O.N.E. Mateo

~*~...So Many Secrets...~*~ CH 5

~Mark~

"What was that?" Eian asks while watching Angelise closely. He's worried about her, as he should be. It's rare for magical or supernatural beings outside of werewolves to have mates anymore. They exist, but the numbers of mates are dwindling, fertility rates for most are low, and more couples are birthing mundanes. To find a mate who is so young, it almost never happens. It sounds gross and creepy, but there isn't anything sexual about the pull.

'If there was, no one would ever find his body.' Marcus growls out.

'Exactly.' I agree with him completely.

At this point, the older mate is protective and just wants the younger one's happiness and safety. Most don't realize it's a mate bond until the younger one turns eighteen. For these two to realize it this early, there's something very rare and special about them. Something I've been searching for. Something to protect them over. Something that puts them in danger and is a sign of amazing things to come.

"Angelise, sweety, are you okay?" Mrs. Nelinha Chávez, is a rare creature in this world. Caring, loving, and kind to all she meets, but the last person anyone wishes to anger. Her grandparents immigrated to the U.S. in the 1920's, bringing their remaining family, to escape a dangerous group of were-creatures who wanted all supernaturals to be pure. No cross-breeding. The council was corrupt and made it law to hunt and kill mixed breeds and any mates who didn't reject their mate if they were another species. They escaped, and their family has been hidden by mine for over a hundred years now.

They come from a line of cursed creatures. The curse of madness. After their first shift, they would slowly slip into madness and eventually would have to be put down if they didn't end their own lives. The curse has been broken by Nel's grandmother. Her grandfather is a wolf-fox mix. Her grandmother comes from a great line of sorcerers, white witches, and druids. She is one of the greatest healers of our time. They are true mates.

The Goddesses and Gods knew what they were doing when they paired them. The birth of their firstborn during a solar eclipse and a ceremony she won't talk about began to heal his kind. When Nel's mother was 13 years old, fourteen years after the curse had been mostly broken, she formed a group of healers. Together, they created a potion that helped break the madness completely. It has been used to help rogues regain their senses, but most packs don't want to bother with it. They just kill rogues on sight.

One of the cured rogue wolves turned out to be Nel's father, another true mate pairing. Their love created Nel, a nine-tailed white fox. In Japan, she is known as an Inari Kitsune. She has the ability to hide her tails to look like a regular fox. It keeps her from being a target of hunters who value kitsune parts on the black market. In human form, she is 5'6", has waist-length wavy white hair, eyes like the Mediterranean Sea, and deep tan skin.

"I'm okay, I think. Just a little tired. Why is this happening?" Angelise whispers. I feel scared and worried, but it isn't my own. I've never felt this much fear and concern before. There's something off about it.

"Nel, you said this has been going on for a week?"

"Yes, but never like this. I feel something new..." She keeps staring at Eian.

"Angelise, has this ever happened before, sweetie?"

"Not like this, no. Just some dreams. There are other things, though." Her cheeks blush, and her shyness is back. She looks worried as she looks at the members of our gathering.

"Like what? You're safe with us, and we can keep secrets. BIG secrets." I let her know. I start thinking about some of the secrets I hold that only a select few could ever know. She cocks her head to the side a little while looking at me, holds Eian's hand, and takes a deep calming breath before nodding her head.