What would you do if you could speak with those you'd loved and lost just one more time?
Tori Locklear, a cosmology grad student, discovers the answer for herself after a chance encounter with a group of misfit aliens in her local diner. Grieving ov...
By the time Hyungwon returns, Tori is fast asleep once more. Changkyun rests quietly beside her, propped up on one elbow as he runs a soothing hand over her back. The action is more meant to comfort him, he thinks, rather than her. He's not afraid that she won't wake up again, but he'd be lying if he said he isn't worried.
"She woke up while you were gone, " Changkyun whispers to the medic.
"I see."
Hyungwon takes a seat in his chair, eyes fixed to Changkyun with poorly disguised interest. The telepath is treating the woman with far more intimacy than he had before.
"We bonded, " Changkyun reveals, a response to the medic drilling holes in his skull with more than just eyes. "It's official."
"In my medbay?" Hyungwon groans. "Thanks. Now I'll never be able to treat anyone without thinking about that."
Changkyun smiles, not apologetically, but mischievously.
"You're welcome, " he replies, grinning.
"Does she know?"
Hyungwon's question is a valid one, and one that Changkyun was expecting. Up until now, no one has explained the Dhee'li mating process to her, and Changkyun himself preferred to keep her in the dark. Given the habits of her people, he hadn't wanted to frighten her away. He'd intended to tell her eventually, and meant to claim her only after he'd revealed the truth. But, things clearly hadn't worked out in that way, and now he isn't sure how to proceed.
Hesitantly shaking his head, Changkyun sighs.
"No, " he answers, "I didn't explain anything to her. I didn't even mean for it to happen. I was just so relieved that she woke up, and the both of us got carried away."
"You know you're going to have to tell her, " Hyungwon speaks quietly. "She deserves to know. By human equivalent, she's essentially your wife now."
"I know, " Changkyun sighs. "But I'm not sure if it's the right time to spring such a thing on her."
"You're afraid she'll reject you."
The telepath nods.
For him, it's a very real concern. He will never be able to take another bond-mate now, but this is likely not the case for her. If she takes the news poorly, he might be left alone for the rest of his life, and the idea of living without his bond-mate is one that causes him no end of pain and stress.
"You should probably talk to the others, " Hyungwon suggests. "If you're not going to tell her right away, it might be prudent to warn the others. Otherwise, someone might say something by accident."
It isn't that Hyungwon supports Changkyun's decision to remain silent on this, but he also knows just how serious this issue is. For a Dhee'li, one's bond-mate is everything.
Once consummated, the bond between a Dhee'li and their bond-mate is strong. It is the connection of two souls, the merging of two beings into one. Changkyun's soul is no longer entirely his own, and if Tori rejects him, the effects could be disastrous. It would literally be like losing a part of himself, and that is not something that the xenobiologist would wish on anyone.
Still, if Changkyun's contented expression is anything to go by, the telepath doesn't seem to regret this turn of events in the slightest.
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