“But just a little,” Lauren cautioned. “You really don’t want to be left high and dry if Merrick refuses to come through for you.”
“I don’t think he’d refuse me,” Elise said thoughtfully. “And if I could just get him to see that we could make love without me losing it, I think it would really help.” She sighed. “I can’t blame him for being so reluctant—I did a lot of freaking out during our trip together—before I started dealing with my, uh, past issues.”
“You had a lot to freak out about,” Liv said, patting her knee comfortingly.
Elise sighed. “I know it won’t bring back our bond, but even having regular old garden-variety sex would be wonderful at this point.”
Kat laughed. “Honey, sex is never ‘regular’ with a Kindred. Especially with a man like yours—he’s got a mating fist and a set of fangs.”
“Mating fist?” Elise asked, and then remembered the ridge-like swelling she'd seen at the base of Merrick’s cock.
Liv frowned at Kat and then looked at Elise. “I really hope we’re not traumatizing you right now—please tell me you already know about the mating fist.”
Elise coughed, feeling her cheeks go red at the memory of exploring Merrick’s bare body with her hands on their trip to Rageron. “I have heard something about it, yes. Isn’t it some kind of, uh, swelling at the base of the shaft?”
Olivia nodded. “Uh-huh. It locks you together with your mate during sex and makes it last for a long, long time. Very tantric.”
“But the Blood Kindred don’t have a mating fist—they have fangs,” Sophie put in. “They bite during bonding sex instead of, you know, swelling up. Which is why they don’t make a chemical to help their women, uh stretch.”
“Which is why you’d really better having some bonding fruit in hand before you attempt anything with Merrick,” Kat added. “Just in case things go farther than planned. Don’t worry, I’ll hook you up.”
“She’s practically got a bonding fruit tree growing in her suite,” Liv said dryly.
“For which I, for one, am eternally grateful,” Lauren grinned at Kat. “If it wasn’t for bonding fruit, I wouldn’t be able to do a damn thing but admire Xairn from afar.”
“Scourge have a double-dick thing going on,” Kat explained with a smirk. “Not something you’d want to experience unprepared. Amiright?” She nudged Lauren who blushed and nodded.
“Completely.”
Elise remembered that during her conversation with Merrick, he’d been pretty certain the compounds in his precum would help her accommodate his mating fist. Still, remembering the size of his shaft, she thought a little extra help in that department couldn’t hurt. She hadn’t thought, however, about having to contend with both his mating fist and his fangs at the same time.
“So…” She cleared her throat. “If we do this—if I get Merrick to agree to try it—I should be prepared to deal with a mating fist and fangs?”
“Pierced and penetrated all at once. Ouch,” Kat murmured.
“Kat!” Sophie exclaimed. She looked at Elise. “I’m afraid so. But please don’t be afraid. The biting thing isn’t nearly as bad as it sounds. I was scared to death of needles and I didn’t want Sylvan’s fangs anywhere near me. But as it turns out, when a Blood Kindred bites you, they inject their essence, and it’s…” She shivered. “Oh, I can’t even describe it. It’s pure ecstasy.”
“The mating fist sensation isn’t half bad, either,” Olivia murmured, giving her a wink. “It’s very deep and intimate…I always feel like Baird and I have been, I don’t know, touching souls, somehow, when we finish.”
“It sounds beautiful and frightening at the same time,” Elise said honestly.
“Which is why you should probably take some time to think about it,” Lauren said gently.
“And have some bonding fruit ready for when you’re done thinking and ready to start acting.” Kat grinned at her and then looked at Sophie. “Not to change the subject, but speaking of thinking things through, when are you going to take that pregnancy test, Sophie? Aren’t you like, two months late on your period by now?”
“Well, more like a month and a half…” Sophie twisted her fingers together. “But you know, I’ve been late before and nothing came of it. I think…” She sighed. “I think I’m just afraid to take it because right now I can pretend I’m pregnant if I want. But if I take it and it’s negative…I mean if I get that awful white flower…”