Page 52 of Hooves & HeartStrings

“Oh, go, you overprotective brute.” His mom swats his thigh. “I’m not going to hurt or scare her. I have girl things to talk to her about.” She wags her eyebrows at me, and Lucius groans again.

“Mom.”

“Go on.” She smiles and winks at him.

“I’ll be okay, babe. Go help your dad. Make mine medium would ya?” I smile at him.

Lucius reluctantly follows his dad outside, leaving me with his mom.

She turns to me with a kind smile. “So, Marley, tell me about your sex life with my son.”

Is she for real? This is what she wants to talk about. She's not shy, and there's no "this is my son, so I don't wanna know" to be seen. She’s diving right in.

“Don’t be shy. I don’t need to know every sordid detail, but I do want to help you if I can. I’ve been there. Well, mine is a full centaur, so between you and me, you’re getting off easy.” She laughs a deep belly laugh.

I can feel my face heat up, and I stammer, “Um, it’s…good. But…”

“But?” she prompts, leaning in slightly.

I take a deep breath. “Will it ever fit?”

She bursts into laughter, a warm, comforting sound. “Oh, honey, it will. It takes some practice, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be blissed out of your mind. Is he taking care of you? That’s the most important part of getting it in there. You need to be relaxed and have a real good time. Ya know?”

“Yeah.” I look away, not wanting to tell her he’s good at making me cum. “That part is fine. So it’s just practice then? I was a virgin before.”

“Yup. Just practice. It’s fun though, right? And has he talked to you about solidifying your mate bond?”

“No,” I admit, “He told me I’m his mate, but I don’t know much about mate marks, other than what I learned in school and from my doctor/vet program.”

Her expression softens. “It’s a huge step. He’ll have to bite you. It’s going to hurt like hell, but he’ll do it during sex so the pain will quickly be replaced by pleasure. It marks you as his, and everyone you meet, monster-wise, will know you’re taken.”

“Why do you think he hasn’t said anything about it?” I ask, my heart aching at the thought of Lucius being hesitant to fully bond with me.

She sighs. “Well, he was made fun of and never really fit in anywhere, neither with monsters nor humans, because he’s a hybrid. Until he got older and met the boys and Sawyer, he was always dejected.”

My heart sinks. “Now I understand why he was so hurt by my words and my friends’ comments. Thank you for telling me.”

She pulls me into a hug, and I feel a bit of the tension melt away. “Of course, dear. You two have a special bond, and it’s important to understand each other.”

I know I don’t owe her anything but I’m feeling compelled to tell her I’m sorry for hurting her son’s feelings. She’s been so kind and well, she obviously wants this to work out for her son.

“I’m sorry I hurt him, you know. My friends are…or were not used to monsters and they kept giving me shit. I told them it was a summer fling just to pacify them, but it wasn’t true. From the first time we kissed, I knew your son wasn’t just a summer fling for me. I’m sorry he overheard it and I’m even more sorry I said it.”

“Marley.” She takes my hand in hers and holds it. “You owe me nothing. Being human and mated to a monster is not easy. It will get easier, but sometimes it will get harder. But you have each other always, don’t forget that. You have me too now.”

“Thank you,” I whisper.

“Enough serious talk. Let’s get dessert ready.” She stands up and grabs my hand pulling me up.

I follow her into the kitchen, feeling a bit lighter. We chat about lighter topics as we prepare a delicious spread of desserts. Despite my earlier anxiety, Lucius' mom makes me feel at home, and for the first time today, I start to believe everything might actually be okay.

Lucius and his dad return, bringing with them the mouth-watering smell of steaks, baked potatoes, and corn on the cob. We all gather around the dining table, the atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and I find myself laughing and talking more easily than I expected.

Lucius sits beside me, his hand finding mine under the table, giving it a gentle squeeze. “See? Told you it’d be fine,” he whispers, his eyes twinkling with relief.

I smile back, grateful for his support. “Yeah, you were right.”

As we dig into the meal, Lucius’ mom tells us stories from his childhood, making him blush and laugh in equal measure. His dad chimes in with his own tales, and I see the deep love and pride they have for their son. It’s clear how much they care for him and, by extension, for me.

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