"I've wanted you since we met, Lacey," he said, brushing his lips to her cheek. "When we were first put together as partners all I wanted to do was shred your clothing and take you. Had you even seemed the slightest bit receptive, I might have. I wasn't particularly caring of where we were."
She grinned and shook her head. "Oh I wanted you," she said simply. "I have wanted you from the moment I met you. Both of you. I have wanted and needed you both from the very first second I met you. Why do you think that nearly every time that you saw me I had wet hair? It was all of the cold showers I was taking."
"I didn't even notice," he chuckled, giving her a squeeze. "I was much more concerned with not attacking you where all could see. I didn't think it would bode well for relations between our people if we mated you in the midst of the station. Especially without gaining your permission before we did so."
"Yeah that might just give them something to be pissed off about," Lacey said with a small laugh. "So what happens now? How does a Luhpyne claim their mate? How does it work when there are more than two people in the fated pair, trio as our case is?"
"If you accept our claim on you we begin the mating dance. As I mentioned, it is the wooing and courting phase. Then, when the moon is new, if you choose us, we mate with you. You will have a choice to make, who will be the father of potential children. The decision needs to be taken seriously because only one of us, me or Ansell can be the father. We don't know why but it's how it is in such situations. Whoever claims you from the front, in your pussy when we mark you as ours forevermore will be the only Luhpyne that can father children with you. Unless he is killed and then the magic would shift and allow the other to father children."
"I, wow, that is something that I didn't know," she murmured softly. "And if I chose you? Would you want that? Would you take me? I very, very much want that. I adore Ansell, very much so, as I do you as well. It's a choice that I honestly don't know how to make. How does a person chose one man she loves over another?"
"I don't know," he told her honestly. "That's why we don't mate until you've made the choice. If you chose me I'd be honored and pray each day to the Gods that I could live up to your view of me. If you chose Ansell I would be happy as well, I'm still getting a mate if you do decide to be with us fully, Lacey. So either way it will be a win. I would talk to Ansell though before you get too far into your thoughts. Spend some time with him and get his feelings on all of this. You know where I stand but I can only tell you what I think he is feeling about it all. I can't swear to the validity of my words."
She nodded thoughtfully and bit her lower lip. "All right. I think that talking to you both will be a very good thing, trying to figure out just how we will all fit together would be best. Right?" she asked with a smile. "For now." She laid her head on his shoulder. "For now I just want to bask in this moment, enjoy the comfort of having the two of you close and that will be good for now."
Wrapping her fully in his arms, he rested his cheek on her hair. For long moments he said nothing, just held her and, occasionally, stroked a finger over her arm. Pressing a kiss to her hair, he straightened. "Let's finish breakfast and then we have work to do. As much as I'd prefer staying locked in the house with you all day, the bad guys don't take days off."
"Yeah, wish that they did because there are days I feel as if there isn't enough coffee in the world for us," she admitted. "All right. That means I need to move doesn't it?" she asked with a frown and gave him one last squeeze. "You know this is the first time that I've ever sat in your lap? First time that I've ever actually been really held by you, period. I like it, a lot. I really think that this is something that I could get used to."
"You don't need to move but you will need to drag your plate over," he pointed out. "Or if you're more comfortable going back to your seat, feel free. I do have a question though." He looked into her eyes. "Why aren't you bombarding me with questions? The races aren't exactly open about ourselves and I know you're fairly curious naturally. I suppose I'm just a little surprised by how you're not pelting us with questions."
"Honestly?" she asked and then chewed her lower lip. "The truth is that, well, remember us busting the ring of Luyphines about a year back? They couldn't wait to tell me everything and anything just to get me to back the hell off of them."
"Really?" He frowned and shook his head. "Assholes," he muttered. "Well that explains why you're not unloading on me." He shook his head. Picking up his fork, he went to eat but offered her the bite instead.
"You seem to forget what a big bitch I can be, Zhu," she told him honestly. "I mean don't get me wrong, I'm happy that you forgot it but, yeah. They didn't give me a hell of a lot but enough to know that Fated Mates are something to be revered instead of hunted. Pretty much told me if there is a fated trio or quad they are summarily worth more than single men and women are. It doesn't make sense to me because every single life matters but the way that they made it sound it's not so. Why is that?"
Giving her another bite to chew on, he seemed to be gathering his words, thinking. "It's old myth. Our old myth I mean. In days of old, centuries past, millennia ago really there were one male and one female fated to be mates. But then there was a disease that ran rampant through the realms, never touching Earth. We assume because the Veil protected you from me but we can't say. Things began to change then. After the disease ran its course the number of females born was lower than males, nearly a three-to-one average."
He lifted a piece of bacon and offered it to her. "That's when the matings began to become between threes or fours. I've only ever heard of a handful of matings that were more than that as the norm is three, two males and one female. There are still a few single male and single female pairings, but it's very rare. Most are assumed to be a herald that the disease is coming back, yet it never has. Some of our people are very superstitious, others less so. I suppose we all have a level of superstition to our beliefs, even I do on some things I guess."
"So that is why they try not to do anything to mated couples or fated mates because they mean too much to your people." Interesting, she didn't know that. "Is it the same with the other races from your realm?" she asked as she took a bite of the bacon that he offered her. "I pray that you are right, that the disease isn't coming back because sadly the humans that are a part of this world are very, well, honestly." She shrugged. "Horrible. Don't get me wrong, there are persons that are truly amazing people, that would do anything for another soul no matter the cost to them but sadly people as a group are very, well, weird. They will do anything that it takes in order to get rid of what they feel is a threat to their own personal well-being, you know?"
"Why do you think the Council and Regents so carefully keep an eye on you little hotheads? Because honestly, pulling out the nuclear devices is just beyond childish. Plus, as your people learned, the races don't fight fair, we fight to win." Pressing a kiss to her cheek, he rubbed his nose to her temple, "No offence meant to you in particular, Lacey. But yes, among the Luhpynes the fated mates are to be protected, especially if they haven't yet entered the mating dance. Though they will also tease and tempt the female in the hope they can pull her from her fated mates and into their beds knowing no Luhpyne would willingly take the … " He paused and cleared his throat. "They wouldn't want to have her after that even though their souls cry for her. We're complicated beasts, Lacey, there are layers upon layers of small things that make up who we are and our beliefs, if that makes any sense. It may not, I'm likely babbling given I didn't sleep well last night."
"So, since I'm not a virgin you don't want me?" she asked with a frown. "Because I'm not. Granted I've not had a lover since I met you and Ansell but the truth is that I have had lovers before, just as I'm positive that the two of you have as well so, yeah. What happens now?" she asked with a frown.