The First Wolves

25. AN UNBURDENED BOND

Ewan, Iselda, Otto, Rufus and Andre had been searching for their missing pack members since the moon had first started to fade. Beforehand, they had decided to be logical and meticulous, but it was nearly sunrise and Ewan was starting to become irritable as he fretted about his Alpha, Luna, father and aunt. Despite the happy persona he presented to everyone, it was clear that Pepin wasn’t well. He was adamant that his mate was alive and hearing the blow by blow account of how she had been mauled to death did little to sway his conviction. He was unable to shift, and the best Ewan could hope for was to find him wandering the woods with Winnifred, or he would have to consider the possibility that his father had died in the blaze, while he had been running from it.

“Don’t worry, the Goddess isn’t so cruel to take your father from you so soon after you found him.” Iselda tried to reassure him, but the tension that jolted through his body like lightening had struck him, implied that she had said the wrong thing.

“If what happened to my mum and dad doesn’t suggest that the Goddess can be the epitome of cruel, then I don’t know what would convince you.” He abruptly responded.

Ironically, as if the moon Goddess had taken umbrage at her character defamation by him, a grey wolf, weakly stumbled through the thick foliage. His fur was covered in patches of soot, and his legs were juddering with exhaustion. Winnifred emerged next. Her fur was tidy and neat, but the stola between her teeth was blackened and singed around the sleeves. She shifted back when she saw them, knowing she was safe. Her face was flushed from the brisk breeze, the non-stop running and her embarrassment of struggling to cover herself quickly. Using her hand gingerly to shrug on her clothes, the party could see the blistered skin she had incurred. She explained it had happened when she smothered the flames that had taken hold of Conri, assuming he had arrived before them. Iselda rushed over to help her. Ewan kneeled at Clovis’ paws, brushing his fingers through his father’s fur. Pepin shifted, jubilation graced both the wolves’ features as Clovis recognised his pup. Exhausted, Pepin remained half lying, and half fallen, on the ground in relief.

“You’re OK! I’ve pictured the worst now for hours. What happened? Where are Conri and Fidella?” Ewan inundated his father with questions, while wrapping him in the warm blanket he had brought, while Iselda did the same for Winnifred.

“Conri and Fidella aren’t here? They left before we did,” Winnifred interjected, fearfully.

“They haven’t arrived yet,” Iselda softly confirmed, ever the voice of calm.

“Conri was hurt in the fire, he was shot in the thigh with a silver-pointed arrow, but Winnie managed to stop the flames doing too much damage. We put the alpha on Isla’s back, and she left before us. Maybe they have rested somewhere to tend to his injuries.” Pepin paraphrased the events.

“What do you want us to do, Beta? Iselda asked, respectfully.

Ewan noticed her tone and felt guilty, he had snapped at her in his worried state, but it was uncalled for. Looking at his father and Winnifred, it was clear that they needed some rest. His father looked depleted from his first shift in nearly three decades. Winnifred’s burns were raw and angry, and they would need to be cleaned. It made him wonder how badly injured Conri was.

“Let’s return to the farmhouse. We know that they left the temple site, so they may have taken a different route and arrived by now. Iselda, continue to mind-link them, and see if you can get a reply.” Ewan’s reasoning was cogent, so they parted and made their way back to the farmhouse. Iselda shifted, offering Winnifred a ride, as she too looked drained. Uncharacteristically, Winnifred accepted the help.

Once Pepin and Ewan were alone, the son could no longer hold back the perturbation that had been harrowing from the moment he realised his father was missing, to the moment he had been found again.

“I’ve never been so fraught before. I was beginning to think you’d died. I felt sick with worry and anger. I’ve only just found you. I assumed that from now on we would never be parted, now that you are free from the mines. I realised today that you can be taken at any time. I’ve never been so scared, I feel like a child.” Ewan’s words jumbled out like scattered pieces of a jigsaw from his urgency to expel his emotional anguish.

“You are my child, and it is a sign of your natural love for me that made you feel this dread. It doesn’t matter that you are an adult now, I am your father, and you are my son. No love is unburdened from the fear of loss, that’s how we know it is real.” Pepin hugged his son, validating his feelings.

“You know I heard you call out ‘dad’ when the arrow landed…” Pepin began.

“I’m sorry, I just…”

“Don’t apologise, Ewan. It’s a good thing. I asked him to be your family, to care for you as his own son. He did a fine job.” Pepin soothed.

