“Cool,” was all I could say to that.
Trise grinned, likely figuring we couldn’t take much more information today. “We’re just one call away if you need us.” Then they stood and left us alone in the small house.
“Still hungry?” I asked, figuring it would be the safest topic for now.
He nodded, his eyes vacant as he walked back into the kitchen and sat in front of his half-eaten plate. I had lost my appetite, but faked eating so he didn’t feel too much of my attention on him.
After minutes of silence, he finally asked, “What does mating consist of?”
Chapter Thirteen
Derek
“We need to have sex to share our magic,” Nolen explained, playing with the last bit of pancake on his plate.
Sex.
The thing I never thought about, or needed. I was going to have sex today. With Nolen. And the rulersknew.
“I haven’t done that before,” I blurted.
He frowned. “I know that.”
“You do?” Had I already told him that? Or did he just assume?
“Why would you have sex with someone else?”
“I wouldn’t,” I quickly defended.
“Exactly.”
This was so weird. I kept forgetting Nolen was from here, where mates were a thing. No one slept with other people. They stayed virgins until they found their mates. It would take some time to get used to. But thatalso meant that Nolen hadn’t been with anyone else, and I liked knowing that.
I looked into Nolen’s dark green eyes and voiced my biggest concern with mating. “What if my magic hurts yours?”
His smile was filled with fondness as he rose to offer me his hand. “I think our magic will be beautiful together. And remember, your magic can’t hurt me. We’re mates.”
“You can’t hurt your mate?”
“Why would you?”
“I get that, but you aren’t capable of it, or is it just that no one wants to?”
“I don’t think you’re capable, granted no one has tried, because why would you hurt another part of yourself?”
“Fair,” I agreed, following his steps into the bathroom.
“I would prefer a shower before we mate, and maybe we should add a bit of time outside on the grass before we do anything?”
I had a better idea. “I want us to mate on the grass.”
“You, what?” He blinked.
“I think for this to work without me falling into despair, we need to do it on the grass. The garden is secluded with the high fence, and the big tree in the corner will add more coverage as we mate.”
“I hadn’t thought about that.”
“Then it’s settled. You shower while I sit here and wait,” I closed the toilet lid and sat down, motioning for him to get a move on. I wasn’t aboutto miss the show, so I eyed him with hunger as he undressed, still looking adorably confused.
