“Right.”I steady myself, remembering the purpose of our visit today.To determine if I can stay or not.“Give me five minutes.”
We drive with the windows down, the fresh air cooling me and diluting our scents.If I’m feeling its effects, I can only imagine how it must be for him.It’s hard to believe werewolves actually exist—and that I’m seriously considering living with them.
The family clinic is a single-story building in a row of brick shops downtown.The office is empty, as expected on a Sunday, but clean and bright.We walk through the waiting area and past the front desk, decorated with a display of flowering potted plants.This clinic is smaller than the one I interned at, yet I already feel more comfortable here.
We turn left and walk past a row of closed doors.“How many doctors work here?”I wonder aloud.
“I’m the only primary physician, with two assistant nurses who I’ve helped train.It’s hard to find more doctors, although I’d love to get a psychologist in here as well,” Olivia’s voice answers through a cracked doorway.The room is so dark that if she hadn’t spoken, I wouldn’t have thought it was occupied.
With a nod from Roen, I swing the door open all the way.A shaft of light falls across a desk piled with binders and loose paper.Blue light tints a strand of Oliva’s hair that escaped her bun, the rest held together with a pen missing its cap.
“Please excuse the mess.I’ve chased quite a few rabbit holes today.”She looks up from the double monitors and stands to greet us.“It’s good to see you again, Nova.Although I wish it were under better circumstances.”
I shuffle, all too aware I’m an outsider here.“I wish I knew what the circumstances were.”
Olivia shoots Roen an exasperated look.“You didn’t explainanything?”
“Didn’t get much information to pass along,” he replies.
She narrows her eyes, then shakes her head and turns to me.“How are you?I assume something happened since he dragged you here.”
I let out a small breath of relief that she doesn’t know the details.“I’m running a fever.Roen said I’m going through heat caused by a mate bond I shouldn’t have.”
She nods.“Right.Let’s have a seat.”
Roen pulls out a chair for me, and butterflies swirl in my stomach as I sit down.He pulls another chair closer to mine and folds himself into the small space.
Olivia follows suit, shuffling through papers as she talks.“Let me start with the basics.Lycans view ourselves equally as spiritual and physical.Science has yet to explain much of our nature, but my research shows our abilities stem from an extra set of hormones—and in the case of bonding, pheromones.”
My mind reels with potential applications as I push away a particularly annoying strand of hair.“These hormones are unique to lycans?”
Olivia hesitates, her eyes lingering on my neck.My stomach drops.Roen’s bite.
He shifts to put his arm across the back of my chair.The warmth of his palm slips over my neck.He’s careful to not pressure the bruise, his touch equally as possessive as it is reassuring.I try not to be too self-conscious while he and Olivia share a brief glance.
Something moves behind her eyes as she gives me a soft smile.“Don’t worry, marks aren’t a bad thing in our culture—and that’s correct.Humans should be immune because you don’t have the proper receptors.”
“What if I am a lycan, but my wolf form is just a late bloomer or something?”I theorize.
Roen rubs small circles into my skin as he speaks.“Your scent is distinctly human.Just like the pack senses each other, I can sense you.If you had a dormant wolf, I would have picked up on it.”
My heart flips.He’s been able to do that the whole time?
“Our main concern is that your body won’t be able to handle the stress of mating, especially with an alpha,” Olivia explains.“However, I believe it’s possible if you’re both prepared.”
I flick my gaze to Roen.If what happened last night was any indication…the fever inside me flares to life.
“It’s not what you think,” he says.
I blush, remembering he can sense my emotions.Roen’s fingers pause for a second, then his thumb skates over the bite mark.I shiver.
He closes his eyes and lets out a breath.“Mating is more than rough sex.The first heat comes in waves, and it won’t stop until you either reject your mate—” He locks our gazes.“—Or you’re knotted.If I were a beta or omega, it might be feasible, but when alphas mate, we unlock a partial transformation.My knot will grow twice as big, and my animal instincts will take over.”
It requires a monumental amount of effort to keep my jaw from hitting the floor.When I accidentally touched him yesterday, he felt big, but nothing I’d shy away from.Twicethat, plus a knot?He might literally rip my pussy in two.
“The transformation is seen as a rite of passage when leading a pack, but an alpha can only do so after choosing their Luna.Because it’s such a sacred part of our culture, there’s little to no documentation on it—or on mating, in general.”Olivia pauses.“However, I managed to find two cases where a bond triggered between a lycan and a human.”
Roen’s gaze sharpens.“Did they mate?”