“I can’t help but think of our last words. I am ashamed of what I said. I’m surprised he only hit me, and didn’t laugh in my face when I told him I felt like a slave. I knew less than nothing. When I saw the note that he had written in his own blood, doing that because he knows I can’t read very well after years of continuing to reject his offer to teach me, I knew he had forgiven me. He has been looking out for me this entire time.” Ewan smiled sheepishly, mature enough to recognise his biggest mistake.

“Knowing Caius as well as I do, I bet he was never really mad at you to begin with.” Both of them were quiet, while they reflected on their friend and father figure, hoping he was safe.

“So you managed to shift into Clovis after all these years?” Ewan smiled with pride.

“Yes, I’ve still got it!” Pepin joked, and Ewan saw a glimpse of the man his father was before the mines.

A happy one.

“What more proof would anyone need that Aoife is alive somewhere?” Pepin hit Ewan’s back with excitement.

Titan’s mate had died, but he could still shift. Ewan didn’t want to bring this counterargument to his father’s attention. He was deluded, but happy in his confusion, and who was Ewan to ruin that? Smiling Ewan shifted into Brodie, who ran in a circle around Pepin’s legs, elated to be in his father’s company. He encouraged him to climb on his back, and raced him back to the farmhouse. When they reached the stables, the atmosphere was glum. Conri and Fidella were still missing.

Rather than lead their enemy to the pack, because Conri’s wound was bleeding profusely, Fidella headed east. A strange pull had been leading her in that direction, and she had full faith that she was being guided by the moon Goddess. Thankfully, she found some dry land beneath some monumentally high, exposed, arched roots. When she looked up, it looked as if they were being hidden beneath the belly of a gargantuan, gentle spider with his legs stretched out. Gently she rolled Conri onto the ground, using her claws to break through the linen that had kept him in place. Shifting into her human form, she inspected Conri’s thigh. The arrow was still jutting out, and Fidella could see the glint of the metal. She prayed it was iron, and not silver.

“It is silver. Mate would have died if we hadn’t been so close to him. We have lent him our strength, but there is more to do. Be mindful of the fever that might set in, now we have separated from him.” Isla informed her wisely.

Listening to her wolf, she nodded, trying to keep calm, even though she wanted to scream from the fear of losing him. The awful sensation of doom lay heavy in her stomach. Dread made her feel as if she had to heave.

“What do I do, Isla?” She asked, while pinning down her hands so that they would stop shaking.

“Pull the arrow out, then shift, and I will heal the wound. Then I’ll lay on him to keep him warm, and we will all rest. We need to stay close to him in order for our mate to recover fully. Let’s spend the night improving and watching over him. In the morning, we will share our strength through the bond, and then we can return to the pack.”

“What do you mean share our strength?” Fidella questioned her wolf.

“One thing at a time, Fidella, we are special. There’s a reason we are immune to silver, and we are stronger compared to the other wolves. You need to trust me, and right now you need to remove that arrow,” Isla insisted, refusing to waste time.

Cautiously, Fidella looked at each side of the perforation, wanting to cause as little discomfort as possible, but needing the foreign object removed. Tingles ran over her hands, infusing her with confidence. Pressing down with her left palm on her mate’s thigh, she pinched the flat side of the arrow's head, and pulled, determinedly. With only a little resistance and a slight wiggle, the arrow surrendered its hold, and Fidella threw it to the side snarling in disgust. Blood spluttered from the hole, and Fidella’s hands were a poor dam against the pumping deluge.

“Shift, Now!” Isla called, and Fidella did, hoping her wolf could do better than she was doing.

Without hesitation, Isla began to lick the wound, swiping the blood away with her insistent tongue. She ignored the doubtful commentary that was unceasing from her human counterpart. Finally, her tongue lapped against a course texture and Fidella ended her cynicism of Isla’s methods, and looked closely at Conri’s wounds. The chasm where the arrow had been was still raw, but skin had formed over the top of it. The blistered skin from the burn was rough where the scabs were knitted together, but looked far less nasty than they had been earlier. The speed of Conri’s recovery had been nothing short of miraculous. Although Fidella was still within Isla’s body, the amount of questions she had were racing through her mind with such speed that she was struggling to place them into an order.

“How did we do that?” She started.

“With our love,” Isla responded, sleepily.

“Don’t be evasive, can all mates do that for each other?”

“No, only Einar and I, but I can’t tell you more than that, I promised the moon Goddess. You will know when you need to know. We must sleep now, a lot of strength has been used this night.” Her wolf insisted.

