Karmic
Hidden in the dark depths of a small lake, Mina gazed thoughtfully as a tall dark-haired man took off his shirt and entered the water. The moon peered out from behind the clouds, turning the surface into smooth glass. Exposing her head. The light caught her eyes. The boy looked up and saw her. He froze, disbelief and doubt filling his features. With only half of her face above the water, the girl didn’t appear to be human. Piercing blue eyes, near paper white skin and pale hair made her seem like a ghost. You could see fear enter his eyes as he continued to watch her. She always scared humans whenever she encountered them. It was few and far between, but when she did, people were either fascinated or scared.
Sighing, she dove back into the water, allowing her body to finish healing. She emerged on the other side. Getting out, she walked into the surrounding forest. Its greenery wrapped her in a welcome hug. She grabbed her dress from a branch, slipped it on and continued to walk into the forest. A few meters in she picked up an unfamiliar scent. With caution she leaped, with cat-like grace, into a tree. Her calves screamed their protest at the sudden strain.
The moon reappeared from the clouds. Her eyes pierced through the dark grey of the forest. She saw the boy reappear beneath her tree. A moment later, a sharp snap of a twig and a light thump led one to believe something large had just jumped from a tree. The boy jolted around and saw a jaguar with a white coat and bright inquisitive blue eyes stalking towards him. Holding his breath, he stared frighteningly at the giant cat. It froze in place; its head low; eyes observant. Slowly the cat began to stalk closer. Its head lower still; tail twitching slightly at the end; eyes catching every movement he made. Unconsciously, he backed away until he was stopped by a tree. The giant cat got closer. His breaths were ragged, and he struggled to get it under control.
Unexpectingly, the cat raised its hind legs and placed its giant forepaws on his chest. His breath caught as it looked him in the eyes with an intelligence that no other animal could. He was nearly hyperventilating at that point. The cat growled and stuck its snout in his face, inching its canine teeth closer to his exposed neck. Suddenly, a deep snarl came erupting from the darkness. The white cat dropped back on its paws and yowled, backing away from him.
Out of the shadows came an impossibly gold jaguar with emerald eyes. It was easily twice the size of the white one. They circled one another snarling and glaring at each other. Eventually, the white one’s ears flattened against its head and ran into the shadows. It only stopped once to look back before the gold jaguar snarled and it scampered away, its tail now flickering uncontrollably.
Silently the gold jaguar advanced towards him before suddenly stopping. It flattened its ears, a look of pain entering its eyes, and turned around hastily following the white one. In the trees miles away from the boy there were two people arguing loudly. “What were you thinking, Mina? You could’ve exposed us! And you know interacting with humans is forbidden!”
“He has no idea who I am or even if that was me, Samuel! And I was hardly interacting,” exclaimed Mina, crossing her arms, body standing defiantly straight. She kept her eyes level with Samuel’s. They had already gone over this subject before, and she was getting frustrated. Samuel glared at Mina. He pulled back his lips, showing long two-inch canine teeth as he snarled in anger. Mina flinched, stricken in pain by the fact that her mate would show her his teeth. This was viewed as an act of dominance in their clan, and she was not going to have any of it. She didn’t back down. She kept her back straight, standing tall; her eyes flaring with defiance. She was not in the mood to argue anymore. “He was just lost. I saw him and tried to scare him away so that he couldn’t get closer to our clan. He was originally in the pool when I first seen him.”
Samuel’s emerald eyes lit with fire, “Were you in your human form or celestial form Mina?” She pursed her lips in defiance, her eyes expressing anger this time. “Mina! You were in your celestial form, weren’t you?”
“I-I was in the water regenerating when I first saw him.” She conceded.
“Did he see you change?”
“No, I was in a tree when I transformed. I’m not stupid! Quit scolding me! You’re not even Alpha yet! So don't even try to control me.” Shrieked Mina as her anger exploded from her body. She stomped away hiding the silent tears on her cheeks and the quivering in her hands.
She was just barely holding back the sobs. She gripped her hands into fists to stop the quivering. She was determined not to be weak anymore. She needed to be strong. Strong for her clan. For her family.
"Mina, wait, please. I'm sorry, I was just worried... after... after last night." Clamored Samuel as his voice quivered, expressing more than just pain. She stopped, bowed her head, and remembered. She remembers waking up in extreme pain. An emptiness scratching at her heart, she touched her now flat belly and collapsed internally. She had come back to consciousness this morning, as memories of the night before had disturbed what little peace she had.
Now she stood before Samuel trying to forget it all. It didn't work. Risking going to the pool by herself at such a late hour the pain and emptiness just overwhelmed her. The tears she was fighting softly broke free, rolling down her cheeks. "Mine, I'm sorry. I've should've been kinder to you. Maybe then he would still be alive and we wouldn't be fighting." He wrapped her in his arms, trying to comfort her. He nuzzled her neck and lightly stroked her fisted hands.
She purred slightly, all the extra emotion draining from her body. "I'm sorry Samuel, I should've told you what I was doing. I was in so much pain. I just wanted to go to the pool so I could heal faster, so, well you know, we could try again." She said sheepishly. A knowing smile crossed his face and her words just fell out of her mouth, "I know what it means to you and the clan for us to have a cub. Even though my father is still a strong Alpha, he is old, and I fear he may not be alive much longer." Mina's maternal instincts were growing, and typically females at her age would already have a cub or two. Now with the loss of their son, her second cub in less than a year, she was desperate to feel the warmth of one of her own in her arms.
"It's OK love, we'll make do as we have been." He paused and looked down at her as a mischievousness entered his eyes. "Did the water's power work?" An intimate spark of a true mated pair flew between them and her cheeks turned crimson.
She still wasn't used to the act of mating and every time it was brought up she would get sheepish and turn as bright as a rose. However, Samuel was always confident and reassuring, so she didn't feel that way for long. Mins sighed and then relaxed, " Yes they did, I feel no pain and all of my scars are gone. I think we can try again soon if you want." She gave a flirtative wink, and he gave a cheesy, easy-going grin that she, and so many other females in the clan, loved.
Samuel was strong, kind and caring. Plus, he had the added benefit of a prestigious pedigree that made him one of the most eligible bachelors, before he was named the next Alpha. He was everything that any female would want in a mate, and sometimes Mina couldn't grasp how lucky she had been. "If that's what you want love." She sighed and nodded, hopeful this time she was able to keep it successfully. He smiled a tender smile and kissed her forehead. He took her hand as they pulled apart and there was a flash of dampened light. Seconds later, a jaguar pair appeared where the couple had been and they ran north.
