The Silver Bear's Mate

by Fay Walsh

  “You okay there, lover boy?”

  “Yeah, she’s just mad about what happened. I got a little bit clingy again.”

  “It’s okay. Happens to the best of us. You just need to learn your place, my friend,” he said.

  Sven nodded. “I know but-”

  Sven immediately got a vision. It wasn’t Vicky, but instead, it was a ruby-haired woman with big green eyes. She had large breasts and a smile of pure hatred on her face. It was then, when the vision snapped completely back to reality, that Sven looked at Travis with fear in his eyes.

  “Shit,” he said.

  “What’s the matter?” Travis asked.

  “I got a vision. Of Laphy,” he said.

  Travis looked at him with widened eyes.

  “Laphy? You mean the-”

  “Yes. Emilia’s right-hand woman. The one who wanted to get rid of every shifter out there,” he said.

  “Oh, lovely,” he stated.

  “Yeah, lovely is right. So they’re still there. What do you think we should do? Should we attack?” Travis asked.

  “No, not yet. We still don’t know anything, really. I’m worried though. I know that Vicky is strong, but this is the right-hand person to Emilia, one of the worst enemies that we have. She wanted to get rid of all shifters and-”

  As Sven said this, he started to get a vision again. He practically fell back, holding onto the armrests and his eyes glazed over. It was practically too much to bear, and for a moment, he just stood there, looking at the sight.

  There was smoke, and suddenly, a blonde-haired figure came into vision. It looked like Emilia, but she was different. She was looking right into his own eyes with a look of pure hatred. He tensed, realizing what was going on, and who that actually was.

  “Um Travis?” he said.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “I just got a vision. The person that showed up though wasn’t Emilia. It was some ruby-haired woman, and her gaze was piercing. I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” he said.

  “That’s Laphy,” Travis said.

  He immediately turned pale.

  “How do you… know,” he asked.

  How did Travis figure that out? He never even met that person!

  “I know because I remember hearing a long time ago that Emilia had two sidekicks, one of them a blonde woman, the other a brown-haired shifter. They were both out for blood in terms of our own wellness and survival, and they aren’t going to stop until they get what they need,” Travis said.

  “Lovely,” Sven muttered.

  “Yeah. But, I do know for a fact that what you saw could put everyone in danger if you’re not careful, so please do what you feel is right,” Travis said.

  He nodded, listening to those words and sighing.

  “I’m just worried about this, that’s all,” he admitted.

  “You can either let this continue on like this, or you finally do something about it, Sven. You should know by now that the best thing to do in this situation is to take things into your own hands, and to do what’s right for you,” he said.

  “Right. I’m just worried, that’s all,” he said.

  “I know that you’re worried, Sven, but the best thing to do in this instance is to trust your gut, and do what you feel is right. If you need to step in and follow your heart, please do it. I have a bad feeling about all of this,” Travis admitted.

  He had a bad feeling about this as well, but he wasn’t going to let Travis know that just yet. He had a feeling that, with the decisions that were made, things would change in their lives, and he would need to make the right choices at that. After a bit of debating, he finally got everything figured out, and as he thought about what to do, he sighed.

  “Has anyone heard from Vicky by the way?” he asked.

  “I don’t sense her,” he said.

  “I guess it’s just my imagination then. I think I need to tell the clan the truth, about my powers and all,” he said.

  “That might be for the best, Sven. I know you’re scared, but the clan won’t leave you. They won't hate you if you choose this path. In fact, I’m pretty sure most of them will be happy to hear about this,” he said.

  “Right. Thanks, Travis,” he said.

  Sven was worried about what will happen next. On the one hand, he was happy to finally make the decision to leave his old life behind, but on the other hand, he also feared what getting Vicky involved might do for everyone. There was a lot that he didn’t understand just yet, but he felt that, if needed, he should tell everyone about this. After a bit of time, he finally made his way over to the den where the other shifters were. They were all sitting around, and when Sven got there, he looked about, trying to figure out how to start this.

  “It’s okay. Trust me on this, none of them are going to leave,” Travis said.

  “I know that you say that, Travis, but I’m scared,” he said.

  “There is nothing to be afraid of, Sven. It’s better to be honest with your brothers than to hide the truth from everyone,” he said.

  Sven nodded, realizing the situation he was in. He would have to tell them, for everyone’s sake.

  “There is something that I feel I need to tell everyone here. It’s about… myself,” he said.

  “What do you mean?” Darren asked.

  “Well, the truth is I… I can see visions,” he said.

