Feral Bonds

Chapter 51: The Ties that Bind Us

The night was quiet after Akecheta's confession, but the air between him and Cernunnos buzzed with a tension that was far more than just words left unsaid. As the fire crackled gently in the hearth, casting flickering shadows on the rough-hewn wooden walls of the cabin, the omega's revelation hung in the space between them like a fragile thread, binding them even closer than before. Cernunnos stood by the window, his large, weathered hands resting on the wooden frame, the cool night air brushing against his face as he gazed out into the darkened forest. His mind was racing, turning over what he had heard, the weight of Akecheta's suffering pressing down on him like a storm waiting to break.

The pain Akecheta had endured was unimaginable, but something even darker clung to him—the runes carved into his skin were more than a curse, more than a cruel mark left by the fae who had twisted his body. They had sunk into his very soul, dark magic pulsing beneath the surface, warping his mind and driving him further into the feral state that had nearly consumed him. And Cernunnos couldn't leave it alone. He had promised to help the omega, not just physically but in every way possible. He had to free him. He had to try.

As the firelight flickered, casting a soft glow over Akecheta's exhausted form where he lay on the bed, Cernunnos felt a pang of something deeper than just concern. There was an ache in his chest, a pull that he hadn't anticipated. The bond between them had grown over the past weeks, each shared glance, each quiet moment making it clearer that this wasn't just about saving Akecheta's life anymore. He couldn't deny that something more had taken root. The way Akecheta looked at him sometimes—those brief moments of vulnerability when their eyes met—it stirred something within him that he hadn't felt in centuries.

The following morning, as the soft light of dawn filtered through the trees outside the cabin, Cernunnos knew he couldn't wait any longer. He had to ask the question that had been weighing heavily on his mind all night. He turned away from the window, his eyes lingering on Akecheta, who was sitting quietly by the fire. The omega's gaze was distant but calmer than it had been in days. And yet, there was a fragility in the air between them, as if Akecheta was waiting—waiting for something to change, for something to be offered that he hadn't dared to hope for.

"Akecheta," Cernunnos began softly, his deep voice breaking the quiet of the room. He stepped forward, his eyes never leaving the omega. "If you want... I could try to break the runes."

The words hung in the air, and Akecheta's red eyes flickered with a mixture of hope and uncertainty as he turned to meet Cernunnos's gaze. There was a softness in the way Cernunnos looked at him, an intensity that made Akecheta's heart quicken. The thought of breaking the runes, of being freed from the darkness that had controlled his life for so long, seemed like a distant dream—one he had long ago given up on.

"Break them?" Akecheta's voice was quiet, hesitant, as if the very idea was too fragile to trust. His eyes searched Cernunnos's face, looking for any sign that this was real. "Can you?"

Cernunnos stepped closer, his presence grounding, his warmth filling the space between them. He knelt in front of Akecheta, so that their eyes were level. He could feel the tension radiating from the omega, the uncertainty and fear that had built up inside him for so long. Gently, he reached out, resting a hand on Akecheta's knee, his touch firm but comforting. The contact sent a soft hum through both of them—an unspoken connection that had been building for weeks.

"I don't know," Cernunnos admitted, his voice steady but raw with honesty. "The magic is deep, more than just a surface spell. It's embedded in your soul, Akecheta. But I've dealt with dark magic before. I've broken curses, severed bindings. I could try... but there's a risk."

Akecheta's breath caught in his throat at the mention of risk. He lowered his gaze for a moment, staring at the floor before looking back up at Cernunnos, whose eyes never wavered, full of a deep, unwavering intensity that sent a tremor through him. "What kind of risk?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.