Awakened by the Giant: Brides of the Kindred Read online

  “Here.” Calden took two more pieces of blue fabric from a stack by the door and placed them on the nearest bench before sitting down.

  Maddy sat beside him and did her best to breathe in the steam, as she was apparently supposed to. It was much warmer in this room than it had been in the changing area and she could already feel sweat popping out all over her body. She wanted to talk to Calden and act casual, as though she didn’t mind sitting here naked beside him in the steam but she wasn’t sure what to say. Besides, she didn’t want to disturb the old Mentat, who seemed to be staring into space and really zoned out.

  After what felt like forever but was probably more like five minutes, the Mentat moved. Heaving himself off the bench, he hobbled to the far wall where there was another door.

  That must be the entrance to the enzyme baths.

  Maddy expected him to go through it but first he put out one seven-fingered hand and held it cupped under a small purple machine mounted on the wall beside the door. The machine made a soft purring noise and deposited a dollop of some blue gel into his palm.

  What is that? Some kind of soap dispenser? Maddy wondered. She watched with interest, wondering if the Mentat was going to rub the soap all over his gray, scaly body before going into the enzyme baths. But the only place he rubbed was the bulging pouch under his narrow chin. As he did, a long, mottled member came down and the Mentat stroked it vigorously, coating it thoroughly with the blue gel.

  Ewww! That’s his tokk—his dick! Maddy wrinkled her nose. Is that stuff lube or something? Is he jerking off right in front of us?

  But the old Mentat didn’t seem to be getting any pleasure out of the act. He just made certain that his tokk was completely covered with the gel and then went through the sliding metal door which led to the enzyme baths. Maddy caught a glimpse of what looked like a vast, purple swimming-pool, and then the door slid shut behind him, cutting off her view.

  “Okay,” she said, turning to Calden. “What was that all about?”

  “What was what all about?” He looked honestly mystified.

  “That—that rubbing his, uh, tokk with blue gel before he went into the baths!” Maddy exclaimed. She made sure to keep her voice low because she wasn’t sure how well sound carried in here but she really wanted to know.

  “Oh—he was just protecting his delicate areas from the enzymes. It’s a necessity before getting in the baths.”

  “It is?” Maddy raised her eyebrows. “So…are we going to have to put blue gel on our delicate areas too?”

  “Well…yes.” Calden shrugged as though it was no big deal. “Unless you want the enzymes to eat into your sensitive tissues, that is.”

  “Of course I don’t want that!” Maddy exclaimed. “But it’s not like I can put the gel on myself. You’ll have to, uh…” She could feel her cheeks getting hot again as she motioned with one of the oversized gloves at her naked body.

  Calden’s topaz eyes widened.

  “Forgive me—I hadn’t even considered that. Would you like to forget about the baths and just go now?”

  Maddy opened her mouth to say yes…and then reconsidered. Was she making too big a deal out of this? Clearly it was normal here—so normal that the big Kindred hadn’t even thought about it. And would it really be so bad to have those big, warm hands rubbing the blue gel into her skin?

  No, whispered a little voice in her head. It wouldn’t be so bad. In fact, it might feel good. Not that it’s a big deal—after all, the two of you aren’t even compatible. So what harm can it do?

  “Madeline?” Calden’s deep voice murmured and she realized she’d been debating for too long.

  “No,” she said at last. “I don’t want to go without a bath—I’m all sweaty now from sitting in the steam.”

  “Come, then.” Calden rose and picked up the blue fabric he’d been sitting on. “Are you ready to get in?”

  “I guess so.” Reluctantly, Maddy followed him. Calden dumped the blue fabric pieces they’d been sitting on in a nearby hamper and then held his hand under the purple dispenser. A squirt of blue gel was deposited into his palm and he rubbed it matter-of-factly over his long shaft—which was now about half-hard, Maddy couldn’t help noticing. Then he rinsed his big hands in a nearby sink, dried them on another piece of blue fabric, and got another squirt of gel.

  “Come, Madeline,” he remarked, sitting down on one of the wooden benches again. “I think it’s better for me to come down to your level,” he explained. “Here—let me protect you. Where would you say your most sensitive areas are?”

  “Um, well…my breasts I guess.” Maddy felt her heart pounding as she came to stand between his thighs. He was so big that even sitting down, as he was, he was a little taller than her. “Wait,” she said as he reached for her. “Exactly how cold is that gel?”

  “It is kind of chilly. Here, I’ll warm it for you.”

  Calden rubbed his big hands together briskly, warming the blue gel, and then reached for her again.

  Maddy bit her lip as he cupped her bare breasts gently in his palms and then rubbed gently but firmly, paying special attention to her nipples which he was careful to coat with the gel. God, she knew it shouldn’t feel good but it did. She wondered if it was affecting Calden at all but she didn’t want to look between his legs to find out.

  It’s no big deal, she told herself. We’re not even compatible.

  But try telling that to her body. As he slowly rubbed the warm gel over her breasts and nipples, she could feel her heart pounding and her breath began coming faster.

  “Calden,” she said at last. “I…I think I’m, uh, protected there now.”

  “Oh, of course. Forgive me.” He pulled his hands away—reluctantly Maddy thought. “Well, then—if you’re ready we can get in the baths.”

  “Um…” Maddy bit her lip, unsure how to broach the subject. “I, uh, have another sensitive area that needs protecting,” she pointed out at last.

  “You do?” He frowned. “Oh, you do. Of course—how stupid of me to forget.” He nodded in a businesslike way at her thighs. “All right, spread your legs so I can get to you, please.”

  It reminded Maddy a lot of the day before, when he’d washed her with the shower hose and made her come. But that had been an accident—she was sure. Now she was opening her legs for him on purpose.

  But only so he can spread gel on you to keep the enzymes in the bath from eating you up. Come on, Maddy—don’t be silly! she tried to tell herself. But she couldn’t stop the shiver of pleasure that ran through her when Calden cupped her pussy in one big, warm hand and stroked the gel over her outer pussy lips. It felt so good—like all her nerves were brand new and extra sensitive. So good that when he started to pull away, she stopped him.

  “Um…what about inside?” she asked.

  “Inside?” Calden frowned. “Inside your sex, you mean?”

  “Yes.” Maddy couldn’t believe she was saying this but suddenly she felt tingly all over—just as she had when she sniffed the strange plant back in his room—and she didn’t want to stop. “I, uh, don’t want enzymes getting in my pussy,” she pointed out, feeling her cheeks get hot. “That’s pretty much the most sensitive area I have.”

  “Oh, of course.” He frowned. “And…you would like me to stroke inside you with my fingers? To spread the protective gel over your inner folds?”

  Maddy nodded.

  “Yes. Yes, please,” she whispered. “Please, Calden—do that.”

  “As you wish.” And then long, warm fingers were spreading the outer lips of her pussy and sliding into her hot folds to cover her with the blue gel.

  “Oh!” Maddy whispered, fighting the urge to press against his fingers as they slid around and around the sensitive button of her clit. “Oh, God!”

  “Am I hurting you?” Calden stopped stroking, though his hand stayed in place, his long fingers still bracketing her clit. He looked at her anxiously.

  “No.” Maddy shook her head. “Just…I’m just sens