5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

B old

The moon hangs low in the sky, a silver disc taunting me through the skylight. Sleep eludes me, thoughts of tomorrow's first day on the job swirling in my mind.

Memories of An'Wa, my home planet, creep in uninvited, reminding me how I slept out under the stars most of the year. It's been a long time since I was yanked out of that life. My memories are hazy at best, but I remember the smell of the night air, the way my mother would gently scratch behind my ears as she put me to bed, and how my father took special time showing me how to shoot a bow and arrow. Those are all ghosts of a past life.

With a frustrated growl, I leap out of bed. Dwelling on what I can't have has never done me any good. Maybe a dip in the pool will clear my head.

The chlorine hits my nose before I even reach the water, making me sneeze. Other than the chemicals, it's perfect out here. The temperature is balmy; the air is scented with a sweet, night-blooming flower in the nearby garden, and chirping insects provide odd, somehow comforting, background music. The underwater lights make the rippling water seem otherworldly.

Padding down the steps, the cool liquid envelops me, silky against my fur. It's a new sensation, being weightless, gliding through water. After a few false starts and some undignified flailing, instinct kicks in. Before long, I'm cutting through the pool with something resembling grace.

Floating on my back, staring up at the stars, a sense of peace washes over me. It's short-lived.

"Enjoying yourself?"

Jasmine's voice startles me, and I nearly sink like a stone. She's standing at the edge of the pool, a silky green robe draped around her curves.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" My ears flatten contritely against my head.

She shakes her head, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "The sneezing. Don't worry, you're fine. I'll just sit here for a while."

"It's the chlorine. I'm fine, though. You don't have to worry about me. Or… do you want me to go back in my pod? I wouldn't want to bother you." This is so awkward. Things are easier back in the Zone. I know who I am there, what I'm doing, what's expected of me.

"No. I'm fine. I'll watch." She settles onto a lounge chair with what looks like a smirk, though the shadows make it hard to tell.

It's not until I reach the end of the pool, close to where she's sitting, that I suddenly understand the meaning behind her sly smile. I'm naked. When I left my pod so late at night, I never dreamed I'd have an audience. Besides, I have no swim trunks. My tail curls self-consciously between my legs in a futile attempt at modesty.

Others don't deal with nudity the same way humans do. Clothes are often considered optional, though the humans in charge made it abundantly clear that we aren't to leave our homes without them. I imagine I've committed an unforgivable social gaff.

"Uh…" I step closer to the wall and settle my forearms on the lip of the pool, making certain my cock butts up against the tile so Jasmine can't be offended. "I… didn't expect company."

She lifts a shoulder and doesn't hide her growing amusement. "Yet here I am."

"Maybe you should go inside?" I suggest weakly.

She leans forward, her dark eyes sparkling with mischief. "I'd rather talk, get to know you. If you don't mind."

After a moment of hesitation, I nod. What starts as awkward small talk slowly evolves into something deeper. We trade stories, peeling back layers of ourselves.

"Growing up in the Zone," I find myself admitting, "I always felt the weight of responsibility. Being the oldest of Grandmother's orphans, I had to be strong for the others."

Jasmine listens intently, her expression softening. "That must have been hard, being forced into that role so young."

Her genuine interest encourages me to open up further. "It was. I love my adopted siblings fiercely, but sometimes… I just wanted to be a kid, you know?"

She nods, understanding in her eyes. "But it's shaped who you are. Your protectiveness and loyalty seem to be your greatest strengths."

A comfortable silence falls between us, broken only by the gentle lapping of water and the chirp of crickets.

"I never quite fit in either," Jasmine says suddenly. "At my fancy boarding school, all the other girls cared about were designer labels and status symbols. I was more interested in sneaking off to the kitchen to talk to the staff."

The image of a young Jasmine, out of place among spoiled rich kids, tugs at something in my chest. "Sounds lonely."

She shrugs, but I catch a flicker of old pain in her eyes. "It was, sometimes. But it taught me to look beyond the surface, to find value in unexpected places."

As we talk, I almost forget my state of undress. Almost. Her proximity, the way her robe clings to her curves, has my body reacting in ways that are hard to hide in the crystal-clear water.

Hours pass in what feels like minutes. When Jasmine finally yawns, I realize how late it's gotten.

"I should let you get some sleep," she says, stretching. "It's your first day tomorrow, after all."

She stands, but pauses at her door. "Bold? Thanks for tonight. It's been… nice, getting to know you."

The smile she gives me is different from before—warmer, more genuine. Something curls tight in my chest.

"Goodnight, Jasmine," I call softly.

Right before she disappears into her house, she turns and corrects me with a grin, "Jazz. We should probably be on less formal terms. I did catch you skinny dipping, after all."