Lilly's Torment(23)

"Going to be tough," he said with a grin. Turning on the engine, he  pulled out of the drive quickly. "You are quite distracting, Lilly. Your  lips are killer, your kisses lethal, it's going to be the ultimate  challenge. Thankfully, when we mate, we'll be taking some time off. We  may need it just to recover."

"Good. How long can we take off? Especially since I'm a new transfer. Do  you think that the captain will have a fit if I take time off now?" she  asked with a frown. "I really hope not. That would be all-around bad, I  think."

"It's mandatory for new matings," he told her as he drove. His eyes  never once left the road as his speed increased. "It's written into the  laws. Any new mating couple or couples gets a week off or more, as  needed. It all depends on those mating and where the mating takes place,  here or beyond the Veil."

"And where will ours take place?" Lilly asked softly. "I am glad that we  will have a week mandatory, because I think that we will need to use  all of that time to get to know each other without the worry of anything  else happening." Frowning, she added, "But that means we can't continue  our mating until after this case is solved."

"Well … " He smiled slightly. Cursing, he swung around a slow moving  vehicle. "I swear to the Gods," he grumbled, throwing the other driver a  dirty look. "It's only mandatory that after a mating, a week is taken.  It's the time needed to cement the bonds and to get some of the need out  of our systems. Doesn't say anywhere when that time has to be taken."  He switched lanes again. "If we do it beyond the Veil, it doesn't seem  to take the same toll on our systems. If we do it here, it seems to be  more stressful, at least for some of the races, not all. And it depends  on the individuals involved. Lots of factors, really."

"Well, we will do it on the other side of the Veil, then. I don't want  to do anything to give you issues. I truly believe that we should take  every single precaution that we can so that we can have as much time  together as we possibly can. I will leave it to the two of you as to  when we should bond, but know that I want to and I need to sooner rather  than later if we can, please."                       
       
           



       

"Absolutely, Lilly." He was nodding. And chewing his lip … hmm, that was  new. "I'll talk to Gavriel when he returns. See what his thoughts are on  it, and we'll go from there. A lot of this will depend on his mother's  health, or lack thereof, given the deterioration of late." Artaxias let  out a sigh. "Gods, I have no idea how he's going to handle that."

"Good point." Lilly frowned and shook her head. "I don't like that idea  at all. The idea that she might pass far too soon. Do you think that is  what is going to happen?" she asked quietly. "I hate to think of it  happening to the poor man. Do you think it will set him off?"

"I honestly don't know, Lilly," he said quietly. "Others that have been  stricken with this disease either pass quickly or linger for far too  long. Given the frequency of her episodes, we'll know soon whether it  will be one or the other. I fear for Gavriel either way. Either he will  lose her fast, or he'll have to watch her suffer an indeterminate length  of time."

"I don't know which one is worse," she admitted to him. "We will just  need to be there for him. We will need to always be there for him.  That's all that I can think of. We will be there for him, because it's  what we should do as a bonded trio, right?"

"Absolutely." He nodded. "He'll need the support, no matter to what  extent he'll allow, which we'll need to tread carefully with. He's got  magic within, innate and powerful. While he trains to master it in times  of highly emotional situations, he can be a little wonky. Whatever  happens, we need to ensure he has a place of calm and serenity."

"I think that is a good idea. We will do whatever we can. I have no idea  what he might need, but I hope that I will be able to give it to him. I  don't want him to feel alone, because he's not. That's something he has  to keep in mind, that he's no longer alone." She just hoped that  whatever the Magic User needed, she could give it to him.

"Gavriel has never been alone. I've been glued to him since he blew up  his first tree. Mainly because a young lord had been sitting in said  tree when it blew up. And Gav had actually been aiming for the young  lord. The poor tree never saw it coming. But he's also always had his  mother. Unlike myself, he's never been without parental love and  acceptance."

"And now he has me as well. Somehow and some way, we will figure this  out. We will learn how to help him together. We will poke and prod until  he cries ‘uncle,' and then we will do it some more. That's how it  should be with mates, right?"

"Uh, sure?" He didn't sound sure. His next words confirmed that  suspicion. "I've never been mated, or around mated couples. Besides  Gavriel's mother and mates, I mean. And really, I tried to avoid them as  much as possible. So, really, I'm going into this as blind as you are,  Lil."

"Oh boy." She really hoped that someone somewhere would be able to give  them some advice. "I think that we need to find and talk to some bonded  couples or trios or whatever. I really think that we need all of the  advice on this that we can possibly get please."

"Only one that I know of that could help." He frowned. "Lacey, Zhubin,  and Ansell. They're newly mated, unfortunately. Only been a few months.  But, they are likely our only option on this side of the Veil. Other  than that, I'd have to hit up my contacts on the other side and see who  we might be able to meet with."

"I think that we should go ahead and see them all. I think that perhaps  Lacey, Zhubin, and Ansell will be our best bet in figuring out just what  the hell is going on with us, right? I really and truly believe that we  should pump them for as much information as they will give us."

"Don't use the word pump around them. For the love of the Gods, please  don't," he said. Shaking his head, he whipped the vehicle up an off-ramp  and onto the city streets. "It will lead to bad, mind-deforming things  that no amount of bleach can erase."

"Uhm, ok?" she asked with a frown. "I don't understand. Why in the world  would using the word pump around them cause us any issues with mind  deforming things? Are they really that bad? I mean, I've seen them in  the halls, but that's about it."

"They are newly mated. Words like ‘pump,' ‘grind,' ‘rub,'all very bad to  use around newly mated couples, trios and so forth. Especially when it  involves Luhpynes, who are dirty minded on the best of days. They will  share a look, that will lead to suggestions, and then you are racing out  of the room as clothing is thrown willy-nilly about. Trust me, some  things you just cannot ever un-see."

"Oh goodness gracious." That had Lilly laughing, though. "I will keep  that in mind, but will that happen with us as well? I'm just asking so  that I know what to look out for, is all." So that she would know  exactly what it was that she had in her future.                       
       
           



       

"Dunno, little mate, but we can ask. I don't know if they know the  Vhampire or Spiryte mating practices, but we will ask. Maybe we can get a  sit-down with Thorin, Zhubin's father," he explained, the odd name now  cropping up in the conversation. "He's a Luhpyne Regent and therefore  has more knowledge of such things. Plus, I haven't seen him or Genette,  his mate, in forever. Be good to see them and their other mates as well.  Get their take on it all."

"I think that sounds like a good idea. Do you know of any Vhampires or  Spirytes that have mated who we could ask? Somehow figure out how all of  this will work? I want to go into this with as much knowledge as  humanly possible. I want to know all that there is to know about being a  part of this trio, and I think that you guys want to know that as well,  right?"

"As long as I know what to expect, that's all I need to know. The rest,  we will figure out together," he said, turning onto another street.  Minutes later, they were pulling into the parkade. After they'd parked,  they both got out and headed for the elevators. "I'll see if they're  around, Zhubin and cohorts. Maybe we can talk to them before we subject  you to the pictures."

"I think that would be best. I want to do that, so that I can hopefully  retain the information even after seeing the photos. I think the only  way that will work is if we talk to them first. And the bonus would be  that it would hopefully relax me a bit more for looking at the images."  Something it was clear she was not looking forward to.