by J. B. Garcia
“Niki you need to know this. We are bonded.” He had said something about that earlier today on the shore before my I realized that my life has been hidden from me for so many years. I totally forgot about it. “What does that mean Travis?” He sits back further onto the sand and runs his fingers through his hair. I can tell that this is a conversation that he really doesn’t want to have. “Well it means that we are bonded together for life. In the human species they call them soul mates. We are meant to be together and we will love each other forever. There is no getting away from it. Death is the only way to stop it.” Now realizing that this feeling I have had for him is a “bond” I don’t know if I want it anymore. I thought that this was something real and special but instead it’s not. “So why did you ask me if I loved you if we are already bonded.” I can feel tears begin to well up in my eyes and I blink them away.
“Because Niki I wanted to hear you say that you loved me without knowing that we were bonded.” I can see his point but I still don’t want this. I want to be on my own like I originally planned. My whole world has been changed in a matter of hours. “You know the mark that you have on the back of your neck.” I look up at him wondering what else there could be to tell about it. “The thrown means that you are going to rule over the race. Renee gave you that mark. It’s the only proof that you need to take over. But the two werewolves that are rearing up facing each other on either side of the thrown are you and I. You only get them when you have bonded. I have them also now but I don’t have the thrown because I was not chosen to rule. Unless we were married then I would get the same one.” I clap my hands together and throw them in the air. “Well that isn’t going to happen. We are not going to be married and we are not going to be bonded.” He grabs my shoulders and pulls me to his face. “Why are you fighting this Niki there is no getting away from your destiny. This is what you were born for. My mother told your parents while your mother was pregnant with that someone would be coming for you and she didn’t want to listen to her. She decided that she could protect you from this. She cannot protect you from this anymore, only I can. I love you Niki please don’t shut me out.” Anger pulses through every part of my soul and I rip my shoulders out of his grip. “How dare you tell me what I am going to be and who I am going to love.” I slap him hard across the face. “You’re not going to tell me how my life is going to go. No one is. If I don’t want to be bonded with you I don’t have to! What do you mean that your mother knew about this, is she a Mystic also?” He stands up anger is pulsing through his body and I can feel his emotions run through me like a train speeding down the tracks. Heat is pulsing from his body as the red hand print begins to fade away from his face. “Niki my mother is a Mystic by birth and a werewolf, but not by choice. She was bite during her awakening on her 18th birthday. My father is just a werewolf. He bonded with her and then they had me.”
“Why wasn’t she chosen to rule if she is half and half? Why does it have to be me?” he looks into my eyes with utter disappointment. I doesn’t understand why someone would want to throw away the gift I have been given. “Renee chose you. My mother was not accepted into the Royal Court when she was awakened. Something happened and she was not a loud to join the court. I don’t know what it was, she won’t talk about it. You have to accept what the Queen has chosen you for because there is no going back and her word is final.” All he wants is to help me. He turns his back to me and looks out over the glass like lake. The moon is casting its creamy light down onto us and I realize that there is no fighting this. I love this man and he is the only one that I want in my life. I stand from the cold sand brushing it off my shirt and pants. Slowly I take one step at a time until my chest is against his back and his scent envelopes me. I can feel his breathing sharpen as he feels my touch him. Slowly I take both hands and place them on his waist and run them under his shirt. He lets out a seductive grown. I wrap both my arms around him and put my head on his back. “Im sorry Travis.” He turns his body and looks down into my eyes and presses a gentle kiss on my lips. “Please don’t push me away Niki. I love you and I am here to protect you. I didn’t know that this was going to happen I swear. I didn’t expect it to. But I am glad it is. You’re the most beautiful woman that I have ever seen and I want to spend of the rest of my life with you” How can I say no to this man? I finally let go. I let my feelings take over. Passion surges through me and I can no longer hide or contain my desire for him. I grab the back of his hair and pull is forcefully down to my face. Kissing him hard I let out a grown of pleasure. “NIki don’t make that noise, you’re making it hard to keep my composure.” I pull his head back to me again “Then don’t Travis, don’t hold back.” I he lets out a small giggle “Are you sure about that?” I can’t help but smile “Yes, Travis.” I feel my body quivering as he picks me up by my waist and throws me over his shoulder. He starts to run. Not just run, but whip through the trees everything is moving so fast I can’t tell what is what. The colors blur together into grays, greens and black. I feel the wind blowing through my hair and then we stop suddenly. He put me down and I hear the sound of crunching leaves. I look into his eyes and he turns me around to. We are standing in front of my window. “What are we doing back here?” He opens the window and motions me to go inside. “It’s cold out here and it’s getting late. You should get some rest.” I am so confused. Is he blowing me off? After everything he just said and now he is going to take me home? “I don’t understand.” He puts his hand in the small of my back and leads me to the window. “Goodnight Niki, I’ll see you in the morning we have a lot more to talk about.” I jump into the window and pull myself onto my bed. I can’t help but feel rejected and hurt. I shut the window before he can say another word. I don’t know what to think after everything that just happened. So I am chosen to lead over a race that I know nothing about. If you ask me, Renee made a bad choice. Why couldn’t Denise be the one that she chooses? She wants to rule anyways. I throw my legs off the bed stepping down onto the cold hardwood and walk over to my dresser. I pull out my black Pj’s and throw them on the bed. God my clothes stink like dirt. I pull them off and pull on my Pj’s. I really don’t feel like getting in the shower right now, even though I clearly need one. I get back into to bed and pull the covers all the way up to my shoulders. What am I going to do? I have never felt important a day in my life and now I am supposed to rule over an entire race. Even though I am alone in my room I get the feel like someone is watching me. I look out my window to see if Travis is still there but he is nowhere to be found. There is only darkness and trees as far as I can see. The only light is from the moon pouring through the leaves. How am I supposed to fall asleep after hearing all of this? I still want to be with Travis. I want him to at least be in my bed. I don’t feel right without him anymore. I don’t want to have all these feelings but there is nothing that I can do to stop them. The worst part is that he is right down the hall and I can’t be with him. My mother would skin me alive if she knew that I was sleeping with him. Why do I even care what she thinks anymore after everything Travis just told me? She kept all these secrets from me my whole life and I had to find out in the worst way. After everything that she put me through, the treatments and the medication all because she didn’t want this life for me. How much does she actually know about it anyways? I still am getting the feeling that someone is watching me in my room. I can’t shake it. There is something that is in this room that is making me feel unsafe. I don’t know what it is but I need to get out. A sudden rush of adrenaline powers my courage and I throw my covers off and swing my legs over the bed. I try to tip toe to my door because the hard wood floor creeks with every step. I don’t know if anyone is still awake but they have to be sleeping by now. I open my door just a crack to see if any lights are still on. It’s totally dark so I open it more and see that there is no one up. I come out of my room and shut the door and softly as I can. The hallway is pitch black and I can’t see a thing. I extend my arms out trying to feel for anything in f
ront of me. I know this house like the back of my hand so I begin to walk down the hall to where Travis is sleeping. Each step is like waiting for a bomb to explode, each step may wake someone in the house and I don’t want to be seen sneaking around in the dark. I don’t know how I would explain that. I finally make it to Travis door and place my hand on the knob. Turning it slowly I begin to open the door. Travis is already passed out on his air mattress. I walk over to his bed and kneel down. God he is gorgeous. I run his hair through my fingers and the passion burn that I am used to doesn’t come. It’s a different feeling. It’s…love. I do love him. I don’t want to admit it but I do. I love this man. He begins to stir and rolls over on my hand. I am stuck sitting up staring at him. Oh god please don’t wake up right now. This is going to look really creepy. I try to pull my hand out and he grabs my wrist. Not even opening his eyes “What are you doing in here Niki?” I tug my arm back from him rubbing my wrist. “I don’t want to be alone Travis…I want to be…with you.” He eyes open and he looks at me with a small grin. He lifts the covers inviting me and I get in bed with him. This is the first time that I have touched him that I haven’t wanted to rip his clothes off. I want to lay with him and feel his heart beat in my ear. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me into his chest. God he smells good. He kisses my forehead and says “Goodnight Niki, tomorrow is going to be a long day get some sleep.” I get comfortable in his arm, which isn’t hard, and drift off into a calming sleep.
