Feral Bonds

Chapter 41

Rolf and Rigaldo were arguing loudly when Natania finally woke up. Gretchen was asleep next to her hospital bed, though Natania wondered how anyone could sleep with that racket going on. She reached out a paw and touched the top of Gretchen's head. The human stirred, but didn't wake. Natania's skin felt foreign to her as she moved, raw and too tight.

"You'll be lucky if she even lives a human lifespan now! You know wolves can only recover so many wounds before they start to die. The demon has already gotten control of her once, if she stays here you will kill her," Rolf snarled.

There was a loud crash as Rigaldo pinned Rolf to the wall. "How dare you," Rigaldo hissed.

Natania could feel the anger pulsing from him, and concern for Rolf had her leaping from the bed, immediately regretting it as pain shot through her limbs. Without meaning to, she yelped and crumbled to the floor.

Rigaldo dropped Rolf and ran to her side. "What are you doing? Get back in bed right now," he scolded.

Natania glanced at Rolf, who was rubbing his neck. But he looked okay so she didn't fight Rigaldo as he lifted her back onto the bed. Rigaldo caught sight of Gretchen and scowled. "Why is this human still here?"

He moved to shake her awake and Natania snapped her teeth, catching his arm in her jaws. Rigaldo stared at her, fists clenching and unclenching, rage bubbling to the surface. Natania dropped her ears, but held her grip on his arm.

Rolf caught Rigaldo's fist before it could connect. "Are you seriously about to hit her? When she's just barely awakened after two weeks? What did I just fucking say to you?"

Natania winced. Rolf was putting himself in danger by speaking to Rigaldo that way, but before the alpha could snarl a reply, a throat cleared in the doorway. They all turned to look. Bran was standing wide eyed in the threshold, taking in the scene; Natania, crouched protectively in front of Gretchen, wounds still raw and open. Rolf holding Rigaldo's fist.

Bran didn't speak, but his gaze hardened. Sara and Thomas peeked over his shoulder and Rigaldo slowly dropped his hand. Bran opened his mouth to speak, but kept silent when Rigaldo growled at him.

Gretchen finally snapped awake, looking between them, then smiling at Natania. "You're awake," she said, with a yawn. Natania dropped Rigaldo's arm and pressed her nose into Gretchen's neck, half crawling into her lap.

The human laughed softly and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Rigaldo growled under his breath and Natania whipped around to glare at him, snapping her teeth once.

Rigaldo shook with fury. "You stupid-" He took one step forward and Natania snarled, bunched her muscles under her and sprang. Knocking him to the ground only because she had caught him off guard. Natania bit back a yelp as agony ravaged her body at the impact. She knew it was reckless and the last thing she should have been doing, but she had just faced down a witch that had control of a phoenix, she wasn't going to cower from another wolf.

Natania bared her teeth. "Don't you dare touch her."

"Don't forget who you belong to," Rigaldo growled, lying on his back, teeth clenched. She was a little surprised when he didn't raise another hand to her. But then again, he never hurt her around witnesses. "You made a bargain."

Natania stepped off him. "I said I would come back, I never promised to stay."

She could tell when he realized the magic linking them was gone, his eyes widening just a fraction. "You-"

Natania heaved a great sigh and nudged him with her nose. "Do you really want to do this in front of my family?" Her gaze travelled to the doorway. They hadn't dared to enter, but Sara was glaring at him with enough heat to melt glass. Natania glanced at Gretchen, then turned back to Rigaldo.

"She's the reason this happened to you," he snarled, rising to a crouch. "She did this to you." Natania didn't take her eyes off Rigaldo, but she could feel Gretchen flinch behind her.

Natania flicked her ears, unfazed. "I know."

Rigaldo shifted to his wolf and nuzzled her chin. Natania took a step back. "You belong here." His voice was honey sweet in her mind as he subtly attacked her with his Charisma.

"No, I don't." She bared her teeth when he stepped towards her again, shedding his Charisma like a fur coat in summer. The burst of adrenaline was fading fast, and she fought the urge to sag against the bed, legs trembling like a newborn lamb.

He glared at her, but she was too exhausted to be afraid. Rolf cleared his throat. "You should be resting, Natania," he said, when they both glanced at him.

Rigaldo growled under his breath, but turned and stalked away, shoving past her family without a word. Natania stayed where she was until his footsteps were gone from the hall, then crumbled to the ground. Rolf scooped her up and dropped her back on the bed, not entirely gently. "I'll be back soon. Don't let her leave the bed," he instructed Gretchen. "It's not a good time for visitors," he said to Bran, Sara, and Thomas as he passed.

"It's okay," Natania said, through their bond. "They can come in."

"We'll just have a quick visit so you can rest," Sara said. She strolled over to Natania and grabbed her face in her hands. "Don't ever do that again, You'll send me to an early grave."

Natania huffed. "I don't plan on it." She'd had enough brushes with death to last a hundred lifetimes.

Sara kissed her muzzle. "I love you. I'm glad you're getting better." Sara narrowed her eyes at Gretchen, but didn't say anything as Thomas stepped forward.

Thomas lightly scratched the top of Natania's head, where some of the fur had started to grow back. "You scared us, Sunshine."

Natania closed her eyes, sinking down into the mattress. "I'm sorry."

"She says she's sorry," Sara murmured to her husband.

"Don't be sorry," Thomas replied. "Just beat this, and get better." He patted her head one last time, then let Sara lead him away.

Bran hadn't moved from the doorway. His eyes were full of conflicting emotions. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you, about Rig," he whispered.

"It's okay." Natania could barely push the thought to him; her body felt like every ounce of strength had been ripped out of it with talons.

"I'll let you rest, we can talk later," he said, noting how weak the thought was. "I love you."

Once everyone had left, Gretchen cupped the side of Natania's face. The wolf leaned into her hand, relaxing.

"Natania," Gretchen started, "I am so, so sorry. I didn't think she would hurt you so badly. It was supposed to be quick. Follow her to her base, get you out and burn it down. I couldn't get inside the building. It took me too long to hack into the security. I'm so sorry." Her eyes were full of tears as she spoke.

Natania pawed the side of her face weakly, trying, and failing, to wipe away the tears. Don't cry. She couldn't shift forms to say the words.

Gretchen smiled at her efforts and rubbed her eyes on her sleeve. "I love you, you know? I should have realized it sooner. I would never have gone through with that plan. It wasn't worth it, after seeing how much you were hurt. Even though she's finally dead."

Natania's gaze darkened. She had killed all of those creatures. Victims of the witch's torment. "You ended their suffering," Gretchen said, somehow knowing exactly what she was thinking.

Natania pawed at Gretchen and scooted to the other side of the bed. She wanted to be held. "You're hurt," Gretchen protested.

Natania grumbled and pawed with more insistence until Gretchen finally caved and slowly laid on the bed beside her. Natania forced her way under one of Gretchen's arms and pressed her entire body against her. Her wounds ached at the slight pressure, but she didn't care.

She burrowed into her, trying not to cry. She had been so afraid for so long, it was hard to believe in reality. It wouldn't surprise her if she woke up back in that cell, the rescue having just been another nightmare. Something to give her enough hope that it could be snatched away and break her all over again.

Gretchen tightened around her, pressing her face into her neck. "Everything will be okay," she promised in a whisper. "We'll find a way out of here. I won't let you go again."