Feral Bonds

Chapter 44: A Long Road

Cernunnos approached the bathroom door slowly, his movements measured, careful not to spook the terrified omega any further. He knew that any sudden motion could send Akecheta spiraling back into a full-blown panic, and he couldn't risk that. Not now.

"Akecheta," Cernunnos called gently, his deep voice resonating through the quiet cabin. "I'm not going to hurt you. You're safe. No one's going to hurt you."

Akecheta's body remained tense, curled in the corner of the bathroom as if he could make himself disappear. His head was tucked against his chest, his breath still coming in short gasps as he tried to control the overwhelming fear clawing at his mind.

Cernunnos stood in the doorway, his tall frame blocking the exit, but he made no move to approach. Instead, he leaned against the doorframe, his gaze soft, though his voice carried a steady command. "I need you to trust me, Akecheta. You're not alone anymore. I'm here to help."

For a long, tense moment, there was no response. Akecheta's red eyes flickered, still clouded with confusion, but gradually, his breathing slowed, the sharp edge of panic beginning to dull. He glanced up at Cernunnos, his body trembling with exhaustion, but there was something in the Wendigo's calm presence that soothed him, even if only slightly.

Vincent remained in the background, watching silently, his expression unreadable. The vampire's sharp senses had already cataloged every scent, every sound, but even he seemed to recognize that this moment required patience. Akecheta wasn't a threat right now—he was a frightened, broken boy struggling to understand what had happened to him.

Cernunnos stepped into the bathroom, keeping his movements slow and deliberate. He knelt down, his gaze level with Akecheta's, but still kept a respectful distance. "You're not trapped anymore," he said softly. "You don't have to run. We're going to help you."

Akecheta's eyes flickered again, his mind still caught between fear and the fragile thread of trust that Cernunnos was offering. He swallowed hard, his throat dry, and for the first time since the panic had overtaken him, he allowed himself to meet Cernunnos's gaze.

The Wendigo's presence was steady, unshakable, like the roots of an ancient tree, and something deep within Akecheta—something long buried beneath layers of pain and trauma—began to stir. He wasn't sure if he could trust again, but for the first time in a long time, he didn't feel entirely alone.

"I... I don't know how to stop it," Akecheta whispered, his voice hoarse and broken, the confession spilling out before he could stop it. His body trembled with the weight of his words, the vulnerability raw and painful.

Cernunnos nodded, his gaze unwavering. "You don't have to stop it on your own," he replied gently. "That's why I'm here."

For the first time since he had fled into the bathroom, Akecheta's rigid posture eased ever so slightly. He was still afraid, still confused, but the darkness no longer seemed so suffocating.

And as Cernunnos knelt beside him, offering quiet support, Akecheta began to understand—there was someone who wasn't going to abandon him. Not this time.

He watched as the Wendigo closed the door behind him, cutting off the vampire's approach. But Akecheta didn't stop trembling. His body was driven purely by instinct now, his mind too fractured to recognize safety, too lost in the animalistic urge to survive.

Tensing once again, his back alighted with fire, the gashes from the metal frame oozing blood,; his focus had narrowed to a single point. He was trapped again. The room was too small. There was nowhere to go.

Panting heavily, Akecheta pressed himself into the farthest corner of the walk-in shower, his body trembling violently as the beast surged forward, filling his veins with adrenaline and terror. The corner was too tight, too confining, but he had no other choice. His head slammed into the corner of the wall, and without thinking, he tilted his head, baring his neck to the Wendigo.