Chapter 4: Chapter 4
R H O E
"You are safe." I whispered to her. "Safe."
The beautiful female in my arms let out a staggering sigh, as if trying to put up a fight but being unable to resist. It worried me that she couldn't put up even a small fight against my mating call, but she was utterly exhausted. Her body needed to rest. The rumbling in my chest increased in ferocity, loud enough that I was sure that it could be heard up on the steep bank. It surprised me, the intensity of it. I had never performed a mating call before, and yet, here I was… lulling my injured mate to sleep. It was second nature now; the sounds slipping from my throat as easily as I exhaled breath.
I cradled my female to my chest, holding her close. She was so small, so slight in my arms. I only grew more possessive the longer I stared down at her. She was mine; my female; my love; my soul.
And she was cold. Wounded, too.
Pulling her body as far out of the water as possible, I eyed the contraption biting into her flesh. A snarl poured from my lips at the sight of it. It was a grave injury, that much was clear. It had been horrible in my dream, but the dream had been fuzzy and vague… Now? Her predicament was as clear as the water flowing around us. The metal sliced deep into her flesh, down to the very bone itself. Her foot was sitting at an unnatural angle too.
I scooted us closer to the metal so that her ensnared leg wasn't stretched flat. Transferring her thin body to one arm, I reached out for the trap. It had two jaws, its teeth small and broad, but so very sharp. I trailed a finger along the contraption, raking a claw against its surface. I'd have to pry it open like the shell of a clam.
Unwilling to set her back into the water, even if it was for mere seconds, I cradled her body onto my lap and leaned my chest over her. She was so small that it wasn't even a stretch for me to reach the trap with both hands.
Hooking my claws between the jaws, it wasn't difficult for me to start to part the jaws. They began to separate with a metallic groaning sound, but they were no match for my superior strength. Try as they might, they would not shut around my mate again. Ever again. The metal teeth bit into my fingers, but the harsh callouses there resisted the pain. With a roar, I opened the contraption as far as the jaw hinges would allow… and even further. The metal was no match for me, and the jaws snapped apart in my hands. I hurled them far into the creek, huffing as they disappeared from sight. Good. If I ever saw such a trap again, it would meet the same fate as that one had.
My arms were wrapped around her at once, lifting her up and off my lap. The mating call started in my chest again, filling my muscles with warmth and my mind with animalistic need.
Claim… Take… Mate! My mind screamed, but I could not heed it. Not now, at least. Not when she was so weak in my arms, so dirty and bloody. She needed warmth, food, safety, and time. I was willing to wait; as long as she was mine, I would wait. My cock would just have to wait.
I stood up, one arm cradling her back and the other hooked under her knees. A cave needed to be located; one that was out of the weather. A fire would need to be started; food would need to be gathered. But first and foremost, I needed to get her wounds cleaned and dressed. With a single glance at her poor foot, I knew deep down that an infection was a very high possibility. And, with her being as small as she was, and add on the fact that she had been stuck in that creek for gods knows how long, she was even more susceptible to it.
"Hang on, little one." I whispered as I leapt into the air. My feet landed on the cool forest dirt, claws digging in to find purchase. My nostrils flared, sifting through the air and a multitude of scents. There was a panthera male and his newly found mate just north of us. To the south, there was a lone ursidae. I'd have to keep an eye out for him in case he got any ideas to poach my female.
"Hang on." I whispered down to her. She was asleep, her cheek resting right against my heart. The thumping organ swelled at the sight. The female was so pale against my dark brown fur; her skin practically glowing in the moonlight. She was stunning now, even with the mud and dirt dusting her skin, matted in her hair… Her beauty would be indescribable once she was healthy.
But first, to ensure that she had the chance to get healthy, we needed to leave the human lands and venture into my native lands. From there, we will settle down in a cave. She'll be safe and warm there… and as she heals from the hardships of her old life, I'll court her. I'll feed her, tend to her every need and want, clean her, and protect her. She will want for nothing.
