Page 14 of His Little Cinnabar (Eleadian Mates #12)

Chapter Thirteen

Janelle

“Where are we going, Papi?” I’m confused. I thought we were going to Ekert and Sophie’s house this morning, but Papi has guided my stroller into the park near our house.

“Our appointment with Ekert isn’t for another hour. I thought you’d enjoy spending some time playing until then.”

I haven’t been to the park yet. Papi walked by it a few times, pushing me in my stroller, but he didn’t stop, and no one was there. This morning, there are several other Little girls playing while their Papis watch from benches nearby.

My anxiety creeps up, making my heart beat faster. I don’t want to wander away from Papi.

He parks my stroller and squats in front of me to unfasten my restraints. He must sense my unease because he lifts my fingers to his mouth and pricks three of them.

My anxiety ebbs as two girls skip toward me. They’re both smiling, but I start to panic. I haven’t had good experiences with other girls on Earth. They were never nice to me.

I understand immediately what Papi has explained to me about not being able to tell anyone’s prior social status.

That’s for sure. Every Little girl at the park looks the same—diapers, pigtails, and nipple rings.

No one has on makeup or nail polish. No one has on any sort of designer anything that would make them stand out.

Both girls have brown hair like mine. One of them gives a small wave. “Hi, I’m Clara, and this is Eden. Did you just get here recently?”

I nod.

Papi lifts me out of my stroller and sets me on my feet. He kisses me behind the ear and whispers. “Go play. Meet some of the other Little girls.”

I try not to hyperventilate. There’s no reason. It’s not like the night in the club where there were too many people, flashing lights, and loud noises. There’s no need to panic.

Papi turns toward the girls. “This is Janelle. She’s feeling kind of shy still.”

“That’s okay,” Eden says softly. “I was really nervous when I first arrived. I didn’t think anyone would like me. I thought I was too weird. But everyone is so friendly.”

I wonder why Eden thought she was weird. There’s absolutely no way to know anyone’s story until they tell me. If I wanted, I could make something up and say I was a rich girl from a nice family. I wouldn’t do that because I’ve never been a good liar, but I could . That’s what matters.

Clara holds out a hand. “Are you steady walking?”

I step toward her, taking a deep breath when Papi’s no longer touching me. I glance back to find him right behind me.

He smiles. “I won’t move from this bench.” He points next to the stroller. “Every time you look, I’ll be right here.”

“Okay.” He’s so good to me. I know he won’t move. I take a fortifying breath and let Clara lead me toward the playground equipment.

“How long have you been here?” she asks. “You’re so steady on your legs.”

“Almost four weeks.”

“Oh, that’s why. Sometimes people come to the park for the first time before they can even walk.”

“I was…” I swallow. “I was too nervous.”

Eden takes my other hand and squeezes it. “We understand. I bet you’re nervous about getting your nipples pierced, too.”

“Yeah. But we’re going there this morning.” I glance at Eden and then Clara. “Did it hurt?”

They both shake their heads, pigtails flying. “Not at all. The only reason you’ll even know it happened is because the piercing gun makes a slight popping noise, but you won’t feel it.”

“Aren’t they kind of heavy?” I ask.

Clara giggles. “At first. You’ll get used to them. The hardest part is learning not to touch them.”

I look at hers. “Yeah, I met Sophie. I was surprised she was able to keep her fingers away from her, uh…” My face heats. I’m not used to talking about private body parts with anyone.

Clara leans in and whispers, “Titties.”

We all giggle.

“Such a babyish word,” I say.

Clara shrugs as we reach a sandbox. “We’re living in a babyish world. It fits.” She nods toward the sand. “Do you want to play here?”

“Sure.” I glance back to find Papi right where I left him. He waves. My anxiety is at bay.

I sit where I can easily see him when I want. That helps.

“What did you do on Earth?” Clara asks.

I look down and drag my bare toes through the sand. Shoot. My chest tightens.

Eden touches my arm. “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want. We understand. I bet whatever you did wasn’t as weird as me,” she says with an odd pride in her voice.

I look at her.

She grins. “I was in a cult. I ran away that night and ended up in Club Zoom without signing the paperwork. Do you wanna know how weird I am?”

I swallow, not moving. It would be rude to nod or shake my head.

Eden shrugs. “I used to be really embarrassed, but I’ve told my story to several other women…

uh, girls…now, so it’s getting easier. I was so weird that I didn’t even know what sex was.

No one educated me. I thought you got pregnant from lying with a man.

With . Next to.” She covers her mouth as she giggles.

