Page 181 of Volik

“Same as anyone, really. Looking for a change of scenery. A dream job. Differing views on life and morals. Family drama. You name it. But most often if someone leaves, it’s for a mate.”

“I get that.” Nix’s voice is quiet.

I release her hand and drape my arm over her shoulders instead, pulling her into my side.

She leans into me but keeps asking her questions. “Do shifters usually find their mates in other packs, or is it all random? And have there been any human mates?”

Not knowing the answer, I watch Henry for his reply.

He smiles at my Nix. “The odds are pretty random. But there are many examples of shifters mating with humans over the centuries. Though the majority of pairings are between shifters of the same animal.”

“What—” My mate pauses.

Henry laughs. “Ask your question, Miss Novak.”

She blows out a breath. “Okay, but you can always choose not to answer.”

“Noted.”

“What happens if two shifters who aren’t the same animal mate and reproduce?”

“The child will have the animal form of the more dominant parent. There has never been a case of a hybrid shifter. A hybrid anything.”

“What do you mean?”

“Say a vampire and a shifter mated. The child would be one or the other. It has happened, mates between different species. Not for a very long time. But in every case, the child simply matched the stronger parent. And that’s usually the community the family will live within.”

“Fascinating.” Nix looks up at me, and since I’m not sure what response she’s looking for, I dip my chin. She turns her attention back to Henry. “Does every Alt have a fated mate?”

“That is the belief. That we are all born with bonded souls. Another half.” Nix leans more of her weight against my side, and I tighten my hold on her shoulders.

“You say that is the belief, but if it’s just a belief, not known fact, then that must mean that not everyone gets a mate.” I can hear the sorrow in Nix’s question. And I don’t care if shifters are with us. I purr.

It’s quiet. Low. But enough that I can feel my mate relax.

Henry, wise man that he is, does not look our way. But I do not miss how Seb sways, or the way Henry has to grip the back of Seb’s shirt to keep him in place.

I wonder if my purr is some sort of lure to Alts that are not my mate.

Curious.

Henry clears his throat. “It’s considered a belief because some people never find their mate. And the best explanation we have for this is death. That one half of the pair met their end before both could come of age.”

“That’s awful,” Nix whispers.

I work to keep our heartbeat steady, unsure how much Henry is going to say, but needing Nix to keep feeling safe and calm.

“It is.” The dean exhales. “There are also tragic tales of lovers attempting to sever bonds. Someone who was already in love with another when the bond formed. Wanting to control their own destiny… But the bond is a part of us, and every attempt to break it, that I know of, has ended in death.” Henry shakes his head. “Those fools only thought they knew love, but nothing compares to our mate. It’s such a waste.”

“Two halves.” I rub my thumb in a circle on Nix’s shoulder as we walk.

She rocks into me with her next step.

“Of course, there’s also the fact that most people don’t go through such a drastic change as our Volik here. So it’s speculated that some people just don’t know that their bond has formed. And if they never run into them, say they live on different continents, then they may live their lives never knowing.”

“Slightly less depressing but still depressing.” Nix tries to joke as she tucks her fingers into the corner of my front pants pocket.

My quiet purr cuts off as I swallow down a groan.