was going to clean himself, bathe, kneel naked by the bed, and that he was going to be…filled by his husband. Some of the guests, at the very least the young alphas from the two families, were going to wait underneath the bedroom window. His older brothers, uncles, cousins… Would his alpha father be there? Navid cringed at the thought. He’d decided he had to be quiet so the people down there wouldn’t hear. Because his tutor, Payam, had warned him that sex would hurt. And when it happened, Navid shouldn’t let his husband know. Zana would be upset, and his pleasure ruined. No, Navid would stay quiet, even if it hurt.
Why were there supposed to be people underneath the window? Why did they have to know exactly when Navid would lose his innocence? Navid himself didn’t know anything. Well, he knew the mechanics of it and the rules. Payam had been thorough in his instructions.
“During the claiming, you will welcome your husband into your body gracefully, both in your mouth and in your core. If his seed fills your mouth, you must swallow it. His seed is a gift, and you mustn’t waste it. When he enters you from behind, you need to hold still and let him fill you all the way. Your pain is a blessing, protecting you from sin. Be quiet until he’s finished. Then you clench your opening tight, so his seed stays inside. Don’t touch yourself lest he think you impure.”
But how would it feel? How long would it take? What would Zana want him to do? Navid hoped he wouldn’t have to take Zana’s seed into his mouth. It sounded difficult and a little gross. Payam had been explicit, often making Navid uncomfortable. He talked about pain a lot, and Navid suspected his tutor found some kind of strange enjoyment in his lengthy explanations. Navid knew about the pain, but he also knew sex could be pleasurable, even for omegas. Was that wrong? A sin even within a faithful marriage?
He should hurry; Zana might come soon. Or he might come much later, and then Navid would be sore from kneeling so long. Better safe than sorry, though.
Taking a deep breath, Navid picked up the small bottle of oil from the edge of the tub and dripped a few drops onto his fingers. He stood and reached between his ass cheeks, smearing the oil around his opening. The oil would ease his discomfort in case he didn’t get slick enough. He closed his eyes and rubbed over the place. How many times had he been tempted to just push his finger in? To be prepared at least a little and maybe soothe this insistent emptiness he sometimes felt late at night when strange dreams confused him. He’d never tried it, though. It was wrong. He’d touched his cock often enough, but the inside of his body was sacred. He needed to stay pure.
Now he dipped his fingertip into his entrance and circled to make it slippery. He pulled out quickly. Panting, he tried to calm down. His cock was hard, but he didn’t touch it. Instead, he sat down in the water again and leaned back.
His thighs looked thinner. He had lost weight. That wasn’t good. Would Zana still find him attractive? Zana had never seen him naked. What if he was disappointed?
Why did there have to be people underneath the window?
The ache in Navid’s belly intensified as he got up and dried himself with a white, jasmine-scented towel. With the spike of nerves, his erection had gone down, thankfully. Hands shaking, he poured a cup of cold water from the tap and drank it.
He opened the bathroom door. The bedroom was still empty, the window open, gauzy curtains dancing in the breeze. On the bed lay a dark red veil, its fine silver and gold trimmings shimmering in the light. A thick wide pillow was on the floor at the foot of the bed.
Heart thrashing in his chest, Navid touched the veil. It felt soft and cool against his trembling fingertips. He clenched and released his fists, then picked up the veil. He cast it over his shoulders and knelt on the pillow. The veil hung down his sides to the floor, obscuring his form. Navid sat on his haunches and rested his hands on his thighs.
He was ready.
At first, he felt brave and determined. He’d just married a man everyone in the country admired or feared. Zana was handsome and educated. Sophisticated