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I tried not to think about how much that sounded like a horror movie opener. “Sunny, I’d really be more comfortable if I could work in my own space.”
Sunny nodded. “I get that. The king will not risk Titus or his people capturing or hurting you. Your safety isn’t something he takes lightly, Eden.” She leveled a hard gaze at me. “And neither do I.”
We stared at each other for a long while. “Fine. Show me to your murder basement, I guess.”
Sunny gave me a quick nod that might have been a tiny bow, and led the way.
I knew from the plans I’d memorized that it was quite the trek to the basement entrance, so I took the chance to pick Sunny’s brain. “So, I know you said you aren’t mated, but what do you know about the process?”
I glanced over at her just in time to see that adorable flush return to her nose as she averted her gaze. “Oh, um. I’m not sure if I should—”
“Sunny, who the hell else, if not you?”
Her bottom lip disappeared between her teeth but at least she didn’t bother consulting her tablet first. “Well, it’s difficult to explain.”
“No, it’s not. Just start like this: First, this happens, and then this happens, then this happens, until you’ve covered it all.”
Sunny sighed, but finally gave in. “There are different stages, some say three, others say four, but I think it depends on the couple. The first stage is the scenting. After the initial interaction, when everything the other person does is a turn-on, you’ll have the irresistible urge to smell each other.”
Gross.
But also…
The first time in the study flashed into my mind. Me sitting there, about to explode, body humming, and Julian yelling about why he couldn’t scent me. “Yeah, okay, we’re past that one. What’s next?”
Sunny’s gaze fell to her feet, but not before they landed on my wrist for a beat. “There’s a blood exchange,” she whispered.
I glanced at the wrist Julian drank from. He’d healed me afterward, but could Sunny still somehow tell? I couldn’t still smell Julian on me, but could she, even after a shower?
“It’s common to take blood from each other’s wrist but sometimes,othermeans are used.” She blushed again and I wondered if she meant freaky shit like drinking from the femoral artery.
“You said blood has to be exchanged, right?”
Sunny nodded.
“Well, I guess that means we’re at stage one and a half. Julian’s had my blood but I haven’t had his.”
Sunny averted her gaze and once again her bottom lip went between her teeth.
“What’s the next phase?”
“Um, the next is the marking.”
“Marking? What’s that?”
“It’s when the pair bite each other and don’t heal it, leaving their literal mark on each other.”
Blech.I didn’t think I liked that at all. Seemed barbaric and too much like branding cattle. Maybe I could negotiate my way out of that one.
At least it wasn’t one sided.
But I had to keep reminding myself that I was using my human frame of reference to judge an entirely different culture. I had to stop being so judgy about it all.
Maybe it could be a sort of fun sex injury. Those were always nice.
“And after that?” I asked, as we headed down the twisting iron stairs into the basement.
“Some say the mark is the last step, but others say it’s when the pair share blood while—” She cleared her throat and I could already tell her face was red even without seeing it. “While engaged in sexual activities.”
