THE FALTERED BOND

Ava | Chap. 13

I wake with a jolt as a large hand prods my shoulder. Although sleep blurs my mind, my hand latches onto the stranger's arm with an iron grip. I blink but only see darkness.

''Ava!'' A body shuffles beside me. ''Ava, it's me-

- Cade!?'' His hand gently squeezes my shoulder in response. I sigh with relief. ''What's going on...? What time is it?''

The sheets wrinkle beside me as he shuffles away and guides me through the room. He leads my hand to a smooth, wooden surface, which I recognize to be a wardrobe. Questions arise to the back of my mind but I kept my lips sealed, afraid Id wake up the others. The wardrobe door creaks as the doors are opened, Cade's voice following suit, ''Ava?''

I start. ''Tsh! Sorry- yeah what is it?'' Silence follows. ''Cade...?

- If we leave now, we can return before sunrise.''

His words leave me in a state of confusion. Where is he taking me? I decide to push the thoughts away, fearing we'd already cause ruckus.

''Do you need to change?'' He whispers, removing his shirt.

''Yeah, give me a second.'' I reply, feeling for a fresh pair of pants and a shirt. At that, his clothing ripples and he unbuckles his belt. Although we're in complete darkness, I turn away, my cheeks red with fluster. Before long, the sound of bones and joints rearranging signalled the all clear. I turn slowly, stopping when Cade's warm breath brushes my palm. He presses his muzzle against my hand, his soft fur tickles my skin.

I whisper. ''I can't transform. It'll rip my stitches.''

His head cocks to the side, seemingly surprised by my answer. Before I ask, he shoves his muzzle between my ankles, slipping forward until I am standing above his shoulders. Gently, he stands and lifts me from the floor. I hold a gasp, hands flailing to take a hold of his fur and prevent a painful fall. Now comfortable, I pat his neck to signal I was ready.

He proceeds forward, claws clicking to a gentle rhythm as we pass a cacophony of snores towards the back of the vault. We pass the beds and arrive at a small tunnel. Tiny neons paint the walls with a faint white light, just enough for me to distinguish the faint silhouette of the concrete walls at our side. Stepping in, Cade suddenly comes to a halt, his massive head turning to look behind. I follow his gaze, taken aback when I spot the dark silhouette standing in the door frame.

Forest green eyes flicker under the neon lights. ''Where are you going?'' Jace's voice seethes with anger, hoarse from an apparent lack of sleep.

I still, fingers curled into Cade's pelt. My lips part to speak, but I stop myself as I search for an answer. If I tell him, will he really allow me to leave? Will he lock me up? Or worse yet, punish me for blatantly ignoring an Alpha's direct order? Icy fear shoots through my veins and my breath turns shallow.

What about Cade?

''I don't recall giving you permission to leave, Cade.'' His phrase staggers my thoughts. He's talking to Cade...? I focus on my hearing but can only detect the cacophony of quiet snores from a distance. Cade's sides heave with a huff and Jace sighs, stepping forward. ''Return before sunrise.''

At that, his eyes flicker to me and our gazes cross for a fleeting moment; my mind swirls with a storm of strange emotions, stealing the breath from my lungs. I look away, Jace's lingering gaze burning into my skin. The familiar settles into my chest, falters and then quickly fades.

When I raise my eyes, Jace had disappeared from my sight.

At last, Cade and I took our leave.

He carefully treks through the thick brush, his paws thrumming steadily against the floor. I lean forward as branches brush above my head and close my eyes, falling into the rhythm of Cade's footsteps. Before long, the pungent stench of smoke burns into my lungs and pulls me from my rest.

I start. A deathly silence envelops me, broken only by the gentle cracks of the surviving flames. We brush past piles of ash and rubble, columns of smoke rising into the somber sky as silent giants feasting their eyes upon the surrounding ruins. Cade's pace quickens as he veers back into the trees, pulling my eyes away from the village remains.

He quickly closes the distance between the village and my home, my heart sinking further along the way as questions plague my mind. I hold myself back from tapping into my grimest thoughts, holding onto the tiny beam of hope nestled at the back of my mind.

My heart wretches at the sight of my home, unable to recognize anything under the charred debris. As we arrive at the front of the house, something amongst the trees catches my eye. My stomach wretches, threatening to spew it's content when a hoarse scream rips my throat. Tears flow like a river down my cheeks and my shoulders jump with arrhythmic sobs.

As the sigh of her hanged body burns into my mind, the grueling truth sinks in; she's gone. My mother's gone. The words stab into my brain and slice through my heart, leaving me panicked. I slid to the side, threatening to collapse to the ground until Cade gingerly helps me off his back. My knees slam loosely against the charred ground, unable to support my shaking body. My mother is dead... And I wasn't there to help her- The thought strikes me like a dagger to the heart. Could I have saved her? If I'd stayed here, would this be my faith too? I couldn't bear to think of her cries, how scared she must've been.

I turn to the ruins of my home, watching the blazes glow dimly amongst the unrecognizable rubble.

I swallow thickly. "Who would do such a thing...?"

The words melt onto the tip of my tongue, too heavy to speak. I gaze up to the column of smoke rising from the village and grimly pictured the gruesome scene unfold; parents tortured, homes burnt to the ground, children murdered. Why...?

Fear strikes my chest, my mother's warnings echoing through my mind. Could this be the very danger she feared from this world? The reason she kept us isolated? The reason I never lived amongst them? A sigh escapes my lungs, fueling my worries with it. I have never felt so afraid and alone...

A nudge pulls me from my thoughts. Turning to Cade, his eyes meet mine, brimmed with compassion and empathy. He presses his snout against my head and my hands pull him into a tight hug as more tears pour down my cheeks. For the first time since the ceremony, I let my emotions flow. A tumultuous cascade at first, I eventually feel myself calm down, comforted by Cade's warm presence. My sobs slow into small hiccups, my tears dry out and my shoulders sag.

We pull apart. My face must relay my gratitude for a wolfish grin lifts Cade's muzzle. I smile back, albeit grimly, then turn my eyes to the skies as a golden crown appears in the horizon; time's up. A heavy sigh escapes my throat, grief still weighing my chest.

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Thank you for reading! Sincerely hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I loved writhing it ☺
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