Page 259 of Mayhem and Minnie

“Then…”

“The only variable is you,” she states unequivocally. “So what if I get caught and killed? I’ve never been worried about my own death, though it seems quite daunting. But I’m afraid of losing you. That’s my biggest fear, Marlowe.”

“Minnie,” I murmur as I squeeze her hand.

“So you see”—she pauses as she gives me a sad smile—“it might seem ludicrous that I’m holding out for a myth, but I’m willing to bet everything on the infinitesimal chance that it might be real than not try at all, and eventually, lose you.”

“It’s not ludicrous at all. I’d do the same if I were you.”

Her lips tip up.

“But isn’t sharing blood just as intimate as sex?” I raise a brow.

Her eyes flare up in surprise. I suppose she hasn’t considered that.

“It is… Oh damn, why didn’t I think of that too?”

She hides her face in her hands.

I chuckle at her reaction.

“Holding hands like this, too, can be incredibly intimate,” I continue. “Being in the same bed, sleeping together. All of these are intimacies too. Depending on the person, they might be even more intimate than sex.”

She drops her hands, her brows knitted together.

“What do you mean?”

“Twenty-first century, remember?” I laugh. “For some, sex is just an activity, whereas actually sleeping next to someone might be more intimate. It’s all about the perspective.”

She blinks, then purses her lips.

“Not in my world,” she mutters with a sigh. “I told you, there’s little contact between the sexes before marriage. And because all the unions are arranged, feelings don’t exactly factor in.”

“So no kissing? Nothing?”

“Well… I suppose some engaged couples could get away with that. But no female would let herself be seduced before marriage. A female’s firstborn is the most powerful. So males who take a female as their mate want to ensure that the firstborn will be theirs, which is why the chastity clause is so important. There have been a lot of cases where the male found out his mate had carried another child before and accused her of deception. Some were even executed for it.” A shudder goes down her body.

“That’s…fucked up,” I add, shocked.

“Right? It is! Unmarried males have a lot more freedom, and a lot of highborn males frequent bawdy houses.”

“What about your brother?” I wiggle my brows. “I’d be shocked to learn he goes to bawdy houses.”

Minnie laughs.

“Molokai? Never. He’s dedicated to his job. He’d never do anything to jeopardize his position. My other brother, though…” She trails off, screwing her face in disgust.

“You have another brother?”

That’s news to me.

She nods.

“His name is Maledo. He’s the oldest and the heir to the King of Cryos. He’s been married for”—she uses her fingers to count—“six thousand years? Maybe seven. It’s been a long time, anyway. They have two kids, so they’re done procreating. They’ve mostly gone their separate ways now. Maledo is a w-whore. I don’t think there’s a maid in the palace he hasn’t slept with.”

She shakes her head in disapproval.

“And his wife knows?”

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