Page 7 of Tender Captivity (Human Pets of Talin)

As Holian lay with Jinna asleep and curled up in his arms, he gave himself the luxury of simply enjoying the moment. He didn’t plot and plan. He refused to think of the future. While Jinna was slumbering, he thought only of this perfect moment. He wouldn’t sully it by dwelling on what might happen.

Murmuring something indecipherable in her sleep, she snuggled a little closer to him.

Her hair was already saturated with his bonding oil, but he tilted his head and ran his cheek against the top of her head anyway.

His bonding oil soaked into her scalp, creating a new unique scent that he dragged into his lungs.

Their combined smell had a profound effect on his body.

His brain felt calm, and the need for activity or action didn’t buzz under his skin.

He was well and truly scent-bonded to Jinna.

If they were ever parted for too long, he’d suffer from Collapsed Scent Disease, colloquially known as Ending, which was a painful way to die.

That’s one of the issues that led to a monarch ruling three thousand years ago to start many trends that would eventually become codified into law and become social taboos, such as no scent-bonding.

Of course, because humans were so “weak and needy,” it was socially acceptable to use your bonding oil on them so they felt safe and adored. But what many Talins didn’t know or refused to acknowledge was they could scent-bond to humans as readily as they scent-bonded to each other.

Just the simple act of scent-bonding turned his interaction with Jinna from socially acceptable to an act so illegal he could be executed for it.

He wasn’t worried about being caught. The Talins he surrounded himself with were either already bonded to humans or wished to be.

He was far more worried that he’d scent-bonded a human who would want to leave.

His very life was in her tiny, clawless hands, and he wasn’t sure how to explain it to her without making her feel trapped and obligated.

His Ident Cube dinged loudly on a nearby table where he’d set down his regalia. The sound woke Jinna. “Holian?” she murmured, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

Sitting up with her, he started purring. “I’m here. You’re safe.”

When she dropped her hands away from her face, it was to reveal a content smile curling her lips. “Is it time to get up?”

“Only if you’ve rested enough,” he answered.

Yesterday he’d had Renalan cancel all his meetings for the next ten rotations so he could focus on Jinna.

He still had motions to read and requests to send to various clan assemblies, but all that could be done remotely.

He didn’t need to attend anything in person for now.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” she answered. “I wouldn’t mind getting up. And maybe using the cleansing room.”

“Of course,” he responded. Rising from the bed, he pulled on a clean pair of pants and picked up his regalia.

As he buckled on the belt, he made sure his pouch was on his left hip and his Ident Cube on the right.

When he turned, he found her standing, wrapped in one of the soft sheets from the bed.

The old wrap he’d shredded was dangling from one of her hands.

“I don’t think this is going to work,” she muttered.

He took it from her, almost rumbling in disgust at the coarse feel of the fabric.

How had Nelaran even found this wrap? Most things sold on Talarian for human pets were the height of luxuriousness because it was well-known humans had delicate skin.

But the material of this wrap was scratchy enough for even a thick-skinned Talin like him to feel it.

“You’re better off without it,” he said, tossing it into a far corner for a cleaning bot to pick up later.

“I would agree, if it wasn’t the only item of clothing I had,” she responded dryly.

Holian ran his eyes over her form. Even covered by a sheet, he could easily pick out her lovely curves. “I don’t have a problem with you being naked all the time.”

Her laughter made his scent glands ache. “Don’t make me walk around in a sheet all day! That could get cumbersome, and I’d be tempted to cut it to size.”

This conversation reminded Holian of the list of things Renalan had been muttering about the day before. “I might have a solution,” he murmured. “Make use of the bathing chamber, and I’ll be back here when you’re finished.”

“Sure,” she agreed and disappeared into the small room.

The moment the door slid shut, he hurried to the front room where boxes of goods had been stacked.

It was early enough that Renalan shouldn’t be awake yet, but he could smell something brewing in the food preparation room.

The male must have woken early specifically to fix Jinna food.

That made him determined to find at least one human who wouldn’t mind leaving Kalor to live with Renalan here on Talarian. The male was lonely and would take good care of a human if he was allowed.

Grabbing most of the boxes, he hurried back into his room and dropped them all on the bed. He unceremoniously unpacked them until he found a box of wraps, another of slippers, and finally a box of human hygiene and care products.

That made him realize Jinna had nothing but harsh cleansers and rough grooming stones in the cleaning unit. Snatching up the gentler products, he cursed himself for a fool as he let himself into the cleansing chamber.

Jinna was already under the water doing her best to wash herself with only her bare hands. Steam filled the room, and she jerked when he walked in, making him feel bad for not warning her of his entrance.

When had he turned into a clumsy youth?

He tilted his head down to indicate his arms full of scrub cloths, cleansers, oils, and lotions. “I have things for you to use.”

She blinked then, her gaze focused on the products he was holding. A delighted smile curved her lips. “Thank you.”

He stood frozen, taking in her naked form. Lust hit him, but more than that, affection filled him. His staring must have made Jinna self-conscious because she wrapped her arms around her chest and dropped her eyes to the floor.

“You can set everything down,” she murmured.

“You’re beautiful,” he blurted. Uncaring about getting his things wet, he stepped into the spray and dipped his head down to brush his lips across her forehead. Although lip-presses weren’t part of Talin culture, he and many other Talins had readily adopted them.

Closing her eyes, she leaned into his body. “I’m old,” she whispered as if sharing a secret. “I’m not sure what it would be in Talin solars, but in Old Earth years I’m forty-three. My body isn’t like it used to be.”

“And my right shoulder plates are permanently disfigured. I can’t hear very well out of my right ear hole, and even adjusting from years to solars, I’m still older than you. Do you find me displeasing?”

Opening her eyes, she looked up at him. “Of course not. If I didn’t like you, I wouldn’t have had so much fun last night.”

“They why would you think I’d judge you differently?” he asked simply. “I’m quite literally risking execution to be with you, little flower. If that doesn’t tell you I find you beyond appealing, I don’t know what would.”

“I don’t know. Guys will go to great lengths for sex.” Although her tone was lighthearted, he could hear the fear in her voice.

He sounded a gentle, reassuring rumble. “I’ve been around human pets almost my entire life, and you’re the first to ever tempt me. You’re my one and only, Jinna. If you decide to leave me, there will never be another.”

She wrapped her arms around him and held tightly. Because it would simply be washed away, he didn’t give into the urge to rub his scent glands on her. But he did drop everything he was holding so he could hug her back.

Her skin felt unimaginably soft under his hands. When she sighed at his touch, he gave in and started rubbing his cheek against the top of her head. The steam from the water pouring out of the cleansing unit’s spigot spread the scent, so it quickly saturated the air around them.

“That is the best smell,” she murmured. She let go of him with one hand to run her fingers through her hair.

“May I bathe you?” he asked, picking up a soft cleansing cloth and one of the bottles of gentle soap.

“No,” she said.

He had to fight a rattle of disappointment as he held out the items to her. “Then I’ll leave you in peace to finish.”

“No,” she said. She grasped his hand in hers and tugged him closer. “You can’t bathe me, but you can join me, and we’ll bathe each other. Show me were you like to be touched.”

Blood flowed to his mating shaft, and his pouch became tight so quickly he nearly rattled in pain.

“You already know how to touch me,” he murmured as he worked the buckle to his regalia belt with one hand. “But perhaps I want the same, to know your body as I know my own.”

“I’m sure there’s more to learn,” she agreed. “For both of us.”

“I’ve always been an apt pupil,” he answered, his regalia clattering to the floor, quickly followed by his sopping pants.

This was one test he didn’t mind studying for.