Page 113 of Cosmic Power

The shifter was embarrassed. That made this whole thing even more hilarious.

As much as Luther would have loved to rub it in some more, he didn’t think it was wise pissing off the person he’d come to for advice.

Luther took a seat on one of the bedroom chairs near the fireplace. “I need to talk to you about Zamorra.”

Any hostility vanished from Void in an instant. He rushed over, sitting down in the other chair across from Luther. “What’s going on? Is she alright? I only saw her last night. She seemed fine. What’d you do to her?”

“I didn’t do anything,” Luther gritted out. Although technically, he had. But it was unintentional.

“Then what’s the problem?”

Luther blew out a breath. This wasn’t easy for him. Askinganyonefor help went against every cell in his body. The fact that the person he was coming to was Void made it all the more difficult for him. But like Margaret said, he had to put his pride aside. This was about Zamorra.

“I need you to tell me about shifter nature.”

Void blinked. He stared for several long seconds. “You need me to what?”

Luther scowled. “You heard me.”

“Yeah, I did. I just wanted you to say it again,” Void laughed. “You…Luther, Lord Douche of the Aussie Vampires, needmeto tell you about shifter nature?”

Red burned in Luther’s eyes. “Yes,” he growled.

“Why?”

“Because I fucking do, that’s why!” Luther snapped, power blasting from his body.

The wave shoved Void into the back of his chair aggressively. “Jesus, calm your farm,” Void mumbled, straightening his body. “If you want me to tell you anything, you need to explain what the hell is going on. I can’t help if I don’t know the whole story.”

Luther really didn’t want to. But he was here already. He might as well commit. “Zamorra and I got into a…” What? A disagreement? An argument? He didn’t even know.

“Aaaaaaa?” Void pressed.

“She’s angry or upset. I’m not even sure. I told her I never want to form a mate bond and she freaked out. Said she needed some space.”

Void gasped. “You told her that? Are you serious?”

The blasphemous look on Void’s face made Luther frown. “What is the big deal? Mate bonds are rare.”

“Not for shifters. They’re one of the most common things in our society. Four out of five shifters form a mate bond. When the mating frenzy hits, it’s like an unbearable ache in the centre of your chest. There’s this overwhelming need to find a mate. To breed. And if you don’t do it, your creature becomes hostile and spirals out of control. At the slightest provocation, they lash out. They will slowly drive you mad. Weaken you from the inside out until you’re powerless to stop them from taking control. And once they have control, you never get it back. Your human mind is lost in the body of your shifted form forever. Something I don’t think a lot of other supernaturals understand is we’re sharing our bodies with powerful, dominant creatures. It requires complete and total trust between us and them. And when that trust is broken, your creature pushes for control, fighting you at every turn to hand it over. Think of a constant burning pressure in your head—squeezing and smothering your brain—and the only way to relieve that pressure is to give in.”

Panic gripped Luther’s chest. That was a lot more complicated than he originally thought. Sure, he knew the relationship between the creature and the human was complex, but to that level?

He had no idea.

He leaned forward, resting his arms on his legs and interlocking his fingers. “Okay, so when does this ‘mating frenzy’ hit?”

Void shrugged absently. “It’s different for everyone. For some it happens as soon as they reach maturity. For others it takes a few hundred years. It all depends on their creature. Their wants and desires.”

“And a normal relationship isn’t enough? Ithasto be a mate bond?”

“It’s the commitment a mate bond signifies more than anything. Like any intimate relationship, there’s levels. Steps you take to progress. You start dating, then after a while you move in together. Get engaged. Married. Have kids. By telling Zamorra you’re not interested in forming a mate bond, you’re making it impossible for your relationship to progress any further than a causal relationship.”

Luther scowled. “It would be more than ‘casual.’”

“Whatever you want to call it, it won’t be enough. Not for her werewolf. She’ll need more. Complete and total commitment.”

“Why a mate bond though? That’s what I just don’t understand.”

---