Bound Trilogy: Bound: A Supernatural Story (WLW)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Bast walked beside Xenia, Glenn and Pen with Lev on her back, as Xenia watched Lev's face and wondered what she would tell his family. They'd managed to find his body downstream after it had been carried away by the currents and were going to give him a proper funeral amongst the Lis. As far as Sera and Kuba went, they hadn't ever shown up again.

Xenia scented Sera had run off in the opposite direction of town, but she had no idea where Kuba had gone. His scent was completely gone outside of the river. She'd searched for him for quite some time, Bast at her side, yet nothing had turned up. He must have been carried away by the river, totally masking his scent along the way. If Xenia had been able to find him, even get close to him, she truly didn't know what she would be capable of at that moment.

A boy, a child she'd lived with for a large bulk of her life, played with and cared for as her own...had betrayed her trust as well. The trust of her pack and... What would Jules think?

She'd sensed that at least one of the twins was close and sensed him running to help, but Xenia knew it wouldn't have amounted to anything but hurt if she told him without the rest of his family. If she had let Jules get close to that river, she would have fallen apart upon seeing her brother's betrayal, so as they walked Xenia kept her mouth shut as to just what had transpired. The sense of animosity she could nearly taste in the air from Sera the closer she grew to the river was completely enfeebling. She wasn't sure of what she would say once she saw his siblings' faces upon leaving these woods.

If Xenia hadn't demanded Jules go home and get the dominants on the outskirts of the woods to await their return and protect those within town, she knew Jules would have lost her will to stand, yet alone engage in battle. She had been through so much already and now...her own flesh and blood was the ultimate pretender. Just how would Jules survive this? She'd survived the attack in Alaska, but that was of the body. Could she survive an attack on her soul?

Xenia glanced toward Bast and ran her fingers along Lev's long forearm that freely dangled. The skin was so pale. So damp from the river, but icy to the touch and would never warm again. She tore her gaze away and rubbed her sweaty palms along the long coat Glenn had given her when she shifted back.

Still, something major was missing and it was terrifying to think of what could come next.

Just where had their betrayers disappeared? The only thing that could have happened was that Kuba was swept away and Serafin had run right along with the body. For his own good, he'd better be dead or have the smarts to never come back.

Xenia glanced over at Pen who was walking on the other side of Bast still in her animal form. Bast was really something. Xenia hadn't ever seen a coat like hers, but aside from her attack alongside her comrades at the river, she was as docile as a kit shifting for the first time. Playful and feisty. She even brought Kuba to them like she was showing off her first hunt.

He has to be dead. Xenia told herself as she watched the light flicker off of Bast's fur. He was hardly clinging to life when Xenia saw him and she couldn't imagine even Kuba, as strong as he was, surviving that wound. Some of his blood was still caked onto Bast's chest and muzzle. Enough to convince Xenia she didn't expect Kuba to wash up alive and well anytime soon. Still, with the lack of knowing where his body was left a pit in her stomach she knew would grow over time.

Xenia watched as Pen ran her fingers along Bastet's coat and felt a slow smile stretch across her face as Bastet playfully walked circles around her, rubbing her entire length along her body. So, she definitely has feline in her. Pen smiled and ruffled the fur at the back of one of her ears, then glanced at Xenia questioningly.

"Why isn't she changing back?"

"She will." Xenia extended her hand and ran it along Bast's side making her pur. She grinned, then glanced up at Lev's face and was reminded of what a loss this would mean. Lev was meant to become a part of her Inner Circle. He'd become family in their short time together in Alaska. She gazed back in the direction they were walking, speaking along the way as she scented just how close they were to town. Just how close they were to being home, where Xenia could check on Jules and the rest of her people. She hadn't sensed anything bad from town, but as she wasn't completely ascended, she worried she may not be sensing quite everything. "Her first shift will last for twelve hours, then her body will tell her when it's time for her to shift back."

"And after that..." Pen paused and Xenia looked back toward her. She was scrunching up her nose and trying to bat away Bast's tail as she moved to her other side. Pen sneezed and Xenia snorted along with Glenn on her other side. Pen finally noticed them watching and sobered up, eventually finishing her question. "She'll be okay...right? She'll be herself?"

Xenia smiled and put her hand on her back, but pulled it back when Bastet sent her a warning growl. "Uh, yeah. Her purest self." Xenia nervously chuckled and shook her head. "She'll be tired and need to get some rest, clothes and food, but she'll be just fine."

They made it to the edge of the woods and were greeted by Sera's twin, Gabe. As soon as she scented him, Xenia broke out into a run. She immediately took hold of his shirt and sniffed at his neck, listening to his pulse point as she snarled, "Did you know?"

Tears ran down his cheeks and Jules walked up, taking hold of Xenia's hand. She let him go and ran her hands along Jules' body. She wasn't hurt and Xenia breathed a sigh of momentary abatement, but her pulse was rapid and she could scent her discontent in the air. Jules reached up and ran her thumb along her cheek, then held something up to her in her hands. Xenia stared for a second, then begrudgingly took what appeared to be a folded note covered in an all too familiar scent. It was from Serafin.

She opened the letter and read aloud, "I'm not a traitor. Please, just trust me. I'm sorry Jules and mom. I'm sorry, First Vixen. But please, trust me. I'm doing this for us."

There were tears that Sera had obviously shed while writing the muddled words. Xenia crumpled up the paper and if she could, she'd have set it ablaze with the rage she contained that felt like molten lava, ready to erupt any moment. No matter how much it made her hope that he wasn't in league with the US Acciai, Kuba, and who knew whoever else, it changed nothing. She couldn't let herself fall for such a ruse and catching him along with Kuba would soon become priority one. First, however, Xenia's responsibilities at home remained and she needed to give her people the hope she was finding so hard to relocate.

She looked up at Jules and faced tears. I have to protect those who are still here, Julia. Please, understand. Jules nodded and cried as they pulled each other into a deep embrace. Xenia took in her scent and tried to unwind, but she knew...they would never be able to let their guard down again.