Honey blinked at her co-counselor. “Whatever for?”
“Need to ask if she’s got a power drill I can borrow.” Buck swept the pack with an indiscriminate glare as he stalked past. “To insert into my ears.”
They all watched the door swing shut behind him.
Estelle gave voice to the thought running through every head. “He definitely doesn’t know how to mate.”
“Icould tell him,” Archie said.
Finley winced. “I really don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Yeah.” Estelle rolled her eyes. “Like Buck’s going to listen to you, Archie. I bet you don’t even know how to mate.”
“I do too!” Archie said indignantly. “I know all about mating. He has to put his penis in her vagina. Then they sort of rub against each other until he squirts out sticky white stuff that glues them together. That’s what makes the mate bond.”
There was a long, thoughtful silence.
“Wellthatcan’t be true,” Flora said at last.
“I, uh…” Finley cleared his throat. “From what I’ve read, it is, actually. In broad outline, at least.”
“But my moms are definitely real true full mates, with the telepathic bond and everything, and neither ofthemhas a penis.” Flora paused, brow furrowing. “Unless you count the big rubber one that I’m not supposed to know is hidden in the drawer under the bed.”
“Rufus says,” Finley started, and then cut himself off. “Rufus! I’m not saying that!”
“What?” Flora and Archie asked together.
“You are such a prude sometimes, Finley.” Estelle turned to the others. “Rufus says, that’s just sex. Not mating.”
“But they’re the same thing,” Archie objected.
“I don’t think they are, actually,” Flora said thoughtfully. “Because people have sex all the time, and if that was all it took theneveryonewould be mated.”
“Yeah, but most people aren’t shifters,” Archie said. “Ordinary people can’t mate. It’s like, not biologically possible. Only shifter men can make the special mating glue in their penises.”
“For the last time, it’s nothing to do with penises, Archie!” Estelle said in exasperation. “Finley, you tell him. You read a lot. You must know if there’s a difference between sex and mating.”
From the longing glance Finley cast at the door, he was wishing he’d left with Buck. “It’s not a topic I’ve extensively researched.But I believe Flora and Rufus are correct. From what I’ve gathered, there’s usually some kind of ritual element that has to be performed, above and beyond the, er, mere physical act.”
Finley paused, looking round at the ring of blank faces. He sighed.
“I mean you don’t just do it,” he said testily. “It takes more than that to make a mate bond.”
“Like what?” Flora asked.
“That depends on the type of shifter.” Finley fell into a lecturing, somewhat pedantic cadence, looking a bit happier about being back in theoretical territory. “Most dragons, for example, ceremonially gift their mate with the most precious items from their hoard. The Highland eagle clans of Scotland traditionally perform a mating flight, ascending as high as possible to prove their strength and fitness. Sharks, in contrast, seal the bond with a bite.”
“Sharksbite?” Archie shuddered. “Wow. I really hopemymate isn’t a shark.”
“Same here,” Estelle agreed. “No offense, Finley.”
“It’s not just a shark thing,” Finley said, a touch defensively. “Many other types of shifter do it too. Wolves, hellhounds, tigers—even bears, Archie. It’s probably the most common way of consummating the mating ritual, in fact.”
Flora’s eyes were huge. “Doesn’t it hurt?”
“I, uh… guess so?” Finley faltered, losing some of his scholarly poise. “I mean, the whole point is to leave a mating scar. That must take a pretty deep bite. Especially if the person being bitten is also a shifter.”
They all contemplated this.
