The Silver Bear's Mate

by Fay Walsh

  “Fine. Can do.”

  The phone clicked off, and he was happy that she at least listened to him, but he feared her response when he dropped the bomb on her, and what may happen with their relationship next.

  Chapter 10

  Vicky listened to his words, and while she did believe him, she also felt weird about what was about to happen. She wondered what may come about next, or even what they would have to do now. But, she followed what Sven asked for, heading to the diner in town and sitting at one of the seats. She waited, hoping that he didn’t end up bailing on her for some reason.

  After about ten minutes, she saw Sven. She felt that little tingle of excitement that she felt when she saw him, but she also knew better than to get her hopes up. She liked Sven, but she felt a bit scared about what may come about next. What did he have to tell her that was so important?

  Sven sat down across from her, at first staying silent, but then, he sighed.

  “Did you get anything yet?”

  “No, I was going to wait for you,” she said.

  “Thanks. But, you can get whatever you need. I think a cup of coffee would calm me down a bit,” he said.

  She ordered some food, and after the server left, Sven spoke.

  “Well, I guess this is it. I'll tell you what’s really going on,” he said.

  “You don’t have to go into detail,” she said.

  “No, I want to. I want to let you know everything. I talked with the alpha and he told me that I at least owe you that,” he said.

  “You really don’t have to go into details,” she said.

  “Well, I'm going to. The truth is, Vicky, is that I'm a bit different from the other shifters. Most of these shifters that are in existence might have a power or two, but we just rely on our bear forms. But for me, I get visions,” he said.

  “You mean like, you can see into the future?”

  “Correct. I don’t know why this happens, if I'm going to be honest with you. I just… can see what’s going to happen to people in the future, whether it be a few days into the future, a few weeks, or a few years. I have been wrong before, but for the most part, I'm generally right,” he said.

  She nodded, listening to those words.

  “I see. So did you… foretell our meeting?” she asked.

  “Sort of. I kind of got a vision in the middle of our first date of the two of us having sex and well… it came true,” he said to her with a blush.

  She immediately turned red as well, and she then spoke.

  “Have you ever… gotten visions like that before?” she asked.

  “Nope. That was definitely something that I honestly never experienced before. I was definitely happy with that, and a little aroused, and it’s kind of why I went the way that I did with the visions. Because I know for a fact that you do care and you matter enough to actually mean something to me. Most of the time, my visions are of significant events, and I guess you were significant enough to be a part of them,” he said.

  “Wow. I guess I feel honored,” she joked.

  “Don't worry though, they won't always happen,” he said.

  She nodded, taking all of this in. she didn't think it was weird per se, but she was quite curious about this as well.

  “So, Sven, there is something about this which is bothering me, and I would like to know about it,” she said.

  “What is it?”

  “Can you foretell… like really big events. Like when you saved me,” she said.

  There was a pause, and she wondered if Sven was trying to figure out how to put this nicely. Shortly after, he nodded.

  “Yeah. I did foretell that. When I saw you getting hurt, I followed the clues of the vision to where you were. The only reason you didn’t die that night was due to my visions, so I guess you can say they saved your life,” he said.

  She immediately gasped, realizing that he was telling the truth. He did save her all those years ago, and not just because of the happenstance situation.

  “That would make sense. I mean, you were in the right place at the right time. I almost felt like that was the case,” she said to him.

  “Yeah. I also have seen visions of others. Like, when I was young I saw a vision of my sister falling off a cliff. I managed to save her life that night, before well... I got changed and she ended up passing,” he said.

  She nodded. “I'm sorry for that,” she said.

  “No, you need to know the truth too. I was ten when I got changed. I was always gifted with telling the future, but I never let anyone know about this, other than my sister. She was the one person that I could trust. I came from a very small village, one that didn’t have many people, and when it was attacked, they had no means to defend themselves. So they were all slaughtered,” he said.

  “Holy shit. So you’re the only one left?”

  “Yeah. Cause of my damn visions. As a child, I followed what they said, and I went to the elder. The elder said to take this crystal, hold it against your heart, and say the magical incantation, and it would help. I did that, and well… that’s how I ended up here,” he said to her.

  Vicky nodded, listening.

  “So did they know...about the visions?”

  “Kind of. The elder took pity on me, and he listened to my story. He found out about the visions, and he was one of the few who understood. I guess I could thank him for everything that transpired. But, when I got the vision that the village would be attacked, I told him about it, but he didn't believe me,” he said.