She. Is. Mine.
The dark depths of the cave beckon to me, but I resist the urge to just storm in. If it were any other time, I would have just stomped in and confronted whoever, or whatever, was dwelling within, but I cannot be brash. Not when I have my female tucked against my chest. I am a brazen, bull-headed male, but I must be careful with her. Especially with her in the state that she is in. A growl vibrates deep in my chest at the thought.
"If anyone is in here by the time I enter, I will tear you to shreds." My words are met by silence. I cannot smell anything within the cave, nor can I hear anything moving about. The air is musty and undisturbed, which is a promising sign.
I scent the cave one last time, digging deep into every individual smell. Beside the odd insect, it is vacant. Holding her tight to my chest, my muscles ready, we venture inside.
It is a decent sized cave. The ceiling is a little low, so I need to duck my head slightly, but it's wide enough for my female to stretch out comfortably. The cave entrance is tucked beneath a rocky overhand too, which will help to prevent a lot of wind and rain from sweeping inside. My mate will need to stay warm, night and day.
Laying her gently to the dirt floor, I quickly unpack the satchel. I unroll animal pelts and furs on the ground. They're plush and soft; the best of the best for her. These furs will keep her warm during the night, plus, they'll help to disguise her female scent from any curious noses… at least a little. I'll always be with her though, so if any creature gets too close, they won't be close for long.
Patting down the furs, I scoop her into my arms once again and lay her atop them. Her small figure immediately sinks into the nest. I then lay another pelt over her body; a large moose pelt that I had killed over a year ago. It engulfs her slight form from the base of her neck all the way past her feet. She is nothing more than a slight bulge beneath the fur.
I brush a knuckle across her cheek before turning back to the contents of the satchel. I must not get distracted. There are other things to tend to before I can, finally, curl around my female.
The fire is the next thing that I focus on. Luckily, I had packed dried elk dung into the satchel before I departed, so I have at least some temporary flame fuel. Tomorrow though, I will need to venture out of the cave to hunt down suitable vegetation for the fire. For now though, the dung will make due. Within moments, a small flame is dancing in the darkness. It's small, but it's better than nothing. This is a small cave after all; it won't take much to heat it.
Next, I pull out the healing salves, a small wash pelt, and a bladder of water. Then, a roll of silk bandages are removed. I'll need to clean her wound well to get some of the dirt and debris out of it. It'll lower the chances of infection... But not completely.
I shake my head. It's no use to think in such a way. She'll get better, and then I can claim her. I know that for a fact. The gods would not be so cruel to take her from me like this, not when I'd just found her. I'm certain!
Pulling back the moose pelt, I stared down at her still form. She was tiny, both in height and weight. I frowned as I saw how sharp her cheekbones were, how slim her arms and legs were. She would need to be fed well; I had no problem with that. There was nothing more pleasant than the thought of feeding her something that I had killed myself; nothing more pleasant than the thought of feeding her bits of meat from my fingers.
"Let's get you well, mate." I gently pulled her into a sitting position, supporting her weight. The fabric she was wearing was plastered to her flesh, cold and stiff. That would not do. They would need to be removed, or else she'd never warm up.
I slipped the fabric over her head, and my brows furrowed. Dark splotches covered her flesh, some yellow, others purple and blue. The worst of the splotches were bunched around her stomach, a few littered along her ribs. Were these… bruises? I'd never seen bruises before, as my fur covered my flesh in a thick coat… but it made sense.
Why did she have bruises on her stomach, of all places? Why were there so many?
A roar threatened to erupt from my chest, but I swallowed it down. She was resting, and it obviously looked like she desperately needed it. I could not have her waking up now, especially since her wound still needed to be cleaned and dressed...
But who had hurt my mate?! Once she woke up and could stand to answer my questions, she would tell me who had hurt her, and I would end them. They would die beneath my claws, and their death would not be quick. I'd take my sweet time, hurting them for what they did to my mate.
But, for now, she was all that mattered. The time to hurt her abusers would come, so I needed to be patient.
