his elbows on his knees and said, “I’m afraid I’m going to hurt Lachlyn with my claws.”
“You won’t. Your beast will know what to do when the time is right, even if it’s not your normal mating marks. The same way that you’ll know how to mark her neck with your fangs, you’ll know how to mark her arm and my chest. It’s important to Lachlyn that you participate in this mating ceremony, too.”
He nodded. “I don’t want to let her down.”
Jericho chuckled. “You won’t.”
After resting for a while longer, they gathered the tools and headed back to the boarding house. Lachlyn was playing catch in the backyard with the kids, and she greeted him and Alek warmly. The night couldn’t come fast enough, and he settled quickly into bed with Lachlyn tucked safely between him and Alek.
Chapter 11
Lachlyn took extra time Saturday afternoon getting ready for the mating ceremony. She wished that her parents were still alive so she could talk to her mom about the ceremony. She was certain that her parents would approve of her mating Jericho and Alek. They’d always liked Jericho, even in spite of his dad being an utter lunatic, and Alek was a sweetheart who they would definitely have liked. They might have even moved up here to Ashland, too.
Sending up a silent, thankful prayer to her parents for protecting and loving her, she shifted her thoughts to the mating ceremony and continued to get ready. She shaved her body carefully, and smoothed unscented lotion into her skin. She didn’t want to use anything with perfume in it, because it would interfere with her mates’ ability to enjoy her natural scent. She fixed her auburn hair back in a French braid and dressed in a simple, pale blue sundress. Slipping on a pair of sandals, she grabbed a tote that she had filled with a change of clothes. They weren’t taking any electronics, and she was looking forward to unplugging for the night and just enjoying their mating time.
Mating ceremonies were done privately, but the basics were taught to the males and females in the den when they were old enough to understand the significance of finding a mate and treating them right. Males were given the responsibility of preparing everything, and Jericho and Alek had been working very hard for the last two days to get ready.
Just as she was about to open the door and go downstairs, someone knocked and Jericho and Alek walked in with two trays of food.
“I thought we were eating with the family?” She put her bag down on the dresser.
“It’s a full house down there, and we wanted to eat and get going,” Jericho said, putting his tray on the bed and motioning for her to get on the bed. She sat down in the middle of the bed, and Jericho and Alek climbed up. Alek’s tray joined Jericho’s on the bed.
Alek cut a piece of pork loin and held the fork up in front of her lips. She arched a brow at him and he smiled, shyly. “Indulge us, love.”
Her heart warmed at the term of endearment. She was definitely falling for Alek. He was sweet and kind, and one of the most sincere men she’d ever known. And handsome. And sexy. Very sexy.
She opened her mouth and ate the bite of food, and they spent the next several minutes in silence while Alek and Jericho took turns feeding her apple glazed pork loin and mashed sweet potatoes. When she was full, they ate the leftovers quickly, and she followed them down the stairs as they carried the trays into the kitchen.
The kids all rushed over to the door and hugged them goodbye, except for Henry who waved from the table. He was a little too old to act as enthusiastically as the younger ones. She’d quickly become fond of all the kids, who were full of energy and curiosity, always game to play outside or read a book or offer her a rematch in the video games that she couldn’t play well.
“We’ll see you tomorrow morning,” Alek promised,
“You won’t. Your beast will know what to do when the time is right, even if it’s not your normal mating marks. The same way that you’ll know how to mark her neck with your fangs, you’ll know how to mark her arm and my chest. It’s important to Lachlyn that you participate in this mating ceremony, too.”
He nodded. “I don’t want to let her down.”
Jericho chuckled. “You won’t.”
After resting for a while longer, they gathered the tools and headed back to the boarding house. Lachlyn was playing catch in the backyard with the kids, and she greeted him and Alek warmly. The night couldn’t come fast enough, and he settled quickly into bed with Lachlyn tucked safely between him and Alek.
Chapter 11
Lachlyn took extra time Saturday afternoon getting ready for the mating ceremony. She wished that her parents were still alive so she could talk to her mom about the ceremony. She was certain that her parents would approve of her mating Jericho and Alek. They’d always liked Jericho, even in spite of his dad being an utter lunatic, and Alek was a sweetheart who they would definitely have liked. They might have even moved up here to Ashland, too.
Sending up a silent, thankful prayer to her parents for protecting and loving her, she shifted her thoughts to the mating ceremony and continued to get ready. She shaved her body carefully, and smoothed unscented lotion into her skin. She didn’t want to use anything with perfume in it, because it would interfere with her mates’ ability to enjoy her natural scent. She fixed her auburn hair back in a French braid and dressed in a simple, pale blue sundress. Slipping on a pair of sandals, she grabbed a tote that she had filled with a change of clothes. They weren’t taking any electronics, and she was looking forward to unplugging for the night and just enjoying their mating time.
Mating ceremonies were done privately, but the basics were taught to the males and females in the den when they were old enough to understand the significance of finding a mate and treating them right. Males were given the responsibility of preparing everything, and Jericho and Alek had been working very hard for the last two days to get ready.
Just as she was about to open the door and go downstairs, someone knocked and Jericho and Alek walked in with two trays of food.
“I thought we were eating with the family?” She put her bag down on the dresser.
“It’s a full house down there, and we wanted to eat and get going,” Jericho said, putting his tray on the bed and motioning for her to get on the bed. She sat down in the middle of the bed, and Jericho and Alek climbed up. Alek’s tray joined Jericho’s on the bed.
Alek cut a piece of pork loin and held the fork up in front of her lips. She arched a brow at him and he smiled, shyly. “Indulge us, love.”
Her heart warmed at the term of endearment. She was definitely falling for Alek. He was sweet and kind, and one of the most sincere men she’d ever known. And handsome. And sexy. Very sexy.
She opened her mouth and ate the bite of food, and they spent the next several minutes in silence while Alek and Jericho took turns feeding her apple glazed pork loin and mashed sweet potatoes. When she was full, they ate the leftovers quickly, and she followed them down the stairs as they carried the trays into the kitchen.
The kids all rushed over to the door and hugged them goodbye, except for Henry who waved from the table. He was a little too old to act as enthusiastically as the younger ones. She’d quickly become fond of all the kids, who were full of energy and curiosity, always game to play outside or read a book or offer her a rematch in the video games that she couldn’t play well.
“We’ll see you tomorrow morning,” Alek promised,
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