A Friend To The Elements

Chapter 5

I was able to alternate between bathrooms gradually moving closer to my second period class. I never thought I would be a bathroom hopper to get to class and avoid the man I had just found who happened to be my mate, but here I was. After a long deep breath, I swung my bag over my shoulder. I only needed to make it across the hall and slide into a desk surrounded by other students at the last second so he can't change seats then rush out of the room at the very first second the end of period bell rings. Easy.

"I can do this." The warning bell rang, and I poked my head out of the bathroom and glanced both ways. I dropped my shoulders and walked out of the bathroom.

"Hiding in the bathroom. Very mature." I sighed and turned around to see Adam leaning against the wall that separated the boys and girl's restroom.

"Well guess you've got the short of the stick being stuck linked to me as your mate." The words came out of my mouth like venom and I felt him flinch back but try and compose himself. I do not know why I was so angry. I did not expect him to fully believe me, but I did not expect the anger. Logically he should not believe someone he just met. That made sense, but it did not change how I felt.

He reached out and touched my hand. I wanted to pull away, but I could not. I met his eyes and they were sad and hurt.

"I'll look into your concerns. I promise. I can't have someone being after my Luna, can I?" An apologetic smile appeared on his lips and I nodded. He took his hand away and we walked into second period together right as the final bell rang. Luckily, we were able to find seats next to each other.

Our teacher began to call roll letting each of us raise our hands when our names were called. With roll done the teacher picked up on her lesson where we left off the day before. Adam kept glancing over at me sending a blush across my cheeks every few minutes.

I heard all my life that finding my mate would be the most peaceful feeling I would ever experience. Humans thought it was this instant sexual attraction and that is what the instinct was rooted in. But reality was it was like finding your best friend. They could sense your feelings right away. As soon as your eyes meet, you will have a connection. Your body will instantly warm like you are standing in the sun on a beautiful summer day. There will be an energy drawing you towards them. Even if you are miles away if you are still strong enough to produce an energy pulse then your mate will be able to focus on that energy and find you. There is some speculation that many wolves find their mates before ten, but they do not understand the pull they feel, or the emotions attached to it.

After fully 'mating' for the first time the bond changes. Instead of feeling just an energy pull there is a need to be near each other. Mates can speak telepathically if they are within a few miles. Before mating a shifter will be sterile and unable to produce offspring, but after the first time with their mate a shifter can produce an offspring with any human or shifter who has found their mate. At that point, the two shifters will feel a need to produce especially if they are of alpha or beta lineage the need to create a stable pack comes before anything else. Before that point mates can grow apart.

There's no magic way to reject a mate and never feel them again unless they are dead but if the two never officially mate and decide to go separate ways they just won't ever be able to have children or find another true life partner until their original mate dies. It does not happen often, but I imagine it would be hard to resist that energy pull even if the physical need were not at the highest level of strength.

The bell signaling the end of class shrilled through the room causing some dozing students to jump. I shoved my books in my bag and stood up beside Adam's desk.

"Walk me to my next class? I think you might enjoy running into Noah as well." He nodded and stood up throwing his bag over his shoulder. It was awkward to say the least. We both knew we were supposed to spend our lives together but neither of us knew where to start. Do we talk? Do we hold hands? Do we skip the inbetween getting to know each other phase and skip straight to trusting each other with our lives?