Soul Mates, Part 1 Ch 2:

Missing Pieces

The red Mustang was on her almost instantly. The loud rev of the engine filled her mind, and she knew it was the end of her life as she'd known it. She watched it approach, trying to time her jump carefully.

After all the shit I've been through, I die because of a goddamn car.

I knew I hated cars for a reason.

Except that her next sensation wasn't one filled with pain. Nor did she see her life flash before her eyes. Nor did she slip peacefully away. No, her next sensation jolted her eyes open and she watched in awe as she flew through the air, the Mustang driving by underneath her and a foot to her right. Something else had thrown her up and out of the way of the oncoming car.

She fell to the ground roughly, tumbling and skidding a good three feet before coming to a halt in the grass. "Okay, that hurt," she groaned, taking a moment to regain her senses. She looked up as the Mustang's engine revved again, in time to see Jason and Marnie peel off into the night. "Just gonna leave now, huh?"

A loud whine caught her ear, which turned into a low moan of intense pain. Crawling in the direction it was coming from, she found a man lying in the grass. She squinted in the darkness. "Sir? I can't see you very well, are you alright?" Another moan. "Taking that as a no. I'm coming closer to you, alright?"

An idea struck her, and she desperately dug into her pocket as she scuttled forward. She kept her phone encased at all times, and prayed that this one time it would pay off. "Please don't be broken, please don't be broken now!" Pulling it up to her, she immediately felt that the clip that normally kept it in her pocket was broken. How it hadn't gone flying after an impact like that was anyone's guess. Tapping twice on the screen, she sighed in relief as the screen lit up. It wasn't lost yet. Unlocking it, she pulled up her flashlight app and proceeded to hold the phone in front of her. True to her guess, in front of her was a man's boot. She followed it up his leg to his torso, and winced at what she found there.

A torn, bloodied shirt revealed an impact so strong that she was pretty sure multiple ribs were completely shattered. The skin was beaten, concaved inward, and blood was pouring from every tiny inch. She turned away, willing her nausea away. Now wasn't the time. She pushed the light up further, and found an outstretched arm, and above that, the man's face.

She moved to his side, staring as he turned to look in her direction. Pain clouded his eyes, and she could see him trying to focus over and over again. "You saved my life." He gurgled a bit. "No, don't try to speak...it's alright." She grasped his hand. "Thank you for saving me. I-I've never…" She lowered her gaze, feeling tears welling up. She closed her eyes. "Rest, friend."

His hand pulled on hers, pulling her down to him. She resisted for a moment, surprised, looking at him. He tugged again. Slowly, she lowered her ear to his mouth.
"F-Find h-him...P-Princess...f-find A-Alpha…...s-safe…"

Fifteen minutes later, she found herself wrapped in a blanket in the back of an ambulance as an emergency service examiner buzzed around her. On the other side of the parking lot was a police car, an officer in the small field examining the body of the now-deceased man. She paid no attention to the EMS around her, complying absent-mindedly as she was checked and bandaged.

A man had given his life for her. A man had DIED for her. He wouldn't be going home, to whatever life he had been living before. She didn't know anything about him, but he had been willing to take the hit from the Mustang for her in only a few seconds' notice. Who did that? Why had he done that? She was a nobody. There was no reason, no reason at all, for anyone to ever risk their life for her! What was that all about? He mentioned a princess, and an alpha? Am I the princess? Who is the alpha? How am I supposed to find him? She let out an audible sigh. What am I even doing entertaining the idea that I could find a princess and an alpha? Dude was probably just some drugged up crackhead living in his own fantasy. I don't go anywhere except work and home anyway, it's not like I get out much. If anyone is finding anybody, they're coming to me. Another sigh. Let them come. It's been one fucking shitshow after another. I'm so tired of having one thing after another pop up and throw my life, my mind, my body into turmoil. It's just another tsunami I have to try and fight at this point. She turned to look at the deceased man. I'm so sorry. I don't know what you thought, or what you saw in me, when you decided to throw yourself in front of Jason's car, but I'm the last person you should have saved. I'm already too broken as it is. It's only downhill from here. I never wanted anyone to get hurt for me...I never wanted this…

She wiped away fresh tears from her eyes, and it was only at that moment that she realized the police officer was in front of her, trying to get her attention.
"Miss, can you hear me?"
She looked up at him. "Oh...y-yeah, s-sorry...was lost in thought…"
He looked down at her, pity written all over his face. "I understand, miss. I'm gonna have to ask you to come over to the police car, if you can, so that the EMS can take proper care of the deceased."

