Page 140 of Conner's Luna

I just listen as he rambles. The ramifications of this are serious. At first, I don't think anything of it. It hurts a little, yes, but I never expected to marry a virgin that I met as a freshman in college. I never even expected that I would be a virgin when I got married. I thought that I would have relationships and breakups like most girls before finding my 'one.'

Conner's reaction to his own confession is what makes me think harder about this. He is so upset, because of what? There's something here that I'm missing.

"Bailey," Conner takes my hands in his and kisses my knuckles. "I love you," he whispers. "I thought I was a dead wolf, yeah? You... you're my miracle. You saved my sanity, babygirl."

"How?" I shake my head. "It means something, doesn't it?" I ask him.

He swallows and his eyes close briefly. "Fucking... it's part of mating. Claiming a mate is more than one step. The Claim is three parts, but two that really matter: a declaration under the moon, kind of like a marriage ceremony. That's the one that isn't too important. What really matters is sex, honeygirl."

"We've had sex," I point out, feeling a little numb.

Conner's eyes flare open, "and we will again," he promises darkly. Then he seems to shake himself. "The other part is even more important. It's the Mark. I'll bite you," he says softly. He lifts his hand and brushes his finger at the juncture of my neck and shoulder, just above my collarbone. "Right here," he swallows again and his pupils dilate, then elongate just a touch.

He has to bite me. Right. OK. My brain fires up. It's been a while. Hello, old friend.

"Sex is nearly as important as a Mating bite, isn't it?" I ask him. For now, I push the idea of biting away. Conner isn't a vegetarian like me, after all.

His jaw hardens. He nods once. "It is."

"You and Lydia..." my voice trails off before I stiffen my spine. My heart feels like lead. Flashes of Conner's eyes reflecting the pain of black bruises on his stomach, fill my head. "What happens to you if... if she has sex with someone else?"

"My wolf would go berserk and claw at my insides, causing internal bleeding in my abdomen," he says matter-of-factly, but his voice is hoarse with emotion.

"Is that why you hurt so much?" I ask him softly, thinking about all of those times when he was in so much agony. How could she do that to him? It's all tied together, isn't it?

"Yeah," he croaks out. "It's why. She and Trey were fucking, babygirl, all those times. It would be worse if we Claimed each other fully, even if only one of us Marked the other."

"And she knew that she was hurting you? So did Trey?" I ask him, trying to keep my fury from my voice.

"Yeah," he murmurs. His hands form into fists as they wrap around the ends of my shirt as if he's anchoring himself to me.

"So... Lydia and I are even," I say carefully. Conner's nostrils flare and this time his pupils definitely slit into a form that I recognize as his 'wolf-face.' "We are," I say stubbornly. "You didn't bite her."

"No," he snarls softly. "You aren't ‘even,’ honeygirl."

"And you haven't bitten me," I finish the thought despite his interruption. "Do you want her?"

"Fuck no," he snaps, looking affronted.

"Your wolf?" I can barely get the question past my frozen lips.

Conner sinks to his knees in front of me and clutches my hands in both of his. "I promise he doesn't want her anymore."

"Your Bond," I mutter. I seem to only be able to say a couple of words at a time. I want to tell him to stand up, that he shouldn't kneel to me. I'm not hismate. That bitch. She hurt him!

"No, Bailey. She killed it. Yes, we started to complete it, but fuck it, her cheating killed our Bond, weakened it to the point of being nothing. Then you came, baby, and saved me like I said," he says through gritted teeth. "Last night, that was Trey and Lydia completing their bond and that was it for me."

I squeeze his hands, thinking, my mind tumbling.

"When... when did you say that this happened?" I whisper. "When she and you... and then she left with Trey?"

"The Gathering is always held the second through fourth week of June."

I feel myself pale, literally feel the blood rush from my head down to my toes.

"Bailey!" Conner sounds panicked. My eyes spring open. I wasn't even aware that I had closed them. I am swaying. Conner is back on his feet with his arms wrapped around me.

"Conner, I'm sorry," I mumble with numb lips.

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