  They all listened, nodding in response.

  “I had a feeling because I could tell that, when you started to think about things, you'd space out. I knew that you probably had some sort of power you just weren't ready to tell any of us about yet,” Darren said.

  “Kind of. I didn’t want to burden any of you. But, I got a vision recently, it’s about Laphy, the right-hand woman to Emilia that has always caused trouble, coming back. I know that we’re trying to avoid any more confrontation, but I know that Laphy has other ideas. I feel like we need to be aware of what’s going on, for our own sake, and for the sake of others,” he said.

  They all listened.

  “I’ll help out in any way that I can,” Billy said.

  “Yeah. I will assist however I can,” Darren said.

  “Thanks, everyone. I’m worried about the future of our clan, but I think with everyone here working together, we’ll be okay, he said.

  “That’s right. You should check on Vicky though. I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Travis said.

  “Yeah. I don't know where she is. I want to go look for her,” he said.

  Darren nodded. “We’ll prepare our own forces if there is a bigger escalation than what we think will happen. For now, you should go to her, and figure out what’s happening,” he said.

  “I will, sir. Thanks,” Sven said.

  He left, heading over to his car. He immediately drove over to the library. He partially regretted being so cold to her that night, especially with the worry of what might be about to happen. He tried to call her a few times, but he didn’t get any response, which made him wonder just what was going on. He went to the inside of the library, but after checking all the rooms, it was obvious she already left or wasn’t there in the first place.

  “I’ll check her house,” he said to himself.

  He then went over there, scoping the place, trying to figure out what to do. But, he didn’t find anything. He couldn't find any evidence that she had been at home either. He tried to look high and low, in every single place she might be, but he didn’t hear or see her anywhere.

  Worry started to course through his body. He felt apprehension because if what he saw was true, she would be in danger! He immediately called Travis, and after a second, he spoke.

  “Travis, it’s me. Listen, we need to start patrolling, I can’t find her anywhere,” he said.

  There was a pause, and then, Travis spoke.

  “Very well. I’ll do what I need to do. For now, you should look around to see if you can find her anywhere,” he said.

  “Will do, sir,” Sven said.
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  He heard the phone click off, and he wondered if she might’ve gone to the park or something. He had no idea where she might've ended up, or if she was even safe at this point. The fear of all of this washed over him, and Sven didn’t know where to begin. The fact that she was missing worried him to no end, and he feared what might happen next.

  Chapter 14

  Vicky felt upset with everything that had happened between her and Sven, but she wasn’t going to let it get in the way of her own personal feelings. He was being stubborn and hovering all around her. She was a big girl, and she didn’t want to worry about that right now.

  She did like Sven, but he had a bad habit of being almost too overbearing for her taste. She hated it, but at the same time, she understood why that might be. It made sense in a strange way, and she wondered what might happen next.

  He was quiet, almost too quiet. She wondered if he had given up trying to win her heart, or if he was giving her space for other reasons. She didn't know, but she did appreciate that he had chilled out, even if it was only for a little.

  As she locked the library up behind her a feeling of dread ran through her body, and when she looked out of the corner of her eye, she could sense someone there. It was a person, that was for sure. She tensed, wondering if it was Sven sticking around. However, after a moment or so, she noticed the figure approach her, giving off an air of dread as it got closer. She tensed, realizing what was going on.

  There was definitely something there, and this person wasn’t good.

  She watched as the figure, whoever they might be, approach, the air growing heavier as it got closer. She wanted to ask who the hell this person was, ask why in the world they were approaching her, but she felt strange like she didn’t know how to use her mouth or anything else for that matter. She wanted to say something, to let them know she was armed, but she just stood there, watching as the figure came closer.

  It had the same feeling as the one that approached her randomly in the library. Were they the same person? She didn’t know what to say, but she simply looked at the figure as it came in front of her.

  “There you are. I’m glad that you’re alone,” the figure said.

  “Who the hell are you? And why do you need me alone?” she inquired.

  “It’s for personal reasons,” the figure said.

  ‘I’m not going anywhere with you, especially if you're going to be cryptic like that,” she muttered.

  “Well, I’ll say right now that you are very important to me. I know what happened 10 years ago, and I would like to talk to you about that,” the person said.

  She listened to the figure, wondering if this was the same person who approached her in the library. She wanted to know, but she wasn’t sure.

  “Are you… the same person from before?” she asked the figure.

  ”No. I’m different. I do know what happened to you all those years ago. How you were nearly killed,” the person said.

  “So you do know. But why me?”

