolical, sinister mind was concocting.

Maybe it was the long, long, long day's exhaustion, but he couldn't really hang on to any despondency. Tetra was clearly enjoying herself, and would continue to do so. He really wanted this night to be as special for her as possible. If he could help, he would. Whatever she wanted to do-

"Let's try this!" She shoved the paper is his face. One of the entry's was circled multiple times. It had an accompanying drawing of herself pulling strings around her 'sub'. Several words were in bold. Terms like 'knots' and 'suspension' and 'control' and 'optimal positioning'.

Oh good gods no...

Tetra's eyes pleaded right above her widest beaming grin.

And not for the first nor certainly the last time, Jack had the increasingly recurring thought: What the hell have I got myself into?

---

In the end, Jack convinced her to try less physically stressful...techniques. After the fourth or fifth time she tied him to the ceiling and walls and... did things...that made them both feel really, really good.

Either that or he finally passed out.

---

"So...who's Felicia?"

Jack blinked his eyes open.

The woman who rocked/destroyed his world and body last night lay beside him. One arm propping up her cheek, elbow deep in a pillow. Whether it was the hue from the dimming candles or the expression of contented relaxation he couldn't tell, but her face glowed.

"What? What'd you say?"

She grinned and pulled the blanket down a couple inches. "Distracted?"

Jack's eyes flicked to her partially exposed chest... and stayed...recent memories of her hypnotic heaving bosom overwhelmed his focus and a tingling feeling sparked somewhere below his waist.

Her grin deepened. "I'll take that as a yes."

He shook his head and placed a palm on his face. "Um.. yeah, sorry. You were asking me something?"

She sighed. "My own fault I suppose." She drew the blanket back over herself. Jack tried to hide the little bit of disappointment he felt.

"Who's Felicia?"

Her question banished the memory and he narrowed his eyes. "How'd you...I never said..."

"You said her name." She pointed out. "After you saw me in the gym the first time."

His expression blanked and he focused on that particular moment. "I..I did." He flipped over gradually and placed an arm under his head. "Um...She's..." He sucked in a breath. "Wait I didn't say her name while we were-" He glanced back over.

Her toothy grin flashed. "No, no. You were quite..." She tapped a claw on his nose. "Focused." She ran that claw down his face, his neck. "Energetic." The claw traced over his ribs and stomach. "Accommodating." He drew in a breath in anticipation, as her finger tickled his hip. "And very...enduring."

Her wrist pivoted at an angle, as if she were going to grip something. Then her arm retracted and lay at her side.

Jack's expression flared at her teasing cruelty. Her eyes narrowed and a spiteful glint sparked off her fangs. It was quite clear that he'd have to answer the question if the wanted anymore of her...touch.

"Was she...an old flame?" His girlfriend hazarded.

Jack closed his eyes and composed himself as best he could. "No, no... she...she's someone I tried to...tried to help."

Tetra tilted her head. "Help how?"

He sighed and rolled onto his back. He stared at the chandelier. "She didn't have the best home life. Her dad was an abusive piece of shit. I didn't know her much before she began hanging out with us."

"Us?"

Jack shut his eyes hard a moment. "Uh yeah, the band."

"You mean the Disposabots?" He didn't have to turn to visualize her amused grin.

"Yeah. She's was kinda... our groupie, just without the sex."

Tetra tilted her head in query.

"A groupie is someone who follows bands and usually tries to 'meet' with them." He explained. "That's not always the case but that's generally what is assumed." He fell silent for a moment.

"Something happened?"

He nodded slowly. "One night after one of our concerts she called me. Asked to meet her at a park, well after dark. Which is generally not allowed." He took a slow breath. "But she sounded...like she needed a friend. So I went."

His expression darkened. "She had a nasty black eye when I got there."

Tetra placed a hand on his shoulder. "Her father?"

He closed his eyes a moment. "Who else?" He growled. "I'd seen him a few times, picking her up from school and such. He just looked like a douche-bag." He sighed. "But you can't pick your biological family."

Her grip tightened on his shoulder. "No. You certainly can't."

He glanced back over and placed his hand over hers. "I think that's what she saw in me. A fellow child raging against a bad parent. I complained a lot about my dad as a teenager and after. A few of our cover songs were about abuse and it's horrible effects."

"My dad never hit us or mom. But I swear he was asking for a crack across the jaw sometimes." A beat. "What I didn't know was Felicia's dad actually hit her. Until that night." His grip tightened. "I had to help her."

Sympathy radiated off his girlfriend's face. "What happened?"

"I told her to go to the cops, get his ass arrested." He snorted. "She laughed."

Tetra blinked. "What for?"

"Cause I was going to be her witness."

Her eyes flicked around. "I don't follow."

Jack swallowed. "See, she was at our concert that night and hung out with us until we dropped her off at home."

Tetra leaned her head back. "She didn't have a black eye then."

He nodded. "Exactly. Her dad couldn't argue that someone at the concert had done it. A couple minutes later a cop cruised by the park and got out." He unfocused his eyes. "I freaked out a bit but she told me it was going to be okay."

"The cop apparently knew her, called her name. She said 'it's time' and showed him the black eye. I remember his name was officer Hux and he asked me about her whereabouts that evening."

Tetra nodded. "Smart girl."

"Yep." He agreed. "I followed them back to her place and watched that asshole get frog-marched out of his own house."

She grinned toothily. "That had to be satisfying."

"Oh yeah." He pressed his lips together. "I just really wish I'd seen it and done something for her earlier. She shouldn't have had to take a hit like that."

A somber expression creased over her face. "Oh Jack." She lifted her hand and brushed his cheek. "You can't be every damaged girl's hero." She clutched the back of his head and drew him in for a kiss. "But you are certainly... my hero."

He blinked a couple times and drew back. "I, I am?"

She smiled and her eyes sparked for an instant. "You ventured out into the woods and down into this cave for me, didn't you?"

Jack swallowed. "I, I wasn't alone." He admitted.

She inclined her head. "Because you're not an idiot. Chasing after arachne in the dead of night is a fool's game for a lone human." Her face softened. "And who says heroes have to work alone? I didn't." She brushed part of his hair back. "When I rescued you."

He sighed. "That's true."

"And you've done more than enough for all of us." She continued. "You've told me that I'm a good person Jack." She tapped his nose with a claw. "Well so are you." She gazed at him intently. "So how about you forgive yourself?"

Jack stared a few moments. "I... don't..." He blinked a couple times. "How do you do that?"

She glanced down briefly. "Well, I did something I was afraid of. That I thought I couldn't do." She gazed back at him. "That's how I did it."

He narrowed his eyes. "What'd you do?"

She smiled lightly. "I made passionate love to a human I care about and proved that I'm not my mother."

"Oh, right." He chortled. "I guess you did."

She slid a palm down his arm and clasped his hand. "I couldn't have done it without you."

Jack closed his eyes and shook his head. "I suppose not."

"What happened to Felicia?" She asked after a moment.

Jack raised his eyes. "She moved out to Colorado with her mom's brother." He sighed. "She sent me a message later that month thanking me for helping."

Tetra tilted her head. "Then what's..." Her eyes fluttered. "You...wanted her to stay...didn't you?" He swallowed and didn't say anything. "You liked her."

He nodded lightly. "I...think I really did... that night. After she got rid of her dad finally, I wanted her to...I don't know..."

"You admired her." Tetra deduced. "For doing what you couldn't."

He flicked his eyes down.

"You wanted to be the man in her life." She expounded. "A caring gentleman. Someone she could rely on." She poked his chest. "You wanted her. But she left...right when you realized you wanted her."

A silent breath.

"And you never told her."

Jack didn't disagree. He kept his gaze low. "I...I didn't want her to feel guilty. I didn't want to drag her all the way back to Illinois. Not after she got out."

Tetra closed her eyes once. "Well I got out. I landed in a better place." She cupped a hand under his chin. "And I've got a reliable man in my life now." He raised his head. "So if it helps Jack, think of me as your Felicia for a moment." She tapped the underside of his chin. "And I'm not going anywhere without you." She leaned in and kissed him.

He shut his eyes. She was right. It was well passed time to let go. "Thanks Tetra."

She cocked a smirk. "You're quite welcome Jack."

He snorted. "Alright, my turn." She tilted her head. "What was wrong with you yesterday?"

She took a moment and pressed her lips. "I was afraid."

He blinked. "Afraid of what?"

Her face gradually morphed into an ugly grimace. "That idiot...Syleris' friend..."

Jack furrowed his brow at her disdain. "Verandys." He supplied.

She nodded. "Yeah her. She was deliberately antagonizing Sula's children." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Echidna lamias can have nasty tempers you know... and if they attacked..." Her grimace alleviated as her eyes opened. Despair gushed out of her voice. "I didn't know if I could stop them."

Jack raised an eyebrow quizzically but didn't say anything.

"One," She lofted a claw. "I could wrap up before she could bite anyone. Two if I got lucky." She shook her head slowly. "But all three, with zero preparation..." Her eyes wavered. "Someone would have been killed."

He swallowed and let that sobering thought linger.

"And I'm not sure that anything but my strongest threads would hold them long enough."

One of his eyes twitched. "What do you mean?"

She let out a breath. "I've tied up lamias plenty of times, back in Africa." A nostalgic grin cracked her lips a moment. "But echidna's are stronger and...I'm reasonably certain their claws can cut through most of my webbing."

"Oh..." He blinked a couple times. "They wouldn't stay bound." He sucked in a breath as his eyes widened. "And then they'd go after you." She nodded somberly and the ghastly realization hit him hard. "Oh gods...that really was a close call."

Tetra closed her eyes. "Yes. And if I went down, who's to say that anyone in their vicinity would have survived their rage."

Jack recalled the time Sula was being adversely affected by the full moon, before he was taken. And his dependence on Tetra's promised protection. A chill ran up his spine.

"That thought...the very idea that I would fail to protect you again..." Her voice broke. "It ignited my instincts, set them ablaze...almost as intense as the full moon does." She opened her eyes and tears leaked out. "And it took all my strength to keep it under control."

The despondency on her face crushed his heart. "Jesus Tetra. I'm so sorry. I...I should have..."

Her brow furrowed. "You did everything you could Jack." Her tone steeled as she spoke. "None of that situation is your fault." A beat. "It was hers."

Jack couldn't argue with her conviction. He recalled one of his first conversations with his echidna guest. "I think you're right." He breathed out. "Sula once told me that only an idiot would fuck with an echidna. And Verandys, was definitely not trying to make friends then." He frowned. "I talked to her about her new impressions of our lamia guests after that though. She seemed...illuminated." He ameliorated.

He nodded confidently. "I don't think it will be a problem in the future."

She brushed away some wetness. "Yes. I saw them playing together in the gym. That helped a degree." She caressed his shoulder. "You coaxing me out for your brother, getting me to open up...staved off the inevitable."

Jack raised a finger to her face. "You are going to clean up the 'fight' gym before I call in Reggie." He commanded.

The arachne barked a laugh. "Of course Jack. First thing I'll do once we're back."

"Good." He commented. "Cause I am not climbing a tall enough ladder just to sweep up a bunch of cobwebs."

She chuckled again. "As you wish."

He reached over and cupped her chin. "Seriously though...you're alright now?"

She smiled slyly and ran a claw down his cheek. "Oh. I'm good Jack."

He gripped her wrist confidently. "Good enough to go again?" Her smile widened to evil proportions. He didn't hesitate.

Jack turned over and slide his left leg across her belly, straddling her. "Awesome." He declared. "'Cause this time, I'm on top."

All six eyes flashed in defiance but her tongue ran along her fangs. "As you wish." She raised a claw with her free hand. "But we'll see how long I tolerate that."

---

Jil'Nathlee cursed her luck, one more time.

