Chapter 38
Chapter
Thirty-Eight
Leda
After Bokkan and the king left, I turned to Cora.
“Are you okay?” I asked her.
She seemed confused. “What do you mean?”
“Do you feel safe? Do you want to go home?”
The furrow in her brow disappeared, and she smiled at me. “I am safe and comfortable,” she answered. “And I don’t have a home to return to. I was days away from being homeless when I was taken. Being here with Fane is better than whatever is waiting for me back on Earth.”
“Are you sure? I can help you.”
Her smile softened. “I’m sure. I like Fane.” She glanced at the door. “Actually, I have to ask you something. I know it’s really rude to ask this, but I don’t have anyone else I can talk to.”
“What do you want to ask me?”
Cora leaned forward. “How do I know if a daemon is interested in me?”
“Interested in you? As in sexually?”
She nodded, a blush creeping up her cheeks. “Yes. Is there something they do that’s different than human men?”
I thought about all the things Bokkan did for me. His attentiveness, his need to take care of me, his protectiveness.
“They don’t date the way humans do,” I explained. “Does Fane seem really interested in making sure you are comfortable? Like you’re always fed and have comfortable clothing? Does he sometimes get overprotective or possessive? Not in a toxic way, but a slightly awkward but endearing way?”
She sat back in her chair and took a deep breath. “Not really. I mean, yes, he makes sure that I get meals and clothes, but he isn’t weird about my safety. And he doesn’t growl or get grabby the way your mate did earlier.”
“I’m not sure if that means he’s interested or not,” I answered with a shrug. “That was just my experience with Bokkan. He’s been really sweet.”
“Shit.”
I grinned at her. “I take it you’re interested in a daemon?”
The pink in her cheeks returned and deepened.
I laughed a little. “Is it a certain king or someone else?”
Before she could answer, the door to the parlor opened, and Masu came in, carrying a large tray.
She paused when she saw it was just the two of us sitting there, but continued on.
The tray landed with a thunk on the small table set between the sofa and the chairs.
I wasn’t surprised it made such a loud sound.
There was a teapot, cups, a stack of small empty plates, and a serving tray that held an assortment of fruits, cheese, buttered bread, and tiny triangular cakes that I loved.
They were a lot like scones but sweeter.
Masu often drizzled them with honey or dusted them with a fine sugar.
“This looks lovely, Masu,” I said. “This is Cora. She is the king’s companion.”
Masu beamed at Cora. “It is lovely to meet you, Lady Cora. Would you like some tea?”
“Uh, yes, please.”
As Masu began pouring the tea and handing us cups, an idea struck me.
“Masu, we have some questions about the courtship and mating customs of daemons. Would you mind answering them?”
She glanced at the door. “I am not sure—”
“The king and Bokkan are chatting right now. And Cora is interested in a daemon male, but she isn’t sure if he feels the same way.”
Masu seemed hesitant until Cora said, “Please. I don’t want to get my hopes up if he isn’t interested.”
The imp sighed. “Very well. But only for a few minutes. As soon as I hear the master and king returning, I need to leave. It would be inappropriate for me to stay.”
I didn’t like that, but left it alone. We might have a limited amount of time to talk, and I didn’t want to waste it arguing about the social hierarchy in Penumbra.
Masu smoothed her skirts as she sat on the couch next to me. “What would you like to know?”
When Cora remained silent, I jumped right in. “What do daemon males do when they’re interested in a female?”
“Well, they show her their interest by trying to care for her and bringing her gifts. They try to discover what she likes to eat or her favorite things and provide them. They try to find ways to be around her as much as possible. If their mating instincts are triggered, their eyes will often glow red when they flare. If you see a red rim around their eyes, they are either aroused or on the edge of mating rage. It is very important that you never run from a daemon male if his eyes are showing even a tiny bit of red. If you do, he will not be able to stop himself from chasing you.”
I nodded since I’d experienced that firsthand.
“If you do not return his interest, it is also very important to clearly state your rejection. Silence or taking his gifts is considered acceptance of his courtship and pursuit. If you do not return his emotions, it is very important to tell him in blunt terms. Otherwise, his mating instincts will push him to keep trying to convince you to accept him.”
“Will it hurt him if he’s rejected?” Cora asked. “Like, physically?”
Masu shook her head. “He might experience a day or two of discomfort, but not pain. His mating instincts will fade fairly quickly, especially if you keep your distance from him until they do.”
