THE MISSING PIECE

CHAPTER 13- MATE

ZACHARY

Brittany looked at me.

   -I’m not your mate Zac.

   -“Nelson we are going, now!” 

I stood up from the chair and walked outside. “Are we going to back to where mate is?” I felt Kygo flooding with energy. “Take us to mate Kygo!” He transformed us in record time. He started to run and our speed was back, if not it was faster. I felt the wind, the fresh air, the cold of the night, and everything was finally perfect. Kygo and I felt our bond getting stronger. The disagreement about our mate weaken it, but now it was stronger. “Sorry for my attitude Kygo.” “Don’t worry Zac, you needed time. But I’m happy that was before we took another partner.” “Would you have allowed me to do it?” He stopped running. “I also thought about our mate a lot, she is human, she is going to be in danger when they know she is ours. She will never be able to run with us, probably wouldn't even be able to bear our pups in her. She will have to deal with a bunch of she-wolves. And we still don't know the reaction of the kingdom to a human Luna, and don't want to think about the reaction of the parliament when they know.” “You really thought a lot about this.” “Yes, so when you chose that other she-wolf, I knew she was not our mate. But with that, our true mate wouldn’t have to face all the other difficulties and you were going to be happy, the kingdom was going to be happy.” “Kygo, I don't think I would ever be happy without our mate in my life.” “Me neither Zac.” He started to run again. Leaving the Red Tail territory I heard a noise and saw Nelson running beside me. 

   -“I knew you would go back to the RV Alpha.”

I just laugh at how even my third in command knew better my feelings than me. A strange sensation started to pass throw my body, a smell filled the air. I felt Kygo's fur bristle. “Zac, there are rogues near, and by the smell, they are many, at least five.” “We must try to contact Kevin and Sabrina.” I tried to feel the link but the distance was still far. 

   -“Sabrina, Kevin can you hear me?” 

Nothing, Kygo started to run faster. 

   -“Sabrina, Kevin can you hear...” 

   -“Zac! we need help! I’m fighting two rogues and Kevin is trying to fight with three, but there is another one, and Grace is outside frozen in fear…” 

My blood got cold to those words. Kygo ran as fast as possible, Nelson also accelerated the rhythm. Arriving at the place where RV was I only saw Sabrina and Kevin in wolf form. Looking around I saw a big white leopard with a wolf in his jaws. “Mate! She's our mate! She is Grace!” Kygo felt so sure, but I was so confused. I took a deep breath and the smell of Casablanca lilies and rain balanced perfectly, it was the same that Grace had, but perfected. I felt so attracted to it that I started walking to the big leopard. She then opened her jaws and let the wolf fall to the floor. As the dead rogue hit the floor his body transformed to his human form. It was a girl. She looked like twenty-something but it's hard to know the real age in werewolves, she could be one hundred and still look that young. The leopard looked at the body and then started to run to the forest. 

   -“Zac! I´m not sure how it happened, but Rose was fighting and suddenly Grace ran and transformed into that leopard. She killed the rogue and then growled and the other rogues ran away. But that leopard is Grace.” 

   -“Thanks Sabrina, clean the mess I will go look for Grace."

   -” I can't let you go alone Alpha.”

   -” It's not your choice Nelson, stay with Sabrina and Kevin.”

Kygo was already running tracking the intoxicating smell. We found her lying near the rock that I hit the night I half shifted. We walked to her but the movements of the water alert her, and she stood up. ”Zac, her eyes are yellow.” ”I can see them Kygo.” Although I do see them, I couldn't believe it. The only yellow eyes that are in the record are the ones of the first Alpha King, who was completely black and had yellow eyes. The yellow eyes mean royal alpha blood. I looked at her and indeed, they were yellow. Kygo lowered his head in submission and started to walk to our frightened mate. She just stood there looking at us. When we were just four feet apart she started to run towards us and rubbed her head to our body, and Kygo started to do the same. ”She is afraid and scared Zac.” She then lay on the water and Kygo followed her movements, never breaking physical contact. She put her head in between the fur of our chest and Kygo covered her with his head. She had a small size. In werewolves, size is inherited from the parents. The Alpha King wolf is always the bigger in size, then there is the other normal Alphas and the royal beta. Then, the betas and the royal third in command. Followed by the thirds in command and the royal best warriors. Finally the rest of the warriors. The royal pack has the most powerful wolves, so the size of the wolves in the pack is bigger than normal, that's why the beta is normal Alpha size, but still beta. Females are smaller than males, Alpha blood females are the size of a beta male most of the time, beta females have the same size as a third in command male, and so on. Well, she was the size of one of the best warriors in the pack, I could dare to say even a little smaller than that. Her scent was mixing with mine, it relaxes me and makes me feel complete. I woke up and so that the sun's rays began to appear between the branches, I looked at my mate and found her still in the leopard form and sleeping. “Kygo, can you communicate with her?” “No, I have been trying all night, and nothing.” “How much time do you think she will stay in that form?” “I'm not sure Zac, she is not a werewolf. Actually, I'm not sure what type of creature she is.” I heard some noises and turn my sight to the forest. Sabrina appeared in human form.

