Travis . . .

Travis my brother . . .

Travis who I haven't seen for ten years . . .

Who ran away from home . . .

Who we searched for, for months, who mum still looks for in her spare time, who we had thought to be dead and who was about to be if he didn't start explaining.

Before I even realised I had moved, I was out the car, across the parking lot and grabbing hold of Travis by his lapels.

He looks like dad.

"Travis!"

"Hey, James. Long time no see." He says grimacing.

"Where have you been!?!" I growl.

"Now I know you're mad . . ."

"Mad? MAD?! I'm furious! How could you just disappear like that!? Ten years Travis! TEN YEARS you've been gone! No indication whether you were alive or dead. Then you just show up here, in the parking lot and you say Hey!?" I shout in his face.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I register a crowd gathering and people telling me to stop and calm down but I ignore them, they're not important right now.

"James I can explain." He says, raising his hands in surrender.

"I don't want to hear your excuses! Do you know what you put us through!? What you put mum through!?!" I shout, rage making my voice go deeper and gravely.

"Look I'm sorry but if you would just let me explain!"

He grabs my hands and all rational thought flies away. I snarl and rip my arms from his grasp, tearing his coat in the process before slamming my fist into his stomach. He goes flying back a few feet before sprawling on the ground. Within moments I'm upon him, straddling his waist and wrapping my hands around his neck, pinning him in place. At first, he just lies there stunned but after a moment his eyes fill with rage and he sits up abruptly, rolling over and reversing our positions. I struggle but he has the advantage of size and leverage so my attempts are unsuccessful.

"Don't do it, James. We both know how this ends." He warns.

I still and stare up at him with grief and rage mixing on my face.

"That's what you think!" I growl using all my strength to headbutt him in the nose. I hear a satisfying crunch and feel something wet drip onto my face. I then use my momentum to sit bolt upright, dislodging Travis and sending him sprawling again, but as I go to leap upon him something strange happens. For some reason, I feel a sort of pull drawing me to look over at the car where I first saw Travis. I turn my head and all my senses focus in on the person standing looking down at me.

It was her. Laiela.

Our eyes locked and suddenly everyone and everything else just melted away. It was just us standing alone and nothing else in the universe mattered other than her. My heart started pounding and I was short of breath as I stared deep into her eyes.

Mate.

The voice came again and just like last time I had no idea of its origin or meaning but for some reason, that word felt right. 

All thought of Travis and the fight is wiped away and all I can do is stare at her.

I felt like my soul was reaching out, wanting to connect. Like I had found the one thing, the one person I had been missing my whole life. Then suddenly I felt her soul reaching back and as they came together a golden string formed in my heart and head connecting me to her and her to me, an unbreakable and unconditional bond that would last forever and beyond. It was so overwhelming and impossible that I forgot everything for a moment and simply existed, feeling her soul wrap around me and fill me with warmth and love. . .

And then Travis's fist connected with my face and I was brought slamming back to reality.

"James!" Shouts Anna from somewhere to my left.

I look to see her running towards me with Zara and Mr Coleman.

That was a mistake. The moment I looked away again Travis grabbed me around the waist, forcing me back down onto the ground.

"Travis Stop!" Shouts Laiela. I can feel her worry for me over the strange new bond like it's a physical thing.

"Hey break it up! ENOUGH!" shouts Mr Coleman.

Both me and Travis freeze. Stopping dead and looking at Mr Coleman who was still making his way over to us looking like a demon out of hell, full of righteous fury. I've never seen him look like this before. It's kinda terrifying. As he gets closer I get a better look at his expression and I see worry and fear mixed in with the anger. Most of the alarm I felt before goes away and is replaced by a warm feeling that Mr Coleman seems genuinely concerned about me. 

"What's going on here! James explain. Who is this?" He demands when he finally reaches us.

"My brother Travis sir," I reply. I don't need to say anything else. He already knows the story.

At that Mr Coleman sighs and seems to deflate a little, that terrifying expression leaving his face to be replaced by one of tiredness and understanding.

"Ok folks nothing to see here please continue as you were." He says waving to the crowd that had gathered around us, dismissing them.

After the crowd dispersed Anna, Zara and Ben all came over to help me up and check I was alright. Laiela stayed where she was though I know she wanted to make sure I was ok, she didn't come any closer. It was so strange and unbelievable and for a moment I wondered why I wasn't freaking out over it but then I felt calming thoughts coming to me over the bond and I knew that she was somehow helping me.

"James is that really your brother?" asked Zara distracting me from my thoughts.

"Yeah," I replied looking over at Travis as he got up from the ground. His formerly perfect suit was now torn and covered in dirt and blood. The blood came from his nose which was letting out a steady trickle of red and looked to be broken. I felt a stab of regret at that. I must have made a face because Ben looked from me to Travis and back before shaking his head and saying . . .

"Oh no don't you start blaming yourself for this. He deserved it and if you hadn't hit him I would."

"And we all know what Ben's like in a fight. He would've gotten his ass handed to him and then you would've stepped in to help. So really, either way, would have had the same outcome." Explains Anna.

"Hey!" Ben squawks looking scandalised.

"She has a point you know," I say remembering the last fight Ben got in. "You do have a record of getting your butt kicked."

"That was one time! You guys act like I've never won a fight!" says Ben going on the defensive.

"You haven't." Replies Zara.

"James. Come over here for a minute," says Mr Coleman.

"Look, sir, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I . . . "

"I know you don't have to apologise. That's not what I want to talk to you about." Interrupts Mr Coleman.

"Oh. Then what is it, sir?"

"It seems that someone in the crowd called the police. They're on their way."