Chain Me

I See You

     Lost's side looks like a large cat got at it and there's a small rash on her arm and neck. It's not bad, barely there, but still. It's not exciting to wake up to your girlfriend hurt and blabbering about pixie parties or something.
     "I can't believe you left in the middle of the night," I murmur, gently covering Lost's scratches with antibiotic cream. She's sitting on the edge of the tub, holding up her shirt for me. "I can't believe you didn't wake me, at least." That little monster that continues to make me believe that Lost will slowly drift away from me rears its ugly head but I bite back.
     Lost twitches when I poke her too hard, and I apologize. "I couldn't let them suffer," she says, looking down at my fingers as they move. "They needed me, and you needed the sleep. I thought it would help with your strange feelings but..." She trails off.
     I sigh and finish up but remain on my knees. "Did you at least help them all?"
     "Yes," she says, putting down her shirt. "Oh, and Joanne wanted me to tell you that she was wrong. I don't know about what but I assume you do. Do you?"
     Joanne and I only talked about one thing- Lost's possible pulling away from me. So, she thinks she was wrong. I wonder why. "What did you two talk about?"
     Lost stands and moves to the bathroom sink to look at her rash in the mirror. "She was upset because a human had broken her heart in the past and didn't want the same to happen to me. I told her it was silly."
     "Oh?" I take Lost's seat on the edge of the tub and watch her poke the side of her neck.
     "Mhm. I like you and you like me right now so why worry about something that hasn't happened, or might never? It's silly, I say. Fears like that only ensure the worst will occur. I've seen it a thousand times."
     Lost's words sink in, and I realize how ridiculous I've been making myself feel. Lost experiences things in the moment the majority of the time. She likes me, a lot if our history has anything to say about it, and that's the end of it in her mind. There is no fear of those feelings fading for her.
     I stand and throw myself into Lost's back, careful of her wounds as I wrap my arms around her, and mumble, "I'm sorry I've been acting so weird. You're right."
     "I'm right?"
     "Very."
     Lost turns around in my arms and there's a confused look in her face, but she accepts my words and says, "Okay."
     I plant a firm kiss on her lips and she hums in delight, grabbing my hips to bring me closer. "I think I have some rash cream, too," I tell her when I pull back.
     "Thank you. Oh, I almost forgot. I invited Josh's pack to Hakeem's baseball game."
     I rear back, surprised. "Seriously? You don't think that's a little weird?" Aside from Josh's pack being virtual strangers, the game is later today and that's short notice for anyone.
     "Why?"
     "Well, for starters, Hakeem doesn't know them."
     "I'm sure he'd be happy to have a bigger group cheering for him."
     "Okay, and his mom? I think she's already concerned most of his friends are adults. I caught her once and, honestly..." Hakeem's mom is a nice woman, very lovely, but she definitely knows her son isn't popular with kids his own age. She has enough trouble with work and all. I mean, I've only met her once and it was pure accident, and only because Lost was in medical and I did nothing but roam the building like a ghost.
     "Josh and his pack will leave if she's truly uncomfortable," Lost assures me.
     I shoot her a look, unsure. "Okay... but you're going to have to apologize to her if that's the case."
     Lost smiles wide. "No problem. I need to properly introduce myself, anyway."
     Rolling my eyes, I make my way out of the bathroom. "An apology isn't a great opener for meeting someone, Lost."
     "Maybe I won't have to apologize. I can meet her while cheering for her son. That's a great opener, right?"
     I hum and pad over to the kitchen. Lost is the most optimistic person I know, or have ever known. Then again, she has reason to be. Everyone likes her.
     Lost joins me in the kitchen and lifts herself onto the island to swing her legs carelessly. "It seems odd that we haven't gotten a mission, right?"
     "Ugh, don't jinx it," I grumble, grabbing the juice from the fridge. "Last night should count. Anyway, Mariam told me Cas has been taking yours to let us, you know, adjust."
     "Should we get her a present as thanks?"
     I fill a cup halfway. "We should. I think Cas has been a little on edge being away from Emma more often than not."
     "They'll have fun at Hakeem's game together."
     "They're going?"
     "He told me he invited Emma, who I'm sure will bring Cas. Do you think Mariam will come?"
     I lean on the counter opposite Lost. "Hm. I don't think so. If they have the day free, too, then Mariam will probably spend it with Richard."
     "Her boyfriend? What's he like?"
     "A nice guy, by what I hear. I haven't had a real conversation with him. Why?"
     "Males aren't generally worthy," she hums, gripping the edge of the island. Her legs have stopped swinging. "Mariam is a friend. I don't want her getting caught up with a low life."
     My eyebrows raise. "He's just fine on paper, and Mariam seems happy with him. You... probably shouldn't tell her about your male theory."
     Lost cocks her head, her face shifting. "Okay."
     "What?" I ask, noticing her change.
     She smiles and hops off the island. "They're here."
     "Who's here?"
     "Josh's pack."
     "Lost!" I put my empty cup in the sink and huff. "You can't just invite people over without consulting me! I'm not even dressed."
