One of Jackie’s perfect eyebrows rose. “Dark chocolate and hot chili peppers?”
Boone grinned when he nodded. “Decadent and spicy.”
Jackie’s lips twisted as if he was trying not to laugh.
Boone liked that look on his mate. “I love the way you smell.”
“What if it changes?”
“I imagine I’ll still love it, Jackie, maybe even more. Fate doesn’t make mistakes.”
Jackie lifted both eyebrows. “Fate?” he asked. “You think this was fate?”
“The goddess Bastet protects us, and she only favors those with true hearts.”
“You really believe that?”
“How could I believe anything else?” Boone asked. “You’re standing right in front of me.”
“Huh?”
“Bastet is thegoddess of cats, Jackie. She is the deity of protection, joy, dance, music, family, and love,” Hugh said. “She guides us and protects us. She rewards those who are true to her laws and punishes those who are not.”
“Do they have to be shifters to be punished?” Jackie asked.
It was a fair question under the circumstances.
“They have to be shifters or be part of a pride, Jackie,” Elder Hamilton said. “It’s unlawful for us to pass judgment on those who are not of our world.”
Jackie’s expression darkened with an unreadable emotion. “So, Drummond is never going to be punished for what he did to me?”
“He will be punished, Jackie,” the elder said. “Drummond became part of our world when he began kidnapping humans and experimenting on them. He will face shifter justice.”
Jackie slumped against Boone as if those words took away his ability to continue standing. Boone tightened his arms, keeping Jackie pressed close to his chest.
“Deep breaths, baby. Inhaling the scent of your mate calms you.”
Boone didn’t know if Jackie believed him or not, but the man started drawing in deep breaths of air. He noticed the tension slowly leaving Jackie’s shoulders and then the rest of his body.
“Wow,” Jackie said in a low voice as he leaned back. “I guess that really does work.”
Boone smiled. “It does.”
Mates always found comfort with each other. Boone just hoped Jackie would allow him to continue to provide that comfort and not freak out on him. There was a fragile peace between them at the moment. It remained in Jackie’s hands where they went from here.
“So, are there any questions I can answer for you?”
Jackie’s face flushed as he swallowed. “Why am I feeling so hot and achy? Is that because of what Drummond and the others did to me? Is that a shifter thing? What? I’ve felt like I was going to climb out of my skin for days.”
This time, Boone was the one to draw in a breath. “That’s called the mating heat, Jackie. It’s what happens when mates claim each other.”
Jackie shot Boone a stricken look. “I thought you said mating was something wonderful.”
“It is, baby.” Boone lifted his hand and cradled Jackie’s cheek. “When mates claim each other, they go through a mating heat. Usually, they’re together and can help alleviate the symptoms.”
“You mean sex.”
“That’s part of it, but sometimes it’s just the touch of your mate.” Boone didn’t miss how Jackie was leaning into his hand. “My touch will soothe you just as your touch will soothe me. It doesn’t have to be sexual.”
