Noa went on to explain how entering a mate bond was a three-step process. First, a shifter smelled another person who was exceptionally enticing to them. This was usually accompanied by immediate attraction, something like a normal crush but with an additional “zing.” If both parties were shifters, they usually discussed it immediately. When one was a human, getting to the conversation could take time.
Fern understood why. She considered herself lucky to have a leg upwith all the monster and otherworldly romance she’d consumed before being brought into the world of shifters. But what if someone had neverconsideredthe possibility? Surely they’d faint. Maybe even run away. Not her, she liked fear... it did funny things to her body.
Continuing, Noa explained that when potential mates decided to move things forward to the second phase of the bond, they only needed to have sex with the intent of mating. And no, it wasn’t for the straights-only, though straight couples seemed to be able to get away with a broader definition of sex before risking the next phase.
“So like, hypothetically, sixty-nine with you could bring it on, but sixty-nine with... Elliott... wouldn’t do anything?”
Noa’s nostrils flared as she fought back a grin. “Yeah, that seems to be the gist of it, but I haven’t done much digging.”
Phase two of mating was technically called bonding, but Fern learned they all called it “the compelling” because magic urged both parties to care intensely for each other by meeting any and all needs, from food to cleaning to carrying someone up the stairs just because they had a blister on their heel. It sounded cute, and it crumpled Fern’s heart. Dating wasn’t nearly as simple as she thought it would be in Beckett Falls. Not that she’d thought about it much at all.
“When a couple’s ready to finalize the bond, they have to bite each other.”
“What?!” Fern shrieked, holding her scissors far from Noa’s face while she processed that one.
“Didn’t you notice the scar on Olivia’s thigh?”
“I figured she burned herself on the oven.”
“It’steethmarks.”
“From a wolf?!”
Noa laughed, going on to explain how one shifter, ortheshifter in a human/shifter pairing, would chase down and bite the other to mark them.
Fern dropped her comb—on purpose—so she’d have the opportunity to duck down and stare perplexed at the glossy floor. That’s not what Elliott’s bear was trying to do... right? They hadn’t had sex with intent;they hadn’t even had sex at all. But his bear tried to bite her. Had he tried tomateher?
“Then the other person chases the first one and bites them back. After that, magic settles into place, and you’re connected forever.”
“Like a magic tether, literally?”
Noa nodded.
“I want that,” Fern breathed.
“Don’t we all?”
Snipping away, Fern continued her line of questioning. “So, you have to have sex with the intent of being together forever. That starts the bonding phase, then you move on to the final part by biting each other. What happens if someone gets bittenbeforehaving sex? Does that do anything?”
Noa bunched her lips. “It acts in place of sex with intent. It’s like a cheat code to enter the bonding phase.”
“Someone could betrappedthat way.” Holy shit. Was that why he’d tried to bite her? Did that mean they were potential mates? No, she was surely overreacting. Maybe his bear just wanted to try it for fun.
With a sigh, Noa agreed. “It’s extremely frowned upon. I’m sure some people decide to do it, but they’re judged.Ifit happens, the person who’s been marked can still walk away and never complete the bond.”
“And it’ll fade?”
“After a month or so, yeah. If you have a potential mate you’re not into or get bitten by someone acting out of line, you can get out of it by leaving. Once a mate bond’s permanent, you can technically still break it, but it’s way more difficult.”
“Two things. Cannon-potential mates start a mate bond? And what’s a true mate?”
“First—” Noa held up two fingers, lowered one, noticed she was flipping Fern the bird, and switched them around. “First, no. Only potential mates or true mates can start a bond.”
Maybe Elliott’s bear just felt chompy. She swallowed a sigh, not sure which reality was preferable.
Lifting a second finger, Noa went on, “And number two, true mates aresuperrare, supposedly. Basically, when you find your true mate, the magickicks you straight into the compelling, no need for sex with intent or a rogue bite, it just happens. You’re inexplicably drawn to the person, you want to do things for them to make their life easier. And I’ve heard you’re plagued with unending horniness.”
Fern snorted. “Take a look at this. Do you want it shorter?” She handed Noa a mirror and spun her in the chair.
