† Braddock †
The stallion stopped by a bush and whinnied, while attempting to back away.
Braddock yanked the reigns tighter, to encourage it to continue forward. So far, after nearly an hour of searching for Yalena's camp, she had not been found. She had not been gone long, but had travelled far in that time. "There must be a reason the horse does not wish to continue," he called over to Eryk, who followed but never strayed into his horse's path. "We will dismount and continue on foot, to ensure we miss nothing."
Eryk nodded silently. He dismounted and slung his supply bag over his head, an action Braddock copied.
They had warned Braddock's second in command where they ventured and what to do if they did not return. If neither returned by the break of day, they were to proceed as scheduled towards their next mission. The camp would only move a few miles in that time, but it would be far enough that neither he nor Eryk could reach it if they lost their horses or were injured. But that was a risk they had to take, if they hoped to save Yalena or finally capture the monster attacking young women.
"Do you think Yalena is near?" Eryk asked, in a whisper.
"It is hard to say, but something spooked the horses," he replied calmly. He had to retain his composure. He could not go running through the woods searching for Yalena. There was no need to panic, as yet.
Eryk stepped forward and spent some time lighting a torch made from a piece of torn cloth. Once it had a strong flame, he turned back. "Let me go first, captain. If we encounter danger, it is best that you are spared," he said, with a look that said he meant every word.
Braddock appreciated the concern, but took the torch and offered the lad a smile. "I am the captain and I will give the orders," he teased, with a wink. "I cannot allow a subordinate to put my safety before his own. I will go ahead and you will stay with the horses. We cannot lose them, if there is a monster on the loose. We must have a way to leave, in safety."
With reluctance, Eryk stepped back and nodded his agreement.
Once he knew he would behave himself, Braddock forged ahead and fought his way through the wild woods. It may be a long trek before he found Yalena, but he would not give up. He would not return to camp unless he found her or the monster terrorising the locals.
Finally, he would have his answers.
The snow crunched under his boots as he took each step carefully, watching the ground for any sign of disturbance, blood or footprints. A fresh flurry had fallen over the course of the night, so he would know if the tracks were fresh or old. If old, he could rule out Yalena's presence, but that would only be a small comfort.
Stupid woman, he thought to himself. She simply cannot act sensibly. She must behave like a hard nosed man, fighting every battle herself. She refuses even the help that any other man would accept, he complained.
A crack far off in the distance made Braddock pause momentarily. He listened, utilising his extraordinary vampire hearing. Off in the distance, a fox cried to the left and, behind him, a crow cawed. In amongst the sounds of the woods, a faint sniff and a moan of pain pinpointed a possible location for Yalena. And if it truly was her, she was in trouble.
Big trouble.
Braddock set off in a run, keeping a careful eye on the ground as he went, until he found a prone figure crawling through the forest floor, one clawed hand at a time. He saved his breath and only swore inwardly, as he stopped by her side and mentally evaluated her health.
Using his gift of seeing within the body, he detected three broken ribs, copious wounds that oozed blood and a serious head injury. He could only guess that it was Yalena, as the woman was face down on the ground and her clothes were so covered in dirt and blood that rendered her unrecognisable. She could have been the warrior woman he had last seen at camp or she could have been a peasant woman, another victim of the monster they hunted.
"Yalena?" he checked, not sure whether to be relieved or devastated when she moaned and turned her head to see him. Bright green eyes gazed up at him with determination, so he reached into his pack and carefully lay the rag of torch on the ground. The flame had gone out during his run, so he did not have to worry about sparking the forest floor alight.
He pulled a bag of blood from his supply pack and uncapped it, before pressing the nozzle to her lips. Yalena drank greedily, her eyes closing as she tentatively reached up to grasp his wrist. She broke away when she was done, panting heavily, and stared up at him with pleading eyes. I am so sorry, she whispered.
Braddock almost flinched as her voice appeared in his head. The revelation was unexpected, but it could only mean one thing. Yalena must be his life mate. Only life mates could exchange thoughts and emotions. "Who did this to you?" he asked aloud. "Who hurt you and where did they go?"
Yalena blinked and swallowed, with some difficulty, before pointing in the direction with her eyes. She kept all communication mental, rather than vocal, and he worried over the reason why. Did she realise what they were to each other and that it would conserve much needed energy to communicate that way, to allow her body to heal? Or was she simply hopeful that anyone would hear her mental pleas, so they could help her?
In the thick of the trees. It came out of nowhere and attacked like a wild animal. But I am sure it was a man, she explained, though her mental voice sounded tired and weak. It may have even been a vampire, but it was so hard to tell. I did not get a look at its face, only at the claws and teeth that attacked me.
