Several of the other women’s shoulders dropped as well and I grinned. Yeah, we were all totally in this thing together. While I had high hopes that he was perfect, knowing I wasn’t stuck with him was reassuring. There was too much new information, too many strange rules and laws and rituals I didn’t understand. Knowing I could just say no eased my mind.
“What, exactly is the claiming process?” Katie asked.
Go, Katie, Go!
“And what exactly does it mean to accept his claim? How will we know if we do that? How do we do that, exactly? Is there a wedding ceremony? Do we sign something? Put on a ring? What?”
“You have accepted his claim if you allow your mate, marked or otherwise, the three gifts, the sacred order of three,” Officiate Treva clarified. When we all just stared, she tilted her head and sighed. “If you allow your mate to claim your body completely, in all ways.”
Katie tilted her own head and raised her dark brow. “Three ways? In some special order? I need details.”
Officiate Treva cleared her throat and I couldn’t determine if she was laughing, or choking. “Your mouth first, ladies. Followed by your ass. And finally, if you accept him and his claim, he will take you as his mate and place his seed in sacred offering in your womb.”
“Oh my god, these people are crazy.” Dani swayed beside me and I wrapped my arm around her in a hug.
Chapter Six
Lexi
Dani shook her head and shoved at arm, forcing me to release her from the half hug. “I’m a virgin! And I’m supposed to go anal first? That doesn’t seem fair.”
Treva must have heard her, for she shook her head and looked at my friend. “No, Danielle. You do not have to, as you say, go anal first. However, if you give your mate the sacred gift of your woman’s core, if you accept his claim and his seed in your pussy, he will keep you forever.”
“Yeah? What if one of these guys just rapes us then? We’re stuck with him forever?” one of the girls asked.
Treva rose to her full height, all traces of kindness gone from her features. “Our Hunters are honored and revered, our most sacred warriors. They would never rape a potential mate.”
The girl shook her head, clearly not believing.
Treva put her hands on her hips. “You have each been fitted with an NPU, or neural processing unit, per Interstellar Brides Program protocols. This unit records sensual data and returns it to the Coalition Fleet for analysis and to help place future brides.”
I nodded. That was pretty much what Warden Egara had told me.
“If you are violated in any way, come to any of the Officiates at once. The data from your NPU will be examined and the offender executed.”
I felt my eyes go wide and Dani’s fingers dug into my elbow. “Executed?”
Treva’s eyes focused on Dani like lasers. “Yes. We do not tolerate that behavior here. I do not pretend to know what your life was like on Earth, but we are not primitive beasts. Do you all understand? It will not happen. Not here. I give you my word.”
As freaked out as I was by her casual talk of executions, her vehemence also made me feel safe. Which was a strange irony I didn’t want to think about overmuch.
“Now, it is time for you to join the Everian Hunters who’ve come to this event in the great hall. They will be eager to see you, and those of you who have dream shared will most likely be able to identify your mate without seeing his palm. If a challenge is issued, your potential mate will be required to prove his worth. You may request to see his mark, or you may choose him without that confirmation. Obviously, it’s not too difficult to know the truth when a palm is always visible.”
“Challenge? What challenge?” Katie again. God bless her. I had no idea what the hell was going on.
Treva answered. “Any Hunter may make a claim, and fight to be the first to court you.”
“But you said it’s our choice.” Katie frowned at her.
Treva laughed and headed for the door leading to the large room on the other side of the closed metal. “True. And no matter the outcome of the challenge, the choice will remain with you. Often, Hunters accept the challenge with the intention of impressing their new mates with their skill and strength in hand-to-hand combat.” Turning, she grinned at all of us. “Hoping you will assume those skills will also be applied in bed.”
My mate was probably on the other side of those doors…waiting for me. I wrung my hands together, eager to get on with it. The anticipation and nerves were making me sick to my stomach.
“The last I will share is that before you make your choice, the Officiate will take you and the Hunter to another room where you can spend time together to talk, to help you feel more comfortable so you aren’t immediately alone with him.”