Adeeana's Mate

Adeeana ran through the walled gardens of the orphanage laughing playfully. Her playmate was Sheron, a fellow orphan and friend. Her golden hair flew like a banner behind her making her feel like a queen in her tattered gown.

“If I catch you then you are mine, and I can do with you as I wish.” Sheron called out as Adeeana dashed through a curtain of weeping willow branches.

“And what would you do with me?” She called back to him her eyes watchful for his attack.

“I will bind you to me as my mate. We are the same, imaria.”

Adeeana froze her smile replaced by a mask of fear, the word imaria was reserved by the Lycanthrope, a word that was a cross between ‘Mine Only’ and “beloved’, a word spoken only between lifemates. Sheron and she were not the same; her destiny was to heal and his to destroy. They were friends but Adeeana had decided long ago they could be nothing more. They were half bloods, she and he, half Lycanthrope and half human. Adeeana’s human mother had been caught by a Lycanthrope warrior in the time of wolf wars. He had been ordered to kill the young healer but his heart had claimed her as mate. The life of a wolf mate however was full of peril. Shortly after Adeeana’s birth her father had destroyed her mother with his passion during their mating. He had brought Adeeana to the orphanage that night and then joined his mate in death.

Adeeana had barely turned eight when she realized she could heal with the power of her thoughts. The healing though came at a great price for her father’s nature also lived within her. For every one thing she healed with her powers her nature forced her to destroy another. She knew that she could never risk killing a mate as her father had and she knew that there would never be another like her. The joining of wolf and human had been banned after two more instances of death, one resulting in Adeeana’s play mate Sheron. Where Adeeana was a healer Sheron was a killer. He could use his mind and stop the beating of a heart or the breathing of the lungs, but unlike Adeeana he did not have the power of restoration. He and she were destined to be alone.

Neither Lycanthrope nor human kind wanted the half-breed children so they had grown up together in the orphanage. Tomorrow Sheron would join the warrior class and Adeeana the healer’s of Dramulus. Tonight was their last night to be together.

“Do not be stupid Sheron, I will never have a mate. I will be a healer of Dramulus and dedicate my life to the good of our nation.” Adeeana turned in slow circles opening her mind to hear Sheron’s movements. Her breath heaved in dark excitement that she dared not name.

“There is no other for you, imaria,” his voice came from all around her weaving in the dripping branches like a net designed to keep her from running, “None who could tame you as I could, none who could keep you as I could. You were born for me and I for you.”

“You are wrong Sheron, the counsel would never allow us to breed. Even if we were allowed, how could we bring a child into this world? He would be doomed to a life alone for he would be the only one on his kind. Would you really wish that on another being?” She felt him more then saw him move to her left and sprang toward the pond in the middle of the garden. Water was the only fear that Sheron had. His parents, rather than to be separated by the counsel, had walked into the oceans of Dramulus with their only child. Fate had been on Sheron’s side and the ocean had washed him from his mother’s embrace and returned him to the shore. But even at his young age he retained the memory of the suffocating hand of the water and vowed it would never take him. Adeeana could hear his footsteps closing in but she could also almost touch the water. Sheron’s weight hit her from behind knocking her to the ground. She landed hard enough to drive the breath from her lungs but continued to struggle. Sheron easily rolled her beneath him settling himself between her kicking legs until his sex ground into hers. He trapped her hands with his above her head and stared down at her in triumph.

“You will never be able to beat me, imaria, nor I you. Cease your fight with me.” His dark hair fell in a curtain around their faces. His body, already fulfilling their promise of muscles, fitting itself to hers like puzzle pieces. She felt herself grow moist as he again rocked his sex against hers, his gold eyes closing in pleasure. She felt her teeth and nails lengthen as her young body answered his call. She shook her head, her own eyes turning from blue to liquid gold.

“Do not do this to me.”

He dropped his head to whisper against her lips, “It is already done.”

“No!” Adeeana screamed wrenching her wrist away from him and slashing him across the face with her nails. He reeled back in surprise and she took the moment to slam her knee into his groin. He rolled off of her in pain and she dashed into the water.

“Adeeana!” She ignored the pain in his voice as she did the pain in her heart. She swam well into the middle of the water and waited for dawn. The darkness of the garden amplified her exhausted breaths as she watched the shore for Sheron. He did not call to her again. She waded out at dawn to find that he had already left for the warrior fleet. He hadn’t let the Orphanage treat the slashes on his face. He claimed they were a gift for him alone, a present from his mate. He left Adeeana a single lily and a note: “It is already done.”

