“Aahhh...” I sigh, flopping tiredly onto the bed. After getting home, we sorted through our battered adventuring gear to figure out what we could still use, and ended up throwing out a lot that wasn't salvageable.

Then there was a trip out to replace a what we needed most, and once we got back and sorted it all out, I washed the clothes and cleaned everything else, while Master Liina went to take a bath. At least we don't have to bathe together anymore. Maybe it'll help some with my hopeless libido. Even just that piggyback ride home was too much contact for me...

For now, I just lounge, rubbing my wonderfully clean and smooth skin over the nice, soft bedsheets. So much better than those two months on stiff but serviceable beds in Thanifa.

Like Master Liina, this bed feels like home.

I lie there for a bit longer before Master Liina comes in. “Hey Yumi, give me a massage.”

I flinch a little at the command. I already know how riled up I am, will I really be able to keep my stupid horny self under control to do this? And what the hell am I going to do afterward? Master Liina isn't going to do... do that again to calm me down, is she?

“Yumi.”

“Eep!” I squeak at her sudden stern tone, because I've been spinning in my own head so long she's getting impatient. “Y-yes, Master!”

I stand up, clearing the bed so she can strip off her loose house clothes and lie down. Just the sight of her naked back has me all twisted up inside.

Intent on doing my job properly, as much as I'm able despite my own urges, I climb up on top of her. Just like I've done before, I press my hands into her luxurious fur, and begin to work the hard muscles beneath.

For a while, the only sounds are Master Liina's pleased grunts, and my own shuddering breath. I press and rub and knead like I've learned how, having some idea where her pressure points are now, and each satisfied moan both fills me with joy and such an incredible heat that I almost don't want to keep extracting them as I work, because ffuuuuuckkk.

I think I'm approaching my limit. It's starting to get hard to think when suddenly I'm startled out of my ministrations by a loud knock. Jolting and turning to look around, mind in a haze, I don't understand, until Master Liina looks up from the bed and says, “Yumi, go get the door.”

The door?

What door?

She raises an eyebrow. “Yumi.” I jolt again, staggering up off the bed at her tone.

“Yesss, M-Master,” I slur, wobbling my way out of the bedroom. Where am I going? What am I supposed to do? Get a door?

Then another knock makes me jump, but it draws my attention to the front of the house. I finally get it. Someone is here, and I'm supposed to get the front door. I'm still staggering, unable to banish the burning heat in my face and between my legs as I walk over and open it.

“Malic?” I ask stupidly, staring up at the white wolf in the doorway. Why is he here?

He sniffs, before bringing a hand up to his snout.

Oh my god...

“P-p-please come in!” I squeak, immediately backing far away. Fuck, I want to cry. I can't believe Malic is seeing me like this... “M-Master, Malic is here,” I call, only to turn and realize that she's standing right there in the living room, dressed in her house clothes once more.

“Yes, I can see that, Yumi,” she chuckles at me when I nearly jump out of my skin.

“Good to see you, Liina, Yumi,” he nods to us as he shuts the door behind him and removes his shoes.

“Good to see you too, Malic,” Master Liina answers pleasantly. “Would you like to take a bath?”

He considers for a moment. Why would he take a bath? Why here? Why is he even here in the first place? “Yeah, I probably should,” he answers with a nod.

“Alright, Yumi, go run a bath,” Master Liina instructs.

Still utterly confused, I answer, “Yes, Master,” and go to do as she says.

What the hell is happening? I stand and turn the tap to run another bath, then turn back toward the living room, but practically run into Malic right outside the bathroom.

Master Liina is just behind him, and says, “Yumi, help Malic wash up.”

“Hah?” Did I hear that right?

She blinks at my non-response, before frowning, which makes me cringe. “It's your duty to help bathe guests, doing otherwise would make me a bad host.”

Her tone makes me lower my head. “Y-yes, Master.”

But he's, Malic he's he he.

Oh god everything is hot.

Why now?

Why is he even here?!

I stiffly follow him into the bathroom, frozen and blushing as he undresses.

Fuck, where am I supposed to look?

What do I do with my hands? And my face?

I'm supposed to wash him?

Then he sits down and turns a look back at me. “Come on, Yumi,” he says lightly, startling me into motion.

Fumbling my way through... making myself do something, I grab some soap and hot water and just start washing his back. This is how people did stuff like this on tv and anime and stuff, right? While I work on his back, he soaps up his front. Even just helping him wash, staring at his huge, furry back, my already over-excited mind is starting to blank out.

I think I'm just going to fall over dead, like my brain is just going to catch on fire...

At some point, he actually has to point out that the tub is full so I'll go and turn the tap off. Then I finish helping him wash and he rinses himself off. Watching the water pour off him, dripping from his now wet, snow white fur, my head is swimming and my thighs feel damp.

I desperately avert my eyes while he goes to lie in the tub, then retreat from the room.

I stand outside, using the wall for support, staring off into the middle distance for who knows how long.

Oh my god I'm so fucking horny what am I supposed to do?

I can't do this.

My brain's going to melt.

I can't think.

At some point, I arrive in the kitchen and do the only thing that I think might help, and just run my entire head under cold water.

After I wind up accidentally inhaling a little, coughing and sputtering and sitting on the kitchen floor, I sit for a good minute, glad that it feels like that pushed back my arousal enough to sort of function again.

Alright, ok, Malic is our house guest now. Why? No idea. Does it matter? No idea. Don't I just have to serve him however Master Liina orders? Just do my duty as her slave and properly provide whatever services he needs to be comfortable staying here for whatever reason she invited him over.

