Prologue

Lin Ming stood next to the idling car. In a few hours, she’d be on a plane to the United States where she’d go to school as an exchange student, but right now she could only listen with her head bowed and her hands clasped in front of her as her father spoke.

She was a beautiful young woman by any objective standard. Eighteen years old and petite and slender, she was five feet even and maybe ninety-five pounds soaking wet. Her body was well taken care of, thanks in no small part to the strict regimen of diet and exercise her father made her follow all her life. Her rear was heart-shaped and seemed made for clutching, though the modest knee-length pleated skirt she wore helped to conceal it. Likewise, her small but perky A-cup breasts were concealed beneath a loose-fitting red cardigan sweater. Lustrous black hair fell to the small of her back.

Lin Ming didn’t raise her eyes to look at her father. He hated it when she did that. To look at him while he was talking was a sign of great disrespect. It was a pity, really, since her eyes were just as pretty as the rest of her. They were soft and dark, the color of rich chocolate, and they were filled with the shy innocence of a gentle fawn.

“You will listen to me,” her father growled, jabbing a finger down at her for emphasis. Unlike Lin Ming, her father was very tall and strong. Even without his stern temperament, uncompromising strictness and relentless demand for control, his size alone would have made him intimidating. Lin Ming bit her lip and nodded, a single jerk of her head so he would know she was listening.

“If it were up to me, you would not leave this house at all until the day you were married,” he growled. “Unfortunately, and no matter how much I do not wish to admit it, a diploma from an American school would be of use to you in your future prospects. That is the only reason I am allowing you to do this. It is unseemly, a young, unmarried woman venturing so far from home, surrounded by barbaric foreigners.” His lip curled with disgust. “I do not like Americans. I do not like them or their country. They are a decadent, hedonistic people who accomplish nothing. They are the lowest of all foreigners, deserving only of our contempt.”

Lin Ming knew what she was expected to say. “...Yes, Father.” But inwardly, she could not help a disobedient thought from flashing through her mind. I have read their histories. The Americans conquered a continent and rose to become a superpower in less than three centuries. That is less time than some of the dynasties in our own country’s history ruled. How could the Americans accomplish that if they are incapable of achieving anything?

“You are to have as little to do with them as possible while you are attending school there, do you understand me? I will be most displeased if you return here having been corrupted by their inferior culture. You will not speak to them or engage with them in any way whatsoever beyond the bare minimum required to receive your diploma. You will not make friends with Americans, and you certainly will not become...” His voice thickened with rage at the very word. “...Romantically involved with any of them. If I discover that you are even talking to American boys, you will be severely punished.”

“...Yes, Father.” Her voice was a whisper. But what if I am to have an American roommate? What shall I do then? The question was probably better left unasked. Lin knew from bitter experience that it was usually better to remain silent than try to speak when her father was talking.

“You are not to venture off-campus unless absolutely necessary, and I have placed a tracker on your phone so I will know where you are at all times. I have also installed surveillance software on your laptop, so I will also know every single website you visit. If I discover that you are venturing out of your dormitory without my authorization or accessing unapproved websites, you will be severely punished.”

“...Yes, Father.” Do you not trust me at all? Lin thought with a pang of hurt. I am a good girl. I have always been a good girl for you. Surely you know I would never access anything of which you would not approve.

“You are not to buy any clothes from American stores. American fashion for women is extremely immodest, which does not surprise me as American girls are all sluts. I will not allow you to start dressing in such a way that displays your body to the gazes of lustful men. You are to send me a text message every morning before you leave your room showing me what you will be wearing that day. If I do not approve, you are to wear something else. If you violate this rule, you will be severely punished.”

"...Yes, Father.” Lin blinked back tears. Truly, he has no confidence, no trust in me whatsoever. I seek only to please him, but he treats me as though I am a prisoner, and he my warden.

"You will maintain a grade point average of 4.0 every semester. You will graduate at or near the top of your class, and in so doing bring honor to your family and your homeland. You represent our entire nation while you are overseas. If you say or do anything to embarrass or shame us, you will be severely punished. If you fail to maintain the grade point average I have stated, you will be severely punished. I will be watching you and I will know if you step out of line in any way. You may be an ocean away from us, but make no mistake, Lin Ming: you will be watched, monitored, and judged at all times.”