“You are becoming as mysterious as Einar,” Fidella finished, feeling exhaustion ache in her own bones.

Isla remained in her wolf form and snuggled atop of Conri, keeping him warm and allowing her strength to be restored with the help of their bond while flowing the healing part of her power back into her mate. Soon enough, the sounds of slow, satisfied breathing filled the space beneath the roots. They slept soundly in the web of their own world.

Unexpectedly, Conri awoke to a heavy weight on his upper body. His flickering eyes could make out Isla’s form, as he adjusted his sight to accept the light. There was an infuriating itch on his thigh that he was unable to scratch, while his mate was pinning him down. Clarity soon caught up with him as he remembered the Temple burning, and the arrow hitting him. He couldn’t recall how he arrived at his current location. Duties had afforded them little time to enjoy their wolf forms, and never one to miss an opportunity, Conri ran his fingers through his mate’s fur, admiring her majestic beauty. Stirring from her sleep, Fidella shifted the moment she saw Conri’s face. Gleefully, she kissed every inch of his visage in relief. Unconcerned by their nakedness, she wrapped her arms around him, and inhaled his comforting scent. Once calm, Conri held her face in his palms, ensuring that she wasn’t upset.

“Can you tell me what happened?” Conri asked.

Careful not to miss any details, Fidella told him about each event that had taken place from the burnt temple to the profound healing.

“We don’t know if Pepin and Winnifred got out of the camp?” Conri verified, and watched her shake her head by way of response.

“We need to find our pack as soon as we can. We will travel as soon as our wolves allow us. It’s a risk by day, but we have little choice,” Conri decided.

He took a moment to really look at Fidella, her frayed lips and nails, which were rough at the edges, from her frantic rubbing and picking. She had experienced her worst nightmare, and he realised he was rushing her. The pack was important, but his mate’s wellbeing overhauled all his other responsibilities. She was his beginning, middle and end; all the rest could wait. He held her tightly, feeling her worry slowly settle a little.

“We knew you were immune to silver already, and now we have discovered your healing powers. It is curious, but not completely surprising. If I was the moon Goddess, and could bestow gifts on my most deserving wolves, I would choose to give them to you every time, my queen.” Just from his truth, she felt the absolute love they had for each other become even more present.

She smiled, and his soul glowed from the radiance of it. The mate bond felt stronger than it ever had before, although neither of them thought that was possible. Conri was sure that if he looked inside them he would be able to see the shine from where their souls connected, but he was unable to tear his eyes away from her beautiful face.

Sitting opposite Conri, who had brought his wolf to the front so that they were sharing their consciousness, Fidella reached out, linking her fingers with his. Anticipation rushed through their veins as they both felt as if they were on the precipice of something transcendent. Assured by both Isla and Einar that the ritual they were about to be part of would make them stronger, the mates capitulated to their instinct, neither of them having the inclination to fight their rising desire. Allowing their minds to be empty of all concern was difficult at first. The guilt of not being with their pack was blocking their connection, but they looked deeply into each other’s eyes, and allowed the world to fall away. Fidella became fixated on the shades of green that could be found in his iris, the shine of joy that made them brighter. That joy hadn’t been there when they first met. Easily, she let all other concerns fade away. The Luna couldn’t possibly think of her world, when the universe could be found in her mate’s eyes. Equally enchanted, Conri focussed on the difference in their hand size. The strength he had in his own compared to hers reminded him of his promise that he would always protect her from anything that would cause her harm.

“Good, you are connected. Now listen to each other’s hearts, make them match each other’s beat.” Both their wolves said in a single voice.

They concentrated on the steady thump of each other's beats, one always a little too quick, the other too slow.

“One heart, one beat”. Their wolves called out, but this time they seemed far away.

The beautiful concept made them refocus on their love rather than the mechanics of their rhythm. A love that had freed them. A love that had saved each other from death. A love that would tear down empires. Sharp gasps accompanied their unified strum. The strength surging through the bond was staggering, their burdens shared, their fears halved, and even though they wouldn’t have thought it possible, their love was doubled. They felt as if a new power had flowed through both of them, preparing them for the troubles ahead.

“You have been gifted an unburdened bond. From this day forth, you will never have to worry about each other because your strength will always be shared between you. In times of need, you can push your power into each other, as was done yesterday. Fidella’s immunity to silver has also passed to you, Conri, you need never fear it again. You will always be able to heal each other, and this gift will grow stronger with time. Your bond will be unburdened because your concerns will be shared and, even from a distance, you can never be lost. You are joined together on earth, and in the heavens. When the time comes, you will share each other’s end, but when that time will be is dependent on the choices you make.” Once again, the combined words from their wolves flowed through them both, but had the import as if the words had come from a higher being.