  “Because you're special, Vicky. You may not realize it, but you have the power to save everyone,” the person said.

  The power to save others? She wondered if this person was bullshitting her, but judging from the way that they spoke, she didn’t get that vibe.

  “What's in it for me?” she inquired.

  “Simple, you’ll come with me, and we’ll talk to you about your powers, and how you can… help us, you know?” she said.

  “I don’t really know, but I’m listening,” she stated.

  ”If you come with me, Vicky, everything will be explained. Trust me on this,” the person said.

  She listened to this person, unsure if she should trust them. She was scared because they gave off the bad vibe that the person that talked to her the last time had. But, she also knew that they could just be telling the truth and her mind is playing dirty tricks on her.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “You need to come with me to the park,” the figure said.

  “Alright. I’ll bite,” she said.

  Vicky kept her eyes alert, wondering if Sven would come over and help her out. She imagined he was around, but she didn’t know where. For now, though, she decided to humor this person. She went to the park, which was a familiar place, but also a place that made her feel ill at ease when she was here.

  “Why are we… here?” she asked.

  “Because, I think it’s time that you knew the truth, and we finally took care of business,” the figure explained.

  “What kind of business?’

  “Vicky, do you know your role in any of this? Do you know how much of a part you play in what happened ten years ago,” the person said.

  She shook her head.

  “I don’t, but you clearly seem to know,” she said.

  “That’s because I am very close to the person who tried to kill you. Vicky, your presence has the potential to get rid of some of the worst people in this world. You have the power to change fate, and I have a feeling that, if you don’t learn it now, someone not as nice as me will tell you, and you'll be used,” the figure said.

  “What does that even mean?” she said.

  “What it means Vicky is... I want you to trust me,” the person said.

  Trust them, she barely knew them! She looked at the person, but then, she felt a strange change of feeling.

  “You’re being honest… I can tell from your aura,” she said.

  "Correct. You can read auras, something most other normal humans can’t do. I know for a fact that you have powers that a lot of people dreamed they could have. But, it seems like you’re definitely smart in your ideas. I like that about you, Vicky. I really like that you’re not just another person. You have the strength, the core ideals that the person who is able to help save everyone should have,” the figure said.

  “I guess. But, what do you want from me?” she asked.

  “I want you to trust me. I want you… to follow me, so I can show you the truth of your powers, and your ability to change fate,” the figure said.

  Change fate? What the hell was she talking about? She had no idea what was going to happen next, nor did she have a feeling this would all make sense with time. She was worried, that’s for sure, and she feared what might come about because of this, but she decided to just listen. Even when things were rough, she would listen to this person, and she felt a strange pull towards them.

  “You intrigue me, strangely,” she said.

  “Because I know the truth, Vicky. I know about your power. Come with me, and I’ll make sure that you've taken care of,” the figure said.

  She trusted them. She really did. She stepped forward, seeing the extended hand that was there. Why did she trust this person so much? What did they have that was pulling her in? She didn’t understand it, almost as if she was being used in some way, but she wasn’t going to stop. She wasn't going to rest until she got what she wanted, until she finally achieved the goals that she had.

  She took the hand, holding it there, and she looked over at the figure. But then, she saw it. She wanted to get away from them, but she realized that by the time she started to do anything, it was too late. Her psyche was betraying her, and when the mysterious figure turned into the person who tried to kill her all those years ago, her eyes widened.

  “Holy… shit,” she said to the other person.

  “You are so stupid. This has been fun, though. I’m glad that I could use you like this. It’s a shame that you didn’t figure it out sooner I think this would be even more fun if you did,” the person said.

  She looked at them, feeling the anger in her body, the hatred. She was being used by this person, in ways that she hadn’t expected. She hated that this was happening, but she couldn't escape.

  It was like she had been put under a spell. But, she wasn't possessed. She still had the ability to think, but it was like her body didn’t want to listen, instead of remaining still, betraying her conscience, and it pissed her
the hell off.

  “No...” she said to herself. She couldn't get out of this mess, nor could she do anything else besides stay there, at the mercy of this person.

  “There we go. I finally caught you. Now, I can’t wait to bring you to Sven. I know that this will be fun,” she said to Vicky. Vicky started to tense up, and after a bit, she couldn't fight it any longer. She relaxed, and soon, the person smiled.

  “There we go. You’re now under my control. I wouldn't say you’re possessed, let’s just say that I brainwashed you so you can’t do anything out of hand. You’ll be the perfect puppet for everything,” the figure said.