Lacey's Luhpynes(8)

"The mating dance?" she asked with wide eyes, curious now far more than  she ever had been. "There is a great deal that I don't know about the  Luhpynes, isn't there?" She reached out and touched his wrist, her  fingers touching the rose that looked as if it were made from lace.

"There is, but we'll teach you if you want to know," he said. "The  mating dance is the time when all those that would mate begin a dance of  sorts. It's like a courtship, but for Luhpynes. It's the time the males  prove to the female that they are good hunters, warriors and  protectors. If she accepts their courting then they mate and the dance  ends. Nothing to it at all really," he said with a lazy shrug. "Demon, I  swear to the Gods, if you climb on that chair for the bacon there will  be hell to pay."

Lacey snickered and shook her head. "I better have a seat so that I can  keep the kids out of the food on the table, huh?" She took a seat and  pushed Demon off of the chair and crossed her legs. Looking at Zhubin,  she asked, "I would like to learn more. I want to learn everything that  you care to teach me."

Flipping pancakes, he took the plate of fluffy cakes to the table. "Eat  and we'll talk over the meal," he told her. "You can think of any  questions you want to ask and I'll tell you what I know. I don't know  what you want to know and how much you may already know that you don't  realize you know."

"All that I know is what you have shared with me so far. Remember the  races keep themselves, pretty closed off from humans. They share  weaknesses and strengths but anything other than that they keep off the  radar as much as possible."                       
       
           



       

"I've told you much over the years," he said, watching her. "You just  were not listening obviously. We will just start again," he told her  moving back to the stove. "The races are older than the human race as  you know. Our cultures have been around many millennia. We live longer  but are not immortal as many seem to believe. Luck and good living keeps  us alive. My father, for example, is almost nine hundred years old. My  mother is around eight hundred, though if she asks if I've revealed that  pretend not and pacify her by saying she looks barely old enough to  have a grown child. Like human females the race's females are also, on  occasion, mildly vain when it comes to age."

Pulling the pan, he slid the pancakes to a plate and set it aside,  turning off the gas to the burner. Grabbing the carafe of coffee, he  joined her at the table and sat. "There are some elders of the Luhpyne  that are nearly two thousand years young. Though by that point they  appear as someone in their eighties would if they were human."

Slipping another pancake onto her plate, he dished up eggs and bacon  onto his plate and began to eat. "The Vhampires can live to be much  older, as can Spirytes and even Ahnjels. Though with those last two I've  got no clue on how old they can get to be. They never appear to age and  then are just gone when they pass. We all can survive wounds that a  human could not. We all can die of course, you know this, you've seen  it. One of the most efficient ways is beheading but really, that would  kill anyone. We can also be killed by magical means, different for every  race, but still eerily the same."

"I've seen a Luhpyne killed by magical means," she said with a nod.  "It's horrible. I never want to see that again for as long as I live.  It's one of those things that is just completely and fully horrific,  something that no one should ever have as their mode of death." She took  a bite of the pancakes and sighed. "Oh this is very good." She ate for a  while and then finally spoke again. "And until last night you thought  the tales of a Vhampire turning one of the other races was total  fiction."

"I didn't say that, I said that it was the sort of thing parents used to  scare us. I've always known it was possible, theoretically, but without  hard evidence one can't exactly get others to listen. Now we know it's  fact and the other races will have to listen. Vhampires are forbidden to  change someone without their full consent and it's a death penalty to  change another of the races." He paused as he nibbled on a piece of  bacon, his eyes on her. "When one of the races is condemned to death  there are three levels. There is the mercy killing of one gone mad,  unable to help their actions because the magic that governs them has  gone haywire. Then there is the execution, a showing of force and a way  to ensure that others don't do the shit they pulled. Last there is the  death by magic. The Spirytes basically send the magic in someone's body  into overload and they die from the inside out. It's extremely painful  and extremely memorable. Unfortunately there are ways for humans to  cause the same effect in us. But I'm not saying how since that would  have my head on a platter without gaining the Regent's permission to  tell you first."

"Which is why I never told you guys about the thing hunting me," she  told him with a sigh. "I was ordered to keep it silent. I've been  reporting back to the Council and the Regent's each time that I get one  of his stupid fucking gifts. I hate roses. With a passion I hate roses  now. If I could I would mow down every fucking rosebush in the world."

"Understandable," Zhubin said, dropping his left hand down to his lap,  the mark no longer in view as he ate. "I'll ensure to keep it covered up  from now on," he told her quietly. "So what else do you want to know  about the races? Any questions that have come about since our appearance  in your world? Rumors that you want cleared up or proven as fact,  maybe."

"Don't," Lacey said and reached down to take his hand in hers and put  their joined hands on the table. "I don't mean this one," she told him.  "And I didn't mean you. No more hiding. No more pretending that this  thing between the three of us isn't real. Don't stop, okay? The three of  us are supposed to somehow make this work, right?"

"I don't want you uncomfortable, Lacey," he said, turning his palm to  face hers, sliding his fingers between hers. "Not around me or Ansell  and that"-he nodded to his arm-"is one hell of a reminder or something  you'd rather forget. Not the mating or meaning behind it but what that  thing has been taunting you with for too long."                       
       
           



       

"I know, but I can't let him win either," she told him with a shrug and  closed her hands in his and laced their fingers together. "It is one  hell of a reminder, but it's also a reminder that the fucking dick  hasn't won yet either. He won't win as long as I don't let him get to  me." He would win when he killed her, but that was for another day.

"But he is wearing you down." Zhubin turned in his seat to look at her  square-on. "I can see it in your eyes, your mannerisms and the way you  look at everything as if not trusting what you see. Even here where he  can't get to you." He frowned. "So where do you want us to go from here,  Lacey?"

"Yeah he is," Lacey admitted and squeezed his hand. "I don't know, Zhu,"  Lacey said softly, honestly. "I really don't know. I want so very much  to be able to have the life that we are supposed to have, but then I'm  so terrified that he will somehow find a way to break the two of you and  that's just not good," she admitted. "I … " She sighed and shook her  head. "I don't know. I really and truly don't know. What do you want?"

"Come here." He tugged on her hand until she stood. Drawing her toward  him he settled her on his knee. Sliding his arms around her, he rested  his chin on her shoulder, his breath lightly brushing over her cheek. "I  just want you in my life, Lacey. Whether you only are ever my partner  with the AEDA or my partner in life I will accept your choice. You are  our fated mate, but the Fates often do not take free will into  consideration so it is a choice you must make on your own. As to your  mutant stalker, let Ansell and me worry about him should he come for us.  We won't let him catch us unaware now that we know he exists and we  know his potential for harm toward us."

"Good. As long as you won't be caught unaware," she murmured softly.  Taking a deep breath she moved so that she could rest against him, and  bit her lower lip. "I will always be a part of your lives," she  murmured. "Don't let him catch you, please don't ever let him catch you  because you two are my weakness. I would gladly give myself up for the  two of you." Forever, always. "And Fate has a way of putting the right  people together. The question isn't if I want you but more if you want  me. Period."