absurdness.
“I know it can seem odd if you’re not familiar with the custom. But there’s a reason for the engagement. You see, a shifter female can be sexually mature but is not granted with the honor of being able to bear children until she turns twenty and goes through the official mating ceremony.”
“Wait. You mean I can’t get pregnant right now.”
“Well, technically no. You would have to go through the mating ceremony first.”
Angel doubled over with laughter as she thought of all the false pregnancy scares she’d had, and all along she couldn’t get pregnant! She was the paranoid type. Even when she’d used protection, she thought she was pregnant. Shit! She could have used that information a lot sooner.
“Am I missing something?” Jacques looked skeptical.
“No, no, just thinking.”
Her laughter wound down as another thought came to her.
“Hey, wait a minute. What if I choose not to go along with this mating thing? Are you telling me I’ll never be able to have children?”
That thought scared her. She’d been focusing on her career for the last several years, but one day she’d fully intended on having children. What if she couldn’t?
“Why wouldn’t you want to go through with the mating? You’re my mate.”
“Look, Jacques, I like you, I think you’re a good guy, and you’re obviously attractive, but I can’t promise that at the end of these three months, I’ll be ready or willing to go through this mating ceremony with you.”
“I see.”
She could tell he didn’t see at all.
“I’m not trying to hurt you, Jacques. I’m just trying to be honest.”
“And I appreciate your honesty. I guess I’ll need to do all I can to make you want to stay.”
He flashed a toothy grin worthy of any gator before winking and digging his fork into his food.
They ate in silence for a while, each savoring their own dish. Angel snuck glances of him from under her lashes. She didn’t know what was happening to her. Even now she was wet for him. A man she barely knew. Her nipples were drawing into hard peaks, making her ache to massage them or have him do it.
As if hearing her thoughts, Jacques looked up at her, catching her in the act of ogling him. He inhaled deeply and she could have sworn his green eyes had changed to gold. Angel bit and sucked her bottom lip before picking up her drink and taking a healthy swallow.
“Tonight, we’ll need to do our engagement ceremony.”
“Wh-what?”
“We should have done it long ago, cher . A few of the other sovereigns will be at dinner tonight, and they’ll expect to see your markings. Once your markings are certified, everyone will expect us to do the engagement ceremony.”
“I don’t know, Jacques. That seems so permanent.”
“It’s really just a formality. Nothing between us has to change.”
Angel’s mind began to swim. If she did the engagement ceremony, it meant she’d be able to sleep with him and no one would bat an eye. But she’d also be formally announcing that she’d mate with him. She couldn’t be engaged to him knowing full well she might not stay.
“Jacques, I don’t plan on staying here, my home is in Vegas. I don’t want to go through a ceremony knowing I might not be here to officially mate with you.”
“The engagement doesn’t bind you to me, cher . And you’re under no obligation to stay. It’s a formal acknowledgement that you carry my mark. It’s a really easy process. We’ll allow the sovereigns to see the mark and then the priestess from my pod will bless our union. That’s it.”
It sounded easy enough and he looked sincere. Deep down something told her Jacques was not the type to force her into doing anything she didn’t want to do. She decided she’d do it. Honestly, she wasn’t sure how long she’d be able to hold out from falling prey to his smooth Cajun accent and that fiery stare of his. As it was, she wanted to swipe his plate off the table, spread herself in front of
“I know it can seem odd if you’re not familiar with the custom. But there’s a reason for the engagement. You see, a shifter female can be sexually mature but is not granted with the honor of being able to bear children until she turns twenty and goes through the official mating ceremony.”
“Wait. You mean I can’t get pregnant right now.”
“Well, technically no. You would have to go through the mating ceremony first.”
Angel doubled over with laughter as she thought of all the false pregnancy scares she’d had, and all along she couldn’t get pregnant! She was the paranoid type. Even when she’d used protection, she thought she was pregnant. Shit! She could have used that information a lot sooner.
“Am I missing something?” Jacques looked skeptical.
“No, no, just thinking.”
Her laughter wound down as another thought came to her.
“Hey, wait a minute. What if I choose not to go along with this mating thing? Are you telling me I’ll never be able to have children?”
That thought scared her. She’d been focusing on her career for the last several years, but one day she’d fully intended on having children. What if she couldn’t?
“Why wouldn’t you want to go through with the mating? You’re my mate.”
“Look, Jacques, I like you, I think you’re a good guy, and you’re obviously attractive, but I can’t promise that at the end of these three months, I’ll be ready or willing to go through this mating ceremony with you.”
“I see.”
She could tell he didn’t see at all.
“I’m not trying to hurt you, Jacques. I’m just trying to be honest.”
“And I appreciate your honesty. I guess I’ll need to do all I can to make you want to stay.”
He flashed a toothy grin worthy of any gator before winking and digging his fork into his food.
They ate in silence for a while, each savoring their own dish. Angel snuck glances of him from under her lashes. She didn’t know what was happening to her. Even now she was wet for him. A man she barely knew. Her nipples were drawing into hard peaks, making her ache to massage them or have him do it.
As if hearing her thoughts, Jacques looked up at her, catching her in the act of ogling him. He inhaled deeply and she could have sworn his green eyes had changed to gold. Angel bit and sucked her bottom lip before picking up her drink and taking a healthy swallow.
“Tonight, we’ll need to do our engagement ceremony.”
“Wh-what?”
“We should have done it long ago, cher . A few of the other sovereigns will be at dinner tonight, and they’ll expect to see your markings. Once your markings are certified, everyone will expect us to do the engagement ceremony.”
“I don’t know, Jacques. That seems so permanent.”
“It’s really just a formality. Nothing between us has to change.”
Angel’s mind began to swim. If she did the engagement ceremony, it meant she’d be able to sleep with him and no one would bat an eye. But she’d also be formally announcing that she’d mate with him. She couldn’t be engaged to him knowing full well she might not stay.
“Jacques, I don’t plan on staying here, my home is in Vegas. I don’t want to go through a ceremony knowing I might not be here to officially mate with you.”
“The engagement doesn’t bind you to me, cher . And you’re under no obligation to stay. It’s a formal acknowledgement that you carry my mark. It’s a really easy process. We’ll allow the sovereigns to see the mark and then the priestess from my pod will bless our union. That’s it.”
It sounded easy enough and he looked sincere. Deep down something told her Jacques was not the type to force her into doing anything she didn’t want to do. She decided she’d do it. Honestly, she wasn’t sure how long she’d be able to hold out from falling prey to his smooth Cajun accent and that fiery stare of his. As it was, she wanted to swipe his plate off the table, spread herself in front of
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