Electric Storm(32)

Dominic cleared his throat. “That’s not exactly true.”

Her brows wrinkled in confusion. “Which part?”

“Leave it alone.” Jackson’s heated words took her aback. You’d think she’d be used to his rudeness by now.

“She needs to know.” The snap in Dominic’s voice sent a tremor through her gut. “Breeding between other races isn’t a sure thing. If carried to term, the newborn isn’t guaranteed to have the gifts of their shifter parent. Jackson reacted to you and Taggert because you awakened his wolf.”

“Beg pardon?” Raven blinked, completely baffled.

“Jackson’s wolf wants you.”

She looked at Jackson, his animosity vibrating around him, and laughed. “How can you be serious? He wants nothing to do with me.”

A growl rumbled out of him, and her amusement died quickly. Those eyes darkened, splinters of yellow interrupting the brown. The stare dried the spit from her mouth. Power boiled out of him, cresting over her. It was rough, untamed and delicious to touch.

He broke the stare first, dropping her back into the conversation with a rude plop. She was missing something important. “Okay, what does that mean exactly?”

“Females choose their mates. The more alpha the female, the more males she attracts.” Dominic fell silent, staring at her.

“So?”

Taggert set the mug in front of her. She took a sip when Dominic spoke again. “His wolf is jealous.”

The liquid sprayed the table. “What?” She glared at him for his cruelty and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “You must be mistaken. I’m not a wolf. I don’t count.”

“Sometimes men must find other avenues.”

Raven felt her eyes widen to saucers. She looked between Taggert and Jackson and blinked once in understanding. So it wasn’t her that set Jackson off. It also explained why he was so protective of the boy. “You mean they–”

“Oh, hell no.” Jackson snorted. “He meant humans.”

“Okay. So your wolf chose a human.” That was a little better, wasn’t it?

Dominic shook his head, his green eyes dark. “Wolves never awaken to anyone but potential mates. One of their own kind. Once awakened, they don’t care about anyone else. Men can select a human if they don’t believe they’ll ever find a mate or if they’re too weak no wolf would take them. No great loss. With the shortage of female shifters, most wolves never awaken.”

There was an awkward pause when Dominic spoke again. “His wolf is jealous you chose Taggert as mate material and not him.”

“But I’m not a shifter. I was born with no animal connections at all.” Raven chose her words carefully. “And from my reading, it’s the female that locks the match into place. There’s some sort of blood ritual.” Her brows wrinkled as she fought to pull the facts from her memories. She fiddled with the cup as all eyes focused on her.

Dominic took a deep breath, rubbing a tired hand over his eyes and down his face. “Mating is a duty, not a human partnership, not dating. They’re looking for the best genetic materials to produce cubs.

“For the men, they’ll parade and show off their skills and wait for the female to indicate interest, but it’s up to the breeding woman to initiate contact. An alpha female will choose the best and the strongest. Everyone else is expected to make do.” He cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Only an alpha female or committed, pre-approved couples mate by taking blood. Once the connection is in place, the enzymes in the blood ensure the male will only want her.”

“And if they exchange blood?” Tension spiked in the room at her innocent question.

“No.”

There was a slight waver in his voice that caught her attention. “No?”

A gusty sigh escaped. “There’s a romantic fairytale whispered amongst kids about Consorts. It’s rare, a privilege granted to alphas and only if the council approves the union  . Not only does it take two alphas out of the gene pool, it would bring about alliances between the packs involved.”

“And if two shifters fall in love?”

“They’d be fine as long as they don’t breed. A death sentence can be enforced if they breed without approval. The cubs could be inducted in the pack or labeled rogue and kicked out.”

“What happens to the Consort’s previous mates at this bond?” Dominic’s eyes hardened, and any resemblance to her friend was replaced with the uncompromising leader. Her heart hiccupped in her chest.

“It depends on the strength of the alpha. Prior bonds should break at the exchange of blood. The fully bonded alpha male usually kills any who show signs of too much possessiveness. The rest will be ordered to breed again or, more often than not, the men become the female’s protective guard. True Consort bonds cannot be broken once formed.” He blew out a breath, avoiding her gaze.