At first, she was excited when she won the right to attend their newest member and her mate. She beat out her sisters by mere chance. The honor of service to the colony and the possibility of making new friends should have kept her spirits up for the whole day.

But now, her sisters had finished all their duties and were playing on the recreation level, while she was still waiting on two people who didn't even know she existed.

And they.

Would not.

Stop.

FUCKING EACH OTHER!

She wasn't disturbed by the act, oh no. She's heard better and worse and weirder intercourse from the mating chambers. It was the fact that it was almost noon and neither had emerged for any proverbial air. Or food. They needed food eventually right? She glared at the cart she dragged all the way down from the kitchens.

She had considered knocking and interrupting a few times. Just to let her presence be known. But one of the cardinal rules of the mating level is: Do Not Disturb. It's carved above every door and both main entrances.

She wished she could have someone else with her, just to complain to. But alas, her responsibility didn't require multiple arachne and mother would be very disappointed if she shirked it in the least.

So she waited. And waited and waited.

And waited some more.

And some more-

Her head perked up. The tones of their voices weren't dripping with lust. They were talking normally to each other. She exhaled in relief. Finally.

The doors swung in suddenly right behind her. Jil'Nathlee half spun in surprise.

"What are you doing?" A stern voice demanded.

She was warned that the newest member had exceptional height, but staring up at miss Tetra was almost as intimidating as standing by any of their large breeds.

"Wow. You are tall." She blurted.

Miss Tetra's unamused expression didn't change.

"Um. I brought. I mean I have, Oh no, I'm honored to- and I'm supposed to- uh." She fumbled her words and couldn't get a rein on them.

Miss Tetra held up a palm. "Stop." She commanded. Jil'Nathlee halted in place.

The elder arachne pointed a claw at the covered trays and dining utensils on the cart she brought. "That is for us?"

"Y-yes." She answered semi-confidently. She eyed the dimming light of the recessed candles set beneath the trays and hoped that it had been enough. "A hot breakfast...hopefully."

Tetra lifted one cover and examined its contents. No wisps of steam floated out. She replaced the cover and grasped the cart's handle. "It will suffice." She rolled it in and hooked her rear legs against the doors. Jil'Nathlee interposed her forelegs and prevented them from closing.

Miss Tetra spun around and glared.

"Please excuse the intrusion Miss Tetra." Her head dipped. "But I also need to take your clothes and sheets. For cleaning and repair."

She raised an eyebrow. "We didn't request a maid."

Jil'Nathlee smiled. "You didn't need to." Miss Tetra blinked a couple times.

The awkward silence stretched for a good twenty seconds. Then the rear door opened and a young man exited from the bathroom clad in a black silk bathrobe.

"Bathroom's free if you-" He paused and tilted his head as he noticed a newcomer. "Oh. Who's this?"

Miss Tetra glanced over her shoulder. "The maid." Jil'Nathlee grimaced at her dismissive attitude.

"Is that breakfast?" He asked and approached.

"It's lukewarm." Tetra informed.

Mr. Keysman cocked his head and gazed at the younger arachne. "Were you...were you out there the whole time?" Jil'Nathlee nodded soberly. "Oh sorry." He chuckled. "No one mentioned breakfast in bed service here."

Her eyes squinted and she deliberately gazed over at Miss Tetra. "You didn't tell him?"

The elder arachne removed a cover and hefted a fork. "Tell him what?"

Jil'Nathlee's jaw hung open in incomprehension. "Th- th- this is what we do!" She pointed a claw. "You should know this."

Both of them blinked several times.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Tetra quipped and speared a sausage on her fork. "I don't know anything about this colony's morning procedures."

Jil'Nathlee's head jerked forward. "It's not 'this colony'. It's every colony. Everybody does this!" She waved a clawed hand in the air.

More blinking from both of them.

Mr. Keysman rubbed the back of his head. "I think we have another misunderstanding going on here."

Miss Tetra bit off a chunk of sausage. "Clearly."

He picked up a plate of pancakes and a clean fork. "Why don't we start from the beginning and introduce ourselves." He suggested. "I'm Jack."

"Tetra." She casually announced around a mouthful.

The smaller arachne closed her eyes and sighed. "I know who you are." She placed a clawed hand over her chest. "I am Jil'Nathlee. Third daughter of our mistress."

Mr. Keysman nodded. "Hello." A pause. "I don't... have to call you madam or some other title do I?"

She waved her arms placatingly. "Oh no. No Mr. Keysman." She shook her head. "I'm just her daughter. I don't get any preferential treatment." She gave an eye-roll and a shrug. "Well, not formally at any rate."

He chuckled. "Okay." He angled a knife with butter smeared on it in her general direction. "'Cause you look a lot like her. If...half size."

She gave a light smile. "I'll take that as compliment, Mr. Keysman."

He poured a dollop of syrup over a stack. "So how about you tell us why you're here." He sliced a triangle out of it and speared the chunk with a fork. "If you don't mind us eating in front of you."

Her smile crooked at an angle. "I might...if you give me a slice of bacon or two."

Mr. Keysman blinked and halted, fork halfway to his face. "Ah – wha?"

Miss Tetra smirked. "That's more like it."

He glanced between the two. "I don't- what's going on?"

She glanced at him. "You know this Jack." Her clawed hand waved at the smaller woman. "Arachne do not give away something for nothing."

He stared a moment. "Ah...okay...oh dammit." The syrup dribbled down the fork and onto his thumb. He put his utensil down and reached for a napkin. "Alright, you kinda have a point." He licked part of it off and dabbed with the paper. "A strange arachne delivering a meal we didn't ask for."

"Exactly." Miss Tetra assented.

Jil'Nathlee inclined her head. "So, that bacon?"

He snorted and picked two slices from the tray and held them out. "Fine, here."

She stepped forward a pace and plucked them out of his hand. "Thank you." She bit into one and savored the crisp yet chewy texture.

He chuckled lightly. "Ya know, you could have taken some out earlier, while you were waiting."

All her eyes narrowed to slits briefly. "I'm no thief, Mr. Keysman."

He hummed. "Noted." He took another bite of pancake. "Now, why are you-" She held up her other hand to cut him off.

"Not so fast." She interjected. "Bacon is to be experienced, never rushed." She swallowed. "Besides, who lectures while eating? Seems a bit rude to me."

Mr. Keysman exhaled, mildly embarrassed. "Good point."

"How about we just eat, Jack?" Miss Tetra suggested.

And so the trio ate in silence.

Jil'Nathlee finished her last delectable bite, and sipped some water from a spare tea cup. "Before I begin I'd like to ask Miss Tetra something first."

She gulped down a mouthful of mango juice and eyed the younger arachne. "And that would be?"

"What primitive rock have you been hiding under for the last three years?" She exclaimed. Both of them cocked their heads. "Nearly every colony has been making strides to be more welcoming to humans. Didn't the one you came from at least talk about how to deal with the reveal?"

Miss Tetra paused and then reached for a napkin to clean her mouth. "I didn't belong to a colony when I learned about the reveal. I was banished."

Jil'Nathlee reared her head. "Oh." She narrowed her eyes. "Then...you've only been in America for about a month right?" She pointed a claw. "Where were you all that time?"

The taller arachne set both her arms down. "I lived in a lamia town in Morocco."

The other woman kept her arm raised. "Wait...really?" Tetra dipped her head.

Jil'Nathlee scratched her scalp. "Wow, so...you've been out of the network this whole time." She raised both palms outward. "I, I assumed you knew, since you're a homestay. I thought that was why you were here. To further the mission."

Mr. Keysman tilted his head. "Mission?"

Jil'Nathlee nodded. "The mission. To find a way to integrate with human society while not losing ourselves in the process."

"Oh, of course." He responded.

Miss Tetra was quiet a moment, she stared ahead at nothing in particular. Then: "That's not why I'm here. I didn't come to America for anyone else's mission." She fiddled with her fork idly.

"Then...may I ask...?"

Miss Tetra stayed still.

"I think," Mr. Keysman leaned forward. "I think we'll need to discuss something."

Jil'Nathlee nodded after a moment. "Of course." She grasped the cart's handle and wheeled it to the door. Right before she exited Miss Tetra cleared her throat for attention. She turned around.

"I am part of this colony?" The darker arachne raised her head. "Truly?"

Jil'Nathlee's brow furrowed. "Of course."

"Then I shouldn't keep so many secrets." She concluded and raised her hand. "Could you please ask the Mistress to see us?"

The younger arachne smiled. "It will be my pleasure Miss Tetra." She pushed the cart out and picked up her pace. Finally. We might finally get some answers.

She stashed the cart in a less traveled corner and leaped to the ceiling. She scrambled forward in earnest.

---

Jack studied his girlfriend in silence.

There wasn't any sign of discomfort or agitation, but she was definitely thinking about about something serious.

He adjusted his robe and located his clothes, still strewn about the foot of the bed. He sighed.

"Jack?" He glanced back at her. "Is something wrong?"

He chuckled lightly. "I was just thinking, that I should probably wear something nice for the Madam." He waved at the floor. "Buuuut..."

She blinked once. And then giggled. "Oh." Her head dipped a degree and studied her own lack of attire. "We are... quite a disheveled pair aren't we?"

"Yeah." He agreed. "Think she'll notice?"

Tetra raised an eyebrow. "I suppose I could make us something. Now that I've finally ingested some proteins- uh-" Her eyes tracked to the door.

"What's-" Jack raised a hand.

Someone outside banged loudly. "Miss Tetra, Mr. Keysman!"

He reared his head. "That was fast..."

"Miss Tetra. Mr. Keysman!" Another bang.

"Come in already!" His girlfriend barked.

The door swung open and revealed Miss Jil'Nathlee. I wonder if she has a nickname...

The young arachne skittered in, obvious distress on her face. She bowed. "I beg your forgiveness."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

She kept her head down. "I forgot to collect your clothes and sheets."

"Oh, okay." He slid off the bed and picked up his garments. "I don't suppose you have any spare outfits for us, in the meantime?"

She nodded curtly. "I can get those for you too. Please wait here." She gathered everything, stuffed them in a sack and promptly left.

Tetra had an odd expression as she stared at the closed door. "Something wrong?" He asked.

She held her pose a moment more. "She's not the best maid..."

Jack snorted. "Well... I don't think they get many visitors down here."

She frowned. "Irrelevant. Arachne don't do things by half measures."

He swiveled his head and looked at her askance. "I don't follow."

Tetra waved a hand. "Forgetting one of her responsibilities, and ignoring the 'do not disturb' warning on the door..."

Jack admonished her with a look. "We were just talking. We weren't doing anything serious that couldn't be interrupted." He waved a hand at the door. "Give her some slack, it's probably her first time." Tetra continued to glare.

Jack sighed. "Look, did you do everything right the first time you tried something?" Her eyes softened. She didn't answer for a long time.

And then..."No." She took a heavy breath. "No, you're right Jack." She placed a palm on her face and shook her head a little. "I'm just...Mother was harsh or discouraging...whenever I failed at something."

Jack shut his eyes a moment and sighed. "Oh Tetra..." He sidled over the bed and laid a hand on her arm. "I have a really hard time imagining you fail at anything."

She crooked a smirk and side-eyed him. "What did I say about flattery Jack?"

He backed both hands and held them up. "I didn't say that you would never fail at anything." He grinned. "I just said it's hard to imagine."

She kept her eyes narrowed and her finger flexed. "Very fine line you are balancing on Jack."

He shrugged and let his arms down. "Ought to have picked up some skill at that." He jerked his chin at the door. "Hanging around with arachne all the time."

She raised an eyebrow and chuckled in her throat. "Perhaps..."

A light knocking turned their attention to the door. Tetra sighed and spoke up. "Yes?"

The doors swung open and revealed Jil'Nathlee again. She skittered in with a two outfits in her hands. Jack and Tetra stood from the bed and accepted one each.