“...Yes, Father. It w-will be as you say.”

“Of course it will,” he snapped gruffly. “I have commanded it. I am head of this household, and my word is law. Now get in the car. You will be late for your flight if you keep standing there any longer.”

Without another word, he turned on his heel and stalked into the house. The man slammed the door behind him so hard it made the entire house shudder.

There were no hugs. No tender goodbyes. No words of love, encouragement or fondness.

Lin Ming closed her eyes, willing herself not to cry. She wanted only to make her father proud of her and earn his approval, but as always, it was not forthcoming. Would she ever be good enough? Modest enough? Successful enough?

The only thing she could think to do was try harder. She vowed to do just that when she arrived in the United States.

Lin Ming got in the car and shut the door.

Chapter One

Professor Layla Harwood, head of the anthropology department at Sunny Valley University, hummed a cheerful tune to herself as she waited for her students to finish filing into the classroom. She was going to start teaching a brand-new course today. It was quite unlike any other course she’d taught over the course of her career, and she’d had to lobby the administration hard before she convinced them to approve it. Even the dean of students himself had been rather skeptical, but Harwood had known even then that this new elective would be an instant hit. She was proven right less than twenty-four hours after the course had been opened up for enrollment. It took less than a day before all the slots were filled.

Harwood was what some might consider a prodigy. At the age of twenty-nine, she was a beauty, with green eyes, auburn hair and a bottleneck body that never failed to draw men’s eyes. But she wasn’t just a pretty face--she was also the youngest ever department head in the history of her field. It was a position she knew she deserved. Harwood, despite her youth, already had a reputation as one of the world’s foremost experts on some of the world’s most isolated and remote native tribes. Where other anthropologists feared to tread, Harwood kicked down doors. It was often dangerous work, for some of these tribes were almost entirely uncontacted by the outside world and could be very hostile to outsiders, but she loved it.

Her most recent study concerned a little-known Amazonian tribe called the Aiwaha, a people who lived in deep in the Amazon rainforest. The world at large wasn’t even aware they existed until Harwood unwittingly stumbled across them on one of her anthropological expeditions. Immediately sensing that a new discovery was at hand, Harwood had lived among the tribe for weeks, learning some of their language and gaining the trust and friendship of their high chief. The high chief’s name was Naka-Mur, and he was a good, honorable man who cared deeply for his people. The two of them soon became good friends, and when Harwood returned from the Amazon, she’d used her academic connections to persuade some colleagues at one of Brazil’s top universities to lobby their government on behalf of the Aiwaha.

The Aiwaha deserved to have the rights to their ancestral lands protected by law, and after several months of debate, legislation was passed to do exactly that. When Harwood returned to the Aiwaha and told Naka-Mur of this, he was so grateful he named her an honorary member of the tribe, allowing her to witness some of the tribe’s most sacred ceremonies. It was a great honor and Harwood still got a little teary-eyed when she thought about it.

Her time among the Aiwaha had been one of the greatest experiences of her life so far, but it could not last. Soon enough, the time came for her to return to civilization, but this time, Harwood made a parting request before she left. She asked Naka-Mur if she could bring some of her students along with her next time, so they could study and learn more about the rich heritage and culture of his people. Naka-Mur had gladly agreed, and this was the new course Harwood was offering: an entire semester living among the Aiwaha in the Amazon rainforest. She and her students would eat what the Aiwaha ate, live as they lived and learn as much as they could about them. The Aiwaha, for their part, were only too happy to teach the foreigners what they knew. It would be a true back-to-nature experience.

There were a few conditions, however. First, all students who signed up for the course would have to sign a non-disclosure agreement, swearing they would not breathe a word of anything the Aiwaha did not wish them to disclose once they returned from the rainforest.

Second, they had to sign a liability waiver stating that neither the university nor Dr. Harwood nor the Aiwaha could be held legally responsible if something unfortunate happened to them. The Amazon was a dangerous place, and while every effort would be taken to ensure the students’ safety from the jungle’s many perils, their safety could not be completely guaranteed.

Third, the students needed to understand that living among the Aiwaha also meant dressing the part. For females, this meant wearing nothing at all. For males, this meant wearing a loincloth.

