Page 59 of Surviving Enchantment: Part two
She sighed.“He called me a whore.A betrayal to my family.A waste of a bloodline.A disgusting tramp.”
“Oh.Wow.Because of earrings?”
“Yeah.Because he thought I had started dating someone else.”
“Well, that’s encouraging, a little.”
“Yeah, well, the urge to start biting me was there.His canines kept emerging.”
“What would that do?”
“Punish me for betrayal?He started operating on instinct.It wasn’t his best hour.”She ran a hand over her hair.“Everything I grew up with focused on survival and social balance.His upbringing was probably similar.”
“What did that mean that you stood, you called, and no one came?”
Amy chuckled.“It’s an adulthood ritual to line up suitors.Everyone gathers together, and the seeker sings out, looking for an answer in any of the voices.I sang out, and laughter rippled through the room.The elders decided I was too weak for our people, and they banished me.Gave me a few thousand dollars and sent me away so that my singleness wouldn’t be a burden on my family.Not my favourite weekend.”
“What?What about your parents?”
“They were the elders who banished me.I had two more brothers and two more sisters, all of whom were shifters.All caribou.They are obsessed with working and moving in herds.”
“And you are a tiny predator.”
“Yeah.Foxes have families, but they can hunt on their own.”
“What about polar bears?”Emily glanced out her window.
“They are solo hunters and just pair up to mate.Well, their animal counterparts do.The few bear shifters I have met are actually fairly family-focused.”
“Oh, I am glad you think that way.Emmers is about to ring the doorbell.”
“Shit.Jerrik is still asleep.”Amy got up and rushed to the door, hushing him as she pushed him outside.“What?”
He blinked.“Uh, Nylora and the baby are good.”
She smiled.“Good.Is that it?”
“I would like to apologize.Sincerely.I saw the earrings, and I just reacted.That’s no excuse, but I would like to eventually be the one to provide you with all your jewellery.”
“Whoa.That’s a little much.Why don’t we try to meet for coffee before your shift or breakfast after?You can tell me how much family you have in the northern communities, and I can tell you why you should go after that lady you were flirting with at the wedding.”
He flushed and looked embarrassed.“How did you know about that?”
“I am a seer.And whether I like it or not, I can see you.”She rubbed her forehead.
He smiled slightly.“That’s good, isn’t it?”
“Sure.I am a masochist.You do know that pursuing me is forbidden by the base of all the northern communities.”
“I know.I have already talked to my father about it.My mother is the holdout.She said if your genes aren’t strong enough to manifest on their own, they aren’t strong enough for her family.”
Amy nodded.“Got it.That’s exactly what my mom said.Maybe they are pen pals.”
“Your mother?”
“The clan elder.”
“Ah.That would explain the severity of the banishment.”
