page40 (1/2)
“She said she was, but it didn’t last”
“I know But why didn’t she find soot how to Pleasure a man, or became less attractive and desirable”
“Maybe she did, Jondalar If you didn’t want her,to hurt someone she doesn’t even know may be less attractive than you think,” Ayla said as she pulled the leggings off one leg
Jondalar frowned “I hope it’s not h that I left her in such a predicament I would hate to think I made it impossible for her to find another mate”
Ayla looked at him quizzically “Why would you think that?”
“Didn’t you say that maybe if I didn’t want her, other men…”
“Other ain If they didn’t like what they sa is that your fault?”
“Well … ah …”
“You can bla I’m sure she was hurt and embarrassed But she has had five years to find someone else, and you said she is considered very desirable If she couldn’t find someone else, it’s not your fault, Jondalar,” Ayla said
Jondalar paused, then nodded “You’re right,” he said, and continued res will look better in the ”
As she crawled into her warht “If Marona is so good at ‘Pleasuring,’ I wonder why she doesn’t have any children?”
Jondalar chuckled “I hope you are right about Doni’s Giftchildren It would be like two Gifts …” He stopped as he was lifting his side of the covers “But you’re right! She doesn’t have any children”
“Don’t hold the cover up like that! It’s cold!” she said in a loud whisper
He quickly got into the sleeping roll and snuggled his naked body next to hers “That could be the reason she never mated,” he continued, “or at least part of it When achildren to his hearth A woman can have children, and stay at her mother’s hearth, or even make her own hearth, but the only way a man can have children at his hearth is toher children to it If Marona mated and didn’t have any children, it could make her less desirable”
“That would be a sha a sudden stab of empathy She kne much she wanted children She had wanted a baby of her own froive birth to Uba, and she was sure that it was Broud’s hatred that had given her one It was his hatred that had caused him to force her, and if he hadn’t forced her, no new life would have started growing inside her