Vindicator

Chapter 5

For about a year and a half after Karma first learned to break bonds, she and Christina travelled on foot. She was able to ensure their safety by slipping them into the Lupine Realm when caution was required; however, they mostly lead relatively uneventful lives. That said, they had learned to make use of some of Karma's abilities to assist them in other ways.

For instance, they used the fog in the Lupine Realm as an optimal means of training. It offered natural resistance, cut off nearly all senses, and restricted their oxygen intake. The training was gruelling, but it was effective. Training their bodies in the Lupine Realm had also meant they could train alongside their wolves, which also seemed to translate into gains for their wolf forms in the Mortal Realm.

One of the other abilities that they had discovered was that Karma could open a window from the Lupine Realm to gaze into the Mortal Realm, but nobody from the Mortal Realm was able to see the opening. This afforded her the opportunity to safely spy on anyone that she and Christina were suspicious of, in the event they felt they were being followed.

With these precautions, the two had been quite comfortable in their travels together. They would sometimes stop into little towns or villages to stock up on supplies, and it was during one such trip that Karma was pushed towards a new life-altering decision.

While in a small human village sitting on the outskirts of werewolf territory, they decided to stop at a small cafe for a bite to eat. When they walked in, they were on high alert at the scent of another wolf in the building. Eyes wide, they turned their attention to a small, two person table, where two young women were chatting over lemonade. Facing them was a young human who appeared as though she wasn't even 20 yet.  The girl who had the scent of a werewolf had her back to the two, and appeared to be hunched over the table.

Christina held onto her daughter's arm to stop her from making any rash decisions. While looking at the two, Christina realized the posture of the she-wolf seemed defeated. She paid closer attention to the human, whose pretty face held a worried scowl. She looked to be stuck between sad and angry, and had Christina feeling the need to eavesdrop. Still holding onto Karma's arm, she dragged her over to a table near the two women. Karma was confused, but obediently sat across from her mother. "What are we doing?" She asked through mindlink.

Christina waved her hand dismissively, trying to pay attention. Karma let out an annoyed huff, but did the same.

Now that they were seated closer to the two, they had a clear view of the she-wolf who was was busy trying to contain her sobs to avoid attracting attention to them. With the glances Karma was able to steal, she realized this she-wolf was heavily pregnant, mated, and seemingly distraught.

"I don't know what to do anymore, Kim" the she-wolf said through sniffles. "He just...Blames me, and won't even consider it from my side...It's killing me. All of me" she said, adding emphasis on the "all" which Karma suspected meant her wolf, too.

The human, apparently named Kim, reached across the table to hold the girl's hand. "I know, sweetie...And he's an asshole for it. He didn't even consider that you'd be mourning, too...He's not the only one who lost a child" Kim said bitterly.

Christina, who was also apparently listening, seemed to stiffen at those words. A deep sadness reflected back at Karma when she stared at her face, and it made her wonder if her mother had lost a child before her. She mirrored Kim's motion, and reached out to take her mom's hand and squeeze it with a soft smile. Christina gently returned the squeeze with a small smile, but the she-wolf's voice brought their attention back.

"I didn't mean for things to turn out this way...And for my own mate to blame me...He has to see he's turning the pack against me" the she-wolf said, adding the last part in a whisper so other than Kim, only werewolf hearing would have caught it.