10 years later

Adeeana stood watching her best friend Trish get married. Trish had been one of the few at the Dranmulus medical academy who had accepted Adeeana without question. Trish was a petite brunette from a Lycanthrope family. Her father was second cousin to the king of the Wolves but Trish never acted much like royalty. She embraced life and everything in it with a childish joy. Adeeana’s gift had been discovered her second year in the academy when Trish had contacted a virus that had almost killed her. Trish’s father had sent down his own medical physicians to treat her but to no avail. Adeeana knew the little princess would die without her help and so healed her. The wild wolf that had reared up inside her had caused her to almost kill the attending physician had he not had the sense to tranquilize her. After that night the academy treated both Trish and Adeeana with a respect that bordered fear. Their bond of friendship was seconded only to their love of life. That is why they had chosen to become healers. Adeeana sighed partly in envy as she watched her friend gaze up at her mate Brom in complete adoration. Adeeana felt her heart constrict as they vowed to love and protect, cherish and defend each other for eternity. Brom turned formally with Trish on his arm, a tradition that dated back to the beginning of Garu history; his words stirred such sadness in Adeeana that she could hardly breath.

“May I make known to you, Trish, my mate.”

“You will be next Adeeana, mark my words.” Brom teased, giving her a hug. “I have it on good authority that my mate will never be content until you are married and so that is what must happen.”

Adeeana laughed winking at Trish, “She has already taken the last good one Brom. I’m afraid there is none left for a spinster like me.”

“I resent that remark old friend,” Trish said coming up to wrap her arms around Brom, “I happen to be twenty-four as well and I think it is a splendid age.” Adeeana laughed again taking a sip of the wine that had been passed out for the bridal toast. The hall erupted in laughter as a man at the end of the hall raised his glass to her with a wink.

“I agree Trish,” he shouted across the guests, “ And if ever your friend decides to take a mate I will be the first to court her.”

“She already has a mate.” Adeeana dropped her glass as the voice of Sheron echoed through the wedding chapel. The guests parted to stare at the man in the doorway. She felt her heart heat increase as she drank in his appearance. He was the vision of the dark warrior that she had always dreamed he would be. His hair, still uncut, flowed in obsidian waves across his shoulders. He was now taller then her by a foot and almost three times her width. It was a soldier’s body, cut from years of training, but his eyes were most dramatically changed. Gone was the innocence of youth replaced by the brutality of too much death. She had heard that he was head of the Lycanthrope ground forces and that he was unchallenged in their ranks. He had rejected all that was human with in him to embrace the ways of the Wolf.

“Adeeana?” The worry in Trish’s voice broke her from her thoughts. She gazed wildly around the room to see that the guests were still drinking and laughing and that the man at the end of the hall had returned to his conversation. “Where is he?” She searched the crowd for Sheron but could not locate him.

“Who?” Brom asked sharing his mate’s confusion.

“Sheron,” she demanded impatiently again scanning the crowds, “ the man who just entered the hall.”

Trish’s hands came to Adeeana’s shoulder, “No one has entered the hall old friend, not since the beginning of the ceremony.”

“What?” Adeeana looked at Trish in confusion.

“Perhaps you have had enough wine,” Brom suggested playfully looking at Adeeana’s fallen glass. She followed his gaze with a blush of embarrassment.

“Oh Trish, I’m so sorry.” She bent to pick up the pieces but Trish stopped her.

“You are exhausted,” Trish added with a smile, “If I had put half the work into this wedding that you have I’d be seeing people too. Go back to your quarters and get some rest. Doctor’s orders.”

Adeeana chuckled hugging her friends as she made the short journey back to her quarters. It was a beautiful place comfortably decorated in muted blues and maroons and outlined in gold. Her walls were covered in pictures of fairy tale hero’s conquering foes and an array of swords and daggers. It seemed strange that such would appeal to a healer but she sighed as the comfort of her home surrounded her. At once she caught the scent of something unfamiliar. Her eyes flew open to identify the source. She walked from her living room to the small kitchen her body tense with the feeling of danger. Seeing nothing she walked to her bathroom taking in the warm marbled floors and walls. Her dressing table and its contents lay undisturbed and as she walked around her bathing pool she could not detect the slightest difference. She checked every closet working her way as a hunter would to her bedroom. Her bed sat on a small dais in back of her room, lighted by the flower shaped lamps that wrapped around it’s four posters. The room was larger then the rest but was furnished with only a bedside table and a writing desk and chairs all in dark mahogany. She opened her closet to find nothing but her small assortment of medical uniforms and an even smaller array of civilian garments. She sighed feeling silly. Perhaps she had been working too hard lately. She removed her clothes and headed for the bed. It’s colors ranged from tope to gold from its satin coverings to its plush mattresses. The bed was the only thing she vivaciously spent money on besides her weapons collection. She was so tired that she almost lay upon the very thing that had caused her to search her house in the first place. In the center of her bed, her sanctuary, lay a single white lily. Adeeana’s eyes widened in panic as she sensed Sheron’s presence behind her.

