Shifters

Chapter 39

The morning, with its bright colors and singing birds, brought no happiness to the heirs. They trudged through the forest quietly, hand in hand. The night before was hot in their thoughts, but neither one spoke of it.

Kayla watched their feet press into the soft soil as they hiked up the mountain. The way Damian had looked at her last night was imprinted in her memory. She had wanted a kiss so dearly, but he only leaned his forehead against their embraced hands, closing his eyes as if in pain, and a kiss never came. He knew the harshness waiting when the sun rose, and he feared tasting Kayla once, only to be tortured with never getting close enough to even breathe her scent again. After she'd fallen asleep he'd been tempted to wake her up and complete the deed to make her his, forever. But he didn't. He knew that would only complicate things, regardless of what they did, their families would still separate them, ripping them down the middle if need be. The full moon was tonight, so the annulment would be performed then.

He needed to deal with Kevin, and Bermuda needed to be saved. The only way for peace to ever come between their packs would have to be eased into when they reached Alphahood. By then, Kayla would be married to another and have an heir, he would too. He hoped they could stay friends, but he knew they wouldn't, not with everything that's happened. Even after years have gone by, he'll never be able to tolerate seeing her with some other male as her mate. They'll be civil, for the sake of promoting peacefulness, but they'd be in great pain.

There was more to getting a mate than marriage and sex, though those were immensely important for the process. Through marriage, two lobains promised to stay legally bound for life, with the pack as witness, and through sex they were joined spiritually, and emotionally, for life. Their scent would merge to become one, not even death could separate that union, witnessed by Bermuda herself. There were ceremonies, beneath a full moon, that could expel such a tightly wound bondage, but it can never fully be undone.

However, before the marriage, and before the intercourse, there was a much deeper connection to be met. Kayla and Damian have heard tales that Bermuda has the perfect soul mate set for each lobain, all it takes is to find him or her.  It's said that when the right when one is found, it is just known it's The One, they say something connects when locking eyes, and that the heart expands in a new way. An obsession of some sort may enter, but most of all, any previous crush disintegrates.

For a long time, Kayla thought those myths were just meant to keep teenagers from making stupid decisions with their newfound sexuality. But at one time, she hadn't believed hunters were real, too. Something in the instincts she had pushed away for so long, told her that being at Damian's side was right. But since a very young age she'd been shoving her instincts aside for other things, while Damian had always had a good trust in his instincts. When he'd first seen her on the playground, his first thought was to get close to her, to play with her as cubs do. But she, confused with what her parents had drilled into her and what her heart told her to do, stared back mutely, and it was Raul who helped her decide, being so protective of her.

"It smells like smoke." Kayla said, bothered by the thickness of the air. Damian had stopped walking, looking at the trees and noting the silence in this part of the forest.

It was midday, and though it was getting hotter by the minute, the haziness and fiery smell were very out of place. His grip tightened on her. He glanced at her, taking in the beauty of her that fine morning, and the way her slender hand felt inside his. She looked back and managed a small smile, despite everything.

"We should keep moving." He stated. "We're almost home."

"I want you to know that I'm going to make sure my parents and the rest of the pack have the truth about what really happened."