   -Hi Zac, how's everything going?

   -” She is still sleeping.”

   -Can you communicate with her?

   -” No, Kygo can´t reach her.”

   -I got an idea, but trust me okay?

As she said that, she started to walk towards us. “Tell her to stay away from mate!” “Calm down Kygo, is just Sabrina, we trust her.” “But mate is afraid, she just needs me.” “Kygo we need help, let's see if Sabrina's plan works.” Sabrina stopped at eight feet from us. 

   -Grace can you hear me?

I looked at my mate, she started to move around. “She is waking her up!” I felt Kygo’s anger increase. “Relax Kygo!”

   -Grace I'm hungry, I need breakfast.

My mate shakes her head and then she stood up. When she opened her eyes Sabrina fell back. She looked scared and started to breathe heavily.

   -” Sabrina are you okay, what's happening!”

I was afraid to move and that mate would run away again. 

   -” Sabrina what is happening?”

   -Zac, her eyes are yellow.

Her voice was filled with fear. For us, the yellow eyes were just a legend.

   -” Yes, I know, but she is still Grace. Keep calm.”

Sabrina stood up and extended her arm. My mate started to walk towards her. She continues walking until she reaches Sabrina and rubbed her head to Sabrina’s hand. She then started to purr, Sabrina’s eyes started to fill with tears and she hugged her.

   -Don´t worry Grace, everything is going to be alright.

As she said that, mate collapsed in the river. I ran to her and pushed Sabrina away with my head.

   -” What did you do to her!”

I could feel Kygo getting angrier, mate was lying in the water and not responding to his touch.

   -I swear I did nothing she… she felt really hot! I think the change is having some kind of repercussions on her. We need to bring her to Nelson!

I got down and tried to put her body above mine, Sabrina helped me so she wouldn't fall down and we started to walk fast to the RV. 

   -“Nelson, take your tools out, Grace collapsed.” 

Arriving I saw Nelson already prepared with everything. There was a blanket on the ground. I let mate down carefully. Nelson reaches to touch her, Kygo started to growl. “Kygo please, they need to see how she is. He needs to touch her.” “He is still unmated!” “Kygo stop! She needs help now! Let’s change!” The battle for the transformation was exhausting, but finally, he gave up and let me go back to my human form.

   -I don't think that the first view she would like to see is you naked, Zac please go inside for some clothes.

I decided that Sabrina was right and went inside. I grab the first thing I saw and put it on. I returned and saw my mate with a catheter.

   -Nelson what's happening?

   -I´m not sure Alpha, her temperature is really high, even for a werewolf, but I'm not sure if it's normal or no. Sabrina and Kevin are trying to look for information online to see what she can be.

I decided to do the same and took my phone out. We have a page for werewolves, like a digital library. You can enter with a password and username. Depends on the username is the amount and type of books you can access. 

   -I found something!

Kevin ran to us with his laptop. While passing me he hit me in the head.

   -That is for your stupid idea of putting a signal blocker, and deprive me of the WIFI or actual signal.

Nelson looked at him and took the computer of his hands.

   -Kevin did you really think that she can be that?

   -It is the only creature that transforms into cats Nelson, what else could she be?

   -But she is a full cat, the Felinet are humanoid cats. Like a Lycan but with a cat type form.

I heard the conversation between Nelson and Kevin, and I tried to remember everything I knew about Felinets, they were as Nelson said humanoid cats, that when hungry could transform into beautiful humans and went to the villages to seduce people, and bring them to the forest where they would shift to their original form and devour them. They didn't leave traces of their prey. Well, I think sometimes they didn't eat the teeth. Their diet consisted of humans, not like vampires that can actually bite a human and do not kill it or convert it, Felinets eat the whole human. The last one died seven hundred years ago, during the war that werewolves declared upon them because they started to hunt us. “She can´t be a Felinet Zac!” I could understand the worry in Kygo’s words. What would the parliament, or even the kingdom think of a creature that killed our kind? I heard whimpers coming from my mate.

   -Felinet or not I need you, Nelson. Please make her feel better.

I lay close to her petting her back and head. She started to relax at my touch.

   -Sorry Zac, I can’t do more. I'm afraid this is out of my basic training. I know how to treat werewolves, not other species.

Kevin took his computer from Nelson's hands and kept looking.

   -Well even if you decide to give up fast, I will keep searching, Alpha and Grace need us.

Nelson looked at me and then at my mate.

   -I brought some books on ancient medicine. I will try to find something.

