Then the vision was gone. Akash and Kai were in front of me whining in anxiety. ‘I said are you okay? Can you hear me, Aurora?’ Kai asked.
‘Maybe she’s having a seizure. I read about staring seizures once,’ Akash added.
I shook my head to clear it. ‘Not a seizure, a vision.’ I walked over to Kai to reassure his wolf I was okay. I licked his muzzle and then replayed my vision for him in my thoughts. His wolf’s eyes glowed and his muzzle opened. He was panting.
‘I know what you are. There are stories about your kind,’ he said.
‘My kind,’ I thought.
‘You’re a Matefinder. The most sought after, the most…hunted.’ At this, his wolf tipped his head back and howled. My fur rose up and my ears were stiff.
The other wolves ran to him to see what was wrong. ‘Alpha, Alpha.’ I could hear their concern. Jake brushed my shoulder as he passed me and it happened again! I no longer saw the pack in front of me. I was pulled into a vision. I saw Jake, then I was shown a hospital sign. ‘Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Scottsdale, AZ.’ Then the room #314 flashed in my mind. It was like I was walking into the room, lying upon the bed was a frail, skinny female. She was sleeping.
A nurse walked in with a doctor and they whispered. “Her white blood cell count is not good. She will be dead in two days. Call the family,” he told the nurse. The nurse frowned. “She doesn’t have family. I’ll call a priest.” She was Jake’s mate. I didn’t know how I knew it; it was just there in my mind, a knowing. Then I flashed to months later. There was snow on the ground. Jake and the girl from the hospital were having a mating ceremony, and Emma was sitting in the front row, her belly swollen with pregnancy.
The pack came into focus in front of me, Kai was in human form now, shaking me. I tried to send him the images of my vision but then I hit a black wall. I blacked out.
I became aware of breathing on my face. I cracked open my eyes to see a human Kai inches from my face, his eyes glowing yellow.
"Jesus!" I shrieked. "You scared me." My throat felt dry. I felt weak. Kai didn’t move but he sighed in relief, breathing on me. "You scared me, too. I couldn't get brother wolf to calm down." He backed up and I could see his eyes fading back to brown.
"I'm fine. I just… when did I change back to human?" I looked down at my body. Someone had clothed me. I blushed.
"A little while ago. You passed out. After you… discovered your gift."
I sighed. My gift. "Did you tell them? The pack.”
"They picked up on your thoughts. When we are in wolf form we can communicate with the pack. It makes us better hunters. Instead of communicating with just me, you sent it to the whole pack. I have to teach you to close your mind. Sadie and Jake are waiting outside the room. They’re grinning ear to ear. If it’s true, Aurora, if you can find mates…" He cleared his throat, eyes gleaming yellow again. “…well that makes you very valuable to other wolves, to all wolves. You could be in danger."
I placed my hand on his. The touch seemed to reassure him and to be honest, my body ached to touch him.
He went on. “Our race has been slowly dying out. Not many can survive the change and children can only be born to mates. Finding our mates has become harder and harder. Take you and me, for example. If I hadn't saved you from that accident, you would have died a human and I never would have known. I would have lived out my life alone, with no family." His voice became a whisper just them. He lowered his head, and for one brief second he looked like a small child. I sat up slowly and wrapped my legs around him.
"About this mate thing," I began. His face went slack; the Mount Hood Alpha looked nervous. He placed his hands possessively around my waist keeping me close to him. I instinctively placed my hands around his large, tan biceps.
"When we're in wolf form, I feel like your mate. But as humans, I need us to start slow," I told him.
"Slow?”
Clearly he didn't understand the concept. I brushed my fingers through his thick hair, unable to keep myself from touching him.
"Slow. Like when we're human. You’re my boyfriend. I'm not ready to jump into some mating ceremony and have kids next month. Okay?"
His laugh was deep and distinctive; it made me want to hear it over and over again. "Boyfriend. Okay. I can do that." He kissed me chastely. "…for now." His eyes scanned my body and my skin heated at his meaning. I let go of my hold on him and detangled my legs, clearing my throat. He grinned, flashing his bright white canines.
“I’m the luckiest man alive,” he said, kissing my forehead and standing up. I sat there frozen, not prepared for the comment he had just made. He held out his hand, pulling me into a standing position. “You’re not used to being treated right, are you?” he asked, looking deep into my eyes. My breath began to come out in ragged gasps. This was intense. Yet, something inside me assured me he could be trusted with anything. He was my mate. Mine. Made for me.
“No, I’m not,” I told him, breaking his intense stare. “The only experience I have with men is if they are raising their fist to me or walking out the door never to return.” My lip quivered at the admission but I wouldn’t cry. He needed to know but he also needed to know I was strong. I had been through a lot and it took more than some hot Indian guy kissing my forehead to make me become whipped. I wouldn’t be beneath him. I was his equal or there would be nothing.