Page 71 of Coming Home

“So what’s a mate? And what’s the mark on your neck you showed off before she called?” Jake asked.

The others groaned.

“You explain it, Shay, since you’re the pansy who got yourself into that mess,” Crawley said as the others dispersed quickly.

I sighed when Jake sat down next to me, genuinely curious.

“Fine. It’s a shifter thing, kind of like a marriage, only much more permanent.”

“How so?” he asked.

“Well, legend goes that God gave each shifter one true mate. We can have lots of compatible mates, but only ever one true mate. There are signs that help direct you toward her, and once you get together, a bond is formed. They say you can walk away from a true mate, but I honestly have never met anyone who successfully did.”

“So you basically have no say in the matter?”

“Sort of, but imagine one person created specifically for you, absolute perfection. Why wouldn’t you want that?”

“Fair enough, but say you didn’t,” he challenged.

“Then like I said, there are supposedly ways to break the bond, but I don’t know about all that, because nothing made me happier to find out Shelby was mine.”

“You really love her,” Jake noted.

“I’ve loved that girl my entire life. Only reason I ever joined the army is because I didn’t think she was mine. If I had known she was my one true mate, I’d never have been able to walk away from her.”

He nodded. “I can appreciate that. I joined right after my girlfriend and I broke up. Needed to get as far away from her as possible,” he admitted.

“It was something like that,” I said, still hating that I’d lost nine years together with her over a stupid lie.

“So what’s the mark part?”

“It’s a shifter thing,” I said. “It seals the bond between us, marks her as mine, and this is where she marked me as hers. Our bond will only continue to grow, and it gives us certain powers as it strengthens. For example, you know I went home because my dad shattered his leg. Well, he and my mom are fully bonded mates. She feels everything he feels, and if he had died, so would she. They can also speak to each other telepathically. It’ll still be years before Shelby and I reach that stage.”

Jake looked horrified. “That’s a good thing?”

“Yeah. Why would I ever want to live without her? A full bond ensures I’ll never have to. If she dies, I’ll peacefully follow her to the afterlife.”

“That is some messed up shit,” he said.

I laughed and shrugged. “Like I said, it’s a shifter thing.”

“Morbid curiosity has me asking just how you mark each other,” he said, sounding uncertain about really wanting the answer.

I called my canines forward and grinned at him, then snapped my teeth together. Jake nearly jumped off the bed as I laughed.

“She bit you? You bit her?” he asked, disgusted.

I grinned, retracting my teeth. “The bond requires a blood exchange,” I confessed.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” he said, making gagging noises.

“It’s really not as bad as you’re thinking.”

“All caught up on the birds and the bees there, sweet cheeks? Because we have work to do,” Crawley walked over to say.

“What’s the mission?” I asked.

“Sorry, old friend, but I have specific orders to keep your ass benched. No action for you until you get home safe and sound to that pretty little mate of yours.”

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