Their Pride

Their Pride Part 28

Chapter 27

My heart pounded as I ran further and further away from the house.  I didn’t know how to deal with this.  I didn’t know how to accept all the new changes I was going through.  Was I supposed to just brush it off like it wasn’t a big deal?  Was I supposed to pretend that it didn’t affect me the way it did?  It would be the Queenly thing to do, but right now, I was still Alex.  I could still run from my problems.

I halted. Was that what I was doing?  Was I running from my problems?  Questions flew through my head one after the other.  Nothing I did could make them stop.  Everything that I questioned in the past days came rushing up at me.

“Ally-Cat, calm down.”

I turned and let out a hiss. “Why must you follow me?  I wanted to be alone.  I didn’t want you to run after me.  You’re everywhere Zeke.  Just once I would like to be by myself.  I need to think things through.”

He shook his head at me. “I’m sorry, but I can’t leave you alone.  Too many people want to hurt you I can’t risk that.”

“You can’t risk that because of our species?  You don’t want them killed off?  I get that, Zeke, but I need time,” I yelled in frustration.

“I’m sorry.  Just ask me some of the questions you have floating around in your mind.  I know you, Ally-Cat, and I can read your every thought.  Tell me, what you really want to know?” he asked with a tiny smile.

My face reddened in anger. “Stay out of my head!”

“Hmm, that wasn’t a command,” he replied as his smile widened.

“Fine, tell me what that was.  Tell me what I did back there.  I can see people’s mates?”

“I hear the fear in your voice, and I know where it comes from,” he said, “but the answer is no.  You do not see people’s mates.  You see what that person desires the most.  It may be wealth it may be a mate.  There are many things that people desire in life.”

I nodded. “How do I know that the woman I saw was his real mate?”

“You won’t always know.  If a person desires their mate, you will see the person who they are meant to be with.  If a person desires a certain person, it will be them you see.  Do you understand, Ally?  It is a complicated gift,” he warned.

“I know,” I said while letting out a sigh. “So, Jones desired his mate, and that is what I saw?”

He nodded. “That is what you saw, and for your next question, no.”

I glared at him. “You didn’t even let me ask.”

“The answer is still no.  If it makes you feel better, you can ask,” he said with a motion of his hand.

“Can I touch you?” I asked with wide eyes.

“No.”

“Please!  Just once, Zeke,” I begged.

He searched my features. “Promise not to tell anyone?”

I nodded. “I promise.”

He shrugged. “I can already tell you what I desire the most, it is you on the throne.  If you would like to see it for yourself, have at it.”

He held his hand out and I grabbed it without hesitation.  Images flashed through my mind.  Him with a family and a wife.  Him running around chasing the children as laughter spilled from their mouths.  It was him, and he was happy.  There weren’t any half smiles marring his face.  The smiles he wore were large and filled with love.  This was Zeke at his best.  This was what he wanted; a family.

His arm was yanked away from me as he gave me a smug expression. “That’s what you saw wasn’t it?”

I began to recite the alphabet in my head. “Yes, it was exactly what I saw.  Me on the throne.”

I didn’t have the heart to tell him that he was lying to himself.  If he couldn’t admit it, he would never listen to me.  I knew Zeke, and I knew that no matter what, he would only listen to himself.

“When are you going to go back?” he questioned with a yawn.

I shrugged. “When I can think straight.  It might be a while.”

He settled on the ground with his back against a tree. “I have a while.”

A plan began to form in my mind as I nodded at him.  I would walk around where he could see me until it happened.  I knew pretty soon that he would fall asleep.  His eyelids already drooped and another yawn escaped his lips.

I thought briefly about singing before throwing the idea out.  I remember Seb clearly telling me that I sounded like a drowned cat.  I didn’t want to keep Zeke up; I wanted him to sleep.

I skipped around as boredom rose in me.  Why wouldn’t the man just fall asleep already?  Minutes later, I got my wish as his eyes closed.  I waited a few seconds to make sure he was sleeping before I took off further into the woods.  There was one thing I wanted to do right now; shift.

My body morphed and bones popped into place.  Quicker than before, I stood in my cat form.  The vacancy took time to get used to, but soon I was able to run on my own.  My eyes scanned the surrounding area in a new light.  Colors were brightened, my paws were more sensitive, and the scents bloomed in my nose.  I found it completely remarkable that everything was intensified.

A twig broke on my left.  Shifting my head in its direction, a rabbit came pouncing out of the bush.  I hesitated briefly before deciding to make it my next meal.  I ran after it and jumped into the air.  Landing on its back, it snapped.  Grief shot through my body as I looked at the lifeless animal.  If I didn’t require the energy, I wouldn’t do it in the first place.

The hunt might be invigorating, but I always found the kill bittersweet.  Biting into its side, I searched for the meat inside.  After chewing every bit off that I could, I took off once more.

I passed more rabbit and deer, but left them alone.  I already killed enough for now; I did not want to kill more.  I hurdled over a fallen tree with ease.  Nothing could halt my run.  This was the most freedom I had felt in a long time.  Sometimes, I wished that I could stay in my animal form.

There would be no worries but what your next meal would be.  I wouldn’t need to think about what it was to be queen.  I wouldn’t have to worry about living up to the expectations that surrounded me, and I wouldn’t have to worry about hurting others.

That life sounded easy?  But I knew I would get bored with it.  I have had an eventful life so far, and without the major incidents, I would most likely go crazy.

Jumping over another log, something pierced my neck.  My mind clouded as I scanned my surroundings.  Everything blurred together as I tried to make out what had just shot my neck.  Nothing could come into mind as I heard footsteps getting closer.

Maybe it was hunters.  My mind was able to defer.  I shook my head trying to clear it, but nothing worked.  The footsteps came closer before they finally reached in front of me.

“Did you really think you could run from us, Al?” someone asked as my clouded mind drifted into the darkness.