The first time.”
“You mean, when I said I’d marry you if you could catch me?” Jenny gazed up at the stars. “Is that what you’re asking, Damien? For me to marry you?”
Damien grunted in frustration. “I’m not doing this very well. It’s more complicated than that.”
Devlin’s head rested on his huge paws, his eyes half-lidded, but Jenny could tell he was listening very closely. She wondered what he thought about this proposal. Was he jealous?
“We’re not human, Jenny. Don’t think for a moment that we are, just because we resemble humans on the surface. We live by different rules.” He rubbed a hand through his hair again. “Okay. Weyr bear two kinds of young. One is a breeding pair. A set of male twins who will be Bound to that weyr’s land, and carry on when the alpha passes away.
“The other is a female. If a weyr female mates with a weyr male, all her offspring, of whichever sex, will be weyr. Able to shift, like we do.
“If a weyr female mates with a human, their children will appear normal. They won’t be Bound unless they mate with another weyr. But the Blood still flows in their veins. They aren’t able to shift, but they’re healthier, stronger, more in tune with the pulse of the earth.
Sometimes, they’re aware of their difference. Sometimes, they’re completely oblivious to it.”
Jenny shifted restlessly. “What does this have to do with me, Damien?”
His arm tightened around her shoulder. “You’re weyr, Jen.”
“What?” She sat up and stared at him.
“You’re weyr. The Blood runs in your veins.”
52 Rachel Bo
She shook her head. “That can’t be.” But even as she denied it, she felt a stirring inside.
“How can you know?”
Damien shrugged. “There’s more than one sign. We can smell it on you, for one thing.
And there’s a ... a pull. The Blood whispers, when you’re near.” He smiled. “We feel and hear so many things, Jen. Things that humans are blind to. I know a million things about you that you don’t know yourself. Like the fact that you’re ovulating right now.”
Jenny stared. What an odd thing to choose to tell her. “I’m ovulating.”
Damien nodded. “Yes.” He noticed her expression and tried to explain. “That’s why Dev and I have avoided having vaginal intercourse with you on the same night. Weyr reproduction is different from humans. Individually, our sperm can’t impregnate you -- they’re inert. But together, intermingled within your body, each acts as a catalyst for the other.” He leaned forward. “And it wouldn’t be a question of whether you would become pregnant, only what type of litter you would bear.”
He started to say more, but Jenny cut in. “So, you’re telling me that if I ever have sex with you both, that particular way, on the same night, I’ll definitely get pregnant.”
Damien nodded.
“What about using condoms?”
Devlin snorted, as Damien shook his head. Thinking back on their size, and the ferocity of their encounters, Jenny figured they were probably right. It wouldn’t work.
“Well, that’s all right. Dev was protecting me from getting pregnant. I can understand that.” Even as she said it, she felt a deep foreboding. Damien was working his way up to something big, but she couldn’t imagine what it could be. Devlin rubbed his cheek against her leg, looking up at her with compassionate eyes, as though he sensed her anxiety.
Damien’s next words confirmed her thoughts. “Jen, it’s not just that. Dev hasn’t shifted.
That’s because he’s still protecting you.”
Rated: X-mas: Twice Blessed
53
“From what? You?” She shook her head. “Quit beating around the bush, Damien. Just tell me what’s going on.”
“Dev and I want you. To make you ours. Forever.”
Jenny’s heart did a joyful flip, but she forced down the sudden elation. She barely knew these men, and they weren’t even human. “This is happening fast, Damien. Can’t we just keep seeing each
“You mean, when I said I’d marry you if you could catch me?” Jenny gazed up at the stars. “Is that what you’re asking, Damien? For me to marry you?”
Damien grunted in frustration. “I’m not doing this very well. It’s more complicated than that.”
Devlin’s head rested on his huge paws, his eyes half-lidded, but Jenny could tell he was listening very closely. She wondered what he thought about this proposal. Was he jealous?
“We’re not human, Jenny. Don’t think for a moment that we are, just because we resemble humans on the surface. We live by different rules.” He rubbed a hand through his hair again. “Okay. Weyr bear two kinds of young. One is a breeding pair. A set of male twins who will be Bound to that weyr’s land, and carry on when the alpha passes away.
“The other is a female. If a weyr female mates with a weyr male, all her offspring, of whichever sex, will be weyr. Able to shift, like we do.
“If a weyr female mates with a human, their children will appear normal. They won’t be Bound unless they mate with another weyr. But the Blood still flows in their veins. They aren’t able to shift, but they’re healthier, stronger, more in tune with the pulse of the earth.
Sometimes, they’re aware of their difference. Sometimes, they’re completely oblivious to it.”
Jenny shifted restlessly. “What does this have to do with me, Damien?”
His arm tightened around her shoulder. “You’re weyr, Jen.”
“What?” She sat up and stared at him.
“You’re weyr. The Blood runs in your veins.”
52 Rachel Bo
She shook her head. “That can’t be.” But even as she denied it, she felt a stirring inside.
“How can you know?”
Damien shrugged. “There’s more than one sign. We can smell it on you, for one thing.
And there’s a ... a pull. The Blood whispers, when you’re near.” He smiled. “We feel and hear so many things, Jen. Things that humans are blind to. I know a million things about you that you don’t know yourself. Like the fact that you’re ovulating right now.”
Jenny stared. What an odd thing to choose to tell her. “I’m ovulating.”
Damien nodded. “Yes.” He noticed her expression and tried to explain. “That’s why Dev and I have avoided having vaginal intercourse with you on the same night. Weyr reproduction is different from humans. Individually, our sperm can’t impregnate you -- they’re inert. But together, intermingled within your body, each acts as a catalyst for the other.” He leaned forward. “And it wouldn’t be a question of whether you would become pregnant, only what type of litter you would bear.”
He started to say more, but Jenny cut in. “So, you’re telling me that if I ever have sex with you both, that particular way, on the same night, I’ll definitely get pregnant.”
Damien nodded.
“What about using condoms?”
Devlin snorted, as Damien shook his head. Thinking back on their size, and the ferocity of their encounters, Jenny figured they were probably right. It wouldn’t work.
“Well, that’s all right. Dev was protecting me from getting pregnant. I can understand that.” Even as she said it, she felt a deep foreboding. Damien was working his way up to something big, but she couldn’t imagine what it could be. Devlin rubbed his cheek against her leg, looking up at her with compassionate eyes, as though he sensed her anxiety.
Damien’s next words confirmed her thoughts. “Jen, it’s not just that. Dev hasn’t shifted.
That’s because he’s still protecting you.”
Rated: X-mas: Twice Blessed
53
“From what? You?” She shook her head. “Quit beating around the bush, Damien. Just tell me what’s going on.”
“Dev and I want you. To make you ours. Forever.”
Jenny’s heart did a joyful flip, but she forced down the sudden elation. She barely knew these men, and they weren’t even human. “This is happening fast, Damien. Can’t we just keep seeing each
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