The Jaguar's Mate

FOUR

“How long?” Nico crossed his arms and looked at Olivia with what seemed like indignation, but in reality she knew it was fear.

“Nico I told you I am not sure how long it will be, it could be all summer for all I know. But I am not leaving you two here” Even though Olivia’s words were the law between them, she avoided his gaze on the touchy subject by continuing to pack her bag for their trip back to the rainforest.

“Olivia I am not a child you cannot dictate what I do or do not do, I am fine and I can take care of myself, thank you. So I will not go and stay there for who knows how long risking seeing you know who. In fact, we should all stay here.”

Olivia stopped packing and turned around to face him.

“Nico,” she said with empathy in her voice and understanding in her heart, too much understanding. “We haven’t seen her in years. You have not seen her since you were 15, and--”

“Because after what happened then I successfully avoided her for a whole year until you turned 18 and we left. Every time we go there Rio is on edge and I cannot help but feel she is watching us, somewhere! We’ve been there only days at once, and now you want to arrive there with a battalion of people, some Americans, and stage a protest!? She will know we are there! I will not face her! If I see her, Rio will kill Sandra, he will kill our mother, Olivia. And I will let him”. 

Nico showed evident anger in his voice. They had avoided everyone every time they went so word didn't spread of their presence, never staying so long. Either way, Olivia knew that if Sandra wanted to find them she would. The real problem was the unspeakable pain she could sense in her brother. A kind of pain you could only grasp if you’ve been torn apart by someone who was supposed to protect you.

“Nico...I know. Trust me, I have the same worry but for all we know she is already dead. I consulted the elders and they haven’t seen her in years either. If we see her, we are all strong enough to stand up to her. If not, we will just leave okay?” 

Olivia knew that Rio and Nico were probably stronger than their mother, but there was a bigger monster lurking in his heart, and anger wasn’t it. It was despair.

*FLASHBACK* Olivia 17, years old.

She ran as fast as she could back to the house, she knew she shouldn’t have stayed with that boy. She could sense that something was wrong with her baby brother, who at 15 was almost taller than her. She picked up the pace once she heard the screams coming from her house, she was a block away. The neighbors didn’t bother anymore. The last time they intervened, several of their homes were destroyed by an arbitrary fire. They were all now paranoid because they suspected her mother was to blame. She was. They were all terrified of her mother. 

Olivia took a turn and pushed the already open door further, running into her house. She saw blood on the floor leading to the backyard. She halted to a stop when she heard whimpers to her left, behind a large chair. When she turned her head to the sound she saw Tamara on the floor, hugging her legs to her chest, softly rocking. She tried to calm herself down with the same motion she employed as a child. Except she wasn't much of a child any longer. Olivia quickly approached Tami, gently caressing her hair and face. 

“Shh--shhh. It’s okay Tami, cover your ears, close your eyes” Tami obliged and Olivia slowly walked away as Rio’s desolate cry pulsed in her eardrums.

When she walked into the yard, the sight in front of her eyes paralyzed Olivia. Her brother was tied to a large tree at the edge of their yard. He was standing with his legs and chest tied to the trunk and his arms behind him, held fast against the tree. Sweat mixed with blood trickled down his face. His head hung low and his eyes were so swollen that he could barely open them, they were full of oozing liquid. 

Blood dripped all around him, from cuts, lacerations, and gashes that covered his arms and legs in a dark purple-red. Her mother stood facing him, holding a thorned branch in her hand, and a whip in the other. Sandra couldn’t shift when she was angry, an irony, since that was her usual state of being. Olivia’s jaguar became so infuriated that she started to claw her way out, an impossible feat without the command of an adult jaguar. 

But the jaguar fed Olivia strength, and the lethal fury she felt at the needless pain and suffering of her brother took over her entire body. She roared and used her powerful legs to run towards her mother, leaping at the last moment and charging her mother. Sandra was faster and moved to the side, making Olivia lose her footing and trip. Olivia fell to the ground hands first, ending up on all fours, she looked up at her mother, and right before Sandra could strike her she rolled away and stood swiftly. 

