163, What is included in a membership?

163, What is included in a membership?
Tite

In the two days following the meeting, Nash and I spent time in areas around the club where members could see us and approach us for a chat. We mostly stayed together, but we also split up on occasion. While I was peeling potatoes in the kitchen, some of the sweet butts came to speak with me.

“Regarding this membership, what do you expect from us?” Ruby asked. I put down the half-peeled potato and wiped my hands.

“We expect you to be loyal. Any information relating to the club stays within the club. You will, of course, need to abide by the club rules and listen to the directions of the church members. Help out and be a productive member,” I listed.

“Are we expected to sleep with the men if they ask?” Ruby wanted to know.

“If you are interested, you are free to do so. If you don’t want to, you can tell them no,” I said.

“So we aren’t expected to always say yes?” Mira asked me. I looked at her, horrified.

“Of course not. If anyone tries to force the issue, I expect you to kick their ass, or come and find me and I will kick their ass for you. As members, you are free to decide who you sleep with and when. You will have the same rights as any other member. If you want to have your own apartment in the clubhouse, you are welcome to it. If you want to build a house on clubland, we will give you permission. The only people you need to listen to are the church members, and even then, it only applies to club business. Even if Nash asks you for sex, you can say no. And then you will tell me, and I will make sure he walks funny for the rest of his life,” I told them. They looked at me with surprise.

“We can live here? We don’t have to rent a place in town?” Ruby asked.

“You are more than welcome to live here. The goddess knows it would be nice to have some more women around,” I answered. They looked at each other.

“Thank you,” Mira said. “Then it sounds like an amazing opportunity.”

“I can tell you now that we will drop the 'sweet butt' status and just call you members,” I added. The group all nodded and left. I felt like I had accomplished something positive and continued peeling potatoes.

When we were getting ready for bed that night, Nash and I compared notes on what had happened. Five members had taken the out we had given them. Four were single, but surprisingly, we had also lost one of the members we were tentative about, and he had an old lady and two children.

“Do we know why they left?” I asked as we moved in a well-coordinated dance around the sink in the small bathroom.

"Ink heard it was because his old lady didn’t like the sweet butts being included as members. There's still a lot of distrust towards the sweet butts,” Nash told me. I hummed.

“In reality, it’s not the sweet butts the women should be upset at. It’s their men who can’t keep their hands and dicks to themselves. I get that the sweet butts should know if a man has a woman and then stay away, but I have a feeling it hasn’t been that easy for them. And the sweet butts haven’t promised to stay faithful to the old ladies, that would be the men,” I said.

“True,” Nash agreed.

“You know you’ll lose a very dear part of your body if you ever get that idea,” I reminded him. He looked upset as I met his eyes in the mirror.

“I would never,” he said passionately. I smiled.

“I know. Just saying.”

“I’d have it coming,” he told me and kissed my shoulder.

As midnight approached the next day, our group gathered in the meeting room and took stock.

“How many?” Bones asked.

“Ten members, two old ladies and three children,” Nash answered. Bones nodded.

“Any surprises?” Hilda asked.

“HellBoy and Rooster,” Nash told her.

“That is a surprise,” Bones agreed.

“Did anyone we expected to leave stay?” Beridan wanted to know.

“No, it looks like we had a good intuition about that. Everyone on the 'do not trust' list has left and two from the 'maybe' list,” Shadow said.

“Are we okay with the outcome?” I asked.

“I am,” Nash answered. The others agreed. Nash looked at his phone.

“It’s five past midnight. The window is closed,” he said.

“How do we tell everyone?” Bo wanted to know.

“We let Tite and Shadow transform in front of everyone. It’ll be the easiest way,” Ink suggested.

“Fuck no!” Nash exclaimed. “I’m not letting my mate get naked in front of everyone.” I smiled and rubbed his arm. He still wasn’t as comfortable with nudity as most shifters.

“I can do it,” Bo offered. Nash looked at Lizzy. She shrugged.

“I don’t mind. In a pack you shift together regularly,” she said. Nash looked at me and I smiled back at him.

“It’ll be okay, you’ll get used to it,” I told him.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be okay with you being naked in front of everyone,” he grumbled. I kissed him, because he was being cute.

“I think we need to give everyone a couple of days to settle into the new rules before we give them the next surprise,” Lizzy pointed out.

“Good call,” I agreed.

“We can use the time to plan and discuss what we’ll do if someone reacts badly. This isn’t like giving them new rules, this will turn their world view upside down,” Nash said.

"I think we should talk to the members we've already told. They'll have useful insights into this," I suggested.

"Like me," Nash pointed out.

"You aren't really helpful in this," I said, and kissed his cheek. "I'm your mate. The mate bond makes things easier to accept. We need input from people who didn't have that support." He looked to be thinking, and then he nodded.

"It's a good plan," my aunt said. "But not tonight. People should be allowed to sleep. That's something we can do in the coming days, as we let things settle." We all agreed with her and said good night. Back in our apartment, I hugged Nash and felt his arms close around me.

"One step closer," I said.

"It feels good," he told me, and kissed my hair.