<~> CHAPTER 49

It had been quite a long day and that was pretty evident by how quickly the five of us devoured the rabbit stew Aria had made. She seemed quite happy with the reception despite her lack of food supplies. It seems she had used some of the dry jerky to help season the stew, pretty crafty. It was the first time I was able to compare the cooked rabbit stew with the magical meat I ate raw. The 'flavors,' if you could even call it that, were completely different. Totally night and day. The rabbit stew tasted like... well what I assume rabbit tastes like. I've never had rabbit before so it was hard to compare really.

The raw meat on the other hand tickled my senses in a different way. Now that it was easy to compare side by side, I was compelled to agree with Luna that what I was doing when eating the meat raw did have something to do with the magic in it. It didn't even really taste the same to me, it was deeper than that. Both were delicious but in completely different ways, though again, the rabbit didn't stand up well to minotaur or the frost salamanders I had eaten. Not too surprising if our theory on magical content is correct. The bloody rabbits tasted above their weight class for their size and ease of gathering though. I liked them better than the barlettes anyway, even if barlettes were a lot of meat.

I was brought out of my musing when Luna tugged at my pant leg. ("Helena, did you still want to go bathing together before we start night watches? Someone will have to cover for Maxwell after if we go first.")

My eyes widened when I realized something. ("We're... going to bathe as a group?") I asked.

Luna raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. ("Yes?... It's safer that way and it would take forever if we all went in by ourselves.")

I blushed and looked away... I had never gone to a public bath before... I knew they had them in other countries but I'd never done anything like that... especially since I always liked girls. I never even showered off after a trip to the gym!

("Are you okay?") Luna asked with a confused tone.

I met her gaze again. ("I uh, have never bathed in front of others before... so I was wondering what I should do...")

Her eyebrows raised. ("You had enough money to have private baths?")

I coughed. ("Ah, no, well, I mean, where I came from bathing privately was normal. All homes had private bathrooms. We didn't have public baths except for specific places that weren't anywhere near where I lived...")

("Huh...") Luna had a look on her face that told me she was picturing something pretty different from what I was trying to describe.

I cleared my throat. ("Well, um. That doesn't matter I guess. I'm just a little nervous to be... bathing in front of you... and the others...")

She smiled at me. ("No need to be worried. Public baths are pretty common here since most homes don't include baths. We're all girls, nothing to be ashamed of...") she blushed a little as her eyes trailed down my body. ("Especially you...")

Luna stood up and looked over at Piper to tell her something using the rings. Whatever she said greatly improved Piper's mood because she started smiling and everyone started getting up and preparing to head over to the water together.

("Why's Maxwell coming? I thought you said it would only be girls...") I asked Luna.

("Relax! Maxwell isn't coming the entire way. He's just going to go stand near the lake facing the other direction to watch out for monsters,") she said.

("Right...")

Not long later the five of us made it to the edge of the lake and Maxwell sat over on a rock facing the opposite direction, everyone began to strip off their sweaty clothes. I looked around at my friends and blushed as I saw Luna starting to undo her own chest wraps. I stared down at the dirt as I started to take off my clothes. I was not comfortable right now but I also still felt disgusting, so as much as I'd like to have a nice relaxing bath I would have to settle for a tense awkward bath where I didn't look at anyone else.

I tossed my clothes in a messy pile and shifted into my wolf form to hide my nudity. A quick glance told me that the others didn't seem nearly as modest as I felt. I walked quickly to the side of the water trying not to trip over my awkward new legs in the sand before testing the water with my foot. It was warm. It was a warm-water lake! I slipped into the lake before shifting back to my human form. As much as I'd like to maintain my modesty, I still did need to wash off all the grime after the sweaty time on the previous floor. My human form didn't flake off the blood and sweat the same way my wolf form did.

The lake was pretty shallow, which might explain why it was so warm. I was able to easily stand in the mostly waist-deep water but I crouched down a little so I could submerge myself to my neck.

("Helena! Isn't the water nice! I was hoping to tell you about it but you kind of ran in on your own...")

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I turned and froze at the bare-chested Luna that was wading through the water toward me. I turned away and blushed. ("Sorry, I was eager to get in the water...")

She giggled once she finally got close and crouched in the water next to me. ("You're shy, aren't you? I'm surprised something like public nudity is enough to shake you like this.")

I turned to look at her, she was thankfully, down to her neck next to me now. I didn't have to feel like a creep who couldn't help but ogle her. I looked away and blushed, thinking back to the brief look I saw of her beautifully shaped breasts. They were a little bigger than I had thought they would be without the wrappings or robes covering them up. I bit my lip and looked away, still unable to hide my blush.