She nodded and stood, following behind the policeman as he walked back towards his car. The EMS that had been treating her and her partner both followed, keeping an eye on her as she walked. The officer sat her down on the hood of his car, and the two EMS split off to wrap up and bring the body back to their van.
"I assume it's a bit ironic to ask if you are alright, because I can see that you are not," the officer said gently. "But I must ask instead, how well are you handling it?"
She gave a low chuckle that didn't at all match how she felt. "Just peachy, Officer. I just got saved from a madman in a car by a man who thinks I need to go on a quest for a Princess and some Alpha person. Pretty sure it doesn't get much better than that." She leaned back on the hood, staring up at the cloud-shrouded moon above.
"May I have your name and address?"
"My name is Ailia Weiss, and I live at 1203 Cherry Street, just off that trail through the woods there." She pointed at the trodden path and the dark treeline in the distance. "If you walk off the path a little ways, the trees come to an end and you end up in my neighbor's backyard. I always walk this trail to get home, it's what I was doing when…" she paused, fighting back more tears. "...when everything went down."
She looked back up at the moon watching the moonbeams break and wave through the thin cloud layer overhead. That which normally brought her peace held no reassurance for her tonight, only the whisper of mystery. Deep from within the forest came a howl, sending a chill down her spine.
The police officer followed her gaze and leaned against the car. "My name is Officer Garrett, and I promise you we'll be getting you home as soon as the EMS are done with their business. I'll need a statement from you about what happened here and who was involved before I leave you though."
Ailia nodded. "Yeah...I know."
He spoke again. "Before that, tell me something. You seem fascinated by the moon. Is she special to you?"
Ailia looked at the officer. "She? I thought there was a man in the moon, wouldn't it make sense if the moon was a dude?"
He chuckled. "There sure is a man in the moon, if you subscribe to certain legends. For many though, the moon is a woman, and the symbol of women. Soft, beautiful, and elegant. There are many moon goddesses as well."
"Artemis," Ailia muttered absent-mindedly.
He nodded. "She is certainly a common one. But goddesses aside, some believe the moon is a woman. Pure, calm, and pale."
"I mean, yeah, I guess that fits."
The officer looked back at her. "The moon calls to some of us. If you feel it, don't ignore it."
Ailia looked at him as if he had lost his mind.
He nodded. "Trust me, you'll understand sometime."

Ailia had no clue how time progressed following the death of the mystery man. She vaguely remembered giving Officer Garrett her statement about the whole incident while she was on her doorstep, and telling her boss that despite her wishes, no she was not going to stay home for the rest of the week and rest. She knew better than to sit around ruminating on her ass all day. It would only lead to more self-harm and self-hatred, not that she didn't deal with those on a daily basis already.

Not quite enough to be called dissociative identities, she knew she had two other mindsets in her. One was that of her five-year-old self: craving touch, attention and love, crying all the time, and content with everything warm, soft and sweet. The other was older, and much more dangerous: that of her inner darkness, a personality made by and consisting of only anger, hatred, and disgust. She named it Loathing. And it was this side of her that she feared, that she hid away from the world. It whispered to her, encouraging and feeding the self-harm and self-hatred, wanting to see her break. For if she truly broke, she would no longer be in control of herself. And if Loathing gained control, there was no telling what would happen.
The last thing she needed was for Loathing to ruin the few relationships she had left. Her Aunt Carrie, whom she lived with, tolerated her as it was. The old woman wasn't without her own fair share of hardships, but Ailia knew it was more of a strain than Carrie had expected to take on at her age. Ailia hated being a burden on her. Well, on anyone really, she amended herself as she stepped outside. The money she made at the shelter was nowhere enough for her to sustain herself, and while she was constantly on the hunt for a better job, the fact that she didn't drive or have public transportation severely limited her options.

Ailia zipped up her sweater, slipped her phone into her pocket, and shoved her hands in her pockets with it. A cold snap had hit the night before, bringing the temperature down enough to be chilly in the spring breeze. She walked back, back through her neighbor's yard, back onto the forest trail, back to the small grass clearing next to the parking lot where Jason had tried to kill her. He still hadn't been caught yet, and Marnie was nowhere to be seen. It was like they had become ghosts, and everything that had transpired was just a nightmare. Unfortunately, the world kept on turning, with or without them, and so did Ailia.

