Liona contemplated what her aunt was saying before bringing up a question she had been chewing on.
"How did you decide that Uncle Nathan was the one that was for you? He's not your fated mate like Mom and Dad or my Grandpas. Why didn't you hold out for fate to bring you your partner?"
"Your Uncle Nathan was my fate, Liona. I made that call. Fate isn't something that just decides your life for you. You have to decide if this is what fate has in store for you. You get the final say in what you want for your life. Just because you find yourself irresistibly attracted to someone, doesn't mean that you have to settle for that person. There have been cases where those of us with a secondary gender were so drawn to someone that they jumped right into mating and marrying them. Then they were only to find out later that the life of their partner was a lie that they wanted them to see." Emma explained to her.
"Oh. There are bad mating's, even today?" Liona heard herself asking. She genuinely thought that people talked and learned about their partner before taking that step. Everyone she knew in her family had complete trust in their partner before they had mated, and so she was not accustomed to those that weren't in a position to talk and learn about their partner.
"Sadly, yes. Sometimes there are very bad people out there that take advantage of the pull of a mate bond and force themselves on their partner whether they are ready for that step or not. Even without the pull of being fated mates, there are still unsavory individuals that hide behind a mask of lies and do awful things to people. That goes for people from all walks of life. Just ask your dad, who deals with these kinds of people. That's why the EEA exists. To bring justice to those that are victimized, as well as help prevent these incidents from ever happening in the first place. The world is not a kind place for everyone, Liona. You and I were blessed to come from a loving and supportive family that would do anything for our well-being. That's why I really encourage you to talk to your Uncle Artemis, if not your parents, about this anxiety." Her Auntie Emma sighed before she was dismissed.
Liona chewed on the things her Aunt had said as she headed over to her uncle's school. It was an awful lot to take in. Somehow, she had gone from talking about her anxiety over her finals, and not having a notice for her mental health sent home. Now she is being convinced to talk to her Uncle Artemis after hearing about the darker side of mate bonds. The more that she thought about it, the more she was sure that she would never mate with someone without really getting to know them first. She wasn't averse to dating, that was the whole point, to get to know someone first. Her dad even approved of her learning about the boys she dated over time. She wasn't in a rush to mate with someone. She always thought that she would have a fateful meeting with her special person, and then over time they would get to know each other and eventually discuss marriage and bonding. Just like her entire family had done with their partners.
When she arrived at the public school that her uncle taught at, she got out of her car and looked over at the nearby sports fields that seemed abuzz with activity. This was unlike her school, where the sports fields were on the complete opposite end of campus from the parking lot. She guessed that since this school didn't have as much property to it and was smaller overall than her school, that it was the only place they had room for them.
It made her wonder how they taught so many kids in this school if it was smaller than hers. Her uncle told her that oftentimes that class sizes up to nearly 40 kids were the norm, and he didn't have help, unlike her Aunt Noel who was a biochemistry professor as well as researcher at the college. She had a teacher's assistant to help her interact with so many people in her classes.
As she was contemplating this, something, or should she say, someone, caught her eye. It was her uncle out on the larger sports field. It looked like the area doubled as a practice area for not only soccer, but football as well, since it currently had goal nets set up at each end, along with the football goal posts. As she approached, she saw he was currently busy relaying orders to his students, who were decked out in soccer gear. From the looks of it, it was the girls' soccer team that was on the field right now.
The closer she got, the more curious she was to see her uncle in coach mode. At home or the occasional time she saw him here at school, it was usually in his classroom rather than on the field. She heard him instruct what sounded like a couple of new students that were probably freshmen since they looked so young. It was hard to believe that she was probably once that tiny as a freshman student.
"Uncle, Artemis!" She called out and waved at him when she was close enough that she was sure he would hear her.
"Liona! Come over and demonstrate for these girls the proper way to kick a ball, would you?" Her Uncle smiled at her with a mischievous grin.
"Sure thing, Uncle Art!" She called back before she got a running start at a ball that had been set down in front of her uncle. She took in the state of the field, the players, the goal and how the goalie looked. Soon she had her plan of attack down in mere moments. Then she gave the ball a good, solid kick and sent it flying past the goalie's outstretched arms and landed it in the net above their head.
"Well done!" Uncle Artemis praised her before turning to his students, "That, ladies, is how you kick for a goal. Remember, the ball won't hurt you, the goalie is not out to get you. The goalie is there to prevent the ball from making it in. You need to be sure of yourself and your kick. Always kick with confidence, if you don't, you can be sure your shot will be blocked."
Liona smiled as her uncle continued to coach the new team members. She looked around at the grumbles from the older girls that were obviously tired of the new students getting her uncle's attention. She had to giggle. It was plain as day her uncle was popular, but he was a happily mated omega and had no interest in high school girls. Did they not see his wedding band? Or were they purposely ignoring it? Her uncle Liam would probably be quite possessive over her Uncle Artemis if he was here right now.
"And what has got you in a fit of giggles, Liona?" Uncle Artemis asked her with a smile.
"Oh, you know. Just laughing at the broken hearts of the surrounding girls." Liona teased. Her uncle let out a hearty chuckle in response.
"Ladies, listen up! 10 laps around the field! First one to drop adds another lap for everyone!" The collective groan from all the girls could be heard as they trudged off to start their laps.
"Every year, it never changes. I swear I can tell them I'm an omega and mated to my partner until I'm blue in the face, yet they still feel like I am some piece of meat for their silly little crushes."
"Grandpa Darrol used to say that Grandpa Asher used to experience that all the time when he was your age, Uncle Artemis. I think it's because you look so much like Grandpa."
"You may be right, however, that is no excuse for these girls to be so inappropriately attached to looks in general."
"I thought you were an expert in psychology, Uncle Art? You know that teenage girls are always obsessed with looks. I don't think that will change even when it comes to the next century." she said as her uncle let out another chuckle.
"That may be so, but I try not to psychoanalyze my students unless they need my help. Now, your Aunt Emma filled me in a little on your episode earlier today. I want you to walk me through what you were feeling when you became anxious."
Liona talked to her uncle with a sigh. She walked him through her thought process, the feelings she was experiencing, her anxiety over her looming birthday party, as well as her worry about graduating on time. She found it easier to talk to her uncle about these worries than bringing it up with her Mom or Dad. She also explained why she was hesitant to bring this anxiety up with them, and as she listened to her uncle talk, she felt strangely reassured that most of her worries were completely normal.