"Please dress quickly." She nodded. "The mistress will be here shortly." Then she pivoted around and clambered back out, closing the doors behind her.

Jack evaluated his new outfit: An off-white silk button up with long sleeves, a pair of black slacks and deep violet boxer shorts with a spiderweb pattern.

Tetra donned a light blue short-sleeve blouse and a black skirt. The blouse featured small frills along the collar. Jack noted something else as well.

"What is it?" She queried at his curious expression.

He lifted a finger. "Your hair."

She blinked and unconsciously lifted a hand to her scalp. "M-my hair? Is something wrong with it?"

He smirked and shook his head. "No it...your natural hair is coming back."

She blinked. "Oh..." Her hand brushed a bang from her forehead. The black dye had started to fade and her silver and fuchsia base were peeking through. "Is that... do you not like it?"

Jack chuckled lightly. "No. No it's fine. In fact I like it a lot." A shade of crimson tinged her cheeks. "I didn't realize that you had two natural colors." He held up a pair of fingers. "I thought silver or fuchsia was your natural color, and you just perma-dyed the other half."

She smiled at his observation. "No. I've been told I have an uncommon mutation responsible for that."

He snorted in mild awe. "That's so cool." Her smile widened even further.

A light knocking drew their attention to the door again. Jack breathed out a sigh and glanced back at her. "You ready?"

She took a moment to answer. "I'll have to be."

Jack nodded and faced back to the doors. "Come in." He announced.

Doors swung open and revealed the Mistress. Clad in a white loose gown, she skittered in. "Good afternoon, Jack. Tetra."

The human reared his head. "Afternoon?" He unconsciously reached for his phone. "Is it? Is it really that late?"

The Mistress raised an eyebrow and slipped a pocket watch out of the folds of her gown. "It is twelve forty-seven by local account." She replaced the device and waved at the them with her other hand. "Quite early to start the day for some of us."

He blinked once. "Oh... We didn't. We didn't wake you did we?"

A corner of her lips turned up. "I always make time for my colony, Jack." She inclined her head. "Now. I understand that there is something to be discussed?"

Tetra placed a knuckle on her lips and glanced down. "I..." A pause. "Yes but..."

Jil'Tanith raised a claw. "If this is private, you have my solemn vow to not repeat any details."

Tetra grimaced and shook her head. "No actually..." She faced up. "I want the opposite of that." She took a heavy breath and swallowed. "When my mother would join a community, she kept everything to herself. She didn't share anything, even with the mistresses."

"Because she was a murderer." Jil'tanith concluded neutrally.

Tetra faced her directly. Her eyes held conviction and trepidation like a scale. "Yes."

The mistress regarded her newest member. "They respected her privacy." She lifted a claw. "And none of them asked you what her past was like, did they?"

Tetra leaned her head back. "No...I can't remember if any of them did." She tilted her chin forward. "Not that I could have told them anything..." A low growl punctuated her tone.

The mistress folded her arms. "How many?"

Jack glanced between the two. Neither said anything for a few seconds. He raised a finger and risked a question. "How many...what?"

Jil'Tanith's gaze didn't alter. "How many members would she like to tell her story to." She answered.

"Oh." He blinked and faced his girlfriend. "You know I'll be with you."

Tetra's lips creased and she slipped a hand around his shoulder. "Oh, I know Jack." A fang glistened. "You can't get away from me."

He raised an eyebrow and exhaled with mock annoyance. He was about rebut when the Mistress raised a claw.

"If I may interrupt," Both turned their heads to her. "I'd like to have a conversation with Jack in private."

He tilted his head a degree and Tetra's stance adjusted to a more guarded position. "What about?" He asked.

Jil'Tanith inclined her head. "A colony matter."

Jack and Tetra shared a look. He shrugged and she nodded lightly after a moment. "Go on Jack. I should take some more time to...prepare." Her eyes unfocused and gazed at the ground.

"Excellent." The Mistress declared and beckoned with a claw. "If you'll follow me." She pivoted around and opened both doors.

He gave his girlfriend a last look and then proceeded through. The mistress led him only a few meters down the dimly mushroom-lit tunnel to another mating room and opened its doors with a quiet shuffle of wood on stone.

Jack hesitated right outside the frame. The mistress faced back from just inside. "Something the matter, Jack?"

He noted the 'Do Not Disturb' carving on the face of the door frame and the array of unlit candles inside. He swallowed and tried not to jump to conclusions. "Um...You're not going to jump me as soon as I walk in here, are you?"

Her eyes narrowed and she smirked confidently. "Whatever gave you that impression?"

Jack glared. "Maybe the fact that this is another mating chamber."

She folded her arms. "True." She acknowledged. "But I have no designs to steal you from Tetra." Her expression never altered. "I merely require a conversation with you that won't be overheard or intruded upon."

Jack gauged her intentions as best he could. He had to admit that his ignorance of the woman before him could fill an encyclopedia. And the only hard knowledge of arachne customs and behavior he's learned came from Tetra, who only just became a member of this colony last night.

But she also said she would like to be friends.

He swallowed and stepped forward a pace.

Gods I hope it's not a 'friends with benefits' thing she's about to drop on me.

"I don't have a lighter on me." He indicated the candles around the room with a jerk of his head. "Is there one in there?" He pointed at the bare night stand just off the bed.

Her smirk morphed into a smile as he crossed over the frame. She waved a claw and tugged a pair of strings attached to the doors, pulling them closed right behind him. The glow from the mushrooms cut out immediately and plunged the room into total darkness.

"Hey!" Jack started. He spun around and palmed the doors. He located the handles and attempted to push them open. The doors only gave a millimeter and rattled on their hinges.

His breathing immediately picked up. "What!? What are you doing?"

A tick-tick ticking from right above his head preceded her answer. "I'm afraid I must inform you. Your status has changed."

Jack flipped around and glanced up. Her voice seemed to be right above his brow. "S-status, changed?" He sidled along the wall a couple feet. "W-what do you mean?"

Something moved right above him and the ticking sound came from his immediate right. "You are no longer a guest of my colony."

He stopped cold. "What? W-why?"

She chuckled in her throat. "According to ancient custom, you did that yourself."

Jack's head jerked forward at the absurdity. "Wha-I, I don't know anything about your customs." He protested.

"Nevertheless." The ticking shifted to above his head again. "A member of my colony has mated with you. By ancient custom, your life... is now hers."

Jack stood dumbfounded. "What are you talking about?"

He felt a slight displacement of air right in front of him. Something big just dropped a mere foot from his toes. "By ancient custom, any man who mates with an arachne is forever theirs." Something sharp poked his forehead.

"Ghh!" Jack jerked his head back. "No!"

"By ancient custom, you may never leave our warren." She continued. "And...by ancient custom, the mistress of the colony has rights to her subjects' property."

An icicle rapidly formed in Jack's gut. "T-Tetra!"

The mistress giggled unpleasantly. "She cannot help you. Ancient custom binds her to her mistress." A claw stroked his cheek. Jack ducked under and side stepped along the wall. "Ancient custom binds you to me."

He gritted his teeth. "No. I didn't agree to any of this." A spike of anger powered his voice. "You can't do this!"

He could almost see her head shaking slowly in the darkness. "By ancient custom, I can."

A synapse finally connected in Jack's brain. He paused and narrowed his eyes. "Why do you keep saying that?"

"Saying what?" A note of amusement lilted her voice.

Jack stood straight and attempted to breath calmly. "You...you keep saying 'by ancient custom.'"

He thought he could see her offering a hand for him to continue. "And?"

A pause as he recalled a recent conversation. "Valura...Valura said you don't kidnap men anymore."

She didn't respond.

He swallowed and summoned some more resolve. "You haven't tied me up yet." He blinked. "You keep letting me talk." A beat. "You haven't bitten me."

More silence from her.

He blinked a few times. "You aren't going to do anything to me are you?"

The utter lack of anything other than his own steady breathing was his only answer.

It should have been blatantly obvious from the start. "Godz you arachne are annoying."

The mistress chuckled lowly. He pointed a finger accusingly at the darkness before him. "This is just another test to fuck with me isn't it? You don't follow your ancient customs at all!"

She chuckled some more. "You've been paying attention. Very good Jack."

Something flared at the center of the room and he retracted his hand to block the sudden brightness. The mistress lifted up a candle and began lighting a half-dozen more on the chandelier above her.

"You've learned a bit of our past and retained and utilized that knowledge." The mistress summed. "This is encouraging."

Jack kept his arm raised. Partly to block the light, party to conceal his pissed expression.

"I understand your feelings Jack. But thi-"

"No you fucking don't!" He interjected while throwing his hand down.

The mistress paused at his outburst. She blinked once. "I suppose I don't." She frowned. "I have misspoken."

Jack breathed heavily through his nose a couple times. "Why are you doing this?"

The mistress placed a claw on her chin. "Oh I'm messing with you as a reprisal for publicly disputing my authority. "

He reared his head. "I...thought you forgave me for that?"

A small uptick crept at her mouth. "Oh I did. Doesn't mean I won't exact some punishment to remind you to show respect." She rubbed her chin a couple times. "Although it seems I have taken this prank to an unacceptable degree." She dropped her hand and gave a little bow. "I beg your forgiveness."

Jack near-whole-heartedly wanted to refuse her. Tetra did say he could without consequence.

But did she do anything you haven't already been through before? Dark room, arachne you can't see messing with you, etc.

"I...I really don't want to forgive you." He replied. "I realize that this is your domain. Your rules and such." A beat. "But I'd like to be done with this...hazing."

She nodded and held up a hand. "I have no further tests planned for you."

He narrowed his eyes. "That's not what I'm asking for. Why do you arachne have to keep screwing with me?"

She smirked and folded her arms. "I've plucked at your threads too many times."

One of his eye's squinted. Is that some sort of arachne expression?

"Tetra has told you that my people spar with each other regularly." The mistress continued. "Our way of life requires that we constantly keep our minds and reflexes as sharp as our claws." She waved a hand toward him. "And you are the host and mate of one of my members. She has tested and messed with you like this, has she not?"

Jack produced a half frown. "Yeah." Then he breathed out as her point hit home. "'Human with human relationships are complex enough.'" He backed to the wall and slide down. He planted his rear on the stone floor. "Replace a non-human in that equation...'"

The mistress tilted her head questioningly.

He sighed. "Something my coordinator was warning me about. When Tetra and I told him about our relationship."

He stared ahead at nothing in particular. "I thought he meant that her... 'proclivities' might be difficult to accept." He placed a palm on his face. "But it's not just that. Tetra comes from a culture that I know next to nothing about." He blinked a couple times. "Godz, even Kelly was warning me about that."

The mistress blinked slowly and waited.

"This is moving way too fast." He breathed out again and then faced her. "Alright. As her...mate, what...what is expected of me?"

The mistress held a small smirk. "Tetra is the luckiest..." She mused and chuckled lightly. After a pause she expounded. "Traditionally Jack, any expectations of you have already been fulfilled."

He blinked and looked at her askance. She continued. "For centuries, most of my kind have tried to stay out of humanity's way. Interfering only for survival and procreation purposes." She waved a hand. "The less impact we made on the local human populaces, the greater chance of entire colonies going completely unnoticed."

"Keeping them safe." He snorted. "And your mates probably helped with that. Telling their fellow humans that arachne simply do not exist."

She nodded. "We appreciated their discretion. And we sometimes left little tokens for them, when we could. Covertly, of course." She lifted a claw. "There were even certain human families that passed down the tale of the beautiful, mysterious spider woman to their offspring. The family legend instructed the young men of each generation to be ready, should they ever encounter her, to fulfill a manly duty in a night of other-worldly carnal passion." Her fanged grin glinted in the dim light.