They both went to the RV, I stayed near mate and kept petting her, whispering that everything would be okay. I started to lose the sense of time, a piercing pain started to feel in my body. “Kygo, what's that feeling?” “It's mate’s pain, or at least some of it, we are starting to form a mate bond.” “And this is just some of the pain?” “Yes, she is suffering a lot.” Kygo whimpered. I started to feel like fire passing through my veins.

   -Alpha Zac!

I felt Kevin's arms pulling me away from my mate. I hugged her so that he could not separate us. Then I felt Nelson’s hands in my head.

   -Alpha! You need to let her go, the pain is passing to you through the mate bond! Your temperature is rising fast! If this keeps going you could die! Kygo could die!

I knew the dangers of high temperatures in werewolves but I was not planning in leaving my mate alone in her pain. I hugged her tighter and just tried to bear the pain. Not sure how much time passed but when I woke up I was still next to mate and had a catheter in my left hand. I sat and saw Sabrina with a bunch of papers on a table outside the RV.

   -Sabrina, what happened?

Sabrina turns and looks at me. She then walked to me and slapped me hard.

   -That´s for all the wrinkles I´m going to have for been worried for you! Your temperature started to rise so high Zac, we thought you will die on us!

   -Then why didn't you separate us when I got unconscious.

   -Because Kygo took control and used the Alpha King tone on us, ordering us to not separate you! That was really dangerous Zac, even though I understand she is your mate, but a whole kingdom and pack depend on you. Never do something like this again!

Her eyes were full of tears as we spoke. 

   -Wait, Zac are you feeling better?

   -Yes, just a headache.

   -Kygo how is he feeling?

I closed my eyes and tried to feel Kygo. “Kygo, how are you feeling?” “Better Zac, and sorry for the command I used on them, but I really wanted to stay with my mate.” “Don´t worry Kygo, I would have done the same thing.”

   -He says he is feeling better.

   -Does that means Grace is also improving?

I turn my sight to my mate, she was still sleeping but her face was peaceful and the temperature was normal, or at least not hellish hot.

   -Yes, Sabrina. I think that is what it means.

Sabrina petted the head of my mate and then looked at me.

   -Then can you come and see this, I need your opinion on my theory.

She gave me her hand and I took it, she helped me stand up. I felt dizzy and then almost fell. Sabrina supports me with her arm around my back.

-You slept with fever for three days, I imagine something like this would happen. 

Slowly we walked to the table. She was helping me walk and holding the serum bag in the other hand. Carefully she helped me sit in the chair and then went inside the RV for another chair for her.

   -Sabrina where are Nelson and Kevin?

   -They are in the city, buying more serum.

   -Did someone tell the parliament about…

   -About your mate? No. That is something you must do, and not something for us to decide. Also, I think that I have an idea of what type of creature is Grace.

   -Really?

   -Yes, she is a Felinet.

My heart shrinks just by thinking how will the kingdom react to that fact.

   -But like an evolved Felinet.

She started to put pages in front of me while explaining.

   -Because of the war, the Felinets started to hide between the humans in their human form. So I think some actually had s*x with humans and had children with them. As you know you can't be half something, like when a werewolf has a human mate, the child is either one hundred percent human or one hundred percent werewolf, there's no in-between. 

   -Yes, I know that part.

   -Well, the child of a werewolf even if it is one hundred percent human can have a child that turns to be a werewolf. Probabilities are really low, but they exist because the gen can activate in their descendants. So I suppose, that Grace has a predecessor that was a strong Felinet.

   -But if she is a Felinet why does she transform into a complete leopard instead of a humanoid leopard?

   -That is where I tried to link us to them. In the past there were only Lycans, we evolve from them. They are still present and are stronger than us. But they don't live on packs or are as many as we are, our strength lies in unity. We evolve and started to control the balance because we are human and wolf. They are more human than wolves, as Felinets were more cats than humans. 

   -Okay, but how does that link us to them?

   -What if they also evolve? What if with time the Felinets turned to be something like us?

   -Like a different species?

   -Yes! A Lycan can't be killed with silver, but werewolves can. Lycans are more muscular and stronger than us, but they don’t have a mental link like us or a wolf inside. Wolfsbane is useless against Lycans but it can weaken a werewolf. So what happens if she is like us, a descendant from a species but a different kind at the same time.

What she was saying actually made sense, but I was still afraid. Even though she wasn’t a Felinet in the whole form, she was a descendant. The war with that species was brutal, we lost a lot of werewolves, many kids ended orphans, and whole packs were killed during the battles. A strong scream filled the air. A piercing pain started to flood my body. “Mate!” I turn to see Grace, she was screaming and her body started to shift. The pain was so high my vision started to get blurry. I saw the silhouette of Sabrina running to Grace, and everything went black.