One of the things that really appeals to me about shifters, as a reader and a writer, is their tendency to mate for life. I envy their ability to create a psychic spiritual bond between two people””the soul mate made manifest with the turn of a pen. In Fires of Justice, I wanted to dig deeper into that whole thing. Instead of having shifters just kind of know who their mates, in my paranormal verse the shifters choose their mates. It is the ritual of mating, after the choice is made, that creates the bond. So that’s my first step””rooting the bond in the power or choice, and the ritual of commitment, which is pretty much how we mortals do the whole mating thing.

The second step, then taps into an eastern philosophy of the world, to see what it might offer to the understanding of mating. In the snippet below , our shifter Cullen is explains to Calista, who has been ordered by the guardians to temporarily mate with him, how it works.

“The ritual bonds our chakras, our internal energy centers. When shifters tap the ley lines, energy flows through those points and enables us to change shape. Beginning at the crown, we imprint each chakra in our physical and spiritual memory and open ourselves up to give and receive the energy of our mates.” He nipped her ear. “After we’ve completed the rite, I’ll show you love slave.” Her belly laugh joined his, creating a harmony that fully transformed their bonding from duty to pleasure.

Now watch what happens after the rite is completed.

“What the”¦” whispered Calista. Both their bodies pulsated with a warm white light that formed a lattice of energy connecting their chakra points.

“We’ve woven together our hearts, minds and spirits. For this moment in time, we’re truly one. According to shifter lore, after the light fades, we’ll leave a residue of our essence in the other, allowing us deep compassion and understanding. That’s how we mate for life. Our mating mark will reflect our combined life forces.”

Voila, a mate for life. Let me turn the floor over to you all. What do two people really need to mate for life?

Thanks for dropping by,

Sabrina

One commenter on any one of my posts will get one free copy of Fires of Justice.

Sabrina Garie is on a journey to create the most kick-ass heroine in romance fiction. You can meet the first heroine in Fires of Justice at Elloras Cave, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.