The Beast and His Tamer

Chapter 56: Gus Gus

They must have found half of the missing pack members on that journey alone. All of them looked lost, dazed, and confused. There was always at least one in every group that was awake, and each of them would tell Rhett that Sebastian had talked to them. Some knew his name, others didn't. Some recognized that Rhett had marked him, and realized what that meant, while others were still oblivious to all of it, focused merely on the fact that they had finally awoken what felt like a nightmare.

It was great. The Chakoa Pack was finally gaining in numbers rather than losing like it had been before. Those rogues that he had met all those weeks ago didn't seem that daunting of an issue now that he was able to figure out that all the missing members hadn't become rogues themselves. They still listened to Rhett religiously, just as they had done before.

But there were so many in this strange cave. It felt like they had traveled a whole forest's length in the time they spent in there. Rhett hadn't realized just how many tunnels this forest had - let alone how deep they were. This was going to be a problem in the future.

All of this made him remember that nightmare vividly, though. The wizard had a hoard of shadows behind him. Rhett could see it as clearly as if he were going through the nightmare again. It easily took over his thoughts as he walked with Geoff in silence. That hoard of shadows seemed animalistic in nature. It was easy to figure out that they were the missing members that he had found. But it didn't bode well for the situation.

That meant that Skylak truly had sent them there to get Sebastian. Rhett was surprised that the man could last so long against all of them. He hadn't heard any music, which irked him in this quiet cave, but he knew that was the only way that they would have been able to snap out of it. He wondered what Sebastian was thinking at the moment. How he was able to stay sharp in mind even after dealing with all of these werewolves that were after him. Sebastian was strong, but he was sure that he was going to get worn out eventually.

That was probably just what the wizard wanted too. Rhett wasn't an idiot. If he were in his shoes right then, he would have already known that Sebastian was going to come to him one way or the other if he threatened his family. He would have just sent out a few of the ones under his control as a safety measure: just to wear Sebastian out while he was on his way. It would make the final battle all the easier.

And, of course, if one of those groups were actually successful, that was just an added perk.

Rhett had to control his anger through the silence of the cave. It seemed like the deeper they went in, the quieter it got, no noise to be heard from even a few feet down. It felt like there was a sound barrier. Like he should be able to hear Sebastian's voice, or that lovely music that he always played. He should be able to hear Sebastian's laugh, or that hum that he'd always have when it was too quiet. He liked to think too much sometimes, and music was the best way for him to get through his many thoughts. That was one thing that Rhett had come to realize being with the man.

He tried to focus on their bond that they shared, the one that he had concreted the moment he marked him, but even that was difficult. Every time he tried, he was met with resistance. A wall that was built up by neither of their doings just to make things more difficult. He could tell that he was okay for now at least. That was one thing that magic couldn't take away. If something truly awful was happening to him, Rhett would know in an instant.

That was why he was desperately trying to get closer to him before anything too bad happened.

That was partially how he knew that Gulliver was still alive. Genie would have been able to feel that he was no longer in this world. He could only imagine how that would have affected her with that baby still growing in her stomach. She had already dealt with so much stress, he was glad that she didn't have to go through that too.