I don't think we REALY talked about this before. How would lycanthropes find a mate?
In my fiction...
Courtship is the same way for humans, man meets woman, they date, then yeah you get the picture. except lycanthropes stay abstinent, believing sex is extremely sacred, and should be only shared between life mates.
However when they actually become one is different than their human counterparts. Humanity have a "wedding" to signify their union, where friends and family are in on it. However werewolves believe the act uniting two souls is an extremely intimate one. where any one interrupting or watching is extremely offencive and rude. The man and woman say some vows to each other, which cannot be shared with any one else besides between the two lovers.
then they "mate" signifying their union.
they usually have a party after wards letting friends and family celebrate the newly mated couple's union.
Courtship and Mating
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Terastas
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It's more or less the same way for me, at least for the werewolves in my present-day setting. It is very much the same courtship as between normal human beings, with one exception: because of the whole lycanthropy deal, a werewolf has a much harder time committing because marrying will involve confessing to being a werewolf and effectively solidify his/her human counterpart to the pack for life. The courtship process is therefore much longer because, for a werewolf, marriage is literally a lifelong commitment.
Typically werewolves do have the formal wedding, though more so for the sake of the incoming human pack member, and any pack members not blood-related to the marrying werewolf will not attend. The wedding is to celebrate the union of the werewolf's family and the currently uninfected human's family.
Later, the werewolves have their own modest little ceremony, not so much to celebrate their marriage, but rather to welcome the newcomer into the pack properly. They do this because, even if the marriage doesn't last, the human in the relationship is still going to be stuck with that connection to the pack, so its in their best interest to make the newcomer feel as welcome as possible. They'll want the newcomer to feel like their partner isn't their only connection to the pack, and that if the relationship doesn't last, that they can still be friends, therefore they let them have the formal ceremony to celebrate their marriage, and then have a completely separate "you're a werewolf now" ceremony.
They say "ceremony" sometimes, but there's very little that's ceremonial about it. Usually it only involves the new couple paying a visit to another werewolf's house where the newcomer will be introduced to some other members of the Pack (usually three or four others, enough to help them feel secure but not enough to make them feel potentially overwhelmed), usually their closest neighbor(s) and one or two key players in the pack's coordination. After welcoming the newcomer and getting to know him/her more personally, they'll sit down and try to give the newcomer a good idea of what it means to be a member of the Pack, what they can expect, what is to be expected; basically try to give them as much preparation as possible. Any gifts given at the meeting will be geared towards exactly that: preparing them for Pack lifestyle and making the transition easier.
Even if it really is them against the world, they don't want the newcomer to feel like that on his/her first day, so the "ceremony" is geared predominantly at making the newcomer feel welcome in the Pack, to help them feel more secure in their new life, and to let them know that there are people they can go to if they have questions or problems.
And most importantly, if the newcomer insists on someone proving that they really are werewolves, only one of the werewolves present will do it, preferably the one they are now married to. The reason is that they want the newcomer to get to know the werewolves introducing themselves as individuals as opposed to collectively as werewolves. The reason is that it intentionally takes away from any associations with the word "werewolf" they may have had prior; it makes the meeting feel less like they are being turned into something inhuman and more like they are just being welcomed into a group of human beings. . . who just so happen to be werewolves. That in turn helps them feel more comfortable with the pack, and that makes the transition easier.
Typically werewolves do have the formal wedding, though more so for the sake of the incoming human pack member, and any pack members not blood-related to the marrying werewolf will not attend. The wedding is to celebrate the union of the werewolf's family and the currently uninfected human's family.
Later, the werewolves have their own modest little ceremony, not so much to celebrate their marriage, but rather to welcome the newcomer into the pack properly. They do this because, even if the marriage doesn't last, the human in the relationship is still going to be stuck with that connection to the pack, so its in their best interest to make the newcomer feel as welcome as possible. They'll want the newcomer to feel like their partner isn't their only connection to the pack, and that if the relationship doesn't last, that they can still be friends, therefore they let them have the formal ceremony to celebrate their marriage, and then have a completely separate "you're a werewolf now" ceremony.
They say "ceremony" sometimes, but there's very little that's ceremonial about it. Usually it only involves the new couple paying a visit to another werewolf's house where the newcomer will be introduced to some other members of the Pack (usually three or four others, enough to help them feel secure but not enough to make them feel potentially overwhelmed), usually their closest neighbor(s) and one or two key players in the pack's coordination. After welcoming the newcomer and getting to know him/her more personally, they'll sit down and try to give the newcomer a good idea of what it means to be a member of the Pack, what they can expect, what is to be expected; basically try to give them as much preparation as possible. Any gifts given at the meeting will be geared towards exactly that: preparing them for Pack lifestyle and making the transition easier.
Even if it really is them against the world, they don't want the newcomer to feel like that on his/her first day, so the "ceremony" is geared predominantly at making the newcomer feel welcome in the Pack, to help them feel more secure in their new life, and to let them know that there are people they can go to if they have questions or problems.
And most importantly, if the newcomer insists on someone proving that they really are werewolves, only one of the werewolves present will do it, preferably the one they are now married to. The reason is that they want the newcomer to get to know the werewolves introducing themselves as individuals as opposed to collectively as werewolves. The reason is that it intentionally takes away from any associations with the word "werewolf" they may have had prior; it makes the meeting feel less like they are being turned into something inhuman and more like they are just being welcomed into a group of human beings. . . who just so happen to be werewolves. That in turn helps them feel more comfortable with the pack, and that makes the transition easier.
My "ideal" werewolves would be averse to connecting with normal humans as mates. Not out of apathy or a lack of attraction; more that normal people are just missing that special "something"... whether it's related to subtle instinctual body language and behavior, pheromones, culture, or a combination of the above. The initial connection is simply harder to make.
Also, a werewolf would feel compelled to convert his or her mate if they were a human, or might even do so accidentally, and that's a tough emotional burden to bear (on top of everything else a werewolf might have to deal with, it doesn't seem worth the heartache.) Don't forget the very high risk of an explosive rejection when their secret is finally revealed.
That kind of conflict and dynamic can make for an interesting story though.
Also, a werewolf would feel compelled to convert his or her mate if they were a human, or might even do so accidentally, and that's a tough emotional burden to bear (on top of everything else a werewolf might have to deal with, it doesn't seem worth the heartache.) Don't forget the very high risk of an explosive rejection when their secret is finally revealed.
That kind of conflict and dynamic can make for an interesting story though.
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Black Claw
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Celestialwolf
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The way I picture it, a werewolf would date humans, and if they're sure they're the one, they tell them their secret (always at the right place and time, obviously), then bite them after the wedding (making the moment special, of course). Because of my religious beliefs, I consider mariages to be eternal, so logically they want to share everything together.
They can also date other weres if they want.
I agree with everyone else that if there was a pack or other weres in the area, they'd introduce themselves to make them feel comfortable.
They can also date other weres if they want.
I agree with everyone else that if there was a pack or other weres in the area, they'd introduce themselves to make them feel comfortable.