Furthermore, as guests of the tribe, they would be allowed to witness things they might struggle to understand or make sense of. The most glaring example of this, and the one that Harwood was looking forward to seeing the most, was the Festival of Fertility.

As Harwood was explaining all this to her students, a tall, beautiful girl named Bonnie in the third row raised her hand. Harwood held back a smile. With her D-cup breasts, toned legs and athlete’s figure, Bonnie turned heads wherever she went.

“Yes, Bonnie?”

“So we really will have to be naked?” The girl sounded excited rather than anxious.

“Yes. I understand if you find the idea uncomfortable at first, but I promise you, it will feel natural within a few days. I did the same thing each time I stayed with Aiwaha and I was surprised how quickly my sense of embarrassment faded. The Aiwaha believe the human body is beautiful; they find our concept of modesty very baffling. Hiding our bodies underneath layers of clothes is as ludicrous to them as going naked is to us. They believe that our bodies are meant to be enjoyed, and so have very lax attitudes regarding nudity, sex and childbirth.”

A young man several rows behind Bonnie raised his hand next.

“Go ahead, Richard,” Harwood said. Richard was tall and lean with grey eyes and dark hair. Cute, in a nerdy sort of way.

“What should we do if the Aiwaha, um...”

“If they approach you for sex?” Harwood finished for him. Richard flushed, causing some of the other students to snicker. “If that happens, you can either roll with it or turn them down. There’s no taboo in the Aiwaha culture against saying no.”

“What about the Festival of Fertility?” Richard pressed. “Can you tell us more about that?”

“I’m glad you asked,” Harwood said with a smile. “This is the part I wasn’t able to put in the syllabus, and part of the reason why I had you sign those NDAs. The Aiwaha are one of the few people left in the world who continue to practice human sacrifice, and they do this during the Festival of Fertility which occurs once a year.

"During the Festival, a number of girls in their late teens and early twenties--the number varies from one year to the next--volunteer as potential candidates to be sacrificed. The chief of each Aiwaha village chooses from among the candidates, and on the third day of the Festival the girls he selects are sacrificed by slow hanging. They often kick their feet as they are hanged, and the tribe calls this the Dance of the Gods. It is customary for the tribe to have an orgy around the girls as they slowly expire, and while we are not obligated to participate, I very strongly recommend it as a way of showing respect to our hosts who have given us the honor of being the first outsiders ever allowed to observe the ceremony. The Aiwaha women are very beautiful and the men are very handsome, so it will not be too much of a chore. Think of it as cutting loose, the way other young people your age do during spring break.”

There was some shocked muttering among the class. Harwood gave it a moment to die down before she continued. “I should add that it is considered a great honor for a girl to be selected as a sacrifice, and it is always completely consensual. No one is ever forced to be sacrificed if they don’t want to be. Naka-Mur stressed this very strongly the last time I spoke with him.”

She faced the class squarely, then. “If any of this makes you uncomfortable or if you are having second thoughts, I understand. This kind of course is not for everyone, and I understand how the idea of watching another human being die might be frightening. If anyone in this room wishes to back out, you may do so. You can take an online course on the Aiwaha and a complete a final exam here on campus at the end of the semester instead. However, you will be missing out on a fantastic opportunity.”

The professor paused, waiting to see if anyone would get up and leave the classroom. Ultimately, more than half the students in the classroom did, making their exits with sheepish expressions on their faces. The class of twenty-four was now down to just eight: three young men and five young women who’d be going on the adventure of a lifetime. Harwood paused to look each of them over.

Brian Merchant was a dedicated athlete and built like a brick wall. At six foot five and almost 275 pounds, he was a giant but a gentle one. He was soft-spoken despite his size and his weakness for all things cute and snuggly, particularly puppies, was widely known around campus. Brian was a real softie, and despite his almost brutish appearance he wasn’t an idiot either. He was always a good student--diligent and dutiful, if not exceptionally gifted.

Richard Budesford, the nerdy-looking guy who’d raised his hand earlier, was the exact opposite. He was skinny and rangy-looking, with thick eyeglasses and light brown hair that matched his eyes. He was bookish and solitary, and Harwood wondered how he’d adjust to the Aiwaha, who by nature were a friendly and open people. She suspected Richard would have a more difficult adjustment period than most.

