Chapter 47: Chapter 47

Jake seemed be communicating with his eyes as he looked at us in wolf form. It was as if to say, "Let's go."

He moved forward into the fog and I moved into it with him. We passed through and so did our friends. A loud roar was heard as we saw a very large, lion with wings appear in front of the river. He had a large, reddish brown main as he growled at us from where he stood.

His wings were brown, small and short, but large enough to carry his weight. They lay steady and unmoving on his back as his large, carnivore teeth barred at us. It looked like we had to fight him to pass through. So be it. I wasted no time in leaping forward to land on the lion.

We rolled on the ground as we growled at each other. I was on top of it for a moment, but then it moved its large body and I was on the ground. He growled as his paws nailed my own paws to the ground. Just as he seemed like he was going to bite my neck, I saw Jake leap at him. His wolf's head connected with the lion's body, pushing it off of me.

I quickly stood up back to all fours as I saw Shane, Sean and Jane all gang up on the lion with Jake. I jumped from where I was and landed beside them. I coukd hear the lion's whimpers. Pushing my wolf's head between their wolf bodies, I barred my teeth and bit into the lion's neck.

Jake's wolf was biting into the other side of its neck while the Jane's wolf had her teeth around its ankle, so did Shane. Sean was growling at it as we finished it off. Soon, the lion's whimpers turned into cries and I felt my heart constrict with pity. I immediately let go of its neck then nipped Jake's ear to have him let up. He did, and looked at me with his head cocked.

I growled, looking at Jane and Shane. Their attention turned to me and they immediately let its limbs drop out from their mouths. I glanced down at the lion and it looked so hurt. I leaned my head down and licked at the wounds on its neck. The wound closed, healing from my wolf's spit.

I lifted my head up to see Jake, Jane and Shane do the same. The lion seemed better, but still stayed on the ground as it watched us carefully. I felt the urge to have it as my pet. What was the best pet than a mystical lion with wings?

But that could wait. We were here for the River of True Mates, and we shall see it. Jake turned towards the river then glanced over at me. I nodded my wolf head and walked to his side, and together, we walked to the river. I heard the sound of friend's paws behind us as

they trailed after us.

We reached the river, but we looked at each other first. Jake stayed back as I walked forward and looked into the river. I saw my reflection and the reflection of Jake's wolf beside me. I looked to the side, but saw that Jake was behind me. Looking back at the river, I saw Jake's reflection and my own rub their snouts together.

They were close together, but a shadow came between them, trying to push them apart. Then suddenly, they were human. Our wolf reflection were human and hugging each other, but the shadow was gone. The reflection disappeared, leaving only my wolf's reflection as I stared into the river. That must mean that Jake was my mate.

I felt so happy and felt my human side grin as I rejoiced. But then, the shadow that was standing between us, what could that mean? An evil force trying to separate us? Kane? And what did it mean when we suddenly shifted into human form? I had a question answered, but more brought up.

Feeling confused, I stepped back from the river and looked over at Jake. I knew that he could see the happiness in my eyes and could guess what he would see. He stepped forward and watched the river to see who his true mate was. It should be me as I saw that he was mine.

In a few minutes, he turned back around and ran to me. He slipped out his long, wolf tongue and licked my wolf face. He rubbed his head against mine and I rubbed mine against his in affection. The others already knew what it meant for us and we heard them howl. Happy that their two Alphas were united.

We glanced over at the three of them howling, and we joined them. We howled together before we finally quieted down. Shane stepped forward next and looked into the river as Jake and I rubbed our heads against each other, licking and nipping once in a while.

After a few minutes, Shane turned around looking happy. He stepped back, and glanced over at Jane with a large, but worried smile. Jane didn't acknowledge his odd smile, but only looked worried as she waited for her turn as Sean stepped forward. When Sean turned back around, he looked odd and quiet with no happy gleam in his eyes.

He stepped back, and Jane stepped forward. We all expected Drake to be her mate just as Jake was mine. However, what we witnessed proved otherwise. She turned around and ran back to the car as tears ran down her wolf eyes. I didn't even know wolves could cry until then. I glanced at Jake and slipped out my tongue to lick his face in affection before running after her.

As I reached the edge of the fog, I saw that Jane was already at the car and was crying in human form as she sat against the door. It must have been because it was locked and she decided to cry there. I knew that she needed to be alone to cry and let her have some time alone to herself before I tried comforting her.

