Fate or Not, You are MINE

Chapter 1

AKADIAN POV

I woke with a start, my body was slick with sweat and my face was wet with tears. It's been four months since my mother passed away and I've been hiding from Were Council and Hunters alike. I sleepily threw my legs over the side of the twin cot that I've been sleeping on since I got the letter, after mom died. The letter was simple and straight to the point, and it was from the Were Council.

We know who you are and WHAT you are and we are coming for you soon. Be ready to die. WC

Obviously it was from the Were Council. I remembered the story my mother told me so many years ago about the color of my panther and the importance of being hidden. So how on earth did the Were Council find me? Mom and I tried so hard to make myself hidden, so how did they find me?

My thoughts drifted back to my mother and the hardships we had suffered through just so no one would know what I was. We had bounced from school to school, state to state, country to country. I've been too Cuba, Spain, Brazil (where my parents met), Germany, Russia, even Antarctica. While living in Antarctica, we agreed it was safe for me to shift because I was white and there was plenty of camouflage, and it was in the middle of nowhere. I never felt so free in the few months we lived there. I was able to get out, stretch my legs that had been cooped up for so many years. It went like this for a few months but like all good things, it comes to an end.

I was out hunting one night, I was about a mile from our makeshift camp and I heard the crunching of ice beneath a boot. I inched closer to observe, and saw humans! They were pulling a polar bear onto the bed of a snow truck. The ice was stained with the blood of the polar bear and I became enraged. I was already in my panther form so I shot out from behind the mini glacier and came face to face with the humans. I was slightly taller than six feet, I growled and hissed and bared my sharp, elongated teeth. They backed up, the smell of fear rolling off their bodies and fear evident in their eyes. They dropped the bear as I advanced at a slow and steady pace, making sure to bare my teeth and hiss at them.

They backed up till they got to their truck and jumped in quickly, I didn't want to hurt them but I had no choice after one of the men got too brave. I was watching the two men backing up to the truck, so I didn't know or even see the other man pull out his gun till it was too late. The man pulled the trigger and the bullet went whizzing through my left ear, I let out a screech and leapt at the man, who was surprised he even shot me. I had no choice in what came next.

I pounced on him as another shot rang out, but this time it missed me by inches. I bit down on his hand that was holding the pistol, blood coating my muzzle and tongue, I made sure not to swallow it. The man's screams filled the icy night air and I bit down harder till he finally dropped the gun. I pushed the gun away with my right paw and slowly got off the man being sure to steadily growl and let the blood drip from my mouth. He quickly ran to the truck and the other two men and jumped in and roared away leaving me, the polar bear and all the blood.

When the adrenaline finally wore off, I felt the fierce pain in my ear, and whimpered. I slowly grabbed the polar bears foot and drug it back to our makeshift camp. The humans did this for coats and scarfs, whereas my mom and I would use everything that the bear offered.

I sat on the cot remembering that tragic day and thought hard about the men that saw me. Could they have told the Were Council? Or at least told other humans about the six foot tall panther? Maybe another shape shifter or were overheard and told?

That was a few years ago when I was at least sixteen. I was young and the rage I felt for the poor defenseless animal overpowered the words that was embedded in my brain. I just had to do something. I couldn't have let them get away with poaching.

I put my head in my hands and took a deep calming breath but quickly stopped when the stench of dirty laundry and old food hit my nostrils. I stayed in a rundown apartment with some stinky human so that I could mask my sent. Even though I haven't shifted in years, because I was the son of an Alpha, my scent stayed strong. This was the only way I knew how to mask my scent in some way.

I looked up and saw the human passed out with a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other, just mainly ashes now. I stood up and made my way through the junk on the floor to the bathroom, after showering and making sure to put my contacts in, because after the day I shifted, my eyes stayed that of the color of my panther. I brushed my teeth, ran my hands through my hair to style it and walked out with my towel on. I went to my makeshift dresser and pulled random clothes out, looking for something suitable for my first day of work. Gotta pay bills somehow.

Finally dressed and ready to go I grabbed my keys and gave one final look to the human and the disgusting apartment and left.

KATIYANA POV

"Ryker, stop please!" I yelled from across the schoolyard.

Running towards the poor defenseless guy that Ryker decided would be his personal punching bag for today. He raised his fist for the next punch, but I quickly stepped in front of the boy and grabbed Ryker's fist before it hit me. I glared at him as the crowd that had gathered gasped and slowly started leaving now that the show was over.

"Ohh come on Kat! I was hurting the boy", he said as he took his fist from my hand. "Right?" he asked the boy behind me, who was cowering, hands placed on my back in defense.

I gave him a sour look. "Ryker how many times do I have to tell you I hate that nickname! My name is fine the way it is. Also, this poor boy did nothing to you and you're out here pummeling him because of what? Maybe he looked at you the wrong way, or accidently bumped you? Grow up Ryker, this is high school and you're the Alpha's son, so start acting like it."

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went to walk away with the boy in tow, when Ryker grabbed my arm and yanked me back to him, so that I collided with his chest. I pushed on his chest in disgust, trying to get away.

"I AM the Alpha's son and you will do good to remember to address me with respect KAT! When we marry you will reap the consequences of not holding your tongue in the presence of the Alpha." He spat and shoved passed me which caused me to stumble backwards into the boy, who kept me upright.

UGGHHHH!!!! Why did our dads have to arrange our marriage??? This is the twenty first century, nobody does that anymore!

But the Seers said that the first born daughter of the Beta will marry the first born son of the Alpha. Stupid Seers! He's not even my mate! How can I supposedly marry this person and he's not my mate? I shifted when I was nine and I haven't been able to shift, since I was sixteen! My mom and dad say I cannot shift anymore in fear of Were Council and hunters finding out about the color of my panther.

My panther is a black panther with a pure white strip from my muzzle to the tip of my tail. Returning back to the real world, I held my hand out to the boy who looked only about fifteen or so. He took it gratefully and I pulled him to the school house.

"You didn't have to step in Miss Katiyana..." he said shyly, looking away from me and pulling his hand free.

"I did have to. That BOY needs to learn that just because he's the Alpha's son that he can't just do whatever he wants. He's nothing special!" I said with venom dripping from every word.

The boy shrank back from the tone of my voice, so I apologize and we went our separate ways to our classes.