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  There was Goldalynn, staring back at her through the looking glass. Her lips spread into a thin smile as her eyes seemed to bore right into Katya’s. She can see me, Katya thought. But then, a loud growl erupted from between her lips and without any more warning, she turned from the mirror and grabbed Leilanni. “It’s time to go!” She pulled desperately on Leilani’s arm, “We have to go right now!”

  Leilanni, who had seen none of the exchange between Katya and the mirror, heard Katya’s scream and nearly jumped out of her human skin that she detested so much.

  “What is it?” Leilanni shouted as Katya shot off into the crowd. She paid no attention to stares people were giving them and let out a low growl, then took off after her. She plowed through the crowd, pushing people so roughly that they eventually began to move out of her way before she even got near them.

  “Katya!” she hollered, “Wait!”

  But Katya was too far ahead of the crowd and couldn’t hear her. Butchy however, did hear Leilanni and had seen Katya dart away. Tutu, fur coat, whiskey, and all, he pulled a Leilanni and gave someone a hard shove.

  “Hey, man!” the guy complained, but he still moved. Confident with his people pushing experiment, he shoved forward with added force, making his way to Katya.

  “Hey, girl,” he called out, “Katya!” People grumbled and called him names all the way up until he reached the pretty redhead.

  She had stopped near the door, where the crowd wasn’t so thick, and there, Leilanni finally caught up with her and wrapped her strong fingers around Katya’s arm. Certain that Leilanni could hold Katya for at least a few moments, Butchy detoured and headed for Nita.

  Nita looked up into Mato’s eyes feeling as if the entire world had disappeared around her. His touch sent tingles over every inch of the human skin she wore. She could feel his breath warm against her neck and the craziest part was that she loved it. Never before had she wanted anyone as close to her as he stood now.

  “Beautiful Nita,” he whispered, “I don’t know how you appeared so suddenly to me, but after only having this one moment with you, I cannot imagine life without you.” He moved in front of her so that she was staring up into his eyes once again.

  “I … I cannot stay here,” Nita whispered, feeling something swirl deep within her and knew, without a doubt, that every second apart from him would be a battle.

  Mato’s eyes twinkled and his lips spread into a grin. “Nita, have you placed a spell on me?”

  She felt her eyes widen with offense. How could he accuse her of such a terrible thing? “Absolutely not!”

  He laughed, a low chuckle and pulled her against his hard, human body. “Calm yourself, I was only joking. Somehow I know you would never be capable of anything of the sort. I sense a kindness in you.”

  “I am not kind, I am fierce and strong,” Nita defended herself.

  “Oh, but you can be fierce and strong and also be kind.”

  She thought about that for a moment and then decided that was true. “You do not know me, Mato, how would you know what kind of anything I am?”

  His strong arms held her tightly as he responded. “I do know you, my beautiful Nita. I don’t know how, but I do know you.”

  She couldn’t say anything more, but refused to leave the comfort of his arms. He seemed to sense this from her and did not speak anymore. She felt him bury his face into her hair and inhale deeply, taking in her scent.

  “Nita!” she distantly heard a voice call for her. “Nita!”

  If it was possible, Mato pulled her even tighter against him. He must have heard the voice as well. “Nita, we have to go!” She caught sight of Butchy pushing his way through the crowd, headed in their direction.

  Perfectly comfortable in his arms, she didn’t make any effort to pull away from Mato. However, Mato saw and heard Butchy coming for her. “Who is that?” he asked, his voice merely a whisper against her ear.

  “It’s my fair … my uncle,” Nita whispered back.

  Nita did not see Mato’s expression as he tried to figure out how Nita, who was clearly not Hispanic, could be related to the pudgy little man in a tutu. He was still trying to wrap that around his brain when Butchy emerged from the crowd and bounded toward them.

  “Nita, we must go.” Butchy, out of breath and panting, reached out and grabbed Nita’s arm. “Right now!”

