that‟s strong, one that will be a good protector and provider for me and my cubs, who will treat me well. Not only do I have to accept him, but for there to be peace and harmony in our household, my wolf must respect him as well. You also stated that if the Creator smiled on me, I‟d find my true mate, my one, and I would recognize him by his scent. We‟d be drawn to each other, and when we mated, it would be like two halves of one soul, separated in eternity, reconnecting here on earth.” Carol had never forgotten those words. In fact, she‟d longed for and prayed to the Creator that she‟d find her other half ever since Mona had told her about it.
True Mates: Carol’s Mate
51
“What we didn‟t tell you was that on rare occasions—”
“Extremely rare,” the alpha interjected.
“True mates have been found among humans,” Mona finished.
“A human mate?” Carol‟s forehead wrinkled as she tried to digest this new concept.
“Yes. The historians speak of it, though I‟ve never known it to happen in my lifetime or even my parents‟ time,” the alpha stated.
“But…but…” Bewildered, Carol searched for words. “I thought mating with humans was forbidden.”
“Not forbidden, discouraged,” Mona corrected.
“For good reason. With our increasingly low birthrates and more males than females being born, mating with humans would only speed us toward extinction as a species. However, there are always exceptions to every rule. This is one of them.” The alpha took a sip of his coffee.
Mona drained her cup, leaned across the alpha to set it on the table, and settled back against his side before continuing. “Human true mates are compatible with our species. Let me clarify: a human true mate is only compatible with their shifter mate. Legend says there are certain indicators, signs that will enable a shifter to recognize one. The first one is scent. You stated Mark‟s scent caught your attention, correct?”
Carol slowly nodded. “I smelled him before I saw him.”
“And his scent caught the interest of your beast?”
“Yes.”
“The second marker is that of taste. I‟m going to assume that the kiss you and Mark first shared was a passionate one, involving the mating of tongues. After which, your wolf tried to break free,” Mona continued.
Another slow nod on Carol‟s part.
52
Zena Wynn
“The third and final indicator is what we call the mating fever. That‟s the part where you two can‟t keep your hands off each other for any length of time. From the smell of this place, I don‟t have to ask if that part of the legend is true.” Carol felt her face flush and hurried into speech before Mona could speak any more on the subject of sex between her and Mark. “So you‟re saying Mark is my mate?”
“Yes and no,” Mona answered.
Once again Carol was confused.
The alpha took pity on her and explained, “You began the mating process when you marked him. For the bond to become complete, Mark has to accept you as his mate and mark you in return.”
“That‟s why you said I have to reveal to him what I am?” Carol asked.
Mona shook her head. “It‟s part of the reason. The main reason you must do so is because with each exchange of body fluid, your DNA is changing him into a wolf-shifter like us. He has a right to know what‟s happening to him and make an informed decision before it‟s too late. Once done, the process can‟t be reversed.” Carol was floored. If they said anything else, she didn‟t hear it. Her mind was racing. Mark, a shifter? Dear God, she breathed, not sure if she was praying or what. Vaguely she felt Mona rub her cheek with a soft hand and the alpha pat her on top of the head before leaving the room.
How was she supposed to tell Mark? More importantly, how would he react?
Carol felt sick to her stomach. She could only imagine how she‟d feel if someone told her she‟d never be able to shift again. Never feel the wind in her fur or her voice
True Mates: Carol’s Mate
51
“What we didn‟t tell you was that on rare occasions—”
“Extremely rare,” the alpha interjected.
“True mates have been found among humans,” Mona finished.
“A human mate?” Carol‟s forehead wrinkled as she tried to digest this new concept.
“Yes. The historians speak of it, though I‟ve never known it to happen in my lifetime or even my parents‟ time,” the alpha stated.
“But…but…” Bewildered, Carol searched for words. “I thought mating with humans was forbidden.”
“Not forbidden, discouraged,” Mona corrected.
“For good reason. With our increasingly low birthrates and more males than females being born, mating with humans would only speed us toward extinction as a species. However, there are always exceptions to every rule. This is one of them.” The alpha took a sip of his coffee.
Mona drained her cup, leaned across the alpha to set it on the table, and settled back against his side before continuing. “Human true mates are compatible with our species. Let me clarify: a human true mate is only compatible with their shifter mate. Legend says there are certain indicators, signs that will enable a shifter to recognize one. The first one is scent. You stated Mark‟s scent caught your attention, correct?”
Carol slowly nodded. “I smelled him before I saw him.”
“And his scent caught the interest of your beast?”
“Yes.”
“The second marker is that of taste. I‟m going to assume that the kiss you and Mark first shared was a passionate one, involving the mating of tongues. After which, your wolf tried to break free,” Mona continued.
Another slow nod on Carol‟s part.
52
Zena Wynn
“The third and final indicator is what we call the mating fever. That‟s the part where you two can‟t keep your hands off each other for any length of time. From the smell of this place, I don‟t have to ask if that part of the legend is true.” Carol felt her face flush and hurried into speech before Mona could speak any more on the subject of sex between her and Mark. “So you‟re saying Mark is my mate?”
“Yes and no,” Mona answered.
Once again Carol was confused.
The alpha took pity on her and explained, “You began the mating process when you marked him. For the bond to become complete, Mark has to accept you as his mate and mark you in return.”
“That‟s why you said I have to reveal to him what I am?” Carol asked.
Mona shook her head. “It‟s part of the reason. The main reason you must do so is because with each exchange of body fluid, your DNA is changing him into a wolf-shifter like us. He has a right to know what‟s happening to him and make an informed decision before it‟s too late. Once done, the process can‟t be reversed.” Carol was floored. If they said anything else, she didn‟t hear it. Her mind was racing. Mark, a shifter? Dear God, she breathed, not sure if she was praying or what. Vaguely she felt Mona rub her cheek with a soft hand and the alpha pat her on top of the head before leaving the room.
How was she supposed to tell Mark? More importantly, how would he react?
Carol felt sick to her stomach. She could only imagine how she‟d feel if someone told her she‟d never be able to shift again. Never feel the wind in her fur or her voice
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