The Bonding Chronicles Ch. 16

"That fucker is going to die!" Sara spat as she attempted to stand.

Her left arm clenched and bent at the elbow, but still hung from her side, refusing to lift as she had commanded. The muscles that Wildfang had torn from her bicep and shoulder were far too important, and Sara now understood what purposes they had served.

"That mother fucker!" she grumbled as she bounded to her feet, any attempt at using her left arm forgotten as she adjusted to her new debilitation. Her agility and mastery of her own center of mass was more than enough to allow her to rise.

"How are you doing?" Sara asked, the fatigue showing on the small Native American girl who was struggling to her feet.

"I should be okay, just need... a minute... to recover."

Even with the aid of her forest, exhaustion clung to Tani'm with cloying hands, refusing to let her catch her breath or ease her aching mind. Her right arm still hung from her side, a deep throbbing pain radiating through her forearm and shoulder. Every time she tried to move her arm the pain grew too intense, and while she managed to keep from screaming, she knew her arm was useless to her.

Neither of them knew what to do to fix her wound, but as Sara applied gentle pressure to the small woman's shoulder, the soft leather and durable cloth of her suit providing little to no resistance, she could feel the gap where the bone in her arm should have been seated into the shoulder. The wolf had not only pulled her arm out of socket, but torn and separate a lot of the connective tissues.

"This is bad," Sara whispered, her almond eyes confessing her concern.

Tani'm grimaced, and fought with all her might to hold back the tormented scream that begged for release, until Sara had finished her inspection. Beyond her shoulder, she knew that the mighty wolf had almost broken her wrist, and would have torn it off again if not for Andrew's ward. For as foolish as they had been, Andrew's preparation had saved their lives, of that she was certain.

The diminutive woman fought a laugh as Thunderfoot bumped her with the side of his horns, making it clear that whatever they were doing, he was still eager to participate. She gazed down and rubbed the cute, yet somehow fearsome rabbit on the cheek, eliciting an adorable chortle from the magical creature.

She took a deep breath and looked Sara in the eyes, before smiling and raising her eyebrows with a dramatic huff. They all turned their gaze in the direction that the wolf had ran, and despite their lack of words, an agreement had been struck — no matter the cost, their war with the wolf would end that night.

***** Heroes Course *****

Karen was such a beautiful mystery to Andrew, her bright and wonderful eyes following him as he worked at the dining room table. He had gathered a pile of household items around himself, and tinkered amongst the clutter on some unknown project while he explained the discoveries he had made during his drive with Sara earlier that morning. The faint sound of the dryer carrying back into the room from the hallway did little to distract from his story, and despite all of her questions as he spoke, she never seemed to betray any doubt to Andrew's assertions.

Sara and Tani'm had left about twenty minutes before, and somehow Andrew had managed to gather what appeared to be a trove of random and useless items onto the table, the bowel of fruit which normally sat at a place of prominence was hidden amongst the clutter. He expected questions to be asked, or concerns to be given voice, but instead, the beautiful brunette continued to participate in their conversation, and ignored Andrew's preparations. They luxuriated in those brief moments, Andrew joyful in his discoveries, until her questions had been exhausted, and his details ran out.

Karen considered what Andrew had said in silence for what felt like an hour, and just as Andrew could take the quiet no more, she began to laugh, causing Andrew to stop what he had been doing. He held a broom with a firm grip, its end whittled to a sharp point, and he waited for her to explain what she had figured out. Eagerness was etched into his every expression while he shifted towards the edge of his seat.

"You do realize why they stationed your parent's here, don't you?"

Andrew stopped his labors, and ran his fingers through his blond hair, his wild untamed mane darting out in every haphazard direction as he considered Karen's question. Several reasons came to mind, though Andrew knew that none of them were what the older woman was alluding to. Isolation was probably a large reason, if they could not control the people in his life, at least they co-

His face went white as he realized what Karen had surmised.

