Page 47 of Dark Princess Emerging

Morelle narrowed her eyes at Jasmine. "Somehow, I don't believe you. Did Ell-rom tell you things about me?"

Her brother claimed not to remember much about his life on their home planet. He didn't really know the old her, and she hoped that wasn't the impression he got from getting to know the new her.

"He spoke of you with love," Jasmine said. "He doesn't remember much from before."

"All done," Gertrude told Jasmine.

"Thank you." Jasmine got off the Reformer. "Let's get out of these clothes."

Since they were heading straight from the clinic to Ella’s house, they had brought a change of clothes, and even though Pilates wasn't a particularly sweat-inducing activity, they were going to shower in their former patient rooms.

The truth was that Morelle wasn't sure why she'd been invited to Jasmine's transition party, but she was glad to join in the celebration. She needed friends, and she also needed some distance from Brandon, especially after last night.

She was still processing it, torn between how wonderful the experience had been and how much better it could have been if Brandon wasn't such a stubborn male.

Ella and Julian's house wasn't far from the clinic, and when Morelle and Jasmine arrived, the others were already there, gathered around a table laden with snacks and a pitcher of something called a margarita.

"Finally!" Margo exclaimed, pulling Morelle into a hug before she could stiffen. She was still getting used to the immortals' casual displays of physical affection. "We were about to start drinking without you."

"Can't start the party without the guest of honor," Frankie said, raising her glass toward Jasmine.

Gabi poured drinks for everyone. "To successful transitions and new beginnings."

The margarita was surprisingly pleasant, tart and sweet at the same time, and after her second glass, Morelle felt warmth spreading through her limbs and loosening her tongue.

"Can I ask you all something?" she said, running her finger along the salted rim of her glass. "It's about males." She licked it off her finger.

"Oh, this should be good." Margo leaned forward. "What do you want to know?"

Morelle took another sip. "Brandon is being difficult."

Ella snorted, nearly splattering her drink over everyone. "Difficult, how?"

"He's too restrained," Morelle admitted. "He thinks that because I'm inexperienced, I'm breakable, and he refuses to give me what I want."

"Ah," Frankie nodded sagely, but Morelle could tell that she was stifling laughter. "The classic 'I'm so noble' type of restraint. It could be worse. Personally, I prefer that to the guys who want in your pants on day one and get angry when you demand to get to know them better first."

Morelle frowned. "Why would they want to wear your pants? Is that an Earth courting ritual?"

Margo laughed so hard that her hand shook, and her drink spilled on the table. "I love these little lost-in-translation miscommunications. When a guy wants in your pants, it means that he wants to take them off and have sex with you."

Morelle frowned. "Don't they wait for an invitation from the female?"

Frankie shook her head. "In that, Earth customs are a little different. It's usually the guy who initiates and invites the woman to his bed. She can accept or refuse, but sometimes men are not as polite as they should be and pressure the woman to say yes. In worst-case scenarios, they force her. In this country, it is considered a severe crime and carries a long jail sentence, but there are countries where women have no rights, and if they are violated, they are the ones punished, often sentenced to death."

Morelle grimaced. "So I've heard. Kurdish women are fighting for their rights."

Her answer seemed to surprise Frankie. "Well, yes, but they are not the only ones."

"Ladies." Jasmine waved a hand. "Depressing subjects are not allowed at my party. Let's get back to Morelle's problem with Brandon and help her overcome his stubbornness."

"He's probably got the whole thing planned out like one of his movie scripts," Ella said. "I've worked with him on a project, and he is a perfectionist."

Morelle nodded. "He said he wants it to be perfect between us. I tried to tell him that striving for perfection is not a good thing, but he only partially listened, and he wasn't willing to budge." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I want to return the pleasure he's given me, and I want the venom bite. Is that too much to ask for?"

"Males love a challenge," Frankie said. "But they also need to feel like they're in control sometimes."

"The trick is to make them think they're in control while actually getting exactly what you want," Margo said with a wink.