“I found this little piece of trash you call brother with a girl in the house Olivia, I think he was going to mark her” her mother’s voice was scarily calm, and Olivia couldn’t help but shudder at her vicious expression. 

“Untie him,” Olivia said, still scared of her mother, but something inside of her fed her courage. 

“Excuse me? Who do you think you are?” her mother approached her, still holding the thorned branch in her hand, blood dripping from it. “You are no one’s savior Olivia, you are nothing and you can do nothing. Where were you, Olivia? Huh?? With a boy?” She said in between clenched teeth. She paused, waiting for Olivia's answer, only to raise her voice when Olivia lowered her eyes. 

“You only think of yourself! You and your stupid jaguar with her idiotic reverence to the land! We’ll have a nice little chat when I am done here. Your brother needs to learn his lesson after all! He must not be like his father...” 

The memory of a father Olivia didn't know filled Sandra with rage, and with one devastating whip, she struck Nico on his face. A blow so hard that it startled him into a half-consciousness that brought a howl of pain. The strike tore the flesh from his cheek, creating a new open wound.

Olivia trembled with rage, an abnormal sense of power filled her. She leaped towards her mother again, but this time she pushed her down with all the strength of her back and arm muscles, bending her arm and using her forearm to knock her down. Sandra fell down, and before she could get up, Olivia ran to her brother and untied his arms. 

Sandra stared at Olivia, realization kicking in. She wouldn’t be able to physically dominate Olivia anymore. She was becoming too strong and increasingly less scared of her. 

“Tsk tsk, Olivia you shouldn’t have done that, you will regret it.” With that last statement, Sandra stood and ran towards the deep of the jungle, getting lost in shrubbery and vines. Olivia watched as she disappeared, praying she wouldn't come back. 

She turned to her brother, he was half-awake, quietly weeping. When Olivia untied him, his knees gave up and his body weight took him to the ground. But before he could fall face down, Olivia embraced him.

“I gotcha Nico, don’t worry we’ll get you healed up” Olivia did not understand why Sandra didn’t fight back. She also did not understand why she would go this far. She never beat Nico, he was her favorite. 

Tami hesitantly walked out and stared, audibly gasping. “NICO!”

“Tami call one of the elders. I need to heal him. HURRY!” Olivia didn't look her sister's way. She focused on holding up her brother.

“B-but Olivia! Last time when I called them she punished you!” Tami whined, Olivia had taken the blame so many times so she could spare them. Today, she was too late.

“It is okay Tami, call. I have a feeling she will be gone for weeks again”. 

Olivia took Nico inside as Tamara called. They waited for what seemed like an eternity. When the elder arrived, a short chubby woman with long white-black hair, it only took one look at them for sorrow to fill her heart.

“I am sorry child, but the law is the law. I can’t break the blood tie your mother has with you from birth. It is the law you stay with her until you are 18 and old enough to control your jaguar.” Olivia knew that it was a stupid law. 

“I know elder Maria. Can you please command our shift?” 

The elder did not hesitate. “Shift.”

Bones cracked, limbs elongated and the spine became malleable. Fur replaced skin and within seconds a beautiful female jaguar was standing in Olivia’s place. Her black spots were vibrant and her orange-brown fur soft. The jaguar was large for a female, she looked more like a young male in weight and muscle size. At the same time, a slightly smaller male jaguar lay in place of Nico. Rio, his jaguar, was a rare fully-black jaguar. His entire fur was full of gashes and cuts, just like Nico.

Killari approached Rio, who was still half-conscious. She nuzzled him and meowed a soft melody, making everyone’s hairs stand. She looked right at him and began to lick every wound, cleaning the blood and easing his pain. Every lick partially closed a wound, as Killari’s touch healed some of Rio’s cuts. Though jaguars could heal themselves, some possessed the ability to heal others, but only in their jaguar form. 

Killari looked at the elder and nodded in thanks, communicating something in a mind-link to Tamara. Jaguars could communicate with each other telepathically if they had established a blood bond. 

Killari lay next to Nico, her proximity aiding in the healing. 