"Dr. Blake," Andrew began, astonishment forcing him to pause as he shook his head. "That insufferable, egotistical, horses-ass has sucked the joy out of the classes I love most. He is the last person to try and foster my talents. If anything, my intelligence threatens him, ensuring he will never take an interest in me like my previous teachers had.

"And Mr. Spencer! I like to joke about how he's secretly spying on me for the military, but..."

It was difficult for Andrew to hold back his frustration at just how deep the conspiracy had been planned.

"He knows my parents, either personally or by reputation, that much I've figured out. But, no matter how I look at it, I keep coming back to the idea that he has to be an active agent for whoever is orchestrating all of this. Which means, he already knows that I'm far more than I seem. Our training sessions have gotten... intense. As much as I want to hold back, he always manages to push me into extending myself, and by the time I realize I've put a bit too much out there, it's too late."

Karen just watched and listened with pride in her eyes, admiring Andrew for how quickly his mind pieced things together.

"That tells us something else," Karen started, her eyes squinting as she considered what she was about to say. "They must have had this in place months before your parent's were reassigned. Mr. Spencer was hired late last school year, a couple of weeks after John announced his retirement. It didn't seem odd at the time, but looking back, they found a replacement pretty fast.

"Quinault is a great town, don't get me wrong, but few choose to move here. Mr. Spencer, with his military service, should have had much better prospects, and he seems to be unburdened by the demons that often haunt the kind of people we tend to attract."

Their moment of consideration was broken, and Andrew's eyes grew wide as Karen stood from the couch. Sara was in danger, and their mate's pain was so great that Andrew could hardly breath through the echo of her torment that drifted through their bond.

It had been the very thing that Andrew had been fearing, and despite the items he had surrounded himself with, he knew that no distraction could have prepared him for just how gut wrenching it would feel. Memories of past conflicts came flooding back, reminding him of just how the events of their life had spiraled into chaos.

Tani'm and Sara were justified in their plan, Andrew knew that, but he had also been wise in his desire for them to wait. As all those thoughts consumed him, one question rose up above the rest — what role was he going to play in his life? Andrew had made himself a promise, and as he felt the profound suffering that his mate was forced to endure, Andrew was confronted with the realization that he had not lived up to his own words.

His fingers clenched around the broom, the wood creaking against the strength of his grip, and as he retook control of his body, pushing Sara's suffering aside, he cast his eyes across the table.

"That will do nothing to the wolf, Andrew. You know that, right?"

Karen was staring at the sharpened broom handle, fear hidden behind her question. Determination crossed Andrew's face as he stood from his chair, placing the broom back onto the pile as he responded, "Ohhh, but it will."

Andrew stormed out of the living room, his resolve catching Karen by surprise, who was forced to watch as he vanished into their bedroom. After a moment, she asked, "What are you going to do?"

She could hear drawers being opened, but she could not get her legs to move. Sara was still suffering, and everything within the older woman wanted to save her young lover.

"I'm gonna be the goddamn hero for once."

The tone of his voice left no room for doubt, and through their bond, Karen could tell that something within Andrew had changed. A strange series of events had stolen them down the raging waters of their life, and her mate, her one and eternal love, would be its victim no longer.

He was storming back down the hall when he froze, his eyes again growing wide as Sara's voice filled his mind.

"Don't come, my love, the wolf will kill you both!"

Karen did not receive the message, but could feel Sara's concern for them both. The impact that her message had was profound, and it took Andrew by surprise. Somehow, Sara had managed to keep Andrew there, her words freezing him in place and forcing him to battle with his own desires.

One moment, everything within him ached to tear off into the forest, to find and protect Sara, and the next a profound desire to remain within the house had been seated deep within him. Sara's love for them both was saturated through every ounce of her command, and the fear Andrew felt in her voice brought a tear to his eye.

He understood her worry all too well, but that was not what touched him so deeply. It was how selfless she was being, her own life teetering on the precipice of oblivion, the wolf threatening to end her existence, and still she was worried more about saving them, than herself. The fragrance of her emotion was rich with longing, and her adoration for them was like a kiss that had been placed on their very souls.

