My Stubborn Soul Mate

Chapter 6

Nadia’s POV

I think I had just about started to doze off when I heard my cell phone start buzzing. I looked over at the clock and realized it was just after three in the morning. I growled deep in my throat and slide my finger across the keypad answering the phone. I didn’t even get to say a word before my brother Luis spoke

“Nadia, you need to come here now. Get your backside on a plane and bring Ina and your mate with you. I screwed up. I need you to get my ass out of a real bad situation. I think Paul is still alive and I think he has been playing mind tricks on everyone here. It’s not just him there are others involved and its way bigger than just a guy wanting were-cat babies.

I think they are trying to replicate something in our blood. I think they may have already done something to the Leo’s DNA and I am positive they have done something to mine. I can’t tell what’s real and what’s not anymore. I think I am becoming a danger to myself and everyone here. What if someone is controlling me like they controlled the Leo? You are the only one that has a chance as stopping me if I decide go on the attack. Nadia, I need you. You know as a family we are stronger together than apart. Hurry sis before people start needlessly dying.”

Then in my brothers typical fashion he hung up without giving me a chance to get a single word in. My body shuddered at the words my brother left unsaid. I knew what his implications were. He was trying to tell me that he thought he might use him as a weapon. If they did everyone would suffer. Luis was a true warrior undefeated in a fight. I threw my phone onto my mattress and reached into my dresser and started pulling on clothes. I took a deep breath and shouted as loud as I could
“Ina, Miguel I know you both have excellent hearing. You need to listen to me. There is an emergency back in Ghana. My entire family is in jeopardy. That includes your babies Miguel. We need to pull ourselves together and leave on a plane tonight. I need you both ready to board the plane in thirty minutes. Are you in?”

I threw my duffel bag onto my bed and was shoving clothes in when I heard both Ina and Miguel respond almost simultaneously

“I’m in”

A short while later

Aside from the fact that Miguel had to fly as a big pain in the ass tiger, everything else about the flight to Ghana was relatively uneventful. I had Luis on the phone the moment we landed. He explained that since our last call that my nephew Jonah had gone missing and was presumed dead since our sister Suzan saw a vampyre burning in a fire. I couldn’t stop a lone tear from escaping my eye when I thought of Tara and the cubs having to live without him. Then before I could say anything Luis said.

“Sis, something is just not right about any of it though. I went to the place they claimed they saw his dead body , I just wanted to say goodbye. But, there was no evidence of a fire or any humans having been there in months. Mom swears Tara killed a bunch of humans because they tortured and killed Jonah. The evidence just didn't support that. I am positive they were manipulated. I also think Paul has Jonah and is doing something to prevent him from reaching out to Tara.

It’s weird though because the longer I sit with mom or Suzan or even Tara I start to get confused and I suddenly think I too saw the fire pit and dead humans laying all over the place. Heck, I even agreed just this morning to go out and bury them. It’s weird but I keep coming in and out of the illusion.
When you get here, go to Quincy's camp. It’s a tree camp about fifty miles due east into the Serengeti. Have your mate use his nose, he’ll find it. They’ll want to treat him like a god. All he needs to do is show them he’s a were-cat. Most important please stay the hell away from the hotel all of you. That’s where the illusion seems to be centred I’ll come by just after nightfall and we can figure out our next steps.”

I hung up the phone and brought Miguel and Ina up to speed. Thankfully Miguel already shifted back to his human form. He was even already dressed in black khaki short and a sleeveless tee-shirt. I couldn’t stop myself from appreciating how handsome he looked. Even my wolf who was still being a giant pain in the butt purred at the sight of him. I must have been staring and gawking at Miguel for longer than was appropriate because I suddenly felt Ina slap the back of my head. Then she looked smartly at me and said

“How about we deal with this situation before you let your hormones out to play again? I was there for the last go round and would appreciate sticking to business.”

I couldn’t help but smirk to myself. I just loved Ina, she was nothing like my mother yet something about her endears me like a second mom. I felt my cheeks redden as I dropped my eyes to the floor and turned towards Ina. I smiled impishly at her and said

“Right then, let’s head out and see if we can find this camp. I’m going to drive us as far as I can. Once we get out of the Jeep, Miguel can take the lead. My brother Luis says you will be able to sniff them out. So if you don’t mind Ina and I will just follow behind your cat.”

