The Mating Cult

Chapter 18

With my paper finished and only a few days left to go I knew it was time to give these boys an answer. Too bad for me I didn't even know the answer. I had no way of knowing who was actually my mate or who I was meant for. It wasn't because I wasn't born in the culture, sure partically it was, but I'm not a wolf. 

Only wolves knew truely who their mates were, both felt it, but since I was a human I didn't know. Nicole had once told me that I needed to connect to my inner wolf, because everyone has one appearently. Although, the question was how do I do that?

I had to find Nicole, but from experience I had to get her to come to me otherwise I would be getting attacked by Jackson again. How could I get her to come to me though? I could walk around twon and wave her down, but she's been so tired that she has trouble leaving the house. 

Cole and Andrew had left me alone for the last two days to write my paper. It had to be ten pages, not including the interviews, signatures and the notes that I've taken over the course of being here. It was a lot of work, but I was glad to have it done since I only had a few more days here.

I didn't want to leave, I was actually dreading the fact. Not only because now I had to confront Abigal again for the end of the year, but that I wouldn't be back. I felt at home here, I had never felt at home anywhere. Even from stepping out of the van and getting tackled by Nicole, this was home ot me. 

"What am I going to do?" I asked myself as I forced myself up from my bed. 

Cole hadn't brought me my usual bouquet of flowers today. He had actually left early this morning to do something. He woke me up momentarily to give me a kiss good bye and to say that he loved me before he let me go to sleep again.

Although, once I stepped outside I knew why he had left early this morning. Outside our front door was a huge garden of planted flowers that took over the walkway and the front door. It spelled out Love surrounded by little hearts of flowers. It was the most wonderful thing I had ever seen.

"Natalie!" I heard a familiar voice call out.

I turned to see Nicole walking toward me, waving her hand wildly so that I would notice her. I took a few steps toward her before I stopped and looked around for Jackson. 

"You'd gotten smart." Nicole said as she got closer to me. I knew she didn't mean it as an insult, she meant it to say that I had learned well from my mistakes.

"Thank you, I was planning to come see you today."

"Why is that?" She asked as she gestured for me to continue walking with her.

"You said that everyone has an inner wolf."

"Yes, that is so if mates die in great numbers it is possible to find another in a human." Nicole said with a smile.

"So does that mean it is possible to think that someone is their mate without them actually being their mate?"

"Yes, although, it's very rare. Why do you ask all of this? You should know it by heart by now." She said with a laugh.

"I'm asking because I need to find out if one of them is my mate and if one is, which one is it." I stated honestly.

"Well, there is only one way to do that. You have to tap into your inner wolf."

"That's why I needed you. How can I do that?"

"Easy, you meditate or you get put in extreme danger."

"Oh yeah, that's simple." I said sarcastically thinking of how I haven't been in danger since I've been here. I jumped off cliffs, waterfalls and almost been attacked by an angry werewolf.

"We can meditate, I know just the place to go." She said leading the way. 

Nicole lead the way out of town into a meadow, filled with flowers and tall grass that were blowing in the wind. She pointed to the ground, instructing me to sit.

"I will talk and all I want you do to is listen and follow my insturctions with any luck this should go smoothly."

"What if it doesn't?"

"We shove you off a cliff." Nicole said with a smile, she was joking but it didn't help much. "Sorry, now please close your eyes and listen to nothing but the sound of my voice. Take deep breaths in and slowly let it out, so that you can fall deeper and deeper into the trance."

I followed her instructions and felt my body grow lighter with each breath as I fell slightly deeper into a light sleep.

"Keep taking deep breaths and relaxing further into your trance."

I felt myself fall deeper into the trance, my head tilted back and my body relaxed into this spot. I couldn't move and I couldn't open my eyes if I tried, I was deep into the trance that Nicole had put me into.

"I want you to think of Andrew. Remember the first time you meet him. Focus on how you felt at that moment."

I felt at ease, taken by the seemingly innocent exchange. My heart fluttered when he admitted that he wanted to steal me.

"Now please think of a connection you share. What brings the relationship to such a powerful bond?"

His openness. His acceptance of me. His wish to make my dreams come true. His competitvieness. His honesty. Everything just makes me want to be around him more. I'm drawn to him.

"Now I want you to picture Cole. I want you to remember your first encounter with him, the second you came into the tribe. Focus on what you feel and how your feelings have changed and grown."

I remembered meeting Cole the first time. His sheer size scared me at first but the gentle carressing of my cheek and my heart melting as I looked into his eyes. He had been my love at first sight.

"Now think of what you would do if someone tried to take him away from you or hurt him." Nicole instructed through my sleepy state.

The image popped into my head, someone was trying to hurt Cole. He was injured, bleeding with a dark figure standing over him. Then a brown wolf jumped forward and tore the dark figure away from Cole and protected him. 

"Now think of something special that Cole shares with you, if anything, that creates a stronger connection."

His words. His protective posture. His love. His understanding. Everything about him created a stronger connection. 

I knew who it was. I know who my mate is.

I snapped out of the trance as a girls face flashed in front of my eyes, she looked familiar, but my mind was focused on something more important.

"Where are the boys!" I asked urgently. I had seen them fighting and needed to know if it was true.

"Jackson said they would be in the square today. What did you see?" She asked as I pulled her along, a lot faster than I probably should have but I was worried. 

I let go of her arm when I reached the house Cole and I shared and continued to run toward the square. I saw two giant wolves squaring off with a growing crowd around them.

"Natalie! There you are! Make them stop!" Jackson called pointing to the two wolves. "They are fighting over who is truely your mate. Please, make this stop!"

I just nodded as I ran into the center of the square, right in the middle of two wolves ready to fight each other. I saw a flash of my mates face again, I was in extreme danger and my inner wolf was showing me again which one was meant for me.

"Stop! Don't fight! I know who my mate is!" I called, instantly gathering the attention of those around me. Andrew and Cole stopped dead, mind pounce and looked at me, eagerly waiting my answer.