  Nita had already begun to wiggle out of Mato’s arms, sensing Butchy’s distress. But, Mato released a loud, inhuman growl and freed Nita from his embrace. He stepped forward, placing his hand on Butchy’s chest and pushed. “Do not ever touch this woman.”

  Butchy’s eyes grew wide and he held his hands up in surrender, having not realized that this man would react so protectively over Nita. “I apologize, but Nita’s … uh … sister has run off. We need to go and find her.”

  Mato appeared to relax only for a second and in that span of time, Nita bolted for the front door, abandoning the comfort and wondrous feeling that Mato brought to her.

  “Nita, wait!” he called as she pushed open the door and disappeared outside. “What have you done?” he asked the little man, but when he turned Butchy was gone, having disappeared into thin air.

  “We are meant for each other, my beautiful Nita. If it is the last thing I do, I will find you.” Oath sworn, albeit to one who could not hear it, he strode out of Wonderland, hoping he wasn’t too late.

  ***

  Nita’s feet pounded over the sidewalk. They couldn’t have gone too far in such a short time, she thought as she ran, weaving through the masses of oblivious humans. Where could they have gone?

  “Nita!” In a flash of shimmering gold, Butchy appeared beside her. She did not pause to speak to him because she didn’t want to let Katya and Leilanni get too far away.

  “We have to find them, Butchy.”

  “I know,” he panted as he ran alongside her. “They are just ahead. I already checked on them. They are waiting for us.” Even as Butchy spoke the words, they rounded a corner instead of crossing the street and found the girls waiting for them.

  Nita’s eyes settled on the girls, her fellow bears, cursed to be humans until they found the magic which would break the spell. Katya was babbling incoherently and waving her hands in the air to emphasize her words.

  “What happened?” Nita demanded, jogging toward them.

  “Nita! It was her…it was the witch!”

  “You saw her? Here?”

  Leilanni shook her head. “No, she saw her in the mirror.”

  “Yes, yes.” Katya nodded her head. “It’s called a looking glass. I was admiring myself. I did not know it was me, at first, but the more I looked into it, I finally realized it was my own reflection. Like when I used to look into the lake water. Only this time, I did not know what I looked like, so I didn’t recognize it was my own image.”

  Leilanni rolled her eyes. “On with it, Katya.”

  “So there I was, merely admiring myself in the mirror when the image began to change. My beautiful red fur began to change into long dark locks.”

  “It’s hair, idiot. Not fur, anymore.”

  Nita placed her hand on Leilanni’s shoulder. “Don’t be mean.” Then, she turned her gaze back to Katya. “Go on.”

  Katya stroked a piece of her long red hair. “My hair, it turned dark and then my face began to change, too. It was all blurry until my image had completely transformed into hers. Then, it cleared and I saw that it was her so I ran.”

  “You’re afraid,” Nita comforted her. “It was probably your mind playing games with you.”

  “No.” Katya stomped her foot. “It was her, I swear! She even smiled at me. It was like she could see me.”

  “Oh shit.”

  Hearing the curse from Butchy’s lips, all three girls swung their heads toward him. “What?” Leilanni demanded.

  “She is watching us.”

  Nita felt fear rise up within her. “What do you mean?”

  Butchy shook his head and muttered, “Tha
t conniving witch.” Then he explained to the girls. “With magic, mirrors can be used not only as portals, but as ways to see into other realms or pretty much anywhere you want to see. She is scrying for you.”

  Nita furrowed her brow, “Scrying?”

  Butchy nodded, “It means searching. So yes, Katya, she did see you in that mirror.”

  “I knew it! See, we have to get away from here.”

  With a shake of his head, Butchy took her hands. “Girl, we can only outrun her for so long. We must keep searching for an end to this curse so that we can all be free of it. Let’s go, we need to get out of the city.”

  Nita looked around. Yes, they needed somewhere with fewer humans nearby. Humans apparently didn’t know of the magic surrounding them. Giving a final glance back in the direction of Wonderland … where she had left Mato, she then turned back to Butchy, “Where should we go?”

