Bound Trilogy: Bound: A Supernatural Story (WLW)

Chapter Twenty-Six

"What are you doing, Bastet? Fight her. Now!" Yumi, or rather Iset, snarled as she took a step toward them, now fully donning her human form and in a voice much more familiar, yet still so domineering and indifferent. So unlike the gentle child to whom it belonged. Bast growled and her fur rose further with a wave-like tremor running through her body. Iset stopped and furrowed her brow, sweat dripping down her skin. She held up her hand as if she was about to snap her fingers. "Attack her or they attack all of--"

Before she could finish, Glenn came from the trees on the other side of the river with a bow and arrow, and more arrows in a quiver at his back. He fired one at Iset, but she stepped out of the way with ease. Bast took the opportunity and attacked, chomping down on Iset's leg as her eyes went mad with rage. Iset tried to keep her back by holding onto clumps of the fur at her chest, but she snarled at her and sunk her teeth in deeper, shaking her head from side to side.

"What is wrong with you, you useless--"

Don't ever threaten my mate! How dare you interrupt! Bast pulled her away by her leg, then whipped her through the air and finally released her, sending her flying into the mud and rocks on the banks of the river. She shook her head, dispelling the muck and blood from her mouth and tried not to vomit at the utter revulsion she felt. Iset tasted horrible. Like corruption and arrogance.

"Interrupt? Interrupt what?"

I was showing her my strength. Don't butt-in, Iset! You and your plans are nothing to me! Iset, seemingly accepting her real name over the persona of Yumi, snarled and pushed her away. She lifted her hand and snapped her fingers. The other wolves launched an attack on Xenia, Glenn...and Penelope.

"Leave the fish alive! We'll need to use her!"

Bast backed up and got back in front of Penelope. She nudged her as a message to get on her back, but Penelope just stared in confusion as she locked one of her hands in a shaking fist along her fur. Without waiting, Bast crawled behind her and got between her legs, hoisting her out of the water so that she sat atop her back. Penelope grabbed along her mane and she took off. She heard Penelope yelp at the sudden trot she took up and felt her small hands holding onto her tighter along her neck as she hunched over her backside.

"Bast! You're..." Penelope sobbed as she dropped her face along her mane. "You're alive!"

A wolf came at them, but Bast reared back on her hind legs, dodging his attack, and swiped her claws across his face as he passed her by. She landed back on her feet and kept moving without a second of hesitation, hearing him crash into the cold water. She felt Penelope tug on her mane and peeked back at her out of the corner of her eye.

"Wait, Bast! What about the others?"

Bast froze as she saw images of her First Vixen being torn apart. She trotted onto the dry rocks and bent down so that Penelope could get off, then nuzzled into her chest. Her scent was so stabilizing and exactly what she needed to move along. She needed to carry it with her so she could control the animals at war within herself. The animals that were all fighting to take the steering wheel to her body and leave her as a passenger along for the ride.

Penelope pet the side of her snout and rested her forehead along it for a moment. "Be careful. Hurry up and...and come back to me."

With Penelope's last words, Bast had to aggressively wrench herself away from her to even get her paws to move. She glanced up and down along Penelope's body and took in her scent one last time. With a gust of wind blown from her lungs and a loud yelp, Bast spun around and went to help her Vixen. Her sister.