The Seeing Mate

15

(Josh's POV)

The funeral for my father was like what could be expected. Cold, confusing, and just heart breaking. We might not have had the best relationship, but there was respect. That might not be the most son-like answer to have, but that was the truth. He had always wanted me to be an alpha. Not of his pack exactly, but of my own. Now it seems that the choice was made for me. Bracks and the others have been hinting, and I'm running out of excuses to refuse. I've never wanted to be an Alpha to anyone, it was too much responsibility.

After, we performed the burial rituals, and gave my father our traditional send off. I automatically started to look into things in his office. I came to realize a few things. He was looking into the honor killings a little deeper than I thought. He had gone looking for all the covens in North Dakota and Montana. He had mapped it all out. Of the ones he had visited he marked with a red mark.

As I looked at things, a knock came at the door.

"Yeah?" I called and Bracks walked in."What?" I asked, not looking up.

"We have things ready, the safe house has also been prepared."

I put the map down and sighed. I hated doing this, especially to my own mother, but after what happened I couldn't chance her hurting Camila or any of us.

"You got the help you need for her?"

He nodded.

"Okay, I'll visit her as soon as I get some of this crap figured out."I said, going back to the map, but Bracks didn't move to leave.

"Something else?" I asked, trying to be calm.

"Well, word has spread that you'll be taking your father's place, but I'm afraid you have a challenge."

This got me out from behind the desk and up close to Bracks.

"Who?"

"That's the thing. I'm not sure if his challenge could be taken seriously."

"Who is it Bracks?!" I demanded, feeling myself push my power toward him. He noticed it too.

"Logan, sir." he said a little sarcastically and in a calm tone.

That took me by surprise. I haven't been around Logan and Bret for very long, but I did hear about their parents. I also knew that he blamed my father for both of them dying. I turned away for a moment, giving myself time to think. I didn't really have a problem with Logan, but it was strange to me that he had challenged me.

Taking a deep breath, I looked at Bracks again.

"Fine, I accept his challenge." I said, which made Bracks release the breath he was holding.

"Good, this will help the others see you as a real leader."

"Yeah, nothing like beating the snot out of a kid to get a point across." I said sarcastically as I walked back to my seat behind the desk.

"You know as well as the rest of us, that Logan is the perfect match. He's young and has the fight in him."

I looked at Bracks then shook my head in disbelief.

"He's not ready to be an Alpha."I said, which made Bracks give me a curious look, then taking a seat too.

"You think he's trying to get even?"

"All I know is that he could've done something toward the actual person that cost his parents their lives, but decides to take it out on someone that had nothing to do with it. You tell me."

"So what now?"

"I'll accept the challenge, but I just feel that there is more to it."

Bracks sat there for a minute thinking what the reason was, but came up with nothing.

"Also, have you talked with Mila?"

"About?" I asked, now looking at the map again.

"About her being our Luna."

I stopped and groaned to myself.

"No, but I was hoping to win the fight before I went and dropped that kinda of thing on her."

"Fair enough."

We sat there in silence for a second.

"The bond isn't settling as well as you thought, huh?" he asked, not looking at me.

I hated admitting when I was wrong, but this time it was necessary.

"No, and I have no idea how to help her. My thought is that her witch blood is fighting it."

"I find that hard to believe or else she wouldn't have been born normal looking."

That was true. Sometimes certain types of blood crossed and caused very scary results.

"I wish we knew more about Martha and her family." I said, sitting back in my seat and looking at Bracks.

He stood up and pulled the map toward himself. He pointed to an uninhabited area of Montana or at least one would think uninhabited.

"This is an area that many have traveled to but don't remember what they see. Whispers have it that a very powerful coven lives out there."

"You think it's Martha's family?"

"I can't be sure, but it's worth a look."

I looked at the map where he was pointing, and nodded.

"After the challenge Camila and I will look into it."

He nodded and turned and left me alone. After a whole hour of just uncovering things and getting an idea of what I was dealing with, I got up and headed to the room I shared with Camila. I found her in bed, already asleep. She had been sleeping so much, and her headaches were just there. Shawna has tried everything she could think of, even the basic painkiller was not doing anything. I sat down next to her, and bent down to kiss her forehead. She stirred and her eyes opened and looked up at me.

"Hey."

"Hey, love, how you feeling?"

She rubbed her temples.

"Same old same old, damn migraine just won't go away." She said, rubbing her head hard, and frustrated.

I sat there for a moment. Thinking that dropping one more thing on her right now would just add on to her torture.

