“He doesn’t look so great.”
“No. He’s not responding to the blood as he should. I’m going to ask Lila for a pint of hers to keep him going until she’s ready to bond. If I don’t, he will be worse than feral when I wake him, and he may kill Lila in the bonding process.”
“Will that seal the blood rose bond?” I ask with a bit of hesitation in my voice, and he shakes his head.
“No, I specifically called and spoke to the queen’s physician, because this was a concern of mine too. He said that to seal a blood rose bond, they both need to drink each other’s blood. Infusing it into him should be enough to sustain him physically, but it won’t seal that bond.”
I relax once he finishes speaking. “I think Lila is just waiting for her visit with Susie to be over, then she said she’ll do it. She said she wasn’t sure if it was a long process, and I think she’s partly worried she won’t survive it,” I tell him, not hiding the concern in my voice or the frown on my face.
Link sighs, places his tablet to the side, and puts his hands on my shoulders. When I’m in human form, we’re basically eye to eye, and this close, I notice how good he smells, and I feel my beast rumble with attraction.
“I promise you, Cas, I would not put your mate at risk. From everything I’ve read, and with confirmation from the royal physician, the need for the blood rose to survive and flourish far outweighs the hunger, despite how feral he looks. But what makes this a little tricky is the time delay. While she’s making her decision, his body is fading away, so the need to survive kicks in and it becomes more violent than a normal bonding. But we will do as they suggest to keep Lila safe and Saxon from slipping away. Okay?”
I nod, his hands heavy but comforting on my shoulders. I inhale deeply, drawing in his scent and letting it wrap around us. A purring sound comes out of my mouth, and his eyebrows jump in surprise. His silver eyes turn a little liquid before a blush spreads from his neck to his cheeks. That’s so fucking cute. He’s so sure and capable in some respects, but in others, he’s a little shy and restrained. It’s weird, considering he’s the heir to Pleasure Bot Industries. One would think he’d have a whole range of sexual tricks up his sleeves. I look down at those sleeves, which are pushed backed, showcasing his sexy forearms. I start to lean toward him before I catch myself and stumble backward.
“Shit, sorry, my beast is attracted to you, and I won’t deny that I’m not upset about it. He seems to be hellbent on making sure that Lila has all these strong men around her, and what better way to secure that than to seduce you as well.” I shake my head. “I really don’t know what he’s thinking. Every time I try to communicate with him, he growls, bares his teeth, and mimes biting like he wants to mate all of you too.” I sit down on one of the chairs and place my head in my hands. “I’m so fucking confused, I have no idea what to do.”
He takes a seat next to me and places a reassuring hand on my leg, but my cock jumps in my pants, a mind of its own.
“It’s okay, really, but it’s safe to assume that while Lila got some of your powers, she may have given you her Skarrian mating ways because she had nothing else to give you. Have you ever thought that you, too, may be polyamorous now, and his need to bite is his way to ensure you can seal that Skarrian mating bond with the people you are attracted to?”
I lift my head as my mouth drops open in surprise. “Holy shit! I never even thought about that. I’ve been so focused on her shifting that it didn’t even dawn on me that I could have received Skarrian powers.”
Link sits back, and I miss the feel of his hand on my leg. “It makes sense to me. Though I’m not sure how she’s going to take it if you are interested in bringing other women into the bond. I doubt she’s going to be upset if you’re attracted to some of the same men she is though.”
I think carefully about whether I want to mate with another woman, and my beast goes berserk inside. I groan in pain as I wrestle to keep control as he tries to burst out of my skin in anger. “Fuck.”
Link jumps to his feet. “Shit, are you okay? Do you need me to check you over?” He sounds frantic, and I hold up my hand to stop him as he lifts his hand to scan me.
“It’s okay. I think it’s safe to say my beast is perfectly happy with Lila. The thought of another woman makes him beyond furious.”
“Oh.” Link calms down. “That’s a good thing then.” He pauses momentarily to collect his thoughts before continuing. “Look, I suggest you talk to her about it, and then talk about it with anyone your beast wants to mate with.” He turns away from me and presses a couple of buttons on his tablet. “You might be surprised by their response.”
