“Why didn’t you bring this up when I was there?”
“I was waiting for you to tell me yourself. Honestly, I was more shocked that Silver was willing to form the bond than you were. Your feelings have been obvious since I hit puberty. It was a big eye opener for me. I thought he was just using you all of these years, taking advantage, but it’s a big relief to be proved wrong. I should have trusted your instincts. I’m sorry for making it so difficult for you. That’s why you didn’t tell us during your visit, isn’t it? You couldn’t bring yourself to disappoint us.”
“What do you mean?”
“Look, I get it now. Now that he’s proven—”
“No, Nate,” Nuri felt like the ground was falling out from under him, “what do you mean by that? Proven himself how?”
“The Swiftbond?” Nate was the one sounding confused now. “He—Holy shit. Do you not know?”
“What doyouknow? Yes, we’ve got the bond. But I fail to see how you would be pleased to learn that your brother can’t sleep with anyone else—”
“Why would you want to sleep with someone else?”
“Nate.”
“Sorry. I just don’t get it. You love him, don’t you?”
That…He couldn’t even deal with that question at the moment.
“The point is,” he stated firmly, “this bond causes my body to grow addicted to his…fluids, and thus makes it impossible for me to ever choose to be with someone else in the future. It traps me.”
“Good Light, you really don’t know.” Nate cursed. “I can’t believe he didn’t tell you. Wait, no. I can believe it actually. That’s so like him. Fucking bastard.”
“Nate.”
“Yeah, fine, sorry. I just…I can’t believe I have to be the one to tell you this.”
“Tell me what?” If he didn’t hurry up and spit it out, Nuri was going to lose his mind.
“While it’s true the bond ensures a Swifts mate becomes reliant on them to get off, that’s pretty much to ensure their survival. The bond itself is actually more about the Swift giving up control to their partner.”
“Bullshit.”
“I’m serious,” Nate said. “Tying themselves to one person means they willingly become reliant on that sexual partner to regulate them. During the full moon, this is especially the case. The chaotic energy can build up without release. Swifts don’t make this decision lightly, and most go their entire lives without ever choosing a mate to form the bond with. It’s just too risky. Hell, choosing wrong can lead to a death sentence even.”
Nuri’s heart stopped. “What?”
“The Swift can’t exist long without release with his partner. Any non-Swift in the bond can walk away—become celibate, sure, but they can still choose to leave. That isn’t the case for the Swift. That energy is funneled into their mate through fluid release. This is what actually causes the mate to grow ‘addicted’. Apparently, they feel euphoric from it. I mean, that much you know, obviously.”
“You’re saying Silver could die.”
“Well, yeah. If you left him or refused to sleep with him for long enough, he could. It’s a full moon there this week, right? The days leading up to it, the day of, and the day after, that’s when Swifts are affected most. Not getting to relieve themselves then could potentially cause internal damage. The chaotic energy can supposedly tear them apart from the inside.”
“How do you know all of this?” Could Nuri really believe this? The Swifts were secretive.
“I’m friends with a guy,” Nate replied. “Berga Obsidian. Trust me, he knows everything there is to know about other species. When he found out my emperor is a Swift, he talked my ears off for hours. I wouldn’t be surprised if I know more about Swifts than Silver does.”
Was there a chance Silver didn’t know—
No, that was stupid.
Of course he knew.
But then why…?
Why?