“Killari, wants to stay in jaguar form until he is healed. Can I shift too?” Tamara inquired nervously, her eyes still red-rimmed and puffy. 

“Yes, of course. Shift.” 

Bones cracked, and though the shift took a bit longer, Perla stood in place of Tamara. She looked like Killari, but she was much smaller and had many more dark spots. Her delicate features matched her walk as she laid on Nico's other side, snuggling close and lending her healing gift too. 

The three jaguars laid together, unmoving, for 3 days. 

*end FLASHBACK*

As the memory so painfully vivid floated in their minds, Nico and Olivia looked at each other with the awareness that they will always be marked by their past. 

Frantic footsteps startled them both as Tamara rushed through the door

“Omg are you okay!?” She screamed her usual high-tone pitch and looked around, fear and concern swamping her.

Olivia and Nico chuckled. 

Olivia smiled at her sister, “we are fine, just talking about the trip tonight and remembering some stuff…” 

“Oh okay, well next time you guys decide to meditate on agonizing experiences please cut me out of that mind link will ya?” she joked, trying to lighten the mood. 

“Sure princess, something else?” Nico said with an exaggerated fake bow.

“Shut up Nico. Stop calling me princess I am not a baby” Tamara whined and shoved him with weak force.

“Alright that’s enough, are you guys ready? We need to leave in 20 minutes.” Olivia shoved some stuff in her bag, forcing it shut. 

“Olie are you sure about this?” Concern remained in Nico’s voice, but he had the certainty that Olivia would always have his back.

“Yes, 100% sure. We need to do this. You know we need to protect the land.” Olivia lifted the heavy bag with one hand.

“Yea Nico, besides, half of Ramiro’s pack will be there! Think about all the she-wolves!” Tamara squealed the words, raising her eyebrows up and down several times.  

“No-no-no. Remember what I said about the wolves. BE CAREFUL with them.” Olivia scowled and gave Tami a reprimand with her eyes.

“What about the American wolves??” Tamara was way too eager about that, and Olivia did not like it. 

“Tamara, I honestly can’t tell you who to mate with, but I will say as a general rule, preferably stick to humans. You know how wolves get and these wolves have NEVER seen a jaguar. So basically, keep taking your scent blocker and I would advise you to stay away from trying to sleep around with any of them.”

They both pouted, and Olivia let out an audible sigh. “Come one dummies, let’s go. We have a long bus ride.” 

…

As Aiden looked out of the airplane’s window, all he could see was a brilliant blue. He wondered how the rainforest really felt like and if Helios would like it.

I will hate it. Sticky mess not made for my fur.

Aiden chuckled internally at Helios’ short temper.

H relax! think of it as a little adventure. 

Aiden thought of it as their last experience as an unmated wolf, but kept that thought hidden from Helios to not anger him with the whole chosen mate thing. He even considered the possibility of finding his actual mate, he had forgotten about the female wolves present in Latin America. Though that was highly unlikely since they were a different wolf species, but hoping never hurt anyone. He was mostly glad to get out of the packhouse for a few weeks to avoid all the questioning as to why he had put the pack through years without a Luna. 

“Are we there yet?” Sam’s question made Aiden re-check the map.

“Asking 20 times won’t make it go any faster. After this layover, we have only one more flight.”

“Sorry Alpha, I’m just nervous, I don’t speak a single word of Spanish, I’m screwed.”

“It’s alright Sam, I know a bit but not enough. However, many of the wolves from the pack are bilingual. And the woman we will be dealing with throughout the trip, Olivia, will act as our translator as well. From what I understand she and her siblings went to a bilingual school and have spoken both English and Spanish their whole lives. At least that is what Ramiro communicated when we talked about translators. He assured me they are fully bilingual”

“Well that’s a relief, we won’t get lost then” Sam chuckled, his spirits were a bit higher than usual. “Who will meet us when we arrive?”

“The same woman, Olivia. Ramiro warned me she could get a bit passionate with the cause and to please not take any reaction towards the problems with the pipeline personally.” Aiden wasn't worried. He figured he could easily handle any woman, he was an Alpha after all, and that still meant something there. 

Or so he thought.