Chapter 18 - Mother-In-Law

Zelena.

The door was pushed open all the way and Roe stepped in.

"Hello Darling" she said with a smile,

"I've got some lunch for you"

"Perfect" I said standing up. I followed her to the kitchen where there was an extravagant slew of sandwiches and wraps spread out on the counter. Wow, I thought. This lady really has the house-wife thing down, doesn't she?

"Help yourself dear, take as much as you like".

I grabbed two quarter sandwiches and one small wrap and sat down at the breakfast nook with my food. Roe came over with a glass of juice, she put it down next to my plate and sat across from me in the booth. I lifted my sandwich and took a bite. Mm… it's good, like really good. Roe didn't have any food, she just sat and watched me eat. It was a little weird and uncomfortable. She didn't say anything, just watched me. When I was done, she picked up my plate and took it to the sink. I watched her glide effortlessly across the floor and I took a sip of my juice. She walked back over and sat down again, this time with a determined look on her soft and delicate face.

"I was hoping we could have a little chat" she said. She was smiling, but the way she said it made me really nervous.

"Sure" I croaked back,

"First of all, what has my son told you about our world?" She rested her hands on the table and interlocked her fingers.

"Not much, just about Alpha's and Omega's"

"Has he said anything about Mate's?"

"Uh, I don't know what you mean"

"I mean, soul mates, lovers, partners in life"

"Oh, well he told me the Alpha's wife is called the Luna".

She huffed, looking down and shook her head softly. There was something going on, she was anxious, I could smell it on her. When did I start smelling feelings? Or when did I learn what emotions even smelled like?

"Have I missed something?" I asked getting a little annoyed.

"My darling, it's time you hear about some of our legends. Particularly about the True Mate bond". The True Mate bond sounds interesting, maybe that was what she meant earlier when she was talking to Artemis.

"O-okay" I stuttered. My stomach was in knots, something about her energy was making me feel queasy.

"Try to listen and to stay calm, I'm not telling you this to frighten you, you just need to understand some things before this goes too far". I nodded my head, indicating for her to begin and then sat back and crossed my arms.

"In our world, you don't just choose a husband or a wife, you choose a Mate. For a werewolf the connection with your Mate is very strong. You can talk to each other using your minds, like telepathy, though we Weres call it flashing. An Alpha or Alpha-son can also do this with a small selection of his pack members. You can also feel what the other is feeling. If one is sad then the other becomes sad, if one is angry the other becomes angry. Having a Mate puts your senses into overdrive, because of this, there is a strong urge to protect what is yours. And when I say that, I mean your Mate. Weres are a very jealous and possessive folk" she paused, looking at me.

"How do you choose a Mate?" I asked curiously,

"Once you feel a connection with another Were, you share your blood" she answered. My eyes bulged and a lump formed in my throat. Share blood? Are Weres like vampires, do they drink each other's blood?

"I'm sorry, what?" I spluttered,

"It's nothing like what I think you're thinking, darling. It's as simple as a pinprick on each Weres finger and pressing them together, or consuming just a single drop. Nothing gory" she said with a slight chuckle.

"Oh" I breathed out with relief.

"May I go on?" Roe asked. I nodded my head and she continued.

"There is a legend among our people about something called the True Mate. It is a very uncommon occurrence that only happens once every three or four generations. It is so rare in fact that most Weres believe to be nothing more than a myth. It is somewhat similar to the bond between Mates only everything is heightened. You cannot choose your True Mate, they are chosen for you by our Holy Goddess. The legends say that the pair that share the bond can also share their powers, making them faster and stronger than any normal werewolf. Just like with a normal Mate, the True Mate can feel the other's feelings, though it is said that the feelings are intensified. Anger becomes rage, sadness becomes sorrow and lust becomes insatiable passion. In one of the stories passed down from our ancestors, the True Mate bond shared between two Weres made them very powerful. It also made them very volatile. The story says that the she-wolf had grown up with the packs Alpha, they were very close friends and were able to flash with each other. This connection made the male very jealous, and in a single fit of rage, he killed the Alpha. When the pack retaliated for the murder of their Alpha, the male tore them all apart, in doing so he also fatally wounded his True Mate. When she died, he became weak and sickly. Since he had killed his pack and was left alone, he was easily killed by hunters when he was in his wolf form". She stopped talking and looked at me. I was processing the story trying to figure out the relevance. I had so many questions, but I didn't know how to word them.

"How do you know the difference between a Mate and a True Mate?" I asked quietly.

"Well even though they are similar they are also vastly different. A Were can share many Mate bonds with different wolves, never at the same time, but there can be more than one. For a True Mate, there is only ever one. And as the bond is chosen for you, the blood sharing is not required. Once the two Weres sense each other, the True Mate bond begins and then they will never share another bond with any other wolf. To lose one's True Mate is to lose a piece of themselves. The history says that one does not live long without the other".

This is intense stuff. Soul mates and dying without each other. It's like something out of a fairy tale. The night of the... incident, with my father, I was beaten pretty badly. I imagine that I would have been bleeding a lot. Gunner said that he brought me here, so if he was bleeding when he saved me, and our blood mixed together somehow, does that mean we could be Mates now? Is that what she is trying to tell me, I have accidently been Mated to her son?

