Alpha Gideon’s deception

Sam investigates

It’s still early when Sam heads over to the medical center, but Nigel and his colleagues usually open their practice early. With a bit of luck they won’t have any patients just yet.

Their pack is fairly small, so the medical office usually doesn’t get very busy. Most of the time the doctors look after the aches and pains of the pack elderly, only getting busy when the odd accident or emergency occurs. While an invaluable asset to their small community, their workload is light and hours reasonable.

Samuel is relieved to find just a solitary old lady in the waiting room as he enters. A nurse comes over shortly afterwards to take her into an examination room, leaving Samuel alone with Nigel. The doctor seems surprised to see him. Sam walks over, smiling at his friend.

“Hey doc. I could use some of your advice. Have you got a sec?”

Nigel gives him a questioning look. “Of course. What’s up?”

Sam shakes his head, feeling a bit awkward. “This conversation I’d rather have in private, if that’s okay with you?”

Nigel nods, looking more curious now. He turns around and opens the door to one of the examination rooms, welcoming Sam in. Sam follows him. He relaxes when Nigel closes the door behind them. The doctor sits down behind his desk and puts on his glasses — still looking the part of the dutiful town doctor examining his patient.

Nigel leans forward, raising his eyebrows. “So. What’s the matter?”

Sam sighs as he sinks into the chair opposite Nigel. “Your mate sent me. He thinks you might be able to help make some sense of a rather odd situation.”

He gives the doctor a brief synopsis of this morning’s events. Nigel listens attentively, the occasional smile or eyebrow raise revealing how intrigued he is.

Sam gives his friend a hopeful look. “What’s your first impressions? What do you make of all this?”

Nigel takes a moment to carefully consider everything before he responds. He rubs his chin as he thinks out loud, murmuring slightly. “Well, there’s two separate issues here. The first is that your mate seems to have lost her ability to shift. Naturally, we haven’t established this as a certainty, but based on the situation you described here it seems likely. Let’s assume for now she can’t.”

He pauses for a moment. “The second issue is that she claims to have a mate already, meaning she has two — you and this other man.”

Samuel nods in agreement, adding his own train of thought to the exchange. “Chase suggested can’t recognise a mate without her wolf. Is that true?”

Nigel gives an absent nod, still pondering everything. He answers Sam’s question somewhat half-heartedly. “Well, yes. It’s her wolf who drives her mate bond. It’s how all mating connections are fundamentally wired. Two wolves are destined to pair up for life. As werewolves, our human halves are closely linked to our wolves, so we respond to that same connection. With love, lust, attraction, kinship. Those emotions come directly from our wolf, we merely absorb them. Without a wolf present, the mating connection can’t be experienced fully. This is why ordinary humans do not have mates. They can fall in love, sure, but they do not pair in the way werewolves do.”

Samuel frowns. He’d made a guess that Jesse probably didn’t recognise him, not fully, but it still hurts to have it confirmed. If she can’t experience the connection, he won’t be able to date her — not while she’s still tethered to this other man, anyway.

“So, what happens without a wolf? She won’t recognise me as her mate at all?”

Nigel smiles in a reassuring manner. “No recognition as such, no. But there could still be some attraction. Mates are made to be together, that much is true for the human half as much as it is for the wolf. I would wager a guess that a wolf-less werewolf would still fancy their mate; they simply would experience it as a human form of attraction. Let’s say — a crush. That’s just mere speculation, naturally — I’m not an expert on this topic.”

Sam feels a little relieved. Even if Jesse didn’t recognise their bond instantly, knowing she likely felt attracted to him is comforting. It soothes him and Colby both to know there is still a connection, even if it's a lesser one.

Nigel taps his fingers on his desk, considering the other aspects of the story. “Her wolf going missing tells us why she wasn’t able to recognise you, but it doesn’t exactly explain why she believes she has found her true mate already.”

Samuel leans forward. “Is it possible she has two mates?”

Nigel frowns. “We can’t rule it out just yet, but I can’t say I’ve ever heard of such a possibility.”

He pauses, thinking. “Of course, there have been instances of twin mateships. Identical twins, or even triplets, who share the same DNA, getting paired with the same person. It’s uncommon but it happens from time to time. That doesn’t seem to apply here, unless you have a long lost twin brother you didn’t know about?”

Sam gives a dry chuckle. “The man is way shorter than me, and twice as broad. If he’s my brother, we sure are opposites.”

Nigel nods. “I figured as much. In absence of the familial connection, there’s no logical explanation I can think of. If dual mateship has occurred, it must be an exceedingly rare phenomenon.”

He sighs. “I wish I could give you an explanation, but the truth is I am as stumped about this as you are. I would need to do a thorough investigation. See if there's any research done on dual mateships.”

Samuel nods. He was expecting this. “I don't want to put you out if you’re busy. It sounds like a lot of work.”

Nigel gives him an amused grin. “Trust me, you’re not imposing. I’m keen to take this on. It’s a medical mystery with unheard of phenomena — could be a fantastic research opportunity if it turns out to be legit. Even if it doesn't lead to any new discoveries, it will still be an interesting topic to delve into.” The doctor looks determined, his eyes shining with a degree of enthusiasm.

Sam feels relieved to hear his friend isn’t giving up so easily. He’ll be in good hands; if anyone can c***k this case, it's Nigel.

“Thanks man, I appreciate it. Is there anything I can do to help?”

Nigel gives him a somewhat stern look. “Find Jesse. We don't have a lot of information to go on, so anything she can tell us is useful here. Start with verifying when and where she lost her wolf. Was it before or after she met her so-called mate? Get as many details as you can and report back to me.”

Samuel agrees readily to the request. He was planning to find Jesse regardless; his wolf is already yearning to see her again. Finding out more information is hardly an imposition; he was already curious to begin with.

Not wanting to linger too long, Sam bids his goodbyes to his friend, leaving him alone to tend to his patients.

To his great relief, he sees the waiting room still empty as he leaves the private room.

That’s good; it means gossip is unlikely to spread. The last thing he needs is his dirty laundry aired while these emotions are still so raw.

As the sole leader of the pack, he doesn’t want others to know just how confused and vulnerable he feels right now. Later down the line, maybe, once Jesse’s wolf is back and he’s gotten to know her better, he can open up some more. The pack will expect his mate to become their future Luna once they hear the news; right now, she couldn’t be further away from that future. Sam isn’t quite sure if it will ever happen; what if she chooses this Gideon guy over him and rejects him as her mate?

His emotions are in turmoil; the sooner he sees Jesse again, the better.