Chapter 17

            Wake up my son it's a beautiful day outside. Adel woke up and rose from the bed. Today we will go to pick strawberries. What do you think? asked the beautiful woman. She was in her mid 30's, her long dark brown hair was curtained down her stopping at her waist. Her rosy cheeks contrasted with her beautiful almost porcelain white like skin. Her green eyes looked like emeralds, two jewels shining beautifully combining seamlessly into features that gave this woman her stunning appearance. She was the most beautiful woman Adel had seen before. He was proud to be her son. Adelrick never knew his dad. It was only the two of them, they were happy on the farm side of the country.

            It was almost sunrise. Adel and his mom spent most of their time together. He loved when they went strawberry picking, their day started with a picnic, where ham sandwiches and juice fruit that he always helped her mother pack, were always served then they went to swim on the country river, and they will finish the day picking and eating strawberries until the sun settled. 

            After an exhaustive and fun day, Adel was helping his mother gather everything to go back home, when a sudden rustle came from the bushes. Adel's mother gestured him to stay put but his curiosity was bigger. When the boy got close to the sound, he could see the small animal laying on his side.  It was a cat, it had wounds on its torso, that impede him to walk. Adel got close to the feline when he suddenly heard a voice. "Please help me", Adel could swore hearing the cat speak to him. He turned to face his mom to made sure that she also heard the animal. 

            But his mother returned a warmth smile back to him. "Oh, you poor thing" as she came close to him, picking up the cat from the floor.

"Mom he is wounded; can we take him with us?". Adel asked with such puppy eyes that she couldn't say no to her son.

            The days passed and they had a new addition to the family, being home schooling Adel formed a strong bond with the cat. Between studying, helping his mom in the farm, and playing with the cat. Adel spend the most wonderful years of his life. Adel was happy and this was a good sign. 

            Adel grew fond to the cat, he always talked to him, and the cat always replied to him, directly through his thoughts. Adel was happy to have a friend who he can talked to and ask a numerous of questions. "What kind of cat are you? And what is your name" The boys asked knowing that this was no regular cat "My name is Drake and I'm a were-cat".

"A were-cat? What's that supposed to mean?", asked Adel with curious eyes, while petting the cat's back.

"Let me show you", the cat said and suddenly he went from a normal cat transforming right in front of Adel's innocent eyes. He grew, turning himself in a specie of Linx but bigger and more muscular. His pointy ears were the most prominent feature in his transformation. And here's my third, transformation. Drake said while growing even more finally turning into a specie of a Bengal tiger, still with pointy ears.

            He told Adel that he was a fugitive. Hiding from some mythical creatures. That had attacked him right before they found him that day on the strawberry field. Years went by and the cat took a liking to the boys' mom, until this likeness turned in to love. Shifting one day into his last and real form, a human form. He went into the market and present himself before Adel's mom. He disguised as a merchant selling vegetables, she was an ongoing customer, and he knew exactly which days she frequented the market. They started to meet often and then; love grew between both. Until he started going into her house in his human form.

            When the boy met him one day at his house, he thought that the man seemed familiar for some reason. Adel started keeping a close eye on the stranger that started to visit his house more and more often.

            Meanwhile the cat was showing Adel some tricks that he could do, like shifting into more animals. But his main core was feline. He could fool anyone, and Adel in awe turned to liking the creature more and more as the years passed.

            The day of Adel's 15th birthday the cat took his were-cat form and told him his story. "You are old enough now to understand me better now. I'm the last of my kind. I need to pass down the title to someone that will be the most powerful of my species. There are more creature's kind of like me, but no one is as strong. They call themselves, Rulers, Kings, Dukes. But I'm the only one classified as the "Sublime Nature". While others are all about titles". "Pftt…" he scoffed. "This is not about titles," the cat said while looking at Adel's confusing eyes, "this ordeal is about surviving".

            All these words made Adel even more confused by the minute. The were-cat continued explaining looking into Adel's eyes. "You see, I've been looking for my perfect replacement, my successor and I found it! It is you Adel, now that you have seen a fraction of what I can do, and not run in fear from me. I don't have any doubt. You are pure of heart, but your mission will be bigger than a mere transformation. I will pass down my power to you and I will soon disappear".

            Adel didn't wasn't sure if he wanted what the cat was offering him, although tempting he knew that it will be like a two-edged sword. It will cut him, and everyone involved with either edge. 

"There is one more thing" … Drake trailed his words and his mom got there at the time. 

"Mom's is home," said Adel while Drake was shifting back into his cat form.

"Oh, there you are Adel. I'm making beef stew, with pumpkin bread and strawberry sweet cake. Can you go please to the garden to pick some fresh spices for dinner said Adel's mom, for some reason she seemed tired than usual today. But she was always in the bests of moods. On Adel's eyes, his mom was perfect. He couldn't ask for anything more.

