Chapter Two #3
“Shifting for the first time is disorienting for mythical shifters. Natural shifters have been doing it for as long as they can remember, so it doesn’t really matter,” she assures me.
“And you three are natural shifters, right?” I ask, and Gretchin nods.
“Yes. I’m a panther and Gracelin is a tiger.” We all look at Violet, and she blushes and looks down at her hands. “What kind of shifter are you? Usually I can tell, but I have no idea with you.”
“I’m a fairy,” she mutters, and both Gracelin and Gretchin gasp.
“Seriously? That’s super rare too! There are only small groups of fairy families, but they stick to one farming community. I’ve never met any of them, because they stick to their own.”
“Yes, my mother is a fairy, and the fairy gene is guaranteed to pass to any female. For males, it can be a toss-up whether they inherit it or get the gene from their father. If their father is a fairy and their mother isn’t, and they have a son, then that could be what he is.
We don’t advertise it because fairies were almost hunted to extinction by humans during the war.
They would kill us and keep our wings as trophies, not to mention the rest of shifter society has always looked down on us because we don’t shift into an animal.
” Violet’s expression darkens. “My parents didn’t even want me to go to college, and they only let me when I promised not to shift in front of anyone.
They were worried that someone would try to mate me by force. ”
“How long has it been since you shifted?” Gretchin asks at the same time I exclaim, “You can be forcefully mated?”
“I haven’t shifted all semester,” she admits before turning her attention to my question.
“Yeah, you can, but it will only ever be one-sided, and it causes agonizing pain for the individual who is bitten unless they return the bite. It’s forbidden and punishable by death, but it still happens. Not all shifters are good people.”
“It’s punishable by death because that will cause the half mark to fade on the shifter who was bitten without consent, allowing them to live a normal life.
” Fury flashes in Gretchin’s eyes. “But sometimes the person bitten without consent just gives in because the pain is so bad, and then the shifter is imprisoned, because when one mate dies, the other usually will as well.”
We fall into an uneasy silence while I process everything they just told me. It’s a lot, but it’s been a good distraction from learning about my fated bonds.
“How can you stand it?” Gracelin asks Violet gently.
“I haven’t felt comfortable in my skin for a long time. It’s why I got a job with Colbie. I need the money, but the distraction also helps. I should probably take a trip home so I can shift, but I can’t afford to miss any classes.”
“Well, now that you’re one of Colbie’s advisors, you can use the same room she did when she shifted the first time.” Gretchin gives the girl’s hand a squeeze. “We’ll go first thing tomorrow. I know it won’t be the same as shifting in nature, but at least it’s something.”
“That would be great, thank you.” Tears well in Violet’s eyes, and I lunge forward to give her a hug. Gretchin and Gracelin join the pile, and Violet giggles. I feel a wave of relief. I don’t like seeing her sad. It’s like kicking a puppy.
We pull apart, and the three of them look at me, their expressions turning serious.
“How do you feel about everything you just learned?” Gracelin asks warily.
I huff out a breath that blows a strand of hair off my face.
“I can’t deny that I felt a weird pull toward those men even before I was this—” I gesture to the marks on my wrists.
“I’d have to be blind not to be attracted, and even then, they smelled incredible.
It’s only gotten stronger since I walked through the palace doors.
You need to remember, though, that I was human until a few days ago, and it’s a lot to adjust to.
I was having trouble finding one man, let alone six. ”
“So you’re going to reject them?” Gretchin asks flatly, and I quickly shake my head.
“God no, but I would like a little time to wrap my head around this, and I’d like to get to know them without the bond getting in the way.” Gretchin’s eyes narrow like she wants to argue with me, but Gracelin puts her hand out and gives her sister’s arm a squeeze.
“We can understand that, but you may not be able to help yourself. The bonds are designed to pull shifters toward one another. They will become painful with the need to seal them, and you can’t be crowned without all six of your mates.
We can give you a week, that seems fair.
You’ll be working with them on your shift every day and learning self-defense, but for their sake, we won’t hold our tongues longer than that,” she negotiates, and I agree with a nod.
“But what about the missing mate? If she can’t find him, does that mean she won’t be crowned? And if that occurs, then what happens to the magic?” Violet asks, worry in her voice.
The two sisters exchange a glance. “We don’t know, but I doubt it’s something good.”