She actively avoided looking at the place where the man had died, and continued over the asphalt parking lot into the building of the dog shelter. Immediately, the sounds of barking and whining filled her ears. She frowned. It hurt her that any dog had to stay here in this shelter. Everyone deserved a home that loved them, and that included the dogs that found their way here. Everyone except me. She made a round of the rooms, making sure all the dogs had food and water, and giving each one some attention. Most came forward to her, licking her fingers and pressing their heads into her palm. To the few who were too sick or injured, she sat in front of their cage and talked to them. It was never about anything in particular, but she wanted to make the dogs understand that she cared.

As she sat in front of one cage, talking to a young Labrador Retriever puppy, the door that led in from outside opened and closed again. Ailia stood up; it wasn't someone she knew. It was a man, a few years older than herself. His eyes were closed for the moment, and he seemed to be taking in a deep breath, smelling the air. She moved out from the rows of dogs and approached, keeping three feet between him and herself. "Welcome to Pupside Dog Shelter. My name is Ailia, is there anything I can help you with today?"
For a moment, the man didn't move, and Ailia wasn't sure the man had even heard her. She took a step back as he finally moved, turning his head towards her and opening his eyes.
She stared. His eyes were a golden amber, the color of honey. It was mesmerizing. They sunk into and through her own silver-blue eyes, and she felt as if he could see her very soul. A presence filled her mind, swamping her with thoughts, sights, smells, desires, and above all, one thing: her.
"Why yes, I believe you can, Ailia" he replied, smiling gently.

A deep, resounding voice filled her head, rumbling out one word.
MATE.

He watched as Gavin reached her first, shoving his canine body between her legs and jumping into the air, throwing her out of the way of the oncoming vehicle only hairs before it would have run her over.

Gavin hit the hood of the car, and the angle of impact sent him crashing into the windshield. The wolf's momentum sent him up the windshield and over the Mustang, landing with a yelp of pain roughly on the ground behind. The car made a 90 degree turn, peeling away into the night away from Gavin and his mate, who had landed a few feet away from Gavin.

Luke was frozen, torn. On one hand, he wanted to go to Gavin. The wolf would need healing, help and comfort, if he was even in any condition to survive the hit. On the other, doing so would reveal him, and the Canis Lupus, to his mate before she was ready. Before he was ready.

He shook his head; that was no excuse. Instinctively keeping to the lengthening shadows, he began to cross the field towards the pair. He could see a light coming from what was presumably Ailia's phone, and she had made her way to Gavin. His keen eyes watched as Gavin pulled her close; he had been able to revert back to his human form.

A few moments later, about two-thirds of the way to them, Luke froze. A surge ran through him, nearly crippling him in the moment. He felt as the life left Gavin, and the wolf within whined at the loss of their future leader. Panic warred with grief.

Nononononono, Gavin! Now what? What do I do? Gavin...Gavin...oh God...

He couldn't think straight. So he followed his instinct. He turned and ran, not caring if his mate saw him. As he hit the treeline once more, he stopped long enough to make a phone call. "Garrett? I'm going to need you and an ambulance at the dog shelter. No, I'm fine...yes, Gavin's gone. I'll fill you in later, can you take care of him and the woman who is with him? Thanks."

With that taken care of, he phased into his wolf, grabbed his phone in his jaws and took off running. He didn't know how long he ran for, he just kept going, following alongside the forest trail until he could go no further. Panting, sweating, and exhausted, he took refuge under the overhang of a large boulder and sat down in the cool dirt. He couldn't believe it. One minute Gavin was there, and the next he was just...gone. No longer would they race through the woods together, trying to see which of them was the faster one. No longer would they eat lunch together, talking about their woes and their accomplishments. No longer would Gavin be whisked away, only to return grumbling halfheartedly about pack matters at the end of the day.

The wolf inside him took over, and he released a howl of grief to the moon, to the Great Luna above. He laid down, memories still passing through his mind, and closed his eyes. Sleep would be rough, if it came at all.

The next morning he rose and shook out his fur. His heart was heavy with the tasks he knew he needed to carry out. He had to speak with Gavin's father and with Garrett, the police officer. He walked his way slowly back to town, phasing back to man as he approached his back doorstep. He walked inside and grabbed a set of clothes from his closet, absentmindedly slipping into them. He grabbed his phone and stared at it for a minute. With a sigh, he unlocked it and hit the first speed dial on his phone. It rang twice and was picked up.

