Tangled Claws

Tangled Bond

Sera sat on the park seat with the sun on her cheeks and a gentle breeze rustling through her hair. She looked up as Mason walked towards her with a smile.

Mason: Hey, beautiful. How's your day going?

Sera: Hey, gorgeous. It's going great now that you're here.

Mason sat on the bench laughing at her best friend's response.

Mason: Hey, Sera, do you remember when we went on that camping trip with our families and got lost in the woods?

Sera: Of course, how could I forget? We thought we were going to be lost forever!

Mason: And then we found our way back by following the stars. You were so good at navigating, Sera.

Sera: Ha, I was just lucky, I guess. But that was such a fun trip. Remember when we went fishing in the river?

Mason: Oh yeah, and you caught that giant fish! I was so jealous.

Sera: Hey, you caught a bunch too. But yeah, that was a big catch.

Mason's face turned soft as he flashed a smile.

Mason: Sera, you're not just my best friend. You're like a sister to me. I don't know how things would be without you.

Sera forced a smile. Mason has always seen her as just a best friend, a sister. But her feelings towards Mason have grown beyond just being her friend.

Sera: (internally) Ohh, Mason. If you only knew.

Mason: Are you okay? Sera? Sera?

Mason was the one calling her. But the voice was different. It was deeper. It was calling out to her from somewhere.

But as the voice went on, Mason's figure started to blur, and Sera's happy moments with Mason were replaced by images of Duke, his powerful and protective presence dominating her thoughts.

Sera woke up with a start, feeling disoriented and confused. She sat up and looked around, still feeling the lingering warmth of the dream. But as reality set in, she realized she was in a place she didn't recognize.

Duke: Sera. Are you okay?

Sera: Yeah. I just had a dream.

Duke: So, who's Mason?

Sera felt uncomfortable as she remembered what had happened yesterday. She's facing the man who was said to be her "mate." She can't be brutally honest with the man who saved her from death and tell him that Mason is the man she loves.

Sera: Mason is my best friend.

Sera looks around the room, trying to change the subject.

Sera: Where am I?

Duke: You're in the pack's community.

Sera: The pack?

Duke: Yes, my pack. We brought you here to take care of you.

Sera looked down at her leg and saw that the wound was looking better than before

Sera: How did you do that?

Duke: It's a gift that we have. We heal quickly. But please remember that you are not fully healed. We just slowed down the infection's flow in your veins.

Sera: I understand. I still need to mate with you to acquire the moon's power to be fully healed.

Duke: Yes.

Sera looked at Duke, and something in his eyes made her heart race. She felt a pull toward him, and it scared her.

Sera: Why do I feel like this?

Duke: You're feeling the bond.

Sera: Bond?

Duke: Yes, we became connected when I gave you my blood.

Sera's eyes widened in shock.

Sera: What does that mean?

Duke: It means that we're meant to be together. We'll be bonded for life.

Sera's emotion was in turmoil. She remembered Mason. If she's bonded with Duke, how come she still feels her love for Mason is as strong as before?

Sera: I can't be mated to you. I--

Duke: I understand, but we can't ignore the bond. It's a part of who we are. We can try to fight it, but it'll only worsen things.

Sera: What should I do?

Duke: You don't have to decide right now. Just rest and take some time to think about it.

Sera nodded, unsure of what to do. She closed her eyes to clear her mind.

As Sera lay in bed, her thoughts kept drifting to Mason. She couldn't believe that she was mated to someone else. She loved Mason, and she couldn't imagine being with anyone else.

She heard a knock, and Duke answered it. A few moments later, he returned with a woman with delicate facial features who looked to be in her mid-thirties.

Duke: Sera, this is my mother, Eleanor. She's our pack's healer.

Eleanor smiled at Sera and sat down on the bed beside her.

Eleanor: How are you feeling, dear?

Sera: I feel better now. Thank you for taking care of me.

Eleanor: It's my pleasure. You're like family to us now.

Sera: Family?

Eleanor: Yes, you're mated to Duke, which means you're a part of our pack. We take care of our own.

Sera felt a sense of belonging wash over her.

Sera: Thank you.

Eleanor: You're welcome. Now, let me check your wound.

She examined Sera's legs and nodded in satisfaction.

Eleanor: It looks much better than before. You should be able to move around soon.

Sera: That's good to hear.

Duke: How are you feeling?

Sera: Much better. The pain is not as worse as before.

Sera watched Duke's mother take a small vial from a nearby shelf.

Eleanor: This is a special elixir from herbs found in the forest. It will help you recover faster.

Sera took the vial from her and drank it. The elixir was bitter and left a strange taste in her mouth, but she felt a warm sensation spread throughout her body, and the pain in her wound started to fade away.

Sera: That's amazing! I feel so much better already.

Duke: My mother makes the best elixir.

Eleanor: Thank you for the compliment, dear. I'll leave you two alone to rest. If you need anything, you know where to find me.

Duke: Thank you, Mother.

Duke walked Eleanor to the door and closed it behind her.

Duke: Are you still tired? Or do you feel like moving around?

Sera: I need to feel my body move again.

Duke: Great! I'll show you something.

Duke helped her stand up. He carefully led Sera out of the room, still holding her hand.

Duke: Welcome to our pack, Sera. This is our community.

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