Jack snorted. Then he gazed down a degree. "But you didn't live together." He concluded. "Like a husband and wife."

She crossed her arms. "There are many who tried...and succeeded." She leaned forward. "But many mistresses absolutely forbade mates from their warrens. Too many had been discovered and destroyed through treachery. Members who tried to build a life with their mates away from the colonies were on their own." She shrugged. "If they made it work, they made it work." A beat. "But for many of us, one or two nights with one man is all the contact with humans we'd ever experience."

He nodded. "But the reveal, and the Exchange has changed all that."

She placed her palms together. "Not, necessarily. We could try to go on doing things as we have and survive and or thrive." He narrowed his eyes skeptically. "But the Exchange has afforded us a chance to 'step out into the light', as some of your more prominent politicians have stated." An ominous glint in her eye did not bode well. "And therein lies a problem."

She sighed and shook her head. "To my people, the phrase: 'stepping out into the light', is a common euphemism for taking a grave or unnecessary risk, and," She held up a claw. "depending on the context... committing suicide." Jack's eyes widened and he swallowed. "We are quite at home in constant darkness."

Anticipating more exposition, he stayed silent.

"There is resentment, among my even my own colony, for the 'reveal'." She took a breath. "Something that I cannot entirely fault them for." She closed her eyes a moment. "There's a saying I read once from you're people, Jack: The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled-"

"Was convincing people he didn't exist." He finished. Jack leaned his chin on his knees. "Only, you aren't the Devil. Humanity's ignorance of your existence isn't to our detriment. It protects you."

"Precisely." She confirmed.

He sighed. "You could try to stay down here forever." He blinked as he remembered something. "But you don't want to." He gazed at the mistress a moment. "That's why Dinah was out last night. Wasn't it? You sent her."

She raised an eyebrow. "'Sent' implies that I gave her an order." A beat. "But I did relax the restriction on not revealing the warren's general vicinity, to anyone who converses with a human in or near our forest. She took the opportunity and volunteered herself."

The mistress exhaled slowly. "You are correct Jack. I don't want to hide down here for the rest of my life. But I also cannot jeopardize my colony's safety." She raised a claw. "Your species' ignorance was our great shield. But that has been stripped away, so we must find a new method to ensure humanity's temperamental and fearful nature doesn't destroy us."

Jack nodded lightly. "Dinah said that you are encouraging friendly, social contact."

"Yes." She answered. "Serilla has been advising me to 'open up'." She shook her head. "The progress that Marian had been making with the local humans for the past year was...encouraging." Jack's eyes fell. "Until she threw it all away."

She paused and let out a heavy sigh. "I realized then, that I had been hanging my hopes on her." She shook her head slowly and closed her eyes. "On a foreigner that I didn't know. That wasn't part of my colony."

Jack gazed back up at her sullen face. "Valura said that...Klaravee tried to convince her to join you."

The mistress nodded. "Yes, Klaravee knew, or at least suspected, that I wouldn't allow increased contact with humans unless it was completely on my terms." She waved a hand. "It's just as well I suppose. If Marian had joined my colony, her betrayal would be my responsibility to punish." She opened her eyes a crack. "I do not envy the burden Mistress Zanna has to carry now."

Jack narrowed an eye as he reviewed one of her points. "Increased contact? Nobody knew you were out-" He blinked. "Oh of course, Serilla."

The mistress nodded again. "Serilla's position in the Exchange and MON was a necessary but reluctant sacrifice. Her services came with restrictions on the knowledge of our whereabouts and activities." She inclined her head. "But a member of my colony living among humans as a student, directly learning and contributing to friendly relations, would be a boon for a peaceful future." A beat. "Marian was supposed to be that boon."

Jack stared a moment. "That's why you punished Tetra with joining your colony."

"Yes." She confirmed. "Tetra has taken the colonial oath, she is one of us. So long as she stays loyal, I have all the justification I need to 'open up' further."

"Dinah was out last night." He stated. "Because you needed someone from your colony to be friendly with us. Someone you trusted."

The mistress closed her eyes briefly. "You understand. I realized my folly regarding Marian and decided to take a risk. To allow simple conversations with a hopefully receptive human." She shook her head. "I certainly wasn't expecting you of all possible humans to fall into my web." She spread her arms wide. "The goddess seems to haven given me two gifts, I will not squander them."

Jack narrowed his eyes. "I'm not some gift. And neither is Tetra."

She dipped her head. "I've misspoken again." She held up a palm. "I mean that I was expecting to have to, as you humans say: start from scratch." She pointed her claw at him. "With you, Tetra, Serilla and her husband showing that arachne and humans can live together, then perhaps the rest of my colony can step out safely some day."

He kept his eyes narrowed. But then glanced down. "I do want my kind to see arachne as people." He paused a moment and breathed out heavily. "You might want to consider tamping down on the messing with us."

She paused and grinned fiercely. "That will never happen."

He closed his eyes and sighed. "Thought I'd give it a shot." Jack nodded his head a few times, imagining what a town, a city, a country and a world with more arachne skittering about in the open would be like.

He folded his arms. "It'll be slow, frustrating, probably painful for this whole process." He gazed back at her. "You sure you want that?"

She raised one claw. "Patience is an excellent hunting stratagem." She raised another. "We teach our hatchlings to anticipate and accept rejection, and-" A third claw was held aloft. "Life is pain."

Jack stared a second and snorted. "'Anyone who says otherwise is selling something...'"

The mistress cocked her head. "What was that?"

"A line from a movie." He shook his head and stared at her intently. "What exactly do you want from me?"

She folded her arms and inclined her head. "Serilla has informed me that the Exchange wants you to talk to many other humans about your hosting experience."

Jack furrowed a brow. "Uh, yeah. Smythe's taking us all to a convention in California." He nodded lightly. "He wants me to tell people what it's like to be a host."

A beat. "And what will you tell them of arachne?"

Jack reared his head. "I...I...don't know." His eyes unfocused at a point ahead. "I hadn't really thought about it yet." He breathed out. "What I am going to say." He blinked a couple times. "I should probably write a speech or at least a few notes."

The mistress knelt down before him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Jack, this is exactly what I want you to do." A pause as their eyes met. "I want you to tell the whole truth of your experience."

Uncertainty seized his face. "Are? Are you sure? I don't think I would talk about what Marian did. I wasn't-"

Her grip tightened a degree. "You absolutely have to Jack." There was a brief tense moment where he thought he was in danger.

But the moment passed. And he just stared. "Alright, I'll talk about it. What happened to me."

She closed her eyes briefly and nodded. "Thank you Jack." She stood back up and offered her hand. He paused and then reached up and accepted it. "Do that. Tell the truth about us." She inclined her head. "And I'll declare you an honorary member of my colony."

Jack stood up silently. He nodded lightly as the idea mulled in his head. "I think I'd like that." He eyed her a moment. "What would that entail though? On my part?"

She folded her arms and smirked. "I thought I would like you." She pointed a claw at him and narrowed her eyes. "You knew to ask."

He folded his arms back and tried to stand a little taller. "I already have a huge houseful of responsibilities to deal with already." He inclined his head. "Being a member of your colony would come with even more."

"That is very true Jack." The mistress acknowledged. "I do have several designs for my colony's future that now include you and Tetra." She held up a hand. "But now is not the time to discuss them."

Jack frowned. "I'd like to know what I'm getting into madam. As a member I'd have to follow your orders wouldn't I?"

She giggled lightly. "Hehe, you make it sound like I boss everyone around all the time."

His eyebrow twitched. "You snapped your fingers and your people disappeared in unison last night."

"Oh that." She scoffed with a flick of her hand. "That was just some hastily rehearsed theater. To mess with the visiting human."

"You.." Jack jerked his head forward. "rehearsed...that whole...Oh my god."

"What?" She asked slyly. "You think you were the first human to venture into our deep dark lair?" She snickered. "We have a reputation to maintain, after all."

Jack glared pure annoyance at the mistress. She maintained a smug smile.

"Fine." He ground out through his teeth. "I'll tell the truth about you." He held up finger. "Whether I'll accept being an honorary member will depend entirely on what you want me do to afterwards."

She chuckled in her throat. "Fair enough." She raised a claw. "I'd just like to remind you that this warren is the only place where you can legally mate with Tetra."

Jack started but didn't say anything. The gears in his head wound and rotated and a realization surfaced. His jaw slowly hinged open.

"You...manipulated me and Tetra into having sex?!"

Her smugness shifted into a thoughtful expression. Her head nodded side to side. "'Manipulated' implies that I wanted you to do something that you'd normally object to." She waved a hand. "I presented both of you with an opportunity the Exchange had denied." She pointed a claw. "You chose to seize it."

Jack's indignation at her ploy blunted but he still glared at the mistress.

She cocked her head. "Unless..." Her claw retracted. "Tetra didn't rape you did she?"

He rattled his head at her grievous assertion. "What? No! No no. She didn't- I didn't-"

Jil'Tanith leaned her head back and breathed out slowly. "Good, that's good." She placed a palm on her forehead. "That...that would have ruined everything." Her other hand covered her mouth.

For the briefest glimpse Jack thought he could see a vulnerability at the core of her eyes. There was a flaw in her plan. A flaw she didn't think of until right now. He folded his arms. "Tetra's not like that."

She refocused on his face.

"Tetra..." He swallowed. "Gave me plenty of chances to tell her to stop." He glanced up. "I never told her to stop." The mistress shut her eyes and didn't comment. "You didn't think of that, did you?" He asked.

A pause...then her head nodded slowly. "I'd only known Tetra a few hours, I... I shouldn't have risked such terrible possibility with her." She visibly shuddered. "Especially with you. A human who has already suffered enough at the claws of one of my kind."

Jack set his jaw. "Tetra wouldn't hurt me like that. Never."

The mistress faced him seriously. "She saved you from Marian." A claw extended toward his chest. "She may have felt that you owed her."

He stood firm. "Never."

A slow, gradual smile bloomed and lit up Jil'tanith's face. "Such faith." She placed both hands on his shoulders, leaned in and planted a quick kiss on his forehead. "Would that I had a dozen more men like you for my colony."

She hunched back down to eye level with him. "Just so you know, The rest of the colony will still treat you as a guest." She lifted a claw by his head. "But I consider you a strong candidate for honorary membership."

Jack swallowed and closed his eyes briefly. "Thank you for clarifying." He reopened his eyes. "If we are done here, I'd like to get back to Tetra."

The mistress nodded lightly. "Of course." She reached above his head and snipped the cords keeping the doors closed. Jack stepped away from the frame and let the mistress open them. He placed a hand on one of her legs right before she skittered out.

She craned her head down at him and waited.

He took a moment. And another.

And then.

"Accepted and given."

She smiled lightly and closed her eyes. "Thank you Jack."

The mistress faced forward and they strode out into the hall together.

"I should have done that sooner." He explained after a few steps. She cocked her head and gazed at him curiously.

Jack folded his arms. "Trapping me in a dark room?" He mildly scoffed. "Pfft. Tetra's done better to me." He lifted a hand casually. "You ladies are going to have to step up your game if you want to really get under my skin."

Jil'tanith halted and stared at the human incredulously. Jack turned back and faced her.

"Is.." She cocked her head. "Is that a challenge?"

He shrugged. "Being a guest here obviously doesn't grant me any sort of immunity." He raised an eyebrow and waved that hand at her. "Unless the mistress is above her own hospitality laws."

Her eyes narrowed and a downward crook at the side of her lips formed. "No Jack. No mistress is above the law." She shook her head. "No self-respecting arachne would tolerate a leader that grossly abuses their power."

Jack shrugged again. "So I should expect other arachne down here to mess with me and then apologize later. Shouldn't I?"

She raised an eyebrow. "I suppose."

He nodded at her. "That's been the pattern, for the most part, of nearly every arachne I've met." He raised a pair of fingers. "With two exceptions. Serilla...and Marian."

