Page 56 of The Demons in the Deep: Extended Edition
Rake frowned, too, unhappy at her unhappiness. “What is wrong?”
“The first round of the Meridian Games was four days ago,” she said. “Just the Hunt and the Brawl left, and those will be over within a week or two. And then we will leave. I can’t possibly learn all that I need to know in that time! There’s so much. And then to hear that Flay doesn’t believe I can master the mermaid technology and make him a real hand—it’s all so discouraging.”
She plunked herself into one of the rickety chairs and bent over with her face in her hands. “Maybe I should just give up. Make him a plain old hook for a hand and call it done.”
“I’m not sure Kestra would care too much for that,” Rake said. “It might be dangerous for her when they’re mating.”
Mai glanced up at him, eyes wide. “Oh! Of course.” Her cheeks shifted in color, turning a delicate pink.
Rake loved that blush, and he mentally noted that talk of mating would elicit the reaction.
“I thought of making him a socket where he could attach various implements for different activities,” Mai said.
“Like one to enhance pleasure during mating?”
“Tides no,” she gasped.
“Why not?” Rake stifled a satisfied grin. “I’m sure you could design something enjoyable. What do human women like?”
“I—I don’t really know what human women enjoy,” Mai said. “I don’t react like most other women in that way.”
The rising blood had flushed her cheeks a deeper crimson. They looked so soft and warm that Rake wanted to touch them.
“Have you ever had a mating partner?” he asked gently.
“No.”
“Perhaps the right partner would be able to find a way to please you.”
“Perhaps.” She cleared her throat, rising and picking up her notebook with fingers that visibly trembled.
“I’m curious about a human female’s parts, what they look like,” Rake mused. “Flay promised he would find me a human girl who wouldn’t mind what I am. And I’d like to know what I’m doing, if I should choose to couple with a human female.”
Even as he said the words, Rake knew.
He matched the correct word to his feelings for Mai, in that moment—because the very thought of mating with anyone else turned him hollow and sad inside. The idea of linking himself to any other female, even Kestra—he could not bear it.
Only Mai.
And that was love.
But he pushed on with his excuses, his reasons. “I need to know how human women are shaped, and how to pleasure them.”
“That’s not an appropriate topic for us to discuss.”
Rake’s tail lashed through the saltwater. “So you can study my anatomy and biology, but I’m forbidden to study yours?”
“No, that’s not it—but I—oh, very well.” Mai’s face was entirely scarlet. “I’ll make you a deal—you let me look at your reproductive assembly and make a quick sketch, and I’ll let you look at mine. Just for a moment, so you have an idea of what to expect. But you have to be sure you don’t impregnate anyone. I’ll give you a tonic to take—Kestra has plenty of contraceptive supplies and she won’t notice or care if I take some. Though you should ask whoever you’re with if she’s protected, too, in case the tonic doesn’t work on you like it does on human men. And you’ll have to be gentle, Rake, very gentle.” She gave him a ferocious frown. “You remember what happened when I touched your stomach that one time?”
“I nearly bit your head off,” Rake said quietly.
“Exactly. You have to be sure you won’t react that way to some poor tavern girl who’s twisted enough to want to bed a monster.”
She said the last words in a musing tone, half to herself, but they pierced Rake’s soul like poisoned barbs. He couldn’t breathe. He had to turn away and sink into the saltwater, where the gills could feed his lungs.
Twisted enough to want to bed a monster.
A monster.
