Page 159 of Of Sins and Sacrifice

His eyes are closed and he’s breathing hard. That makes the swollen lump become bigger, pushing against the material as if it had a life of its own.

Releasing a long sigh, he takes a step toward me. Getting to his knees in front of me, he rests his hands on my thighs as he looks into my eyes.

“Minnie, do you know how sex, uhm, mating works?”

I blink in shock.

“O-o-of c-course,” I stammer.

“How?”

“W-what? That’s improper. I can’t answer that.”

“We’re far past improper. Indulge me,” he murmurs.

“But—”

“Please?”

I clear my throat against the sudden discomfort. It’s not just the fact that we’re discussing such a forbidden topic but also the way he’s holding on to me, so close…

“I’m not entirely sure of the mechanics of it, but I do know that it happens when a mated couple is intimate with each other and the male spills his seed inside the female.”

“And how does he, erm, spill his seed?”

My face flames.

“I… uhm…”

“You don’t know?” He raises a teasing brow.

“Mine! Of course I…” I squeeze my eyes shut. “I grew up sheltered, all right? I was not allowed to read any material regarding mating, and in the army, no one would speak about such improper subjects in my presence. I only know what I’ve gathered from the movies I saw in Anthropa. But they were not too informative.”

“How so?” he asks. This time, he’s not mocking me. It’s a genuine question.

“Well, the people in movies were in a bed, naked under the sheets.” I shrug. “But I’ve also seen humans kiss and touch around the base.”

“So when you thought I wanted to steal your virtue, what did you think was going to happen?”

“Can we change the subject? This is mortifying,” I add under my breath.

“Tell me, Minnie.”

“What I saw in movies. Naked bodies tangled together, I suppose,” I finally admit, averting my gaze. I can barely stand to look him in the eye after this mortifying conversation. It’s not just the impropriety of it all, though I suppose the subject was bound to be tackled seeing as how I’ve allowed him to court me. No, it’s also because I’m embarrassed about my own lack of knowledge. I am over four thousand years old, for goodness’ sake. I should know more than some incomplete observations.

Yet the sad reality is that I am not the only Aperite deity this ignorant about what goes on between mated couples. Every respectable unmarried lady is forbidden from exploring such matters. Even for someone as myself, who’s had more freedom than others by being allowed to join the military, my knowledge is still painfully lacking. And that’s because it’s not just the parents who try to shield females from this information but also the other people in the military.

They don’t talk about it, and we don’t ask. That is the policy. Just mentioning something related to the act of mating would not only be highly scandalous, but it would also ruin one’s reputation.

Fear perpetuates fear and in the end until the entire society is shaped by that which we strive to avoid.

“Look at me,” he suddenly says, pushing my chin up. “It’s all right not to know.”

“Is it? Aren’t you silently laughing at me?”

“I wouldneverlaugh at you, Minnie.”

“In my defense, highborn ladies marry soon after their three thousandth birthday. I am a bit of an exception because I went into the military. That’s the only reason why I don’t have as much knowledge as other ladies my age.”

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