25. AHANE

Getting up the courage to ask her for an ongoing encounter had been difficult, and he wasn’t quite sure why he’d done it or how he’d managed to not mangle it.

Humans were so hard to read. She had seemed hesitant and tentative. Fearful, perhaps. Maybe skeptical. It would take time to earn her trust, especially if prior Human partners had violated her trust before. It was obvious the Greys had also abused her, and given the Grey objectives, a wide range of violations may have been visited on her.

He would have to be gentle and considerate and tender. Not that he was exactly certain how to do that, but she seemed more than willing to be clear and firm with her expectations.

His scales practically sizzled with warmth at the thought of her permitting him to explore even a small patch of her body. Even the idea of her sending him on his way after a moment was exciting. It meant he would have to earn another moment. As long as she did not end their arrangement, there would always be another chance.

Would she accept his honey? Would her lips wrap around his tip and her tongue accept him? Or would she refuse?

Focus, Ahane. And not on the fun you might have.

Another 25XA would have taken offense at the proposition, especially since he had not been permitted to demonstrate his own abilities.

It would be an insult that he perceived his potential playmate to be equally low status and undesirable, and the insult would be at least trebled given he hadn’t demonstrated his own abilities.

The last thing House 8 needed (if House 8 still existed) was for the plain brother to have an ongoing encounter arrangement with anyone. Was he an asshole for risking his House? Yes.

Was this level of attraction and desire normal? Because it did not seem typical for a casual encounter where the only concern was mutual pleasure.

Was a trinket still necessary if you had already met your Human mate? Perhaps not—Keiron had said that he hadn’t been aware of his mate once he’d gotten the trinkets, and believed that meant he didn’t have a mate. But in retrospect, it was because Chess had already insinuated herself into his awareness. Although Keiron had also revealed it had taken time for his connection to Chess to grow, and he had been in disbelief when he’d bound inside her. In the Gestalt, trinket mates knew when they met each other.

He and Thalia had met under unusual circumstances, although he had been in that corridor as part of a plan formed long before they’d arrived at the darksite. That did not mean that the cosmos had not put Thalia where he was sure to find her.

What would you do if your mate showed up for YOU?

Everyone here already believed they were mates and he was doing something so shameful the only reason he hadn’t been shot was for her sake. The only reason he could know for certain was if he bound inside her or got her to a temple and his tail changed shapes like Keiron’s had.

Except Keiron was the Twilight Scion.

The High Priest at the inquest had said that Keiron had been summoned, and that his tail had unfurled in the well of the stars.

Ahane glanced at the dull red scales on his forearm.

Keiron was the Twilight Scion. He was not.

The only known proof was binding. Binding was extremely rare, even for top-tier trinket couples. It might happen once in a lifetime, if it happened at all. He had never intended on actually coupling with Thalia—it seemed too dangerous. He had planned to not suggest it and refuse if she did.

If it was assured to happen, perhaps it would have been worth suggesting.

What if your mate comes looking for YOU?

Perhaps she already had?