Aimee and Samia spent a long time helping Roxie understand the world of bears, and Were-Hunters in general. There was just so much to learn. It was uncomfortable. Roxie was still very angry and didn't want to hear any of it. But, after what happened with Colt, she could no longer deny that she needed to learn.
Roxie had heard some things over the years. The bulk of what she knew was that her mother was an Arcadian, a Were-animal who held human form as their base, but could change into an animal. But, her family were Katagaria, those were animals in their base form and could change to be human. She knew absolutely nothing about her grandfather except that he was Arcadian as well. And a few bits and pieces of history and that they could use magic.
Apparently, the Peltier family was mixed. Their mother was Katagaria and their father was Arcadian, so the siblings are a mix of both. Unlike her mother's family, they were accepting of each other's forms, though not always of each other's attitudes.
Aimee told Roxie about the rush of emotions and the biological need to mate that comes with cycling. Roxie blushed as she remembered just how much she wanted Colt earlier, without rational thought. He had even asked her if she really wanted him. Twice. And she said yes. Never stopping to question it. It was such an instinctive need.
Oh gods. "Am I going to be like this the whole time that I am cycling?" Roxie started to panic. Was she going to become a nymphomaniac, sleeping with anyone around?
"Yes and no." Aimee said as she took Roxie's hand. "The desire will always be there while you cycle. However, in time, the intensity of it will diminish a little. Your first cycle is always the hardest to control. We can let everyone here know so that they don't take advantage, and my brothers will watch to keep any other clients from trying to take advantage of you as well."
Roxie's face was so red she could not look at the other women.
"No. You can't be serious." Samia exclaimed. "You already did… Who?"
Aimee growled. "Colt. I will kill him."
Roxie reached over and stopped Aimee from leaving to kill him. "It was not his fault. He didn't know any more than I did. He asked me if I honestly wanted it. More than once. I just was not thinking things through." Roxie's eyes started to water.
This was all just too much.
Aimee looked in Roxie's eyes. "Hey, hey, calm down. I won't really kill him. It's just a figure of speech Roxie." Aimee gave her a hug. "I will still tan his hide later, but as long as you are not angry at him, I would say that you are making progress and I don't want to upset that. But, that does mean we are going to have to talk to you about mating."
Roxie stiffened. "I do know about the birds and the bees already."
Samia chuckled. "Obviously, you were practicing that one earlier." Roxie covered her face with her hands.
"Alright, alright, we are not talking about those details." Aimee chided. "I mean being mated. If you do have sex, there is always a chance that you could end up mated to that person. As a Were-bear, you don't get to choose who you get mated to. The Fates do. And that has life long commitment kinds of implications."
Roxie quickly elbowed Aimee in the ribs as she saw Otto enter the bar.
"Ouch! What in the hell was that for?" Aimee growled. Then she saw Otto as well.
"Please don't say anything about this in front of him." Roxie asked quickly and quietly. "The Squire's Council don't know that I am half bear yet."
Aimee's jaw dropped. "How on earth has that been kept secret?"
Roxie pleaded with her eyes but did not speak again as Otto walked up to the women.
Otto sauntered up and crossed his arms as he came to stand in front of the trio of women. "Glad to see you are still here Roxie. And talking to Aimee. That is certainly more improvement than I expected to see from you on your second day."
Roxie forced a smile.
"So, how is it going here at Sanctuary?" He asked.
"Fine. You can go now." Roxie scowled. She really hated the feeling of being investigated. She was already too raw and confused. She didn't need him there to make things worse.
Otto looked her over. "I think that I will stay for a little while. The Howlers are going to start soon. I need a night of heavy metal." And he started to grab a chair to join them.
Roxie growled. "We were having a conversation, a female only conversation." She glared at him.
He paused and then finished sitting in the chair. "Darling, once the music starts you won't be able to finish the conversation. So, I don't feel so bad for interrupting." He grinned.
Aimee leaned over. "He is right. We can continue this conversation tomorrow. I have to get back to work anyway. It was nice to meet you Roxie."
Roxie took a deep breath. "It was nice to meet you too Aimee. And thank you."
Roxie was surprised when she saw Colt get up on stage and grab a guitar as the band settled in to start playing. He was part of the band?
But, then she thought about it. In all of the rush of lust and then the panic afterwards, she barely registered that he had taken her to his room. And there, he had almost a dozen guitars hanging on the walls with mounted rests. It looked like a music store or studio in there. Complete with a large stereo and mix machine on a table next to his bed.
For some reason, the image of him sitting in bed with headphones on, listening to music while he strummed a guitar entered her mind. It was rather charming.
Shaking her head from the thought, no, she can't forget that he is a bear.
She leaned in to Samia who comforted her through her emotional roller coaster ride. Roxie really had missed Samia. She had always figured that if the Squire's Council ever did get really pushy about Roxie only being allowed to work for a female Dark-Hunter, that she would call Samia and ask if she would let her work with her. Seems that option is no longer on the table if Samia was married and no longer in service to Artemis. Damn.
