Shadow Claw: The Life Story - The Final Chapter

Ch. 10 - Salem (Again)

Shadow's POV

I awoke in a dreamy state, but it snapped away from me. There were tears stained on my cheeks, for I had been dreaming of Shade. I missed him, and I missed our babies. I gave a painful groan, my hand moving up my chest - it was bare, except for a soft bandage wrapped around my breasts and half-way down my stomach. My jeans hung low at my hips, but then I realized they'd been cut away to shorts, and my legs adorned more white bandages; my arms, my shoulder, my hands, I had been beaten very badly. My hand folded into my hair, but then my eyes opened completely and I was thrown into a world of tainted green windows and minty scents.

"Nightmare?" Draco asked, leaning against the door threshold. I seemed to be in a bathroom, from the porcelain bowl beside me, the large bath, a mirror almost as big as the wall beside me. I shook my head, slowly sitting up against the wall-mirror. "No-... no, a dream." I answered quietly, rubbing my temples and letting my head fall to my hands, between my knees.

"So why where you crying?" His face was contorted slightly in confusion. I opened my mouth after a long silence, but shut it again, "Who bandaged me?" I avoided his question.

"I did, and don't you take it off. It was hard enough to get those sedatives into your system. You used up like the whole packet. Draco, can I talk to you for a minute?" Jenny appeared swiftly, and then left as quickly as she had arrived, Draco tailing after her, the door closing half-way. I could not see James.

I stood, slow and wary. My movements were sluggish, and I decided I must have been given excessive sleeping drugs - morphine for the pain, and perhaps doxylamine - and so I turned to see my reflection, almost collapsing against the sink. My hair; thin and draping. My skin; somewhat transparent. My eyes; a dull corbeau green. My lips; thin and pale. My cheeks; sunken. My body; much too thin and the colour of ivory.

I didn't even recognize myself.

I splashed water over my face and gave a hefty sigh. "You alright now? I won't have you vomiting or anythi-" Draco returned.

"I'm. Fine. How long was I out?" I gritted out. He rubbed the back of his neck, "A day or two." Jenny appeared beside him, a concerned expression written over her features. "What about Nova? Did she get away?" I questioned stiffly, taking a deep breath and standing without support. My knees gave away and I gripped the sink, holding out my hand in a 'stop' motion when Jenny made towards me.

"We- I'm not sure, Shadow... I think- I think she Disapparated." My eyes flew out wide, and I staggered back, crashing into the mirror, causing a comet-like crack in the middle, my hand slipping over a loose shard, slitting it. I swore profusely, "Impossible." I hissed at my friend. "Claws can't Apparate."

"Salem and Estos can." Draco spoke up, rather quietly.

I froze, the only sound my blood dripping to the tinted green tiles. "They come here often. They're probably here now. They don't stay the night usually, but they've been around more, recently." Draco murmured. I swore again and again until Jenny smacked me over the head and started bandaging my hand, repairing the mirror with a hex that I did not know she knew. "Speculo reparo." Jenny also briefly mentioned that James was exploring, much to her dislike in case Lucius found out or his bandages tore off - likely they already had.

"Thanks." I muttered, clutching my hand still. She sighed heavily and left the room with Draco, both ordering me to stay in the bathroom until they confirmed Salem and Estos weren't in.

I heard the door shut and slid down against the bath, but not ten minutes later, the door opened again. "Jenny-" I called out, but a grey male Claw appeared, his eyes narrowed on me and his ears spiked upwards. I gave a groan, more in pain than anything else, but did not move for I was not strong enough to go against Salem presently, and I did not want to risk opening my wounds again.

He shifted and smirked, crouching in front of me. "Well, this is interesting." He said, his hands twitching but keeping to themselves. I might have broken one or two if he'd touched me. Salem relaxed, sitting against the wall, where I was a few minutes ago. "Don't tell Estos." I grumbled, shuddering.

Surprisingly, Salem shivered himself. "Sly, sadistic bastard that one. I'm not here to fuck you anyway. Just to chat. Anything other than talking to that goddamned Light Claw." He ran a hand through his hair and I slumped against the bath once more. Salem shuffled slightly, and with a sigh, I invited him to my side, and he supported my shoulders so that I was comfortable.

"Why have you joined the Death Eaters?" I breathed.

He chuckled, "I haven't. I fear death, Shadow. I join the side that I think will win. Voldemort sees it as a favour, and has promised not to touch the Clan I came from... not that they'd want me anymore." He slid a hand around my shoulder, and in my grief of missing my mate and kittens, I laid my head to his shoulder and fell asleep, muttering, "They won't... win..."

Jenny's POV

Who said we were going looking for Salem and Estos? I had Draco alone, and he had me alone. Those moments could have been our last, and that thought scared me.

Draco lingered over me, his hands set on the bed, beside my head. I connected our lips slowly, and that was only the start. His tongue invaded my mouth, and my fingers consumed his platinum hair - it had not been gelled today, so it was soft and gentle to the touch. I could feel his toned stomach against my own, and my other hand wound up his shirt, gripping his sides and pulling him so much closer.

"Stop trying to take off your clothes." He uttered down my neck, and I had not realized that my right hand had lifted from Draco's hair and started undoing shirt buttons.

"Shadow and Sh-"

"They're not human, Jenny. Just- don't tease." He set his lips into my neck, and my hips launched off the bed, meeting his, in an unexpected surge of pleasure. Now I knew why Shadow didn't mind having kittens...

"I think I love you, Draco." I rasped out through the powerful bliss in my veins. He gave a masculine, sexy half-growl, "I think I love you too, Jenny."