     Her smile disappears. "I'm sorry. I'll tell them to leave."
     Sighing, I shake my head. "No, no... Just tell me next time, okay?" I start for my room, peeved. Lost is a good soul but I don't think she thinks things through when it doesn't have to do with magic. Or if she does, she always assumes a positive outcome. It's nice to have her around with that attitude but I still need to get used to it.
     The living room fills with the noise of excited people as I grab my towel and a change of clothes and head for the bathroom for a shower. Lost already had one this morning, by my insistence, and it's no wonder she didn't mind guests. Maybe I should just let her do all this carefree stuff. Her whole life has been in chains, so why not give this to her? It's really not that big of a deal. At the end of the day, after all her monster friends and talking birds and late night pixie parties, she comes home to my bed with a smile on her face, eyes only for me. I've never had someone so enamored with me.
     Feeling better, I step out of the shower, but my mood drops when my foot touches something fuzzy. It's definitely not the bath mat. I look down and find a tail under my toes, the furry thing attached to a dog, or a puppy, I think. I'm too shocked to scream or even muster a word. The animal stares at me with bright blue eyes, watching the water slide down my naked body.
     And that's when I remember that my home is currently filled with werewolves.
     Skin hot, both in embarrassment and anger, I scramble for my towel and shout for Lost. The dog- wolf- gets scared from my outburst and its claws slip and slide across the bathroom tiles as Lost fills the doorway. Her eyes flick from me to the struggling wolf, then they grow brighter than I've ever seen them. Her face twists into pure rage and the wolf howls as it finally gains traction. It zooms between Lost's legs and manages to escape her clutches, but by the ugly snarl Lost makes, it won't be running for long.
     Terrified for the poor wolf, I dress quickly. I've never seen Lost that enraged. She's obviously more upset that someone I didn't want to see me naked saw me naked than I am. It's scary. I'm afraid of what she'll do.
     The noise in the living room has shifted from jovial to startling. There's yelling and stomping and- God, did something just break? The loud thud has me sprinting out to the living room and the first thing I yell is, "Lost, stop!" even though I have no idea what's going on. The room freezes with my presence and I hold still to not break the trance.
     Lost is poised on her toes, breathing heavy, and there are two large men standing in front of her, their arms extended in a motion that might stop her if they're lucky. Behind the large men is everyone else. Joanne is tense, and Josh is next to her, holding the shirt collar of a teenage boy. A teenage boy with bright blue eyes.
     "He," snaps Lost, her voice deep and almost unrecognizable, "has no boundaries."
     Josh shakes the boy. "Is it true? Did you do it?"
     The boy looks to me, meek and nervous, then nods, ashamed. "I didn't know..."
     The men in front of Lost drop their arms. Lost relaxes a hair and Joanne shakes her head. "Shameful," she murmurs.
Josh sighs. "I'm sorry. Truly, I am." Then he turns to me. "We won't take this lightly."
     I can only nod. I'm afraid if I do anything more the room will return to fighting.
     Lost is suddenly standing before me, her back to me. "I require satisfaction."
     The room shifts uncomfortably, then Josh asks, "What did you have in mind?"
     Lost turns her head to look at me over her shoulder to show me a blindingly bright eye. "What is your punishment?"
     My mouth drops open. I'm not going to harm a kid. He's maybe thirteen, fourteen at the most. Sure, he knew what he was doing, but what teenage boy isn't curious about a woman's body? Then again, he's old enough to understand that what he did was wrong on so many levels. He should get some kind of punishment.
     "I... I..." Everyone is waiting for what I have to say but I don't know what they want to hear. So, I step close to Lost and whisper, "I can't do this. He's just a kid."
     "He saw something he shouldn't have. You did not give him permission."
     "No, I know, but... Can't they handle it? They're his family. They know how to take care of him."
     Lost watches me with that bright eye of hers for a minute. She growls deep in her throat then turns to Josh. "You can decide his punishment, as his family."
     Josh turns his eye to me. "That's okay?"
     I nod, just wanting all this to be over with. "Yes."
     Grunting, Josh pushes the boy to the front door. He throws him out into the hall then gives Joanne instructions about what to do. Then he comes to Lost and I. "I understand if you don't want us around anymore," he says seriously. "You've done everything for us and we've only been trouble."
     Lost sighs and takes a step back to be next to me. "You have a great pack," she tells him. "I'm sorry for reacting the way I did."
     "Please, I would have done the same. That kid has no manners. Kahlan," he says, nodding at me, "I sincerely apologize for all this. I'll make sure he never disrespects a woman again."
     I plaster on a shaky smile. "... I don't know what to say."
     "We'll leave," he declares.
     "No, don't," I say. "You can still come to the game. I mean, you're already here."
     Josh raises an eyebrow. "Really?"
     "Yeah. Of course."
     He bows his head. "Thank you." Then he turns on his heel and starts to talk to his people.
     I exhale as Lost looks at me. She doesn't say anything so I ask, "What?"
     She shrugs, her eyes dimming to almost their normal black. "You forgive that boy."
     "You don't?"
