THE FALTERED BOND

Ava | Chap. 17

A powerful maw tightens around my throat. Teeth sink deeper into my fur, tightening with every second that ticks by. Panic surges through my veins. Honing into my Wolven magic, I call my energy towards my limbs and push towards the ground. The larger wolf barely staggers, his teeth sinking further

Use his weight against you!

I lower to the ground. The sudden move takes him aback, his grip loosens around my neck just enough to allow for me to kick his hind legs and tip him over. In one leap, I pin his shoulders, sinking my claws and bite into his jugular.

The wolf beneath goes limp.

I did it!

Cade raises his eyes to mine, a wolfish grin displayed onto his lips. As I step off, the wind of his wagging tail brushes against my fur, warming my heart. Silence falls between us, only broken by our panting breaths as we head to the trees. As I shift and slip on my clothes, the heat of excitement blooms red on my cheeks; I can't stop smiling from ear to ear. This last week, I had been charged with steely determination, followed Cade's instructions by the book, without fault. But amidst all my progress, I had yet to tap into the Link and communicate with Cade.

Frustration turns my joy to bitter ash, his words from our previous lesson haunting my mind.

Give yourself time. We still have a lot of training to catch up on. I loosen a sigh. Perhaps I'm too harsh on myself.

Putting aside my doubts, I join Cade as he finishes packing our items, now ready to return to camp.

''Great work today!'' He happily smiles. ''Try to to be a little quicker to react next time, an enemy won't wait for you to think in the heat of a battle.''

I nod, taking mental note of his comment all the while ignoring the dreadful thought of battle. I've had my fill of bloodshed. Having packed all our belongings, we began trekking our way back to camp. Upon arrival, a cacophony of quiet snores greet our ears. Everyone seems to have settled for the night; everyone except Angel, who's face lit up with a smile upon seeing Cade and I arrive.

''Welcome back you two. How's the training so far?''

Her words stagger me to a halt, yet do not seem to bother Cade as he casually replies, ''Very good. She's made excellent progress since her first session.'' He turns to me with a bright smile, prompting me to step in.

''She knows...?'' Shame leaks into my features and suddenly, I can't bear to level my gaze with her. How long had she known? Did Cade tell her? Did she find out? Is my handicap that easily noticeable?

My heart rate peaks.

He widens his eyes, doubt briefly glinting behind his gaze before he gives a reassuring smile.

''If there is any wolf I can trust my life with, it's Angel. She only wishes to help.

- Your secret's safe with me. I've dealt with late bloomers before.'' Her elbow nudges Cade's ribs and he smiles sheepishly.

- Not to add how fun it is to have a new female to hang out with.'' She giggles and ties her hair into a tight ponytail. ''You have NO idea how boring the males can be sometimes.'' She sends a mischievous wink in Cade's direction, his smile widens in response.

Something about their bubbly chemistry seems to rub onto me, as I find myself grinning in return. Although a hint of worry remains, I push my doubts aside and decide to trust Cade's judgement. It's the least I can do after everything he's done for me this past week.

-*-

When I wake up from my slumber, everyone in camp is already on their feet and fussing over their tasks. I can barely let out a groggy yawn as Angel hastily walks up to me.