Page 38 of The Coyote's Veterinarian Omega

He really was. I sat there with my arms folded, waiting. Finally,he said, “It’s a bond. When we bite each other, we call it claiming, and it creates a bond between the partners.”

I still didn’t see his point, but he didn’t continue. “And …?”

“It binds us. For life.”

“Oh,” I said softly, unable to summon much more than that. I didn’t know much about shifters at all, except that they could turn into animals, except that Cam and his family were shifters.

I’d always thought shapeshifters were fairy-tale stuff, myths. Yet here was living proof standing right in front of me, and I’d seen him do it. I’d seen him transform before my eyes.

Who said there couldn’t be magical bites that created magic forever bonds between people?

Actually, come to think of it, what was to rule out fated mates or soulmates or whatever the hell Cam’s aunts had been trying to sell us on?

I shook my head. Cam must have seen it—he probably had better night vision than me—because he said, “It’s okay. I don’t want to rush you or—”

I shifted forward, taking his hands. “I’d really like that.” The words were almost a whisper, like I was ashamed to admit it or something.

But it did sound nice. Being bonded to Cam—being bound to him, or claimed, or whatever he wanted to call it.

Fated mates, or whatever, sure sounded better than the hellish world of dating apps and hookups in gay bars that I had left behind in the city, and it had to be better than whatever passed for a gay dating scene in Coyote Creek.

“Would you?” His fingers ghosted by my ear, brushing back a lock of hair.

“Yeah.” I nodded, leaning forward into him as he leaned toward me.

I tilted my head, and our lips met, almost hesitantly, especially compared to what we’d been doing just the night before. I sighedas Cam pulled back.

“Are you really sure?” he asked, stroking a finger down my cheek.

It might have sounded crazy. In fact, I was sure it would have, in almost any other context. I’d only known the guy for maybe two weeks, tops, and last night, I’d been convinced what we were doing was simply having a hookup.

I didn’t know what had changed. Finding out about shifters? Was I buying into the fated mates theory Caroline and Karla had floated at the table?

It didn’t matter. Whatever the reason, I felt, with burning certainty, that this was right. Cam was the one for me—now and for always.

“I’m sure,” I told him simply, turning my head to kiss his fingertips as he stroked my cheek again.

He pushed me back. “Wyatt, I’m serious. This is no joke, it’s—”

“I’m not joking either, Cam.” I grabbed his wrist, pulling him in until we were nose to nose. “Go ahead. Bite me.”

Cam

Imight have started laughing if i hadn’t been so goddamn shocked by the way wyatt dragged me and practically growled, “bite me.”

He wanted this as badly as I did, and God, I wanted to sink my teeth into his neck, bite him, make him bleed, scar him. Make himmine.

I’d been edging on possessiveness since last night, but something about that strange wolf having seen him this morning, then showing up here, had all my instincts howling.

I needed to do more than knot Wyatt. I needed to stake my claim, so no one could mistake him for a single omega.

But it was way too soon for that. Wyatt had just learned that shifters existed two days ago. He knew nothing about us. Even though I’d tried to explain it, I doubted he really understood the gravity of a mating mark. It would bind us together for the rest ofour lives. Unlike wedding vows, this really was ’til death do you part—the bond would only break when one of us died. There was no other way to undo it.

I knew other shifter couples who lived with bonds even though they’d grown apart and separated. Down at Hobby Horse, Roy’s mate had cheated on him, then abruptly moved across the country. They were still mated, even though they weren’t together anymore. I’d never thought much about it, though I’d heard Roy talk about it when him and my dad had got around to drinking. Dad had called it the widowers club—but Roy wasn’t technically widowed.

I didn’t want that with Wyatt. Nor did I want itforWyatt. I didn’t want to trap him in a relationship that he didn’t understand, that he couldn’t get out of.

But maybe it wouldn’t matter. Maybe, since Wyatt was human, it wouldn’t affect him in the same way. Maybe I’d be the only one to suffer, because I was a shifter.