Feral Bonds

Chapter 51

Thankfully, it was Natania hanging out in the driveway to the barn when her most unexpected guest showed up, four days later. She tensed at the scent of wildcat, then frowned when she recognized the scent. A familiar tawny face padded out onto the driveway and Natania sprang to her feet. "Meriam?" she said, with disbelief.

The cougar cocked her head and padded forward, brushing her forehead against Natania's. "You remembered my name."

"Of course I did," Natania said. "You saved my life. What are you doing here?"

Meriam's ears twitched. "You kept your promise."

Natania flushed and ducked her head. She had promised to spare any pridelander that sought conflict with her. "It didn't really come up. Only once." That day they had been attacked at the hotel. "But what are you doing here?"

Brady came barrelling out of the barn, his feet skidding on the cement as he reared towards them. Natania blocked his path and he crashed into her side. "Oof." Brady backed up and shook himself. "I smell pridelanders." He glanced over Natania's shoulder and growled, "What are you doing here?"

"I was just asking the same thing," Natania purred and flicked him with her tail. "Relax, this is my friend, Meriam."

Brady stared at her in surprise, but when she nodded he stalked around her and bowed low. "Sorry! I didn't know. I'm Brady! Nice to meet you!"

"You are eager." Meriam chuckled.

"He's young," Natania said, as way of apology.

"I'm nineteen now! I'm not a kid anymore."

Natania nudged him aside. "And you act like you're still twelve." She brushed his cheek with her muzzle affectionately before turning back to Meriam. "Seriously though, are you okay? Do you need help? What's going on?"

Meriam raised an eyebrow. "I've been told it's you who are in need of help."

Natania pinned her ears. Vincent had sent Meriam here? The pridelanders would be slaughtered like cattle if they got into a fight with wolves. "Uh, no, not really," Natania said, shuffling her paws.

Meriam gave her a doubtful look. "So the packs haven't declared war on you and your mate?"

"They did," Brady said, then added, "Well sort of, so far it's just one alpha, but there will be others," he lowered his voice like he was telling a secret, "it's against pack law to mate a witch."

Natania cuffed him gently over the ears. "Stop that." She gave Meriam a guilty look. "We'll be okay."

Meriam chuffed. "You think we can't fight."

Natania flicked her ears with discomfort. "I think you shouldn't die for my fight."

"I think killing a wolf who treats sparing a child as a punishable offence, is a worthy cause to fight for," Meriam said, straightening her shoulders. "Besides that, Alistair has killed more than enough of us without reason to warrant a bit of revenge ourselves, and fighting beside you is better than on our own."

Natania winced. She hadn't told Meriam about that, had she? "It won't just be him," Natania argued. "Don't waste your life for this, Meriam. It's not worth it." She shot a guilty glance at Brady, he would fight for her, too, as would the rest of her pack, regardless of her protests. She dreaded losing any of them.

Meriam rolled her eyes and glanced at Brady. "The arrogance of pureblood wolves. How do you stand it?" Brady gaped at her, glanced at Natania, then snorted. "We are not fragile little children," Meriam continued, "and we can make our own choices." Meriam twitched her tail and paced in a circle. "Do you have somewhere we could settle temporarily?"