Barbarian's Bride (Ice Planet Barbarians)

I shake my head.

"Cool. I don't want Nora feeling I'm not happy for her. For you both. I really am. I'm just…sad for me."

"You will resonate soon," I promise her, not knowing what else to say.

"No." Jo-see sighs. "I don't think I will." She studies me as I move to stand near her. "I have to admit I'm kinda surprised to see you out here, though, given that you're the happy groom. Did you and Nora fight? Before you answer, you should know she absolutely loves you to pieces. You're all she talks about and she's so happy." That wistful expression crosses her face again.

I groan and sink to my knees in the snow, burying my face in my hands.

Jo-see is quiet for a moment. "Did…did I say something wrong?"

I glance over at her. She is young, this female. No-rah says they are all around the same age, but this one seems younger than my practical, smart-mouthed mate. "Do you know much of human mating?"

"More than I ever wanted." She lets out a bitter laugh. "Water under the bridge though, right?"

I do not know what a bridge is, but I suspect it does not matter. I am desperate to talk to someone about No-rah and perhaps this Jo-see will have ideas of what I can do. "No-rah has told me something and I do not know what to think."

"Oh?"

I try to think of how to say it without making it sound strange, but it all seems strange to my ears. "No-rah has told me she likes…a certain kind of mating."

"Like butt stuff?"

I pause, confused. "Butt…stuff?"

Jo-see nods. "You know. The dark hole. The wrong door." Her voice drops into a whisper. "The brown star. Some girls are into that."

I stare at her, trying to follow what she mentions. The wrong…oh. Heat flushes through me, and of course, now I am picturing my mate below me as I stuff my cock into her backside. It is a strange visual, but an enticing one. "She did not mention that to me. Humans do that?"

"Oh, my friend, humans do everything." Jo-see chuckles. "So what was it that's got you so rattled if not butt stuff?"

I tug on my braid again. "She…she has said she wishes for me to be rough with her when we mate."

"Okay. And?"

I frown over at the small human. "There is no 'and.' That is the problem! I do not want to be rough with her!" I grit my teeth, burying my face in my hands again. "She is small and delicate. I do not want to hurt her."

"Buddy, it's okay." Jo-see pats my shoulder. "You're freaking out over nothing. Look. Humans like to do a lot of crazy stuff, some more crazy than others."

I sneak a glance over at her. "You have done this?" I am shocked. Jo-see is even more delicate than No-rah. "How did your human mate not break you?"

Jo-see just giggles. She glances around and turns toward me, leaning in. "I had an ex that was into it. We didn't date long, but yeah, I've done that sort of thing." She shrugs. "It's not that weird. People like what they like in bed. I'm not going to judge."

"Hurting my mate is wrong." I shake my head. "I should be cherishing her, not hurting her."

She is quiet, and I look over at her again. Jo-see's lips are pursed and she studies me hard, as if she is trying to figure me out. "Here's the thing, Dagesh." She mangles my name but continues on. "It's not that she wants you to drop your pants and then beat the shit out of her. Ask her what she likes. Ask her what turns her on. Maybe it's not your thing, but maybe you guys can meet in the middle of that's what she needs."

"But—I cannot—"

"It's about consent, dude." Jo-see reaches over and pats my shoulder again. "I'm glad you think it's wrong to hurt your mate. That puts you leagues ahead of a lot of humans. But here's the thing. It's about consent. If you're in bed and Nora says 'Will you please spank me' and you spank her, then you're giving her what she needs. If you show up and smack her in the face for no reason, she didn't consent to that. Does that make sense?"

In a way, it does. "So I should only hurt her when she asks for it?" I am still baffled by the concept of hurting my mate—willingly harming her—but what Jo-see says is also logical.

"Right. It's about consent. Nora will set boundaries with you as to what she wants. You just need to talk with her and establish how things are going to go. It's like…" She thinks for a moment. "It's almost like choreography. Not that you know what that is." She taps her chin with a small finger. "Okay, it's like…you're planning it all ahead, if that makes sense, so the other partner isn't worried. And if you're too rough with her she'll let you know. And if you're worried she won't like something, ask permission."