Then there was Isaiah Gordon, a freshman from a small town in rural Texas. He was of average height with red hair and blue eyes that girls often found attractive, but it was his Texas twang that set him apart in a crowd. He was often teased for it, Texas being the source of a number of unflattering stereotypes, but if it bothered him he never let it show. He was the middle range between Richard and Brian, not as skinny as the former and not as built as the latter.

Lin Ming, on the other hand, was a petite stunner with A-cup breasts, shoulder-length dark hair and dark brown eyes that looked almost black. Her tiny, petite body was exquisite, and her soft accent--she was an exchange student from overseas--made her sound very alluring and sexy. Many guys had approached her for dates since she’d arrived on campus, but Lin Ming was a quiet, introverted girl by nature and was honestly overwhelmed by all the attention. It frightened and intimidated her. Shy, soft-spoken and as timid as a dove, Harwood wondered if the girl signed up for this course as a way to step outside her comfort zone.

Aisha Kingley was the exact opposite. She was a party girl through and through, with a beach bunny’s body and generous D-cup breasts that were just barely contained under the crop-top she wore. Her skin was the color of dark chocolate and she radiated spontaneity and wildness. Rumors around campus told of some of the things she got up at the parties she attended, including being fucked by ten guys in a row on a dare, but she’d never confirmed or denied any of them.

Gabriella Lopez--everyone called her Gabby--was a little stockier than Aisha and Lin Ming, but still very beautiful and, as the modern slang went, deliciously thick. She had a gym rat’s toned form and often dressed in clothes that clung tightly to her body and accentuated her curves. She came from a family that--as she’d proudly told Harwood when she signed up for the course--could trace its lineage all the way back to the ancient Mayans. No doubt this was a sort of pilgrimage or homecoming for her.

Krupa Patel was a jaw-dropping stunner of Indian descent. She wasn’t as much a party girl as Aisha was. Instead, she was a dedicated gamer and streamer who had over 100,000 followers. Rumors were she also had an OnlyFans account, but if she did, she kept it well hidden.

Finally, there was Bonnie Jefferson, who’d raised her hand earlier. She was a no-holds barred freshman slut, and unlike Aisha, her sluttiness was no rumor. She took pride in the number of guys she fucked and constantly strove to achieve ever-greater heights of promiscuity. With her platinum blonde hair, curvy body and double-D boobs, she had little trouble drawing male attention whenever she desired it--which was often. Harwood saw her eyes light up when she talked about the Aiwaha tribe’s attitude toward sex. Bonnie would feel right at home among them.

“Their loss,” she with a shrug. “Now, for those of you who chose to stay, let us continue. The Aiwaha village is very remote and hard to get to, so let’s talk about how we’re going to get there, how you’ll need to prepare and what you’ll need to bring with you. You’ll all need to be up-to-date with your vaccines and inoculations, both for your safety and that of the Aiwaha, and if any of you are on medications or prescriptions, you’ll need to bring those with you as well. Ladies, if you’re not on birth control or an IUD, I strongly advise you to bring protection. Aiwaha men view foreign women as exotic and beautiful, so there is a high probability they will want to have sex with you.”

Lin Ming went almost ghost-white. Krupa didn’t and raised her hand instead. “And what if we get pregnant anyway? What will happen to us then?”

“If that happens, you will be well taken care of,” Harwood assured her “The Aiwaha have skilled midwives and their knowledge of natural remedies and medicines made from local plant life is astonishingly advanced. We will also have a certified medic accompanying our expedition in case more advanced treatment is needed. That said, we will be far away from the nearest hospital, and sometimes tragedies do happen. This is why you are required to sign a liability waiver before we leave the for the trip. As for the child, it will likely have to remain behind when we leave.”

“What if...” Lin Ming swallowed, looking more than a little fearful. “What if the Aiwaha want us to be candidates for a sacrifice?”

Harwood gave her a calming smile. “Like I said, the only way that would happen is if you volunteered. The Aiwaha never sacrifice a female against her will. Even volunteering as a candidate is no guarantee of selection. You will not--I repeat--will not be sacrificed or even considered to be sacrificed unless you explicitly volunteer of your own free will. Naka-Mur made it clear that all women who wish to volunteer may do so, including foreign women like us, but there is absolutely no pressure to do so.”