Andrew realized in that moment that her message had not just been intended to keep them safe, but to act as a goodbye. She wanted to live, but the events within the forest had convinced her that she may never return to them.

"Fuck that!" Andrew yelled, his core pulsing and shattering her magical command with ease. "None of us are dying, not tonight!"

Karen had no idea what just happened, she only knew that Sara had done something unexpected, and that it had taken Andrew a moment to shake it off. She watched as he dropped the bag he had packed in their room, before he opened and vanished into his parents' bedroom.

The sound of floorboards being unseated and cast aside carried back through the hall, instilling within Karen a sense of curiosity she had once feared lost. Until recent events, her long life had made such emotions a distant memory, almost all events having been experienced so many times that they began to lose meaning. But then came Andrew, and with him a revitalization of those long lost joys and fears.

Andrew had an M16 slung across his shoulder, and a couple of standard issue military ammo cans, one hanging from each hand.

"That rifle isn't high enough caliber to stop the wolf," Karen observed, her unhelpful comment causing Andrew to smile.

He held up one of the ammo cans and stated, "That's why I have this."

Before Karen could ask any questions, he made his way back to the table, where he dropped his parents armory on the floor.

"Well, I guess I'm gonna have to talk with my parents about all of this sooner, rather than later."

Karen was just shaking her head, surprised by the strange confidence she had found in Andrew. He was determined and clear minded, each thing he did was part of some greater whole she did not comprehend.

"Do you know the symbol you use to heal?" Andrew asked as he walked across the room, bending over and grabbing the five gallon bucket that contained their greatest weapon. "I think that might come in handy."

His statement was punctuated by the sound of the dryer, which announced it had concluded the task it had been given, causing Andrew to look down the hall and smile before he carried the bucket towards the sound.

The concerns that Karen had for Sara's safety were cast aside by the sheer force of will she witnessed in Andrew. He was a man possessed, and through his fast paced activities she knew that they would be leaving the safety of Andrew's house soon, making their way to their endangered mate.

With a smile, she responded, "Of course I do."

And with that, they continued their preparations, knowing that only they could save the woman they loved, and despite his confidence, Andrew wondered if his scheme would be enough.

***** Wild Plans *****

Tani'm was once again amazed by her gift, the pain in her shoulder fading as the internal damage mended at a glacial pace. It was slow, but with each minute she knew that tissues were being healed, and the bone in her upper arm was getting closer to its socket.

Sara was forced to travel on foot, her movement much faster in human form, and in no small way that pissed her off. Her feline form had just been given to her, and yet already she missed the feeling of the soft forest floor on her paws, her human feet shifting in ways that her feline paws never would. She felt so limited, even though she knew she was moving just as fast as she ever had, if not faster, even with her horrible wound.

"This is stupid!" Sara huffed, sweat pouring down her face.

"Let's take a break."

Tani'm was beginning to worry. They had been chasing the wolf for at least a half hour, and in that time Sara's condition had worsened. The tall and powerful woman was still keeping up with her and Thunderfoot, but Tani'm could now see the effort that Sara was exerting, where everything had seemed so easy for her when they had began.

"No..." Sara paused to take a deep breath. "We need to keep after him."

The veins around the bark like poultice on Sara's upper arm and shoulder were beginning to darken, and Tani'm feared that perhaps the wolf's magic would finish the job that its bite had begun.

The sad truth was, they were not gaining on the wolf, and if anything, Sara felt like the wolf had been toying with them. Keeping just close enough to know what they were doing, but far enough away that they could never make up the distance. Her hair was short and spiky, clinging together in sharp daggers of red and black that radiated out from the top of her head. Sara's eyes scanned the forest, a dull ache beginning to radiate out through her shoulder despite the numbing effects of Tani'm's healing construct.

Sara grabbed Tani'm by the back of the neck with her good arm, and pulled the small woman in close.

"Listen, that fucker is just waiting for us to split up, or for me to faint from my wounds. So, let's give him what he wants."