I unwrapped the bindings around her chest, which covered her teats. I then gently lifted her ass off the ground to remove the cloth covering her hips and legs. They were absolutely filthy, and I tossed them aside. Later, once they've dried, they could be used to fuel the fire. If she wanted cloth to cover her body, I'd just hunt and skin some soft animals for her. She'd look lovely in fur.
Setting her on her back again, all of my focus settled on the wounds covering her body. The bruises, cuts, scrapes, the deep wound to her ankle… A scowl settled over my face. Was that a ring of bruises to her good ankle? What the rot?
Leaning closer, it became clear that it was, indeed, a thick bruise that wrapped around her good ankle. Picking it up, the bruise traveled around to the back of her ankle too. Just another thing to ask her about, once she awoke. My poor female. She would never be hurt again, ever!
Gritting my teeth, I picked up the bladder of water, then the small wash pelt. Luckily the bladder had kept the water relatively warm, so it wouldn't chill her too much. I wet the hide, and then began to wipe it on her bad leg, ensuring the skin around the wound was clean before I started cleaning it. It doesn't take long to wipe the dirt from her flesh, and soon that section of her is spotless and oh so pale.
I scratch at my chin. Her skin is so colorless… like the creamiest of milks. Unlike my own hide, which has a mixture of browns throughout, her skin is very simple. White all over with a pink undertone… Which makes the bruises stand out all the more. A low growl fills the cave at the sight of the sickly colors, and it takes a moment to recognize who the source of that primal sound is. She would get better. There was no other option.
Turning my gaze to her wrecked ankle, a grimace twists my face. Just by looking at the bone-deep wound, I know that it's going to require extensive cleansing. It'll probably start bleeding again, too. Before I start, I ensure that the silk wrapping is well within reach, as well as two dry wash hides.
Despite the fact that I am an older ursidae male and have seen, and attained, many injuries, my spine still needs to be steeled. Everything within my blood resists the movements of my hands; the last thing any Terran male wants to do is harm his female. It goes against everything that we are… but it must be done. If her wound isn't cleaned now, then there isn't a doubt in my mind that she'll succumb to fever within hours.
I gently, but quickly, scrub at the wound. Spilling some water into it, I watch with a sense of dread as waves and waves of muck flows out. She's bleeding again too, but there isn't anything that can be done about that. I can only chase away the blood and grime with fresh water in an attempt to remove every last speck of dirt. With my claws, I gently search the inside of the wound, occasionally fishing out pebbles that had gotten lodged. And the entire time, even as breaths escape my chest in great pants, the mating call rumbles on. It soothes her; keeps her in a steady state of slumber and unawareness. It is a gods-send.
Moving with the precision of a serpentes, her wound is thoroughly wrapped in clean furs before being bandaged with silk. I sit back on my haunches, scrubbing at my nose with the back of my hand. The scent of her blood hangs low in my nostrils, stinging with every beat of my heart. It is a scent that I will never forget, for as long as I live.
A clawed finger brushes over her cheek. "I am so sorry, my sweet." The words are sincere. Just the very sight of her ankle so tightly bandaged fills my soul with rage. Whoever hurt her will be destroyed. I don't care if it takes decades… I will find and kill every last one responsible. They will bleed and cry beneath my fury, but there will be no mercy for them. What they did to my mate will be done to them, and so much worse.
I bare my teeth in a grin.
Yes… That sounded like a good plan.
Night has conquered the sun. Darkness dwells just beyond the cave entrance, sighing with every breath of wind. It beckons, promising a good hunt. Prey is vulnerable during this time of night, lulled into a false sense of security. The smaller animals reside in their burrows, nests, and tunnels, little hearts fluttering in the night. The larger creatures lounge in the trees, in caves, or huddle amongst their own kind. The intelligent individuals stay awake, ears perked for the inevitable crunch of leaves beneath silent feet, muscles tense for a chase that could occur at any moment… but those smart enough to stay fully alert are far and few in between. That fact alone calls to me, begging me to leave the warmth of my cave and venture into the darkness.
