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Ethan comes to me, massaging my shoulders. “You need to be prepared. This will be a lot of information for you to absorb and some of it will be difficult.” Knowing he’s feeling this nervous is putting my stomach in knots. He takes both of my hands in his, and he looks anxious.
“What? Ethan, talk to me. You’re starting to freak me out.”
“I just want you to know everything you’ll hear in this conversation is about strengthening our commitment to each other. Everything we’ve experienced so far will only be better. You’ll feel the bond to the fullest extent. I’ve finally found the other half of my soul in you, and I can’t even stand to imagine the thought of you rejecting me. I can’t lose you, Olivia.”
I put my hands on his chest, feeling his heart pounding as I look into his piercing eyes. Since seeing his wolf and having sex, my pull to him is much stronger. “Ethan, I’m already expecting to hear some things I may not like, but this conversation has to happen. If there are things I need to know, then I should know them from the start. If it only helps strengthen us, I’m sure we can find a way to work through it. I’m going into this conversation with an open mind.”
“Okay.” He embraces me and it feels like he’s hanging on for dear life. My heart aches for him as he kisses me, and his lips cling to mine with desperation. “Just remember this feeling, and how it is when we’re together. Promise me you’ll do that.”
“I promise. Ethan, trust me, the way you make me feel is pretty unforgettable.”
He pulls me in tight, kissing me one more time. “All right, let’s do this.” He takes my hand, and we rejoin Chloe in the living room.
“Is everything okay?” Chloe asks.
“Yeah,” Ethan says. He looks at me with a small smile. I try to reassure him by smiling and squeezing his hand, but knowing he’s feeling so insecure makes me wonder exactly what I’m about to learn.
Ethan and I sit next to each other on the couch. There’s an awkward silence in the room, so I start. “So, tell me everything I need to know about the mate bond, and what you would need from me.”
“Well,” Ethan begins, “you already know because you’re human, that you couldn’t recognize me as your mate when we first met. Had you been one of us, you would have felt it immediately. However, it’s obvious you have a connection with me.”
My heart rate is increasing, and I just need him to get this out.
“The first stage in solidifying the bond is usually sex. It’s instinct, and assuming each person is of age, the urge is felt naturally by both people. It happens quickly with mates because there’s no need to date and see where things go. Sex obviously helps both people feel more connected.”
There’s nothing I find alarming about that. I can check that off the list. I thoroughly enjoyed step one. “Okay. What’s next?”
“Once we meet our mate, another bonding experience is connecting with each other in our wolf form. I’m obviously the only one who can do that, but because we’re mates, it still strengthens our bond.”
“Okay.” So far, nothing is smacking me in the face as being overly terrible.
“I want us to be considered fully mated, Olivia, and for you to stand beside me as my partner leading this pack. I want you to be my Luna.”
“Okay…tell me more about that.”
“The Luna is a uniting force within the pack, focusing on community. You can lead projects or social programs, whatever you would like to strengthen the unity of our pack.”
My head is already swimming with thoughts about my interest in literacy. “Wait, I assume you have schools here, right?”
“They’re very small, but yes,” Ethan says.
“Wait, I have a job in Boulder starting this fall.”
“I’m sorry, but you won’t be able to take that job, Olivia. The Luna works within the pack to enhance her community.”
“Can I teach here then?”
“It wouldn’t be acceptable for you to teach in a school.”
My heart rate increases as my irritation level rises. “Why the hell not?”
“The Luna’s role is more all-encompassing within the pack. You can do any programming you would like, which could include school activities.”
Well, I guess at least my education wouldn’t be a total waste. “Okay.” I sigh. “Go back to this whole fully mated thing. What else is left?”
Ethan looks down and then gives Chloe a look of doom. “You have to tell her.” Chloe shares his look of concern.
“A couple isn’t considered fully mated until they’ve had sex and marked each other.” He pulls his hands down his face.