The obscure details were frustrating for the pair. Answers were given, but disguised at the same time. The only certain thing was that they would die together, but this was the least surprising news to them. They had known for a long time now that they couldn’t be without each other, they were as inseparable as inhaling was to exhaling. Without each other, their world would implode.

Returning to their reality, with a fiercer, more tangible connection greater than they would have thought possible before, the tingles were unbearably alluring. A bond that shared a life force. Unable to quench his desire, he kissed her lips with a rough passion. Astounded by the lust building in her, and shared with him. Had it always been like this? There was something different now. It felt like the last fragment of their vulnerabilities were bared before each other, and the awareness of their complete openness was glorious. He slid one hand up her long, soft back, and his other cupped her thigh as he flipped her beneath him, never breaking their kiss. Finding her wet centre, he circled her clit, captivated by the smoothness of her shiny shell. Agitated by his teasing, she rubbed her vulva against his throbbing c**k, and all thoughts of stimulation were pushed from his mind as she lubricated his shaft with her own slick readiness. Diving his tongue into her mouth, he pulled her hair slightly, humoured by the annoyance he could feel from her that it wasn’t tight enough. He had never heard her thoughts so clearly before, registering them before she could. Remedying his grip, until she moaned with satisfaction, he aligned the head of his c**k with her glistening slit. There was no warning. Pounding into her, he was delighted by the hunger he could feel in her as they explored their joint new powers with experimental roughness in their bodies. With a promiscuity he was eager to nurture, she bit his bottom lip, breaking their kiss, then used her left hand and legs to push herself off the ground, her right hand clinging across his shoulders as she met each of his thrusts with equal force. She wasn’t submitting, rather the alpha within her was challenging him to match her passion. Shuttling back and forth, she experienced the full pleasure of his length within her, as each thrust rammed against her eager cervix. Losing control, he gripped her hips and kneeled between her thighs as she placed her right hand on the ground, lifting her entire body off the ground like a table top for him to feast off. Committing himself to the punishing pace with each surge deeper inside her, he watched her breasts bouncing from the impact of his thrusts. The sight nearly unmanned him. Increasing pleasure, caused his rhythm to become clumsy for a moment as he admired how exposed and unrestrained she was. Watching as she leant her head back in bliss, and screamed out in pleasure, he groaned at how she was using his body to chase her end. Their skin slapping together indicated that the thick wetness he was losing himself to was her gushing climb towards her climax. Slamming against him so that his c**k was completely sheathed, he stilled as he watched her orgasm rampage through her, her c*m leaking down his shaft onto the ground beneath them. Conri couldn’t help but consider that maybe he had died from his injuries, because this felt like the type of hedonistic s*x that Gods would enjoy. It was an ascension to a higher understanding of euphoria. She collapsed after her climax, the strength draining from her arms. Bending her knees up so her thighs were pressed against her heavy breasts, he pummelled into her intensely, pleased to feel her inner walls contract with smaller spasms of s****l fulfilment. Thrusting three more times, his white, sticky explosion left him panting as he fell upon her body, her legs comfortably wrapped around him.

Fidella’s gaze had been fixed on him, absorbing everything he was into her, but in more than a physical sense. He had once told her that he couldn’t see the seam where he ended and she began. Now it felt as if there had never been a seam, as if they had been born with one soul in two different bodies. Completion had been misunderstood before, now it had been ordained, ordered and obtained. Watching him reach his completion was equally gratifying for her. He cried out from the power of it, and life had never seemed more perfect. If he had asked her at that moment if she wanted to stay beneath the roots taking succour from each other’s bodies for the rest of their lives, she would have said yes. Instead, he returned to the kiss that had started their thirst.

“When we are truly free, every day will start like this one, my Goddess, I promise.” Conri assured her, feeling her reluctance to return to Luna and Alpha, rather than be Conri and Fidella.

“In the house we will build together.” She remembered his promise during her first heat. “Why do you think the moon Goddess has blessed us with these abundant rewards? They could have been shared with all the ranked wolves, but she has given them only to us?” Fidella voiced her concern to Conri.

Strangely, their wolves were suspiciously quiet, or too sated to share their knowledge with their humans. It was this thought that occupied their minds as they left the shelter that had protected them, and made their way back to their pack.