Rejected Mate

Chapter 23

A/N: Hey guys, I'm not quite sure how much I've explained things yet, or if it's even necessary to go into detail, but I'll set it out, anyway:

Breeding and Fertility

The last stage of development/puberty for a male werewolf is to become fertile.
If the wolf aspect of the individual has been kept under tight control, or inhibited by their alpha, this will be delayed indefinitely, as it's the wolf 'instincts' that control his fertility. 

It's the same for finding a mate. 
If he's never given his wolf the freedom to integrate as an equal, his human aspect won't have the instincts to recognize their mate.

Because the members of Hammers Pack (particularly the males) subjugate their wolves, keeping the animal obedient to their human halves, it's necessary to use drugs to overcome the warriors psychic 'block'.
The ceremony brings the wolf nature to the fore, and the drugs intensify his emotions and increases his libido. This is done while human, in order to open both sides to it's instincts at the same time.
This will make it possible for them to recognize their mate, and finding their mate will trigger their fertility.
 If they become fertile before finding their mate, the compulsion to go in search of her will become overpowering. 

Many packs use similar ceremonies for their eighteen-year-old's, if they haven't yet progressed on their own by this point.

The drugs also leave the wolf instincts vulnerable to manipulation. 

Sex with someone who is not your mate, whether it's rape or consensual, can permanently affect the psyche, especially if it happens while the werewolf is under the influence of the ceremony (male or female). Because the two halves of the werewolf psyche are fully combined, neither aspect is protected from the experience.

Though they can still find and claim their mates, their instincts are skewed.
They will be fertile and able to have sex with multiple females, instead of just their mate (normally they should find it impossible to become aroused when touching someone who isn't their mate).
Not only are they capable of having sex with others, but for some, it's almost a compulsion to sleep with other people.
This is why the gang rape during the manhood ceremony works in favor of Hammers breeding program. The more sexual partners the male is subjected to, the less likely he will be to fully bond to his mate when and if he finds her.

Females become fertile in two stages. 

Firstly, when they reach puberty, their human body becomes fertile.
In theory, they can be impregnated from puberty onward, however werewolves, and particularly purebreds, find it difficult to conceive when not in heat.

While it's theoretically possible for a werewolf female to conceive as soon as she gets her first period, it's extremely unlikely. Only half of her nature is mature, so even if she were to get pregnant, she wouldn't be able to bring the fetus to term until her wolf is more developed.

Her werewolf instincts won't fully mature until she's seventeen or eighteen. Then she will give off her own unique scent blend that her mate can recognize, and, if he's mature, will be able to identify him in return.

A female goes into heat for the first time after recognizing her mate.

Then, once her human and wolf sides have fully aligned, she goes into heat.
This can happen almost instantly, or it can take weeks, depending on how integrated the girls/woman's wolf is with her human side. 

Izzy's wolf is young, so, in theory, she should have taken longer to go into heat.
But, because Izzy sees her wolf as a part of herself, rather than a separate entity that needs to be dominated, she is more integrated with her wolf than most other members of the pack.
She's been keeping her wolf hidden from the the other werewolves, but her internal relationship with the beast is more of a partnership. Because the animal side of her isn't segregated or suppressed, her instincts kick in without interference.