Lacey's Luhpynes(10)

"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."