THE FALTERED BOND

Ava | Chap. 9

My eyes widen in awe at the sea of colors. Unable to hide my excitement, a small squeak draws from my throat, energy crackling through me like wildfire.

Cade smiles back, shoulders shaking with deep laughter. ''I take it as a sign you'll like it here.

- Like it!? Cade this is gorgeous!'' I swirl, my heart swelling with bliss. ''I've always dreamed of visiting a garden like this.''

As a kid, I'd felt incredibly infatuated with nature; its raw beauty, infinite variety and unmatched strength, although mysterious, was a constant source of comfort and familiarity, an escape from the otherwise bleak and often cruel laws of the urban world.

Lowering to my knees, I carefully slip my fingers between the thorns of a delicate honey colored rose, drawing it closer to my face. Closing my eyes, I breathe in the sweet, sugary scent.

''Who's the gardener?'' I ask, gazing at Cade.

A shy hand brushes the back of his neck. ''The maids keep the place tiddy, but I do help a lot. It's a bit of a passion of mine.'' A hint of red flushes his cheeks.

I grin. Is he shy? I stand up, feeling my own features turning red. ''That's lovely! Never thought you were a green thumb kinda guy.

- Haha, I get that a lot.''

Offering me his arm, he leads me further into the garden, displaying every new flower, colors and origins along with their special needs. Before long, we spent the day exploring every corner of the garden's wonders and continued with a tour of the outside courtyard, finishing with the hedge maze.

Upon entering, I feel taken aback by the powerful musk of wolves which mark the walls of the maze, some stale, some fresh. As I inspect closer, I realize the compact soil beneath my feet is marked with the steps of hundreds, if not thousands of wolves. I graze my hand upon the earth, pressing my palm into a fresh paw mark.

''What is this place...?'' I breathe in astonishment.

''Do you know how old this place is?'' He asks softly as I stand. I shake my head. ''Once the mansion was built, many, many years ago, the Alpha of that time erected this maze as a means to test one's strength.

- Test their strength?''

He nods, gesturing towards the sky. ''Once a month, when the moon is at its fullest, a tournament would be held within these walls. Wolves from every pack across the lands would gather here and engage in combat to prove their worth. An initiation if you will.''

I halt at his words. ''Combat?''

He chuckles, shaking his head, leaving me all the more confused. ''Don't worry, no wolf was ever killed or seriously injured. Take it as a friendly competition between packs.''

My lips widen with a smile, excitement fluttering in my chest. ''Woah! Did you ever participate in these?''

He nods, cheeks once again turning slightly red. ''I did, but that was a long time ago.'' A somber tone colors his words.

Tilting my head, my grip tightens around his arms. ''Can I ask what happened...?''

Falling silent, his eyes lower to the ground deep in thought. I fall silent as well, fear nagging my mind; did I go too far? Seconds tick by before his lips part to speak, only to quickly close as he suddenly stops in his tracks. His body stiffens, eyes darting aimlessly into the horizon.

''Cade...?'' Fear widens his eyes.

Without warning, Cade lowers to the ground, pulling me with him. Fear pulses through me in waves as I quietly follow. He leads me towards the edge of a wall, peeking his head out before turning towards me, his icy eyes wide with alarm.

His hand lowers to my own and squeezes my palm as he whispers: ''Stay close.'' He turns to leave, but fear roots me to my spot.

I gasp. ''Cade-'' het meets my gaze. ''What's going on...?''

A gunshot echoes nearby and chaos ensues.

Before I can think, Cade runs ahead, pulls me with him, and we find ourselves surrounded by a cacophony of howls, gun blasts, wolves seemingly pouring from every direction. My vision tunnels, breath catches in my throat and instincts urges me to keep running as we dodge a mingle of fur and teeth crashing into the hedges. A bullet whistles by my ear, ripping a scream from my throat.

''GET DOWN!!''

Thorns digging into my flesh, my head meets the ground with a thud as I'm pushed aside. I gasp, winded and dazed from my fall. Stars dance in my vision, pain slashing through my body like shockwaves when a snarl snaps to my ears. I push myself back as a flurry of golden and brown fur unfurls before me. Chest heaving with every breath, I feel myself unable to look away from the battling wolves. Black edges my vision.

''..va? Ava!'' My gaze snaps to icy blue pools.

As the loud, deafening ring melts away, I feel large hands press against my cheeks, drawing circles against my temples. Snapping back to reality, I blink.

''Cade...?'' I recognize Cade's face inches away from mine, blood dripping down the side of his head as I realize he was speaking to me.

He shuffles closer at my response. ''Hey, hey, I'm here. I'm here.'' My eyes veer towards the matted fur behind him, but he quickly pulls me back. ''Look at me. Breathe.''

Feeling my chest heave with quick, shallow gasps, I nod and focus onto my breathing. My eyes brim with the threat of tears. I open my mouth to speak, but find the words dying at the tip of my tongue, utterly terrified. Cade appears to catch on, holding my hands as he speaks.

''You're going to be fine, but I need you to trust me first. Can you do that...?'' Unable to answer, I simply nod and watch as he backs away.

His bones and joints snap, fur tearing at his skin and he falls on all fours, now shaped into his wolven self. With a gentle whimper, his giant head presses against my side, nudging into the crane of my arm. Blood stains his fur as he pulls away.

My blood.

Panic slices into my chest as I feel a sharp pain in my side. "I'm shot..." I breathe, struggling to process my own words.

Panic flaring in Cade's icy eyes, he cradles his snout under my arm and lifts me up. My teeth sink into my lips, swallowing the swelling scream in my throat as I'm saddled onto his shoulders. I bury my fingers into the crane of his neck, heals pressed into his side, I whisper to his ear: "I'm ready."

He leaps over hedges and walls, bullets whistling by, dodging battle hungry wolves, I feel the world start to spin around me. I gaze down to my bloodie shirt, terrified at the stream of blood pooling into Cade's fur. Fear settles in my stomach. Am I dying...? I swallow thickly, lifting my gaze to the sky, suddenly lulled by the rhythmic beat of Cade's paws against the ground.

As we enter the forest, trees surrounding every corner of my vision, I lean further into Cade's fur, resting my head against the crane of his shoulders. His steady breath pressed against my ears, I can no longer the screams of battle or the crackle of guns. Hot tears stream down my cheeks when a warm presence enters my mind. Warm, hazel eyes meet my own.

"Mom...?" I whisper, finding myself craddled in her arms.

She smiles warmly and hooks a rogue strand of her behind my ear. "I love you darling." She kisses my head. "We will meet again."

I close my eyes, sinking into her arms as the sweet scent of her perfume craddles my body. Sleep creeps at the edge of my mind, chasing all my fears, welcoming it in as my consciousness slips away.

-*-

Surprise! Extra early chapter for y'all 😋
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