Heart Two Heart

IV ~~ Seraphina’s Perspective

I recognised the camazotz by his black heartless eyes the moment we walked into the restaurant. I felt the hair on my arms and the back of my neck stand on end. Then a shiver of dread ran down my spine like a thousand tiny little spiders. I’d been so confused by Ulric’s choice in places to eat.

Generally speaking we enjoyed steak houses over other forms of prepared food. Ulric as a nagual, could transform into three different predators; a jaguar, a crow and a coyote. Despite being predominantly a meat eater he enjoyed pasta from time to time, but this restaurant was mostly seafood which he generally disliked plus this restaurant had a reputation for fine wines and bad food.
I only ever wanted Ulric to be happy so I let him drag me into the dive. I spotted the camazotz the moment we cleared the vestibule. He was sitting at a table in the corner of the room with he back to the wall. He looked like the predator he was seeking his next victim. I felt Ulric’s body tense and I knew that he too was aware of his presence.

I grabbed hold of his arm with the intention of leading both of us back outside and away from the camazotz. He would probably kill both of us on sight if given the chance. We needed to get as far away from here as possible. It was said that once a camazotz chose you as a target there was no chance for survival.

I pulled at Ulric’s arm but his body refused to move. Then I watched as the camazotz spotted the two of us. I watched his pupils dilate and his nose flare. He knew we were both skinwalkers. I turned to face Ulric but instead of fear, I saw surprise and wanton desire flash across his face. I suddenly smelled his pheromones fire off and I knew he was sending out a mating call to the camazotz.
That’s when the truth hit me; the camazotz was his eternal heart Tain. The one that his mother and father continued to allow him to believe was dead. The reason why Gaho was pushing for Ulric and I to give each other space and time instead of marrying. I have known for years the Tain survived the attack. I’d overheard Waylon, Kealoha and Gaho discussing it years ago when Ulric has still been just a boy.

I’d thought it odd that they had decided not to tell him of his eternal hearts’ existence but I’d been grateful that I wouldn’t have to compete for his love and affection. His mother Kealoha had been adamant that Tain stays away from Ulric. She’d even gone so far as to say that she would “kill Tain” if he ever came within five hundred feet of her child again. I’d found it to be a very extreme statement coming from a peaceful Navajo woman who showed compassion to worms.

I’d meant to question Gaho but had never gotten around to it. The truth is I’d assumed that since Ulric’s family comes from a long line of powerful people that whoever this Tain was would be kept far away from Ulric. I’d never banked on Tain being just as powerful if not more than Ulric’s family. Tain is the bogeyman to many skinwalker tribes. We use he name to scare the kids into staying indoors and going to bed.

I trembled as I watched he push the table away and come to his feet. My body shook and I know that the smell of fear permeated the air around me. I felt my bladder empty down my leg. For just a moment I was too shocked to move, I held my breath waiting for his hands to wrap itself around my neck. I closed my eyes and tried to steady my breathing and my heart, by the time I opened them again he was gone and Ulric was trying to chase after him.

I started to think that Ulric didn’t have a clue what his eternal heart was. I tried to get his attention and ask him why he would chase the camazotz even if he was his eternal heart. He pulled and tugged me outside without even straining a muscle. I grabbed onto the steel light pole in an effort to stop his forward motion.

He turned and growled loudly in my face while baring his mutated teeth clearly showing me that he is a dangerous predator and that I must submit. I tried to fight back but my inner fox submitted immediately to the larger more dangerous coyote. I was forced to let go of him. The moment my hands released him, Ulric propelled himself after the camazotz. I was left with nothing. I could do but to beg him to stay.