Sacrifice

Chapter 31

What's his plan? I asked

How in the world would I know child? was her sarcastic reponse

I don't know read his mind or something

Why don't you read his mind?!

.....

I'm sorry

....ok....maybe we should just focus on breaking the bond

no, I'm sorry...I was out of line it is not your fault that we are now tied to this were-tiger.

it's not yours either, you just wanted your mate.

You are wrong but I will not argue the point, I will try to invade his mind.

"Natalie, wake up." Jason says nudging me with his shoulder. I open my eyes and I see Jason's blue gaze evenly looking at me. "Can I ask you a question?" He asks quietly.

I nod, "Is the hybrid the only reason you do not want me as your mate?" I was shocked. It was the first time anyone had asked me that question. I was left speechless. How was I supposed to answer a question that was not only confusing but selfish on my part. Yes I loved Mia with all of my heart and I would die to protect her, but no that wasn't the only reason I would have denied Jason. From my first shift I was denied my life. The counsel came to my families home and told my parents that I was destined for more than the simple life of a tiger. They built up the story of the academy, telling them that I was going to be taught the art of being a Gaurdian. They talked of the great honor and glory it was to be a guardian, that since the times of the Great War no one had ever been invited to join the ranks of Gaurdians. My parents and me were sold. That was when my life ended. I found out that I was never going to have a mate that I was expected to be the tigers clan greates weapon or suffer the consequences. And lastly when I reached perfect carrying age I was to become a cub factory pushing out greatly powerful cubs only for them tho be ripped out of my arms and trained from birth to be weapons of mass destruction,until my fertility age passed.

So, no Mia was not the only reason I would have denied Jason, the counsel would never have let me have my mate. And that was only one reason Jason had been cruel to me ever since my first day at the academy. He tormented me he hated me just for being a white tiger. That and he played me to get revenge and then slept with my supposed best friend. But Jason didn't need to know that,

"Yes."

"So if the hybrid hadn't appeared in our lives in Siberia you would have accepted me as your mate?" He asked.

I was quiet for a moment I just looked at him, "as strange as this is yes, I would have accepted you as my mate."  I lied

"Why? I was an ass to you"

"Because the Fates picked us to be together, and I like to think that we both would have changed for each other." I again lied.

"You are the most forgiving person I have ever met." he touches my arm. I look at him and pull away.

"There is no use talking about what ifs Jason. We don't have that option, not anymore." I say quietly

"what if we did, Natalie? What then?" he whispers

"There are no what ifs Jason! We have no future! You ruined it!" I explode yet again for the second time in less then 3 days.

"I ruined it! Me! No Natalie, you ruined it! You ruined it by hooking up with that unnatural thing!" he yelled back.

I froze. Know I knew, I knew then what his plan was, to sweet talk me, so that I would take him to Mia so that he could kill her. I couldn't let that happen, never. I did the very thing the Counsel had trained me to do, attack with the ferocity of the mythaical but very real White Tiger. Jason went flying back and I in my tiger form leaped on top of him and pinned him down and roared in his face. I had won and that meant that Jason was tied to me now just like I was tied to him. I shifted back and flashed my clothes back on and walked away from him. As Jason began to push himself to his feet I stopped and said, "You're tied to me now, but I never did like being tied to anyone. I'll never tie someone to me...I release you from my side. Good bye Jason." I said over my shoulder and continued walking. When I was clear of witnesses and since we lived in Arizona and the major cities were intertwined it took awhile. But when I knew I was alone I shifted and began to run. I ran north to Mia and our escape. I had to get as close as I could get before the pain set in. The pain of leaving your "master" without permission. And I knew it was coming I could feel it slowly begin to consume me little by little, piece by piece. So I ran faster and faster, I began to feel like I was flying over the desert instead of running over it.

 I was close so close to Mia I was just one measly mile away from her from freedom. The house came into view and my hopes soared.

MIA! I shout into her mind.

"Mama!" Mia runs out of the tiny house and stops at where the shield's wall is and places her palms on its surface. I was so close only one foot from the wall when it hits me full force. The pain, the excruciating, crippling pain that paralyzes me and leaves me shifting back and forth between my tiger and human form. It left me moaning and groaning in pain one foot from Mia. I began to drag my body towards her I moved a mere five inches before I collapsed and blacked out, Mia's screams a hearbreaking lullaby that sent me into a black oblivion.