"Shh, all is well now. I will have Eryk care for you and I will hunt this beast," Braddock promised, gently brushing her blood and sweat soaked hair from her eyes.
No! Yalena panicked and struggled to reach up to his wrist. Please, stay with me.
He could not refuse such a plea, especially not from his life mate. He moved to sit on his left hip and continued a light caress of his fingers through Yalena's hair as he spoke just slightly louder than his normal voice, praying that Eryk remained vigilant of his surroundings. "Eryk, can you hear me? I need you urgently," he said, calling to the soldier for help.
Five interminable moments passed before he got a reply.
"I hear you, sir. I am on my way. Should I bring the horses?" Eryk asked, sounding calmer than he had expected, after leaving him all alone in the woods.
Braddock looked down at Yalena and knew that Eryk was right; horses would quicken their journey back to camp, to get Yalena the blood and medical attention she needed. Though her body could heal itself naturally, these wounds were so deep that even her vampire blood would need a few days to repair the extensive tissue damage. "Yes. Bring the horses and sound the horn. I want a hunting party scouring the woods for signs of this monster."
Another few minutes passed in silence, with no reply. Then, the sound of the horn, used to call for aid in the heat of battle or sound a retreat, blew through the night air, loud and clear. It could be heard for miles, so he did not doubt that he would soon have half the camp responding to his call for help.
In the meantime, Braddock carefully offered Yalena more blood from the pack and whispered soft, soothing words to calm her fear. "Nothing will hurt you while I am here."
And so they waited.
***
Nearly an hour later, as the sun began to rise, Braddock tenderly lay Yalena on the cot in her tent. No other had touched her since Eryk arrived with the horses. Braddock had taken sole responsibility for his life mate, mentioning nothing of the bond he now felt growing inside of him, even as he held her to him, on his horse and carried her to safety.
Eryk stayed in the woods to command the search, under Braddock's orders. The lad had proven himself trustworthy and unafraid of the monster that had others in his company muttering about it being unsafe in the woods, even for a vampire.
Commander Lee, the very man who had sent Yalena on such a foolish mission, said nothing as Braddock rode back into camp with her. Her wounds were difficult to ignore, but he said nothing of his guilt or his stupid assumption that the monster would not hurt a vampire, simply because they had not done so before.
"I will leave you for just a moment. Undress and prepare for the doctor to see you. I will wait outside and have some blood prepared for you," Braddock offered, surprised that Yalena would not release his hand, as he backed away.
Please stay, she pleaded. You know what we are. I do not wish to be separated from you.
He knelt by her bed and let himself finally express his feelings, caressing his thumb over her cheek. As life mates, he said, inside his head. my blood can heal you like no other. But I would not force you. If you wish to continue feeding from the supplies, I will not take offence.
As life mates, they would now be under intense scrutiny from the others of the camp and the commander. If anyone knew, they could be separated and Yalena sent to another camp, under another's direction, just to ensure there was no risk of their bond presenting problems. If one was hurt, the other would now feel the pain. If one came to danger, the other may act recklessly to protect and save the life of their mate, even if it put others at risk.
I will not have you sent away, he insisted. We must keep our bond a secret, at least until the war is over.
Yalena nodded, with no sign of doubt or hesitation in her beautiful green eyes. She agreed unquestioningly, as though this were something she had also thought about, since discovering the bond. I will not be parted from you again, she agreed, reaching for his hand. But you must not always try to protect me so fiercely. I must do my part, as must all soldiers.
Braddock shook his head, in exasperation. I did not protest to your mission because of our bond. I did not even feel the bond, or recognise it, until you spoke within my mind. I would have stopped any man from going on such a foolish mission. But to send a woman – any woman – was to beg for trouble, he argued. Whatever monster haunts these lands is wild and dangerous to all. But the commander – and you! – would hear nothing of my warnings.
No one had heeded his warnings that the monster would attack any woman in sight, vampire or human. The monster was too unpredictable and violent for them to risk sending anyone to bait it with temptation.
To his surprise, Yalena smiled and reached up to touch her finger to his chin. Then I cannot be angry. If you would stage the same protest to Eryk seeking the monster alone, then I cannot be displeased that you hold me in the same regard, she professed, with a look in her green eyes that he had not seen before.
"Will you allow me to heal you?" Braddock asked, concerned by how long it had been since she had taken even a sip of blood from the supplies. "With the combination of our bond, my blood and your abilities, you could be fully healed within a few hours," he reminded her, longing to take away her pain.
Yalena nodded, her eyes tired and already dropping shut.
It was now or never.
Braddock lifted his wrist to her mouth and waited for her to part dry lips, to latch her teeth into his skin. It took longer than it should have, but he was still so unsure about their bond that he did not wish to force the issue. This had to be done correctly or they may both suffer for it.