The Bonding Chronicles Ch. 14

Tani'm turned her head and whispered back, "For what?"

Karen's voice was raspy and broken as she spoke through her tears, "For keeping me company, helping to save his life, helping us through this trying time — take your pick."

She completed her statement and turned her head, resting it against Andrew's ribs as she sighed out the last of her worry. Andrew held her and closed his eyes, savoring the relief that spilled out through their bond.

Tani'm was forced to watch and wonder if someday she would be resting within those arms, her heart made whole by the small man who lay before her. She pushed away from the shore, trying to distance herself from the man that returned to the forefront of her thoughts, and found the silence a comforting change as she dove beneath the cool water.

The plants danced around her as she scanned the paradise that existed beneath the pond's surface, but its beauty went unnoticed by the troubled woman, as she felt herself being drawn to Andrew once more. She grimaced and gave an ineffectual slash through the water, the act doing little to sooth her concerns. Tani'm closed her eyes and struggled to remember what had brought her there in the first place.

The fight with the great wolf felt like a lifetime ago, and it took considerable effort for her to remember the events that had left her broken and near death. Karen had saved her life with the help of Andrew, and that act, combined with the promise of magical renewal, had compelled her to follow Karen to the magical place she found herself in.

In the wake of that decision, everything would be different; Tani'm realized that even if she did not bond with Andrew, things would never return to how they had been. How could they? She now knew that there were other people like her. Amazing individuals with spectacular and terrifying gifts. She had thought that the beast would be her last great challenge before leaving the forest, but while she felt the currents swirl around her, she knew that was not true. The truth was that she had no idea what she was waiting for, but she could feel it deep within her — a secret knowledge that when the time was right, she would leave.

Karen kissed Andrew's chest before asking, "Have you Bonded with Tani'm?"

Andrew shook his head and smiled, considering his words before he responded, "No, I haven't. Though I get the feeling that my newest mate wishes for a larger family."

Their mirth was contagious, and Andrew thought that the laughter mixed well with Karen's arousal at the prospect of adding Tani'm to their family. He turned his attention to the calm surface of the pond and considered Tani'm's behavior for a moment, before turning his bright eyes on Karen and asking, "Is that why she's afraid of me? She thinks I'm trying to pull her into our family? Doesn't she know I have no control over it?"

Karen was consumed by a mixture of admiration that Andrew had so easily connected Tani'm's behavior with her question, and humor at how his observation had fed into his own insecurity about Bonding with another woman. She wanted to stifle her laughter, but failed as she recognized the irony in their situation. They both feared the same thing, and for the exact same reason. She smiled and caressed Andrew's cheek, enjoying the sight of him closing his eyes and pressing his face against her fingers.

It wasn't until Tani'm came to the surface that she responded, "Is it so hard to understand?"

Andrew laughed in recognition of what Karen was doing, her pointed question leading him to vocalize a thought she knew full well. "No, it's not difficult to understand. She barely knows us, and we... well, I, to be more accurate, I barely know her. I know you like her, and want her to join us, but hopefully this is a decision we will all get to make together, this time."

He paused and admired Karen's beautiful smile, the love in her eyes a powerful aphrodisiac that threatened to derail Andrew's train of thought. They shared a brief, but powerful kiss, before Andrew continued, "I cannot imagine life without you and Sara in it, but you know I worry about how we all came together."

Karen's head listed to the side as she admired Andrew all the more for the compassion he continued to show. Magic may have brought them together, but after three hundred years, she knew that what they had was a blessed and rare thing.

"She's a wonderful woman, and all this worry may be for naught — she may never join our family. Though, I agree with you, that if she should, it must be her choice, and not ours."

The conflict that Karen could sense from Tani'm only grew stronger as she embraced her man, their lips putting a passionate punctuation to the end of their conversation.

When she again settled against Andrew's chest, her curiosity piqued at where their lives would take them now that Tani'm had been introduced to their family. She was surprised when Andrew tried to sit up, his body shaking as his muscles failed to fulfill his desires. After rising a few short inches, he collapsed against the soft filigree ward with a huff, frustration and exhaustion evident in the tone of his breath.

He chuckled and stated, "This is just stupid."

Karen joined Andrew in laughing, glad that he was at least able to find some humor in his situation.

"I must admit, it's been a joy to take care of you." Her voice was filled with a fulfillment that Andrew understood all too well. It was a satisfaction that came from following your nature, and knowing that you had done something to the best of your ability. He had felt that many times over the previous couple of weeks, and Sara's excitement pouring through their bond acted as a perfect example of his most recent success. Andrew was surprised when Karen's mood seemed to darken.

"We can't continue like this, Andrew. It feels like you and Sara are moving from one dangerous situation to another, more dangerous situation, and trusting that things will 'just work out.'" she highlighted her words with soft but firm pokes to Andrew's ribs, the frailty of his body proving her point more than the derision in her tone. "I have given considerable thought to how we can prepare for our next unknown challenge, but my talents have failed me in this endeavor. We have no Astral Ink, and my gifts, while prodigious, only function when needed. You, my marvelous man, must be burdened with this task. Your gifts seem most appropriately suited to find ways to safeguard our family."

Andrew appreciated the pride he could hear in Karen's voice, but was surprised by the amount of concern that was reflected in her eyes. Her point had not escaped Andrew, who in that moment felt the dire consequences of the laissez-faire way they had been going through their lives. As Andrew studied his quivering muscles, he knew that there would be irreversible costs to their family if he did not start working on preparing them all for whatever dark mysteries may lay around the next corner of their lives.

The situations they found themselves in seemed to have a common thread that ran between them. When things went sideways, they almost always needed more energy than any of them possessed, and Andrew, despite his powers, could never quite fulfill their needs. He added discovering a way to meet those requirements to his growing list of things to investigate, right above figuring out how to stop Dr. Blake, and below finding a way to make or replicate Astral Ink.

Andrew struggled against his condition to raise his arm, the extra effort making him appreciate the contact as his fingers traced along Karen's cheek, all the more. "You are absolutely right, and insights like that are why you're my favorite teacher." He wiggled his hips, feeling his manhood thicken as it slid along her leg, before he added, "Among other, more personal reasons."

In spite of her efforts, Karen giggled, the musical tone of her joy sounding odd to the older woman, who was forced to accept that her new found adolescent appreciation for Andrew was unlikely to fade any time soon. The moisture that formed along the folds of her womanly flesh helped her to appreciate the change, as she fought against the urge to straddle her young lover.

Brandon had just died, and Andrew shook his head as he felt Sara struggle against the weight of a large rock that she was unsettling from where it had been anchored into the earth. Sara's eager cautiousness reverberated through his thoughts, as she began to close the distance towards Brandon's lifeless corpse, her intention clear to Andrew, who fought to block the sights that would soon follow.

He shook his head and asked, "How long until I've recovered enough to leave?"

Karen knew that if he were normal, it would take months for his body to recover from the extreme type of starvation that he was suffering from, but given where they were and Andrew's abnormal health, he would be fully recovered within four or five days. She studied his face before looking around the glade, the scent of wildflowers visiting her as she took a deep, refreshing breath of the warm evening breeze. They had plenty of time for him to make a full recovery.

"Four, maybe five days. Then, you will be all healed and ready to throw yourself into danger once more."

Andrew shook his head and chuckled as he focused on Sara, who had just concluded her adventure.

"How long until I can walk? Never mind the full healing thing."

He could see that Karen was about to object, so he cut her off, before she began, "Sara is going to need us. The sooner we can leave, the sooner we can get her back home."

"But we don't even know where she is," Karen observed.

Andrew smiled and knew that Karen wasn't going to give up on keeping him there until he was fully healed, so he took a deep breath, while he tried to determine the best way to convince her.