My eyes shoot wide. “Really?”

“Yes. I was married to an old man as a teenager, and Papi suspects he wasn’t able to get, uh, you know…”

“Hard,” Clara provides. “Probably he was impotent.”

Eden’s cheeks are pink. Her story relaxes me. It wouldn’t be kind to call anyone weird, but I can see why she thinks she was. I would feel the same way if I were her.

Eden takes a deep breath. “Yeah, so I told Papi I was barren. That’s what the elders in my cult said about me. Imagine his surprise when he found out I was actually a virgin.” She giggles. “I didn’t even know what a virgin was.”

I smile. She’s so likeable. Already I feel comfortable with these girls.

Clara sighs. “My life wasn’t nearly as interesting. I was an air traffic controller.”

“Cool,” I say. “I’ve never been on an airplane.”

Eden nods. “I certainly haven’t either. I’d never even left my compound until the night I snuck away.”

Clara sits taller. “But we’ve all been on several types of space crafts now. How many people can say that?”

She’s right, and no matter what differences we have, we all have a lot in common now. We’ve all been on three types of spaceships. We’re all mates to overbearing Papis, and once I get my nipples pierced, I’ll fit in with everyone even more.

I draw in a breath and decide to tell them my secrets. “I was homeless.”

Neither of them winces. In fact, they both reach for my hands and give me a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

“I’m sorry,” Eden says.

“Me, too.” Clara wipes a tear from her eye.

“My life was not rosy,” I add. “I went into the club that night to get warm, but I’m so weird—” I glance at Eden and grin at my use of her term, “—that I got overwhelmed by the noise, the crowd, and the lights, and I fainted. I woke up in Papi’s arms in his apartment.”

Eden puts her hand over her heart. “That’s so sweet. Were you freaking out?”

“Not at first. All I knew was that I was warm and no longer hungry. I didn’t realize he’d fed me a bottle, and that’s why my tummy was full.

I liked how I felt in his arms. Sure, there’s a lot of weird stuff about this new life, but…

” I glance at my Papi. He’s watching me with a smile.

Two men have joined him, and it looks like they’re talking, but Papi is watching me .

I lick my lips. “I love him,” I say softly.

Clara touches my arm. “Have you told him that?”

“Not yet.” I lower my gaze to look at Clara’s piercings and then blush and lift my head. I’ve been trying not to stare.

“It’s okay to look. We all understand how strange the tradition seems when you first arrive. I’m used to people staring at my chest now.” She thrusts her breasts out.

I take another look. “They’re so pretty. I love the red stones. But I’m super scared.”

Clara clasps my hand again. “We all were. Trust me.”

“I’ve only been here a few weeks longer than you,” Eden says, “I’m still getting used to them.

” She lifts her palms as if to cover the blue jewels and then fists her hands and sets them on her lap with a shudder.

“And the nudity,” she adds. “I spent my entire life covered from head to toe. The only parts of me anyone saw were my hands and my face. My dresses reached the ground. My sleeves even covered my wrists.”

“And you were married?” That part baffles me.

“My husband was sixty-five when I was married off to him. I was fifteen.”

I gasp.

“Yeah. I was married to him for five years. He had a heart attack and died. We didn’t have good medical care inside the compound. But in those five years I never saw him naked, and he never touched me. He lied to the elders and said I was barren. I just assumed it was true.”

I want to ask her more questions. I hope she doesn’t mind. “I’ve, uh…” I take a deep breath. “I’ve never had sex either. How bad will it hurt?”

Eden reaches over to grab my hand again. She’s so supportive. They both are. “My understanding is that sex with anyone hurts the first time. Even a human. I wouldn’t know the difference, but apparently Eleadian men are proportionately larger—all of their parts.” Her cheeks darken.

I shiver. “That’s scary.”

“It’s true,” Clara adds. “They are bigger. A lot bigger. I’m older than both of you, and I had sex with human men before I was chosen by Kalbrac.

No human man I’ve ever seen in real life or even in pictures or porn sites comes close to the size of these Eleadian men.

So, I might as well have been a virgin the first time he entered me.

It was so tight. I thought I might split in half.

But I didn’t, of course. No one does. Your body will quickly accommodate your Papi, and then it will feel so good.

” Her expression turns dreamy as she finishes.

This conversation is so foreign to me. It should be embarrassing. And it is, but I feel like I can talk to them. They will tell me the truth. I’d rather have this information so I’ll know.

“You’ve been here almost a month?” Clara asks.

“Yeah.”