     "I don't take kindly to things like this."
     Obviously. "Thanks for wanting to fight for my honor, or whatever. I appreciate it."
     Lost grins. "Always."
     I chuckle. "I really hope Hakeem's game is less eventful than this."

     Lost stands on her tiptoes and cheers along with the parents around us, louder than them, though. The baseball cap she bought on the way here sits on her head firmly, her hair sticking out from under it. It's a good look for her.
     She sits back down when the parents do and nudges me with her shoulder. "This is fun, huh?"
     I look around- at Lost, Joanne and Josh, their pack, Cas and Emma, and finally Hakeem's mom, Doreen. "Yeah," I say. "This is fun."
     She leans in close to me and smiles. "You look good with your hair down and natural."
     For once I didn't put my hair up. I didn't feel like it, and the day isn't all that hot for it. "Watch the game," I chuckle, feeling a blush coming on.
     Lost touches the peak of her cap and winks at me, then returns her focus on the game. She claps and whistles and hoots for Hakeem's team. I shift my weight on the hard bleachers seat, smiling, and clap, too. The game is halfway through and we're winning, barely.
     One of our team's players steps up to the plate and, unfortunately, is struck out. Josh's pack howls at the umpire for his weak eye and I shake my head in amusement. To be honest, most of the game's excitement has been out here on the bleachers. Josh's pack has the most colorful, child friendly curses I've ever heard.
     Lost hollers as Hakeem is up next to bat. Josh's pack chants and stomps, shaking my seat. Hakeem has already bat before but every time it's his turn, Lost and the pack go nuts. It's so embarrassingly funny. Even Doreen groans and tries to hide behind her hand. She wasn't exactly thrilled when Lost introduced Josh and his people, but she accepted their presence, saying Hakeem would love the support. Little did she know that their support would make all the other parents laugh.
     Hakeem gets into position at the plate and we all watch intently. He swings at the first throw but misses. Strike one. The second he doesn't swing at but it's level. Strike two. Lost hops down from the bleachers before I can blink and is standing by the gate that separates us from the field. She puts her hands on it and leans over a bit, giving Hakeem encouraging words. She's so excited that I'm afraid she'll rush the field, so I get up from my seat and make my way to her. Hakeem takes his third swing as I do and I catch his bat connect with the baseball, sending it into left field. I clap as I walk to Lost's side and smile as she jumps up and down.
     "He did it!" she exclaims as Hakeem manages to reach second base. She gives him two thumbs up and he returns one, half in a lunge.
     I lean on the chest high fence. "Yeah, he did it."
     Lost sighs in contentment and leans beside me. "We're going to win."
     "You think so?"
     "We have the ability."
     I chuckle and watch the next kid take his turn to bat. He gets a hit on the first pitch and brings Hakeem home. I cheer for him, as does everyone else, but there's one person who's unnaturally silent. Lost. I turn to her, worried, and find her gripping the fence, bending the metal wires under her strength.
     "Lost?" I ask. Her nostrils are flared and she looks pissed. For a second I think she's seen the wolf boy who saw me naked earlier but he's not around. I follow her line of sight and notice a woman, a brunette, standing at the other end of the field. She's not doing anything that could be seen as a threat, though.
     "Lost?" I repeat. Josh's pack fills the area around me and I shiver. The atmosphere has changed for sure. Something's wrong.
     Growling, Lost inhales and makes herself bigger. The act has Josh's pack growling softly, too. "Very. Very. Bad," she says, confusing me. I open my mouth to ask her to tell me what's wrong but she's gone- having hopped over the fence onto the field. I watch in shocked awe as she runs through the field, avoiding the kids, and aims towards the brunette with speed that's just barely human. A few of Josh's pack jump the fence and run onto the field, too, effectively bringing Hakeem's game to a temporary stand still.
     Parents start to complain and Emma comes up beside me as Cas joins the hated on the field. Lost has already reached the spot where the brunette had been standing, but it's empty. She's darting back and forth, clearly looking for the woman, but is finding nothing. The few of Josh's pack are looking around, too, and Cas is scratching her head.
     "What's going on?" Emma asks, taking the words right out of my mouth.
     I'm already moving. "I have no idea. But we need to get them off the field."
     Emma hurries behind me, as does the rest of Josh's pack. Joanne steps up to my side and matches my stride. "This isn't good," she says.
     "Do you know what's going on?"
     "No, but Lost is in a tizzy. Got us going, too."
     I pick up the pace and hurry around the field, rather than through it, to reach Lost and the others. Lost is pacing, murmuring something under her breath. I grab her and take her away so the game can keep going. She continues to murmur the whole way to the parking lot.
     "Lost," I blurt, tired of not knowing. "Tell me what's going on."
     Her eyes are bright as she says, "Magic. She must be forcing someone. I can smell it. It's everywhere. She's human, she can't do that. She- she-"
     "Lost!" I peer into her face and hold on to her arms. "Talk to me."
     Eventually she calms enough to gaze into my eyes. There's anger and hurt and something I can't quite translate. "It's her," she says softly. "The one who took me away."