"She's in Oregon, and near the coast; Sara noticed the scent of the ocean and the distinctive underbrush from that area while she was chasing after Brandon, and I could feel her discovery while I watched. So, if we head down the 101, we will be in a good position to meet up with her when she's done. I'm just as eager as you are to see her, so like me, I know you want to be there when we meet." He paused and watched as the truth of his statement settled into the warm smile that spread across Karen's face. "You've got to remember that unlike us, you can't miss school tomorrow."

Karen's smile faded as she was forced to give a reluctant nod, affirming Andrew's assessment. It was one thing for Sara and her boyfriend to miss a Friday at school, but it would be highly suspicious if their favorite teacher vanished on the same day. The school was not large enough for a coincidence like that to go unnoticed, and for its implication to go unconsidered.

"Fine," she relented, as she thought back on how his healing had progressed before they had been forced to come to Sara's aid. Karen was grateful that Andrew was in better condition than when they had first found him. His haunting appearance aside, he was only a half day from having the musculature to stand, and another half day before he would be able to walk on his own.

"One day should suffice."

Karen's words had just left her lips, when Tani'm stated from the edge of the pond, "I can't stay here anymore."

Her tone was curt and her face was an emotionless mask. The small woman's eyes were fixed upon Andrew, as if she was searching for something within the frail man's face.

Despite the knowledge that neither Andrew nor Karen wanted to force her into their family, Tani'm was still struggling with the prospect of Bonding with Andrew. The small man's compassionate nature was making her emotions even harder to deal with. The more appealing he seemed, the more frightening the idea became, because she was beginning to think that she just might want it, and that scared her more than anything.

Karen wished she could allay the special woman's fears, having felt her emotions drifting through the warm fragrant air. She was trying to piece together how to respond, when Andrew beat her to it.

"That's understandable, Tani'm." He was wearing a broad smile while he spoke, appreciation shining in his violet eyes as he admired the beautiful woman. "You have done more than we could have asked for."

Karen felt the small woman's anxiety rise up as she was again pulled towards Andrew, her arousal standing in direct conflict with her fear. As Tani'm rose out of the water, her lean body glistening in the soft moon light, Karen said, "If you would indulge me but one request, my young friend."

Tani'm walked to her leather and cloth clothes, shaking her head and smiling at Karen's words; only Karen could make such a simple request sound so elegant. As she slid her pants up her athletic legs, she turned her gaze on the stunning brunette and stated, "Yeah, of course." Her eyes turned towards Andrew, and her face darkened ever so slightly, letting Karen know that there were some things she would be better off not asking for.

Karen smiled and asked, "Would you visit me again, at my house? I would regret not having the chance to share another conversation with you."

The sincerity of Karen's request was so unlike anything Tani'm had ever known. Ever since she had come into her power, everyone Tani'm had ever met expected something of her. When she looked into people's eyes, she could tell that they saw her as some kind of mythical figure, imbuing her words with artificial meaning because of her magical nature. As she looked into the umber eyes of the radiant woman who rested against Andrew, she realized that Karen and Andrew were perhaps the first people who valued her for who she was, and not for what she could do.

After sliding her arms through the sleeves of her shirt, she flexed the fingers on her right hand, and admired the damage that had been done to the leather forearm of her makeshift attire. The leather was soft but durable, and the wolf's teeth had torn through it like it wasn't even there.

The last voice she wanted to hear rang out as she turned to leave, "Tani'm, would you be willing to return here with Karen on Saturday?" Andrew could almost sense her nervousness, and added, "I won't be here, if that helps." Andrew paused, not surprised to see relief in her eyes as she heard his last statement, before he continued, "I think we may be able to help you against the wolf."

Andrew wore a large grin and was staring at her forearm, the gears turning behind his eyes as he added a new project to his ever-growing list. Whatever he was considering had him excited, and Tani'm hated how contagious she found his joy. She turned her gaze on Karen and said, "I will see you on Saturday morning," she paused and turned her eyes on Andrew, before finishing her statement, "alone."

Andrew tilted his head and smiled, finding her suspicion adorable. He watched as she left their sanctuary, intrigued by the enigmatic woman, and eager at the chance to get to know her better. He could not fault her for her distrust — she had every reason to worry about the mysterious forces that had brought Sara and Karen into his life.

