“Since we’re cool now, could you please just explain to me what I did wrong without vaguing it all up to the point I can’t understand what anyone is talking about?”
Charlie pulled his hands back across the table. “How much to you know about mating?”
“In the general, animal kingdom sense, or specific Shifter stuff?”
“Specific Shifter stuff.”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“Nope. Not a thing.”
Charlie’s forehead folded up like an accordion. “Then how did you know to tell Talley’s dad she was mated?”
My dead boyfriend told me in one of my crazy person dreams.
“I overheard someone say something about mates somewhere and just threw it out there. Honestly, I had no idea it would actually work.”
“So, you don’t know anything about declarations or oaths or lifelong bonds?” I shook my head. “You really have no clue what just happened, do you?”
“I pissed off Jase and made Talley cry. That pretty much sums up everything I know up to this point.”
Charlie leaned back in the chair, raising two of the feet off the floor. “Mating is something that can only happen between Shifters and Seers. You remember in history class how the prince of one country would marry the princess of another country so when they became King and Queen their countries would be allies?”
“Yes.”
“Mating works a little like that.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose between two fingers. “For the love of all things holy, please tell me you guys don’t arrange marriages.” I was so going to have to go all Rosie the Riveter on the Shifter world over this crazy crap.
“Not exactly. The Seer is always free to pick her mate, if she takes one. Most don’t bother.”
“Seers don’t believe in marriage?”
Charlie’s chair plopped back down. “Marriage and mating aren’t exactly the same. If this is having a spouse,” he lifted one hand, chest high, “then this is having a mate.” He lifted the other hand as high as it would go, considered it for a moment, and then turned his hand so his fingers stretched towards the ceiling.
I frowned. “It’s more what? Demanding? Intimate? The ceremony makes Prince William and Kate’s wedding look like a Vegas drive-thru? Are they one of those annoying couples always attached at the hip?”
“Yes.”
“Yes to which part?”
“All of it.” Charlie looked at the ceiling, his hands suspended in front of him. He seemed to be seeking guidance. “It’s complicated,” he finally said.
I kicked him under the table. “Try again.”
“I don’t know, really. It’s all sort of mysterious and secretive. I just know mates can’t get a divorce, ever. And there is some sort of bond that happens, like a weird psychic connection or something that dulls the further away you are from your mate. It’s the reason Mrs. Matthews came here.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Matthews are mated? But I thought you said mates can’t get divorced?”
“They can’t.” He leaned in and lowered his voice. “Apparently, Mr. Matthews was really abusive. When Mrs. Matthews found out she was pregnant with Talley she got scared and petitioned the Alphas, asking them to cull Mr. Matthews from the Pack.”
“Cull?”
Charlie slid a finger across his throat. Of course, cull. Shouldn’t I have already figured out that was how Shifters dealt with all issues?
“They refused, but they did allow her to leave her Pack. They placed her in a Lexington Pack at first, but he was still able to mess with her through their connection, so they sent her here to watch over Jase.”
Poor Talley. I knew her parents were screwed up, but this was reality TV bad.
“Have you ever noticed how Mrs. Matthews never dates?”
Well, it never occurred to me she should, but… “Yeah.”
“It’s because she’s still mated. Mates can only be with each other. Although, I’m not sure if there’s an issue,” he tilted his head down and raised his eyebrows, “or what.”
“But there is a ceremony, right? To make people mates? Jase and Talley just won’t do that. We’ll think of a new solution, and then they can fake break off their fake relationship.”
“Except Jase said he swore an oath.”
“Yeah, but he was just calling Mr. Matthews’ bluff.”
I knew Charlie’s response from the grim line of his mouth before he ever said anything. “His motivation doesn’t matter. Once he’s claimed her, it’s set in stone. By this time next year there will be a ceremony, and then they’re mated. Forever.”
If my heart made it through the day without actually exploding it would be a miracle. “A year? But Jase just turned eighteen last month. They can’t get married or whatever it is mates do.”
“They have to.”
“Or what? They get whacked?”
“Not killed. Banished.”
“Banished from…?”
“Shifter culture. They can’t be a part of a Pack and can’t hold territory.”
My shoulders slumped in relief. I really thought they’d be as good as severely punished. “That doesn’t sound so bad. It’s not like anyone could force us to kick them out.”
“Actually, they would.”
Of course they would. “How exactly would they do that?”
Charlie cocked an eyebrow.
“Let me guess,” I said, “this where the getting killed part comes in.”
“Harboring a banished Seer or Shifter is considered an act of treason.”
“Charlie, either I don’t understand the definition of ‘treason’, or that makes no sense whatsoever.”
“In a way, it does,” Charlie said, leaning back in his chair once more. “Anyone banished is considered an enemy of the Alpha Pack. Helping your government’s enemy is pretty much frowned upon in any society. What do you think the charges would be if we were housing a known member of Al Queda?”
I hated it when he made sense. “So, what? They have to go all lone wolf?”
“You do know we’re coyotes, right?”
I tossed the salt shaker at his head, but he just plucked it from the air.
