Stone In Love

Chapter 32

It was the night before Halloween, and I found myself in a large bathroom with the four Valentino women. I had been bathed, powdered, and pampered in preparation for the party at domus Lassiter. Lucy, Wren, Amelia and Griffin had spent the afternoon choosing gowns and jewelry for the annual event, and I was caught up in the pageantry as they doted over me. The jewelry was splashy and decadent, and the dresses were Victorian in style, made from velvet, lace, and crinoline, all boasting rich, dark colors in burgundy, black, navy blue, and forest green. 

"The All Hallows Eve party is rotated between several domi, both here and in other cities," Amelia explained as she helped me slip into my gown, stuffing my breasts into a seventeenth century corset with little regard for their sensitive nature. "Gollums commune at least four times a year. It gives the elders and magisters a chance to discuss domus issues, while the non-mated gollums mingle with each other. The females are required to dress according to their mating status. A mated female dresses more refined, and a non-mated female wears a dress that reveals more of the goods."

"Like this dress?" I said as I cinched up the ribbon that was responsible for holding my boobs in place. It was a feeble attempt. "I thought I was spoken for."

"Vincent has made it clear to the New York domi that he has chosen you, but there is always the chance another gollum will step up and challenge him," Wren said. "You have no allegiance to your domus, which makes you much more desirable. My recommendation is that you stay firmly attached to Vincent's arm, especially in that dress. You look absolutely radiant in it."

I admired myself in the full-length mirror as I scrutinized the dress, the one Lucy had termed the Mae West. Burgundy in color, the neck plunged so low it exposed more cleavage than it hid, and there was very little shoulder coverage, with only a fluttering of black lace posing as sleeves. I appreciated the way the fabric clung to my wide hips and prominent ass, which I'd always deemed my best features, and it offered plenty of leg movement, with a black ruffled train in the back. Wren was right, it was a stunner of a dress.

"Has Vincent ever shown interest in a female from another domus?" I asked, although the question didn't sit well with me once I'd asked it.

"He did pursue the affections a female from a domus in Paris. Of course, they were both quite young." Wren spoke as she played with different jewelry options, holding a string of pearls up to my neck then shaking her head and returning it to the jewelry box. "It turned out she was reluctant to leave her home country, so she chose another gollum. They have been mated more than a decade and have a young one."

Wren chose a black choker next. It held a single teardrop-shaped opal, which hung from an ornately carved claw made from gold. While I processed Wren's announcement about Vincent's failed romance, she fastened the choker behind my neck and stood back to admire it. "Perfect. Don't you think?"

"It's beautiful, Reese," Griffin said as she sat in front of the vanity where Lucy was plaiting her hair. "When your hair is done, it will look even better."

I absently stroked the gem at my neck as I asked the next question. "So, Vincent never showed interest in another gollum since then?"

"Not seriously, but I believe he feels some amount of guilt about it," Lucy offered. "Gollums are struggling to maintain their numbers. Offspring are rare."

"Why are they rare?" I said as I turned to watch Lucy fashion Griffin's plaited hair into a twist. It was quite exotic for a girl so young.

"For gollums, procreation is more than physiological," Lucy went on. "The partners need to be connected body and soul for impregnation to take place. Just like humans, many gollums struggle to maintain healthy relationships, which inhibits pregnancy. Wren's partnership with Roberto was a strong pairing. They produced three sons before Roberto's passing. Not everyone is so fortunate."