Page 13 of Finding Her Panthers

His eyes snap open when I elbow him in the side. “Not my finest moment.”

“We will have to agree to disagree.” Giving me a silly grin.

I have a feeling I will be rolling my eyes all the time with this mate.

“How long do you think it will take to find another place for her?” I ask Jax.

“It depends really on if I’m honest with them about her behavior. Most packs don’t want the drama she would bring. Unless desperation plays a part.”

“What do you mean?” I frown.

He hesitates. “Some are desperate to find mates. If it’s a possibility that she could be a mate, they may take me up on it.”

“It’s really that bad?”

“In most places. Even with us, we only have four mated males and one female. It’s a wonderful thing finding the one made for you.”

I blush as he trails his gaze over me.

“That’s sad, really. Do we always find our mate within the shifters? Or are humans a possibility?” I ask. Now that we have a moment, I want to learn more.

“It could be either. I’ve seen many find their one with humans. That can be a long, painful process, though. Just because the bond calls doesn’t mean it’s set in stone. Most humans know nothing of our existence. They have to be convinced, and the shifter has to be confident that they won’t go screaming in the other direction. And the possibility of turning them into one of us is a huge decision. Usually, they have to get the Alpha of their pack to give permission, which pales in comparison to convincing their mate to do it.” Jax sits back, pushing his plate away as if he didn’t just blow my mind.

“Humans can be turned into shifters?” I repeat slowly.

He tilts his head, looking over my face carefully. “Yes, it is challenging and risky. You never know for sure if it will work, and if it does, it can turn disastrous if they don’t shift totally or do but can’t turn back and have to live the rest of their lives as an animal. There are so many outcomes. But it can be done.” He covers my hand lying on the table and asks softly, “You didn’t know any of this?”

“As I said, I didn’t grow up traditionally. There was never anyone to tell me. I feel so stupid.” I lower my head in shame.

“Hey, no. That is not your fault. The ones that were responsible for you are the ones that should feel shame.”

“Can different species of shifters mate?” I ask.

“It’s rare, but it’s possible. The mating bond is sacred, but sometimes there can be a fluke, and two opposite species are paired. Usually, when this happens, the children they have can be mixed species but most likely they will take after the same-sex parent. Trying to fight the pull is nearly impossible.”

“So, that’s why Cindy is so eager to be your mate?” I frown.

“She wishes,” James snorts.

“Logically, she knows she isn’t. She’s delusional. The bond can’t be forced,” Jax says firmly. I am ridiculously happy to hear that.

“I want to explain my life before we met yesterday, but I would rather work up to it. And with Blue here too. I’d rather only explain once. If that’s alright?”

“You do what you are comfortable with, baby girl,” Jax reassures me.

James puts a comforting hand on my back. “As I told you last night, we have all the time in the world. Go at your own pace.”

“Thanks, guys. I grew up in foster care, never knowing my birth parents. It was a challenging way to grow up.” I swallow thickly. “Did you grow up with parents?”

“We did. Our mom, she will love you. We have three dads, and they are going to spoil you.” Jax says carefully.

“I’m glad you had that.” I look at them both.

“We are too. I sometimes take for granted how lucky we truly are.” James says, thoughtfully.

There is a brief silence, both of my mates probably not knowing how to move on from the heavy conversation. So I put them both out of their misery. “Is the doctor still coming this morning?”

Jax glances at his watch. “He should be here soon, actually. He can answer any questions you may have or any that you don’t feel comfortable asking one of us.”

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