Flight of a Thousand Gold Feathers

Of Monsters and Mates

I woke up to bright white light and a soft beeping sound.

"Cam? Cam? Can you hear me?"
Mom?
"Oh James he's waking up?" I blinked at the light until my eyes adjusted.

"Mom?" My voice was hoarse. I turned my head and I could see her concerned face leaning over me.

"Hey honey. Do you need something to drink?" I nodded and she handed me a styrofoam cup with cold water and held it to my lips. I hadn't realized my left arm was in a cast. After I finished drinking my mom set the cup down and kissed my forehead and left the room. My father replaced her and sat in the seat next to the bed.

"How you doin' son?"
"Hurts." I rasped.
"Alright I'll call the doctors in, in a minute. Do you remember anything?" I closed my eyes and tried to remember. Gray skin. Talons. Teeth. Wings. Pain. Gold. Mate. My eyes shot open.

"There were these things. Gray skin, huge bat wings and talons. Ugliest things I've ever seen," my fathers eyes widened slightly before he went back to his previous expression. I got a little suspicious.

"You know what they were." It came out as an accusation. He sighed looking away for a moment before turning back.

"Gargoyles. They were gargoyles."
"I thought they were myths!"
"I did too, but they're the only things that match that description." We sat in silence for a minute before I spoke.

"Why were they here?" He looked up surprised at the question.
"I don't know, but they would explain the sudden dip in rouges. We got lucky with you that you were found." He smiled gratefully before his expression turned to curiosity.
"How did you make it into pack territory?" I felt my heart speed up at the question. I'd found my mate and they'd saved me. I debated telling him when I had so little information. But they clearly lived in pack territory so he could help me find them.

"My mate." I answered.
"Your what?"
"My mate. They saved me." I'd never seen my father so surprised.
"Oh what's their name?"
I sighed,"I have no idea. I was only conscious enough to determine they were my mate." He nodded understandingly.
"Do you know what their shift was?" He questioned further.
"No I only saw gold. They had wings and talons, I didn't see them but I felt them. And they had to be pretty big, they carried me and flew me into pack territory."
"I can't think of any shifters that match that description, but I'll check the records." I nodded but inside I felt disappointed. My father must of sensed my disappointment and gave me a pat on the shoulder and an encouraging smile.
"Don't worry son. They'll pop up soon enough. I've never heard of mates staying away from each other for long." I gave him an appreciative smile and he walked out. I was desperate to find my mate.

Sauda's POV

I was stupid, I was so stupid. But I couldn't help myself. I didn't think a bond had formed with the short amount of time we'd spent together but I couldn't block the sound of his cries for help. I checked on Kito, making sure he was asleep before running out to the forest and shifting. I would have felt relief in finally being able to shift again but I was far too concerned for my mate.

I followed his voice until I found him injured and surrounded by gargoyles. I was filled with anger and immediately went on the attack. I swiped a claw at the soft underbelly of the large one spilling it's guts. I kicked another with my back foot and it crashed into tree. I pounced on the last, clamping it down with my claws and ripping out its throat.

After I'd calmed I carefully stalked over to my mate and nudged him. He whimpered pitifully but didn't move. He was clearly injured and no one in the pack was close by. Flapping my wings I lifted my body into the air and gathered my mate into my talons. I was desperately trying to hold onto the mental tether we had. The last thing I heard from him was the one word that both excited and terrified me. Mate.

I flew him as close to the border of the pack lands as possible and lowered him gently to the ground. I could smell some of pack members nearing the border. I nuzzled him before taking off.

I wish I could say I regretted it, but I didn't. Not for one second. But I now he knew I was his mate. Or at least, whoever saved him was. As long as I wore the soap he wouldn't know. But being in such close proximity to him was shaking my resolve more than I was comfortable with. I didn't know if I could distance myself from him after our project was done.

Cameron's POV

I was so bored. I wasn't allowed to leave my hospital bed and even though I had faster healing than a humans I was still bed ridden for the next two weeks. While I flipped through the channels on boring human T.V. there was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" I yelled. Sauda's head popped through the door and I couldn't help the smile that broke out.

"Hey," I greeted.

"Hey," she called back walking in. She had her backpack with her and a thermos in her hand. She sat down in a chair next to my bed.

"I heard what happened. Are you okay?" She asked clearly concerned.

"I'm fine. Bored until you came." She smiled brilliantly and my heart swelled. Stop it idiot you have a mate. But watching her laugh and smile I can't help but fall in love.

"Well fortunately for you I intend to stay a while," she said while reaching into her backpack and pulling out some books.

"Oh come on," I whined.

"Now, now. No need to complain. At least you won't have to do all this work by yourself when you get back to school."

I chuckled. "I suppose studying with such lovely company isn't so bad." She looked embarrassed at my compliment and my smile grew.

"Well, um, we should pro-probably start studying," she stuttered opening a textbook.

"Oh I almost forgot," she handed the thermos to me," this is for you. It will help you heal." I opened the thermos and sniffed it. It had a sweet smell and was a purplish-red color.

"What exactly is this?" I asked suspiciously.

"Grandmas secret recipe," she responded with a secretive smirk. I laughed and sipped a little of the drink.

"Wow. I think I need grandmas secret recipe."

"Just drink it up," spoke giggling," I want you healed up as soon as possible. It's lonely without you." She seemed to realize what she just said and looked away embarrassed again.

"I promise to heal as quickly as possible." 

"Let's just get some work done." She still wouldn't look me in the eye. We spent the next few hours studying and talking. I have to say, I've never been happier to have been attacked by gargoyles.