***
I am back in my never ending dream. This time I know a little more and I am going to get some answers if I see the lady in white. Standing on the shore I can still see the island glowing in the distance. I look for bright light that shown off the crown of the lady in white but its nowhere to be found. I am not going to stand here and wait anymore. I walk to the edge of the shore and down our dock. There is a small row boat at the end and I decide to row to the island to get some answers. I untie the damp rope and jump into the boat. I have rowed this boat all around this lake every summer. I begin to row towards the island pulling the ores as hard as I can, splashing the cool water into the air. The boat is gliding across the still water sending ripples in every direction. My arms begin to burn as I get closer to the island but I pay no mind to it and keep pulling. Finally the boat stops on the sand of the island. I jump out in calf deep water and pull the boat onto shore. “Hello! Is there anyone here?” I call out into the darkness hoping that someone is here. “Renee, are you here! I need to speak with you! I need to know why you gave me all your power! Why me damit?!” The wind begins to blow fiercely, throwing my hair straight back. A bright light begins to shine and it blinds me for a moment. I throw my arm in front of my eyes to block the light. It begins to die down and I lower my arm to see what it is. The lady is white is standing in front of me with a look of poise and honor on her face. She is so beautiful I can’t believe that she is real. She extends her hand to me and with no hesitation I take it in mine. We stand face to face for a moment in silence. “Niki, do you know who I am.” She finally speaks and her voice is so soft and comforting. I nod my head yes “You’re Renee right?” She releases my hand and begins to walk into the redwoods. “Yes, I am. Do you know why you’re here?” I start to walk after her. “All I know is that I am a Mystic and you chose me to rule over the whole Realm.” She keeps walking deeper into the redwoods and then we come to a clearing. There is a large flat stone in the middle. She stands motionless and silently staring at the stone. “Niki, that much is true but there is much more that you don’t know. I gave you my life essence and power because I need you to eliminate the current King. He is power hungry and has become mad. A human murdered our daughter and now he is out for revenge on the entire human race. He will succeed if you do not stop him.” This hits me like a runaway train. How I am going to defeat a King. I had no idea that this world even existed and now I have to defeat the King. I am beginning to panic. I can feel nausea building in my throat. “I don’t know what I am supposed to do! I don’t know how to defeat a King. Why didn’t you do it? You’re supposed to be a Queen aren’t you? Why did you give me all your power when the King is about the wipe out the entire human race? I have no idea how to use it!” She walks to me and places her hands on my shoulders. “NIki there are many things that you still need to learn about our world.” She takes my hand and leads me to the large flat rock. She motions for me to sit and I oblige. “Niki, when you bond to someone it is for life. You cannot be with only else for the rest of your life and you would die if you tried. The King is who I bonded with.” Great I guess I am really stuck with Travis forever. “You also are unable to cause physical harm to them. Since I am bonded to the King and he is stronger than I, I cannot stop him from what he is about to do. He knows what I have done. The grief he has for the loss of our daughter is a great pain that will never be at ease and now that he knows I ended my life and gave it to you, he has gone mad. The fate of the Human race is in your hands. You may choose to give up the gift I have given you and the role of Queen, but the human race will fall and the King Khan will still come for you.” Anger is taking over every part of my body and my hands become fists. I snap “So basically what you’re telling me is that I don’t have a choice. Because I might die if I do accept, but I don’t accept I am guaranteed to die and so will the rest of the human race.” Renee sits down next to me and takes my hands. “Niki, I know that this doesn’t seem fair but I wouldn’t have given you this gift if I didn’t think you could succeed. King Khan is a wise man but he also lets his emotions get the best of him. He will come for you on your 18th birthday. He thrives for the thrill of war and he will want to kill you at your most powerful. He will want to set an example of you so his subjects will never rebel. It is a sick addiction. Travis will protect you but you need to beware of Denise. She doesn’t want you to succeed and she wants all humans to perish just as Khan. She also despises you because you were chosen for this role and she was not. She hates humans because of the way she was treated before she was awakened. She was not accepted into the Royal Court and she is looking to find a way back in. Khan has given her this chance. He is willing to accept her into the court if she murders you. If I were still alive he would not be able to overrule my decision to keep her out, but now he has all power, and he needs a spy. You must not let Denise know that you are aware of what she is doing. You will need to make Travis aware of this. If she finds out that you know her plan, she will contact Khan and he will come sooner than he has planned. If that happens then all hope is going to be lost.” I try to obsorb all this information and it makes my head throb. I have never felt so much fear in my life. I look at her and ask “Well if she can see the future how am I going to hide that I know what she is planning to do?” Renee replies with a short simple answer “Because you’re royalty now. She cannot read your future. It’s blocked from her view. That’s why Khan needs her to be around you, so she can report what is going on. Once you become Royal no Mystic can read your future, not even another Royal.” I feel the darkness creeping in around me and the feeling of being alone starts to grip me heart. Is this even a war I can win?