  “Damn. I see how that could be frustrating,” she admitted.

  “You’re telling me. I wish I… sometimes I wish that I could’ve convinced them all to listen to me. I know that it’s kind of stupid to want to inform people, but come on, I’ve done so much already, and I just want to tell people the truth,” he said.

  “You're a kind person Sven. Trust me on that,” she said.

  She looked at Sven, and his eyes widened.

  “You think so?”

  “I know so. I can tell. See, I wouldn't say that I have the same powers you do, but I can tell when others are being honest with themselves, and when they have good intentions. I sense that from you,” she said to him. She flushed as she uttered those words, realizing that it was the truth.

  “You’re right. Thank you for that Vicky. It’s nice to be reassured every now and then,’ he said.

  “Well, I'm being honest with you. I want to see you do well, Sven. I know that’s not easy for either of us, but I think if there is something there, we should take heed and watch out for this,” she said.

  “You’re right. We do need to. I honestly wanted to tell you something else, something I might’ve come to the conclusion about earlier. When I got the visions,” he said.

  She listened with curiosity. What did Sven learn? After a moment, he spoke.

  “You know what mates are, right?” he asked.

  “Kind of like a life partner for shifters, right?”

  “You could say that. You don’t have to get married, but they’re the person you connect to the most. I don’t know much about what it’s like, or at least I thought I didn’t until you came around,” he said.

  Vicky flushed as she heard those words.

  “So you think I’m your mate?”

  “Yeah. I honestly think so. When I think about you, I feel warm and fuzzy inside. I feel like I can trust you far more than I have others in the past. Which is, to say the least,” he said.

  She nodded. “I can relate to that,” she said to him.

  “Right. I can’t completely confirm or deny you’re my mate yet. I just… kind of hope you are, you know,” he said.

  “I kind of hope as well,” she said.

  “And honestly, I’m willing to take on the responsibility of being a shifter, and being your mate, if that is the case,” he explained.

  She nodded, taking that in.

  “So what did you see in the vision exactly?”

  “It looks like you were
brainwashed. I didn’t see what happened after that, but I remember you being possessed and attacking me,” he said.

  “Oh geez. So I’m guessing a lot happened during then. That’s insane. .”

  “Yeah. I’m a little worried about this myself, but I’m glad that I could tell you. It’s… a relief, that’s for sure,” he said.

  “Yeah. I’m glad that I know. I’m a little scared honestly. I mean, I do know that it is possible to get brainwashed by others, or even possessed, but I am pretty strong and pretty logical. And I can detect auras, so maybe I’ll be okay,” she explained.

  Vicky was usually correct about other people, whether they were friends or foes. He nodded and she could see the slight relief in his eyes.

  “I’ll take responsibility for whatever happens. Just stay safe. For me,” he said.

  “I will try to. I promise that I’ll keep an eye out on what's going on so that we can fight whatever shows up,” she said.

  “Good. I knew that I could trust you,” he replied.

  She smiled, feeling appreciative of that. Vicky didn’t do much, but she was happy to make him feel good.

  “Yeah. We’re in this together now Sven. You don’t have to hide anything from me. You’re kinda in this mess, and I’ll help you out of it,” she said.

  “Thanks for that. It is nice to have someone like you to rely on. I’ve been a little worried that you’re going to run away, so I’m going to tell you everything, even if it troubles me,” he said.

  “Yeah. You have to do a lot to make me want to leave, you know,” she said.

  “I know that. But, you’re not like others in the past. In truth, I’ve been fearful of telling others about myself, or even my time as a shifter. I’ve never told anyone about my visions, other than Travis, but he’s an alpha. He deserves to know. So it feels good trusting someone. And I hope we can reverse the vision,” he said.

  “I think we can. Trust me on that,” she said.

  “Thanks for that. I’m glad that… that you haven’t run away yet,” he said to her.

  She smiled, feeling reassured by the way he spoke. Everything about that made her feel better about herself, more secure, and it made Vicky want to help him even more.

  She could tell he was acting funny, and that there was something on his mind. However, Vicky was scared to ask about it, and she figured it would be better to just wait for him to tell her.

  Vicky and Sven spent the next hour or so together, talking and catching up. She did like spending time with him, and there was something about him that made her realize that even if she did have to face something terrible, he was with her, so everything would be okay.