"Alpha..."
"Luke! Thank the Luna you're alright. We feared the worst, after..."
"I'm sorry, Alpha..." Luke choked on his words, tears sliding down his cheeks. "There was nothing I could do...I couldn't stop him."
"What happened out there, Luke? Talk to me, nephew."
"We were in the woods...watching my mate as I contemplated how to introduce myself to her. She was endangered by a car driving at her, and he- he pushed her out of the way, taking the blows himself."
There was silence on the other end of the line for a minute. "When you return we will mourn, both for him and for his mate who will never know him. Gavin died to secure your happiness and sanity. It is a death befitting an Alpha, looking out for his pack."
"Yes, Alpha..."
"And Luke?"
"Yes, Alpha?"
"It is not your fault, Luke. Do not burden yourself with what happened yesterday evening, for it will change nothing. Gavin made his choice knowing full well what he was doing. Instead focus on your future, and your mate. That is how you can make it up to him."
Luke bowed his head for a moment, then wiped his eyes. "As you say, Alpha."
"Return to us safe. I love you, nephew."
"I love you too, Uncle."

The line went dead, and Luke hung up the call on his end. His Uncle William was a strong Alpha. Not the strongest in terms of dominance as compared to their Romanian counterparts, but that gave William a measure of humility and kindness that made others respect him. William had raised Luke and his three brothers as his own children alongside Gavin, after their parents had died fighting in a vampire den. Speaking with William had given him a measure of comfort and direction again, and reminded him of his new purpose: he had a mate to meet. Not only for himself, this time, but for Gavin as well. He would not let his cousin's death be in vain.

His next call was to Garrett. A fellow Canis Lupus, Garrett was an amazing asset to have as a member of the police force. He was a member of the same pack as Luke, but he served here as an arm of the pack, able to keep an eye on the dog shelter and the area as a whole. He also had the right connections to help keep magic and the wolves hidden from the humans.

Surprisingly, he spent the majority of the rest of the day on the phone trying arrange for Gavin's body to be returned home to Tennessee. Garrett referred him to one of the EMS responders, who had to refer him to their supervisor, who redirected him to an entirely different department, who redirected him to the morgue of the hospital Gavin had been taken to. From there he had to undergo an identity check, wait for paperwork to be drawn up for the body to be released, sign it all, and finally get it picked up and delivered to a cold storage near his family's jet at the nearest airport.

He put down his phone and ran his hands through his hair. The hard part was over. He laid down on his couch, staring up at the ceiling. He found that his thoughts wandered to his unknowing mate. Their meeting now would be a bittersweet one. He couldn't hesitate anymore. He would go to her workplace tomorrow and introduce himself properly. He would put all of his cards on the table, and let her decide if she wanted to take it or leave it. She deserved that much. She had deserved it long before she had been put in danger; he had just been too much of a coward to act. He vowed to himself that he would do everything in his power to keep her safe and happy. He slipped into an early slumber, he and his wolf both content at the prospect of meeting their mate the next day.

He woke to a cold morning. Stretching, he got up off the couch. Grabbing an extra pair of clothes, he went and showered before putting them on, the scalding hot water soothing him in light of his task ahead. He grabbed a light coat out of the closet and threw it on over everything else. While he was used to cold temperatures, Connecticut's winds today had an extra bite to them. Would be perfect for being with our mate, his wolf noted wistfully. He couldn't help but agree. Curled up together, skin on skin, sharing warmth and love. He grabbed his keys, wallet, and phone, and walked out to his car.

He was only a short drive away from the dog shelter, which was better for him to be close by if anything happened, but also meant that he had little time to prepare himself. In what felt like a blink, he was already pulling into the parking lot. He turned off the car engine and sat for a moment. Just there, on the other side of the shelter door, was his future, his other half, his one and only mate. The one person who would change his life. The one who, if she chose, would become his wife and be with him for centuries.

He willed himself out of his car and walked up to the door. He pulled it open and stepped inside, letting it swing closed behind him. He closed his eyes and breathed in the air of the place, smelling dog, dog food, what was undoubtedly urine from one corner, and- ah, there it is. He sighed in content as his mate's sweet scent of lavender and peaches filled his nose. A scent that only he could smell, and one that immediately drowned out the rest. Her voice came through to him. "Welcome to Pupside Dog Shelter. My name is Ailia, is there anything I can help you with today?"

He relished in her scent a minute more, not responding right away. When he finally opened his eyes and looked into her silver-blue ones, he knew his eyes were glowing. His wolf was straining against him, but he refused to lose the very little control he had right now. The bond between them snapped into place, making him feel whole as he had never felt in his life. He opened his mind to her, letting her know everything he was feeling and experiencing and just how important she was to him, how badly he only needed her. He smiled gently. "Why yes, I believe you can, Ailia."

His wolf pushed forward, not taking control but asserting his presence and dominance. The word reverberated through both their heads.

MATE.