Page 34 of Anders
More permanent,Anders said carefully.Wolf shifters mate for life.The bond forms naturally between compatible pairs, though it can sometimes take time to recognize and acknowledge it.
Etta’s gaze turned thoughtful as she analyzed his words.So it’s biological?Instinctual?
Partly.But it’s also a choice.The bond presents itself, but both parties must accept it for it to fully form.
Like I’ve been refusing to do, he thought, though he kept that to himself.
How do you know when it’s happening?
Anders nearly choked at the innocence of the question when paired with the intensity of his own awareness.
He needed to redirect.This was dangerous territory.
Let’s focus on pack bonds for now,he said.Close your eyes and try to extend your senses.What do you feel?
Etta’s eyelids fluttered closed, her face relaxing slightly as she concentrated.I feel…warmth.The air on my skin, the ground beneath me.
Go deeper.Beyond physical sensations.Reach out with your wolf’s senses.
Her brow furrowed.I don’t know how.
Don’t try to control it,Anders said.Let it come naturally.Your wolf knows what to do, even if you don’t consciously remember.
Anders closed his own eyes, extending his awareness to help guide her.
He allowed his presence to expand, projecting calm and safety—the way older pack members did when teaching cubs to use their wolf senses.
The silence stretched between them, broken only by the occasional desert breeze and the distant call of a hunting hawk.
Oh,Etta breathed suddenly.I can feelyou.Your presence.It’s like a warmth, a pressure against my mind.
Anders opened his eyes to find her staring at him in wonder.That’s it.That’s the beginning of pack awareness.
It’s incredible,she whispered.Like having another sense entirely.
Her excitement was contagious, and Anders grinned.That’s just the start.With practice, you’ll be able to sense everyone in the pack, though with different intensities.
And they can sense me too?
To varying degrees.Malcolm and Larissa, as alphas, have the strongest awareness.The others will pick up on your presence, your emotions sometimes, but not details.
Etta’s expression turned thoughtful again.Is that how you knew where to find me yesterday?In the basement?
The memory of her scream—of the terror and pain in her voice—made Anders’s chest tighten.Partly.But that was different.That was—
He cut himself off, unwilling to reveal too much too soon.
That was our mate bond beginning to form, his mind supplied.
That was my wolf recognizing its other half in danger.
Etta tilted her head, her eyes narrowing slightly.That was what?
Anders sighed.She deserved honesty, especially after everything that had been hidden from her.Shifters have heightened protective instincts toward those we…care about.
It wasn’t a lie, just not the complete truth.
Care about,she repeated flatly.We barely knew each other.
