“O-okay,” I replied hesitantly.
“Go on. I’ll pour the tea while you change,” she said, waving her hand at me as she reached for the teapot.
I turned, snagging a pair of pajamas and heading to the bathroom without another word. I changed quickly and tried to figure out what to say when I returned.
I couldn’t tell a beta that I wasn’t allowed to be her friend. Taffy outranked me, and I had no right to oppose her will. If she wanted me to be her friend, then I had to be.
But what kind of beta would befriend an omega? It wouldn’t help her standing in the pack, and I doubted I was great company. It didn’t make any sense.
What am I even supposed to do with a friend? I’ve never had one before.
I came back to the bedroom, taking a seat in the open chair. I clasped my hands tightly in my lap, a storm of anxiety brewing within me as I waited for whatever came next.
“Tell me what you know about mates,” Taffy asked as she handed me a warm mug.
My brows shot up in surprise.What do I know about mates?I panicked, trying to recall one of the fairytales my mother told me as a child.
“Oh…um…they’re the…” I paused, clearing my throat as it suddenly felt like I’d swallowed sand. “The…o-other half of your soul?”
“Yes,” Taffy said, blowing on her cup. “But I meant more like do you know how fated mates recognize each other?”
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. No one ever bothered to talk to me about mates. The sage had assured my father that because of my afflictions, the Goddess would never grant me a mate, ensuring that my problems weren't passed down to any pups.
But I’d overheard my sister and her friends discussing their dream mate and what would come after they found them many times.
“Oh…uh…” I blushed, hiding my face behind my teacup. “By their scent?”
“Yes,” Taffy answered, her smile growing wider. “The scent is almost always the first sign. It’ll be the most delicious thing you’ve ever smelled in your whole life. Your favorite scent in the entire world,” she continued, a dreamy, far-off look in her eyes.
My mind flashed back to the party and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee with just a hint of vanilla and masculine musk.
Is that what she means? That’s impossible though. I can’t have a mate, right?
I almost dared to ask but thought better of it. Not only would it show how naive I was, but it would also raise some curious questions about why I couldn’t possibly have scented my mate. I couldn’t allow that.
“What else?” Taffy pressed.
“Um, something about the eyes?” I shrugged.
Taffy nodded. “The mate bond cements into place the first time you look directly into the eyes of your mate. It’s like this invisible string stretching between your heart and your mate’s, tying you together for the rest of your lives.”
Her fingers brushed the crescent-shaped mark at her neck.
“Of course, the bond isn’t actually permanent until you’ve marked one another, but we don’t have to get into that tonight,” she said softly. “Did no one ever talk to you about mates?”
I shook my head.
“What about your mom?” she asked.
I stared down at the mug in my hands, that familiar pain rushing back as I thought about my mother. “Uh, no. My mom died when I was very young, and it never came up in my training.”
I glanced up, catching the flash of sorrow that flickered across her face. “I’m sorry about your mom,” she said softly. “That must’ve been very difficult.”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.
“Um, well, there isn’t much more to it than that. You might get a feeling when you touch,” Taffy added. “Sort of like an electric buzzing.”
I couldn’t help but wonder if that was similar to the feeling I’d had when Alpha Caelan touched me.
