Enhanced Read online

  “Whew!” Kat mimed wiping sweat from her brow. “That’s a lot to take in.”

  “It is,” Mei-Li said. “And the worst thing is, he won’t even talk to me or see me at all. I heard about his plans from Yipper—that’s the friend who’s making the serum,” she explained, seeing the blank looks on their faces.

  “Well why is this Yipper guy agreeing to make the serum in the first place?” Liv demanded indignantly. “He should say no—it doesn’t sound medically ethical at all.”

  “Liv is a nurse,” Sophia explained.

  “Yipper’s doing it because he’s afraid the awful memories Six has will drive him insane—if they haven’t already,” Mei-Li explained in a low voice. “And I understand his reasoning—I really do. I saw the terrible things that happened to his family and I felt just a fraction of the pain he was feeling. It was horrible—the most intense mental anguish you can imagine. And Six is feeling it times three.”

  “Is he still, though?” Liv asked. “I mean, not to sound insensitive, but how long does this emotions times three effect last after the implant is removed?”

  “Even if he’s only feeling it times one…or normally or however you want to put it, he watched his whole family die,” Mei-Li said. “That’s intensely traumatic. I can understand him wanting to get rid of those feelings.”

  “But with all the negative, he gets rid of the positive too. He’s going to be losing how he feels about you,” Lauren pointed out.

  Mei-Li looked down at the half-eaten cupcake in her hand. “I don’t know that he feels anything for me anymore. Or if he does, it’s probably just hatred for making him go through that horrible memory.”

  “Bullshit,” Kat said bluntly. “Look, pardon my French, doll but if there’s one thing I know it’s that once a Kindred male starts having feelings for you they don’t just go away. I speak from experience too—one of my husbands was determined that he was no good for me so he did his best to convince me he didn’t love me just to break us all up. Later he admitted he was head-over-heels the entire time.” She shook her head. “Completely infuriating but they can be like that sometimes.”

  Mei-Li felt a small spark of hope begin to grow in her heart.

  “So…you think he might not hate me?”

  “Why would he hate you? You didn’t force him to remember those awful memories,” Liv pointed out. “That was his choice—and as terrible as the consequences were, he’s a grown man. He needs to live with the results of his actions.”

  “Yes, but now he associates me with them—with that awful trauma,” Mei-Li said.

  “Then you make him associate you with something else,” Lauren said. “Something much nicer, if you know what I mean.”

  “I told you—he won’t see me,” Mei-Li shook her head.

  “Make him see you,” Kat suggested. “Don’t just sit here moping and letting him call the shots. Put on something cute and sexy and you go to him. Knock on his door and refuse to leave until he opens up. When he finally does and invites you in, then you can make your move.”

  Mei-Li looked at her blankly. “If you’re suggesting that I try to seduce him, I wouldn’t even know how to start. I mean, he witnessed the death of his family.”

  “Which actually happened years ago,” Liv said gently.

  “Look, we’re not saying you should go in there wearing black leather bondage gear and cracking a whip,” Kat pointed out. “But there is such a thing as sexual healing. And it sounds to me like that’s exactly what your man needs right now.”

  “Hold him,” Sophia advised softly. “Put your arms around him and don’t let go. It sounds like he lost everyone that was important to him when he was very young—let him know he’s not going to lose you, too. Not without a fight.”

  Mei-Li straightened up in bed. “You know…that’s not a bad idea. Why should I let him make this irreversible decision on his own, without my input?”

  “Now you’re talking!” Lauren grinned at her. “Sometimes you have to fight for your man.”

  “You’re right.” Mei-Li took a deep breath. “I’m not going to give up. And even if…” She nearly choked but forced herself to go on. “Even if he rejects me, at least I can tell myself I tried.”

  “And when is he supposed to take that emotion serum stuff?” Kat asked.

  “Yipper said he’d have it ready within the hour.” Mei-Li felt a sudden surge of panic. “Oh, no—I hope he hasn’t given it to Six yet!”

  “Call him on the viewscreen. Or wait—where is he going to be? Let me try something.” Sophia closed her eyes tightly for a few long moments and then opened them and smiled. “I just talked to Sylvan. He’s helping your friend in the lab—he’s a doctor so he’s always interested in new medical techniques.”

  “And Yipper hasn’t finished the serum yet?” Mei-Li asked tightly.

  “He’s finished with it but he hasn’t given it to Six yet. Sylvan said he was about to leave with it when I bespoke him. But I told him to make, uh, Kipper wait.”

  “It’s Yipper,” Mei-Li corrected automatically. “But wait—you got all that from thinking at your husband? Or do you have some kind of tiny invisible cell phone I don’t know about?”

  The girls laughed. “No phone needed—once you bond with a Kindred male, you get an instant telepathic link with them,” Liv explained.

  “It’s just one of the perks of bonding.” Kat grinned at her. “Bonding sex is pretty amazing too, though.”

  “What is bonding sex?” Mei-Li frowned. “I read something about it in the Claiming Contract but I didn’t really understand it.”

  “It’s different for every kind of Kindred,” Sophia said. “I’m, uh, not really sure what it would be like with a Dark Kindred.”

  “All I know is that Six didn’t think it would be possible to bond with his emotion damper implant still in,” Mei-Li said.

  “Well maybe it’s as simple as just being able to form that connection—the bond,” Sophia said thoughtfully. “Since the Dark Kindred start out without emotions to begin with.”

  “Maybe…” Mei-Li frowned. “So that means if I did, uh, have sex with him, it would lead to a bond?”

  “I don’t know,” Liv said honestly. “Like Sophie said, it’s different for every kind of Kindred. But if you did bond with him, would that be a problem for you? Being tied together for life? Because that’s what bonding means.”

  “It’s the deepest, most beautiful connection you can imagine,” Lauren said softly.

  “It really is pretty amazing,” Kat agreed. “Even if it does lead to multiple babies sometimes.”

  “It sounds wonderful—if Six wants it. I wouldn’t want to tie him to me if he didn’t want to be tied, though,” Mei-Li said cautiously. “I’m not looking to trap him into anything.”

  “I don’t think a bonding is possible between two people unless both of them want it,” Sophia said thoughtfully. “So I don’t think you need to worry about an accidental bonding.”

  “Just go find your man and go with the flow,” Kat advised. “But first, change your clothes. There’s nothing less sexy than a hospital johnny.”

  “I agree.” Mei-Li looked down at herself ruefully. “But I didn’t exactly come here with a full wardrobe.”

  “Well, we can help with that,” Liv said confidently. “You’re too petite to borrow anything from any of us but I think our friend Elise left some things when she and Merrick ran off to go explore the universe together.”

  “She’s about your size and she has impeccable taste,” Sophia said.

  “Her spare things are at my place,” Liv said, getting up. “Why don’t you get up and take a shower and I’ll go see what I can find.” She looked at her sister. “In the meantime, Sophie, get Sylvan again and tell him to send that Yipper guy over here. I have an idea…”

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Six paced back and forth, his long strides eating up the short distance between the fireplace and the door and back again, across the living area o