Her faced relaxed into neutrality at the mention of the traitor.

Jack continued. "Serilla probably can't because of her position." He nodded at the mistress. "Like what you said about abuse of power, if Agent Serilla messed with me that would easily be grounds for getting disciplined by the Exchange or even fired. It would be irresponsible to risk her career like that."

A beat.

"And we all know what Marian did to me."

…

He blinked slowly. "So at least I can assume there's an upper limit to the shenanigans I'll be put through down here."

…

Both of Jil'tanith's hearts broke for the human before her. For the second time this month.

She closed her eyes and breathed out slowly. "You are absolutely right, Jack." She reopened her eyes. "We should be more respectful to our guests. I will declare you off-limits and discuss this point with the colony at the soonest."

Jack visibly slumped. "Oh thank gods..." He placed a hand on his head and shook it lightly.

The mistress smiled sadly and stepped up near him. "You've been through enough."

He raised his head. "My friend Sula once told me not to act like scared prey."

Jil'Tanith pursed her lips in consideration. "That's very wise advice."

He nodded. "Yeah, but it's exhausting." He blinked a couple times. "And... in the long run, kind of counter productive."

She tilted her head curiously. "How so?"

He glanced up at her. "How can I consider you a friend if I'm always on guard when you're around."

She placed a knuckle to her lips. "Hmmm...Let me ask you a question Jack." He nodded after a second. "Do your human friends (I'm assuming you have human friends)...Do your human friends not rile and mess with you?"

He took a moment to breathe once out of his nose. "Yes...but not like you arachne do." She rotated her head expectantly. "We'll joke and poke fun, and some friends will get more physical." He inclined his neck. "But none of them have trapped me in a dark room with an apex predator or tied me up and hung me by my ankles."

She tilted her head further, eyes widening.

Jack rolled both shoulders and offered a hand. "That's what Tetra did to me the first, well, second time we met." He let his hands down and formed a small smirk at the corner of his mouth. "First time we met, she saved my life."

The mistress placed a claw on her chin and rubbed it. "She didn't mention any of that..."

Jack let out another breath. "I guess...what I'm trying to say is... some humans might be able to tolerate being messed with 'arachne style'." He motioned two fingers for air quotes. "But I'm confident most will not."

He faced up to her. "I can tolerate, even play along with Tetra's antics because I trust her completely." He pointed a finger. "But I don't know you. I don't know your culture. And I have no chance of defending myself if any one of you decides that I should be forcefully introduced to the business end of your claws and fangs."

She stared silently as he let his arm down again.

Then she blinked. "Jack...did you not...believe me? When I told you no harm would come to you?"

...

"Is my word worth so little to you?"

He gazed at the ground a moment. "Among my people...trust is usually earned. It is not given easily." He leaned his head back. "Human history is full of liars, and all the consequences that follow."

He shook his head. "Tetra trusts you, and I trust her...so it follows that I should trust you as well but..."

"We teach our children not to talk to strangers, and never accept gifts or go anywhere with them." He raised his chin pointedly. "Even if they promise." He eyed her. "A stranger's word is only good when they've proven it's worth."

"But..." She raised a hand. "I'm not a stranger to you now? Am I?"

"...no." He admitted. "But like you said about Tetra...I don't know you."

She blinked a couple times. Then placed a hand near her chest. "I am this colony's mistress, Jack. I cannot lie to them or anyone under my protection." A steely note entered her voice. "If I did...my position and possibly my life would be forfeit."

A synapse connected in Jack's brain. He leaned back against the wall. "Shit...shit I've...I've been...I've been judging you by the standards of human politicians. I've been..." He shut his eyes and rattled his head. "I am so sorry." He raised a hand apologetically. "Oh my godz. I can't believe...I..."

Jack scoffed and shook his head. "Tetra...Tetra once told me that an arachne's word is her bond." He half facepalmed. "And I believe her, I just..." He glanced at the mistress. "Didn't extend that belief to you."

Her eyes narrowed. "You've been suspicious of me again."

"Uh, yeah, sorry." He dipped his head and his hand back to his side. "That 'test' you pulled freaked me out." Even to his own ears his excuse sounded pitiful.

His eyes unfocused a moment and he made another realization. "Damn." He faced back to her. "And that's why you do that. The tests. You're not idiots." He pointed his finger right at her. "You trust people to be honest, but you test them as well." A sharp snort escaped his nose. "We really aren't so different. Humans call that 'trust but verify.'"

Jack chuckled to himself. "I apologized for being ignorant last night. So you tested whether I was paying attention and trying to learn more about the colony." He pressed his lips. "About your people."

He set his back to the wall again. "People aren't going to like your methods." He sucked on his teeth and made a pop with his lips. "But that's how you'll know they'll be sincere." A memory of one of Tetra's tests resurfaced. "A strong emotional reaction. Something said in anger or frustration." He breathed out. "What was it she was after? That first night?" He breathed out again. "She wanted an honest unfiltered response. A sincere answer."

Jack nodded lightly. "I guess she liked what she heard." He faced back to the mistress. "Did you like what you heard?"

A smirk tugged at her mouth. "Yes Jack." She drummed her claws together. "I did, and I do." Her hands folded together. "I accept your apology."

He nodded in appreciation.

"Now come." She pivoted away. "I am eager to listen to my newest member's tale."

---

Tetra fretted in the mating room. Skittering and pacing on the ceiling.

Should I really tell them? Is it wise to-

She shook her head vigorously.

No! That's Mother talking. Her paranoia is not helpful. I am guilty of no crime to my people. I am not guilty of hers.

She paused a moment and let a smile crease her lips. Jack...Jack's right. I was a child. Not even hatched when she killed father.

The smile disappeared. She kept the truth from me. She LIED. Fire from inside her chest inflamed her emotions a moment. The memory of their last encounter replayed in her mind's eye.

Her eyebrows furrowed and she resumed her pace. This time with determination, not nervous energy. I am guilty of one crime. But that sentence has already been carried out. And I've no reason to return.

Fists formed at her sides. I won't let her threads keep me from my people any more. I have already been accepted by them. There's no reason to hide anything here.

Her smile returned. Jack will be there. Jack will understand.

The mistress has her plans I'm sure. For both of us. One fist relaxed and she pumped the other at her waist. I have my own. The real reason I even came to this continent.

She stopped again. Many of the old doubts and fears that argued for her to stay in Africa crawled up just inside her skull. They threatened to overwhelm her resolve. Her will. The memory of leaving them both-

"NO!" Her legs halted. "I never belonged there...they were...more than kind." She closed her eyes and breathed out. "But I never belonged."

Each doubt and tether were systemically discarded over the next few minutes. Like detritus from a shipwreck, each reason to keep her past a secret submerged and sunk and sloughed off her mind. It was surprisingly easy. Like letting go.

A light knocking resounded from the door.

"Tetra." A familiar voice called.

She smiled again and stepped off the ceiling. "Come in Jack."

The doors opened and her boyfrie- no, now he is mate, walked in. His clothes were slightly disheveled but not in a 'there was something going on' fashion.

She approached and adjusted his shirt while giving a questioning but hopefully non-accusatory expression.

"Oh." He glanced over himself. "The madam put me through another test."

Tetra nodded once then tilted her head. "You passed?"

"Yeah." He nodded back. "Yeah I'll tell you about it later." He thumbed behind himself. "Right now she wants to know if you're ready."

"And how many you are prepared to tell." The mistress asked from the hall.

Tetra stepped around Jack and partially emerged from the room. "Oh um..." She placed a claw on her cheek and pondered for a bit. "How about, three more. Not including yourself."

She nodded. "That's more than enough, I'll return shortly. Please keep the doors open unless you change your mind." She turned and skittered toward the exit.

"I won't." The other woman called confidently.

Tetra turned back and let out a breath. Jack tilted his head. "You don't have to if don't-"

She raised a hand swiftly, asking for his silence. "No Jack." She replied. "Keeping secrets from her mistress, from everyone else, was my mother's way. I won't continue that." Her hand returned to her side. "Not about this. Not about...why I came here in the first place." A pause. "Mother could never tell the truth about why we left colony after colony, time after time."

Her eyes fell. Silence reigned.

A well of emotions and memories rocked and roiled within her. Her face blanched and her breath caught.

"Tetra?"

She tried to swallow. "Gah.. this place...being...back... back in a colony." A tear crept out of her largest right eye. "I'd never been to one without her. I was always so nervous, every time...I didn't know anyone. I was always... 'the new girl'."

She sniffed. "Everyone else my age, had grown up together. And before I could really make friends with any of them...we would leave." Something broke in her chest. Now both of her larger eyes were leaking. "I've left so many friends behind because of her."

Her mate stood silent, stoic...just listening. She swallowed again. "And yet... I always had her...until I didn't."

Her mate held a breath. "You have me, now."

She sniffed and nodded. "Jack, hold me."

He approached with both arms. She snatched him to her bosom and squeezed his ribs and legs like a life raft.

"Gah!" Jack pushed up with his toes and wormed his face up from her chest. "Tetra." He strained. "You're..."

The distraught spider-woman took in a shuddering breath and relaxed her grip...but only by a hair. Then whispered:

"She killed him Jack."

He ceased struggling.

"She killed him." She growled it.

"She killed him and that bitch never told me." Her fangs gritted right by his ear. The caustic venom dripping out of her every word seared into his brain.

"She lied. And she hit me. And then she lied again."

"Her own daughter. Her only daughter!"

A cool sensation pooled where her chin dug into his collar bone. Her head swiveled a degree and wiped some of the wetness on his hair.

"I never knew him Jack. I never got to meet my father. My real father." One arm released and slammed a fist to her side. "I'll never forgive her Jack. I'll never forgive her."

Another shuddering breath. She blinked some wetness away. "Jack?"

"I'm here."

More blinking. "Why aren't you..?" She backed her head and faced him. "Why... are you smiling?"

He tilted his head to the side a bit. A tiny lilt curved at the corners of his mouth. "You're crying on my shoulder."

A chortle escaped her throat. And a warm, calmer feeling settled over her. "I...I suppose I am." She snorted and chuckled once. "I...thank you Jack. I...I don't think I've..." Her eyes glanced down while her mind sifted through all the low points in her life. "I've never done that...with anyone else." Her other arm loosened as he regained his footing before her.

He cocked his head the other way. "Not even with...your uh...lamia girlfriends, back in Africa."

She kept her head down. "No Jack. At least..." She amended. "Not like this. What I had with Yasmine and Layla, was...intimate...but not..." She paused and started tapping a claw on her thigh, searching for an appropriate term. "I didn't see a future with them." She took in and let out a heavy breath. "There was no place for me, ultimately, in their town." Her face gradually adopted a neutral expression. "I didn't belong there. They were good to me. But I didn't belong."

She raised a thumb to her face and brushed off more wetness. "Ugh, that's uh...a little embarrassing."

Jack shook his head. "No it isn't. I read somewhere once, that sometimes crying is like puking for the soul."

Her eyes fluttered at his response. "P-puking?!"

He nodded firmly. "Yep. It's not pleasant and can get really gross..." He pointed a finger at her. "but you feel better afterwards, right?"

"I..I suppose." She offered uncertainly. Then she folded her arms. "The last time I cried like that...about my mother...I just felt exhausted." Jack tilted his head curiously. She rolled her eyes and lifted her chin. "Lots of yelling and throwing things around."

He shrugged. "That's another method. The point is...you're expelling something that was bad for you. And what's better: your telling a friend your feelings."

Tetra considered his words a moment. "You...already knew how I felt about my mother."

His eyes glanced away and he placed a finger on his chin. Then he smirked and looked back at her. "There's a difference between knowing something and feeling something." He inclined his head at her. "A person can tell you: 'I despise so-and-so' all day long. But if there's no raw, unvarnished emotion behind it, do you really believe it?" A pause. "Do they?"