“How do daemon females express their interest in males?” Cora asked.
“Well, a daemoness will usually just tell the males they find them attractive. There is often some flirting beforehand that includes touching or sparring. Oh! And available daemon females will often wear a fragrance of winterberries and spices. Daemons have an excellent sense of smell and will realize what it is as soon as they pick up the scent. I believe I have some in my room. Would you like it, Lady Cora?”
“Yes!” Cora bit her lip after her outburst. “I have some money to pay.”
Masu shook her head. “Do not trouble yourself. It was a gift from a friend, and I have no need of it now.”
As soon as Masu left the room, I turned to Cora. “You never got to answer my question. Is it the king you like?”
Cora nodded.
I clapped my hands. “That’s so cool. He seems nice. A little formal, but nice.”
“He is very formal. That’s why I’m still not sure if he’s attracted to me. Though I have seen his eyes look kind of red a couple of times.”
“That’s a good sign,” I said. “I didn’t know what it meant before, but Bokkan’s eyes turned red around me from the first day we met.”
Cora’s expression fell. “Fane’s didn’t.”
“Maybe, but it sounds like you and Fane don’t spend as much time together as Bokkan and I did. I even slept in his bed the first night.” When Cora’s eyes went wide, I hurried to explain. “He didn’t touch me like that. It just got so cold in his room that we had to share body heat.”
She nodded. “Oh, my God, yes. It is always so cold in my room at night. I’m constantly freezing unless I get up every couple of hours to add logs to the fire.”
Masu hurried back into the room, a small vial in her hand.
“Here, Lady Cora.” The imp winked. “I hope this helps you find your mate.”
“Thank you so much, Masu. Please call me Cora.”
The imp shook her head. “It is not seemly.”
Before we could continue the argument, I heard the heavy steps of two daemons, one of them my mate.
When Bokkan and the king entered the room, I noticed the daemon king’s eyes went straight to Cora. She had nothing to worry about—he was interested in her. Probably even more than she was interested in him. Even from across the room, I could feel the pull between them.
I smiled to myself.
When I looked up, Bokkan’s black eyes were on me—intense and hot. Though I didn’t have his enhanced sense of smell, I could almost feel his desire to have me alone.
The center of my left palm itched and burned. I tried to ignore the sensation. It had been bothering me for the past couple of days. I should have asked Masu about it when we were alone, but I wanted to help Cora with her daemon conundrum.
I made a mental note to ask her the next time we had some privacy… which would probably be never because Bokkan was sticking close to my side every waking hour. With any other man—er, male—it would have inspired irritation.
I’d always been independent, liking my own space and having my own hobbies. But with Bokkan, I actually enjoyed his constant company. It never felt clingy. Even when we sat in silence together, each doing our own things, his presence was comfortable.
The king and Bokkan sat down, and we had tea. It was utterly civilized, but all I could focus on was my mate. His scent seeped deep inside me with each breath I took. The spicy, smoky smell of his skin sank into my bones. I wanted to bury my face in his neck and take a bite out of him.
At the thought, my mouth watered. My nipples throbbed, and I was grateful for the sweater I wore over my shirt. The bras here in Penumbra had no padding. Without the sweater, the hardened tips of my breasts would have been visible to everyone.
My clit suddenly felt sensitive with each shift of my body on the sofa. My attention then split between Bokkan and my sex. As my skin heated, Bokkan stiffened beside me and inhaled deeply.
The king froze and hesitated as well. Without looking in my direction, he set down his cup and plate and turned to Cora. “I believe it is time for us to leave, Lady Cora,” he said.
I expected her to argue because we were in the middle of a conversation. Instead, she set aside her cup and plate and rose from her chair. Bokkan and I followed their lead, all of us walking to the front door.
I didn’t bother trying to shake the king’s hand, just nodded to him. But I did give Cora a hug.
“Please come back and see me again,” I invited her.
“Uh…” Her eyes flicked from me to Bokkan and then to the king. “I would like that.”
Bokkan backed me up. “You are always welcome and safe in my home,” he said.
Cora smiled at him, and a surge of possessiveness gripped me. A growl rumbled in my throat. The sound shocked me out of my oddly jealous behavior. I’d been spending too much time around Bokkan if I were growling at another woman for smiling at my mate.
Bokkan put an arm around me, tugging me into his side, and the last of my possessiveness vanished. We walked the king and Cora to the door and waved goodbye after they got into the carriage.