My Stubborn Soul Mate

Chapter 3

Nadia’s POV

I watched my soul mate slam his huge tiger body against the bed frame. He roared back and slammed into it again. I’m not sure why but I had the strange feeling that this was another attempt at ending his own life.

Tiger boy’s death wish confused the heck out of me. I always thought that evil people delighted in their disgusting behaviour and had very big survival instincts. If that was the case why did my soul mate continually try to kill himself? I could understand if he had a conscience and was ashamed by what he’d done to Tara, but I knew that wasn’t the case the moment he shifted into his human form and allowed me to see, smell and sense his arousal.

I felt shame and heat move to my cheeks as my soul mate stood naked in front of me oozing desire. I was appalled that he seemed to lack any sense of modesty. Why would the fates pair me with such an awful and disgusting male? He obviously had no respect for females and couldn’t be trusted outside of a cage.

I was about to leave the room and my foul soul mate alone, when he did the strangest thing. He actually started to cry and whimper like a very scared little boy. Then he started to mumble out loud about not being used that way again. Then he climbed under the covers and hid like a small frightened child.

I cocked my head to the side and listened intently to his strange mutterings. I was somewhat expecting him to pop back out at any minute, but he continued to stay under the covers and whine and cry about not hurting anyone. I was dismayed when I realized I had been standing stock still for more than an hour listening and watching him.

Finally deciding that he was insane on top of being foul and disgusting I walked back to my own room and flopped down on my bed. I was going to have to decide what to do with him. It was foolish taking him away with me. Today’s behaviour was just another way of god and the fates showing me that my soul mate was a lost cause. I should have allowed uncle Lucian to put him and me out of our misery.

I lay on my bed and decided that I would try to read for a while and get my soul mate off my mind. I had to be honest with myself; I simply wasn’t ready to let him go. Even knowing that he was a lost cause. My soul wanted him and well I didn’t really have the strength to fight my soul yet.

I grabbed an old paperback of the shelf and flipped it open to the first page. I realized immediately that this was one of my favourite stories. It was a vamprye story. I loved it despite the fact that most just about everything she writes about vampyres is wrong but she sure does write really good books. Dark Destiny is the story of a vampyre and his soul mate Destiny. She was turned by an evil vampyre and his evilness is in Destiny's blood and eventually she too will become evil.

Destiny's soul mate wants her bad enough that he is willing to sacrifice everything and even become evil if that's the only way he can be with her. I sat and read the story and couldn’t stop myself from drawing the parallels between the vampyre and Destiny's story and mine and my soul mate. The major difference however is Destiny never wanted to be evil it was the bad vampyres fault. My Leo Miguel was evil because he just was.

I read long into the morning hours and realized that I’d had the Leo in my care for more than two days and failed to feed him or even given him water. I knew by any standards that was considered cruel and unusual punishment. I needed to make sure if I was going to force him to stay alive that I provided his basic necessities.

Miguel's cat was probably pushing six hundred pounds and must require large amounts of food. The more I considered my oversight the more I was overcome with shame and guilt. Thank goodness he was evil because it looks like I would have been a terrible soul mate anyway. I went into the kitchen and piled tons of food on a tray and walked back into the spare bedroom that I'd temporarily converted into a cage.

To my surprise my Miguel was still beneath the covers muttering to himself about mind games and not doing it. I popped open the door and slid the food into the room with him. Then I cleared my throat and called out to him

“Um, Yo, Um tiger boy. I um put some food out here for you. You should eat it. It's been a few days since you ate last. I’m betting you have a big appetite and need the calories to keep healthy.”

I waited for him to emerge from the blankets but he didn't even poke his head out. He did become silent however. But he stayed wrapped up like a child hiding from the bogey man. Something inside of me was becoming restless. I was starting to think that something more than what I knew was going on with my soul mate. I called again, this time I tried to sound a little nicer.

“Um, I think it would be a good idea if you came out here and had something to eat. My name is Nadia and um technically you are my soul mate. How about you come out and tell me what has you so scared? Maybe I can help since I am a big bad hybrid vampyre. What do you say?”

I hadn’t really expected Miguel to reply or even acknowledge my existence. Then I watched as his head popped out of the covers and he opened his mouth and spoke in a crisp deep voice
“I know this is just another mind game. Leave me alone Paul. I am not going to let you fool me into harming another female. I won’t do it! Just let me die and end this.”

I heard Miguels words but the meaning eluded me for just a moment. Then pure hope slammed into me. Maybe just maybe my soul mate wasn’t the monster my family and I thought he was. Maybe the whack job that kidnapped the cubs had done something to him and forced him to hurt Tara.

Maybe my soul mate was as much a victim as Tara had been. Miguels comments were enough for hope to blossom within me. Hope meant that I needed to figure out a way to get him healthy and find out the truth. I called out to Miguel again praying that if he heard my words he would believe me enough to get himself out of the bed and at least eat.

“Hey, tiger boy, you really are my soul mate. My family and I saved you from that whack job Paul. He’s not here and he can’t hurt you anymore. My brother Luis made sure he can never hurt anyone again. I’ll go back to my room and give you some privacy and time to think about it. But um, just eat so I don’t have to force you okay?”

I waited just long enough to see the bed covers moving before leaving the room. I rushed back to my room and pushed my brother’s number into the phone. Luis answered on the first ring. I told him my suspicion about Paul and my soul mate and asked him to find out what kind of powers were-cat have. I wanted to know if it’s possible that my soul mate was forced to do the things he did to Tara? My brother promised to get me the information and call me back. He also promised not to tell my mom, uncle Lucian or any other family member where I was. I knew Luis would keep his word. He has never lied and I knew he wasn’t going to start anytime soon.