“Yes, they go all lone Shifter,” he said, placing the salt shaker back in the center of the table. “And it’s not exactly easy. Most reasonable spots for a Shifter to live are already claimed. I’ve heard some parts of major cities have even been claimed as territory for business reasons. That means there isn’t anywhere really for a Shifter to go without being Challenged.”
Which would mean a life of fighting since they couldn’t claim the territory as their own, even if they won. No matter how strong you are, you can’t survive long like that.
“And the Seers?” I asked.
Charlie looked at the table.
“Charlie, tell me what happens to the Seers.”
“In one aspect, it’s easier, because they can’t be formally challenged…”
“But?”
“But they’re seen as tainted. Dirty. Other Shifters and Seers will go out of their way to pull the usual Mean Girl and Asshole routine until she leaves their territory.” He picked at an imaginary something or another on the table. “Gramma Hagan once told me a lot of them commit suicide.”
“This is ridiculous!” My knowledge of blood pressure is fairly basic, but I’m pretty sure mine was through the roof. “The whole freakin’ Shifter world is freakin’ ridiculous!”
“I know it seems extreme, but Shifter customs—”
I held up a hand. “Stop right there. I don’t want to hear about your traditions and customs and how sacred they are, because you know what? They’re misogynistic, fear-mongering crap.”
“Gee, Scout, why don’t you tell me how you really feel?”
“What I don’t understand is why the Seers haven’t revolted,” I continued on, gaining steam. “I mean, you say you revere them and couldn’t exist without them. You tell them they’re second in comman
d, and then you treat like cattle or slaves or enslaved cattle. That whole ‘most respected member of the Pack’ crock is just to keep them in line so they’ll do whatever you want them to do.”
“Hey, wait. I never—”
“Talley is the very definition of innocence, and look what your stupid Shifter rules have done to her. First, she gets tossed aside and sold to the Hagan Pack by her father because he thought she was broken, unable to See anything. Then, once she becomes Senorita Sees A Lot, she has to worry about being spirited away by a bunch of men who think they own her somehow. And now, just because I don’t know when to shut my mouth, she’s going to be forced into an unbreakable mating with Jase. What the hell is wrong with you people?”
“Did you just cuss?”
“Answer the damn question!” I said so loud all movement in the house stopped.
“Scout,” Charlie said slowly, his voice soft and calming as if he was talking to a skittish animal. “I didn’t make the rules. None of us did. I don’t know who made them - George Washington, Napoleon, old Mrs. Faye from down the street, or someone equally ancient I’m sure - but it wasn’t me or Jase or any member of the Hagan Pack. Heck, we’re coyotes. No one asks our opinion on anything, so you can tone down the righteous anger a couple of notches.
I knew he was making sense, but aiming all that anger at the male Shifters was preferable to admitting I had just ruined my brother’s and best friend’s lives. “Surely you realize how horrid these stupid traditions are, right?”
“Traditions make us who we are.”
“Where did you pick that up? Find it in a fortune cookie?”
“I got if from you, actually.” I raised a pair of dubious eyebrows. “Last May. I didn’t want to walk in graduation. You told me I had to because it was tradition, and, I quote, ‘Traditions are important. They make us who we are.’”
If Charlie’s Scout imitation was to be believed, I sound an awful lot like Angela Lansbury.
“This is different,” I countered. “This isn’t wearing a burnt orange polyester monstrosity for a few hours to mark an important rite of passage. This is Jase and Talley spending their lives in a loveless marriage because they’re worried they’ll get sentenced to a life of abuse followed by an early grave.”
Charlie leaned further across the table, eyes narrowed in a challenge. “How do you know it will be?”
“How do I know what will be what?”
“The mating. How do you know it will be loveless?”
I tried to think of a way to word what I wanted to say without being too Scout-like about it, but was having trouble when the answer to his question walked into the kitchen, her swollen eyes and tear-stained cheeks leaving no room for argument.
Chapter 19
“Talley, I…” What could I possibly say to her? “I’m sorry. I didn’t know what I was doing, which is really no excuse—”
“It’s okay,” she said, cutting me off short with the wave of a hand. “It was a smart strategic move. Any Pack Leader quick enough to think of it would have done the same thing.”
I hated the way her voice sounded like she’d swallowed a load of gravel. I hated the way her eyes glowed blue in a sea of red. I hated the way she talked about herself as if she was a crate of semi-automatic rifles or strip of land. And I hated myself for jerking her out of the frying pan only to throw her into a pot of boiling water, right along with Jase.
Charlie cocked his head at Talley. “You doing okay?”
“Uh-huh,” she said a bit too enthusiastically for someone who had a single tear sliding down her cheek. Charlie got up and gathered her into his arms, squeezing her for all he was worth. When she pulled back, a shaky smile rested on Talley’s mouth. “I missed you,” she said.
Charlie blinked hard. “I missed me, too.”
“You know it’s still going to be hard, don’t you?”
“I never expected anything less.” He kissed her forehead before contorting his mouth into a huge yawn.
Talley’s voice took on a distinctly Mrs. Matthews tone. “When was the last time you slept?”
