The second day of being mated started with a crisis.
"Wren." Skyler's voice was strained. "I can feel your anxiety and I don't know why."
I looked up from my coffee, realizing he was right. My stomach was churning with nerves I hadn't consciously acknowledged. "The mark. Everyone's going to see it today."
"That's the point of the ceremony. The visible claim."
"I know. But yesterday it was just pack. Today I have to go to the gallery, deal with human clients who'll ask questions, face the town—" I touched my neck self-consciously. "What if people think I'm marked like property?"
He crossed to me, tilting my chin up. "Then you explain that you chose this. That the mark represents mutual commitment, not ownership. Anyone who doesn't understand can deal with me."
"Very protective mate of
