The Half Mutt Mate

Chapter III

I shook my head. I wasn't ready to tell Ella or Kayden what happened, at least not then. It had all happened so fast -- I'd gone from a human Luna to-be to a mutt on the run. I found a pack and then lost it, like I lost so much that day. I'd lost my father, then my mate, Thomas, and Jamie... well, I wasn't ready to confront what happened to Jamie.

I was shaking with unshed tears, trying to hold it all in. Ella noticed the silence and shuffled over to lean her head against mine. Kayden followed suit and soon I was held tight between them, taking deep, shaky breaths.

"Are you okay?" Ella asked softly.

"I'm... I'm fine... I'm just not ready to talk about it yet," I said.

Ella nodded and we sat in silent for a moment.

"Where's Thomas?" she turned her face to look at me.

I felt my lip tremble as the pain hit me. It felt like an old wound, a deep gash across my chest, was trying to rip itself. Who knew that cutting the mate bond would hurt so much? I didn't even always like him, but losing Thomas felt like losing a part of me. It was as though someone had torn off a limb and left me to bleed out. There was a burning across my chest, a terrible, dull ache. I had lost a brother in Thomas, a mentor. I had lost the future I was promised all my life.

"He's gone," I said. I could say no more.

Ella seemed to understand and nothing more was said. The sun was high in the sky when I realised they had both fallen asleep, Ella with a little snore and Kayden with tear track sliding down his cheek. I smiled sadly at them both, my friends -- my wonderful, kind, understanding friends. It seemed impossible that I would find them again, and yet there I was. I checked one last time for anyone who might be near and, when I could see that the coast was clear, I lent back against the tree and fell asleep.

*********

When I woke up that evening I was stiff all over and my neck hurt. I rubbed my eyes and stretched as I stood up, trying not jostle Kayden or Ella, who were both still asleep. Behind me the sun was setting, but there was still a good hour or two of sunlight fro us to find a bit of food and make a plan for where we went next.

I grabbed my bag and looked back at my two sleeping friends. If I started walking then, they wouldn't have caught me. I would be miles away by the time they woke up. Without me there, without the people who were most definitely be tracking me, they might be safe. They might have reached the East, or wherever it was they were going. They might have found Kayden's family. I stood there, thinking, for a long time, wondering if I should leave them.

Kayden shuffled to the side, his hair flopping over his eyes. I could remember when we were ten and we had a sleepover at his house -- we tried to die his hair blonde with his older sister's hair dye, but Jamie reminded us how mad Kayden's mom and sister would have been. I sighed. What would Jamie do? He would have looked after his friends. He would have made sure they were safe.

I set my bag back down and knelt down next to Kayden. I shook his shoulders gently to wake him up and then I lent over to Ella and did the same. They stared blearily at me, Ella looking very annoyed, and sat up.

"Wake up, sleepy heads," I said with a little smile. I stood back up and slung my bag back round my shoulder. "We need to keep moving."

Ella mumbled her agreement while Kayden, ever the optimist, smiled brightly at me. "So you're coming with us, to find my family?"

I thought for a moment before I answered him. "Well, I was going East anyway. I know there's something important up there, but I'm not really sure what I'm looking for. I guess I'll be travelling with you two for a while at least -- if that's okay with you?"

Kayden nodded eagerly. "Of course it is! I've missed you so much!" He barreled into me for a hug, making it the second time I'd been nearly strangled by a hug in the last twelve hours.

Ella, who was still grumpy at being woken up, didn't say anything, but she smiled a little as she was rummaging through her bag. "I've got a compass," she said after a minute, holding it up. "We don't have a map, but we've been following the compass and heading for the mountains. We know the Eastern Camp is somewhere beyond there."

She fished an apple out of her rucksack with one hand and took the pocket knife hanging from her waist in another. With two quick, strong motions she cut the apple in three and held the pieces out to each of them, keeping her piece on the end of the knife as she bit into it.

"Thanks," I said, surprised. I didn't remember her being that good with a knife.

The apple was sweet, a welcome bit of food in my near empty stomach. I felt the sugary juice flood my mouth as I ate it and closed my eyes to appreciate it more. I really did not get to eat enough.

"Come on," Kayden said through a mouthful of apple. How he was so upbeat about the situation I did not know, but he had always been an optimist. Kayden stood up and marched ahead, not even needing the compass as he walked towards the mountains. With a sigh I followed him, gesturing to Ella to hurry up.

I couldn't believe, after months of being alone, that I had finally found them. After so much time spent in near silence, after so much loneliness, I finally had my two best friends back. If only I had Jamie, too.