* * *
Nick lowered his head, putting his lips to her neck, the temptation to bite her, to pierce her skin was hard to resist. He wouldn't do that, not without her consent, instead he kissed her, running his tongue over the soft skin. He thrust deep into her, pushing her closer. He cupped one breast, flicking his thumb over the taut peak. He could tell she was close. He pushed her further, sliding his hand between them and pressing his thumb over her clit. She exploded, clenching around him time and again. He felt her teeth against his shoulder as she bit down there and he couldn't hold out any longer he groaned her name as he exploded deep inside her.
"Kitten," Nick whispered. "You've got to let go." He held as still as he could, if she hadn't already broken the skin he didn't want to do it accidentally. He felt the grip of her teeth loosen. When she'd released him, he rolled off her, not wanting to crush her with his weight. He tried to look at the bite on his shoulder but he couldn't see it well enough to tell anything. He reached over to the table beside the bed and switched on the light. They both shielded their eyes for a few seconds, until the bright light no longer stung.
"Kitten, I need you to look at this for me." He turned so she could see the bite mark. "Did you break the skin?"
* * *
It took Rebecca a few seconds to realize what he was asking. She looked at the mark she had given him. "It's bruised, but the skin's not broken." She reached up and ran her fingertips softly over the mark. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. Something came over me and I couldn't resist."
"It's all right, kitten. I wanted to do the same to you, but I didn't want to force you."
"What do you mean 'force' me?" She asked, confused.
"Has no one explained mating to you?" Nick was taken aback.
"I know about mating. It's the sensation that tells you when someone could be your mate," she replied.
"What about how a mating is confirmed, sealed in place?" He prompted.
Rebecca could only blink at him, having never heard of such a thing. "You've never been told how to seal a mating?" he asked
She shook her head.
Nick lay on his back before reaching over and pulling her close. She lay along his side as he pulled the blankets up over them.
"Here, let's get comfortable and I'll explain it." He wrapped one arm around her as she snuggled against his side, laying her head on his shoulder. "You good?" He knew he was delaying the inevitable.
Rebecca bent one leg over his and curled an arm over his chest before nodding against his shoulder.
"Sealing a mating is very simple, kitten. A piercing bite during orgasm ties the bitten to the biter for the rest of their life." He put it as simply as he could. Then he lay quietly, holding her while the implications of the information sunk in, and the questions he knew would come started.
"Ties how? What does sealing a mating mean exactly?"
"When done properly, and both parties are sealed, it means that their lives are tied together irrevocably. They're bonded, physically and psychically. Mates always know when the other is injured and just the nearness of a mate can speed healing. Sometimes it can give the couple extra powers, telepathy, sharing energy, that kind of thing, but only between each other."
"Wow." Rebecca was silent for a moment. "So what you're telling me is that if I'd broken the skin when I bit you, I would be mated to you for the rest of my life?" She wanted to make sure she had it straight.
"No, I would have been mated to you. You would be free to do as you please." Nick took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "It has to go both ways for it to be a true sealed mating."
"I don't get it." She was confused. "You said a bite that breaks the skin during sex will seal the bitten to the other? If that's true, then why don't the non-mated couples in my old Chanat seal themselves to each other?"
"That's not quite all there is to it. There are a several elements required for it to work. First, the bitten must be a potential mate. If they aren't then their body won't accept the hormone that seals the mating. Second, the biter must be a potential mate, or the hormone isn't released. Third, the hormone is only released during orgasm. Biting at any other time during sex or with someone not potentially your mate, while erotic, is harmless."
"So what you're saying is I'm potentially your mate?" She was catching on.
"You are," he confirmed. "I'm pretty sure I’m potentially yours as well."
"Then, why didn't you want…" For some reason the thought that he didn't want to be her mate hurt.
"Hold on a second there, kitten." He squeezed her tighter to his side with the arm she lay on, cutting her off mid-sentence. "It's not that I don't want you. I think I've already proven otherwise." He chuckled. "I already told you, I didn't want to force you. You're already on the run from someone trying to force you into marriage. I don't want to give you the same reason to run from me. Besides, I want you to choose me, not get stuck with me."
Rebecca didn't know what to say to that, so she kept silent, hugging as she held back her tears. She wasn't even sure why she was crying.
"Get some rest." Nick softly kissed the top of her head. "We can talk about it more in the morning if you want."
* * *
Nick held her close, enjoying the feeling of her next to him. He lay awake listening to her breathe long after she fell asleep. He knew he could easily love her and he wasn't sure what he'd do if she decided to leave. He hoped he didn't have to find out.
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