Carnal

Chapter Fourteen - Delayed Search

"Soulmates? Really?"

I couldn't help but laugh at Cain's ridiculous statement.

"I'm being serious," he said, remaining straight-faced.

I shook my head.

"It's a little bold to say that to someone you've only known for a few weeks," I said, trying not to smile.

"I knew when I met you, Ella."

I sighed.

"When I told you I thought we were more than friends, soulmates wasn't exactly the first thing that came to mind. I think maybe we should do dinner first or something," I said honestly.

I could've sworn he rolled his eyes as he pushed himself away from the desk.

Cain walked over to one of the many bookshelves that lined his office and picked a book off the top shelf before opening it and flipping through it.

After finding the page he'd been looking for, he walked over to me.

"Read this," he said, handing me the book.

I looked at him warily before sitting down in the chair across from his desk. I began to read the passage he'd pointed to.

During the time when Lycanthropes were being hunted for the pelts, they evolved to allow an assurance for future offspring: mates.

The term soulmate being used loosely, the idea is that two Lycanthropes, when initial contact is made, emit compatible pheromones and that would draw them to each other. This assured them that offspring produced between the two would be healthy.

While finding a pair of mates during the 21st century is a rare occurrence due to the lack of original, pure-blooded Lycanthropes, they do still exist and produce the more elite and powerful offspring of the Lycan race.

I stopped reading and looked up at Cain.

"So you're saying that you and I are mates like the book is describing?" I asked him skeptically.

He nodded.

"That's impossible," I said, looking back down at the book. "It says Lycanthropes emit the pheromone. I'm a human, Cain."

"You're right. It should be impossible," he said, pulling up the chair beside me. "Which is why I wanted to ask if you would be willing to subject yourself to a blood test so we can be certain you are, in fact, a human."

My eyebrows furrowed.

"Of course I am," I assured him. "But I'll take the test if it clears all of this up."

He nodded, satisfied with my answer.

"There's another thing," I said to him. "The book said that to have a mate, a Lycanthrope had to be pure-blooded. You're a hybrid, you shouldn't have a mate either."

"I know this," he said sitting back. "But I'm the first genetic hybrid to walk the earth. I was the first one born both Lycanthrope and Vampire. Normally the Vampiric disease shuts down the body's ability to produce biological children, but it didn't do that to my mom. Since I'm the first, we assumed I wouldn't have a mate due to the fact that I'm not one-hundred percent Lycanthrope, but I guess being born to two pure-bloods means that I'm pure-blooded too. "

I nodded slowly, taking all of it in.

"So can you turn into... ya know, a wolf?" I asked him.

I could tell Cain was trying to stifle a laugh.

"I've only shifted a few times," he said. "I don't prefer to."