The Mating Cult

Chapter 6

I spent a long time debating on getting rid of this book or not, and to be honest I still am, but I try to stick with a book once I start so here's the next chapter. Thanks for being pacient with me, it means a lot to me.

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"I'm not joining your cult!" I yelled as Cole shut the door to his home behind me. I had held my tongue as we travelled through the camp because people were cheering and welcoming me, but I couldn't do it any longer.

"Yes you are." Cole stated with a matter-of-fact tone.

"No, I'm not. I'm here to write a paper and get away from my life for a few months. I'm not here to join a cult."

"You don't get it. You're going to join whether you know it or not."

"What does that even mean?"

"You're my mate, and whether you accept it now or later you're going to stay because you'll want to be with me."

"How would you even think that?" I asked with a huff. "I have been here a grand total of five minutes!"

"I saw your picture with your resume to come here. I don't like outsiders, but once I saw your picture I knew."

"How?"

"It's a wolf thing."

"But how do you know?" I asked, pushing the topic.

"I just do. Go ahead study our 'culture' and see if you can figure out what I mean. I'm sure there are a few mates that would love to tell you themselves. It might do you some good too, maybe you'll figure out that you're meant to be here." Cole said sitting down on the couch and turning on the television.

"FIne." I stated, throwing my hands up into the air in frustration at his aloof attitude.

I threw my bag on the floor and dug out a note book and a pen. I gave Cole one last glare before I left the house, he just chuckled and winked at me as I shut the door.

I walked around the camp and met a lot of people, all of them very excited to see me. I spent all day going around and asking people about the culture here. Personally, I thought it was silly to worship wolfs and think that you're desendents of them, but that's just me.

A few people told me about the actual reasoning behind it. They could transform into wolfs in order to protect themselves. They didn't fight with guns or knifes, it was teeth and claws. I just nodded and went along with whatever they told me; I didn't want to start a fight.

They also thought mating was important in order to keep breeding well. They didn't inbreed, due to the new blood and they naturally found mates wither way. It was an enjoyable way of life, but far from perfect.

The war between the two tribes had created a bigger issue. Mates had died and the other half was left alone to wallow in self pity, and risk suicide. The problem with having only one true mate, like a soul mate, meant that once they were gone, they were gone.

It would mean either a sad lonely life for the other or another death. That's not something to look forward to, but it was sadly the reality of the situation.

"How do you know who's your mate?" I asked a young couple that had met a few days ago. The boy was from the tribe that got along with this one, while the girl was from here.

"You just kind of know." The male said, reminding me what Cole had said. That he knew I was his mate, without really knowing me.

"You don't even have to know them. You just see them and know!" The girl said, giggling slightly.

"There are other ways thought." The male suggested.

"Like what?" I asked.

"Love at first sight, really protective of the other even if you don't know them, or you just have a really strong feeling like we did." The girl said rubbing foreheads with her mate.

I smiled slightly as I wrote down the interview, and even more when I heard a familiar voice come to my ears.

"Jackson, that's a wonderful idea! You should go tell Cole. I'm sure he will be so pleased with the idea."

I turned to see Nicole and Jackson walking hand in hand. They would be the perfect couple to ask about being mates. They had the qualities that the young couple explained, over protective, special connection and had a strong pull toward each other. Maybe they even had love at first sight.

"Hey, Nicole. Can I aske you guys some questions?"

"Sure." She said with a smile as Jackson wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her to him.

"Did you guys have love at first sight?"

"No." They said together, which made them laugh.

"Why is that funny."

"We have three of the four 'symptoms' of being mates, if we had all four that would mean I was supposed to be anothers mate as well. I love Jackson, there's no room in my heart for anyone else except a child." Nicole said softly, giving a wary glance in Jackson's direction.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Yeah, we're having a baby!" Nicole shrieked excitedly. She bounced around like a 15 year old girl going on her first date.

"I have to get the tension down fast, I can't have the chance of losing you or the baby." Jackson said running off in the direction of Cole's house.

"How old are you?" I asked, not meaning to sound rude.

"Twenty-six. I'm actually really late for around here, Jackson and I have been married since we were twenty-three. We would have normally had a child within our first year, and some people wait til their second year. It just didn't happen for us, we thought something was wrong with me." Nicole stated with a sad sigh, but then cheered up when she rubbed her soon to be swelled tummy.

"So what was it about the four 'symptoms' of mating?"

"It's a myth. It's how we were created like the Adam and Eve of our culture. I can tell you the full story sometime, but it's basically that this girl fell in love with one man. She was in love at first sight and protected him like he was her child, a mother's love for her children can never be measure, but it;s intense."

"Okay, then what?" I asked to keep Nicole on topic.

"Well, one day she felt a strong pull to this other male that came ot town. She said it was a special connection that influenced the strong pull to him. She was in love with both men, and there was a great battle. Both men, exhausted by fighting, their packs desemated by the war, called it even. The woman agreed and brought them together." Nicole said with a smile.

"That's cool, but it was two different symptoms, what makes you think you aren't that girl?"

"Because I have three with Jackson. I'm safe." Nicole said with a smile as she turned and walked off to join Jackson.