Page 2 of Mitchell's Untamed Mate

“Okay.I’m almost done.”

Mitchell hurriedly finished tying the bundle of pelts together with the woven plant-fiber rope his mother had made.He almost had enough pelts for his mother to make him a new winter coat.He would need it.The one from last year would soon be too small at the rate he was growing.

He was having to venture farther away from the village to hunt for the rabbits he was snaring.He always said a prayer of thanks to the poor animals who gave their lives in exchange for his needs.Life was precious, fragile, and uncertain.This past winter and spring, he had first lost his grandfather and then his grandmother.The clan keenly felt the loss of the two elders.His mother was still deeply mourning them.

He finished tying off the pelts and placed them in a woven basket in the corner of his parents' hut, then rose and hurried to the arched opening.Most of his clan still built their homes high in the trees.He navigated barefoot along the stripped branches he had helped his father prepare and grabbed the knotted rope hanging from a sturdy branch above.

He easily climbed down, jumping the last two feet to the soft ground.Releasing the rope, he ran along a narrow trail until he came to the Circle of Life, the center of his village.This is where the elders gathered to tell tales, usually tales of long ago, when humans co-existed with the shifters.TheBeforealways excited him, but it was theAfterthat concerned him the most.

He slipped into the space on the log that Jace had saved for him.Cyrus, Jayden’s grandfather, was speaking.Jace flashed him a grin.

“What did I miss?”he whispered.

Jace looked around before he answered.“Nothing.He was telling everyone what needs to be done before the winter snows begin again.”

“Shush.”

Jace made a face at his older sister who shot the both of them a disapproving glare.Janna was fifteen and had always been bossy.Mitchell and Jace’s mission in life was to drive Janna as crazy as possible—whenever their parents weren’t around.He tucked his hands under his legs to keep from swinging them and leaned forward when Cyrus began the oral history.His eyes lit up with delight when he realized that Cyrus was starting at the very beginning—when humans and shifters first appeared on this planet.

“In the beginning, this world was created by two entities: the Gods, who wanted to create only humans, and the Goddesses, who wanted to populate this world with only animals.”

“Why?”Jayden asked.

Mitchell scowled at the interruption.Four-year-old Jayden was always asking why.Why couldn’t she go hunting?Why did her family live in a tree while Ella lived on the ground?Why were shifters dangerous?

Cyrus smiled at Jayden.“The Gods wanted a creature who could control this world much as they did, which meant that humans would be the master of all animals.The Goddesses were not happy with that.They believed that humans and animals should coexist as equals on this world.They believed this was the way of the universe.A place where all living beings lived as one.”

“Why?”Jayden called out again.

A low chorus of groans followed Jayden’s question, followed by quiet admonishments from parents and grandparents.Cyrus waited until everyone settled down before he continued.Mitchell untucked his hands and rubbed them.Cyrus was getting to the good part.

“The Gods proposed a compromise.They would create humans while the Goddesses created the shifters—creatures who were half-human/half-animal, but—” Cyrus paused.He pointed a finger at his eager audience before he continued, “…there was a stipulation.Neither the Gods nor the Goddesses could interfere.”

“I like animals,” four-year-old Ella interrupted.

Low laughter moved like a wave through the gathering when she held up a tiny mouse.Ella’s father hushed her, and Ella cradled the mouse against her chest.Jace nudged him in the side and leaned over.

“I’d like to put that mouse in Janna’s bed,” Jace murmured.

“I heard that,” Janna retorted, reaching out to slap her brother on the back of the head.

Jace ducked and grinned when his father issued a short, stern admonishment to his sister.Mitchell gave his friend a warning shake of his head when Janna mouthed what she would do later.Jace ignored him and stuck his tongue out at his sister in response.

“What’s a stip-stip-stippylation?”Jayden asked.

“It was decided that whoever was the strongest creation would rule this world.At first, the two species lived in harmony.Because there were many types of shifters, they often fought amongst themselves.The humans, witnessing this, banded together.We grew stronger, and our population grew.In time, the shifters resented our need for more land to feed our children.The animals in them took over, and they began attacking our villages.The food humans were growing was stolen.Minor battles escalated into larger ones until it became the Great War between humans and shifters.”

“It lasted a long time.We fought them good,” Connell called out.

Cyrus bowed his head in agreement.“Yes, humans fought long and hard.Millions of us were lost under the sharp claws and fangs of the shifters.”

“But… we lost,” Janna whispered.

Cyrus shook his head.“We still exist.As long as we exist, we have not lost.”

Mitchell groaned when a droplet of water struck his forehead.The group quickly scattered when the sprinkles turned into a drenching rain.Everyone ran to their homes, seeking shelter from the cold.Mitchell ran beside Jace.Jace’s family had built their home on the forest floor this time.

He slipped inside and collapsed beside Jace on the pallet of fur-covered moss.They often slept in each other’s homes.Jace pushed against him, and he rolled to the back, telling his friend, “You smell like a wet dog.”

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