Chapter 2 #2
Her cheeks heated. What if that was some kind of faux paw? Her lips twitched at the terrible pun, though she schooled her expression easily enough.
“There are two kinds of mates,” Hunny continued, unperturbed.
“Those that are true or ‘fated,’ and those that are chosen. For Henry and I, we are chosen mates, which means that we fell in love and decided that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. So we formed a mating bond, which eventually becomes just as strong as a bond between true mates, though sometimes it takes a while to get there.”
Nessa cocked her head to the side. “What’s the difference between a true mate and a fated one then?”
“Semantics, really. Some shifters prefer the term ‘fated’ because they feel the pull to their mate is mystical. Others use ‘true’ because they feel it’s more of a physical thing, their body recognizing their perfect match on a sensory level.”
“Okay,” Nessa drawled slowly, leaning back in her seat. She drummed her fingers on the tabletop, unable to control the urge to fidget. “I assume that means you’ll tell me that Murphy and I are true mates.”
Her right foot began slowly tapping on the ground, matching the imperceptible beat of her fingers.
“Yes,” Tank answered, his eyes narrowing. “Will you knock off your little musical production? This is serious.”
Immediately, Nessa stilled, bristling at his tone. “I’m sorry that my coping mechanism after a tragic and horrific experience is upsetting you,” she snapped back.
“It’s not,” Hunny cut in abruptly. She reached out, taking Tank’s hand in hers. He calmed immediately, some of the tension draining from his shoulders. “Henry is just worried about Murphy. We both are, which is why we’re here.”
Nessa’s gaze shot to Hunny’s. It was then that she noticed just how troubled she looked, the worry in her emerald green gaze unmistakable. Her heart skipped a beat. How could she have missed it? “What’s wrong? Is he okay?”
“No,” Tank answered tiredly, running a hand down his beard. “We didn’t realize it at first, but he’s got a lot of symptoms of mating sickness.”
“Mating sickness?” A heavy weight settled in her stomach, even though she had no idea what Tank meant. Regardless, it sounded ominous. “Did I give him a cold or something?” As soon as she asked the question, she felt like an idiot.
A cold, really?
Okay, so not a cold. But what had she done? Had she hurt him somehow, and she hadn’t even known? The thought made her absolutely sick to her stomach.
The urge to check on Murphy was suddenly so strong, she nearly leaped out of her seat and rushed to her car to find him. The feeling was so intense, she didn’t even realize she’d actually risen until she was standing on shaky legs that threatened to buckle at any second.
Did she only feel like this because they were mates?
Or was there a deeper reason she refused to acknowledge that compelled her into action?
She honestly had no clue, but asking something like that right now seemed callous and cruel.
Not to mention, how would she even voice her concerns?
The idea of being mates with anyone should have been absurd.
But it didn’t feel absurd. It felt like the truth. God help her, it felt right.
Reluctantly, she returned to her seat, sending an apologetic look to the couple still sitting across from her. “Please continue,” she stated politely.
“Mating sickness is like a disease or an addiction,” Tank explained, as if that was all the information she needed.
Unfortunately, it only confused her more.
Nessa shook her head. “I’m sorry, Tank, but I don’t understand.”
“It’s rare, but sometimes when true mates meet, they can imprint on each other before the bond is actually established.
It’s a subconscious thing that happens, and usually you have to at least touch for it to even be possible,” Hunny answered solemnly.
“But sometimes the pull to one another is so great, that imprinting begins after even the briefest of interactions. When true mates imprint on one another like that, being separated without completing the mating bond can cause withdrawal-like symptoms.”
“Wouldn’t I be suffering from withdrawal, too, though?”
Hunny shrugged. “I don’t know, Nessa. You’re human. I don’t think you’d really have symptoms at all. Not like Murphy’s been having. He’s cranky, easily irritable. He’s having trouble sleeping, and lately, he’s been prone to fits of rage.”
The last part had Nessa tapping the floor with her foot again to dilute the nervous tension coursing through her. The last thing she needed was to be near a man quick to anger, especially if he couldn’t control himself when he lost his temper.
“It doesn’t sound like much,” Tank cut in, oblivious to her train of thought. “But if we’re right, and this is the beginning of mating sickness, Murphy will only get worse. Eventually, he’ll resemble more of a rabid animal than himself. The sickness will consume and then kill him.”
The denial in Nessa’s heart caused a physical reaction, and she clutched her chest as pain lanced through it, expecting to find an open wound.
She felt her stomach lurch at the thought of him suffering and dying from something so …
awful. “You said you’re not sure if that’s what’s going on here. Could it be something else?”
“You still smell him, don’t you?” Hunny asked suddenly, leaning forward until her baby bump pressed against the table’s rounded edge.
She held Nessa’s gaze, studying her intently.
“You told me you could scent him the day we were attacked. I think Murphy did imprint on you the first time you met, and I think that’s the reason you could smell him then.
A human shouldn’t be able to scent shifters like that. ”
Nessa let out a small, trembling breath. “Yeah, I still smell him everywhere.” Mating sickness … Murphy was going to die because of her. Unless … “What can I do to help him? I don’t think I can mate him, not after—”
“Murphy doesn’t want a human mate,” Tank declared gruffly. He cleared his throat with a grimace. “But for whatever reason, he can’t let you go. We’re hoping that if you go to him, if you formally reject him, his bear will accept that, and the imprint will fade shortly after.”
“Reject him? What does that do?”
“It will sever whatever tie there is between your souls. Essentially, the mate bond between you two will cease to exist,” Hunny explained softly.
Nessa should have felt relieved that such an option existed, that she had some semblance of power over her fate. Instead, she felt oddly bereft and nauseous. The very thought of cutting ties with Murphy was abhorrent. And why didn’t he want a human mate? What was wrong with humans?
There were so many conflicting emotions and questions spiraling around her head. Instead, she asked a simpler one. One that was bothering her. “You act like it’s a whole separate person. His bear, I mean.”
“In a way, it is.” Tank shrugged. “The bear is what gives him the urge to mate. It scented you, it wanted you, and it knew Murphy would resist, so it imprinted on you.”
“That’s still just a guess,” Hunny interjected.
“A damned good one,” Tank said with a snort, though his expression lacked any sort of humor. “The point is, Murphy doesn’t want you. His bear does. Reject the bear, and you’ll spare the male from being tormented.”
“I—” Nessa’s throat constricted, and she snapped her mouth closed. Irrationally, she felt hurt by Tank’s remark. She knew Murphy didn’t like her, and apparently he wasn’t fond of humans in general, but hearing that he didn’t want her specifically was a blow she hadn’t expected.
Don’t be ridiculous. Just this morning, you were thinking about how much you disliked each other. You should be happy. Still, her nose stung and her eyes watered.
She blinked quickly, willing the sensation away.
Hunny stood from her seat, tucking in her chair and pulling Tank from his.
“This is a lot to process, I know, and I’m really sorry we’ve come to you with these problems after everything you’ve been through, Nessa.
I just thought you should know what’s going on.
Please, think about it all and reach out with any questions. ”
Nessa didn’t stand as the couple walked from the room, nor did she offer to help them out. They could unlock the door from the inside anyway.
She wasn’t sure how long she sat there, staring blankly down at the tabletop as her mind raced. It could have been minutes. It could have been hours. It all passed by in a blur until her thoughts came to a grinding halt, settling on one thing.
She needed to see Murphy.