"What are you cooking up?" Karen whispered into his ear, as she traced one of his ribs with a finger, the strange act feeling somehow intimate.

Andrew couldn't help but laugh as he turned his attention to his mate. "I need to do some research, but I think she might be able to help us solve one of our problems, and in turn, that may allow me to help her."

Karen shook her head as she stated, "Alright, spit it out."

After resting his head back against the soft moss and small flowers that made up the ward, Andrew closed his eyes and tried to think through what he knew. Once he was certain that there were enough paths towards success, he explained, "Casting the Glamour without a ward showed me how useful wards are. I only maintained the spell for a few seconds, and it almost killed me.

"Sure, I was already drained with very little energy left, but still, I can't believe how fast that spell consumed my remaining power, and then dismantled my body. That... it's just not viable..."

Andrew drifted off as his eyes scanned the gently shifting canopy of the forest. The moon looked amazing as it peeked through the branches, and seemed to speak to Andrew of the vast mysteries that surrounded them.

"So, there is a fucking Dire Wolf stalking through the forest, that I guess killed almost a dozen men, took numerous shots from high caliber rifles, and almost killed what I am forced to assume is a rather powerful Druid."

Karen turned her gaze in the direction that Tani'm had fled, as if she was searching for confirmation of Andrew's assertion of what the young woman was. The term seemed to fit, and the more she considered it, the more likely the answer seemed. She turned her gaze on Andrew, who was watching her with a broad smile, prepared to answer her unasked question. "Role Playing Games, my love. I have decided to just rely on the lessons I have learned from them. Not everything seems to fit, but the broad strokes sure as hell seem accurate."

She pecked him on the lips, appreciating the playful way Andrew seemed to be embracing everything that had happened. He winked and took a breath, before continuing his previous assessment.

"Then, there was the ambush by Brandon and that unfortunate woman...

"We cannot continue like this..."

Andrew's voice faded away as he finished repeating Karen's earlier words. His last conversation with his father rushed into his consciousness, the older man's warning sounding out in the back of his mind: "... something tells me you're stepping into a much more dangerous period of your life."

That phrase repeated itself in Andrew's thoughts as he wondered if his father had any idea how true those words would be. Four days ago, Andrew had been worried about bullies and teachers, but as he imagined the massive wolf that had torn off Tani'm's hand, he was forced to reevaluate where he directed his concern.

"We need to be able to create more wards, that's the bottom line."

There was a finality to Andrew's statement that Karen couldn't help but find attractive. The confidence in his weak voice caused her to wiggle up against him, as she struggled to keep from nibbling on his ear. He was right, of course, and while she understood what he was saying, she was unsure what he wanted to do with the new wards.

"Andrew, we still haven't a clue what the majority of those symbols do, and we can't throw caution to the wind in our haste for security."

Karen was surprised when Andrew leaned in, and she greeted him eagerly as their lips made contact. For a few blessed moments, their only thoughts were of each other, and the warm blanket of adoration that their talented mouths had woven from their worry.

"I know, honey," Andrew began as they parted, their breath coming in deep and passion-filled huffs for a moment, before he was able to continue, "If crafting a ward from a spell's symbol makes that spell easier to cast and maintain, then we would be fools to cast spells any other way, unless absolutely necessary."

For several moments Karen considered Andrew's words, and knew that there was wisdom within. She was impressed by Andrew, who had discovered more about the nature of magic in less than two weeks, than she had in centuries. She chuckled to herself, realizing that until Andrew had been pulled into her life — or vice-versa, depending on your perspective — she had sheltered herself from everything but the most fundamental of her gifts. The few simple spells she knew were almost never used, and almost always on frivolous endeavors.

"What?" Andrew asked, as he admired the lilting tone of her laughter.

"To think of the time I've squandered..."

Her laughter was cut short as Andrew's face twisted up with concern, and she realized that what she had meant as a light-hearted joke may in fact hint at a deeper truth, a realization that Andrew had picked up on as soon as the words had left her mouth.