Page 41 of Rhett

“What’s that?” I asked.

“It’s a Black Forest tradition. After the mating bite, you’re not fully mated until your union is witnessed at a mating ceremony. Freya conducts this ceremony, and she asks Luna, the moon goddess, whether the mating between the couple is true. The goddess must approve of the mating.”

“It’s Others’ version of a wedding,” Nyx said, chomping on her tortilla. “Except instead of rings being exchanged, bites are exchanged.”

“But what if this goddess disapproves of the mating?” I asked.

Nyx pursed her lips. “I’ve never heard of that happening, but that’s a good question.”

“Anyway,” Imani interrupted. “My mating ceremony was in front of the town. But that’s because Quinn’s town alpha. Yours can be small and intimate with friends and family.”

I didn’t bother telling her there would be no ceremony because I wasn’t going to mate Rhett.

“But the getting naked in the forest and having freaky, naughty sex is not optional,” Nyx added. “That’s a must.”

“Sex in the forest?” I remarked over a mouthful of food. “Not happening.”

“I said the same thing,” Imani said. “But I did it. It’s amazing the things you’ll do for your soul mate.”

“No to finding a mate.” I glared at them. “No to the mating heat. And a hell no to the mating ceremony.”

Imani peered over at Nyx. “She’s in denial.”

“This going to be fun…,” Nyx said in a singsong voice.

“Let the mating games begin,” they said in unison while clinking their mugs together.

CHAPTER10

NOVA

Hours later, after lunch and Imani dropping me back over at Bonnie’s house, I jolted awake from my nap at the sound of an eerie shriek.

My heart raced as I scrambled into a sitting position. “What the hell?” Pressing my back against the upholstered headboard, I tried to clear my sleep-fogged brain.

With trembling fingers, I pushed my tangled hair off my forehead and screamed when I spotted the large furry animal with brown, white, gray, and black markings perched at the end of my bed.

“Holy shit!”

It was a gigantic owl with large tufts of feathers on its head that looked like horns. Its big catlike yellow eyes were locked on me.

My heart raced faster. I had been terrified of birds ever since I was ten and had a scary incident at the Bronx Zoo involving a flock of pigeons that attacked me for my salted soft pretzel. After that debacle, I had to wear an eye patch for a week.

Blinking rapidly, I tried not to make any sudden movements. But all bets were off when the gigantic owl snapped its beak before muttering “hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo” in a series of hoots.

“Oh hell no!” Rolling over the edge of the bed, I flopped onto the floor, faceup, with a painful thud. I screamed at the top of my lungs at the sight of the gigantic owl with a wingspan that looked to be over four feet flying around the bedroom.

“Oh God,” I pleaded while yanking at the tangled sheets. “Please don’t let this be a death-by-owl situation.” Finally getting free from my cocoon of cotton sheets, I got flat onto my stomach and low-crawled—hugging the floor as close as possible—until I made it into the hallway.

The owl was still inside the bedroom when I stood on shaky legs, hightailing it down the stairs, somehow managing not to break my neck in my haste to get away from the killer owl.

I breathed out a sigh when my bare feet hit the landing. “I made… Ouch,” I finished when I felt a sharp tug on the hair at the back of my head. Glancing over my shoulder, I screamed when I saw the owl had my hair in its talons.

“Shoo!” I yelled, swinging around and punching it. The owl shrieked and released its grip on me.

“Nova!” someone shouted while banging on the front door.

The owl rose higher into the air above me and then dived for another attack.