Liam looks more shocked than I thought he would. Doesn't he already know this? He makes a sour expression and glares at the boiling kettle for a few seconds. After a while, though, he seems to calm down by himself.
"I see."
That's all he says, and the silence invades the room again. A bit at a loss, I watch him take the shopping bag and take out some big plastic cups. Instant ramen? I chuckle, but I'm hungry, I'd eat anything. Moreover, there isn't just one, but five cups, and he took the biggest ones too. I watch him pour water in all of them before putting the lids back on. ...Is he seriously going to eat all that?
He sees my confused expression and chuckles.
"Sorry, werewolf appetite. I got one for you, though. I mean, two even, if you're hungry..."
He looks a bit unsure and nervous now, but it's my turn to chuckle.
"Witch stomachs are pretty normal, I'd say. I'm good with one, as long as you leave me the spiciest noodles."
"Deal."
We both chuckle after that, and I sit up on the kitchen counter, waiting for our noodles to be ready. It doesn't smell really tasty yet, but as we're waiting like idiots in front of the cups, I realize I am a bit hungry. I glance toward Liam again. He looks tired, but judging from the glances he keeps sending at the time on the stove, he's hungrier.
A few more seconds pass, but once again, I'm a bit too impatient. I have so many questions, as usual, and... I don't like the awkward atmosphere when we are not talking.
"Liam... What was Ravena talking about earlier?" I ask. "I know about mates, but... she said something about witches can't be... fated mates. What does that mean?"
Liam suddenly stares at me, looking a bit more shocked than necessary. Did I say something wrong? The way he's staring at me, he looks really... shaken up, so much so that I almost regret my question, and worry about something gone wrong instead. After a while, he averts his eyes, as if he couldn't look at me. I'm... even more confused now. I see him run his fingers through his hair, looking a bit unsure.
"It's... It kind of bothers me too."
"How so?"
Still avoiding my eyes, he glances outside. The dark skies are turning darker as the night starts to fall. I hadn't realized how late it is now, but we had a busy day indeed, with the search at Sylviana's house and those rides through Silver City. Liam sighs a bit, with an expression I can't decipher. I wish I could get into his head like those voices in mine and see what's going on. What he thinks, where his mind is at. After some more long seconds, he goes to one of the drawers to grab some chopsticks and comes back to put them between us on the counter. He leans against the kitchen counter and starts playing with one of the bamboo sticks between his fingers. ...Isn't he going to put on a T-shirt at all?
"It's a... werewolf thing," he sighs.
"I'm all ears," I reply, not letting him off the hook.
Liam finally glances at me, but I'm not dumb. He either says too much or not enough, and we're getting to the bottom of it. He makes a bit of a sour expression before opening his mouth again.
"In... the werewolf culture, we all abide by the belief that the Moon Goddess oversees everything going on in our lives. She... decides our ranks, how strong and healthy we are at birth, stuff like that. The most important thing for us is the mates' bond, though."
"It's when two werewolves get together as a couple, right?"
"It doesn't have to be... two werewolves, but yes. We consider that when we have found our lifetime partner, we have to bond with them, to mark them."
"Mark them?"
He nods and taps his nape with his finger.
"Yeah, here. We bite them while we are... mating."
Oh, wow. I take a second to take that information in, hoping I'm not blushing as much as I think I am.
"A bit... savage."
He chuckles.
"A little bit. However, a marking is sacred to werewolves. There is no turning back once it's done, so... better get it right the first time, because it's also the last."
It does sound like a lifetime thing. If they bite each other the same way Liam bit me, on purpose and in such a place, it probably doesn't disappear easily... It must be freaking painful too, better not get it wrong. I can't help but think it's still a bit... gruesome.
"What if the mate isn't a werewolf?"
