THE UNPRECEDENTED PURPOSE

Part 10

Events of the last few days must have caught up with me because I was bursting into sobs one minute, but later, just thinking that my family had come for me would trigger me into another bout. The sobs wouldn't go away and no matter how much I tried to stop them and because of the force in which they came out, I would cling to my brother refusing to let him. It took me a while to realize that brothers pain was only amplified by mine as we were feeding off each other. Embarrassed, I tried to pry him form me but even as I did, it seemed like there was a force that would cause me to grab him again to me. Innately, I understood that it was the loneliness that my soul had felt and my own fear of potentially losing him, however, it was still maddening. So, it was funny that no one understood why I suddenly knocked him unconscious and because of that they seemed afraid to come near me until I had cooled down.

My brother,Aru, broke into laughter immediately we both had stopped sobbing which in turn caused the whole family to start laughing too. In the midst of laughter, we had all huddled closer and closer together that we were seated in a boding circle by the time we had cooled down. I looked around with a smile that refused to go away as everyone seemed to grab the next person to them and was grooming them in one way or another as human. It was hilarious but as big cat shifter, this was just our nature. The safety of family and the bond that had nearly bene broken was forcing the presence of our cats very close to the surface. 

I was sure that the many people within the compound were cowering in fear somewhere has no one was holding back their aura or power. It would take a while before that would cool down. The shifter king, Aru, was in full protection mode and while it was directed at me, you could also feel that there he was holding back the need to almost mask everyone's scent. This was an instinct that often came out as a need to protect theirs by directing the danger only towards himself.

I smiled in happiness seeing him in action. He was okay with his position and more importantly, with fifteen lion shifters around me, it felt like pride. I was overjoyed with the feeling of home. The home I had unknowingly missed so much of it in my anger and naivety. I had missed the coronation of my brother and from the looks of it, it also looked like I had missed the birth of a niece or nephew.

"I found my mate." Aru suddenly said and everyone stopped moving as if they were all caught in a trance.

"When?! You haven't even travelled anywhere." My father the ever impatient one asked.

"She came to the pack..." He said and looked down as of he was ashamed.

I opened my arms and moved to hug him because I could smell how nervous he seemed. My feat was that I had something to do with his behaviour and it pained me.

"Aru..." My voice trembled as he held me close to him.

"Don't start crying again." He warned with a smile. "She didn't reject me yet but I didn't acknowledge the bond also."

"Oh, honey." My mother said in unison with all my sister's as they all came to hug us and we all laughed.

"It's okay. You weren't in a good position. You haven't been for while." One if the triplets chimed causing dad to slap their head. The three had no filter so it was normal.

"It's my fault, I am really sorry." I said while trying to hold back tears.

"No, it's not. She came to the pride because of you."  He said in warning.

"Oh!!"

I looked towards my mother who had moved toy father and looked to be in thought. Her frown told me she was really worried and that caused me to go into alarm state. In turn it caused my brother to think there was danger, which cause everyone to growl in warning. We must have been intimidating because the next thing we heard was a plea to go into the shifter king compound. Apparently we were causing unsolicited wolf shifts in a wide radius around the compound. Reluctantly, we let go of each other and walked to the adjacent compound.

The Lear Sanctuary was built by the first shifter king, a mage married to the pride and one of the initiator of the formation of the Shifter Council. That was more than a millennium ago. The magic of the sanctuary allowed for the lion shifters to be s free as we wanted without affecting anyone outside the compound. The imbued magic made the environment not only protective but also enhancing. We could all feel the flow of magic and the boost in strength that it provided.

We were all blood of blood and magic always seem attracted to the casters relations. It is the main reason why most mages left home at an early age of twelve. It prevented taboo bonds and incest which in themselves are acts that could weaken the magic of a coven. Those who left would only be allowed back home after they have found their mate. Luckily, most didn't find mates within their own community but with other shifters. As a result, except for our pride which had not seen a mage mates to them in close to a millennium, every clan and tribe had at least a dozen mages in their ranks. Because of this, mages were considered to be mediators and the bridging race to garner an alliance.

The hum in the air to me felt like a coat that I had bite worn in a long time. The warmth of it surrounding me was something nostalgic and it reminded me if my birth mother. A woman I had very little contact with. It was such a strange feeling that I refused to let go of one of my sisters hand.

Thanks for reading