Page 45 of It Varies
He leaned in and rubbed his cheek along hers, and she blinked in surprise.“Oh.Wait.Is this a scenting thing?”
He chuckled.“Instincts are instincts, and with the pixies around, there will be more of our kind around you.I want to make sure that things are clear between us.”
“There is an us now?”
He pressed his forehead to hers.“I would like there to be.I would like to be allowed to convince you.”
She looked at him and cocked her head.“How are you at massages?Out of the water?”
He grinned.“Oh, very skilled.I am a massage therapist and physiotherapist.It is amazing how many certifications you can rack up if you have a long life span.”
She snorted.“I would like to test that skillset, but not today.Tonight, we are doing a barbeque for the ladies and maybe three of the pixies.”
His arms tightened.“May I attend?”
“Do you eat ribs?”
Mao laughed.
Kazuya nodded.“I do.”
“Fine.I will text you the address when I am back at my phone.”
Mao smiled.“I brought your clothing up.”
She looked at her leg.“How long until the giant hickey collection fades?”
Kazuya looked, and he got smug.
“Oh, you forgot that you marked me from shoulders to toes.”She chuckled.She flexed her feet and rubbed her thighs together.“I am guessing you also have a form without fingernails.”
He smiled.“I do.I can’t help you breathe with it, though.”
“Ah.But isn’t that what the mucus does?”
He chuckled.“You were paying attention.Yes, if I coated you in it, you would have about three hours of breathable air.”
“That sounds...slippery.”
He sighed happily, his chest moving against her arm.“Yes.”
“Fine.Arrive around five.Bring a side dish.We are doing it in the back yard, so dress accordingly.”She started to wiggle against him.“I have to get going, or Jennika will either destroy or eat all the meat.”
He held her close.“Just a little more to soothe me.”
“Soothe?”
She looked at him and saw a bright spark in his black-on-black eyes.“Oh, heck.How long have you been at the edge of rut?”
He caressed her cheek.“It does not normally happen, but it started last night.”
“Ah.One of the betas at the event?”
“No, it appears that I am set for omega only.Omega mage specifically.”
Mao tried to get away, but he hissed a little, and Vine laughed.“Use your arms.It’s not decorous, but it is less painful.”
He nodded, grunted, and pushed himself to standing on quivering legs.Mao staggered away, and she looked at Kazuya, smiling.She asked, “Was it something you said?”
