She swallowed and fidgeted. Might as well give him the full truth. “Well, we’re talking about options, so there might be a couple we haven’t discussed. If we got crazy and did fully mate, and if I regain my strength and don’t kill you, then we’d be like any other mated couple. Physically, I mean.” When he didn’t respond, she continued. “In that case, I’d be strong enough to take the virus, as would you, and then we could go our own ways.” Yeah, the virus would be risky since they’d both still be living, but it was necessary to discuss all options before they made a commitment. He remained silent, which wasn’t a shock. “Speak,” she snapped.

“All right,” he said. “Let’s start with the beginning of that statement. I’m not an emotional person. Never have been.”

It was like pulling teeth with a tweezer. “I don’t want you to start sobbing about losing your virginity, Adare. I just would not be able to mate you without knowing you. There would have to be something intimate between us.” She bit her lip. “I think it was Billy Crystal who said that women need a reason for sex and men just need a place.”

“We have both a place and a reason,” he murmured. When her eyes widened and her temper was about to burst out, he lifted a hand. “I understand. I will work on the emotions. I actually quite enjoyed losing my virginity. It was with a wolf shifter who was several centuries older than was I.” He smiled.

“What is it with you and shifters?” she muttered.

“They’re wild in bed,” he responded instantly.

So now he decided to open up. Wonderful. She had to turn this conversation. “You know I think we shouldn’t mate. I don’t want to kill you.”

“You won’t. I’m glad you’re discussing it now.”

She sighed. “Yeah, I want to live, but not at the expense of killing you.”

He rolled his eyes, just like a typical male. “You won’t kill me. You’re a Key, I’m a Seven, and that means more than science. You have to believe that.”

She was starting to, at least a little. But there was always a balancing of the scales, right? If she lived, did he have to die? Or were they both so necessary that they wouldn’t die? Sometimes she longed for the days when she was just human and not aware of all of this insanity. She swallowed. All right. They were talking about this for real and not hypothetically now. “How do you feel about mating me?”

“I’m committed to you and will be a good mate so long as I live.” It wasn’t wine and roses, but there was something sweet about the statement.

“What does being a good mate mean to you?” she asked.