“Imaria,” the word rolled off of his tongue like honey. Adeeana whipped around covering her nudity with her arms to face him.

“What are you doing here?”

He stood as naked as she, in the doorway of the bedroom. His arms were crossed over his broad chest and he leaned against the doorframe with an air of finality. She knew as he did, that it was the only way out.

“We have unfinished business, you and I.”

Adeean’s chin rose as she arched a golden brow, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His laugh seemed to surprise even him.

“You still intend to fight me? Why imaria? You only waste your strength.”

“The law of both Lycanthrope and the human nation gives me the right to choose my own mate. You can not force me.”

“You are correct imaria, unless your belly is filled with my child. Than Lycanthrope law says you are mine.”

Adeeana’s body trembled at the memory of his body covering hers. Her eyes drifted over his naked form memorizing the new curves and angles. She had almost forgotten how beautiful he was, her eyes caressed the curve of his cheek where she noted four white slashing scares. A smile played over his lips as if he were reading her thoughts. “You marked me as yours when were but children, imaria. It is time I returned the honor.” It was the only warning she got. He moved faster than she thought was possible for in an instance he was at the foot of the dais. She screamed and jumped back catching the edge of the bed with the back of her knees she landed on it with a thump. She attempted to roll to the other side to keep the bed between herself and Sheron but he caught her by the ankle mid leap dragging her to the middle and flipping her onto her back all in the same movement. Adeeana tried to kick him but his reflexes honed by war were too fast for her. Like the time in the garden she lay beneath him, her arms pinned above her head and his sex flush against hers. Only this time there was no pond to save her, no clothes to separate the hot feel of his skin against her. He began to rock against her mimicking the act of sex without being inside her. She seemed to melt against her wishes against him, her body arching to cradle his large frame. She wrapped her legs around his waist and returned his thrusts. Her eyes filled with tears as she again felt the lengthening of her nails and teeth.

“Please,” she begged him feeling his rigid member probe her opening for entrance, “Please don’t do this.”

“It is already done,” he plunged into her untried body tearing away the last part of her resistance. She cried out in pain and fear but only gripped him tighter with her legs. He dropped his head to bury his face in the crook of her neck licking and nipping her soft skin. She thought he would tear her apart but as his hips thrust him into her again and again waves of pain became tinged with excitement and the excitement became tinged with pleasure. She wanted to touch him, but when she attempted to pull her wrists from his grasp his low threatening growl gave her pause.

“No.” Was all he said thrusting hard enough to make her gasp. She began to make soft mewling sounds rubbing her face against his shoulder to his throat. Her lips murmured sounds of want against his skin and she felt his grip begin to slack. “Imaria, please.” Her nails and k-9 teeth lengthened, her body tensing as she built the strength to take what she wanted from him. Her murmurs became growls and her teasing nips became more forceful.

“Yes, let her free imaria,” Sheron said pumping into her small body, “She is my mate.”

“No,” Adeeana almost didn’t recognize her voice through the animal sound coming from her body. “We are the same.” She shoved against Sheron yanking her wrists from his grasp, her sudden protest almost unseated him, but he would not release her. Without warning he flipped her onto her stomach roughly restraining her hands behind her back pinning them with one hand and using the claws of the other to score her skin as he yanked her hips upward to allow him better access.

“Mine.” He growled, pushing into her again, his body coming down hard to trap hers beneath it, his teeth sinking into her left shoulder so that she could only accept him. Adeeana felt a shifting inside her, the wolf bowed her head to its mate, the woman to her love. She began to push against each thrust tilting her hips back to meet his questing cock.

“Who are you?” He demanded as he felt her body answer his.

“Yours.”

“What are you?”

“Yours,” she sobbed, as the orgasm rocked her body. “Only yours.”

Sheron pulled his sleeping mate over his chest with a contented sigh. He stroked her long golden hair knowing at last that he was home. He heard the door of Adeeana’s home open but did not concern himself with the entrant.

“Adeeana?” Trish’s voice stirred Adeeana from her exhausted slumber. She was aware that her head was pillowed against Sheron’s chest and she attempted to move away from him for decency. For her trouble she got a warning growl and pulled a little roughly back to his side. Her smile was the first thing Trish saw upon entering the room, the second was the largest Garu she’d ever seen.

“Adeeana,” Trish said a little embarrassed, “Are you alright? Who is your friend?”

“I’m okay Trish, and this is…,” Adeeana paused looking up into Sheron’s. He arched a brow in a wicked way that said she had better select the correct answer to this question. The formal Garu words came from the depth of her soul. “May I make known to you, Sheron, my mate.”