("I've... never seen someone naked before. At least, not someone that wasn't in a photo, er, picture,") I admitted. My love life had always been a series of strikes which is why it took me so long to know for sure that Luna was interested in me like that.

("Oh?") Luna asked. ("I've seen Piper and a few other girls naked growing up. It's how I found out I liked girls I think. Boys never interested me, even when I had spotted them naked a few times at the river.")

("Ah... I've never seen a guy naked before either... but I kind of always knew that I didn't like men. I've always liked the way the prettier girls looked. It took me a little while to realize what I was feeling, but the idea of dating a guy never crossed my mind.")

Luna's hand trailed up my naked back and I froze as she leaned in close to me. ("Would I count among the prettier girls you liked?") her voice in my head whispered.

I gulped and turned to look at her. She had a mischievous look on her face, something I don't think I had seen before... It was kind of hot. ("You put all those other girls to shame,") I replied. I meant it too, exotic ears and tail aside, Luna was extraordinarily pretty. If it wasn't for some of my newfound confidence, I would think she was out of my league.

She leaned against me from behind and kissed my neck as she pressed her bare breasts against my back. My breath caught in my throat as she gently wrapped her arms around my waist and held them against my stomach. I waited for her to do something else or move or something but she just held me against her.

She leaned her head against my back and let out a contented breath, completely opposite of how I felt right now. ("There are times when I see you at your strongest. Tossing your axe at monsters and cleaving other monsters in half. I like it when you look like that, it makes me want you to take me. Push me down and dominate me... Then there are other times like this, when you seem like the vulnerable one. Times like this get the predator in me excited. It makes me want to tease you and play games with you, and make you chase me even harder.") Luna kissed the back of my neck again. ("Being around you excites me. I don't know what bright feelings you'll pull out of me next. You're gentle and ferocious at the same time... So I want to tell you... that it's okay if you look at me, even if your feelings are a little improper for someone who isn't fully engaged to me... yet.")

Luna waded around me and rose slightly out of the water. She was biting her lip and looking at me with intense smoldering eyes. She reached forward and cupped my face before leaning forward and kissing me. I moaned into the kiss and didn't notice when Luna scooted forward until she pushed her bare body against me under the water. I gasped when I felt her press against me and I pulled back a little to look at her. She was smiling up at me and her fingers trailed up my jaw to rest on my cheek.

("Do you feel a little better now?") she asked me.

I nodded dumbly. ("Yes...")

She smiled and pressed herself back against me in the warm water, resting her head against my shoulder and hugging me from the front. I didn't really know what to do so I wrapped my arms around her and held her in a naked embrace. It felt like my brain was short-circuiting, this was even more crazy and exciting than I had expected. This experience turned out to be a lot more than just bathing nude next to each other.

Eventually, she pulled away and settled next to me where she began to wipe her body off under the water, actually taking the time to clean herself. Finally finding something that I can relate to, I start scrubbing my skin, trying to take off all the grime, blood, and sweat that had built up on me since I woke up in that cave almost two weeks ago. The last time I had anything close to a bath was on the floor with the underground lake.

I glanced over at Luna who was still cleaning herself and I glanced away again with a blush. She said I could look but... I don't know how much I'm ready for yet. This whole thing was kind of weird for me. I'd probably feel more comfortable if we had been making out first rather than bathing naked together. This wasn't supposed to be sexual but it was hard to separate the idea from myself when the girl that I liked and obviously liked me back was rubbing the sweat off her breasts an arms-length away.

Luna glanced away and I followed her gaze to the other two girls who were bathing a little ways off from us. I think the others could tell how shy I was and it was only Luna who decided to come... tease me? play with me? I was a little unsure of her motives but... I have to admit it was really sexy the way she had been pushing herself against me.

("We should probably start finishing up,") Luna said. ("All of us are tired and Maxwell still has to take his own bath. I want to take some time to clean my clothes and let them dry as well.")

("...what are you going to wear in the meantime?") I couldn't help but ask.

She turned to me and grinned. ("My underwear and chest wraps will dry quickly enough by the fire. But I wouldn't be opposed to being held by my fiancé while my clothes dry.")

I was seeing a side of Luna I hadn't seen before... and it was appealing. ("I think I can handle that. Let's get started on our clothes then.") I shifted to my werewolf form, picked her up, and held her naked body against mine as I walked out of the water. I headed toward the little pile of robes and armor that Luna had folded and set next to my messy pile. I was still blushing at the thought of her naked body held against mine but something about holding her like this gave me the confidence to feign ambivalence.

From the mischievous smile Luna was wearing, I think she saw through me though...