Roxie realized that in everything, she had not asked Samia for her story. So, she leaned closer and asked. Samia smiled and told her that she and Dev were mated and though Samia technically has possession of her soul, they chose not to return it to her body so that she can keep her immortality. So, she has all the negative sides of being a Dark-Hunter still, but at least she has someone she loves to share that life with. Despite all of her own emotions being at war, Roxie was happy for Samia. She was one person that Roxie always wanted to see happy.
The band played and the bar filled with even more people. The place was packed. Not that she couldn't understand it. The music was great. They were very talented. She couldn't help herself from watching Colt. He really was a gorgeous looking man. And the peace that he seemed to feel while he played guitar, it touched her. Of course, the fact that she kept remembering the feel of him, the taste of him. Oh gods, she wanted to run up to the stage and drag him back to his room for another round.
She dropped her eyes and looked for something the do to help with the lust that flooded her. So, she grabbed a fork. She discretely palmed the utensil and pressed the prongs into the flesh of her right hand, hoping the pain would distract her from her other thoughts. It helped for a while.
As the songs continued, they helped break Roxie from her thoughts, from her fears. She just melted into the music and memories of Colt's body against hers. Roxie was starting to settle into this strange demand from Kell and Otto to just hang out at Sanctuary. But, as another song was kicking into gear, her left hand started to burn. At first, she tried to ignore it, thinking it was from the fork. But, no, it was the other hand and the pain intensified. Shaking her hand and grabbing a glass of water quickly, to pour water over it, she looked down and froze.
Samia grabbed her hand and looked at it, then looked up. Roxie followed her gaze to see Colt, who had stopped playing his guitar as he shook at his right hand. As Roxie watched, the entire band noticed the movements and scowled. The band stopped performing as everyone on stage gathered around Colt and then started laughing while he left the stage in a hurry for the restroom with a deep frown on his face. The band picked back up and started another song without him, still laughing.
"Well that was strange." Otto said. "Wonder what happened to the guitar player." He appeared to be oblivious to anything with Roxie and Samia.
Samia grabbed Roxie's hand and pulled her away from the table. "Roxie, why don't we talk back in my room."
Roxie let the woman drag her away, very confused and starting to panic. Her hand still hurt, but it couldn't be a coincidence that Colt had something happen to his hand at the same time. What was going on?
Instead of going to Samia's room, Sam took her back to Aimee's office. "Oh, we have a problem of epic proportions."
"What did you do?" Aimee looked at Roxie.
"I didn't do anything. I was behaving. I swear! I was just sitting at the table, listening to the music."
Colt came barging into the office. "This… What… You?" He growled as he ran his hands through his soft black hair.
Samia finally cut him off. "So, we need to have that discussion about mating now."
Aimee's jaw dropped. She grabbed Colt's hand and Roxie could see that he had a mark on the palm of his hand. Then Aimee grabbed Roxie's hand, it was the first time that Roxie was able to see her hand without Otto there or Samia grabbing on to it. It was a mark, like a brand of sorts, etched into her skin. It looked the same as Colt's.
"Oh gods." Aimee exhaled. Aimee shook her head. "At this point, it is a discussion for the two of them to have." She pointed to Colt and Roxie. "Colt, why don't you take her to your room and talk?"
"Please don't tell anyone about this yet Aims."
Samia gave a half laugh. "Too late buddy. You stopped playing in the middle of a song when that mark appeared. Everyone stopped and looked to see why. You can't get much more public than that."
Colt looked at Roxie. She was quiet. Dead quiet. It was obvious that she was overwhelmed and confused. He didn't know what to say to her.
Colt scowled. "Come on Roxie. We should talk." He reached over to touch her arm and flashed her to his room.
"Stop doing that! It is just weird to be in one place and then be in another in the blink of an eye." She scolded. "And it feels creepy."
He did not react to her words at all. He simply sat at the edge of his bed with a look on his face as if someone just told him he has cancer. He looked down at the mark on his hand and ran a finger over the mark.
Roxie didn't know what to do. She did not know where to start asking questions. She was terrified of what the answers were. Earlier, Aimee had said that mating had life long consequences. And, here she was, in a room with a bear to talk about these kinds of topics. Ugh.
Colt looked up and realized that she was still standing there, looking at him. He got up. "Here, sit down." She stiffened. "Please. This will be a lot to learn."
Then he grabbed the rolling chair at his music table and sat across from her so they could talk face to face. Though the look on his face made her feel so uncomfortable, that she looked down at the mark on her hand.
"It's called a mating mark." He finally spoke. "It shows up sometime after having sex with the person that the Fates have chosen as your mate."
Roxie traced the image with her finger, studying it. He continued. "Each couples mark is slightly different from the others. But, they are identical to each other."
She looked up. He offered his hand for her to look at. The two images were identical, just on opposite hands.