Charlie glanced at the digital clock on the microwave. “That depends. What day is it?”
Talley disengaged her arms from his waist so they could cross in front of her chest. “Bed. Now.”
Right on cue, he yawned again. “You know, that’s not a half bad idea.” Then, as if his abrupt exit wasn’t enough, he mouthed, “Talk to her,” over Talley’s shoulder.
Great. No pressure or anything.
When Charlie left, I resumed my efforts at making amends. “I’m going to find a way to fix this. I swear, Tal, I’m going to make it right.” She didn’t even look at me as she ventured over to the fridge to forge for something to eat. “I mean, there has to be a way out of this. I’m not going to let you become a roaming vagabond—”
“Stop. Just stop.” She was still focused on the contents of the fridge, but I figured she was talking to me instead of the Welch’s grape juice. “I don’t want to talk about it, okay?”
“But Tal—”
“Scout, no.” When her eyes found mine they were full of conviction. “Just leave it alone. I can’t deal with this right now.”
I acceded to her request, convinced she would eventually talk to me about it, but it didn’t take long for hope to fade on that front. The week drug on, but she never once approached the topic and was quick to redirect anytime I tried to subtly bring it up. It made things between us a little awkward, but not nearly as awkward as things between her and Jase.
According to Charlie, it was important for them to appear to be a mated, or soon-to-be-mated, couple. I started feeling less like a Pack Leader and more like the marketing agent behind some Hollywood super couple. I had to figure out strategic places for them to be seen by large groups of gossipy people getting as snuggly as two people who won’t touch each other could. Working around their work schedules and Jase’s continued grounding made things extra fun. I realized my life was beyond not right when Ashely Johnson called to confirm whether or not they were dating and I did a fist pump.
When Talley and I finally did have a heart to heart, it wasn’t quite what I expected.
I was having one of my Alex dreams. We were sitting on the beach, a good two feet of rocks and sand between us, talking about the whole mate situation. It was only the second meeting since I up and realized he wasn’t really there. Both times we kept more distance from each other than before. I missed the contact - the feel of his skin, the taste of his mouth - but knew it was for the best. I couldn’t literally keep clinging onto a dead boy and hope for things to get better inside my head.
“I still contend this is your fault.” I watched the tiny waves lap at my toes and tried to ignore the fact I could actually feel the cool water.
“My fault?” Alex’s eyebrows hid behind his bangs. “What did I do?”
“You told me to ask Jase about Talley and mates.”
“Ask Jase about Talley and mates. That is not the same thing as making Jase swear an oath that he would take Talley as a mate.” He leaned back on his elbows, his profile outlined by the rising sun.
“Well, if you would have just told me about mates in the first place instead of delegating all the giving actual helpful information duties to others, I wouldn’t be in this mess. Knowledge is power, Alex.” If I sounded petulant and annoyed it was only because I was.
“I want to tell you stuff. Promise, I do, but I can’t. That isn’t the way things work.”
“Because I can’t tell myself stuff I don’t already know?”
“Or because I was allowed to come to you as a guide, not a leader. If I start telling you too much they’ll yank my visitation privileges.”
Oh goodie. Rationalization for my craziness.
After five minutes of debating my sanity, things got weird, which is saying something when you’re sitting around arguing with your dead boyfriend. It started with a heaviness in my chest. Then my throat closed up and I couldn�
�t get enough air, no matter what I did. I knew the feeling - it was a panic attack, but it was ten times more severe than anything I’d experienced before.
Just about the same time Alex noticed something was wrong with me, the world ripped in two. Honestly, there is no other way to describe it. The view in front of us, the same old boring stretch of lake, tore away as if it was a giant backdrop being blown apart by the wind. Behind it lay a field that wasn’t in Western Kentucky, the trees much too tall and skinny and evergreen to be growing in Timber. A stream of sorts divided the field in half. On either side grew tall weeds, and in the tall weeds there were people covered in blood. Every eye, save those who would never see anything again, were trained on a standoff going on several feet from the carnage of what had to have been an epic fight.
The woman on the left was tiny, probably less than five feet tall, and utterly beautiful. The hair falling thickly down to her waist was the same rich black color as her eyes. Her warm brown skin was flawless, as was her petite figure. Despite her size, she radiated power.
The girl on the left was tall and looked as if all the color had been bleached from her, expect for the places where blood stained her hair and skin. I’m not sure what had happened to the other me, but I looked more than half dead. I’m not even sure how I was still standing.
Words were spoken, though I couldn’t hear what they were. Then the beautiful woman lunged forward. I didn’t see the knife until the moment before it planted into my other stomach.
I jerked up in the bed, a scream ripping from my throat.
“Scout?” I was just able to make out Talley’s face by the light of the alarm clock. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.
“Bad dream,” I said between pants. My lungs felt as if I’d ran a mile. “You?”
“Horrible dream.”
We sat there in silence for a moment, each of us trapped in our own heads. Once my heart slowed down enough I could do something other than attempt to catch my breath, I laid back down on the bed.
“Tal?”
“Yeah?”
“Would it be weird if we snuggled for a little while?”
Time Mends Page 15