"Is Gunner my Mate now?" I asked her. She tilted her head to the side and gazed at me with a puzzled look on her face. I didn't really think it was that hard of a question to answer. A simple yes or no would suffice.

"Is he your Mate?" she asked again, like she didn't hear me the first time,

"Yeah, like is that why we have gotten close so quickly? We shared blood accidently, right?"

"Zelena, honey, I don't think you're understanding what I am telling you this for. Gunner isn't your chosen Mate. He is your True Mate. You have the bond". She leaned forward staring at me. Wait, he is my what now? Is she for real? I felt nauseous and dizzy. This can't be real. Is that what has been going on with me. I'm not just a horny teenager, I'm Mated. This mythical Goddess has given me a person and deemed that I am to stay with that person for the rest of my life, or I die? What the actual fuck.

"Wait what? How do you know that?" I snapped.

"He has spoken to me about the connection he feels with you. It started to bloom well before the night he saved you. When you were being hurt, he could feel it, that's why he went to rescue you. And your injuries are all but healed, a newborn wolf like you can't usually heal this fast. Especially from injuries as severe as yours were. That was Gunner. He shared his healing powers with you. He is making you strong, just as you are making him strong" she said while staring at me intently.

Wow! This is all so much. I need time to think. I need water. I picked up my juice and chugged it down. Of all people or werewolves, whatever, to be paired with, Gunner isn't exactly a bad pick. I mean just look at him. It's not just that he is exquisite to look at, but he is also kind and caring, really sweet, and he makes me feel safe. I like Gunner. But I never expected to find love, I didn't think I'd live long enough to experience it, if I'm being honest. Now I'm being told that I have been given to someone that is to be my soul mate, and I his. What if I'm not enough for him? What if he doesn't want me? This would be a lot for anyone to hear, but does Gunner even want to be stuck with me for the rest of his life? I'm nothing special. Most would say that I am a burden. What would happen if he decided he wants more? Something better? What would become of me then?

"Can I ask you sweetheart, have the two of you been intimate?" Roe asked softly, interrupting my crazy thought train. I nearly choked on my own tongue and made a bizarre gagging sound. Roe lowered her head and chuckled quietly, I think she was just as embarrassed, asking about my relationship with her son. I thought about last night and the steamy dry humping, I tried to hide my smile and blushed and I shook my head.

"No, I haven't even kissed him" I whispered,

"Ah, that makes sense" she said leaning back in her seat,

"I can see that you already like him a lot" she said with a small giggle. My cheeks burned with embarrassment. I leaned forward putting my elbows on the table and hiding my face in my hands.

"You don't need to be shy dear. I still remember making my first bond with Lupus. Oh, how that man could drive me wild. He still does" she moaned with a little growl. Oh my god, I could just die of shame right now. She leaned forward holding my arm from across the table. I lifted my eyes and looked at her through my fingers.

"Once you share your first kiss you will understand" she smiled, a light blush flushed her cheeks.

"Now there is one other thing" she said letting go of my arm and sitting up straight. I dropped my arms crossing them on the table and looked at her.

"I can't believe I'm about to say this to my eighteen-year-old sons' girlfriend". The sound of her calling me Gunner's girlfriend, sent a flurry of butterflies swarming around my stomach. Roe wiped her brow with the back of her hand. I could sense her nervousness.

"You will need to seal the bond and you will need to do it soon" she sighed, dropping her head and blurting out a small laugh. Seal the bond, what in the heck does that mean? Do we need to sign some sort of contract, or make a blood oath or some shit?

"Uh, how do we do that exactly?" I asked slowly. I'm a little unsure if I want to hear the answer. My mind was swimming with gruesome and gross possibilities. Everything from drinking each other's blood to getting married. Roe's cheeks blushed a deep crimson and a bead of sweat rolled down her forehead.

"Through intercourse" she blinked as her blush spread down her neck as well. Intercourse, as in sex. Did my supposed Mate's mother just tell me to sleep with her son? What the flipping fuck kind of backwards life am I living right now. I could feel a giggle bubbling just under the surface.

"You want me to sleep with your son?" I asked her while trying not to laugh at the absurd irony of it all. She smiled with her mouth closed and jaw tensed and nodded slowly. Oh my goodness, I think I am in love with this woman. I mean this is super embarrassing, I can't actually believe what is happening right now, but still. Yes Miss, I would gladly climb your son like a tree and ride him into next week. I could no longer compress the laugh, and I let it out in a rather abrupt roar. Thankfully, Roe smiled wide and joined in on my somewhat inappropriate laughter.

"I know this is a very strange conversation to have with the mother of the boy whose bed you have been sharing" she choked out between chuckles.

"Nothing is surprising me at this point" I breathed heavily.

"Okay, well I'm glad that is over and done with" she said putting her hand on the table and standing up. She walked over to the sink and turned on the tap. She began clanging dishes together while still giggling to herself. I got up and headed for the door.

"Thank you for lunch" I cooed at her,

"You're most welcome dear" she smiled back.