Lin Ming looked greatly relieved. Harwood continued talking for an hour and a half. When the time came to end the lesson, she said, “Now remember, you have six full weeks to prepare for this journey. You will all be receiving an itemized list in your student email of everything you are required to bring on this trip, so please print it out and check it off as you go. The university will also be covering all expenses related to this trip and has issued debit cards for us to use. I have those here with me, so please remember to pick up yours on your way out. Remember, you’ll have to carry everything you bring with you all the way to the Aiwaha village, so economize wherever possible. Do not procrastinate. And remember: this is going to be the experience of a lifetime!”

Lin Ming clutched her books tightly to her chest as she and the other students headed toward the cafeteria for lunch. They all had the same class together and she really didn’t know anybody else, so she it was either eat with them or eat alone. Lin Ming did not want to eat alone; if she did, she would no doubt be swarmed by boys who clustered around her like a pack of baying wolves, eager to try and get her attention. Lin Ming didn’t hate boys by any stretch, but being the subject of so much public attention was very frightening for her. Back in her home country no one had even looked twice at her; she’d just been there in the background. Now, though, guys were falling all over themselves to try and go out with her, and she knew almost nothing about guys. She’d never dated or had a boyfriend before.

The tiny Asian girl hurried after her classmates, biting her lip as they talked animatedly about everything Harwood told them.

“I think it sounds really exciting,” Aisha said. “I can’t wait to get there. The Aiwaha sound really cool--so closely connected to nature!”

“But those girls,” Brian said, his voice a deep, soft rumble. “They sacrifice those girls. It seems evil!”

“Only because we’ve been raised to see it as such by the culture we’ve grown up in,” Richard pointed out. “You have to remember, Brian, their entire worldview is completely different from ours. To a lot of cultures that practiced human sacrifice in the past, life was uncertain and often short. Life was a blessing, and how better to show your gratitude than to give that blessing back to the gods who gave it to you in the first place? It’s why sacrificial victims were almost always young women or children: they were considered the most precious resource of all, so that was what they offered up.”

Brian winced. “I don’t know...I just don’t know if I can watch someone die, Richard.”

“So look away,” Bonnie snorted. “If Harwood’s right, there’ll be plenty of distractions.” She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

“Is your mind ever on anything other than sex?” Gabby asked, rolling her eyes.

“Yes. Sometimes it’s focused on when I can have it next.”

“Amen to that!” Aisha agreed with a bawdy laugh.

“I wish Harwood didn’t make us sign that NDA,” Krupa sighed. “I’d love to tell all my followers about it. Hey, think she’ll let me make vlogs during the trip?”

“It can’t hurt to ask,” Richard said. “Though given what we’re likely to see once we get there, you may have to upload it somewhere other than Youtube.”

Gabby snorted with laughter, then turned her attention to Lin Ming. “What do you think, Lin? You excited to go native for a semester?”

“I...” Lin’s voice was barely more than a whisper. “I don’t know. It’s just...it all seems like so much. I don’t want to have s-s-sex with a man I know nothing about, who does not care about me. The...orgy...” her face reddened to a fiery shade of crimson. “I cannot even imagine such a thing.” To say nothing of the fact that she’d have to watch another human being die. In that regard, she was of like mind with Brian. It sounded horrible!

“How romantically old-fashioned,” Bonnie said sardonically. “Lemme let you in on a little secret, girl: sex is just that. Sex. It doesn’t have to be intimate or special in order to feel good. I’ve had some of the best orgasms of my life fucking complete strangers whose names I never learned and who I’ll never see again. The Aiwaha have it right: sex should be enjoyed. It’s natural, and it’s a hell of a lot of fun. I can’t wait to fuck as many of those Aiwaha guys as I can!”

“Honestly, I think it’s kind of hot too,” admitted Krupa. ” Her smile turned wicked. “Maybe I’ll even record it and post it on my stream when I get back!”

“So in other words, you want to make amateur porn,” Aisha said, deadpan. “Maybe you and Bonnie could make some together.”