  “I don’t know,” Butchy answered. “There has to be somewhere safer than this,” he responded thoughtfully and began to walk.

  Nita followed, along with the other girls, but she felt the distinct pull of Mato behind her. The further they got from Wonderland, the stronger the pull became. What is this? Nita wondered as she hurried along beside the girls. She had never cared about much in her life except food and surviving … until Mato.

  The darkness began to thicken around them as they traveled further and further beyond the commotion of the city. Soon, they ran out of streetlights to guide their way and were only left with the illumination from the moon above.

  They walked for what felt like forever. The buildings faded behind them and turned into residential areas where the structures were much smaller. The streets were almost deserted, since it was the middle of the night, so they didn’t have to worry about being hit by a speeding vehicle.

  “When can we rest?” Katya whined. “These shoes are pretty, but not so good for long walks.”

  “I don’t know,” Butchy answered shortly.

  Nita decided to keep her mouth shut and just follow along. Butchy seemed very frustrated and she didn’t want to agitate him anymore than he already was. She glanced beside her at Leilanni. She didn’t look very happy either, but it was becoming apparent that she was always a bit grumpy.

  So, our foursome strode silently into the night without knowing exactly what it was they were searching for or where their destination may be.

  Chapter Five

  Mato ran swiftly over the crowded sidewalks of the city. He let his heart choose the direction, guiding him to his beautiful Nita. He did not have a clue how he knew which way to go, even with his heart leading, but he felt the pull of her spirit calling to him.

  From the second he laid eyes on Nita, he knew she was not fully human and it appeared that she sensed the same of him. Never, not once in his life, had he felt such attraction, such pull, such … knowing of another. He had finally found his soul mate, of that he was sure.

  As his boots hit the cement, his thoughts also churned.

  Long ago, when he was a child, he had been bitten by a rattlesnake. His father rushed him to the shaman, the healer of their tribe. As the venom worked its way through his veins, the shaman ordered his father to lay Mato out before him. His father did as he was asked and the shaman grasped his hand to inspect the wound.

  When their skin made contact, the shaman was assaulted by a vision of the future, during which Mato had fallen unconscious.

  He woke with both his father and the shaman peering down at him, waiting for him to return to them. His wound had been tended to accordingly, but the shaman stared at him with knowledge in his eyes.

  “What did you see?” Mato had asked him.

  “Young Mato, I foresaw your woman, your life mate.”

  Mato remembered being confused, he’d hoped that the vision would have been something more exciting. A woman, why would he care of women right now? He wanted to know what his purpose in life was to be.

  “I do not need a woman. I shall grow into a man and I am sure that many women will be available enough for my choosing.”

  Both his father and the shaman laughed heartily. “You speak with your uncle far too much, my son,” his father’s smooth voice assured him.

  The shaman once again took his hand. “Every man needs a woman. Women are the life force of our people, they are the ones who keep our tribe flourishing, they are the ones who feed us and keep us healthy and they are the ones who support us in our life journey.

  “Your woman, young Mato, she is strong and has the spirit of the bear within her. She shall come to you many years from now and you will know her immediately. Your soul will feel the pull and from that moment on, your spirits will bond, your soul … will bond.

  “As you know I cannot foresee it all, nor would I tell you all of it, however I did see you on a journey, searching for your mate who was torn from your side.”

  Mato, now far into manhood, had begun to suspect the shaman was mistaken, for he most certainly would have found his woman by now. He had gone about living his life and trying to find his purpose … and then, he caught sight of Nita in Wonderland, and the rest of the world faded away.

  Soon enough, the city was behind him and an open stretch of road lay ahead. With the cover of darkness cloaking him, he began the shift. His bones morphed and re-formed, thick black hair appeared over every inch of his changing body and razor sharp claws stretched out of his hands and feet.

  Within seconds, he was no longer a man who was limited in speed. He was in full bear form, charging toward the scent of his Nita and the pull of his mate.

