Only a Label

A Stronger Bond 》 Chapter 7

I lift myself to my feet, groggily wandering around. People are staring at me idly, some dripping with blood others their muzzles coated in the dark crimson body fluid. That's when I remember the fight, the war, me floating and . . . Xenos.

      I perk my head up, sprinting over to where I last saw him. His pure black wolf is laying there, chest slowly riding and falling but eyes shut. I shove my nose into his sternum, nudging his body. It seems to shake him enough because his eyes flutter open, revealing the light grey. He tries to lift his head, but then grimaces and decides it best to stay down.

      "What happened?" he asks through our mind link.

      I shrug my furry shoulders the best I can, "I have no idea."

      "All I remember is lifting up, feeling a weird sensation, then I was dropped to the floor, going unconscious," he recaps.

      "I felt that too," I answer, "- I don't know what it is but I suddenly feel stronger than usual." At that thought I really do realize that my body feels stronger, muscular even. I stretch out my hind legs then my front paws, it feeling good to use the sore muscles.

      I lean down, digging my head underneath his belly, dragging him to his feet. He seems to not like the idea because he growls the slightest bit. Despite his stubborness I continue, lifting him onto my back.

      "I need the pack hospital," I call out. I almost smile when I see Rover, shifted, bounding over to me. He stands across from me, cocking his head for me to follow. I do as told and we rush over to a small building. My legs burn, muscles not easily loosening up for me. Feeling faint, I stop for a moment, but that quick second of hesitation sends my knees buckling.

      Something in my body ticks, the slow, melodic sounds counting off. I look down at Xenos to see him open his eyes, staring up at me. I smile half-heartedly before collapsing to the ground.

      Like a metronome counting to 4 I start counting off with it. 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3... 4. Just like when a song must come to an end all lives must also. The steady beat of your heart signals that, but mine is no longer steady. Slowing down as my eyelids droop.

      I see Rover run, skidding down to his knees putting a hand to my forehead. Xenos picks my body into his arms. I look into his eyes, and then my own close. Goodbye.

      ~X~

      Her eyelids drop down, her body going limp in my hands. My teeth bare and I growl so loud the Moon Goddess could hear it.

      "No!" Finn howls out. I don't tell him to quiet, I howl out myself. My only chance at true love is gone. I hug her body close to mine, feeling her skin while it's still warm. But that's when she starts squirming. I look down to see her face scrunched up in pain.

      Her eyes shoot open and she screams, loud and furiously. Her gaze is glazed over as she looks up at me, panting heavily.

      "Zelda!" I shout, "- I'm right here!" She stops screaming and just stares at me. Her eyes start flickering and my eyebrows scrunch together in confusion. One eye is the same bright green but the other one flickers from green to black over and over again. It finally lands on black and stays there.

      She looks up at me confused, "Xenos, your eye. The right one isn't grey anymore it's... bright green." I shake my head, I'm worried about her right now. I trace the pad of my thumb over the eyelid of her changed eye.

      I smile, "I never want to lose you Zelda."

      I can feel Finn smiling, "That a boy Xenos. Tell her how you feel, how we feel."

      "Zelda, I'm sorry, I've told you this and can't stress it enough," I say. "Living without you has been hell, even ask Houston. I'm a mess without you, and I need you in my life, as my mate." The widest smile spreads over Zelda's face, no matter how groggy she is from her fainting session.

      She puts a limp hand on my cheek, "Same here." That's all she can say as she collapses on my chest.

      I chuckle lightly, "Rest love." And that's exactly what she does, closing her eyes, not sleeping but taking a break. I look ahead, restoration and determination clear in my eyes. We need to figure out what happened to the both of us. I felt something, different than the mate bond, tie our souls together. It was amazing but terrifying at the same time.

      "What do we do now Xenos?" Houston asks, trotting over.

      I growl, "We go home and I'll talk with the other packs later for turning on each other. It's as if they were possessed or something."

      Houston nods, "Yes Alpha." He bows and leaves to rally up the troops. I sigh and look down at my mate, smiling happily. The thought occurs and my smile falls, I have to take her back. Take my rejection back so that we can truly be together.

       I put a gentle finger on her neck and close my eyes saying, "I, Xenos Saudi, take back my rejection and will commit to having Zelda Xavington as my mate."

      Since I'm the one who instigated the rejection once I take it back, she doesn't have to do anything.

      The place where I placed my thumb glows and her body relaxes, an invisible weight lifted from both our shoulders. She leans even farther into me, sighing contently. Nuzzling my nose into her hair, I inhale deeply, I'll never get enough of her smell. It's mouth watering.

      ~~

      We arrive back at our pack territory line and Zelda is now passed out, sleeping deeply. It seems she hasn't sleeper this well in a while considering how long she's taking a simple cat nap.

      Once we continue on our trek and go to the pack house I look to Houston, beckoning him over.

      "Anyone who is wounded, bring them to the pack doctor," I order. "As for everyone else, get some rest, we will talk tomorrow about what happened here today." Houston nods, bowing his head and heading off.

     As for me, I'm going to sleep. I really don't care, sleep is all that's on my mind right now, other than that weird mystical thing that just happened.

      Walking up to the very top floor where my new bedroom is, below the attic, I place her on my bed. She whimpers from the release of contact but relaxes yet again when I strip down to boxers and join her. She immediately cuddles into my heat. I smile down at my gorgeous mate, happiness flooding my system. It's a side effect from our mate bond, no matter how weak it be. It makes the other happy.

      I put my nose into her hair and breath deeply. Her scent is like a drug to me, I'll never get enough. I go a little lower to her neck and kiss over the spot where I will mark her. She squirms in her sleep as I nip at it just to tease her. When I look back up her shining green eyes are staring down at me with a glare. I chuckle as I go into a position good for sleeping.

      I freeze when I feel her lips on the spot of skin that connects my neck to my body. She found it immediately, my sweet spot. She sucked on it, drawing the blood to the surface. She left a hickie above the spot she'd mark me and I moaned as I struggled to look down at it. She smiled and laid on my chest, heaving out a sigh.

      "So warm," she mumbled as she wrapped her legs around my torso. I smile back at her as I wrap my arms around her frame. She snuggles into me and falls asleep immediately. That's when my eyes close and I drift into a sleep with her, happiness in my life once again.