Wow. Okay. Hadn’t expected that one. “As for the mating allergy, your facts are outdated.” When one immortal mated another, they both ended up with some weird allergy that meant they couldn’t be touched, for more than a few seconds, by a member of the opposite sex, or a devastating reaction occurred.

He sighed. “I’m well aware of the virus that negates the mating bond, but it has only been utilized in situations where a mate has been deceased for at least a century.”

“So what?”

“The prevailing theory is that with the mate gone, the strength of the mating bond slowly dissipates, making it easier for the virus to finish it.” He stopped the massage, and she wanted to protest.

“You’ve looked into it?” That shouldn’t have hurt, it really shouldn’t have. So why did her chest feel as if she’d taken a punch?

“Just in case you found somebody else you wanted to spend eternity with.” The charm of his rueful smile was too much to take.

Rumor had it that Adare had had his heart broken a century ago or so by a female shifter who’d chosen somebody else, which just seemed impossible. “Oh. What about your finding somebody else? Some badass immortal who isn’t so fragile?” She might have sounded a little bitter on the last part.

“No. The final battle, the one we’re gearing up for, will result in too many deaths to be looking for mates.”

She shook her head. “Your brother warriors, the Seven, are all getting mated, so they must have some hope of surviving.”

The Seven were made up of seven vampire-demon hybrids whose mission was to kill a psychopath named Ulric. As far as she understood, Ulric was an immortal crazy bastard who, for some bizarre reason she’d never really studied, wanted to kill all enhanced female humans on the planet. Maybe it was time she figured all of this out. “The idea that the Seven will sacrifice their lives in the fight with Ulric is outdated, my friend.”

“Even so, not all of us will survive. Somebody will leave a mate behind.” He glanced at the clock above the fireplace. “Besides, the Seven were never meant to mate. Although that vow seems to have disappeared with time.”

Oh. She moved to get off his lap. “Or is your reluctance to mate because of the shifter who broke your heart so long ago?” The spurt of jealousy that slammed into her didn’t make a lick of sense. “She must’ve been strong and dangerous and deadly.” Just his type, and just her opposite. “Are you still in love with her and mourning what you lost?”

“No.” He stood along with her, effectively cutting off discussion. “We can practice with healing cells more tomorrow. It’s a skill you must develop, and now that you’re healthy, we can work on it.”