“That’s beautiful,” Melli breathed. “Really romantic. But…” she frowned. “How does this amazing bond form in the first place? Is it something that just grows after the two of you get married…er, Joined?”
Liosh shook his head.
“Different kinds of Kindred bond with females different ways,” he said. “With Blood Kindred, though, it has to do with our fangs.”
“Your…your fangs?” Melli faltered.
Though Liosh was such an incredibly nice guy, she could never quite forget that he had those two sets of very sharp fangs in his upper jaw, just where a human man would have his incisors. It made him look a little like a handsome vampire, which was kind of scary. She didn’t like being poked with needles and the idea of being bitten wasn’t very appealing either.
“Do you…do you drink your, uh, female’s blood to bond her to you?” she asked, eyeing the sharp-looking points in his mouth.
Liosh shook his head.
“My fangs aren’t for drawing blood—they are for injecting essence.”
“Essence?” Melli frowned. “What’s that?”
“A pale blue liquid that my fangs produce,” he explained. “I will use it to bond my female to me when the time is right…or I may also use it to heal her if she has any kind of injury or abrasion.”
“Really?” Melli was intrigued. “So you have a kind of pharmacy in your mouth?”
He laughed. “I don’t know if I’d call it that but those are the main purposes of essence—healing and bonding.”
“So—what? You just bite her and inject your essence and then the two of you are bonded?” Melli asked.
“Not…exactly.” For the first time she thought Liosh looked a little uncomfortable. “There’s…a bit more to it than that,” he admitted at last.
“There is? What? Melli asked, taking another bite of eggs.
“Well, in order to bond a female to him, a Blood Kindred also has to be…intimate with her as well.”
“Intimate? How intimate?” Melli asked, taking a sip of the excellent coffee he had made.
Liosh took a deep breath.
“In order to bond his female to him, a Blood Kindred must have his shaft inside his female—all the way inside. He must be injecting her with his essence as the same time he fills her with his seed,” he explained.
Melli felt as though someone had just thrown a glass of ice-water in her face. She let her fork with the next bite of egg drop back to the plate.
“Oh,” she somehow managed to say. “Is…is that so?”
“Yes—that is the only way to bond a female.” Liosh looked at her in obvious concern. “My lady Melinda, are you all right? You seem upset all of a sudden.”
“I’m fine,” Melli said quickly. “Just…digesting all this information…along with the wonderful soy sauce eggs you made.” She tried to laugh. “Um, so do Kindred warriors always bond their, uh, females to them? I mean, do any of them just stay together but, you know, not bond?”
Liosh frowned.
“Why would anyone do that? Why would you deny yourself the richness and love and companionship that comes with a strong bonding with your bride? Having a relationship without bonding would be like having a delicious dessert and never taking a bite of it but only looking at it every day.”
“Oh…” Melli’s heart felt like it was made of lead—it had dropped right down to her toes. “I…I see,” she somehow managed. “Yes, I guess that makes sense.”
“Are you all right?” Liosh asked again. “Your face is so pale now.”
“It’s fine…I’m fine.” Melli made a desperate effort to try and smile. But inside she felt like crying…or dying.
Somehow the night before when Liosh had been holding her on the loveseat and they had been talking about everything and nothing, she’d gotten the silly fantasy into her head that they might stay together. And maybe, just maybe, Liosh was such a nice guy that he wouldn’t mind that she couldn’t have sex and he’d want to be with her anyway.
But she knew now that she’d just been fooling herself. After all, what man would want to stay with a girl long-term who couldn’t give him sex? All men wanted it—even wonderful, kind, honorable Kindred warriors did. In fact, they needed it even more than human men did because it was the only way for them to form their all-important bond with their wives.
It’s time to stop being a fool and living in a fantasy land, Melli, whispered an unkind little voice in her head. It’s time to admit that no man—ever—is going to want you when you can’t give them what they all want and need.
When you can’t give them sex.
Fifteen
The morning meal was tense but Vorn kept his head down and helped with the dishes, which Jodi seemed to appreciate, and somehow they got through it. Then she announced she was going to the University and he could stay at her apartment if he wanted to.
“I don’t fucking think so,” Vorn had growled. “I’m supposed to stay with you all the time and that’s what I’m gonna do.”
“But I have to teach today!” she protested. “And then I’m having lunch with James.”
“Oh, the fiancé, right? I’ll be interested to meet him,” Vorn remarked. He still wondered what kind of amazing specimen Jodi’s mate-to-be was. He must have some pretty remarkable attributes to make up for the fact that he didn’t go down on her or satisfy her sexually in any way.
“Nobody invited you to have lunch with us!” Jodi’s face had flushed red as though she could read his thoughts and knew they weren’t complimentary to James in any way.
“Fine, I won’t,” Vorn had growled. “I’ll just sit at the next table over and mind my own business while I guard your pretty little ass from any Varians who might be trying to sniff you out.”
Jodi had stiffened at his allusion to her bewitching but very prominent scent
