For our people to reproduce, a mating bond must be made. It triggers a biochemical reaction that enables fertilization, and that reaction cannot be artificially replicated.” She sighed, closing her eyes briefly as she relaxed her arms. “What is a mating bond? Is that your form of marriage?” He resumed his pacing, though his tail’s movements were a little less erratic. “No. The mating bond is for life. It cannot be undone once it is made, and it is forged through a process somewhat more intimate than the exchange of vows and rings.”