She blinked once. "I've...I got fairly emotional when I told you the first time."

He set his jaw. "True but only fairly emotional...I could tell you were holding back for Sula's sake." He lifted a finger. "She didn't grow up with a terrible parent like you and I did. She wouldn't necessarily understand." He inclined his head. "The kind of anger someone can have at their only mom or dad."

Tetra's eyes flicked down and she placed a hand on his shoulder. "You may be right about her." A pause. "And about me." She shook her head a little. "It may be macabre … but I saw how much you despise your father back when you took us to the mall. And I think that's when I realized I love you."

He scoffed with a laugh. "Our mutual hatred of bad parenting is the basis of our relationship?"

She slid her other arm around him. "No Jack." She drew him in for a gentler but still very tight hug. "We're two damaged souls, trying to fix each other."

He leaned in and hugged her back. "That…sounds kinda pathetic." He chuckled. "But, I think your right about that."

She smiled smugly to herself. "Of course I am." They held each other. After maybe half a minute Tetra leaned back and stared down at him.

"What?" He blinked up at her.

Six eyes narrowed dangerously. "You say that we're pathetic ever again and I might leave you tied up somewhere no one else can hear you."

Jack recoiled in alarm. He was about to object but a small curve in her lips betrayed her bluff. He swallowed and dipped his head a degree. "Uh yeah, noted." He smiled. "We are not pathetic."

Her eyes lost their hard edge. "Just so we're clear on that."

There was a light knocking.

"You two need more time?" A contralto wafted into the room.

Tetra let him go and partially turned. "No. Please, come on in."

Four spider-women of various sizes scuttled through and formed a half ring around the couple. The mistress and her daughter. The large breed she saw with Jack last night and Dinah, who led them to this very room.

Valura lifted a claw. "You mind if I make some more space?" She offered while scanning the bed.

Tetra nodded and offered a clawed hand. "Please."

The large-breed stepped over and casually grasped the underside with both hands. She lifted it, mattress, frame and all, with a minor grunt of effort, like picking up a particularly heavy box. She angled her charge to not scrap the ceiling with the headboard and trudged over and set the bed in a corner. A minor push produced a brief screech of wood on stone and the frame was snuggled in place.

"There." Valura clapped her claws a couple times and pivoted back to the group. "Plenty of room." The other arachne nodded appreciably, but the human stared for a couple seconds. She cracked a slow grin at his mildly vacant expression. "Something the matter, Jack?"

"Uh no." He caught himself and hastily rattled his head. "S-sorry. Been a while since I've seen a...ah" He dipped his head and shook it. "N-never, never mind." He waved her off and turned away. She couldn't help but giggle lowly to herself as she rejoined the group.

"Well." Tetra announced. "I suppose I should explain why I'm here." She lifted her head and gazed at her audience. "I'm looking for someone. Someone I didn't know even existed until about three months ago."

---

Three months ago...somewhere in Morocco...

Her claws slid along the supple flesh of her victim. Her palm cupped the hefty globe of mocha skin with a subtle squeeze. Her finger caressed the hardened tip, eliciting a sharp gasp from its owner.

"Ah hu!"

She grinned with an evil glint in her six eyes-

---

"Uh Tetra?"

The arachne halted and glanced down, annoyed. "What, Jack?"

He cautiously lifted a finger in objection. "Is that...really necessary?"

She blinked, confounded. "Yes."

One of his eyes scrunched in disgust. "I, that's...Is that really part of...what you have to tell us?"

Her eyes narrowed in focus. "Yes Jack. It is."

His skepticism didn't relent. "I don't really think so."

His girlfriend sighed in exasperation. "Well I have to give a little fan service." She waved at her fellow arachne. "To hook in my audience."

Jack gave the group a once over. They were eyeing each other with knowing looks and shiny sensual smiles. "Ah, that's...not..."

"Are you complaining about my technique?" Tetra asked pointedly with a small jab of her claw.

"I, that's..." Jack couldn't find the words.

She folded her arms. "You weren't complaining last night." Her torso leaned over him, a smug leer plastered to her lips.

"Ah, um..."

Jil'Nathlee giggled just to his right.

He looked back over the other arachne. Their expressions were not encouraging to his argument. Not that he was making a good one anyways.

Jack let his head drop and sighed, conceding his grievance. "Yeah fine." He waved a hand weakly. "I'm sorry for interrupting."

Tetra sniffed and straightened up. "Accepted." She turned to the rest of her audience. "Now where was I?"

The mistress raised a hand like she was hefting an orb.

"Ah yes." She exhaled and grasped with her claws. "Then I set my other hand around her neck. My fingers just under the jaw..."

---

"There there." The villainess hissed softly into one ear. "Take it slow my dear. Plenty of hours left to go." Her tongue flicked out and dabbed the ear. "Don't tire yourself."

The bound light brown scaled lamia in the arachne's grasp writhed and whimpered. "You. You won't get away with this."

Her unkempt black hair spilled down unceremoniously along her bare quivering shoulders. The long sinuous tail quivered uselessly against the multiple binding threads attached to the ceiling and floor. Her heavy breaths wafted between her open fangs as her golden eyes darted about for signs of rescue.

"Get away?" The villainess playfully mocked as she tickled the other breast. "Why would I leave, my sweet?" Her other hand slid along a cheek and briefly thumbed the back of the lamia's ear. "We're going to be together..." She let go suddenly and deftly skittered around with her nimble legs. Tetra leaned forward and pressed her forehead against her victim's. "For the rest of your life."

A dim glistening welled under one of the lamia's eyes.

A loud bang and crash preceded a flash of sunlight rushing into the room. Tetra whirled and faced the violent commotion.

In an open door frame, an armored woman, wielding a naked sword, stood high on her tail. Her golden eyes pierced into the den of sin with a spark of justice. The setting sun back-lit her leather cuirass, casting a deep shadow over the busted wooden door.

"Your evil deeds end here villain!" The brunette heroine announced, sweeping her blade in a wide arc.

Three of Tetra's eyes irked in irritation. She had to break the door. Again. I left it unlocked, like I always do.

"Um Tetra?" The 'victim' called her name from right behind.

The arachne shook off her malaise and glared at the 'hero'. "You broke my door."

The armed lamia grinned and twirled the 'sword' in her grip. It was actually just a wooden towel rod. "It's more dramatic this way."

Tetra rolled all her eyes.

"C'mon Tetra." The 'victim' goaded. "You're gonna ruin this."

The arachne closed her eyes and took in a breath. Mentally resigning back into character, she flashed open her eyes.

"Well, well, well. The hero of the city." The villainess greeted. "Come to play, have you?"

"Playtime's over." The hero retorted. "Unbind her now, and I might go easy on you."

The villainess tilted her head to the side and raised her palm to her cheek. "Really now? Wouldn't you rather join your friend?" She faced to the side, keeping both lamias in her vision. "She could use a partner to share all the fun we're going to have."

The hero narrowed her eyes, unamused. "I won't ask you again." The blade in her hand tilted up as she adjusted the angle of her wrist.

The villainess shrugged her arms and turned away. "Very well. As you command, hero." A cruel smirk formed while she pantomimed cutting her victim loose.

The bound lamia sucked in a breath to shout a warning. The villainess clamped a hand over her mouth and simultaneously shot a sticky, thick thread from her spinneret at the hero. It adhered over her sword arm in layers of stringy glue.

"Gah! What the?" She recoiled and jerked her arm away.

The villainess spun back around, dragging the hero into the chamber by the cord.

"No!" The hero shouted. She attempted to slither back into stance and raised her other hand to ward off another attack, but it was already too late.

The villainess leaped to her next victim. One hand grasped around the hero's free wrist while the other drew out more thread from her spinneret. Her pedipalps wrapped around the hero's torso and her other arm lassoed the new threads around both the hero's arms. In mere seconds her tail was restrained in webs as well.

"Grgh, Aargh." The hero attempted to pull apart the threads around her wrists but failed.

"Now now." The villainess chided. "None of that." She pulled on a support thread, dragging her latest victim toward her other one. She pivoted her around to face the same direction and then stepped back to evaluate her handiwork.

"Hmm. Something's not quite right." She mused.

Her first 'victim' nodded forward and 'ahemed' at something behind Tetra.

She blinked. That's not part of the.. She swiveled her neck back. Oh duh.

Tetra skittered over and picked up the door with a sigh. It fit in the frame well enough but she drew more threads across to keep it in place. And to keep privacy with her friends. She made a mental note to examine the it later and see if it could be repaired.

"Hehe, sorry." Layla weakly quipped.

The villainess turned back around. "Yes. you will be sorry." She declared.

She approached and brandished her claws. In a blur of swift strikes the hero's armor was assaulted. She flinched away and held her eyes shut.

Then it stopped. "H-huh?" The hero blinked and faced upward. "What did you...?" Her leather armor sloughed off her person at the seams and clattered to the stone floor. "Ai!"

The villainess struck again. And this time her victims under clothes fell off into tatters. "Ugh no! I liked that bra!"

"I liked my unlocked intact door." Tetra retorted dryly.

The victorious arachne placed a claw on her chin and evaluated the hero. "That's better. We're almost ready." She reached back with her other hand and skillfully undid the knot keeping her own black tube top in place. She drew it off with a grin and let it drop. Her massive bare bust swayed in the still air.

The villainess stepped inside and reached down. She grasped the tips of their tails and caressed both with her thumbs, drawing gasps out of both. "Now my sweets..." A pinch for each produced a collective moan. "What games shall we play?" Her impossibly wide grin flared with sensual intent.

Hours later...

Yasmine lounged on the balcony and drew a long drag from her sebsi pipe. Her golden eyes regarded the partially veiled stars over the Atlantic sky. She blew out a cloud of her own and handed her oral affectation to her best friend.

Layla took her own drag and held the moderate quality hashish device between her digits. "You didn't have to destroy my bra."

Tetra rolled two eyes while laying belly down on her hammock and took a swig of her cola. "You didn't have to destroy my door."

"I didn't destroy it-" She started.

Yasmine placed a hand on her shoulder to interrupt. "Ladies, lets not fight now."

Tetra took another swig of the intoxicant to keep herself from ignoring such good advice.

"Fine whatever." Layla grudgingly stated and took a smaller puff. "Did you see the new human around the matriarchy?"

"Yeah I did." Yasmine perked her head up. "Interesting eyes. Is she from the monarchy or parliament?"

Her friend shook her head. "Nah she's definitely foreign. Probably a diplomat or something."

Tetra turned her head away and just stared out toward the town. Local politics meant nothing to her these days. She knew her place in this town's hierarchy. The last three years had been a steady, static duel with civilization. A civilization that ultimately didn't want her but was too polite to say.

An arachne's instincts were mostly useless to this stable town and she'd been invited on hunting expeditions less and less during her stay, so she settled for refining her more domestic talents to 'fit in' to this society. It was boring, dull and a little degrading.

She gulped down the last of the cola.

There was plenty to do of course. A talented weaver would never be idle. Plenty of customers and orders and repairs and whatnot. But she didn't fit in here.

She placed her empty glass on a small table and reached into the cooler for a full bottle of cola.

"Should you be drinking that much?"

She popped open the cap and thoroughly ignored the question. Layla reached out and set a hand on one of her legs. "Seriously, Tet."

The arachne barely restrained herself from clawing the lamia's hand off. Her fangs peeled back with a low growl. Tetra absolutely despised that 'pet name'.

Layla's expression set and she kept her arm in place. "I'm worried about your drinking lately."

Tetra shuffled a step away. "It's my day off tomorrow, who cares."

Yasmine sat up. "We do, we're your friends."

