Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75457 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75457 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Hmm.
I had not expected a groan.
“First. I can’t believe we haven’t had that conversation. Second. There was more to that story and she shouldn’t have grabbed my ass.”
Their behavior was shocking.
My mate had a wonderful body, however.
“Agreed.” And I would make sure it did not happen again.
“God.” Rubbing one hand over his face, my human sighed. “Stellan. My first name is Stellan. It’s an old family name but it’s just…it doesn’t feel like me, so I rarely use it and encourage anyone work-related to just use my last name.”
Interesting.
But I had read about similar issues.
“There are other names and titles I can use for you.” Mine. Mate. Daddy. I gave him a human shrug when he dropped his hand and studied me. “It just seemed like information I should know so that I appear more informed than others.”
And being informed meant I could protect his emotions better.
No matter how dragon he appeared, he was human and I needed to remember that.
Chapter 8
Agent Murphy
What. The. Fuck.
How had our resident Nervous Nelly ended up involved with Professor Zorin’s shenanigans?
Shiloh was the last person I’d expected to see as we’d been ushered into what was basically Zorin’s living room. I managed to keep a fairly neutral expression based on how calm Shiloh stayed, but he made it hard to take in the rest of the simple room.
Shiloh?
“Let me introduce you to the others who are having dinner with us this evening.” The strange professor played it off like there was nothing weird about the situation at all as he greeted us at the front of what I thought of as his apartment. “The human Shiloh that came through the portal with you. The local Raxius who is a dragon.”
Glancing around between us, the professor gave the impression he was having emotions but his expression was too blank for me to be able to guess what he was feeling or thinking. “I have been told you appreciate that information even if it is not necessary.”
Oh.
“Humans in general don’t seem to be able to automatically sense that in your people, so thank you for clarifying it.” I really should’ve taken more time to think about what would be rude or not with them. “The people of Earth classify ourselves in a variety of ways, so it seems to be almost an instinct with us to search for how to classify others that we meet.”
We did it way too often for it to be something random.
If I had to guess, the professor would’ve frowned if he’d been from Earth. “As you would say, right off the bat I know we classify based on dragon or mage, and mated or unmated.”
Something about his expression looked more serious as he shifted his gaze to my very quiet Klynn. “Can you think of other ways we classify ourselves?”
Was it a serious question or one he was using to include Klynn in the conversation?
Had he really not noticed how his people classified themselves?
“We further classify dragons into our…regional history. There is a more specific English word for that. Ice. Water.” Klynn glanced between me and Shiloh, including him because my…well, my Klynn was polite. “Shiloh, I’m sure you have a better vocabulary for this conversation.”
He just blinked.
A lot.
After a few seconds, he nodded slowly. “Yes, but you did a very good job of explaining it. Do…do you classify yourselves in terms of sexuality?”
Based on his wide eyes, I had to assume he hadn’t meant to ask that. But before he could get an apology out, because we all knew that was what was coming next, Klynn charged right in to answer. “No. Not in the way people of Earth do. It is generally explained here as knowing your mate will be male or female.”
That was interesting.
“Oh.” The nervous young man’s eyes darted between the two confusing locals and seemed to have figured something out. “That makes sense.”
They’d obviously been going in circles about something, but Klynn seemed pleased to help. “The English words for describing sexual desire may not translate completely. The people of Earth, especially humans, break it down into many more classifications than we currently use.”
Shiloh went back to blinking but after a few seconds he snapped out of it. “Do they just not exist here or you’ve never thought up words for them? On Earth anything beyond gay, straight, or bi seems to be mostly a human thing, but I wasn’t sure if that was because of the mate bond or cultural.”
It seemed like he had a curious mind under his shy panic.
“That is an interesting question.” Klynn shifted his stance which somehow signaled to Zorin that he needed to invite us to sit. As the professor waved a hand toward two of the low-backed couches they seemed to prefer, I realized the gesture might’ve been for Shiloh and me.