Right, let's do that. Pressing my hands to my cheeks, still hot despite the water from a minute ago, I take a few deep breaths, and pick myself up off the floor. Then I walk back into the living room, looking around briefly for Master Liina. When I don't see her, I search a little more, before I find her lounging comfortably in bed.

When she notices me appear in the doorway, she raises an eyebrow. “Yumi, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be helping Malic.”

“Yes, Master. He's soaking in the tub right now.”

“Ah... Why is your hair wet?”

“I was feeling a bit... off, so I ran my head under some water to feel better.”

“Hmm...” I can't read her expression as she examines me for a few long moments, her gaze suddenly making me nervous.

“U-umm, Master...?” She doesn't respond except for narrowing her eyes just enough to tell me to go on. “If you, umm, don't mind me asking... why is Malic here?”

She blinks a few times, obviously confused now. “Huh? He's here to have sex with you.”

“Sorry, I think I misheard you, what was that?”

Looking a little worried now, she repeats herself. “He's here to have sex with you.”

“...” I open and close my mouth a couple times.

But I can't say anything. I definitely heard that right.

She said it twice.

It hasn't really registered yet.

“...Why?”

Master Liina pauses. Then, “Oh, that's right. I'm sorry, Yumi, you wouldn't know, would you?” she thinks aloud, rubbing her chin. “A slave's first time is valuable, some people will pay a lot for it. And of course, you're an incredibly high rated slave, so anyone who wants to sleep with you would pay a huge premium. Besides that, I'm honestly really worried about you having a bad first experience, so I made sure to ask Malic if he'd be your first, since you're friends.”

I'm hearing all of her words, but none of them make sense.

Why would Malic being my friend mean he should be the person to take my virginity?

How does that make any sense?

Friends don't have sex with each other.

When there's a splash from the other room, Master Liina sits up a little and points. “Go help him dry off, then bring him back here.”

“Yes, Master.” I answer flatly.

I think I'm in shock.

I go back to the bathroom, still staring off as I take a few minutes with a towel to help dry Malic, then lead him back to the bedroom as instructed.

Still just standing there listlessly, I ask, “Master, I'm confused. I'm supposed to...” The embarrassment is just starting to push through the shock. “Supposed to do... that? With Malic? Why?”

Looking concerned now, Master Liina apologizes to Malic and pushes me over to sit down on the edge of the bed. Then she crouches down to be eye level with me and asks, “Yumi, what's wrong? What are you confused about? Explain it clearly.”

“I... I don't understand why I'm supposed to do that now. With Malic of all people. Like, I mean, he's my friend. Why would I do it with my friend? What about... about all that stuff that's supposed to happen?”

“Other stuff? Like what?” she asks.

“Like... like, uhh, romance and dating and love and, and all of that stuff...?”

“Uhh...” she scratches her head. “I'm not sure if those are human things, or unique to otherworlders. I'm not familiar with them.” She... huh...?

“So... so what is this...?” I ask stupidly.

“It's sex,” she cocks her head to the side slightly. “Honestly, we're running a bit short on funds to replace our gear after missing the last two months' rent, so it's pretty lucky that I could get a good amount from Malic for your first time, since, like I said, you definitely look like you need a light touch. Maybe even more than I realized,” she mutters while looking me up and down again with obvious worry.

She's-

Malic's-

And-

He's paying for this?

Sex?

This is... prostitution?

Why would she do that?

Because we need money.

But isn't she supposed to protect me?

Gazing at her, everything is finally starting to click together.

She doesn't see this as harmful. As... as something she needs to protect me from.

The way she looks at it, me having sex on her orders is just another one of my duties.

Because... it's just sex. No love, or attachment, dating, or any of the human concepts from back on Earth seem to apply here at all.

But... but...

But I don't-

It's not like that for me.

I don't know what to say.

How to explain.

“I... how? But... Why?” My words aren't working.

“Come on, tell me what you're feeling,” she prompts me gently.

I flounder for a few more seconds before managing something. “There was more... it was more important before, back on Earth. Who we slept with...”

She grimaces slightly. “I'm sorry Yumi, I didn't know it was different for you. But still... you're here now, and this is one of your duties. You have to do it.”

“But... but I don't want to...” I whine. Not like this... I'm not ready... As hot and bothered as I still am after everything today, the thought of just jumping into bed, with Malic of all people...

“I understand, but I won't budge on this, Yumi,” Master Liina says seriously. “Be a good girl and obey your master.”

Her tone makes me shrink down on the edge of the bed. She won't take no for an answer. No matter how much I don't want to, how wrong this all feels, my master has made her decision. I want to be good and obey, but... but I just... I clutch my chest, feeling strangled.

She thinks this won't hurt me. She'd never allow it if she did. But what if she's wrong? What if she's making a mistake?

Even if she is, it's not my place to question her on that, is it?

But she's not perfect, I've corrected her in places where she went wrong before.

But I don't know, those were times when I knew what I was talking about.

I don't know anything about sex, and she's already a mother.

I'm supposed to believe in Master Liina. Trust her to do what's best for me. Take care of me. She even said she chose Malic specifically because she wanted me to have a good first experience.

She put serious thought into this, after giving up her own body to protect me from doing this with that horrible slave master in Rialetra.

With a feeling of embarrassment about all of this, and burning shame at my own selfish thoughts despite my master's earnest care and attention, I lower my head. “Yes... Master...”