The lamias stared together like a pair of gargoyle's at rest. Tetra tried to stare back, but her caffeine addled brain wouldn't let her maintain that kind of concentration.

"Oh for fuck's sake fine." She swiped two clean glasses from a table and poured about half the contents of the bottle into each. She set it aside and stepped over her hammock toward to her companions. "Drink with me."

Layla raised an eyebrow. "You know that it won't intoxicate us like you-"

"Just drink it." She snarled.

The lamias briefly exchanged a look.

"This bottle is getting finished off tonight." Tetra declared. "Either I drink all of it or you take half."

Yasmine sighed and plucked her glass.

Layla reached out for hers. Tetra clamped her free hand over hers and held it. "I already told you I hate that name."

She didn't respond. They stayed like that a whole ten seconds. Layla raised an eyebrow. "Am I going to drink this with you?"

Tetra threw her arms down. "Rugh, never mind." She turned back, settled on her hammock again and retrieved the bottle.

"It's just a nickname." Layla insisted.

Tetra glared in response. "Well I don't like it."

"...Okay." She held up her glass. "What are we drinking to?"

"To friends." Yasmine stated cheerfully. The other two didn't object.

"To friends." Layla and Tetra said together with the same amount of subdued enthusiasm. The trio drank in the cool, silent quarter-moon night.

Tetra let the rush of caffeine wash away her feelings, leaving a hum she couldn't quite hear at the back of her head. It was serene. It felt...good.

She closed her eyes and leaned down. "'m sorry." Her friends glanced at her curiously. "I'm not mad at you, I'm just mad at … at..." She trailed off.

"Is the matriarchy bothering you again?" Yasmine asked.

Tetra shook her head. "No...well yes, but its nothing new." Thinking about those stuck-up aristocrats agitated her again and she took a swig to calm herself.

"It's not that." Her head swayed and she shook it to keep some semblance of focus. "I...don't belong here. I don't belong anywhere."

A somber pause.

"Have you thought about signing up for the Exchange?" Yasmine asked.

Tetra shook her head again. "Looked into it." She mumbled. "Looks shtupid."

"Stupid?"

She took another drink and hefted the almost empty bottle. "What human would let shomething like me into their houze?"

Layla folded her arms. "The humans that already live with an arachne." She stated firmly. "Even before the Exchange."

Tetra blinked a couple times. "Shtill sounds stuuupid."

Yasmine slithered up to her. "Oh goddess, you're drunk." She offered her hand. "Come on, you need to sleep, not drink."

Tetra snorted and waved her hand away. "'m fine." She stepped off her hammock. "See?"

Her forelegs slipped out suddenly and she braced herself with her pedipalps. "Shit!"

"Oh for goddess sake Tetra, too much!" Yasmine scolded and slithered around. "Come on, you should lie down inside."

Tetra tried to steady herself. "I...I can...I." Both her friends took a palm and steered her toward the stairs and her bedroom half a story below. "Damn it." Her vision blurred but she managed to replicate the motions of preparing for sleep.

In the next moment of clarity she found herself on her bedroom hammock and covered with a blanket. She couldn't remember exactly how she got there. But she was still holding her friends' hands.

"You know I've never had friendsh like you." A sudden need to sleep and lingering intoxication was making it difficult to enunciate and she grimaced. She had to tell them what they meant to her. "Would never have trushted anyone elsh like thish..."

Yasmine smiled and laid a hand on the sleepy arachne's head. "We know. Good night Tetra."

Her world became dim and then dark. "Goo..nigh.."

several hours later...

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!

The world hated her.

BOOM BOOM BOOM!

Everything ached.

BOOM BOOM BOOM!

Some gigante was curb stomping her noggin. And Everything Ached.

BOOM BOOM BOOM!

Her eyes were seared by an inferno as soon as she opened them.

"Augh! Goddess curse you I'm up!" She shouted with clenched eyelids. "Give me a minute!"

She sucked in a breath, brushed tears out of her eyes and and climbed out of her hammock. The gigante changed tactics and started chopping her head open with a battleaxe.

Everything still ached.

"Gruh... by goddess I am never drinking that much again." She retrieved a clean cup from a cupboard and poured herself a glass of water from the pitcher in the fridge. She splashed it onto her face.

The brief visit to the arctic gave that invisible gigante pause. For maybe seven seconds she felt like a normal healthy person. Then the battleaxe was replaced by a dull rail spike and her tormentor resumed their work.

"Never drinking that much again." She poured another glass and downed it all in one long gulp. The general ache subsided to a manageable degree. Perhaps that meant she could manage to be civil to whomever had woken her.

Perhaps...

I'm closed today dammit. She set the pitcher down while retrieving a towel. This better be important or someone's getting bit. She wiped her face down and tossed the towel in a nearby hamper across the room. The arachne donned a robe as an afterthought and approached a window overlooking the shop entrance.

Several members of the matriarchy and few of their husbands and human wives with formal community positions were gathered below. Many stared back up at her.

Alarm jolted her brain into a more functional state. The dull spike still ground at her brain stem but that was easily ignored by the potential threat literally at her front door.

They'd never sent this many to her home before. Something bad happened...or was about to happen. She needed more information.

Her claws undid the latch, slid open the glass pane and she leaned out. The whole congregation focused on her. She didn't note any weapons on their persons.

Doesn't mean they're not armed.

"Am I in trouble?"

Matriarch Khalinda folded her arms. Her golden eyes held a regal visage. "No Tetra, but we need to talk."

All her eyes narrowed. "Why are there so many of you?"

"I'm afraid we have some... news." She replied. "Will you let us in?"

They're finally doing it. A stone sunk in her gut. They're finally running me out.

She pressed her eyes shut. "I don't suppose reminding you all that my shop is closed today will change anything?"

"We're not here for that, Tetra." Khalinda didn't sound annoyed. She actually sounded...sad.

"Alright." Tetra replied. "I'll be right down."

Before she turned away she noted something else. They were all wearing something she had woven or repaired for them. Pondering the meaning of that gesture distracted her while she descended the rear stairs with the pitcher of water in hand. She'd need more of that to get through this, no doubt.

She had put many of her stands and display pieces along the walls and behind the counter of the first floor the previous evening to make room for last night's revelry. Most of her webs had already been cleaned up before her friends retired to the balcony, so there wasn't much evidence of their previous activities.

Not that she cared if the matriarchy knew about that. It was none of their business.

"Oh goddess." Her front door was still webbed in place. She placed the pitcher aside on the counter. "Damn you Layla. Of all the nights to break my door, it had to be right before the matriarchy drops on me." She skittered up and sliced the threads loose. Hefting the whole thing to the side revealed Matriarch Khalida standing right outside in the sun.

Her light brown scales flared in the noon time light. Her straight dark hair was loosely bound with a series of thin copper bangles down her back. A ring of metal links held various jewels with silk braids just over her brow. A dark blue dress with golden highlights along the cuffs and down the center accented her torso and hips. Three gold and one silver ring with a emerald adorned the fingers of her left hand. One for each of her birth children and her husband respectively. The fingers of her right hand held a silver sapphire ring and two more golden ones. Those were for her human wife and two (by legal proxy) human children.

Of the members of the Madinat Althaeban Matriarchy, Tetra respected Khalinda the most. Her influence had allowed Tetra to own and operate her shop and circumvented the various legal snarls a non-citizen would have run into. After, one might note, Tetra had demonstrated her weaving expertise by creating the very dress the matriarch was currently wearing.

The spider-woman gave the whole crowd a look-over. "You really all have to be here?"

The lamia nodded solemnly.

She sighed and backed up. "Alright. Let me get a table and some chairs."

"That might be best." Khalinda commented and followed her in.

Tetra went to the back room and retrieved her threading table, two wooden chairs, a stool and placed them in the center of her shop. She mounted the stool and waited for the rest of the crowd to take up positions just off the walls. She took a long gulp from her pitcher of water and placed it back to her side.

"May I ask what this is about?"

Khalinda reached inside one of her sleeves and withdrew a folded scrap of paper. She uncreased it and placed the object face up on the table. There was a photograph of someone printed on it. "Do you recognize this person?"

Tetra leaned over get a better angle...and caught her breath. The figure was an arachne with a dark carapace like hers but clad in rags no self respecting member of her species would dare be caught dead in. Her wrists and legs were heavily shackled with steel chains. Several scars crossed the left side of her face and the tips of three larger ones peeked out from the right side of her chest.

no.

no.

no no no no no no no.

Khalinda's eyes regarded her passively. "Please answer the question Tetra."

Her jaw unhinged but no words came out. Her gut contracted and the floor fell away under her.

The matriarch inclined her head. "Tetra?"

She swallowed and tried to find her voice. "Y-yes. I do."

The crowd murmured. She couldn't help overhearing snippets of their words.

"It's true." "Poor girl." "Why didn't she say anythin-"

The matriarch's next question cut through the room like a scythe. Silencing all the others. "And who is this person?"

Tetra placed her palm on the table.

"This..this.." Her throat strained, her mental state assaulted by a lifetime of reawakened painful memories. "She's...my mother."

The crowd in her shop didn't react to her confession this time. Perhaps a piece of the truth of why she ran from her species and never returned weighed on their minds.

Tetra closed her eyes a moment and attempted to calm herself. It was difficult with the hangover still thrashing through her head, but a different kind of pain had supplanted it. One she had hoped to never revisit.

Khalinda's hand brushed onto hers. "I'm so sorry Tetra. I can imagine why you kept this to yourself. And it's not fair to you to expose this like I have."

Tetra opened all six of her red eyes and glared at the Matriarch. Her jaw clenched and trembled.

"I believed in you Tetra. But many on the general council assumed you were a criminal hiding from justice. That you had blood on your claws." She lifted her hand away. "Now we know the truth."

Her eyes narrowed a hair. A single raw, vehement term croaked out of her throat. "How?"

The matriarch leaned back and turned toward the door. "Send her in please."

Tetra blinked and faced the same way as a lamia exited her shop. A few moments later footsteps preceded the entrance of a human woman she'd never seen before.

Above average height, she wore a beige western style two-button suit and matching slacks. A large pair of sunglasses hung clipped to her white undershirt. A pair of black flats bore several scuff marks over her toes. Long blonde hair that only hinted at signs of graying swayed at her back under a large, light gray, wide brimmed summer hat with a brown stripe.

Her face could still be considered striking but age and a large fading scar over her fore head had marred part of her visage.

What stood out most however, was her mismatched eyes. The left was blue and the other black.

A warm smile graced her lips. "Hello Tetra. I'm so glad to have finally found you."

The arachne reared her head and blinked several times in confusion. "Do I know you?"

The mystery woman closed her eyes briefly. "I suppose you don't. But I feel as if I know you, somewhat."

Tetra briefly glanced at the matriarch and then back to her. "Why?" She asked guardedly.

"Because I have been trying to find you for the past three years, back tracking every arachne colony in Europe you and your mother visited." She raised a hand and shrugged. "I was quite surprised to learn you'd been living in a lamia town all this time since your banishment."

Bewildered was too weak a term for Tetra's expression. "Wha-what? How did you know that?"

She dipped her head a degree. "Let me ask you a question Tetra." She offered that same hand. "Do you know how Mistress Khristeen knew to confront Rosalinde for her crime?"

Tetra's mind replayed the last time she saw her mother. When she confessed to the murder of her father. "I...I...No...I." Tetra blinked several times and glanced down. "I never really thought about it."

The woman nodded in understanding. "She knew because I told her."

Tetra stared hard. How in the hell does a human know so much about me?

"Who. Are. You?"

A slight smirk ticked at the side of her mouth. "My name is Emilia Wolfe." She offered her hand. "And I am very glad to finally meet you."

Tetra paused a moment, trying to recall any mention of the woman's name in her past. Nothing came up. She gently, hesitantly grasped the stranger's hand and shook it.