  The next day, Vicky went to work in the library. It felt like your average day, but something was off. She worked hard, but she couldn't shake this feeling that there was something bothering her. She looked around, trying to find this, but she couldn't. It was like there was something hidden from view, that she needed to find for herself.

  She put some books away, but every time she turned around, she felt as if she was being watched. Was she? She couldn’t tell for sure. She went back to work, filled with tension. After about an hour or so, she heard the sound of the door opening up, and when Vicky looked over, she smiled.

  “Hello there, how may I help you?” she said.

  The woman didn’t say anything, instead of looking at her for a moment before she walked off.

  “Okay, that’s odd,” Vicky said.

  She didn’t want to think about the encounter too much, but it irked her. What was this person’s problem? Why did they act so off-putting? She looked around, trying to entertain herself for a bit. She talked to Sven for a while, but she kept watching the doorway, to see if the figure had left yet. After about another hour or so, the mysterious woman came forward.

  She was dressed in all black, black robes, with a hooded face, black gloves, black shoes that she could tell from under the long robes. Their obscured face already put her on edge, but this whole encounter just felt off, like it was wrong to have this figure here. The person looked at her, and she could tell that they were here for something else, but whatever it was, she wasn’t sure.

  “So, what do you need? Here to check out a book?” she asked.

  “No. I’m here to warn you,” the figure said.

  Her eyes immediately narrowed. She felt her hands right over the phone, holding it there as she looked at the figure.

  “What are you talking about? This is a library. I’m here to help you find the information you need. What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “Again, to warn you. I need you to know your place,” the person said.

  “What the hell are you talking-”

  “What I’m saying is you need to stop messing with that boy unless you want a repeat of what happened the last time,” the figure said.

  “Boy? What are you-”

  Then, she realized it. She realized who the boy was. It was Sven. This person knew Sven or at least made it seem like they knew. She stiffened, realizing that this person was definitely serious.

  “What are you talking about? Why does it matter what I do?” she asked.

  “Because, if you want to live, you should stay away,” the figure said.

  “Live? You’re clearly making no sense. Why does it matter to you? It’s not like you’re some sort of guardian for him or anything. He’s my boyfriend, or at least that’s what I think we are. We haven't worked out the details and-”

  “I know what happened ten years ago,” the person said.

  The tone of their voice immediately put her on edge. Ten years ago? Did that mean that they knew about... the whole mess that happened? How she nearly died.

  “What are you talking about? What about ten years ago?”

  “Don’t play dumb. Here, maybe this will jog your memory,” the person said.

  She looked at them as they grabbed something from their pocket, holding it out and giving it to her. She looked at the rope, her eyes widening as she realized what this is.

  “Hey come back here, I wasn’t done asking-”

  “Stay away. Stay away, or both of you will die. It’s fate, and his visions will come true if you’re not careful,” the person said.

  Before she could say anything else, the figure walked away. When she looked at the rope, she remembered what happened ten years ago.

  The choking, the feel of this rope around her neck, how Sven had saved her life by cutting it. She remembered seeing part of the rope go missing, but it was because this person took it, the person who tried to kill her.

  And they just came into the library.

  In a panic, she immediately called the cops. She didn't know what else to say, but she needed to figure out what to do. After a little bit, a man appeared, this time a policeman, and when she talked about what happened, he nodded.

  “So you’re saying someone covered in all black tried to kill you?” he said.

  “Yes. I need help, sir. I know that this probably sounds utterly strange to you, but I know what I saw. It was that figure,” she said.

  “I see. Well, I’ll put a report in, and from there, we’ll take that to our investigations department. In the meantime, you should probably be careful going home late at night. Get yourself a security guard or something,” he said.

  “You’re not going to look for them?” she asked.

  “Nope. I know that you probably were expecting a full-on investigation, but we have very little to work with, so we can’t really help you,” he stated.

  She looked at them, shocked that even the cops won’t help her with this mess.

  “I see. Well, thanks for that. At least there’s a report, so if someone does come here, we can do something about it. Guess I need to be killed or something for the cops to take me seriously,” she muttered.

  The officer didn’t hear her words, instead, he left shortly after. She sighed, realizing that there was someone out there actively trying to kill her. She decided t
o call someone, anyone, and after a moment of thinking, she decided on Sven.

  After a couple of rings, he picked up.

  “You alright?” he asked.

  “Been better. Something happened today. I need to talk to you in person about it, however. I don’t feel comfortable telling you over the phone,” she said.

  “I get that. I think we can meet up sometime tonight if that works,” he said.