Colt parked the car in front of her little farmhouse style cottage. The stables went in a couple of months ago, and ever since she could smell the horses whenever she arrived or left the house. It brought a peace to her soul she couldn't describe in words alone.
When she was younger, she discovered that being on and around horses was the closest she could feel to having an inner animal. Their speed and their power was part of it, but mostly the connection she felt to them; somehow it made her feel more whole and less distant from the world.
She was at least comforted by the way her body retained the strength and advantages displayed by all shifters in their human form, even more so since she had the best of both species, so to speak. It was a small comfort to her, and a reminder that she belonged despite her negative emotions regarding her lack of shifting prowess.
Colt had a wolf's strength, coupled with the agility of her wildcat heritage, then her other senses were stronger overall than both her parents and her siblings.
But she had no animal, and that stung.
Without an inner beast she just always felt like something was missing.
Then her Mom took her horse riding one day. She could see exactly what her daughter was lacking to make her happy. Then when Colt had learned enough of the basics to ride on her own she developed fast.
But more than that, soon all her spare time was being spent around horses. Much to her father’s approval, since it staved off her interest in boys a year or two; or at least her available time, to be interested in boys. She would visit local stables to groom, muck out stalls, or just sit and read in the company of the animals. Colt had finally found that form of connection and when the planning was approved five months ago, up the stables went, and in the horses came, as close to her home that she could get them.
With a comforting sigh as she breathed in the evening air, Colt walked to her front door smiling and inhaling as deeply as she could. The horses in the field in front of the house whinnied at her, while trotting over in the hope of some treats. She leant on the door frame for a second happily smiling at her peaceful little world, before turning around and preparing to walk inside. Her contentment almost left her feeling unaffected by the nights earlier events, almost, and taking one last deep breath she opened the door, instantly smiling when she recognised her mother's scent from inside.
"Mom?" She called out, hoping she hadn't missed her mother’s visit.
"I'm in the kitchen, Sweetie." Came the reply, that was music to her ears.
Colt hadn't realised it, but this is exactly what she needed; a hug from her mother. So simple, but such effective medicine for heartache, or in this case severe heart irritation.
Colt’s mother, Isla, was a woman who lived for her family, and now her kit and her cubs were all grown and mostly moved away she liked to dote on them; paying random impromptu visits to check in and catch up. But, when Colt practically flew into her arms burying herself as much as she could into her mother's embrace, Isla knew without a shadow of a doubt that something was going on within her daughter’s life.
"Well, I missed you too, Colt. But please tell me, what has got your tail in such a twist?” She asked in her soft Scottish accent.
"Maybe you're just exactly who I needed to be here right now, Mom." Colt replied, pulling back to look at her Mom who initially raised her eyebrows in response.
"Maybe you are just full of nonsense?" Her Mom replied, following up with, "Maybe, you don't try and fob me off with any of that nonsense, and tell me why I am exactly who you need to see? Maybe, we don’t dance around the issue, Young Lady; because you haven't hugged me like that since you were fifteen years old and your horse died from a bad colic. Maybe, you tell me just who the backside belongs to that I am going to have to get your father and brother's to kick? Although, I am plenty aware you can kick any backside you need to. So, that makes it what? Either there is a problem with the resort or its man trouble and since if it were the resort you would have told me straight away, I am guessing it is the latter, right?" Isla said with a hand on her hip looking at Colt expectantly.
Colt's mouth opened and closed repeatedly, gaping as she attempted to grasp with or figure out a response for her Mom, all while feeling like she had been caught red handed with her hand in a cookie jar. This uncanny ability of Isla was why neither Colt, nor her siblings could get away with anything untoward growing up, their mother was a legitimate genius at deciphering her children’s hidden motives and intentions.
Before Colt had managed to begin her reply, her Mom said without even looking at her, "Close your mouth Colt, you may be half wolf and half wildcat, but you’re definitely not part fish."
With that Colt’s mouth snapped shut and she gave up, walking over to the fridge with a sigh, "White or red, Mom?"
Her Mom laughed, lifting up her own Glenfiddich bottle and replied, "Always amber darling, always amber."
Isla then proceeded to pour two glasses and headed through to the cosy sitting room, where she sat on the couch beside the lit wood burning stove, and handed over a glass to her daughter, who had followed her through.
"So, who is he then? Not the pampered lion I hope? Your father will go berserk if you mate with Felix," she asked, after Colt had taken her first sip.
"Oh, trust me, he could still flip at this one,” Colt replied, "And no, Felix is just a friend, Mom."
"Friends don't look at you the way he does, Colt, and I wasn't born yesterday. There's obviously history there." Isla responded pointedly.
"Okay, Mom I get it, you are aware that Felix and I were fooling around. But, that’s all it was,” Colt snapped, before adding, “I'm sorry, Mom, I’m just a bit sensitive right now, and it is nothing to do with Felix." Colt said. "My mate found me tonight. He’s an damn Alpha wolf."
"Ah,” Isla nodded in understanding, “This is the mate you never wanted to meet or have? Still feel the same way now you know who he is?" Isla responded with a smirk, sipping calmly on her whisky and allowing her instincts to guide her on when to push for answers and when to wait on them being revealed.
"More than ever,” Colt responded on an over dramatic exhale, “But, then I punched him, and the look of hurt he gave me was so deep I just feel,” she paused as she searched her emotions, “Oh, I don’t know, I just can't get it out of my head. That look, it was like the hurt was lodged deep in his soul. Why can’t I just switch it off?” She said, downing her drink in one.
"Of course you are being made to feel something over this, Colt. It's the mate bond." Isla smiled reassuringly at her daughter, with a slight note of humour in her voice. "But, your Dad will be pleased to hear you whacked him on first meeting him, especially after I nearly clawed your father's eyes out when we met."
"You what?!" Colt asked incredulously, suddenly feeling slightly better and a lot intrigued.
"You heard me,” Isla smirked, “But, that's a story for another day. Now tell me, does this mate of yours have a name? Or are we just to call him Alpha? Because I do believe the boys will have an issue with that.”
Colt closed her eyes, outwardly cringing as she wished she could disappear from reality for a moment. The one thing she had hoped in this conversation was to avoid revealing his identity, desperately hoping her Mom would not ask that, while she managed to lean on her for support all the same. She shook her head, snapping back to face reality, then looked her Mom in the eyes.
Then taking a deep breath, Colt answered, "I am apparently the long awaited mate of Elijah Lupus, himself."
Isla's empty glass fell to the floor as she released a loud hiss. Colt watched silently as her Mom took a moment to regain her composure.
Then she stood up saying to her daughter, "Well, now I see why you needed that hug, Colt, and me? I need another bloody drink."