The Hideous Secret

Without A Mate

Aleksandar woke up to a silent fury burning in his heart. He studied his stomach and ground his teeth. His mate had left him, over a mission that was his. How incompetent was he! He should never have sprung the want to settle down on her.

Hawlor sat up beside him and ran a hand through his shaggy pitch-white hair. "Morning, master."

Aleksandar swung his legs of the side of his mate's bed. Her bed, her bed that he was sleeping in, because he had surrendered to sleeping on the couch!

With a groan he arched his back and stretched his muscles. Pregnant or not he needed to go for a run and battle train. It was the only way he wouldn't exhaust his magic by blowing up the damn house.

"Hawlor, let's go."

"To where master?"

"You and I, we are running." Hawlor scowled but climbed to his feet. He scratched behind his ear and shook his unruly mop of hair.

"Alright master. I am feeling better with the current moon. You sure you should be running? You are going to have quiet the few pups, I mean, children? Babies? Little tots?"

"Yes Hawlor I will be fine."

"Do you think that Tetra woman would join us?"

"I hope the hell not. I fear if she does I will break her nose slamming my fist into it. She just let my mate walk out!"

"Master, this is no one's fault and you mustn't be angry."

"Shut up, Hawlor." So the wolf did so as his master stretched, changed his cloths, and then strode out the door. He himself shifted into beast form and followed happily. With his tail fluffed and wagging, ears drooping, and eyes wide he almost passed for a friendly dog--minus his huge size.

In about ten minutes from the village, Aleksandar leaned against the tree with a heavy breath. "Dammit I am out of shape."

Hawlor sat down and shifted into the between stage. Where he was half wolf half man. "Master, you are pregnant. You are not out of shape. Besides you hear me panting as well. You were jogging pretty quick swollen stomach or not."

His master rolled his golden eyes. "How about a hunt? The villagers don't seem to eat deer a lot."

"Master you are not in the shape for taking down...." But Alek already had a black bow of magic drawn, so Hawlor shifted into full wolf form, and began scenting the air. With a quiet whine he lead the way into thickets. He could smell a boat load of deer and something...something that his master would enjoy taking down or at least looking at the tracks of. A werebear.

**************

"D-d-daughter!" Allahie sputtered, "You! You are my mother!"

"Yes." Analexa murmured toying with a loose strand of Allahie's hair. "You have grown up wonderfully. And you are mated and happy. I could not be more proud. Especially because you would do such a heroic deed for your mate--as stupid as it is."

"Rathgar is my father."

"Blind idiot he is. He knows there is a connection between you and him but he just...he can't catch on and place it. Ever wonder why you have such a way with him? Mouthing off and fighting with him about raising your babes day one, instead of letting the natural warrior order occur, caused probably beheading to anyone...but you...he listened. He wouldn't even listen to me."

"Why did you leave him?"

"Because we are to opposite. You heard of all that happened. He would compromise but not in the way I wanted. Not in the ways that I broke for him."

"Why didn't you let him know of me?"

"Because I was so early on that I didn't know of you. My scent only changed days later. By then I was far gone. I knew if he knew, he would force me home. Force me to finally become that prim and proper queen. And I knew that I would break to that for you. Becoming part of the light kingdom...that was never my plan. I was going to return home when I was further along. As a surprise...." Analexa paused and met Allahie's gaze---she had her mother's eyes. "I instead was captured. I was going to let Dunniver kill me...but he...he could smell the fact I was with child. He hung it over Rath's head, all the threats and the torments."

Allahie was deadly still, "So you faked it. You lied and rejected your mate, for my safety and for Rath's. Because you knew that Dunniver torturing you was the worst possible thing that could happen to Rath."

"Upon rejecting Rath...seeing him crash, and burn, and fight, Dunniver...he let me walk. He knew he had weakened his enemy. He let me walk long enough for me to have and hide you. Then I've been his soldier since. Knowing you both are safe was the only thing that mattered--even if you hated me."

"So my real enemy is, Dunniver."

"Yes."

"Why didn't you go back to my father? Why can't you make him see?" Allahie questioned. All the missing details were there. How their hate happened.

"Because....because it's not what mates are suppose to do. Once you reject them you can't undo. Besides Rath...Rath may love me because I'm his mate, but he would still love to kill me and tear me apart. I destroyed him, Allahie, I ruined him from the inside out. I left him, I left him with you. All when he was thinking it was a new beginning."

Allahie shuddered at her phrase, "Oh my god! Alek! I left him alone! He said the same thing to me before I abandon him! Please! Please let me go!"

Her mother's green eyes widened and she stepped back. "My child...may I join you? I want...I want to know you. I want to meet your mate, better."

Allahie messed up her face. She wanted to know her parents for years. Now she had the chance. "Y-yes. B-but...father, I'm on a limited window to capture you."

"He knows I won't hurt you---I believe he sent you because he caught on...after all to anyone else this is a death wish. My daughter, when I meet your mate, I will walk back willingly into his clutches. Send word that you convinced me...even though his defense sucks, and his guards are so scared they are forced into treating me like a royal...anywho...maybe we can mend things." The once terrifying Analexa smiled softly and held out her scarred hand, "Together my child?"

Allahie nodded, "Alright." After shaking her mother's hand--truly feeling their bond for the first time--she fell to the ground with a choked gasp.

Alek. Alek was in trouble. Werebear.