Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 1

sudden moves or I was dog food.
    The walk seemed to take forever, but we finally arrived at a large house. The Alpha led me inside to a living room area and told me to take a seat. I waited about five minutes before he returned with two new people: a man and a woman. The woman was human and the man was a shifter— I assumed a wolf.
    "I'm Martin Tomasini. This is my wife, Jessica. We're Kyle's parents."
    My cheeks heated. "I'm Devlin… Devlin Reitler. How is Kyle a shifter if his mom is human?" I blurted.
    The Tomasinis exchanged a glance with the Alpha. Kyle's mom looked at me, her mouth hanging open.
    His dad spoke first. "There are no female werewolves. Our mothers are always human."
    I can't imagine how stupid I looked. I had to snap my mouth closed. No women wolves?
    The Alpha spoke. I realized he never gave me his name. "Is it different for bears?"
    The question had been spoken in a quiet tone. I answered quietly as well. "Yes, a bear cub is only born if both the mother and the father are bears."
    "Oh." His mother's expression turned hard. "Why are you here?"
    I looked into her eyes, the same blue as Kyle's. Those eyes glared at me. The image of a mother protecting her cub came to mind. Part of me was pleased that Kyle had such a mother. She asked a good question.
    "I… I don't know."
    "That's not good enough." Her eyebrows scrunched together and she leaned towards me. He voice growing louder. "Do you know what you have done to Kyle, what you put him through?"
    I flinched. "I… I didn't do anything to him." I tried to defend myself, but really, I deserved all of this.
    "Why don't I believe you?" she shouted.
    Her husband put his hand on her shoulder and drew her back.
    Then he explained. "Occasionally, a wolf mate will reject the wolf. It hurts, but with Kyle, it's more."
    "More?" I asked. A maelstrom began spinning in my stomach.
    "Don't play dumb." She yelled again. "What happens when bears mate?"
    My mind froze, trying to escape the encroaching pain. "If two bears choose to form a permanent attachment, they claim each other during… sex." I didn't think it was possible, but my face grew even hotter. Was I really talking about sex with Kyle's parents? "They will their claws to appear and draw each other's blood and mix it together. This forms the bond. They can hear each other's thoughts. Doesn't that happen with wolves?" The question sounded lame even to me. Clearly things were very different for wolves and bears.
    "No, wolves aren't telepathic usually," his father answered. "Why did you draw Kyle's blood and then leave?"
    I shook my head, and raised my hands to punctuate my words. "I didn't. I was shocked when my claws came out. I didn't call them, but I never drew blood to initiate the bond."
    The Alpha spoke, sounding thoughtful. "Are you sure it's the drawing and mixing of blood that initiates the bond?"
    "Huh?" I had been taught that my entire life. Out with the claws, puncture, mix, voila, bond.
    The Alpha spoke gently to me, as if to a child. "Maybe drawing and mixing blood completes the bond."
    I wanted to vomit. "No… I…" I said, shaking my head.
    But it made sense. The bond had started to form. I didn't will it. I didn't ask for it, but it had. We just never finished it. How was that possible? It explained everything, the longing for him, sharing his dreams, the emptiness in the place where he should be.
    Oh God . I dropped my face into my hands.
    "What have I done?" I asked, a tear sliding down my cheek. "I… I never tried to bond with him. To bond, both sides need to want it, to consent."
    "He's a wolf and knew you were his mate. He consented." Kyle's dad said just as gently.
    He consented. Did I? "But… I…"
    His dad put a hand on my shoulder and turned me toward him. "Some part of you recognized him and reached out, or tried to."
    My brain fried, overloaded. "All that shit he said about being mates is real?"
    Kyle's dad looked me in the eyes. "Wolves always know their mates."
    Eight years… Had I really been fooling myself for eight years? Such a waste .
    "You said your paws came out." The Alpha asked. "Has that ever happened during sex before or since?"
    "No." I buried my face in my hands again. I had caused so much pain for Kyle, for myself.
    His mother spoke. "I shouldn't let you see him."
    I looked up. Her head was tilted up and she looked down at me, a frown cut her face. If looks could kill, I'd be dead. "Why?" I asked.
    "I don't trust you." Her arms were crossed over her