Bloodbond

Chapter 26

Time seemed to freeze. I could see the midnight blur of Walker's form running towards me, but my body was locked in place. Just behind him, I could see Gabriel trying to catch up, but he was too far to get to me in time

My body refused to move and, while my mouth was open, no sound would escape. I knew that, no matter what I did, Walker would get me. He was just too fast and much too strong. Faintly in the background, I could hear Taran shifting and desperately yelling for me to move, in spite of his weakness.

In the back of my mind, I could sense that Taran was fighting against his pain to get to me. I knew that, if he could, he would cover me as a minor shield of protection against Walker. Considering the state he was in, there was no way he could possibly stand a chance against Walker, even if Walker was worn down from fighting with Gabriel.

All my thoughts blew in and out of my head in seconds and Walker was almost upon me. Just as I braced myself for the feel of Walker's body crashing into me, a flash of gray fur slams into Walker's right side, knocking him clear across the room. Walker had been so surprised by the attack, that he offered up no resistance and his body made a loud thump against the wall.

Without breaking stride, Gabriel changed courses and made his way to Walker, who was just now getting up. When I went to look for Walker's attacker, I saw the wolf lying a few feet from where Walker had landed. I whipped my head around to where I'd last left Claire and I gasped. She wasn't there anymore, which meant that Claire had shifted and saved me from Walker's attack. Tears sprang to my eyes as I took in the full depth of what this meant.

I didn't stop to think about it, I just went over to Claire. Her chest and stomach were heaving greatly and I wasn't sure what to think about her continuing to stay in wolf form. It didn't matter though; I took my hand and ran it down her fur, relishing in how soft it felt against my fingers.

"Claire, are you alright? Why would you put yourself in danger like that for me?" I was almost crying because of the relief I felt in seeing that she had come away from crashing into Walker relatively unharmed.

Claire didn't open her eyes, but I knew she had heard my words. As I continued to stroke Claire's muzzle, my gaze returned to Walker and Gabriel. They were like complete opposites, each mirroring the other. Walker, with his midnight fur and evil ways, contrasted with the pure white coat and overwhelming desire to do good that made Gabriel who he was.

The battle was like a dance; two lithe creatures whose bodies clashed and whose movements were graceful and light, despite their wounds. If it didn't mean life or death, it would have been beautiful to watch. They were both so light on their feet (or should I say paws?) and I was amazed at how well they were able to dodge the other's attacks after all they had endured up to this moment. I knew they had to be tired, so I couldn't imagine where they were getting the energy to continue.

Just as the question crossed my mind, Walker lashed out with his paw and struck Gabriel across his throat. Gabriel was sent flying and I could feel the frightened scream lodge itself in my throat. Gabriel landed with a loud crack. When he didn't get back up again, my breathing became irregular and I began to panic. He needed to get up! We couldn't do this without him!

From the sound his body had made as it landed, I knew that something must have snapped and broken, but I just couldn't be sure what. The movements Walker's body made clearly showed that he was now confident that he was close to defeating Gabriel. He leisurely strolled over to Gabriel's prone form and circled it as if celebrating his victory. It made me sick.

My sorrow was overwhelming. There was no way to know if Gabriel was still alive. I wanted to fall apart right there in that room. Tears were beginning to form just as I heard a hushed noise come from my side. When I turned to look, I saw Taran eyeing me silently. Even when he'd caught my gaze, he still said nothing, I spared a moment to return his stare. Looking into his eyes gave me strength. I knew that he was trying to let me see that he believed in me.