"Hey, what's on your mind?" she asked taking my hand and holding it close to her.

I looked into her eyes and realized how damn lucky I was, to have my best friend and mate all in one person. I cleared my throat and got a little more comfortable next to her.

"It's not enough that I was the first and only son to the alpha for me to keep his place."

She looked up at me.

"What more do they....they want you to prove you're dominant."

I nodded and pulled her closer to me, my old anger was slowly starting to stir and she kept me a little more grounded.

"Logan, challenged me to a fight."

Camila sat up, and looked at me.

"He's just a kid!"

"He might be young, but I also think I could help him."

"So two birds one stone kinda thing."

"He's always been angry at my father for the death of his parents, and he's also the one that challenged me. If I don't take his challenge..."

"What if you kill him?"

I looked at Camila, it wasn't because she knew I was capable of it. It was more the fear that my wolf would.

"I won't kill him, love, not unless I have a greater motive to do so."

This seemed to reassure her, and she snuggled up to me.

"I love you." she said her eyes shining in the lightly lit room.

"I love you too." I whispered, and she was fast asleep.

(Camila's POV)

My dreams were filled with horrifying shapes and sounds. Everywhere I ran I would see red eyes or yellow cat eyes. The shapes would change so often. One minute they were animals, then humans, then back to animals. Then I finally turned and was face to face with a beautiful she wolf. Her fur was a lightly tan color, almost gold, her underbelly was white, and her fierce eyes were a yellow.

She stared up at me, and I looked right back. I felt her excitement but she was also sad. I suddenly realized that I could hear her heart beating.

"What's happening?" I asked when I looked down. There was a shadow of a line that connected us.

"Don't be afraid, sister, we are as one," she said in a strong female voice. She came closer to me and I found myself kneeling as she came closer. The next thing I knew, she was walking into my body.

I woke with a jolt and the migraine I had been feeling yesterday came at full speed. I laid back and just waited, trying to make sense of my dream, but nothing happened. It made the pounding in my head worse. A light knock came at the door, then Shawna opened the door.

"Hey, Camila, how are you feeling?" she said coming in and taking a seat on the bed.

"I'm still the same." I said.

As she checked me screaming could be heard down stairs. I looked up at Shawna.

"It's Natalia, they're moving her to a safe house today."

I felt for her, it didn't seem fair for her to leave her home, but after what she did to Max, there was no choice, and I wasn't arguing with Josh. I would kill her if she hurt Josh.

"Please Josh, my baby...don't do this..I'm your mother, please!" she begged.

"Mom, calm down, I can't risk you staying here and hurting someone else..."

"I won't ...I promise I won't. Please don't make me leave!"

When I heard Josh's voice, I asked Shawna to carefully help me stand and go to the door. We stood there watching as another of the pack members tried to move Natalia out the door. She fought and screamed. That was until Logan was standing in the doorway. Then everything was quiet. I didn't understand why exactly, but then the conversation with Josh from yesterday came back. I looked at Logan carefully and noticed he had a dark aura around him. His face told a different story, he was focused and calm. For the first time since I met him, he wasn't falling all over himself or unsure. He was full of determination.

"Only a coward would kick his mother out of her own home." he said coming toward Josh and standing right in front of him, his challenge loud and clear.

"This is none of your business," said Josh with a calm but threatening tone.

"It is. She is, after all, our Luna." The others muttered to each other.

Then I had the crazy thought of speaking up and before I knew what I was doing, I did.

"Were it anyone else, or any other pack, Luna or not, she did an imaginable thing...she killed her mate and Alpha of this pack. She would've been put to death were it any other pack."

I walked down the stairs, with so much composure and willpower. More than what I thought myself capable of having.

"What would you know of our laws, witch!?" he growled at me, but I still looked him in the eyes when I saw it. A kind of shadow hid behind his eyes. I didn't say it because I felt like it was the same man as before, the one that had forced Natalia to kill Max and the same one that had kidnaped and killed the women.

"Not much, but what I do know is...Joshua is being merciful, because it is his mother, but he's right. There's too much risk to her staying here."

More muttering from the others, but I touched Josh's arm he kept his eyes on Logan.

"But the rights of my mother isn't why you're here is it, Logan?" he asked.

"No, I believe there is a fight."

"Yes, but I wasn't aware that you were in such a rush."

"Why leave things for another day? When today seems just as good."

Josh, nodded once and pointed at the door. Everyone left and Josh turned to look at me.

"He's not alone." I simply said and Josh understood. He kissed my forehead and followed the others outside. I quickly went to get my snow stuff and headed outside with the others.