Bonnie licked her lips. “I’m game if you are, Krupa.”

“But...but doesn’t it sound degrading? Just letting men use you like that?” Lin Ming’s eyes were wide with apprehension. The blunt words of the other girls frightened her a little.

“See, that’s where you’re wrong. We use each other by mutual consent. There’s a difference. I’m a grown-ass woman and I can say who shares my bed. I decide who and when I wanna fuck. It’s not degrading, it’s empowering. If you had the guts to point to some guy and ask him to fuck you, you’d be amazed how quickly he comes running. The rush never gets old.”

Lin had never thought of it that way before. “I...I see,” she said, her adorable face scrunching up in thought. She still wasn’t sure if she agreed with what Bonnie was saying, but her words about empowerment did have a certain appeal. Lin had never felt very empowered before. As the youngest daughter of her large family, she had grown up sheltered and had very little exposure to the real world before joining the exchange student program.

Lin said little else during lunch, and for the rest of the day she was absorbed in her thoughts. She avoided being drawn into conversation with the many young guys who tried to stop and talk to her, and when she got back to her dorm, she talked with her roommate and best friend Dana about everything that happened. Lin wasn’t supposed to make friends with any Americans--her father had forbidden it before she left--but Dana was so friendly and kind that it was impossible not to befriend her. Besides, Dana never pressured her or tried to make her do anything she was uncomfortable with. Perhaps Father would see that Dana was a positive influence rather than a corrupting one, if Lin was ever brave enough or stupid enough to tell him.

Dana, who’d essentially adopted Lin as her younger sister, was extremely supportive when Lin finished filling her in.

“You should definitely go,” she said. “Bonnie may be a total super-whore, but she’s right. Sex is awesome, and you need to come out of your shell and let yourself try new things. You spend all day here cooped up with your books, I really think you’re missing out!”

“But...but who would I do it with?” Lin asked, her whole body shaking a little at the thought. “A man of the Aiwaha, who I would never see again after I leave?”

“That might be for the best, actually. If you know it’s only temporary, there won’t be as much pressure. Lin, I understand you having your principles and I admire you for it, but you’re a gorgeous girl and you’ve already seen how a lot of the guys around here are drawn to you. You think these Aiwaha guys will be any different? I’m sure they’d tear each other’s throats out for a chance with you! You’ve got an amazing body. You should be proud of it and show it off!”

Lin Ming looked away in embarrassment. The idea of being so totally exposed to so many people...Never in her wildest dreams had she ever imagined even considering such a thing. She folded her arms over her breasts protectively.

“I’m jealous,” her friend continued heedlessly. “I wish I’d signed up for Harwood’s class, I’d totally go with it you if I could.”

“But it sounds so dangerous and scary!” Lin finally said. “Even with all the preparations, Harwood said she could not guarantee our safety after we arrive.”

Dana gave a derisive snort. “Safety? If you want safety, go find a rock and hide under it. That’s the only way you’ll ever be truly safe. Nothing in life worth having or doing comes without risk.”

“But what if something in the jungle gets me?” Lin pressed. “What if I do something to offend the Aiwaha by accident and they decide to throw me out into the jungle on my own? I would never survive! And those girls...” she looked at Dana. “What could drive a person to want to do that? Just...volunteer to die? And we are supposed to watch!” Her small frame shook as a chill ran through her.

“I don’t think Harwood is asking you to approve of it,” Dana said gently. “She’s just asking you to observe and to learn. You can learn plenty about something without having to agree with it, Lin. From what Harwood said, the girls who get sacrificed go into it with their eyes wide open. They make the choice. No one else makes it for them or pressures them into doing it. I don’t like it much either, the idea of them throwing their lives away like that, but I’m not one of them. Their values and culture are completely different from ours. Does different mean better? Not necessarily. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be an amazing experience.”

“But I am so afraid,” Lin whispered, averting her gaze.

“Good!” At her startled look, Dana continued. “I’d be worried if you weren’t. Fear is a survival response. It keeps us alert and helps us avoid danger. If you’re going into the fucking Amazon rainforest, I’d question your sanity if you weren’t at least a little afraid. The important thing to remember is that being afraid doesn’t have to rule you. I’ve been trying to teach you that ever since you got here, and if you go on this trip, I think you’ll finally be able to become the self-confident, amazing person I know you are deep down. Just remember: Dr. Harwood’s already been there a few times. She knows the way, she knows how the Amazon works, she knows what to look out for and how to stay safe. Just follow her lead and I’m sure you’ll be fine.′

Lin gulped. “...Then I will go.”

