Grace of a Wolf by Lenaleia

Chapter 62: Grace: Transference (II)

"Oh—he didn’t... I’m not..." My hand jumps to the side of my neck awkwardly. "We aren’t mated or anything."

She rubs her forehead. "That’s not what I was asking. Do you know what happens to two shifters when they complete a mating bond? The marking scars are just the physical expression. The real bonding happens on an energetic level. When a shifter claims their mate, there’s an exchange of energy. Usually, it’s balanced. A give and take."

A cold feeling settles in my stomach. "Okay..."

"It isn’t much, and there are levels of sensitivity to a bond. Some pairs can feel each others’ emotions, for example. There’s almost always a mental link between pairs. And they can share in each others’ pain and healing to a small extent."

I nod.

"And then there’s you."

Now she’s just getting ominous. "I’m listening."

Lyre’s expression softens with something that might be pity. "Caine... took. A lot. Though I don’t think he meant to. To be fair, you’re a bit of a special case, yourself."

I squint at her. "Um. Lyre? Not to sound repetitive, but Caine wasn’t trying to mark me."

She runs her hands through her hair with a groan. "Grace, you need to work on your relationship aversion. I know he wasn’t trying to mark you, but are you really trying to say you still haven’t figured out you two are fated mates?"

Time stops. My mouth hangs open. The twinkling lights grow dim in my vision as I process her words.

Lyre arches one eyebrow, waiting for my response. The silence between us stretches uncomfortably long.

My heart jumps at the thought, but then I crush the hope ruthlessly in a mental fist. No. Stop daydreaming.

"That’s..." My voice comes out flat, emotionless. "That’s impossible. Humans can’t be fated mates with shifters."

Lyre snorts. "Says who?"

"Says... everyone. It’s common knowledge. Fated mates are a shifter thing. It’s about compatibility between wolves. Humans don’t have that... that biological imperative."

"You sure about that?"

creeps in. Lyre doesn’t make things up. At least,

yet here we are, with you nearly dead from

slowly, my thoughts spinning

she’s saying is true... if Caine

skin prickled with awareness whenever he entered a room. The inexplicable pull I felt toward him from the very beginning—the strange gravity causing me

seemed to recognize his before my

fluttered and my breath caught in my throat. The heat pooling low in

all to fear, to adrenaline,

it was more?

there was Caine himself. The brutal, dangerous Lycan King who tracked me down without any

in. Dropped my guard. Let him touch

all self-preservation instinct, I’d been

realization crashes over me. "Oh. It makes so much

snort.

palm against my forehead, feeling light-headed. "But

Improbable." Lyre corrects me with a flick of her slender wrist. "There’s a

this distinction. Not impossible

mates. Even when

through wolf souls is also incorrect. Their soul is a dyad. A twinsoul,

never been taught in school. In fact, I’m pretty sure the stuff coming out of Lyre

for her to continue, but she simply studies me with those unsettling cat-slit eyes. The

"What?" I finally ask.

"I told you before—you’re a special

lines. I’d been a bit distracted and hadn’t focused on her words though.

to the window

What do you

pattern. "You know, it’s funny. Humans are so

the hell. She’s the one who brought it