Pursued(25)
Merrick laughed harshly. “Yeah, right. You know that won’t happen. I’m a hybrid—remember? We can’t form bonds with females. That’s why this…this thing I have with Elise—it seemed like, I don’t know, a fucking miracle. Like something I thought I’d never feel.”
Sylvan squeezed his shoulder. “I know,” he said gently. “I know, Merrick.”
Merrick sighed. “Well, I guess we have no choice—we’ll have to go to Rageron. It’ll be fucking dangerous though—I don’t suppose I could do it alone?”
Sylvan shook his head. “Elise would never survive that long without you.”
“Then I guess she’ll have to come with me.” Merrick shook his head. “I just hope I can keep her safe.”
“If anyone can survive the deep jungle of Rageron and protect his female in the process, you can, old friend.” Sylvan spoke with certainty. “I’m sorry to send you on such a complicated and dangerous journey but the skrillix plant must be plucked by the one who needs it. It's the only way to dissolve the bond and Rageron is the only place it grows.”
“I know.” Merrick nodded briefly. “Just tell me how to keep Elise healthy in the mean time. Do I just keep touching her? Because I gotta tell you, it doesn’t seem like she wants to be touched now…now that she knows.” He thought of the way she’d shaken off his helping hand and the cool way she’d spoken to him before she left. The memory was like a fist in his gut.
“Whether she wants it or not, she needs it,” Sylvan emphasized. “And the longer you two are improperly bonded, the more physical contact she’ll require.”
Merrick shifted uncomfortably. “What are we talking about here, Sylvan? Is this going to get sexual? Because I don’t think Elise is ready for that—I don’t know if she’ll ever be ready, to be honest.”
“Let’s just say that simply holding hands with her won’t be enough to keep her from getting ill. And…yes, it may get sexual,” Sylvan said reluctantly. “As the hunger progresses, her needs will become more and more pressing and it will take more and deeper contact to satisfy them.”
“I’m not going to force her into anything she doesn’t want,” Merrick growled. “I won’t fucking go there with her, no matter what.”
“I’m not asking you to.” Sylvan held up his hands. “I’m just telling you what her needs are likely to be. As to how to satisfy them, well, you’ll have to use your best judgment, my friend.”
“My best judgment. Right.” Merrick could feel the beginnings of a headache starting right behind his eyes. “All I have to do is figure out how to touch a female who doesn’t want to be touched without hurting or scaring her.”
Sylvan looked at him compassionately. “You’ll find a way—I know you will. These things have a way of working themselves out.”
“Easy for you to say,” Merrick muttered. “You have a mate already—you don’t have to worry about this kind of shit.”
“Actually, I did have sort of the same kind of situation with Sophia before we became bonded,” Sylvan said seriously. “We were in a tight spot, hiding from the AllFather down on Earth. I needed to cover her scent with my own to avoid detection but…well, certain events in her past made her fear me. To fear any male, really.”
Merrick nodded. “I suspect something in Elise’s past as well. I’m not sure what but something isn’t right.”
Sylvan sighed. “Then you’re in a delicate situation, my friend. You don’t want to force unwanted physical contact on her but at the same time, you can’t let her starve herself—which she literally will if she doesn’t have enough skin-to-skin time with you.”
“Gods.” Merrick pinched the bridge of his nose as his headache got worse. “This is great. Just fucking great.”
“Just do your best,” Sylvan said gently. “The Goddess is close to her children. She will give you the wisdom to help and protect Elise without hurting or frightening her.”
“The Goddess?” Merrick laughed bitterly. “She doesn’t give a fuck about me—if she even knows I exist at all.”
“She knows, old friend,” Sylvan said quietly. “She mentioned you when she spoke through Nadiah who is her new mouthpiece on First World. She was very angry at the old high priestess for misusing her power and cursing you.”
“Yes, a curse—that’s what this is,” Merrick growled. “That’s exactly what this fucking fake bond is. And somehow I have to break it.” He sighed. “Even if it kills me to do it.”