And after this, he wouldn't even be able to have sex again...
"Damn you, Fates," he hissed. What were they thinking?
Susan clenched her hand to conceal the ornate scrollwork. She didn't know what she'd expected from him, but this anger sure wasn't it. "I didn't know I was so repugnant to you."
The anger melted from his face. "How could you think that? But damn, Susan, do you understand what this means?"
"Yeah. You're screwed."
Ravyn leaned his head back. "I can't believe this."
"Well, look on the bright side, in this day and age if I told people you guys existed, they'd lock me up and laugh about it with you."
"You're not funny."
She reached up to cup his face in her hand. "I know. Look, I'll make this easy on you. You mate with me and then I can just leave and you'll be free to, pardon the pun, cat around all you want."
"It doesn't work like that."
Susan frowned. "What do you mean?"
"So long as you live, I can't have sex with anyone but you. Ever."
"And if we don't mate, you're a eunuch."
"Basically, yes."
A tremor of fear went through her as she considered what he'd just said. So long as she lived...
"You're not going to kill me, are you?"
He looked both offended and baffled by her question. "What? Are you insane? Why would I do that?"
"Let's see, ten seconds after I met you, you ripped out a guy's throat, and now you're telling me that so long as I'm alive you're screwed. Murder seems like the best course of action for you even though I strongly vote against it."
"Don't worry. I can't kill you. I took an oath to protect human life."
She didn't know what offended her most about that. The fact that he considered killing her or the fact that the only thing that kept him from it was an oath. "Well, gee, thanks, hon. I'm so glad I mean so much to you. "
His face lightened up. "I wasn't serious."
"Uh-huh."
He leaned his forehead against hers and let out a frustrated breath. "I can't believe I'm mated to someone who's allergic to me."
"You? I'm the one who should be having a hissy. How do I introduce you to people? Hi, this is my... what? Significant other? Mate? Pet?"
He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth. "Why must every relationship I have be so damned impossible?"
Susan pulled back and tilted his head so that he met her eyes. "Hey now, defeatist talk from a catman like you? I'm the one who should be freaking out here. I mean, damn, you could give me fleas or something. "
He laughed. "I'll give you something all right." He popped her playfully on the rump.
"You better stop that. I could lure you out in daylight and then take you to be neutered. "
"You don't need daylight for that. All you have to do is walk out that door and stay gone for three weeks."
Her humor died at his dire words. "I won't do that to you, Ravyn."