Page 65 of Their Marked Mate

“Your transformation isn’t complete,” Luna reminded. “The final injection will stabilize the changes.” Luna paused to reflect on what Shannon had said. This wasn’t the reaction she’d expected. “Would you mind taking me through it step by step? I thought yesterday was an absolute disaster, but you don’t seem traumatized by what took place.”

Shannon laughed and a bright blush colored her cheeks. “This could take a while. We better sit down.”

They moved to the table and sat facing each other. “I’d kill for a cup of coffee right now, and I don’t mean the herbal swill they try to pass off as coffee.” Luna shuddered as she remembered the taste of Rydarian coffee.

“I gave up and switched to tea,” Shannon admitted. “At least sunjit brew is pleasant.”

“You know, it would really help if I recorded this. I don’t want to forget any of the details and it will prevent you from having to repeat the story for everyone who’s interested in the outcome. Is that all right?”

“Sure. I’m not ashamed of what happened.” She laughed. “Half the village saw me naked and on my knees. I don’t care who hears me describe it.”

“Wonderful.” Luna went to her desk and retrieved her datasheet, then set the device to record. “So, take me through what happened with as much detail as you’re comfortable sharing. When did the urges start and how did the males find you?”

Shannon paused, staring past Luna for a moment. Then she began, “I started feeling restless a few hours after you gave me the second injection. I jogged around the village to see if I could burn off some of the excess energy. That’s when I met Ryan and Jacob. The attraction was instantaneous and intense. They insisted on escorting me home, but we didn’t do more than kiss. Dylan showed up next. He just knocked on the door to my cabin. He’s gorgeous, easily the most physically appealing, but there was something about him that bothered me. His eyes kept flashing gold. He was really struggling to contain his wolf, and it made me uncomfortable.”

“Did he pressure you?”

“I don’t know how to answer that,” Shannon sighed and looked away from Luna. “He never touched me, but he… it’s really hard to explain. It’s like he bombarded me with urgency. His voice, his gaze, everything about him made me jittery and anxious. With Ryan and Jacob, the arousal was enjoyable. With Dylan, it made my skin crawl.”

Luna had never experienced the negative reaction, but she understood the enjoyable arousal all too well. She’d felt it with Nate from the beginning, and it had built between her and Alex gradually. “Dylan was the first one you rejected?”

“Yes, but not right then. I didn’t attempt to turn away suitors on my own. I accepted Ryan and Jacob and let them enforce my choices.”

The description made Luna smile. Shannon seemed like the victim last night, but Luna misread the situation. Shannon had been in control the entire time. “What happened next?”

“After Dylan left, the restlessness subsided and I thought the episode was over. I went to bed and slept well, but the next morning the restlessness was even worse.”

“This was yesterday morning?” Luna asked, wanting to ensure that her mental timeline was correct.

“Yes. By noon, I was going out of my mind. Ryan and Jacob sensed my need and showed up at my cabin. Things turned physical and it was obvious that they were my mates, so I claimed them.” She grinned triumphantly. “I love the way that sounds. I claimed them, not the other way around.”

“Did you just know instinctively how to anchor the link?” It was another detail Luna had failed to anticipate. Humans weren’t used to manipulating psychic connections. How had Shannon accomplished it?

“Ryan and Jacob guided me through the process, but I actually triggered the link.”

Support, respect, and cooperation between males and females. Could there be a better foundation for a lasting relationship?

“How did the scene we interrupted come about?” Luna prompted.

“We, me and my two mates, were still really restless so we went for a walk. I’d anchored the link with Jacob and Ryan, so we all figured it was safe to go outside. Dylan showed up and he was even more aggressive than he’d been the night before. I told him I’d made my choice, but he wouldn’t listen. That’s when I looked at Ryan and Jacob and told them to take care of it. They laid into Dylan, but almost immediately Dylan shifted into a wolf. Ryan and Jacob started to shift also, but this bastard named Travis showed up. I’d had run-ins with him before, so he never had a chance with me.”

“Let me make sure I’ve got this right. Ryan and Jacob are in, but Dylan and Travis are out. Who is your third mate and when did he enter the picture?”

Shannon chuckled and her blush reignited. “While Ryan and Jacob beat the shit out of Travis, Dylan just crouched there in wolf form snarling at them. Cole walked over as if nothing odd was going on. His scent hit me like an avalanche and I was lost. He took me in his arms and one kiss was all it took. Our connection is unbelievably strong. I was so desperate to have him inside me, I didn’t care who watched. You saw what happened. I was oblivious to everything but Cole.”

“I’m so relieved that you’re okay with what happened, but I’m concerned about Dylan and Travis. Have they accepted your decision?”

“They don’t have a choice,” Shannon said firmly then shrugged. “Genetic compatibility is only part of what makes a strong bond. Thanks to you, I had my pick of compatible males. I wouldn’t mate with Travis if he were the last male on this planet and Dylan doesn’t appeal to me. If it weren’t for the omega formula, I would have been claimed by all five of them. So, stop feeling guilty, girlfriend. You’re a hero in my book.”

Pleased by the praise, Luna smiled as she reached over and put the datasheet in standby mode. “Can I scan you before you head out? I have a fancy new scanner that can give us much more detailed information. And I need a new sample of your blood.”

“I’m more than happy to give you anything you need.”

After standing still for a series of scans and offering her arm for the blood sample, Shannon gave Luna a final hug and left the lab.

For a long moment, Luna just stood there and shook her head. She thought she was an utter failure when she left for work this morning. Now she felt a lot less useless, but she wasn’t sure what to do. She had planned to abandon the omega formula and go back to the one Babcock had engineered, but she wasn’t sure that was the right move. If they could learn from Shannon’s experience and take precautions, maybe the females could still control the bond.

Her first obstacle would be Alex. He had seemed relieved when Shannon went into heat. It was obvious he wanted males to retain control of the mating bond. What did she expect? Alex was alpha to the marrow of his bones. Giving control of something so important to a female felt unnatural to him.