AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Fifteen
Oz
The sun was at its peak in the day sky, and its heat singed my skin while driving my resolve into the dirt. This was hopeless and ridiculous.
I was a lone wolf on this journey. Everyone else was fixating on their survival and making packs and life viable again, and here I was traipsing around in the middle of nowhere when I could be helping my parents or building something new, actually making a real difference.
But no, I was Oswald, king of finding my mate who might or might not be out there, might or might not want me, might or might not be already mated with a dozen children.
It was really bad when I started talking to myself and using my birth name. My parents hadn’t ever called me by that name, except the one time I burned myself trying to make a bigger fire and my father was worried, not angry.
My bag was so damned heavy, it pained me just to look at it. I’d eaten most of the dried food my mother insisted I take.
Angry at the bag and its weight on my back, I emptied it onto the ground right there in the dirt and fell to my knees, exhausted from head to toe. My stupid books. Heavy books filled with my hopes and dreams and rudimentary scribblings of a vision of my mate, which was ridiculous considering she might not look anything like that.
The last thing that plopped out of my bag took me by surprise. A small leather bag, tied shut with a string and a sprig of rosemary fell to the ground after the other objects. Why hadn’t I seen this before, and what in the hell was it?
I tore the bag open, secretly hoping the parcel contained a roast or some magic spell to transport me straight to my mate. Both were impossible, but a man could dream.
Inside, there was a rolled-up note that smelled of lavender. My mother. Leave it to her to give me something she probably knew I would need at my lowest hour.
Without looking at the contents, only reading the note, I felt a surge of power and strength and energy. I should’ve known she would give me some hope and motivation even from miles and miles away. That was my mom. She was such an incredibly strong and capable woman. I couldn’t wait to introduce her to my mate and vice versa.
My bag was back on my shoulders and throughout the day; as I walked, I kept the small leather bag tucked into my fist and held against my chest. My steps were labored but I took them, begging the sun to begin to go down, not only for my comfort but because I knew what was inside this bag could only be utilized under the light and blessing of the moon.
My mother’s pack didn’t believe in the mating signs in the stars, but instead they worshiped the moon, calling it their Luna. She was precious to them, and they believed the Sun was the male god and the Luna was the female goddess. They said the Sun loved his Luna so much that he bowed to her every night and was content to shine his light on her from behind, making sure the world got to see her beauty but also showing them that she was his and no one lit her up but him.
It was a lovely story but left out the most important part, the stars.
Our pack focused on the stars. My mother recognized the importance of the stars, but a part of her still loved the Luna, and she looked to the goddess of the night sky for strength and hope. That’s what she had imparted to me in this bag, and my breaths became shallow waiting on the night.
I got lost in reciting some of the histories to myself and Jimmy. He was in my shirt pocket, but I knew he could hear me.
Oh boy, I’d better find her before I lost my mind completely. Wouldn’t that be a horrible ending? Male finds mate but not before he goes nuts in the crusade to find her.
What a story that would be.
I was lucky enough to find another cave to take shelter in, one that gave me a glimpse of the night sky. So, when a glow from above became the most luminescent I’d seen, I ran outside, still clutching that leather bag to my chest.
I started a small fire outside the cave, not caring who saw it or who or what it attracted. I followed the instructions in the note exactly. I had plucked a hair from my head and torn out a drawing of the Cursor from my journal. I had a small metal pot, and inside, I put the crumpled-up drawing along with the hair and the herbs my mother had lovingly tucked into the bag. In the small fire, I lit up the palo santo and waited for it to smoke. After the fire got going, I transferred some of the hot coals into the pot and watched my hopes, dreams, and journey get offered to the Luna. I prayed right there under her light that she would bless my travels and that my faith wouldn’t wane again.
That I would find my mate sooner rather than later.
And that my mating would be successful.
I watched as my items burned and the smoke rose to meet the goddess in the heavens.
Thank the gods for my mother.
This had to work. It had to.
