Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 86074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
“Are you sure I ought to do this without telling them, though?” Lili asked. “It feels kind of like I’m manipulating the situation.”
“Sometimes you have to manipulate the situation,” Rachel pointed out. “I mean, it’s not going to resolve on its own, is it?”
“No, I don’t think so.” Lili shook her head. “Tell you what—I’ll run it by Light and see what he thinks.”
“Do that, but don’t tell Dark,” Rachel advised. “There needs to be an element of surprise for it to work.”
“I’ll consider it,” Lili promised. She frowned. “But where do I get Bonding fruit from?”
“You need the juice—it acts a lot faster than just eating the fruit,” Rachel told her. “And I have some back at my suite.” She grinned. “Sometimes Brock and I like to, er, re-enact our first night together, if you know what I mean.”
“Mmm—okay. Let me talk to Light and I’ll get back to you,” Lili promised. “But I’d be surprised if he says no,” she added. “He’s as desperate for the three of us to Bond as I am—we just need to get Dark on board.”
“Do it now.” Rachel reached for her purse and pulled out a Think-me. She handed the thin wire circlet to Lili. “Go on—I’ll wait.”
Carefully, Lili put the thin wire on like a crown, making sure it made contact with her temples. After a moment of concentration, she heard the Light Twin’s mental voice in her mind.
“Yes, Lilibet? What do you need?”
Briefly, Lili explained Rachel’s plan and waited for his reaction.
There was a long moment of mental silence and she could feel the Light Twin thinking. She couldn’t help wishing that they could have this kind of mental, long-distance communication all the time—and that she could have it with Dark as well. But the only way to get that kind of close, intimate contact would be to Bond with both of them.
At last Light answered.
“Normally I wouldn’t condone it, but we’re desperate,” he admitted. “And your friend is right about the Kindred sense of smell—if anything should draw out Dark’s emotions, it would be the scent of the female we both care for in heat.”
Lili felt a little shiver run through her.
“It’s that obvious?”
“For us, it is,” Light told her. “When do you want to try it?”
“Immediately,” Lili told him. “Rachel says she has some Bonding fruit juice and it’s really fast acting. So I’m going to her suite to get some and then I’ll go back to my suite. Do you want to come meet me there?”
She felt a feeling of negation from Light.
“No, as tempting as it, I think I’d better stay away—at least at first. That way Dark has no option but to help you himself. If I’m there, the stakes won’t be high enough. I’ll come later, once you have him engaged. Then we can use the harmonizer f’loon sent you and hopefully get Bonded—all three of us.”
Lili felt the longing in the Light Twin’s voice and echoed it with her own. It seemed strange that she was so desperate to be Bonded to the two big Kindred after years of being happily single. But as Rachel had said, when she’d tried to explain it, “When you know, you know.” And Lili knew the three of them were right for each other—she just had to get through to Dark.
She blew a mental kiss to Light and promised to see him later. Then she took off the Think-me and looked at Rachel.
“All right. I guess we’re really doing this. I just hope it works.”
“If it doesn’t, I’m officially out of ideas,” Rachel said. “But I do have to warn you about the Bonding fruit—it’s not comfortable being in that much sexual need.”
“I can imagine.” Lili nodded, remembering how she’d felt when the sensu-blooms had been stimulating her nipples and pussy. From her friend’s description, it sounded like the Bonding fruit might be even worse!
Rachel suddenly grew serious.
“No, I mean it—be prepared to be really uncomfortable. It makes you almost crazy. I was practically crying that first time before Brock helped me.”
Lili bit her lip. It didn’t sound like using the Bonding fruit juice would be easy. But then, going to Zeaga Four to get her guys hadn’t been easy either, she told herself. And she had done that.
I’m not giving up until I’ve tried everything, she told herself firmly. It doesn’t matter how painful it gets—I’m going to do whatever I need to in order to Bond with Dark and Light—even if it hurts.
40
DARK
Dark sat on the couch in Lili’s new suite and stared at the blue and gold flames flickering in the flame wall across from him. He had tried watching an entertainment vid earlier, but the parts that were supposed to be funny didn’t make him laugh. And the parts that were meant to be sad didn’t make his eyes leak either. Not that they had leaked much before, during the brief time he’d had emotions, but still…