  ***

  Eventually, the sky began to lighten as the sun rose into a clear sky. The bright ball of fire lit the earth in a breathtaking picture of orange, red and pink. Butchy and his charges trudged on, but none of them could ignore the beauty. In that moment, all were awed.

  Nita noted that the dwellings, houses as they were called, were now far and few between. They had been walking for so long and she was beginning to tire, she needed food and water … and maybe a nap.

  Mato. The name floated across her mind without warning.

  Yes, deep down she knew that she needed Mato just as much as all those other necessities.

  “There, just ahead.” Butchy pointed into the distance.

  Nita and the other two girls gazed in the direction he indicated. “There are trees and water ahead. Let’s go there and sit for awhile.” Together, they picked up the pace, excited for the prospect of being able to rest.

  They drew nearer to the welcoming oasis as the scalding sun lifted higher into the sky and soon, they were walking on soft, moist earth instead of pavement. Nita longed to take the contraptions off of her feet and feel the ground beneath her, but she did not stop to remove them.

  It was slower going when the little forest thickened, they pushed through the brush, knowing there was water ahead. Nita didn’t think she had ever felt the need to drink so badly in her entire life. She had always lived where water was only a few bounds away.

  “Ah!” Butchy exclaimed with delight. “Here we are.”

  Leilanni scowled. “I am a human now, I cannot put that nasty water in my body.”

  Nita followed Leilanni’s stare and found that the water they had been so anxious to find was actually a swamp. She had been expecting a creek or a lake, but not a muddy, disease-ridden swamp. “No, we cannot drink that. Even in my true form I would not drink that.”

  Butchy didn’t appear disturbed. “It’s all right girls, we can boil it first. It will just take a tad longer. Have a seat.”

  Nita found a large rock and sat down on the hard surface. The trees had green leaves and the bushes were thick with vegetation. It was nice, but not nearly as nice as her forest had been.

  “Look at these.” She followed Katya’s voice and saw that she had taken off her high heels and stood ankle deep in the swamp water. “These flowers are so pretty.”

  Nita smiled, happy that Katya could always find something positi
ve in any situation. Butchy also stood in the water. He had removed his shoes and rolled up his pant legs so he didn’t get his clothes wet.

  “All right.” He held out his left hand and waved the little twig that he held in his right hand.

  Nita watched, her eyes wide with wonder as a small, metal pan appeared out of thin air.

  Butchy caught it and smiled. “Nothing a little magic can’t fix.”

  “Why don’t you just make clean water then?” Leilanni asked.

  “Because, grumpy pants, it doesn’t work that way all the time. Or maybe I just don’t feel like it,” he added. After tucking his wand away, he gripped the pan and scooped some of the filthy swamp water into it.

  “Now, let’s make a fire.” He stepped up onto the muddy bank of the swamp. “Nita, find me some branches.”

  Nita hurried to pick up any dry pieces of wood she could find on the ground and carried them over to Butchy, who stacked them in a pile. Then, he set the pot down on the ground beside him and once again removed his wand. With a swish of the crooked twig, a flame burst forth from beneath the stack of wood.

  He placed the pot over the sticks, “Now, we just set this on here and wait for it to boil for a little while.”

  Leilanni stared hesitantly at the pot of water. “And then it will be safe to drink?”

  Butchy nodded. “Yes.”

  “How do you know?”

  With a shrug, Butchy gripped the handle of the pot and adjusted it. “My boyfriend … ex, anyway, liked to watch a lot of those reality shows about survival.”

  All three girls stared at him like he had grown an arm out of his forehead. Even Katya had paused her flower picking to gaze at him curiously.

  Butchy shuffled uncomfortably. “What?”

  “We do not know what the ‘reality shows’ are that you speak of,” Nita explained as she went back to her rock and sat down.

  “Ohhhh, I see. A reality show is something you watch on a television. Instead of make believe stories, it takes you through real life experiences.”

  “What is a television?” Nita wanted to know.

  With a long sigh, Butchy shook his head, “Never mind, it would take too long to explain. Maybe we will see one and I can show you.”