I turned back around and saw the lion with wings standing behind me. He was healed and looked harmless now as he stared at me innocently. Jake ran to me and stood in front of me to defend me in case it tried anything. I stepped out from behind him since I didn't want him to get hurt in my place.

Jake glanced at me and I could see the worry in his wolf's hazel eyes. But I nodded at him as I sensed the lion was being civil. We both looked back at the lion as Shane and Sean's wolves walked from the river to us. It opened its mouth and did something so shocking. It talked, yes, you heard me right, and in perfectly good English.

"Fellow human, you have pitied me and showed me compassion when I did not do so for you. I would like to accompany you to wherever you would go and give you any assistance that you may require for I feel indebted to you." It said in a deep voice, looking at me with its lion eyes.

I couldn't talk or at least have not learnt to in wolf form so I transformed back into human form to reply to it. I shifted back just as I saw Jake and the other two do the same. Our former clothes returned which was amazing in itself. I looked at the lion with its wings resting against its back. "Thank you for trying to help me, and I would love to agree, but I can't move around with you."

"Ah, I see. My size is too big, well, I can transform into a small human boy and transform back into my original form when it is needed." The lion transformed into human form as it said that. He shifted into a small boy of around six years old with black hair, and I have to say that he looked cute.

I gasped as Jake exclaimed as we stared at the cute boy. "Woah!"

"He's so cute!" Shane said as he looked at the little boy too.

"Aw, you look so adorable!" Sean exclaimed.

"Yes, I have to look this way to blend in with the human kind." The lion said in a small, adorable voice of a kid.

"But can you leave the river? Aren't you the guardian?" Jake asked with furrowed brows and we all stared at it in anticipation.

"One of the guardians, but I have a choice, and I have chosen to be your guardian now. Other guardians will appear whenever one tries to enter unto the River of True Mates." The little boy explained.

I smiled as I felt happy to have acquired a mystical creature as my companion and guardian. "Alright, I accept you as my guardian, but what is your name?"

"My name is Leonardo, but you can call me Leo." The small boy answered as he looked innocently at us.

"Okay, Leo, we'll be going back home where we live now." I said as I patted his head. He grinned, looking even more cute and adorable.

"And I'm Max, he's Jake, my mate." I pointed at Jake who smiled proudly, and I felt so happy to say that. I pointed at Shane and Sean, "And those are Shane and Sean."

"And the girl beside the car is Jane." Jake added, pointing a thumb over his shoulder.

"Nice to meet you all, Jake, Shane and Sean!" Leo said, looking up at them with large, round eyes.

"Nice to meet you too, Leo." Jake said as he smiled at him.

"Hey, Leo." Sean said, waving his hand as he also grinned. Shane let a small smile touch his lips as he replied to Leo, "Hi."

"I'll go over to check on Jane before you guys finish getting acquainted." I said as I looked at them, and they all turned to me.

Jake raised his hand and cupped my face as he said, "Okay, but be fast because you and I have a lot to discuss."

I grinned, knowing that he was talking about us being mates. "Yes, I know, babe."

He took his hand back and I turned around to walk out of the fog and approach Jane. She was still sitting against the car door, but she has stopped crying as she stared at the ground in thought. I walked over to stand beside her, but she didn't even look up or acknowledge my presence.

"Hey, Jane. I'm so sorry that you didn't see what you hoped for in the river."

She looked up at me when she heard my statement, and I could see that her eyes were bloodshot. "You don't need to apologize, Max. It's not your fault, I knew it in my gut that Drake isn't mine, and I wasn't his. That was why I was h*ll bent on coming here."

"Well, you got your answer, and I know that whoever it is, he's the best one for you." I said as I squatted down and placed my hand on her shoulder in comfort.

She gave me a sad smile as she said, "It's Shane."

That seemed so shocking to me that I felt my mouth fall open in shock as I slipped my hand away from her shoulder. "Shane? It's so unexpected, and how will Drake react?"

"I know, but Drake has no right to be angry when he has his own mate out there."

"Yeah, you're right, so you shouldn't be upset." I said as I watched her stand up.

"I know, but it's so sad that I have to leave Drake after thinking that we'll be together forever. We even planned to go to the same college."

"That's just life, sometimes, it doesn't go as we planned it to be."

"Yeah, and I'll have to accept it that way." She said as she stared at something over my shoulder.

I stood up and glanced over my shoulder to see Shane staring at Jane as he, Jake, Sean and Leo approached us. I wonder how he must be feeling to find out that his friend's girl was his mate and that he was supposed to be with her forever. They stepped out from the fog and the walked the rest of the way to us.