            Drake disappeared running outside the house taking his human form. When Adel came back from picking the herbs from the garden, he could hear the laughs on the kitchen. Surprised by this. Adel placed the herbs in the kitchen counter avoiding the man's eyes and he left the kitchen. There he was, talking to Adel's mom, the same man that has been visiting the house for quite some time now.

            Adel went to the living room and grabbed a book and sat down flipping the pages as he pretended to read it. The man entered the living room and stopped in front of him.  "I know who you are" said Adel with sorrow in his words "I thought you were my friend. But you got closer to me because of my mom".

"No Adel, I got close to your mom thanks to you". Said the man, and Adel could see his friend on this man's eyes. "You see, I was always looking for a predecessor. I searched far and wide. Until your heart brought you to me, you were kind to me when you saw me hurt laying on the floor, you took me in, that's when I knew my search was over. I feel in love with your mom afterwards. I know that I can trust you to be my successor… Now I can die in peace".

"Die, what do you mean die?" Adel snap in surprise getting up from the couch, he could see the tired eyes in this man.

"Now that my search is over, I will pass down my powers to you. My mission will be finished, and I will be no longer... I will no longer exist" Drake finished.

"You know your mom is sick right?" Adel nodded, he knew that she was hiding her sickness for quite some time now, and Adel showed her more love and more kindness every day. He knew that this would not last forever, but he will make sure she received at least more than enough love and attention until her last day, it was the least he could do towards his loving mother. Little did he know how suddenly everything will escape his grasp, like he was trying to hold water between his hands and the liquid, just as his mother's life will slip between his fingers. 

"She doesn't have long you know. I just want to give her the love that she deserved. I promise that I will love her, and care for her till her last day" Drake promised the boy looking at him with such fraternal eyes.

*****

            Adel had the opportunity to have his mom for five more years, he witnessed her suffering, she was getting sicker by the day, until she was bedridden. One day Adel couldn't stand his mom suffering any longer. Looking at how thin and pale his once beautiful mom was.

            Drake was sitting at her bedside, as he always been since Adel's mom had to be confined into that bed. "Why don't you turned her instead of me," Adel's asked with rage feeling powerless, he couldn't do anything to save his mother. Maybe this was the solution. "I rather be her than me that lives".

"I told you once, didn't I?" Drake countered "you have a mission, and I just wanted to give your mom the happiness that she deserved, that is the way is supposed to be". As the days passed by, Drake stood on her side until the last day as he promised.

            Adel's mom died one rainy morning, they mourned her and buried her. Adel felt like he didn't have anything to live for any longer. Adel mourned his mother's death for a long time confined to his room, almost without food or anything to drink. 

            "Is time".  Drake entered the young man's room; "my time is up. We must do this, and you have to continue your journey by yourself, when the time is right, and you learn to control your powers you will find a way to speak to me". 

            Adel got up from the bed and followed him to his mom's room, he didn't know how it will be after Drake disappeared, his mom was gone and now he will leave him too. But at the moment he didn't care. "Your mom died here; I would like to have my last day in the same bed. It will be the birth of your power as well. There is a woman that you need to find, she is the heir of the vampires and werewolf's, in her hands is the future of our species. You will know when you see her, your heart will lead you to her, same as your heart lead me to you. If everything goes well, she will have the opportunity to be one of us. If not, she will die numerous deaths because of a curse that only her can break. Your mission is to protect her in every live that she lives. Until she finds the solution that she needs to seek and find by herself.

"Will you leave me too?" asked Adel with tears on his eyes, more a statement than a question.

"This is the way it has to be". Drake pulled his fangs out and without another word he bit Adel as royal blood started to fill Adel's veins. His body went through so much pain. This was the birth of the new "Sublime Nature" of the vampires. Adel's blood was flowing strong like a current river after a great storm. His skin turned pale as porcelain, his hair black as the night, and his eyes were gold like honey. Adel could feel the power flowing through his whole body.

            After days of an excruciating pain, going through all changes until his transformation finished. Drake was nowhere to be found, as the newborn vampire had now to live with this burden. His mom and the person that was somewhat close to him, like a father figure. Had left him alone to suffer each day, he didn't eat or drink, his taste changed, craving the iron smell and taste of the blood.

            Adel started his mission, looking tirelessly for this woman, with no luck. He was about to give up. He was sitting down on a park bench when a smell came to his senses. It was the sweetest scent and his whole body crave it; his mouth watered like a cascade into a wild forest. He followed the scent until reaching to a backyard and saw the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. 

            He felt his heart skipped a beat, her long hair was dripping towards her back, this sight reminded him so much of his mom. Her hair was black just like his, and her eyes oh her beautiful eyes were silver like the moon. His heart wanted to burst out of his chest, it was like the world stopped around him looking at her, taking in all her beauty, it was only him and her and at that moment. He knew he had found her, just as Drake had told him. She lifted her head and locked her gaze into his, and Adel felt like fainting...