Page 97 of Shifter Situations

“At least a dozen times, maybe more.”

Ripley approached, frowning as she cut into our conversation.

“Sorry. Uhm, are you guys going back to the warehouse? I need to go back before we leave for the Underworld.”

“Why are you going to the Underworld?”

She curled her lip up as she widened her eyes. “Who are you?”

“Tiago.”

“These guys,” Ripley said to me, pointing at Dolyn, Ozlo, and Tiago. “It’s—”

“A mate bond.”

She nodded. “Fuck. That’s what I thought.”

19

Novak

Saturday, June 6th

Early Evening

I’d been friends with Tiago for years. Longer than I’d been friends with Vaughn... And I’d never seen him have that lost puppy look on his face. He was crazy about Blaire, but he was watching Ripley like she was the most fascinating thing in the room.

I guess she was to him.

“Hey, man. You good?”

He grimaced, nodding his head. “I’m confused.”

I sniggered at him. “About which part, Tiago?”

“I came to talk to Blaire about your neighbor. Then I find out she has mates. You don’t want to know what I saw; I’ll be knocking on her door from now on... But then, I walk outside after your sister and I’m instantly drawn to a shifter? She’s not a djinn, Novak. I don’t understand.”

“Do you think you’re maybe looking too far into this?”

“I could be,” he admitted hesitantly. “It’s just weird. Djinn are like druids. We don’t ever find mates. We just settle, pick the partner we can tolerate, and then wait for the cycle to begin.”

“What cycle?”

Palmer sighed. “Ye know, there are these things called books… And they have all kinds of fun facts in them.”

“What fucking cycle?” I repeated to the mage.

“The mating cycles. There’s a reason why you don’t see many kids around. The latest mating cycle started five years ago. It’ll last for another five years, and then there will be a lull. No children conceived or born for another decade.

“Some species go longer than that in between. Fae and Dragons, for example, can procreate for fifteen years out of every five decades. When we get to the Fae realm, we won’t see anyone under the age of fifteen.”

I felt my eyebrows rise. He was right; I didn’t know shit about that. I held my hands out, needing a moment to process what he was talking about.

“So…” I started before pausing. “What you’re saying is that I didn’t need to be as careful as I’ve been?”

He rolled his eyes. “No, that’s not what I said. We don’t know if it works the same with humans, but with a mate, there are times where it’s easier to—why are we talkin’ about this?”

I shrugged. “I’m just curious now.”