“Don’t say that just because I advised you to do it,” Dana insisted. “If you do it, do it because you want to. Think about it, Lin. Think about it and decide what it is you want. Don’t think about what your dad wants or what Harwood wants or what anyone else wants. What do you want?”

Lin thought hard and realized that, deep down, she did want to. She recalled what Bonnie said earlier and the way the words had affected her. Her whole body buzzed with a curious energy she’d never felt before. She imagined herself naked in the midst of the jungle, and suddenly her...place between her legs was damp and moist.

Dana was right. It was simple.

All she had to do was decide what she wanted.

“Yes.” She nodded to herself after a long, long moment had passed. “I...I want to go. I still do not know if I wish to partake in the s-s-sex, but I want to go.”

“Atta girl! Make sure to tell me all about it when you come back!” Dana reached into the mini-fridge by her bed and pulled out a beer. She saluted Lin with it before taking a deep swig. “And for future reference, never, ever apologize about setting boundaries, especially when it comes to sex. If these Aiwaha really are the honorable people Harwood described them as, they’ll respect your wishes.”

Lin nodded, taking encouragement from her friend and roommate. Dana always seemed to know exactly what to say to help put her at ease. “You have been very good to me since I arrived here, Dana. I am grateful, and I am glad you are my friend.”

“Awwww!” Dana cooed, pulling her in close for a fierce hug. “You’re too sweet and innocent for this cruel world, you know that? Of course I’m looking out for you, silly. Someone’s gotta do it!” She set down her beer. “Now, I gotta go over to my boyfriend’s and get laid. I’ll probably be staying over at his place, so if the RA asks, you haven’t seen me all evening and you have no idea where I am.”

Lin nodded. “Of course. I will make sure you do not get into trouble.′

“Thanks, Lin.” Dana gave her a friendly pat on the back and headed for the door. Just before reaching it, she stopped and turned back to her. “Oh, and if you ever feel like joining in...”

Lin turned beet red instantly. Dana laughed and kept laughing all the way to her boyfriend’s dormitory.

Doing her best not to think about the fucking her roommate was no doubt about to get, Lin opened up her laptop and pulled up the packing list Dr. Harwood sent out. She read it carefully, wrote down everything on it so she had a spare copy, and looked at the university-issued debit card the professor had given her. She’d never had a debit card before. Her father, a very stern and domineering man, thought it unseemly for women to have access to money. He controlled the family finances with an iron fist. Lin Ming had never even had an allowance. She’d never even heard of the concept before she arrived in the States. The idea of parents just giving their daughters money every week blew her mind.

She wondered if her father knew the full extent of what Harwood’s new course entailed. She doubted it, or he never would have allowed her to take it. Spending an entire semester in the remote Amazon rainforest had not been anywhere on the course’s description. Only after she’d showed up for her first lesson had she learned what she really signed up for.

Father would be furious, she thought. It had taken months of persuasion to convince him to allow her to come to the U.S. at all, and then only because Lin’s mother convinced him that an American degree would be great for Lin’s future career prospects. That was the only reason he’d finally, grudgingly agreed, and even then he made Lin sign a contract before she went that lay out the many rules and restrictions she was expected to abide by. No parties, for one. No extracurricular activities. No going off-campus period, save to purchase necessities. No making American friends, and absolutely no dating. Father made it clear that he would not tolerate, under any circumstances whatsoever, his youngest daughter being courted by a foreigner, especially an American. Lin was to study hard, earn her degree, and then immediately return to her home country. That was the deal. But now...

To know that I will be naked among strangers, many of them strange foreign men, would drive him to madness with fury. Is it defiance to do this if he does not know I am doing it? What will he do to me if he learns the truth and confronts me when I return to my country?

She already knew the answer, of course, and it was enough to turn her blood to ice. The fear such thoughts inspired was enough to almost make her for her cell phone. She was about to call up her father and tell him everything, but a sudden epiphany stopped her.

