Page 26 of Rhett
I blanched, not comfortable with the fact that shifters’ sense of smell was that insightful.
“Shifters have an acute sense of smell,” Bonnie said. “That’s why it’s hell for us to spend long periods of time in big cities. We can smell everything—foul odors, lies, anger, fear, desire, and whether you’re unmated.”
“To answer your question, no, I’m not in a relationship.” It had been a long time since I’d had sex with anything other than my vibrator. “I’m focused on my career.”
Bonnie frowned. “What’s stopping you from having both?”
“I work long hours,” I revealed. “Before deciding to take a job as a volunteer midwife in Africa, I worked twenty-four-hour on-call shifts. And none of the men I dated understood that they had to share me with my patients. So I stopped dating. Anyway, I’m not looking for romance right now.”
She raised a dark brow. “Sounds like you haven’t met the right man… yet.”
I snorted. “Get that calculating look out of your eyes. I don’t need a man in my life.”
“Of course you don’t need a man. Needing a man is the land of codependence. However, wanting a man is learning how to give and receive love. Don’t you want to be around a man who makes you smile and makes you happier?”
“Sure, but I haven’t met that man yet.”
“The key word is yet.” She placed her cup on the coffee table. “I suspect that your finding your father’s letter after all these years has nothing to do with coincidence and everything to do with Freya’s magical mating spell.”
“What spell?” I asked.
Bonnie tucked her legs under her. “Unmated males in Black Forest are slowly going feral from not finding their fated mates. So Freya cast a spell that asked the universe to send the unmated males their fated mates.”
“Feral as in killing one another?”
“No. Not yet. But it’s a matter of time before shit hits the fan in the Ridge. A shifter without their fated mate loses touch with their human side, making them feral. That is what is happening to all the unmated males in Black Forest. That’s why Quinn and Freya, the head of the witch coven, arranged for a little divine intervention by casting a spell.”
“Magic is not real,” I said evenly.
Bonnie lifted an eyebrow. “Of course it’s real. Why do you think Black Forest is not on any map? Or why humans haven’t found this place full of supernatural beings? The veil cloaks this town from humans. And the veil is pure magic.”
I couldn’t deny her logic. Black Forest Ridge wasn’t on any maps that I’d checked. And after an exhaustive search, I found no references to the town on the internet.
“So you’re saying that the spell brought me here to find my mate?”
“Yes. But my theory is that the true purpose of Freya’s spell is to make the hybrid female whole. Without your mate, your inner animal is trapped inside, asleep. And when you meet your fated mate, the animal awakens. Your senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch—heighten. That’s what happened to Imani, Quinn’s mate.”
“None of this makes sense to me. It’s illogical.” I stared at her with my lips pursed in disbelief.
“And a shifter who can shift from its human form to animal, that’s logical?”
“No. It’s not,” I agreed. “But I’m not here to find a mate. I’m scheduled to renew my contract for another stint in Africa. I love being a midwife.”
“We don’t have a midwife in the Ridge. So this is your opportunity to provide a service that’s desperately needed.”
“No,” I said.
Bonnie frowned. “But we need your help. Isn’t that why you became a midwife? To help?”
“I love being a certified nurse midwife. But the type of work I do requires trust from my patients.”
“Trust is built. You’re my granddaughter, so I know that you’re up to the challenge.”
“Find someone else, Bonnie. It won’t work. I’m a stranger in this town. And don’t forget, I’m also a hybrid with an estranged family of Hunters. Do you really think women are going to flock to my clinic?”
The sound of an engine rumbled outside. Bonnie got to her feet. “I bet that’s Sheriff Ward. We’ll finish this conversation later.” She went to the door, opening it. “Yup. It’s him.”
“Will you shut the door?” I hissed. “We don’t need him coming in here, threatening to kick me out of town again.”
