Like Magnets

Ch 20 Girasole

Chapter 20

•XOILA•

When he said that Oris had this far away look on in his eyes and I could feel the tears pouring out of my eyes as my voice quivered “How did you survive?” he looked as his eyes filled with fresh tears and I felt as he wiped mine away with the pad of his thumb saying

“I think I survived because we weren’t fully mated and our bond was too new that it couldn’t fully break my soul. Yes, I felt burning pain in my chest when my mate died. But...” he looked away for a second and then 

He let out a shaky breath as he continued “But Pan he survived, yes he still mourns his mate... his pain so great that he just isn’t fully there at times he’s a little more animalistic... gone yet still there” he let out a deep sigh and ran his hand over his face. 

"You know it still hurts sometimes that my father wouldn't accept my bond with Warren" Then Stacy said, "Well I'm not justifying anything about your Dad but didn't he just want you to have a bond that could leave offspring for the Next Gen alpha?"  Oris looked at her as he thought about something as if he was debating on whether he should say it. 

Then Oris looked like he had decided to say whatever thought Stacy had triggered "You know the goddess gave werewolves the ability to leave offspring regardless of gender." To say I wasn't surprised about that was an understatement I could feel how shocked everyone was but he continued 

" Some like to think that as times changed and Wolves started having mates of the same gender but couldn't have children with their soulmate the goddess being who she is only wanted her children to truly be happy.

So what she did was Play more into physical build and Stature the mate with a much larger build was known as the Dom playing the role of the 'Father' or 'Husband' in the mate bond usually with a manlier build. The mate of smaller stature and more delicate builds are the Subs and those are the mates that can carry and bring life into the world. They play the roles of the 'Mother' or 'wife' those mates usually have a sweeter scent"    

I felt my heart shatter as I said this "So what your saying is that Warren could have been your Luna regardless because he could have given you an heir to be NextGen alpha" Oris gave a really quick and curt nod and said "Yeah but Father believed that for the pack to be strong we had to have a strong female.

I mean I didn't know about this till much later but if my Father ever caught wind of a pack member who had a mate of the same gender he would immediately call them both to his office and if they refused to part from each other he would kick them out of the pack... Plain and simple"

Then Zen placed two cups of earl gray on the coffee table. I hadn’t noticed until now but they seem to have made themselves right at home seeing the fact that they are already figuring out where things are.

Zari walked over and placed a pack of cookies on the coffee table as well and then went to sit with Zen in the love seat and cuddled up right next to him. I looked at them giving them a grateful smile and turned back to Oris Picking up his cup of tea and willing him with my eyes that he takes a sip at least. He nodded his head in understanding and took the cup and then took a sip of tea.

Really looking at him I can see how much pain he’s in just talking about it, I mean lost my family and the pain was immeasurable but the pain of losing your mate the person that completes your soul I can’t imagine what that feels like. I've seen first hand what happens when you lose your mate and most people can't handle it. They kind of just lose it and have to be dealt with so they don't hurt anyone. 

In some cases, they lose their wolf and they no longer have the ability to shift and even then some wolves get so depressed that they end up dying of loneliness because their mates' gone and they no longer have a wolf to help them through it.

The mate bond is beautiful but kinda Scary at the same time because if you lose all that you have it makes you feel as if you have nothing else to live for. So I kinda understand but I can never fully know what it's like to lose your mate. I just know the fear. 

I'm sure we all do 

I could hear that everyone was crying or just sniffling but Oris continued “I didn’t really have the time to mourn my mate. I was practically dragged away from my home. The pack that once was my birthright to lead… but forget that...to hell, with that the worst part is that I was forced away from my mother the woman that gave me life the one that nursed my wounds and actually showed me the love my father never did...I… I didn’t even get to say goodbye...I wonder if my mom's still… alive?”

I knew he was worried so I offered him the only comfort that he would know “Well Ory the easiest way to know that is..” I placed my palm on his chest and said: “You would feel a scorching pain in your chest...” I brought my hand up to my own chest and continued “in the event of a family member's death or well of a loved one or someone you formed a close bond with” I paused and then said, “Did you not feel it when my mom died?”

Oris’s eyes remained blank as a single tear rolled down his cheek “So that’s what that was…” his eyes zone back in and he wipes his face again and says “So where was I?” He said trying to smile “Oh I was dragged away from my pack,” he said in a sing-song voice “Well there I was in a car with just the clothes on my back and my laptop that I had managed to take before they dragged me away… I looked out the window as I heard the pack warriors try to whisper” 

He made a confused face and made his voice go even deeper hulkish and said “Why are we taking the next alpha to this weaker pack?” then he brought his voice back a little but just enough to still not sound normal and said “Maybe he’s gonna help them train” he let out a sigh that turned into a chuckle “Boy were those idiots wrong… When we got to the border they stopped the car and said their goodbyes.” he stared at nothing in particular and said 

“It was after I waved goodbye to those big dopes that I turned around and saw a Honey Brown wolf sitting at the edge of the pack border… we made eye contact for about 15 seconds before she nodded for me to come forward. 