All my life I have done as my father wished. I have done what he wanted, getting into an excellent school and maintaining my GPA. I have never given him cause to be displeased with me, but still he finds fault whenever he can.

I have never done anything simply because I wanted to do it. Not until now.

The thought gave her a naughty thrill. An unfamiliar but most pleasant sensation.

Slowly, as if fearing her father would somehow pop up out of thin air, she put the phone down. Lin Ming, for the first time in her life, kept something from her father. When she called home a few hours later for her required nightly check-in, she kept everything vague and gave no hint of the extraordinary adventure that lay ahead of her. Her father, brusque as always, gruffly reminded her to stay out of trouble and warned of serious consequences if she failed to meet his expectations. Lin Ming bowed her head in silent acceptance before ending the call.

I...I cannot believe I actually did that. she thought. I must tell Dana when I see her tomorrow! She will be so proud of me!

Feeling strangely energized, she made a quick meal of ramen noodles in the dormitory building’s communal kitchen and changed into a set of white pajamas covered with teddy bears. The getup only made Lin look more innocent and doe-like, though she was oblivious to it. She set her alarm for 7 a.m. sharp as she climbed into bed. She didn’t have any other classes until the afternoon, so she would use the morning to start shopping for the trip. Besides, Lin Ming wasn’t the sort of girl to sleep in. Her father believed that sleeping in was a sign of laziness, so he always made sure to wake her up no later than six-thirty in the morning every day, no exceptions. Seven o’clock was about the latest Lin Ming could sleep in before her internal clock woke her up anyway.

She dreamed, and her dreams were of dark, clicking jungles and exotic beasts, of brightly colored birds and ancient ruins overrun with vines. Lin didn’t know if they’d actually come across any ruins, but she’d seen it in an American movie once. She’d bought the DVD secretly and had tried watching it in her room while her parents were asleep. It hadn’t worked. Her father, sensing somehow that something was amiss, had barged into the room and caught her red-handed. Watching a movie her parents hadn’t pre-approved was a serious offense, and Lin was punished accordingly. The memory of his belt slapping against her flesh still made her cringe. Thankfully, her dreams were not tainted by those bitter recollections.

Krupa, meanwhile, shared none of Lin’s uncertainty. Over at her dorm in a different building, Krupa told her sex-buddy Alex as much about the class as she could without breaking her non-disclosure agreement. Alex, though tired from the fucking he’d given her, was quite taken aback.

“Sounds awful risky,” he admitted. “You’re really okay with it, even with all the danger?”

“Yup!” Krupa kissed his bare chest. “It sounds crazy, but that’s the appeal! It’ll be a great story to tell when I get back.”

“Will you miss me?” Alex asked.

Krupa’s eyes softened. She and Alex weren’t involved romantically, but the guy was still a big softie. That wasn’t a turn-off, however. It was actually one of the things she enjoyed most about him. “Of course I’ll miss you, dummy,” she said, giving him a playful swat on his left pectoral. “If any of the Aiwaha guys fuck me, you’ll be the metric I use to measure how good they are.”

Alex rolled his eyes. ’You’ve been hanging around Bonnie too much.”

“Ow.” Krupa put a hand over her naked breast and scowled in mock outrage. “That is very offensive, Alex.”

She rolled so that she straddled him, reaching for his still-engorged length and bringing it to brush the entrance to her pussy. “This is your punishment.”

“In that case,” Alex said, stifling a gasp as she sank down onto his cock, “I’ll have to offend you more often!”

They fucked lazily, languidly, until Krupa felt Alex’s cum jetting inside her and she squealed in pleasure. After that, they cuddled and dozed off for several hours until Alex finally had to leave. There was no parting embrace or tender words, just a shared smile and a friendly wave from Krupa as he closed the door.

Alone in her dorm room once again, Krupa couldn’t help but think that Alex would make a great boyfriend to some lucky girl one day. He was considerate, attentive, and kind. It was almost enough to make her wish she did have romantic feelings for him, but that wasn’t the case. They were good friends who slept together on a regular basis, that was all. Krupa was quite content with that. She had no desire to try to turn it into anything more and neither did Alex.

Krupa fell asleep with a smile on her face.