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I go still and then sigh. "Oh, yeah. Weird doesn't cover it."
I can't tell Maya everything, not just because I've only known her for a couple of days but also because I don't want her to know so much that she's in danger. But I tell her about my reputation in the company and the bullying I'm facing.
The pizza is ignored as she makes me sit on the carpet while she sits behind me on the couch going through my hair, making a tutting noise, "You couldn't leave well enough alone?"
"I was trying to take it out," I complain.
"Yeah," Maya says, scathingly. "Lovely job you did here."
"Maya!"
"Fine." She tugs at my hair lightly. "I can take it out for you, but it's going to be a long and painful process. I will need some peanut butter or olive oil."
"What's option B?" I glance up at her.
Her smile is slow and spells no good. "We could always cut your hair."
"Cut it?" I don't know why I choke at those words.
"Well," she sighs, "it would be a pity to cut such long and beautiful hair. I mean you must have grown it over such a long period of––"
"I've never cut my hair," I say.
"Wait, never?" Maya gapes at me.
I shake my head.
I look at my hair bunched in her hand and a thought strikes me. "You know how to cut hair?"
"I put myself through college cutting and styling hair." Maya grins at me. "What do you say? Want to try something new?"
A lot of new things have been happening to me over these past few weeks. What's one more?
"Do it."
It takes Maya half an hour to call Tony and get him to buy some professional scissors. As we wait, I ask, "So, you and Tony, huh? How did that happen?"
Maya smiles at me. "We met during the pack run three months ago. Our wolves started playing, and I just really liked how quiet he is, and so together. We went out on a few dates and he asked if he could court me."
"So, he's your fated mate?"
Maya's eyes widen. "Oh, no!" Laughter spills from her mouth. "Not everyone gets to find their fated mate, you know."
"Wait," I feel nervous, "so, how does it work then? This fated mate thing. And don’t kids find their fated mates if they’re around them?"
"Don't you know?"
I shake my head. "I've never had anybody to talk about these things with."
"But we learn these things when we're children." Maya blinks, confused. I must have looked uncomfortable before she gestures with her hands. "Never mind. It's kind of like this, see. We all have fated mates out there, but we don't always get to meet them. I mean, I could have a fated mate somewhere in Africa. Chances are I might never meet him. But if I meet someone with whom my wolf connects, then he can court me and we enter the mating courtship in which mates look after each other and get to know one another in a physical and emotional sense. My wolf will assess whether the male's wolf can protect me, meet my emotional needs, make me feel secure, and all that stuff. And once I agree to the mating, we give each other the mating mark. The mating mark is usually given in the heat of the moment, which is, you know…"
She winks at me, and when I stare at her blankly, she mutters, "Hoo boy. During the climax, Cynthia. Some packs prefer it to be given during a mating ceremony, but that's just for show and all."
"So," I venture slowly, "how would you know if you met your fated mate? Like what if you grew up with them? Wouldn’t you know immediately?"
Maya whistles. "I mean, both parties have to be in their puberty for the fated mate bond to kick in. That’s what I was told. I mean, if you’ve hit your puberty and your fated mate hasn’t, neither of you will recognize the other as your fated mate. But about how we know, I think being around them makes your sex drive really active. Like you want to jump their bones all the time. Females have pheromones which become active once they meet their fated mate. It draws in their mate. Other males can smell them, and it acts as a signal that says 'This girl's with someone'. There's supposed to be a strong emotional connection with your fated mate."
"Really?"
