Under the moonlight with a shifter

Thirteen

Petunia had taken a flight to Brazil the next day after she had broken the news to her parents that she was leaving. Her mom was filled with worry and her father understood but he didn't agree with her. Instead he gave her a necklace that looked like it had a amethyst pendant and said, "It has been enchanted to block your presence from others." He gave her a kiss on the cheek and her mom wanted oh so much to go with her. Her parents couldn't leave their human jobs and they knew that Petunia, when she had a thought in her mind it was made up and she had a strong will.

She felt the necklace again and felt the strong pull and knew it was working. She was planning on going back to the visitor's center to see if by the odd chance that Uriah was working. If he was then she had him trapped and if he wasn't, she would ask around to see if she could find him somehow.

When the familiar building came into view, her heart leapt into her throat and memories came flooding back. It felt so long ago when she had come on her trip and when they had unknowingly stumbled into each. Who would have known that at that place and time they were somehow destined to meet.

Entering the center, she waited around to see if he would magically appear but nothing. Finally, she went to the front desk and asked if there was a tour already in session and the woman smiled at her as she informed her that the next tour was to start in an hour. Just her luck, she might see him after all.

Not much longer and they were called into place as the introductions were held and to her dismay, their local guide, was not the man that she was looking for. Instead, he was another local and Petunia felt disappointed as she went through a tour that held nothing for her. When they were getting ready to leave, the man had walked straight to her as he said, "You're Uriah's mate, no?"

Petunia's eyes flashed to him quickly as she said, "Do you know him?" Not trying to give too much away just in case Uriah really was trying to keep her away.
"Same clansmen. We were wondering when you were going to show. It was odd that he mated and showed up without his mate but I'm sure you want to meet the tribe soon." He went on as they walked the forest together. She nodded at him hoping that he would take her to him and he smiled as she thanked him. "Are you..." He made a weird sniffing motion as he said, "Human? I don't get a read on what you are."

She nodded her head at him wondering what it was that he meant and she figured it was the shifter in him trying to distinguish what Source species she was. He smiled again as he said, "Yeah, this generation of mates are human and I'm wondering why. I'm wonder if the Source is skipping generations or something. Not too uncommon." He said and Petunia agreed with him not quite understanding what he was saying but still not trying to give her self away. She just agreed with him about most things until he could take her to Uriah.

A few hours later, they were traversing through the jungle until they made their way to what seemed like a village. She wouldn't have guessed that with the day and age they lived in that the pack of shifters still lived in a tribe. But oddly enough it still made sense.

She felt her stomach churn and she would be lying if she admit that she wasn't nervous. She felt him in his tribe and the others watched them as they walked towards a hut. An older woman with dark hair and a sliver of silver watched them as they moved closer and a blank smile crossed her face. "She was searching for her mate." He said as he moved away and the woman motioned for Petunia to enter her hut.

"I'm looking for Uriah, is he here?" She asked as they sat down and the woman offered her a drink. She sat down across from her and smiled once more. "He is not here." She told her and Petunia shook her head. "Right now or..." She asked not sure if she was purposely hiding his whereabouts.

There was a hint of something in the older woman's eyes as she said, "He has fled the country with his brother." She didn't say anything much more and Petunia wasn't sure if she wanted to curse or wish that she did have powers so that she could hurt him. "Did he know I was coming?" She asked more to herself than to the other woman and she shook her head at her. "It has nothing to do with you. He went with his brother to seek council with the coven." 

"Coven?" Petunia asked and she nodded her head as she explained the situation to her. It seem that it was a trend that a lot of the shifters were getting stonewalled when it came to their mates. She felt bad for them but it still didn't excuse the fact that Uriah had left her. With no word or means of contacting him.

"Do not worry child, you shall cross paths again very soon." The older woman said and Petunia gave her a discerning look. "I see things." She explained to her who was still incredulous. The world of the Source Beings was unfamiliar territory to her and she wasn't sure if she should take the other woman's words to heart. All she knew was that she had just missed Uriah and she wasn't even sure where a coven of witches would reside. "Do you know where it is that this coven is located?" Petunia asked and the woman smiled. "Louisiana." 

***

Uriah had a chill down his spine as they both had walked the french quarter and he knew that he was close to where his mate resided. They were visiting shop after shop trying to find the coven and instead they found the fakes and those trying to sell whatever it was to the tourists. He had no magical reading on them but he knew that the city was high in spiritual energy. He could feel it like he had an enemy tailing him. 

As soon as they could get out of Louisiana, the sooner he could feel that he wasn't going to get stabbed in the back and the longer they stayed there, he was sure he might end up dead. If it wasn't a pissed off mate, he was sure it would be unhappy Witches that saw him as a trespasser.