"Thank you." Emilia smiled lightly. "May I join you? There is something we need to discuss."

Tetra glanced at the matriarch and part of the crowd still in her shop. Khalinda picked up on her concern and lifted a finger. "The general council has already heard much about miss Wolfe's findings Tetra." She glowered a moment. "But they have insisted on witnessing your...perspective on the matter."

Tetra stared hard a moment. Then sucked in and let out a breath. "How do you know so much about me?"

Emilia drew out a chair and sat next to the matriarch. "Over twenty years ago, I was, what humans used to call, a paranormal investigator. On paper, my job was to determine the validity of people's claims of encountering monsters." She folded her arms. "In practice, assuming such claims were true, I would track down said monsters and try to resolve any issue they might be having with the local humans."

"I was working in Madrid when I discovered a case of a young man that claimed he witnessed a monster had murdered someone." She folded her arms. "The local police didn't believe him and I offered to help him track her down."

Tetra took a sip from her pitcher. "My mother."

Emilia nodded. "Yes, Rosalinde. We chased her across Europe for months, but we lost track of her somewhere in Macedonia or northern Greece."

"A cave in Greece." Tetra informed. "That's where I hatched." She folded her arms. "Why did the man come with you? Who was he?"

Emilia's mismatched eyes fell a moment. "His name is Hector Velasquez." She reached inside her jacket and retrieved a small scrap of paper. "And he is the brother of Tulio Velasquez." She laid the photograph on the table next to the print-out.

Tetra's face twitched and she snatched up the polaroid. It displayed two young men with curly black hair and mocha-colored skin. They were dressed in matching blue t-shirts and standing in front of a small black tent with green stripes. They were smiling. One of them had lighter brown eyes. But the other...

She knew the man with dark eyes. She'd seen him in one of only two mementos she kept from her old life. The photograph of her father.

Calmly and delicately she placed the Polaroid back on the table and slid it carefully back to Emilia. She left a claw on the dark-eyed young man. "His name was Tulio?"

Emilia nodded. "Yes."

A beat. Then she lifted her claw from the table. "Take that back." Emilia blinked once but followed the instruction. She picked it up but didn't set it back to her pocket.

"And get out." Tetra finished quietly.

Ms. Wolfe didn't hesitate. She stepped well back from the table, turned and strode through the doorless exit.

Matriarch Khalinda tilted her head. "Tetra?"

"Please get out."

She narrowed her eyes. "Wait, Tetra? We need to talk ab-"

In one vicious motion, Tetra gripped the table and chucked it at the counter. It flipped over, bounced its edge against the ceiling, crashed on its side, and slid back face down to the floor.

The whole crowd was stunned silent. Their eyes wide with shock. Khalinda's body froze.

"I SAID, GET OUT!" Tetra clenched her fists, gritted her teeth and gradually stared murder at the Matriarch.

The crowd shuffled through the doorway in very short order. Khalinda lingered until she noted the tears welling under the arachne's face. Then she made a quick exit as well.

It was quiet inside the shop. The only sound was a young woman softly crying for maybe a minute.

Then a primal screech burst out of her throat. Tetra charged the nearest mannequin. She speared its featureless face with her claws and pinned it to the wall. Her other hand seized its throat and she ripped off the head.

The monster turned and pitched the head out one of the windows, shattering the glass to pieces. She seized another mannequin by the legs. Her arms lifted it high above her head and smashed its torso on the ground. Primal grunts and expletives from a dozen languages accompanied every strike.

When it cracked in half, she tossed the mannequin to the side and tackled another.

"WHYYYYY!" She screamed at the 'face'. "WHY WERE YOU SUCH A BITCH TO ME?!"

A series of savage swipes eviscerated the third mannequin into bloodless chunks. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME HIS NAME YOU FUCKING BITCH!"

"I HAVE AN UNCLE!? A HUMAN FUCKING UNCLE!?" A fourth mannequin succumbed to a dose of her wrath. "HE KNEW MY FATHER AND YOU NEVER TOLD ME! I SHOULD HAVE KILLED YOU!"

The ruckus attracted plenty of attention from the town and wasn't doing her public image any favors. By the time Layla and Yasmine arrived, the shop floor had seen better days, as had their friend.

Tetra lay in a heap, her legs splayed out among the debris of her life. Her head was buried in her arms and pedipalps, failing to stifle the flow of tears and sobs. Her robe was barely hanging over her elbows and had large gashes torn throughout.

"Goddess...Tetra?" Yasmine approached wide-eyed and cautious. The arachne didn't stir.

"What happened?" Layla looked about the destruction, trying to make sense of what she was seeing.

"Get out."

Both lamias stopped. Their friend hadn't moved.

"Please get out."

"Tetra..." Yasmine slithered an inch. "We just want to help."

"You can help..." She grumbled. "By getting out."

They glanced at each other but neither moved away.

"Tetra please." Layla implored. "At least...at least let us clean this up."

The arachne buried her head further but didn't object. Yasmine sighed and slithered to the supply closet. She retrieved two brooms and handed one to the other lamia. The pair swept the broken remains into a neater pile. They set the table upright but left it by the counter.

Just as they completed their task Khalinda cautiously approached through the entrance. She noted the arachne's lack of activity.

"I've managed to convince the council to ignore your...outburst." She announced. "When you are ready, Ms. Wolfe would like to speak with you further."

She slithered within arms reach. "I'm sorry, we should have been more respectful." She reached out and lightly laid a hand on Tetra's shoulder. The arachne bristled but otherwise didn't comment. "I...can't imagine the pain. What you ran from. But please, don't push us away."

Tetra raised her blazing eyes at the snake.

Khalinda lifted her hand and closed her own eyes. "I know the council has not treated you fairly. And perhaps, neither have I..." She reopened her eyes. Tetra's gaze didn't waver. "They are willing to... try to make amends."

Tetra shook her head and stood up. "Don't bother."

The matriarch blinked. "Tetra...please."

"Just send her back here in a hour." She stood up and cantered toward the stairs. She stopped and half turned her torso back. "Alone." She growled.

One hour later...

"Miss Tetra?"

"Up here please." She called. "You're alone?"

Emilia ascended the stairs from the shop floor and peered into the second floor. Tetra rested on a net by a table. She had slipped on an aquamarine t-shirt and plain black skirt.

"Yes I came alone." She stepped around and approached the table. "There's no one in the building but us."

Tetra nodded and waved a claw. A wheeled stool with a thin thread attached rolled into place right between Emilia and the table. She nodded and took the invitation. "Thank you for seeing me, again. I'm sorry you had to find out this way. With all of them around."

Tetra cocked an eye. "When half the bloody council shows up at your door..."

The human smirked ruefully and nodded. "Yes, I thought that was incredibly heavy-handed and invasive." She shrugged. "But then, lamias aren't exactly known for their subtlety now are they?"

Despite herself, Tetra chortled once. "No." She shook her head lightly. "No they aren't." She took a breath and let it out. "How did you even find me?"

Emilia smiled and waved across the table. "Your advertisement." Tetra cocked an eye again.

"I was at a function with members of the Madinat Althaeban council in attendance in Barcelona." She explained. "I noted some of their outfits incorporated arachne silk. So I asked who made them." She shook her head. "And they told me that the very girl I'd been unsuccessfully trying to locate for the past three years had set up shop. Right in their town."

Tetra snorted. "I didn't know anyone was looking for me." Her face took on a somber aspect. She brought out the picture of her father. "May I see it again?"

Ms. Wolfe complied and laid the picture she brought on the wood. Tetra took it and compared the two.

"This is him. This is...my father." She blinked once and managed rein her emotions in this time. "Tulio." She sighed. "I don't suppose you could tell me anything about him."

Emilia shook her head. "No Tetra. What little I remember of him I learned from his brother, twenty years ago."

"Hector." The arachne raised her eyes. "I don't suppose you know where he is?"

Emilia Wolfe folded her arms. "I know he lives in America. Some suburb of Chicago." Tetra held in a breath. "He's got a family now, works as a contractor."

Tetra swallowed. "I...do you think he...do you think he would..."

Emilia tilted her head. "Would he like to meet the only offspring of his dearly departed brother? Absolutely."

Tetra let out a breath explosively and curled her claws in. "I... oh goddess."

Ms. Wolfe kept her arms folded. "He doesn't know that I've found you. I assumed you might've wanted to stay out of their lives."

She darted her head up. "Why? Why wouldn't I..."

The human shrugged. "Perhaps you like it here." She leaned forward. "You have a couple girlfriends right now don't you?" Tetra blinked once. "And...you're the daughter of the woman who murdered his brother."

Tetra blinked even more. "I...would...would he hold that against me?"

Emilia shrugged. "I don't think so. The last time I spoke with him was after Rosalinde was incarcerated three years ago. I promised him I'd look for you."

Tetra sucked in a breath. "He, he knows I exist?"

She nodded. "Yes." A frown graced her expression. "But he was not hopeful that I would succeed." She dipped her head. "I told him things were different, attitudes have changed, there's resources and many more people willing to help." She sighed. "Many things have changed since we chased your mother so long ago."

Tetra was silent a moment. "He's the only one who knew my father?"

Emilia nodded her head side to side. "Their parents might still be in Madrid, but I don't have any contact or solid knowledge about them."

"But then... he's the only one, that you know, who could tell me about my father?"

The other woman leaned back. "You could try to see your mother."

Tetra didn't react. A kaleidoscope of intense thoughts and feelings raced through her head at a dizzying breakneck pace. Then...a simple violent idea dominated all others.

"If I ever see her again," Her claws dug into the wood. "I might kill her." She swallowed. "But I...I am not my mother. I am not a murderer." A slow heavy breath. "So I think it best to never tempt me with such an... opportunity." She concluded.

Emilia nodded. "I thought as much, but wanted to float the option."

Tetra closed her eyes and stayed silent a moment. She took a couple breaths. "So... could I... go to America and search for him?" She plucked a tiny black, felt covered box from her pocket and deposited it on the table. Dirt and grime still clung to its surface.

She flipped the lid open and revealed a pristine black pearl set in a diamond encrusted white gold ring. Emilia sucked in a breath. "Oh...my." Her eyes widened as she studied the jewelry.

Tetra inclined her head. "I'd like to return this, to his family."

The human lifted up the box to get a closer look. "This must have been...what tipped him off."

Tetra leaned closer. Emilia closed the box and set it back on the table. "Hector knew that his brother was spending a ridiculous amount of money on something. Something he couldn't figure out."

She slid it back over. "That's why he followed Tulio that night."

A beat. "That night?" Tetra asked.

Emilia nodded slowly. "The night he witnessed his brother's murder."

Tetra shut her eyes a moment. Then she picked up the box. "I want to go to America. This belongs to his family, not me."

Emilia smirked. "Might want to let them know before an arachne starts rummaging around the country."

Tetra raised an eyebrow and folded her arms. "You've chased arachne before. How would they stop me?"

The other woman inclined her head. "By hiring other extra-species, including arachne, to watch out for such incursions."

Tetra blinked several times. "They...the humans...employ monsters?"

She nodded. "It's a brave new world Tetra. The old rules are gone, for the most part." She reached down and retrieved a black leather satchel. She drew out a small stack of papers and a pen. The top of the stack had a bold title that read: APPLICATION FOR HOMESTAY in English.

"But I can help you." She smiled. "How much do you know about the Exchange program?"

A/N: Wow, this took way too long to write. My sincerest apologies, readers. I'd offer some excuses but I'm afraid a comprehensive list would take just as long to compose. Needless to say I still enjoy writing this and will continue.

The pace of of these posts...however...we'll just have to see. There's plenty of ideas and material to work with still. And of course that last girl that needs to take up residence. I'll get back to her soon.

In the meantime, please have patience. And thanks so much for reading.