Something is going on regarding imprinting, mate bonds, and half-vampires. Contrast Elspeth’s feelings on Jacob c31
My wolf, my wolf, my wolf.
With Allirea’s feelings on Demetri c31
“You will have to kill me to stop me from killing him,”
and I am confused.
Elspeth cares for Jacob normally, and expresses her caring more directly and powerfully due to her power, and more rapidly due to her sped-up hybrid brain and body? But she seems to care too much, on the order of a mate-bond.
Werewolf imprinting gradually activates the vampire mate-bond phenomenon, which is present in Elspeth despite her hybridity?
Half-vampires have the vampire mate-bond phenomenon, but their humanity lets them retain choice in the matter, and either Jacob’s imprinting has silently overridden this choice, or Elspeth has actually fallen in love with him?
Elspeth cares for Jacob normally, and expresses her caring more directly and powerfully due to her power, and more rapidly due to her sped-up hybrid brain and body? But she seems to care too much, on the order of a mate-bond.
I think she cares for him a great deal at this point. Also, Chelsea did some work on Elspeth and Jake, which Elspeth has not tried to undo. In fact that bond has only been strengthened by the time they’ve spent together and the events they’ve gone through. I think at this point Jake must sort of feel like the last living member of Elspeth’s family—even though he isn’t. He’s not a parent, not a brother, but the only person that she can relate to on that kind of level. So it’s pretty natural that she cares a lot.
But she seems to care too much, on the order of a mate-bond.
Jacob nearly got himself killed trying to protect Elspeth. I couldn’t have her thinking “me oh my, this is a dispreferred state of affairs”.
Werewolf imprinting gradually activates the vampire mate-bond phenomenon, which is present in Elspeth despite her hybridity?
No, absolutely not. Mating isn’t “gradual”, at least not in the magical sense (the relationships can develop gradually), and if this had happened, Brady would still be alive (they had Marcus check Pera for a mate bond to him and he found no such thing and Chelsea was able to snip what there was.)
Half-vampires have the vampire mate-bond phenomenon
No.
Elspeth has actually fallen in love with him
No. For crying out loud, she can be distressed that her wolf is full of poison because he got between her and an assailant without being in love with him. Please don’t try to wedge what Jacob and Elspeth have into conventional relationship patterns. It won’t work, or if it does, I am doing it wrong.
Huh. Her reaction to Jacob’s injury was remarkably similar to a vampire’s reaction to their mate being injured. I can’t recall any examples of non-mate reactions that were this instantaneously overriding.
I don’t think a vampire reacting to their mate being injured would consider whether other people asking for their attention might actually be worth attending to, as Elspeth does:
“ELSPETH!” my mother shouted, but didn’t she have the scar to prove that she could survive being bitten, the baldness to prove that she could survive being powdered and ignited? She didn’t need me. Jake did.
Which is actually a fairly telling detail from a characterization standpoint. I’m pretty sure that the Elspeth of chapter one would have interpreted Bella’s order correctly. Now her first thought is that her mother might be depending on her. That shows that she’s gained confidence in her own power, and also that she’s learned about her parents’ fallibility.
I know it’s months later, but I have a possible answer to this:
[Elspeth] seems to care too much, on the order of a mate-bond.
Jacob is the only person Elspeth had around during her imprisonment in the Village (she is Number 6) who she could care about without it feeling false as far as her magic was concerned. It’s pretty logical that that feeling would have seriously magnified importance.
Chapter 31.
Something is going on regarding imprinting, mate bonds, and half-vampires. Contrast Elspeth’s feelings on Jacob c31
With Allirea’s feelings on Demetri c31
and I am confused.
Elspeth cares for Jacob normally, and expresses her caring more directly and powerfully due to her power, and more rapidly due to her sped-up hybrid brain and body? But she seems to care too much, on the order of a mate-bond.
Werewolf imprinting gradually activates the vampire mate-bond phenomenon, which is present in Elspeth despite her hybridity?
Half-vampires have the vampire mate-bond phenomenon, but their humanity lets them retain choice in the matter, and either Jacob’s imprinting has silently overridden this choice, or Elspeth has actually fallen in love with him?
I think she cares for him a great deal at this point. Also, Chelsea did some work on Elspeth and Jake, which Elspeth has not tried to undo. In fact that bond has only been strengthened by the time they’ve spent together and the events they’ve gone through. I think at this point Jake must sort of feel like the last living member of Elspeth’s family—even though he isn’t. He’s not a parent, not a brother, but the only person that she can relate to on that kind of level. So it’s pretty natural that she cares a lot.
Ah. I’d forgotten about Chelsea—or rather, only thought of her as snipping bonds. It makes sense now.
Jacob nearly got himself killed trying to protect Elspeth. I couldn’t have her thinking “me oh my, this is a dispreferred state of affairs”.
No, absolutely not. Mating isn’t “gradual”, at least not in the magical sense (the relationships can develop gradually), and if this had happened, Brady would still be alive (they had Marcus check Pera for a mate bond to him and he found no such thing and Chelsea was able to snip what there was.)
No.
No. For crying out loud, she can be distressed that her wolf is full of poison because he got between her and an assailant without being in love with him. Please don’t try to wedge what Jacob and Elspeth have into conventional relationship patterns. It won’t work, or if it does, I am doing it wrong.
Huh. Her reaction to Jacob’s injury was remarkably similar to a vampire’s reaction to their mate being injured. I can’t recall any examples of non-mate reactions that were this instantaneously overriding.
I don’t think a vampire reacting to their mate being injured would consider whether other people asking for their attention might actually be worth attending to, as Elspeth does:
To be fair, Elspeth is mistaken about why Bella was shouting—Bella just thought Elspeth shouldn’t be leaving Allirea’s protection.
Which is actually a fairly telling detail from a characterization standpoint. I’m pretty sure that the Elspeth of chapter one would have interpreted Bella’s order correctly. Now her first thought is that her mother might be depending on her. That shows that she’s gained confidence in her own power, and also that she’s learned about her parents’ fallibility.
I know it’s months later, but I have a possible answer to this: [Elspeth] seems to care too much, on the order of a mate-bond.
Jacob is the only person Elspeth had around during her imprisonment in the Village (she is Number 6) who she could care about without it feeling false as far as her magic was concerned. It’s pretty logical that that feeling would have seriously magnified importance.