"I didn't say that." He shifted in his chair and turned her more to face him. One hand came up to cup her cheek. "I'm not making a lot of sense, I know that, but let me try this again. When a female meets her mates, or mate in rare cases, her body changes slightly. New pheromones to tempt and tease her mates are the easiest way to explain it. Those pheromones are specific to her mates. Because of that specific nature other males of the species recognize she's met her mates and they've not claimed her. After the claiming, her scent changes to match the males, taking on traits of theirs as they take on traits of hers."
He paused and looked to be gathering his thoughts once more. "During that time before the dance begins between mates other Luhpynes are supposed to protect the female and look after her but not touch her. Some believe that if a female can be turned from her mates then they are better off without her. There are factions that specifically look for the females destined for Luhpyne males and when they find one preparing for the mating dance they tempt and tease. It's an attempt to find out if she will be true to her males. Luhpynes cannot stray from their mates once they've claimed her, it's absolutely impossible," he explained.
"Some males believe if a female is lured into another Luhpyne's bed that she is tainted during that time. I do not. We have but one chance to find a mate and just because she may have been lied to in the form of her own sensuality being used against her, basically a form of rape to my mind, that is no fault of hers. It is the fault of those that dared to break the sacred covenant that is a pairing. You've had lovers, as have I and Ansell. But that is the past. We are now facing the future, Lacey, and that is all that matters to me or to Ansell, if you were to ask him."
"Thank you for explaining that to me. There wasn't another man in my life since meeting you guys. It is just completely and fully been the two of you and my frustration living and breathing in life," she added with a small shrug. "I never knew what to think of the two of you. Don't get me wrong, I knew who I was to you, albeit I knew because of the monster who has been making my life hell for the last little while, but still I knew," she said softly. "I am very happy to have you in my life, but there have been times I've wanted to hit you upside the head to make you see me for me and for who I am to you two."
"Well you could have at least given us a sign, preferably a large one with big letters," he said with a slow smile. Pressing a kiss to her lips gently, he nipped and tugged her lower one. "We need to eat and then get to the office. I have a feeling there will be a stack of paperwork for us to fill out given we nearly blew up last night."
"Oh yeah, I'm sure." She sighed and leaned into him. "I think you should kiss me again though. After all, we will have to keep our hands and our lips to ourselves at the office, right?" She didn't want to, but hey, you did what you had to do. "And we need to go by my place so I can get some clothes."
Pressing another kiss to her lips he slid a hand into her hair. Tipping her back gently he took her mouth in a deeper kiss. His tongue stroked her lips, begging for entry as he shifted them until she lay back on his arm.
She opened to him readily. She kissed him as if he was the very air that she breathed. She was kissing him and wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled him closer. She finally pulled back and looked up at him with wide eyes. She smiled and licked her lips. "Damn," she murmured. "Amazing. I really think that I could get very, very used to you kissing me. Often."
"Any time you wish, Lacey," he told her softly, loosening his hold on her hair. Straightening up, he ran his hand down her back. "But not at the office unless we can find a nice quiet corner. I don't think the Council would be pleased to find out about us until we either complete the mating or not."
"Yeah, I think that you are right. Especially since I've had to fight every turn to remain partnered with the two of you. Believe me, it's been an uphill damn battle. Every turn, every month, they tried to separate us because of that monster. So yeah, the less fuel we give them the better, please."
Nodding he rested his forehead to hers for a long moment. "We won't give them any excuses at all to separate us, Lacey. And if you choose to mate with us we can never again be separated as it's against our laws."
"When. We have danced around each other for far too long. I swear this has been the longest mating dance in the history of them." Leaning in close, she pressed her forehead back to his. "It would take something terribly significant to make me change my mind and I don't think that can happen. I happen to truly adore you. Very much so. Both of you. I need you. Both. I just don't know anything beyond that."
"We can work with that," he said with a chuckle. "But the true mating dance is yet to come, Lacey. That's when things truly become interesting. One we can't begin until you speak with Ansell as well and face my parents."
"Oh God, seriously? Uhm." She had never met parents before. Ever. "Okay." She gulped. "I can do this, right? You will be with me when I see them, right?" she asked softly. "Because I think I can handle meeting the parents if I have you with me."
"Yes, I will be with you as will Ansell. They are normal people Lacey. Just like you and I, but older, much, much older." He smiled. "And they gave birth to me but that's really not that big of a deal right? We're going for a meal, embarrassing stories of my youth and Ansell's. I'm sure you'll quite enjoy it as we die of shame."
Lacey nodded and sighed. "All right then. I trust you, completely," she told him with a smile. "What is it with you and Ansell? Are you related? I take it that he doesn't have parents that are alive?" And that made her hurt for him, she hated that he didn't have family, just as she didn't, so she understood. Completely.
"His family abandoned him when he was little, we don't know who they are or where they are. We have no idea if they are still among the living or the dead. He says he doesn't care so I don't push it but … " Zhubin paused for a long moment. "You can't ever tell him, but I've been looking for them since I came of age and was able. I know he says he doesn't care but I can't help but wonder if it's truth or merely a protective instinct to shield his heart. So I'm looking and, if I find anything, I'll have to make the call whether to tell him or not. My parents adopted him into our clan and he was raised next to me as my brother. We don't share blood but the parents see him as one of theirs, be warned, they are seriously protective of us."
"Sounds like that he needs to have someone protecting him and keeping him close," Lacey said with a smile. "Don't worry, I promise I will work very hard at trying to not hit him in the shoulder when we are at your parents." She had a habit of punching Ansell in the shoulder. Not because she didn't like him, because she truly did, a great deal, but there were times he said or did something that made her reach out and punch him.
"Just be yourself, Lacey. If he deserves to get popped on the shoulder, don't resist," he said with a smile. "You might pop something from the need to restrain yourself. And I think that would be worse personally. Besides, Mom pops him when he's being a brat, usually upside the head though." Zhubin chuckled, shaking his head, "He usually deserves it a lot."
Lacey laughed and shook her head. "Oh dear god. It's too funny to know that this woman pops him too. Poor Ansell, he gets it when he's around me and gets it when he's around your mom. Too funny. I like it. All right. How about we finish eating and then we will go and get cleaned up and all that, okay?"
"You definitely need to eat up," he said softly. "Then we have things to do. So yes, eat, we'll get cleaned up, run by your place and then go face the music at work. You can also see if you can snag Ansell and talk to him for a while. If there's a chance, that is," he murmured.
"I would like that," she told him honestly. "I would like to be able to spend some time talking to him. It would be very nice, I want to hear his thoughts on this, see if it's something that he would even want. I want to know if this is something that he wants to pursue or if I have scared him off over the years."
"I doubt you've scared him off, maybe plain old scared him. Hell, you've scared me on occasion," he muttered. Reaching over he pulled her plate close and handed her her fork. "Eat and then we'll go and shower. It'll make the stop by your place faster if you wash up here."