Page 72 of Mated By Twilight

“It’s apparently a thing,” Corvidair frowned. “She’ll be fine. It’s not damaging to her. Why weren’t you more careful?”

“We didn’t know,” Sollit growled between his teeth.

“Corvidair, can we have some privacy?” Tillos asked. The mediring would continue its program without him being there.

The captain was snickering as he left the room. Tillos and Sollit shared a look before focusing on their mate.

Their mate now.

Because they’d had sex with her and thus sealed the bond. Tillos could feel it forming. Theirs was a slow sort of connection, not snapped into place in one singular moment like some other species. But as it grew, his devotion and dedication to his female would as well.

And knowing that she’d let them hurt her made him angry.

At the same time, he and Sollit ceased their purrs, now that they knew they could do so safely.

It took a moment for Leah to come out of it. She blinked a few times as the fogginess in her eyes faded and her muscles tensed up. Her face turned bright red, and she made a face.

“You two-!” She cut herself off with a wordless sound of mortification, slapping her hands over her face, trying to hide.

Now that they weren’t purring her into a state of relaxation, she was embarrassed.

“Leah,” Sollit started sternly, giving her a look. “Did you forget to tell us something?”

Her fingers parted, allowing her to peek out at them.

“Did you really have to drag me all the way here for something like this? There were people in the halls! They probably think I’m dying with how you two were reacting!”

“We were terrified,” Tillos took her wrists and pulled them away from her bright red face. “Why did you not tell us?”

“You knew you two were the first people I’ve been with!”

“But we did not know taking you would make you bleed,” Sollit said, clutching his heart. “I thought we had seriously hurt you. If you knew this would happen, why didn’t you warn us?”

“I thought you would know!”

“How could we know that?” Tillos shook his head. “Our females do not have this hymen. What kind of horrible body part is this?”

“It’s like a purity thing,” she mumbled.

“Purity thing?” Sollit cocked his head.

“Yeah. You know. Well, actually,” she frowned. “I guess you wouldn’t. Erm, in my family’s religion, a woman’s hymen isimportant. It’s meant to show our husband that no other man has touched us before. That we’re still pure.”

“That’s not a biological purpose,” Tillos frowned.

“Oh. It’s not, huh? Er, I don’t really know its biological purpose though. If it even has one. I think it’s something that’s justthere.”

“I’m confused about the religious aspect,” Sollit interjected. “What does purity have to do with not having sex?”

“Well, that’s just how our religion worked. You could only have sex with your husband. Er, your mate. If you have sex with someone else, it made you impure.”

“Okay,” Sollit nodded along. “That makes sense. I guess? I’ve seen other species do something like that. I mean, it’s not something our people believe in. But I meant more like… why does your purity have to be attached to your pain and blood?”

“Oh, that.” She shrugged. “It’s just part of being a woman. That and our periods. It’s part of our punishment for being involved with sin and the fall of man.”

“Huh?” Tillos frowned.

“I don’t get it,” Sollit shook his head.

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