We all hopped into the Jeep and I took off towards the Serengeti. I drove for a few hours before the landscape became more difficult traversing in the vehicle then it was worth. I stopped the Jeep and put the keys in my pocket. I looked back at Miguel with a small tentative smile and said in an almost whisper

“Well tiger man you’re up. Ina and I will fall back and follow you from here.”
I watched as Miguel leaped smoothly out of the jeep and landed with grace just a few feet in front of me. He smiled back then said in a deep voice

“How about you two turn around so that I can save the few clothes I brought with me.”
Something about his voice and the sweat rolling off his too damn good looking chin stopped me in my tracks. I wanted to reach out and pull my fingers through his hair. I wanted to get closer and drown in his scent. I could feel my heart slamming into my rib cage and even my wolf was yipping in desire and approval. I watched as Miguel pulled off the hat he was wearing then reached down and unbuckled his pants.

I felt my cheeks flame and I know my eyes grew two sizes larger. I wanted to say the heck with everything and jump on top of him. I looked around and realized Ina too was looking at Miguel with more than just appreciation in her eyes. That’s when I felt my wolf still. It was clear she was becoming angry and unreasonable. I heard her shrill voice calling him a charlatan. Her words were like a blast of cold water as she hissed in my head

'Your cat is a womanizer and can’t be trusted. Look what he does to us. He was willing to strip in front of us and another woman. He would make a bad mate. Reject him and save both us the pain.'
I knew that I was going to probably regret it, but I couldn’t stop myself from very forcefully grabbing Ina’s arm and twisted us both around. Then before I could regain control of myself I screeched out
“Damn it Miguel. Can you please stop inciting my wolf. She thinks your a frigging womanizer and would be a bad unfaithful mate. For god’s sake, can you just try to keep it in your pants unless we are completely alone!”

My soul mate said not a single word. I felt the air shimmer and knew that he shifted into his tiger form. Then without any preamble he sauntered off deeper into the Serengeti. We walked for several hours in silence. Not a single sound but those of the indigenous animals. Then just as we could tell we were coming upon civilization Ina asked Miguel to go on without us. The moment he was out of earshot she turned and blasted me

“Nadia, I want to give you ample space to work things out between you and Miguel. But if you ever put your hands on me again in anger or aggression, you and I will have to come to terms. I am not afraid of you and I will make sure that I am the winner.

You might not be easy to kill, but I don’t have to kill you to render you useless. If I blast you with a psoinic charge your brain will be nothing but mashed potatoes. Then even your block head of a wolf won’t be able to cause trouble. I think of you as family and would never want to hurt you but, I will not be attacked over and over again by a jealous, mistrustful and misguided wolf.

Damn it Nadia. Get control of your wolf and do the right thing. Either bond with the guy or cut him loose. He deserves better. Your shenanigans are hell on his ego and conscience. You seem to forget the man tried to end his life over his mistakes and you just keep rubbing salt in the wounds.”

I hung my head in shame and felt tears roll down my cheeks. I hiccoughed as I moved from soft whimpering into full blown tears. I felt Ina move closer to me and her arms gently wrapped themselves around me. Ina was right. I was behaving like a green-eyed monster. I am constantly so jealous and angry. Miguel is so good looking and every woman would want him. I am just a little on the plain side and well it gets to me that he could have and has had other woman.

That doesn’t give my wolf the right to lash out at him and me. I was ashamed again and felt the need to lash out at my wolf. I wanted to hurt her and I found myself telling her:

'You are a bad bad dog. You know you want him as much as I do. He scares you because you want him so much. You say he’s my soul mate but you know as much as I do that he’s our true mate as well. There is no one else for us. Stop being a bad dog or we are going to spend our lives alone and lonely'

I wanted to say I was sorry to Ina but before I could say anything she lifted my face to hers and she stared into my eyes and said

“You are letting your wolf side and his tiger side lead this relationship. It’s a mistake. I know you two are mates but words and your beasts are getting in the way. You need to let him touch your soul and you need to touch his. Then the truth will reveal itself. All this pain and bad behaviour is the result of misunderstandings.

Believe me when I tell you that to Miguel you are more beautiful than any other woman in the world. Now that he has met you he will never again want to hold another woman in his arms. Your are it Nadia! You are the one for him. No one else. Trust me when I tell you this. Just please do yourself and him a favour and just blood with him. It will all be easy from there.”

Then she let me go and took off at her top speed towards the human camp. I wiped my cheeks, pulled my battered pride and ego together and ran after her.