He doesn’t wait for me to answer before picking up a medical bag and walking out of the clinic, and I have to hurry to catch up. Before I can bring up what he just said, he presses a couple buttons on the wall outside the clinic in the reception area. “Okay, Saxon should be safe while we’re away. I’ve got everything I need to take Lila’s blood. Let’s go have a late supper with our girl. I doubt she’ll sleep much tonight with her friend arriving tomorrow.”
Again, Link doesn’t wait for me to respond before he heads out of the reception area and in the direction of the transport room. By the time I’ve recovered from his shocking announcement, I have to run to catch up with him. When I do, I leave the conversation alone for now. I need to discuss all of this with Lila first. I stay a step behind him once I catch up, because I have no shame staring at his ass while I wait.
Lila
The boys and I had a late supper from room service, because I didn’t want them to have to wear their glamours in public, and then we spent the evening just hanging out and watching movies. It was nice to just relax and have a bit of quiet. Once Link took a pint of my blood and stuck it in the fridge, they turned on the TV and quickly became completely enthralled with theTiger Kingseries. I went to bed alone, leaving them to binge watch it with beer and junk food. They barely even looked up from it as I kissed them all goodnight.
I can’t say I didn’t giggle about that for about ten minutes when I finally climbed into bed after brushing my teeth and washing my face. It’s nice to see their amazement at new things for a change. I would have liked to stay up and watch with them, but Susie messaged and said she would be here by lunchtime, and I want to get some shopping done first thing in the morning.
John slipped a black Mastercard into my pocket before I left the show, and when I argued, he just held up his hand. “It was your parents’ money and is your inheritance. The lawyer you saw arranged everything to be transferred into your name. I overheard you telling Caspian the other day that you wanted to shop because we are leaving Earth for a little while and you need supplies. Buy what you need and have them deliver it to the front gate. The guards at the front gate will take the packages for you.”
“Thank you.” I wrapped my arms around him in a hug and his came up to embrace me too. The hug was comforting and something I hadn’t realized I needed at that moment.
“I’m just sorry they are not here to see what an amazing woman you’ve grown into. They would be proud of you, Lila.” He sounded choked up and quickly pulled away and took off, leaving Eric and William behind.
“Be patient with him. He has dramatic mood swings occasionally. At the moment, he’s on a downward spiral,” Eric said softly, the most serious I’d seen him since he yelled at me when he found out about my and Cas’s mating.
“Is there anything I can do?” I asked, but William just shook his head gently, sympathy shining in his eyes.
“No, but he’ll be alright. And Lila, that card is spelled. It will change to the right card for the right planet we are on and access the funds from the galaxy wide bank account you have. It takes money from a different one on Earth.”
So tomorrow I have some major shopping to do. I need more clothes, including pretty things for date nights with my guys, practical everyday things, workout wear, and underwear. I also need all the snacks that I’m not going to be able to get when I’m in space—Twizzlers, Snickers, Reese’s Pieces, and Jolly Ranchers. I’m going to need craft stuff and boardgames as well, because I can’t go that long without any of my things. Not to mention tampons and coffee. I don’t know if alien species get periods, but I damn well do, and there’s no way I’m going to get caught on a different planet when Aunt Flow arrives unexpectedly. I wonder if I will get my period now that I’m carrying Cas’s eggs. I mean, technically they are not my fertilized eggs, so will I still need to shed my uterine lining monthly, or is that on hold because three little invaders have made a cozy nest out of it and have settled in for winter hibernation? It’s something to ask Caspian or Link in the morning.
The last thing I want to do on my outing is go shopping for books. When I checked the account balance of the card John gave me, I choked on my drink and liquid flew out of my nose, hitting the laptop screen. There’s no shortage of money in the account. In fact, it’s safe to say I’m a fairly wealthy woman now, so I plan on buying a kindle and loading it up with thousands of books—monster porn, dark and dirty, reverse harem, alien abduction and breeding kinks, and anything that takes my interest.