The moment I crossed that pack border I felt a pulse in my mind and I somehow knew that I should let the pulse in and when I did I heard the Alpha of the Stark Pine Pack I remember him saying that Aunt Loren had told him of the situation and that he welcomed me to the pack I felt a rush and a connection go through me...and I became a part of the pack the I heard 

'Now shift there is someone I would like you to meet’ "

 I felt a chill run through me at how well he had mimicked my mom it felt like she was actually here then he said “I shifted and then began to run with Aunt Lorens wolf Atzi she was happy to see Pan It had been years since we had last seen each other it was fun, to say the least,” He smiled a genuine smile and stroked the side of my face resting his hand on my cheek “I could feel the curious stares as we ran through the territory" 

Then he put his arm over my shoulder again and continued "I think because they wanted to see the new member. We ran for about 10 minutes and then we got to a clearing on the territory where I saw children running around and playing. As we came to a halt I looked around at all the children and saw a few moms I would like to assume scattered amongst them looking after the pups. But there was one who stood out... she had two long braids and very focused green eyes. She was braiding the hair of another little girl who was making flower crowns.

Both looked like they didn’t have a care in the world but then the little girl with the green eyes finished her braid and then turned and looked in our direction and tapped the other little girl's shoulder. She looked annoyed that she was interrupted but her different colored eyes sparkled and they both got up squealing as they ran Straight towards Atzi who yipped happily and snuggled them both with her snout. The smaller one with different colored eyes giggled and after hugging Atzi she looked at Pan and said “Who are you? And why is your fur Stained with red? Did you roll in strawberries?”

I noticed that the girl with green eyes handed Atzi a dress and then Atzi took off running and then said “Mama said that she’ll splain but to let him change too” and then she Ran back to where she was sitting and picked something up and ran back towards us and said “Open up and go change Mister Mama is walking back over” I looked at her for a second feeling a little attacked that she called me mister but then I glanced at the smaller one who pointed at her mouth and opened and then closed it” he laughed and then continued 

“I realized that they wanted me to shift back so I turned back to the green-eyed one and took the shorts she had in her hands and went to a nearby tree and shifted. I walked back and saw Aunt Loren was waiting for me with the two little girls. Then I really gotta see her, she had cut her hair... I mean when I had last seen her she had longer hair...up to her waist, I think. But instead of the heavily trained soldier with sad eyes, and blank expression I was met with a happy she-wolf with sparkling joyous eyes. 

I walked up to her and glanced down at her as I got closer I gave her a hug “Don’t worry Metztli he and the old fart can just suck it” I remember I started to cry when I heard her say that… the nickname she gave me when I was born Metztli which means moon, she always called me her moon.” he said as he thought back on that day 

“Then after aunt Loren finally calmed me down she said, “Metzli let me introduce you to my Girasole” she then motioned to the little one with bright green eyes who shyly smiled up at me. I crouched down and I remember I tried to give her a kind smile as I said “Hello Little Sunflower my name is Oris” I remember she looked down and then looked back up at me meeting my eyes with a bright smile on her face 

“My name is Xoila, nice to meet you… You have very pretty eyes and hair” I remember I laughed and then she hugged me all of a sudden...It took me by surprise but I hugged her back and she whispered “welcome home” with those words it was like a switch and I swear I started balling.” he said with a big smile on his face.

“Then all of a sudden I felt a small hand on my shoulder and kinda pulled away from Little Xoila but didn’t let her go and was met with a pair of different colored eyes who looked at me with suspicion the owner of those eyes said, “Do you like dogs?” It caught me by surprise but I remember laughing and saying “Yeah, especially the fluffy ones” I remember her nodding and smiling at me saying 

“He’s my friend now” she placed one of the flower crowns she had been working on my head and then gently patted my head and then hugged Xoila” he looked at Stacy and said “I remember Aunt Loren was talking to someone so I looked up from you two playing with my hair since it was so strange to see a guy with shoulder-length hair but Aunt Loren she was talking to Luna Sally... I remember Luna Sally picked up Little Stay and then welcomed me to the pack." 

It's like his sadness was being infected with happiness as he said "as Luna Sally started to get me situated by giving Aunt Loren instruction and suggestions on what I would need to live comfortably she Introduced me to a boy who had just gotten to the pack” 

He smiled and looked at Zen and said “His name was Zen and he was part of a group of werewolves whose pack had been destroyed..." both shared a look of sadness and then he said "I remember we started talking a little while after that and then we became great friends. I later met Crystal, her mate, and her cousin Zari and we all became great friends after that” he smiled “I had a great time slowly I forgot about the pain of losing my mate and then when the whole Crystal incident happened and I had to leave again... I made sure to give you way contact me if something were to ever happen or you just wanted to get away"

He sighed, "The moment I left pack territory and ran into the woods I never looked back I just ran and ran, and with our speed, I got far pretty fast...I don't know how much time had passed or if it had been three days maybe four when I finally stopped running" he smiled again and said 

"I had stopped in a beautiful forest and thought I had lost my nag somewhere along the way but it didn't really faze me. I just wandered around this new and vibrant forest in wolf form Pan was thrilled, to say the least. But as the months went by Pan and I stayed in his form hunting rabbits and deer fighting off rouges who seemed to always want to fight us. I mean there were times we couldn't hunt because the other rouges wouldn't leave us alone but we could handle not eating as long as we had water. as we got closer to where there was Humans we decided to still keep our distance and just sleep in caves and stay away from clearing so we wouldn't draw attention to ourselves” 

He stood up and turned on the oven then went to look in the kitchen cabinets pulling plates, a platter, and a wooden cutting board out placing them on the island. He walked over to the refrigerator pulling out some vegetables for what looked like a salad and a whole pre-seasoned chicken that he placed in the platter and then in the oven.

We all watched as he washed his hands and started cutting the vegetables for the salad. Once he was done he placed the salad in a glass bowl he had pulled out of his cabinets in the kitchen with a pair of tongs he pulled out from a drawer and then he looked up at us. "Oh sorry, you guys are waiting for me to finish the rest of the story" he put the used items in the sink and then dried his hands on a towel, and then walked back over to us.