Sara's mouth was distorted by the widest smile Tani'm had ever seen, and in that moment she realized that Karen had been right, she really did like the crazy woman who was panting before her.

After pulling away from Sara, Tani'm said, "Alright, you need to rest. Thunderfoot and I will continue after the wolf. Just try and recover, okay?"

Sara fell back onto a soft section of the forest floor, the few rocks and uneven places blunted by the thick moss and grass that coated the area.

"Yeah, yeah, mom. Have fun!" she concluded her statement with a playful wave of her hand, as she gazed up at the thin cloud cover that passed above. It was not until that moment that Sara realized just how exhausted she had become, the sweat cooling on her body as the night air settled in around her.

Tani'm looked over at Thunderfoot, amazed to realize that the large rabbit seemed to have understood their plan. There was something in the innocent eyes that looked up at her which spoke of an intelligence she did not remember seeing before. Nothing dramatic, but a subtle shift which seemed out of place.

From where Sara rested, she could hear her two companions vanish into the woods, and as her shoulder throbbed and ached, she closed her eyes, allowing the other sounds of the forest to rise up and distract her.

It was still difficult for her to comprehend just how much life she could hear within the mighty forest, small animals shifting and scurrying through the brush in their efforts to distance themselves from the predators that stalked in the gloom of that cloudy night. Her hearing had always been great, but still, in that moment she was reminded of just how much her life had changed.

Somehow, as if by fate's hand, she felt a familiar warmth fill her heart, and joy bath her mind in a new and unfamiliar way. How Andrew had known she was thinking of him was beyond her concern, all she knew was that she had the opportunity to see him again.

With that, she allowed herself to fall into her own mind, a moment later opening her eyes into the vastness of her own inner space.

"Hey Sexy."

Andrew's voice was clear, his excitement at seeing her evident in those two playful words, and even before she saw him she could feel his presence. Turning, she found see him standing there, his thin and well defined body aglow with violet light. He looked just as she had seen him the last time he had appeared in her mind, translucent and spectacular.

She rushed into his open arms, his warmth making her feel safe for the first time since the battle had started.

"One of these days, we'll be able to keep that promise," he said, his voice silent and adoring.

Sara stifled a laugh, being reminded of the countless times they had met under similar circumstances. They somehow always seemed to find a way to get into trouble, and yet they inevitably found themselves just like they were then — one of them wounded, and near death, while the other was worried and annoyed at their situation.

"You didn't listen to my warning!" Sara began, her frustration dripping from her words as she pulled back and glowered into Andrew's grinning face. "I don't think I could have been any clearer, could I?"

Andrew shook his head and his smile deepened.

"Yeah, we're gonna need to talk about that message later, but you should have known there was no way we were going to let you face this alone. I was preparing to leave well before you got wounded, I just figured it would take you longer to find the damned wolf."

Andrew was huffing, his joy at seeing Sara being shadowed by his anger at the position she had placed herself into, and how thoroughly misplaced her confidence had been.

"I came to The Glade when I noticed your wounds were getting worse."

His eyes drifted to her semi-transparent shoulder, which appeared pristine and in perfect condition, and yet in a strange way, he could sense the damage which had been done to her as he looked at her amber flesh. So many influences were battling over her wound, and Andrew was having trouble sorting through them. There was magic woven through her laceration, a terrible and malevolent force that was keeping her tissues from mending.

He tsked as he caressed the affected area, recognized what it was; he was seeing the same type of trauma that had been done to Tani'm the night he had first met the small woman. The wolf had inflicted Sara's wound, and as he studied her amber skin, he began to see the discordant flow of energy which seemed to saturate the large area where the wolf had exacted its toll.

As his fingers caressed her shoulder, he could feel the hot and angry presence of the foul beast as it maintained its hold on her wound, refusing to let it heal, and furthering its decay with each passing moment. There was something else though, something subtle and benevolent that was trying to work from atop her damage. It felt strange, but he appreciated the gentle energy that wanted to heal his mate, and as he allowed himself to savor its sweet caress, he could almost see Tani'm's face looking back at him.