“You and Sorin are weirdos. Shut it!” Jen turned back to Zara. “The rest of us completely understand. The maleCanis lupussort of loses his ability to think rationally when his female doesn’t simply go with the flow of what he thinks is best, safe, yada, yada.”
Zara could only agree. Wadim had never responded to her so dominantly. In fact, she thought he’d have her clothes off before the words left her mouth. Instead, he’d immediately closed the bond and started listing off reasons why she couldn’t possibly be ready to take that next step. “He told me I hadn’t had time to process my trauma, and that if we moved too fast, I would wind up regretting it and could be traumatized more.”
Jen frowned. “What’s he planning on doing? Stringing you up with a sex swing while wielding a crop and telling you to count your spankings for not calling him sir?”
“I don’t want to know why you just said that or how you even know what a sex swing is, or about spankings and… I think I’m going to puke.” Sally’s words spilled out, and her face actually turned a little green.
“Oh,shut up, Felicia.” Jen huffed. “I’d give my right boob if you’d tell me honestly Costin hasn’t spanked you at leastonce. And I bet you even liked it.”
“Why’s it always the right boob?” Jacque tilted her head and looked at her friend.
Zara heard a coughing to her right and glanced over to see Rachel wiping hot chocolate from her mouth. The healer glanced at Zara,and her shoulders shook with silent laughter. Zara agreed, but she wasn’t sure if the trio was actually trying to be funny or if they genuinely meant what they said.
“How often has she offered up her right boob is the better question,” Elle said.
Peri pointed her glass at her fae comrade. “What she said. Why would you want to be lopsided?”
“I think I remember the sex swing thing was in the book,” Bethany said, her finger tapping her chin.
“Told ya we should get the book,” Jen murmured.
Rachel walked over and took the empty seat on the other side of Zara. The healer’s lips turned up in a gentle smile. “They mean well, but focus isn’t their strong suit.”
Zara glanced around the room. “Yeah, I’m starting to figure that out.”
Rachel’s face sobered as she met Zara’s eyes. “How many days ago did this happen?”
“Six.”
“Have you two talked about it since then?” the healer asked.
“A few times, buthe usually just shutsme down with ‘I’ve got lights to put up.’” Zara rolled her eyes. “Since our argument in the sitting room, the day that Jen called me out in the kitchen, he won’t stop to talk.” She paused and glanced at Jen. “Thanks for that.”
Jen raised her mug. “That’s what I’m here for.”
“We’ve just sort of been existing together. Small talk. How was your day, are you going to bed yet, can I get you something to eat? I think he’s hoping I’ll just forget.”
“Forget that you want to finish the mate bond?” Jacque asked. “The thing you two were literally created for?”
“Just because he’s the pack historian doesn’t make him a genius,” Crina pointed out.
“Good one,” Jen said, holding up her hand for Crina to high five it.
“You’ll probably just have to do what I did,” Bethany spoke up.
Jen’s mouth formed anOand she nodded. “Yes, that. You totally need to do that.”
“What?” Zara asked, not entirely sure if she should try anything that Jen was so excited about.
“Drake and I went through something similar. He decided he couldn’t be intimate with me because he was afraid of hurting me. But”—she held up a finger—“he had no problem kissing me andteasing me with seduction. So, I decided to give him a taste of his own medicine. I stripped down naked and told him I was going to stay naked until he stopped being ridiculous.”
“She even answered the door naked.” Jen gave a proud grin. “If I didn’t know she had a vagina, because I literallyknowshe has a vagina, I’d say this girl has a solid pair of balls.”
Peri held up a hand. “Can I just point out thatba—”
“No!” Sally and Jacque said at the same time.
“And it worked?” Zara asked. “You being naked proved to be too much of a temptation?”
