Bounded

Chapter 61

Hey, lovely readers. I'm here with an update. Be comfortable in your blankets and read slowly.

____________________________

When the golden skin tore apart, breaking the junctions of all bones and muscles, it turned the flesh of a human body into the majestic black furs of a werewolf. The only golden now remains in the blazing eyes of the wolf, vigorous claws marking the soil as a habit of labelling the place of his discarded clothes. Van could feel his skills heightening in the core of his vital form, eyes penetrating the bushy branches of trees before catching a streak of two snakes folded upon each other, ears perking up to hear the scraping sounds of some squirrels gnawing on plums.

His nose picked up the fragrance of wet soil, head moved upwards to the reverberating clouds in the vast sky. The possibility of rain provided peace to his burning paws on the ground. 

He looked ahead, it had been a while since he had visited this forest. He remembered the bits and extents of the wars for which he had trained many trainers and soldiers here. He trusted his experience and knowledge of authority to lead his Empire to a status where his people could live peacefully. Their life taught them many things, his human trained him when their instincts could lead them to a very disastrous end. And the end won't be their alone, thousands of people…pups, grown-ups, elders… might have suffered along with them. 

When a mate separates from the bond of fate, the pain of the separation often crosses the boundaries of cruelty and merciful sadness that further guide them to death. 

However when their said mate left them centuries ago, Van felt the numbness of heart for the first time. There wasn't pain but he could feel the emotions of his human, he could feel the loss and superiority of anger in his bones but their heart was numb. He became lost in the decisions of his humans to the level where he either lives or slaughter the enemies.

So, His human chooses his steps for him to save humanity. He didn't let Van experience the loss of their mate to its full extent, even before he could mourn and find the culprits to slaughter, to create a bloodbath, his human steeled their emotions and drove the nerves on a very different path.

The path of survival. 

Wars upon wars. The blurriness of claws and canines is still as fresh as the first dawn of the winter. What Van had gained from the past tragedy of their life was fear of the well-being of his human. He lived for him, survived the lone howls of one hundred and twenty-three blue moons. He hadn't experienced the affection of his mate as closely as his human did. And it might be the reason why the loss of it affected the human more. 

Legends say one can't compare the pain of the other regardless of their entity, species and compassion.

And legends have always proven right. 

His paws thumped on the ground and raced miles till he reached the periphery of the silent lake, tearing apart the breeze with the tip of his snout. The water looked calm but his instincts stretched his run around the lake to observe any threats, preventing the low aspects of any danger. 

His golden eyes blazed in the damped monsoon when his ear perked at the scream coming from miles away. He halted on his hind paws and heightened his power, letting his ear slack back pointedly. He heard another scream, a result of when the wolf hadn't shifted in a long while. 

The painful screams belonged to the Empress of Eclipse; he remained seated on the shore of the lake till the scream turned into howls of a wolf. 

Opposite to the screams, the howl was resonating with happiness. Van turned his head to the lake, withdrawing his attention from the path. He has seen his human’s behaviour with the Empress, despite the gap of generations, he is obliged to remain respectful to his… to his mate. Similar to his human, he would consider his words before using them in front of the omega.