Page 49 of Reclaiming Home

Life and taking one was different for werewolves and vampires. Their worlds could be violent in ways different from humans. Not that humans were non-violent, gods no.

“So, mating?” I got us back on track.

“Right. Okay, what do you know about the bites?” he asked, grabbing a cookie.

My back straightened automatically, as if I was sitting in a classroom and a professor asked me a question.

I internally snorted at myself. “Well, I know that the whole reason we have the Turning Clause in our medical records is that if someone is on death’s door, the doctors can check if they want to be turned, right? And only happens with either a vampire staff member if the patient has specified they want that,orby a fully shifted wolf member of the staff.” I crunched on a piece ofamazing cinnamon goodness, then continued, “There’s different ramifications for both types of bites and the one doing the biting, because of how different werewolf and vampire cultures are, right?”

Brodie finished his coffee and got up to go make another one, because werewolf caffeine tolerance was stupid.

“Yes, exactly. So for wolves, when it’s a random staff member at a hospital or a random EMT, they don’t have any sort of responsibility for the person they’ve turned. It’s in their contracts as well. But if it’s an Alpha who turns someone, then that person is expected to have a place in the pack and the Alpha in question is to take care of them.”

“Right, okay, makes sense. Is that some sort of a remnant of old pack dynamics from days of yore?”

“I actually think you might know more about some of this stuff based on your research than I do, but I assume so.” He came back with another double-espresso and I shuddered, making him grin. “Okay, so vampires. With them, turning someone is much more intimate. Vampires often turn people they want to have around, like lovers and extended family or friends, right? It’s more of a bond, doesn’t necessarily mean there’s the caretaking aspect, but it’s pretty normal for them to stick together.”

I frowned. “What does that mean to the vampire who has to turn someone at work, though?”

“You need to ask Rian about this, he’d know. I assume the people who want to be turned into vampires in case of emergency often have a vampire they know who is then contacted to see if they can make it to the hospital or wherever in time.” Brodie shrugged. “I haven’t really paid attention to the vamp side of things, I have Rian for that.”

“Understandable.” I grinned slightly, then finished my own coffee. “Okay, but then the mating bite. That’s different, right?”

The corner of his mouth curled up and the happiness I’d seen before entered his intense eyes again. “Yes. Because of a couple of things. For one, it’s always in human form and it won’t turn you. It willchangeyou a bit, but it won’t make you a werewolf. For two, it needs to happen on the evening of the full moon, right before the wolf is forced into wolf form.”

I frowned. “But isn’t it a sex thing? Like how do you time it…?”

Brodie threw his head back and laughed, before looking at me fondly. “Yes, it can be, but it doesn’t need to be. The bond is already there, the bite is just sealing the deal.”

“Ah, getting wolf married?” I teased.

He rolled his eyes. “Yes, that. But it’s basically a formality, because like I said, the bond already exists. For the mate, it’s carrying the scar from that day on. I suppose it’s a bit like humans exchanging rings or some such.”

“Or a submissive getting a collar,” I mused. “I’ve never thought collaring would be for me, because I’m not that serious about kink, but if that’s something you—”

“Oh, not really, no. I don’t think I would want a 24/7 dynamic anyway, especially in addition to building the pack and everything. It’s never been something I’ve wanted. I’m content with occasional scenes, always have been.” He smiled at me in a way that transformed his almost severe features into something softer. “I think we will mold the D/s aspect of our relationship into whatever we might need at any given time.”

I reached over the table for his tattooed hand and began to play with his fingers. “I think so. I don’t see there being many issues between us. We seem pretty compatible and flexible where it matters the most.”

“I think so, too. I….” He hesitated, then gave me this almost awed smile that was tinged with something I could only read as sadness. “I wish I could’ve met you under different circumstances. Not through all this tragedy.”

I shook my head vehemently. “No. First of all, I’ve lived my life through ‘what ifs’ for over two years now, Brodie. I’m done with that shit. But the other thing is, who knows what kind of people we would be if we hadn’t gotten here in exactly this way.” I pulled one hand from his and ran my fingers through my hair. “I know for a fact that I will grow to love you. That this insane chemistry between us, new as it is, will carry us a long way.”

He squeezed my hand and grinned. “Who am I to question my mate, eh?”

“Exactly. Oh!” I realize I’d forgotten to ask for clarification. “What did you mean when you said the mating bite will change me?”

This time, his grin was teasing. “What? You didn’t get to that in your studies yet?”

I stuck out my tongue at him and kicked him in the shin under the table.

“Okay, okay!” He lifted his free hand, which made me more conscious—in a good way—of the fact that we were still holding hands. “So since you’re human, what will happen is that your senses will become somewhat more elevated. Nothing superhuman, but they’ll change a bit. The biggest thing is slowed aging though.”

My eyes widened. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Yeah. I guess whatever the werewolf magic or whatever you’d call it—” He gestured with his free hand, frowning at the lack of a proper terminology. “—wants to make sure the mates have more time together if they are different species, you know?”

“So what you’re saying is that my aging will slow to something closer to yours because something about the bite and/or the bond basically alters my what… DNA?”

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