The Mating(43)
“Um, Helen?” Elise decided she should try to save the eggs, surprised they hadn’t already turned into meringue! “I think the eggs are ready now.” She raised her eyebrows and looked meaningfully at the frothing bowl.
“Oh!” Helen stared nonplussed at the dish and gave a guilty chuckle. “Sorry, but I’ve never liked nor trusted that girl, and the idea that Kane is trying to make you befriend her just makes my blood boil. Why, I’ve a good mind to go and tell him—”
Elise laid her hand on Helen’s arm. “It’s okay, Helen. Kane is really stressed from all of the problems the pack seems to be having right now. If befriending Marla for a while takes one worry away from him, then I guess I can do it. I might not like it, but I’ll do it.”
Helen studied Elise’s face for a minute, then smiled. “Elise, I know your mating was arranged but...are you falling for our Alpha?”
Shrugging, Elise turned and busied herself buttering the toast. “I honestly don’t know. Before I was mated to him, I had a boyfriend named Bryan. We’d been friends all our lives and I thought I was in love with him, but now...I don’t know. I mean, if I really loved Bryan, how could I be drawn to Kane? I haven’t known Kane for that long, but I do like him as a person. He’s been very considerate, and when we’re together, there’s this feeling—a connection—that just seems right somehow.”
Leaning against the counter, Helen spoke hesitantly. “Elise, I’m sort of used to ‘mothering’ everyone in the pack, so don’t take this the wrong way—I’m not being nosey like my girls, inquiring into your personal life—but I can’t help noticing that there’s no mark on your neck. You and Kane haven’t blood-bonded yet, have you?”
Flushing, Elise shook her head.
“Can I ask why? Did you refuse or are you nervous? I know the idea of someone sinking their teeth into your neck can be a bit scary, but I can tell you, amazingly enough, the bite doesn’t really hurt. At that point, you’ve lost all rational thought anyway and the wolf takes over. You’re too caught up in the moment to even know—”
Elise interrupted before Helen went into even more details. “No, I’m not scared and I didn’t refuse. It’s just...well...Kane hasn’t suggested it, or even tried. I think he’s wants to give me some time to settle and get to know him better.” In actual fact, Elise wasn’t sure if this was the case or not, but she preferred to think this way, since the alternative was that Kane didn’t find her sufficiently attractive to want to blood-bond with her. Not that she felt ready for that yet, but still... Strange how only a few days ago, the idea of mating with Kane made her stomach clench and now she was considering the possibility of a blood-bond. Good heavens, but her brain was in a muddle lately!
“Hmm... Well, I suppose that’s considerate of him, but from the sounds of it you already are bonding on some level. You simply don’t have the mark to prove it. Now, you know I hold Kane in great esteem. He’s a fine man and a good Alpha, but sometimes, like any male, he can be plain stupid. Like this whole thing with Marla, and not blood-bonding with you. You know, you should just tell him you want to do it—it’s an incredible experience; better than any orgasm you’ll ever have. And once it’s done, you’ll feel that connection even more strongly, and so will he.”
Feeling her face growing warm once again, Elise sought to change the topic. “I’ll think about it, Helen. Thanks for your advice. Oh, look! This toast is ready. I’ll go set it on the table.” She grabbed the plate and hurried from the room. Helen meant well, but she was pushing for something Elise was still ambivalent about. While a regular bonding was pretty permanent, there were occasions where it could be broken. A blood-bond was for life. Some said it was akin to being telepathically connected, and while she wasn’t sure if that was an overstatement or not, she didn’t want to chance it until she was sure how she felt about Kane, and how he felt about her.
*****
Marla arrived around eleven o’clock and Elise met her at the door, gritting her teeth but trying to be welcoming, even though spending time with the woman was the last thing she wanted to do. For her part, Marla smiled and offered a polite, civilized greeting even bringing her a small gift. “Our first meeting didn’t go too smoothly, so I thought we should start again. Here’s a little something to welcome you to our pack.”
Removing the tissue from the brightly coloured gift bag Marla handed her, Elise found a bottle of fragrance. Sniffing it cautiously, she found that it was surprisingly pleasant. The scent was light and delicate, floral rather than musky, and quite in keeping with her own preferences. She’d have thought Marla would choose something more heavy and cloying, but apparently the other woman was one of those people who just instinctively read others correctly. It was probably quite a useful skill when it came to her work at the gallery. Knowing what a client might prefer would certainly help in guiding them towards the right sort of art and boost chances of a sale.