“In the living room!” she shouted.
She was sitting on the couch with her favorite book. I didn’t want to disturb her, but I couldn’t use that as an excuse. Not today.
“Can I ask you something?” I asked. She put down the book and took off her glasses.
“Sure, honey. What is it?” I turned my head to look at my father and my brother who were sitting on the floor, playing with Luca’s LEGO bricks.
“In my room, maybe?” I requested.
“Okay? Give me two minutes and I’ll be there,” she answered. I nodded and walked upstairs.
I threw my sweaty clothes in the existing pile of dirty clothes in the corner before I slipped into my comfy pants and a turtleneck. Within a minute, I heard a knock on my door, and my mother walked in.
“What’s wrong, honey?” she asked. I hadn’t yet figured out how to break the question, so I had to go with the first thing that touched my mind.
I knew that I couldn’t tell her about Shay and New Year’s Eve. She would be heartbroken. But Everly had mentioned the subject before.
“I wanted to ask you about something that Everly mentioned some time ago. I wasn’t ready to ask you back then, but I believe that I am now,” I began.
My mom just looked at me with questioning eyes. I took a deep breath.
“What is Mating Season?”
She almost choked the second I asked. “Where did you hear about that?” she asked after catching her breath.
“As I said, Everly briefly mentioned it when I told her about my transformation. She said that I needed to ask you when I was ready.”
She let out a huge amount of air. “Well… You need to know sooner than later, and I think that now would be a good start,” she said anxiously.
She sat down, and before she continued, she put my hands in hers. “I know that you must have an idea of what it could be.”
I nodded and answered. “I just don’t really know what it means for me.”
She nodded and considered my question.
“Just like in the animal kingdom, Mating Season is about finding a mate. For most animals, it’s about finding a mate for the season and reproducing. For werewolves, it’s about finding a mate for life.”
I gulped. For life? “Do you remember when I told you about the difference between being an Alpha wolf and any other werewolf?” she asked.
“Yeah? I would be stronger and more in control.”
“That’s right. But Mating Season is also a little different for us,” she ended.
I felt another knot in my stomach. What did she mean by that? “How?” I asked carelessly.
“A mate for life is more important to an Alpha than to the ordinary wolf. Being an Alpha means having a dominating instinct to protect. We do that better with a mate by our side.
“If we go too long without a mate, our powers will fade to almost nothing.” An expression of sorrow spread across her face. That must be what happened to her when she chose Dad over her mate.
“I used to be strong and fiery like you, Rieka. But ever since I broke the bond with my mate, my powers have been decreasing every day.
“I can no longer feel my wolf as I used to, and I can only transform when I absolutely need to. My enhanced senses are gone, so you could say that I’m basically human.
“I don’t need my wolf anymore, but I do miss the feeling,” she smiled pensively.
I couldn’t imagine living without my wolf anymore. I had only known her for so long, but she was part of me now. A big part of me.
“Why hasn’t Shay chosen one yet then?” I asked and felt stupid immediately afterward. Why should I care?
“We cannot choose our mate, Rieka. We spend the Mating Season looking for the right one. The only one. Most wolves feel the connection right away but not an Alpha.
“We might feel that there is something different about that person, but the feeling is different from Alpha to Alpha. We use the Mating Season to explore the possibilities of a potential mating relationship.
“It’s only within the season that the connection is strong enough for us to be sure.”
I resisted the desire to reach for the mark on my neck. “Can I only be mated to another Alpha, then?” My heart was racing. What if Shay was my only option?
She chuckled. “No. It can be any wolf. Nature doesn’t discriminate by position in that manner. My mate wasn’t even a Beta.”
A Beta… The Alpha’s right hand. The person he could entrust his life to. I wondered who Shay’s Beta was? I didn’t recall seeing anyone specific hanging around him more than usual.
“But it could still be an Alpha?” I asked to be sure. She looked concerned at me.
“Yes, honey. Why are you asking? Has something happened between you and Shay?” she asked.
I stiffened. “No, no… I just need to know my options.” She nodded reluctantly.
“Look, Rieka. I know it can sound scary and seem overwhelming, but it’s part of being a werewolf, and eventually, you will meet your mate. It hasn’t happened to you yet, and you still have time…”
I couldn’t look at her. My whole being was aching to tell her the truth, but my mind was convinced that it could only do more harm than good.
I hated lying to her, and I had done so a lot during the past few months. It was tearing me apart.
“But when you find your mate, you will figure out what is best for you.” She paused and cupped my chin in her hand. She turned my head and made me look at her.
“I know that you’re with Archer right now, and your world will be turned upside down when you meet your mate, but even then…you get to decide for yourself. You are your mother’s daughter after all.”
She smiled and stroked my hair.
She was right. I was my mother’s daughter, and if she could fight it, so could I. I couldn’t let Shay win. Not that easily at least.
“Wait right here, Rieka. I have something for you,” she said and left me alone on the bed. She came back soon after with a small book in her hand.
“This might be a bit old, but I got this from my mother for my first season. This will help you answer most of your questions,” she said and handed the book to me.
“I will leave you to it,” she said and walked out again.
I turned the book and took my time studying it. It took a few minutes before I could make myself look at the first page.
Mom had already told me about most of what was written. I flipped through the pages to find something about the mark, and there it was. On page 23.
I had to repeat one of the lines multiple times to make sure that I was understanding it the way it was meant to be understood.
Did that mean I wasn’t going to be able to feel anything toward Archer? That my body couldn’t react to his touch as it had before?
Shay hadn’t been lying when he had marked me.
I was bound to Shay. He really did own me.
