BDP42
"Please join your partners," The tense silence was broken by Casca, of all people.
Ian and I exchanged looks of surprise and confusion. We both would have expected Casca to have kept silent and watch the chaos unfold. It was completely out of character, and we were not the only ones to think so.
All the Dragons turned to watch Casca, momentarily distracted by the uncharacteristic behavior. He must really want those children, was all I could think, to have willingly passed up a chance to see if the Dragons would fight for the right to mate with the females.
There was a good chance they would have, sexual behavior being largely controlled by the affected basal brain. It would have been a brutal fight, if Ian's behavior last week were any kind of yardstick. Hell, his behavior last night had been over the top, and there had not been any other males around. I almost felt sorry for the women who were about to go off alone with their chosen partners. They probably wouldn't be able to walk right for a week.
With that in mind, I opened the two boxes of condom and set them on the small table that they had been playing cards on. "All right men, take as many as you want, better to have extras than to try the old turning it inside out routine, which doesn't work anyway."
Beck picked up the first box and said, "Do you think one box is enough, or should I take two?"
I rolled my eyes, "Beck, if you manage to get it up," I checked the container for numerical content, "thirty five times in one night, there won't be any skin left on it."
"What do you think happened to my foreskin? I wasn't circumcised at birth, you know." Beck laughed, but he took a handful of prophylactics out of the box and passed it on.
The men bantered good-naturedly, the earlier tension diverted into less hazardous channels. Most of the women moved further into the room, but you could feel their hesitation. I think they were wondering what they had gotten themselves into. Surely they were concerned about that violent potential in bed?
I touched the ring of bruises on my right wrist, knowing they had cause for concern. If Ian had come to my bed without the groundwork of our relationship tempering his actions, how would the night have gone? Part of me felt guilty for letting them walk blindly into the situation, but there was no real way to warn them without exposing our relationship.
I watched as the leggy black woman sidled up to Mobius. She was the first one to initiate contact, which I had half-expected to happen. She was built like a panther, sleek muscled and confident. I knew she was tall, but standing next to Moby she seemed smaller. I always forget just how big Mobius really is until something like that happens.
Moby smiled down at her, obviously well pleased by what he saw. She wrapped her arm around his waist and he let her. Seeing nothing bad happen, most of the others gathered their courage and moved toward the men.
I wanted to go to Ian's side as the women paired off with their preselected males. It was a purely territorial urge, as I had seen several pairs of female eyes linger on him. I shook my head slightly, a wry grin tugging at my lips as I wondered if testosterone was contagious. Next thing you knew, I'd be thumping my chest and grunting. I lifted a brow at Ian, who quirked one in response. From the small smile playing around his lips, I knew he had followed my line of thinking.
A glimpse of motion out of the corner of my eye made me turn, breaking eye contact with Ian. Casca had grabbed one of the women and was bringing her forward, because she was not moving on her own. She was a dainty brunette with jade green eyes. He had taken her by the arm and was leading her forward like a reluctant child. She was one of the women who had been admiring the lab equipment, and I think she finally had a clue as to what she had signed up for. Her face was set in mutinous lines and she had all but dug her heels in.
I felt another surge of guilt, but she had made her choice. I told myself to stay out of it, that there was a reason for the phrase, 'you made your bed, now lie in it.' Even trying to strangle the impulse, I found myself moving forward. If you're not willing, it's rape. I was not going to stand for that.
"Please join your partners," The tense silence was broken by Casca, of all people.
Ian and I exchanged looks of surprise and confusion. We both would have expected Casca to have kept silent and watch the chaos unfold. It was completely out of character, and we were not the only ones to think so.
All the Dragons turned to watch Casca, momentarily distracted by the uncharacteristic behavior. He must really want those children, was all I could think, to have willingly passed up a chance to see if the Dragons would fight for the right to mate with the females.
There was a good chance they would have, sexual behavior being largely controlled by the affected basal brain. It would have been a brutal fight, if Ian's behavior last week were any kind of yardstick. Hell, his behavior last night had been over the top, and there had not been any other males around. I almost felt sorry for the women who were about to go off alone with their chosen partners. They probably wouldn't be able to walk right for a week.
With that in mind, I opened the two boxes of condom and set them on the small table that they had been playing cards on. "All right men, take as many as you want, better to have extras than to try the old turning it inside out routine, which doesn't work anyway."
Beck picked up the first box and said, "Do you think one box is enough, or should I take two?"
I rolled my eyes, "Beck, if you manage to get it up," I checked the container for numerical content, "thirty five times in one night, there won't be any skin left on it."
"What do you think happened to my foreskin? I wasn't circumcised at birth, you know." Beck laughed, but he took a handful of prophylactics out of the box and passed it on.
The men bantered good-naturedly, the earlier tension diverted into less hazardous channels. Most of the women moved further into the room, but you could feel their hesitation. I think they were wondering what they had gotten themselves into. Surely they were concerned about that violent potential in bed?
I touched the ring of bruises on my right wrist, knowing they had cause for concern. If Ian had come to my bed without the groundwork of our relationship tempering his actions, how would the night have gone? Part of me felt guilty for letting them walk blindly into the situation, but there was no real way to warn them without exposing our relationship.
I watched as the leggy black woman sidled up to Mobius. She was the first one to initiate contact, which I had half-expected to happen. She was built like a panther, sleek muscled and confident. I knew she was tall, but standing next to Moby she seemed smaller. I always forget just how big Mobius really is until something like that happens.
Moby smiled down at her, obviously well pleased by what he saw. She wrapped her arm around his waist and he let her. Seeing nothing bad happen, most of the others gathered their courage and moved toward the men.
I wanted to go to Ian's side as the women paired off with their preselected males. It was a purely territorial urge, as I had seen several pairs of female eyes linger on him. I shook my head slightly, a wry grin tugging at my lips as I wondered if testosterone was contagious. Next thing you knew, I'd be thumping my chest and grunting. I lifted a brow at Ian, who quirked one in response. From the small smile playing around his lips, I knew he had followed my line of thinking.
A glimpse of motion out of the corner of my eye made me turn, breaking eye contact with Ian. Casca had grabbed one of the women and was bringing her forward, because she was not moving on her own. She was a dainty brunette with jade green eyes. He had taken her by the arm and was leading her forward like a reluctant child. She was one of the women who had been admiring the lab equipment, and I think she finally had a clue as to what she had signed up for. Her face was set in mutinous lines and she had all but dug her heels in.
I felt another surge of guilt, but she had made her choice. I told myself to stay out of it, that there was a reason for the phrase, 'you made your bed, now lie in it.' Even trying to strangle the impulse, I found myself moving forward. If you're not willing, it's rape. I was not going to stand for that.