That urge has never been so easy to deny.
I'm curled around my little female, tucking her close to my chest. Her slight breaths fan across my chest, pale skin so warm and soft against my hide. Never having known such sweetness before, I'm greedy. For the past hour or so, my nose has been buried in her hair, nostrils flaring as her calming scent soothes me. Since the dirt and grime has been, mostly, removed, her mating scent has begun to emerge. Floral‒ gentle and oh so feminine. It's weak, practically smothered beneath the metallic scent of blood and pain, but it's still there.
I hug her closer, curling my much larger frame around her. It'll take time, but I'm eager for when that floral scent begins to strengthen. It'll mean that she's getting better, stronger, healthier.
But, most of all, I can't wait for her to open her eyes; eager for her to speak to me. The precious few seconds she'd been awake will always play over and over in my mind. Even when we are grey and old, the moment our eyes met for the first time will forever stick with me. Forever.
Despite being trapped like an animal and subjected to great pain, she didn't cower. Her dark eyes had burned with the fire raging in her soul. She was a fighter, my female. One that had thrown rocks at those canidae males. One that was going to hurl rocks at me if I hadn't calmed her in time. A grin split my face, baring my teeth. She may be tiny and physically weak, but her spirit was strong. Fiery. Admirable.
My female.
Mine!
The arms surrounding her tightened their hold. Her back was pressed flat against my front. Should someone wander into our cave just now, they wouldn't even see her. My much larger body completely engulfed hers. A growl rumbled deep in my chest. The gods have mercy on anyone with the balls to disrupt my time with her. They certainly won't receive any mercy from me. Their blood will drip from my canines, my claws-
My female twitches, just once. Her little nose scrunches momentarily, the skin wrinkling. As if she were awake, her eyes shift frantically beneath her closed lids, looking this way and that. Her arms then jerk in my hold, muscles straining against my own.
Pushing myself up on an elbow, I lean over her. A mating call rumbles, filling the cave with a soothing, primal sound. It resonates from deep within my chest, my very damn soul.
As if she hadn't moved at all, my female falls back into a deep slumber. Her muscles relax, and she, once again, sinks into my embrace. Despite the fact that she's gone still once again, I don't let up on the rumble. It soothes her just as much as it does me.
"Shhhh, little one." I whisper in her ear. "I have you. Just rest and heal; I will protect you."
The fire crackles in the darkness, waves of light dancing across the cave walls. At the cave entrance, the night looms… staring at us with a million twinkling little eyes. In the far distance, a chiroptera calls out with a series of low clicks. Seconds later, another answers his call. Probably his pair-bonded male. They're, no doubt, scoping their territory right now, weaving through the branches of this endless forest. Chiropteras are a possessive, territorial bunch on a good day. Add on the fact that they're mature males, with either a female tucked away in a cave of their own or actively searching for her, a confrontation with a bonded pair would be messy. Very, very messy.
"I will not let them, or any other, hurt you." My hand lifts to brush the hair out of her face… but I freeze.
She…
She is on fire.
Her flesh is so hot, so scorching hot, that flames had to be licking through her veins. Just laying beside her, I couldn't feel the heat radiating from her skin as my fur repelled it… Now, with my bare palm flat against her forehead, there is no missing it.
I tear myself away from her. The last thing she needs is to overheat, and with how closely I want to press against her, to wrap around her, that would be a very real possibility. My fur is thick and insulating, my body is large and heavy. Even though I want nothing more than to hold her in my arms all night, her health is of the utmost importance.
And, for the rest of the night and into the early hours of the morning, I pace the cave. Every now and then, I pour some water over her forehead in an attempt to cool her off… but it makes very little difference. As my emotions storm within my soul, curling my fists and flattening my ears, the mating call continues on. If I can't do anything else for her, I will ensure that she is as relaxed… Or as relaxed as someone burning up with fever could ever be.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone