The Mating Cult

Chapter 9

Although, I must say if we were late we were definately early now. We picked up enough time speeding to god knows where. Cole is just lucky he had the top up, because if he had forced me to get dressed up and looking nice only to ruin my hair with his crazy driving I would be mad.

"Come on princess. I can't wait to show you off to everyone." Cole said helping me from the car and planting a kiss on my cheek.

We walked hand in hand toward the crowds of people that had arrived before us. Most I had never seen before and assumed they were from the other tribes. I caught a glance of Nicole and Jackson as Cole neared the center of the circle and took Jackson's place.

"Remember, don't scream." Nicole whispered as she walked by.

"Nicole!" Jackson reprimanded her for a moment, then pulled her close, all of his anger gone at the second of seeing her face.

"That's so cute."

"That will be us one day." Cole promised as two giant wolves stepped foreward from the crowd.

"Cole... Cole! Turn around!" I yelled in a whisper. He simply chuckled and took my hand as a signal for me to relax.

"Remember, Nicole told you not to scream. It insults people sweetheart."

I held my tongue as the wolves stepped closer and nodded their giant furry heads in acknowledgement. They turned and walked away and the crowd around us broke up.

"What just happened?"

"They made their dominance known and will know join us as their human forms." Cole explained as two males, about his age came up to us. "Be sure to socialize sweethear, but not too much." He said with a mischievious smile on his lips as he kissed me.

"So this is your mate. It's love you to meet you Natalie. My name is Liam, I am the leader of the northern tribe."

"You're lovely Natalie. I'm Andrew, I lead the middle tribe. We live near the wildlife sanctuary." He said giving me a kiss on my hand.

"Nice to meet you both, I come from Virginia."

"And you plan to stay here with your mate?" Laim asked curiously.

"I'm not sure yet."

"She won't let her believe that I am her mate. She will soon and we'll see what happens then. I'm sure she will stay with me." Cole said holding me closer, letting the butterflies from when I first meet him to return.

I wrapped my arms around his torso, surprising him since I had yet to touch him. While he would kiss and touch me all the time, he would just give me time to react how ever. Although, he was right, he was growing on me and I liked having him around.

"I think you are right, Cole. Good luck, I would like to see if I can find my mate while the night is young." Liam said disappearing into the crowd.

"Would you like to take a walk?" I heard a voice ask behind us.

I saw a pretty girl standing behind us, she reminded me of Abigal in a way. A sigh escaped my lips at that thought, causing Cole to hug me tighter.

"I'm sorry, it seems my mate would prefer me not to leave her today. Thank you for your offer though." Cole said politely.

"She hasn't marked you, and you have not marked her. If you didn't wish to walk with me you didn't need to lie!" The girl said in a huff and turned on her heel and walked away.

"She was asking you!" I asked shocked, although I wasn't sure why. Cole was handsome I'm sure he'd have no problem getting that girl, or any girl that didn't feel as conflicted as I did. "You can't walk with her." I demanded, surprising even myself.

"Are you getting protective of me little one?"

"No, I'm just surprised you turned her down is all. I have an odd feeling about her, so don't walk with her." I said, hugging Cole a little tighter wishing I had some way of deciding what to do.

"I won't walk with her if that is what you wish, but I must talk with others from the different tribes. I would like you to socalize, and meet those in our culture. Just come back to me please, I don't want anyone taking you a away from me." He said with a soft sad smile at the thought of someone trying to take me away from him.

I felt my heart melt slightly, I had never heard something so sweet in all my life. "I will and then we can talk later tonight. I am willing to see if I am truely your mate." I said with a smile.

Cole's face flashed shock, then happiness. He blinked rapidly as if to process what I had said and then he just kissed me. "I will wrap this up as fast as possible and then I'll come find you and take you to our home."

I watched as Cole ran to find whoever he had to talk to as fast as possible. I gigled lightly at his antics and reaction to what I said, I couldn't believe any guy would be that excited over a girl they barely knew.

"Sometimes you just know I guess." I heard Andrew say.

"That's what I'm learning." I answered as I watched Cole's shape disappear into the throng of people.

"Would you like to take a walk with me?"

"I'm not sure, I wouldn't like it if Cole did that."

"He wanted you to socialze, it's just a walk." Andrew said, walking with me toward the lake to look at the moon and stars. We talked about the tribes for a while, the war had been over territory. Appearently that's how it was decided how powerful each tribe was and who was truely in charge. Andrew's tribe wanted to take power, but lost the fight.

Mates died and now people are misarble. All they want to do is bring a fair peace to the tribes and live in harmony. If the power was fair then the mating cycle could continue without one tribe being in power. It needed to change, but there was only one way to do that mutual agreement.

It seemed like a good idea to me, but the politics of it all made no sense to me. Andrew clearly saw that and changed the topic to Cole. He accidently let an insult slip and I almost bit his head off for it. Anger just surged through me, that I couldn't help it.

"You're protective too."

"I guess you could say that." I said, turning and going back to the crowd. I started looking at where Cole had disaapeared a few hours earlier, but at this time he could be anywhere.

"And you seem to have a special connection with him, a strong pull to be with him or near him."

"Yeah, ever since I first saw him."

"Love at first sight, he is such a lucky man." Andrew said taking my shoulder in his hand and leading me through the crowd of people. I thought he was helping me look for Cole, but I was mistaken. "Because I feel an over whelming urge to steal you from him, but none of the other connectors."

"What did you say?" I heard Cole growl from behind me.

Well, that's not going to ease tensions. Now what have I done?