"So… this means that you and I are mated?" She was hesitant and scared.
Colts face softened. "Yes and no. It means that we are chosen as mates. We have three weeks to decide if we actually want to be mated and complete the ritual. If we do, then we are mated for the rest of our lives."
"But, there is a way out of this?" She sounded rather relieved.
That just made Colt's heart sink even more. "If that is your wish, but you should know that you won't ever have another chance to have children, for as long as I live." He said.
Roxie could not help but hear the sadness in his voice. She didn't know what to do. This whole world was so new to her, she had spent so long hating bears. Even here, at Sanctuary, it was not until she kissed him and he took her to Aimee that she started to even try. She still had a gut reaction to hate bears. But, she was starting to at least try. He was the one that got her to open up. Yet, she barely knew him. Was that part of this mating thing too? The connection?
"If I did say no. Then you won't ever have kids either?" She asked.
He shrugged. "You could say that. From this point forward, I will never be able to have sex with any other woman. If you agree to complete the mating ritual, we can have kids. If you don't, then, we don't have kids. Either way, I will essentially be a eunuch with anyone but you if you choose to complete the ritual. But, that decision is all in your hands."
"What?" Roxie covered her mouth. "You aren't serious are you?"
Again he shrugged. Colt was trying really hard not to scare her. This was a huge fucking decision on his life. But, everything is in the female's hands. She has to agree to it, fully, willingly. She either accepts him or he is celibate for the rest of his life.
So, the future of his sex life rests with a woman who hates bears for killing her parents, and only slept with him because of some biological need. Shit, she did not even know his name until afterwards. So, she sure as hell would not care about him or his needs.
Oh dear gods, what did Roxie get herself into? He is a bear. A bear! One who lives in New Orleans. She is a squire, a squire to a Dark-Hunter who lives in Texas. Not just a Dark-Hunter who lives in Texas, but a seriously protective Dark-Hunter who would absolutely rip Colt apart if he found out about this. Colt would be gator bait. And what would the Squire's Council say? But, she only has three weeks to decide about a life altering commitment to a bear that she just met. And if she says no, she royally fucks him over. Talk about a guilt trip. Ugh!
The two of them sat there quietly contemplating their choices, their futures, it seemed like hours before she looked down to notice that in showing his hand to her, they had both started to look at each other's marks. Caressing each other's skin. Their hands were side by side. Their heads drawn close and faces only inches apart as they studied the symbols of their future.
As they sat there, so close. She wanted to climb back into his arms. Why wasn't she scared of him? She didn't hate him. At least not him.
She was still not entirely sure about the rest. But, there was something about Colt that she trusted. He was intense. He was just as demanding with her as she had been with him earlier. But, since then, he had been sweet and caring, uncertain even.
Roxie lifted her hand to cup his face and look into his dark eyes. "Why is it that I trust you so much?"
His lips slid up into a smirk. "I did not realize you trusted me at all. You keep saying how much you hate bears. And you barely look at me."
She shook her head and then moved forward to straddle his lap. "I never would have let you touch me at all, if I did not trust you." Then she kissed him.
He moaned at the taste of her lips. She was as delicious as honey. He reached to cup her round backside to pull her closer. His erection was growing quickly through the pleasure of it all.
However, they were interrupted by someone knocking at his door. They did not wait for an answer, they just walked in. All of them. The entire band.
Roxie immediately turned her head in embarrassment and moved to climb off. But, Colt held her there.
"Get out." He growled.
"No way. We want to meet this woman that got you marked." Angel, the lead singer of the band, said. They all laughed.
"Can't you see we were in the middle of something?" Colt questioned.
The drummer, Damien, laughed. "You still had your clothes on. So, it wasn't that important."
Colt finally let Roxie go so she could climb off of his lap. But, he stood between her and the band. His anger was starting to boil over. This was intensely private and personal. He was embarrassed, but he was furious that they showed so little respect for Roxie. She was still so new and overwhelmed. And she could not even look at them yet.
"Show some respect for my mate." Colt's voice was low and demanding.
"Damn boy, keep it cool." Someone said.
His rage took over and he turned himself into a bear. A full sized brown bear. And when he stood on his back legs, his head had to tilt down to allow him to fit.
"OK, OK. We will meet her later Yogi Bear. No need to get all huffy." And they finally left.
When he turned back to his human form, he turned to check on Roxie. She was frozen, her face was pale and she just stared at him. Shit!
"I am sorry. Shit. Really, I am sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Colt tried to approach her but she backed away quickly.
"I, I- I need to go now." She stammered and then ran for the door.
She did not really know where she was going, she just had a vague memory of where Colt had led her the first time she left his room. She found the stairs and all but ran through the house to the door that lead into the kitchen for the bar. She passed other people and animals on the way that only made her nerves more on edge. By the time she made it to her table where Kell was sitting with Otto and Samia, she was nearly in hysterics.
"Please, I need to go now. Please let me go now." She grabbed Kell's arm.