Freedom

Freak was a rather nasty slur for Monsters or Humans that became Mated with the other race.

It was a Pre-Merging word like Monster, that word having once been used to name someone as pure evil, while Freak had once meant being strange or crazy.

But times had changed and the words had changed with them.

Still...

'What the hell does Puller mean?'

The Werewolf growled softly as she chuckled, her large canines making me flinch as she leaned in close and sniffed.

"So how long then Mr Puller?" she asked, laughing as I tried to back away.

"What are talking about?" I asked, wincing in pain as my cuts rubbed against my clothing.

The Werewolf blinked in confusion for a brief moment only to laugh loudly the next.

"Oh my, don't tell me you don't know what you are," she chortled, her blood specked hand grasping my face none too gently. "You're a Puller, a bond rejecter, a runner!"

Whispers and gasps, quiet though they were, began to reach my ears as captives and terrorists alike heard her words.

"You Humans really don't have a good sense of smell do you?" she barked, laughing as she pushed me roughly away from her. "You smell broken, unclean, filthy."

In a flash she was back in front of me, grinning widely, her breath disgusting as she looked at me unblinkingly.

"But my what willpower you have," she whispered harshly, grasping my face. "How long?"

"W-What?"

Her grasp became harsher, stronger, forcing me to cry out in pain.

"Don't play coy with me, meat," she growled, her nails digging into my face. "How long have you been running, how long has it been since you stuck your dick in Monster cunt?!"

"Almost three months!" I gasped, my teeth creaking at her incredibly strong grip.

And then she let me go, her laughter more of a howl than anything else.

"Three months!" she snorted, the howls of other Monsters making me shiver as they joined her twisted merriment.

Eventually it stopped and she looked back at me, her expression far from welcoming.

"Get the talisman," she barked to her left, a bald man nodding once before running towards a large truck.

'Why do they have a truck...are they going to kidnap us?'

A hand suddenly took my own and squeezed it gently, causing me to look at the recipient and blink at the soft brown eyes of a Cow-Girl

Her clothes were badly damaged and she had one huge breast hanging out of what was left of her top. Still she was actually really pretty, with a small nose, freckled face and brown hair done up in a now rather messy ponytail.

And of course the two small horns on top of her head.

"Don't be scared," she whispered softly, clearly trying her best to smile. "They won't kill their captives, Incorruptus never do so we have time to be rescued."

"How do you know that?" I asked, befuddled.

"I'm a therapist specializing in Interspecies Mates," she explained, squeezing my hand once more. "I've worked cases with the authorities and there've been more than a few involving these terrible groups."

Her nose scrunched up but she shook her head and gave me a reassuring look.

"Just stay calm and do whatever they tell you to," she said quietly. "If you play along then they won't kill you."

Not exactly having a better idea, I nodded and tried to breathe as best I could.

"...darling? You're hurt, wa...it who's th...at?"

Only for my eyes to widen in fear as a voice so familiar echoed in my head.

'Not now, not now! This is literally the worst time for this shit to happen!'

"Are you okay?" the Cow-Girl asked, concern creasing her brow as she looked at me.

"Fine," I replied, nodding shakily.

Before anymore could be said, the Werewolf from before began barking orders.

"Alright scum of the Earth. You are now our hostages, we are Incorruptus. And for those who somehow don't know what that is, let's just say that we're a group of friendly individuals who don't really agree with...hmm, interrelationships."

"Why?" a man asked, holding a female Kitsune close to him. "We didn't do anything to you."

The Werewolf smiled softly and before anyone could do or say anything, she took a gun out of her pocket and pulled the trigger.

"NOOOOO!"

The bloodied Kitsune scrambled on the floor over to the man who was very much not moving.

"David, David please, PLEASE!" She turned him over and froze as the hole in his head became visible. "N-No...no, no, no. Baby wake up, please wake up!"

Tears streaming down her face, she looked up at the smirking Werewolf and trembled, her eyes slowly losing their colour as she looked back at her deceased Mate.

"I can't feel him, he's gone," she mumbled, her body trembling, tears falling down her cheeks.

She looked at his face, her hand stroking it lovingly.

"I'm sorry baby. I couldn't protect you," she whispered, lips trembling. "D-Don't worry, I'm coming."

"DON'T!" The scream left the Cow-Girls lips but it was too late.

The Kitsune reached up with her sharp nails and dragged them roughly across her own throat. She fell forward, gasping, shaking and yet somehow still finding the strength to take the dead man's hand in hers.

She died right in front of us all, her final breath coming as she lay her head on his chest.

Silence filled the air, nobody said or did a single thing.

"And that is why we have a problem with it," the Werewolf explained, talking as if merely describing the weather. "She could've moved on, she could've been stronger but noooo. She killed herself because of a filthy, corrupted bond that should've never happened in the first place."

"You never kill your hostages!" The Cow-Girl cried, looking at the dead couple, aghast.

"Oh ho, so someone does know who were are." The Werewolf chuckled and pocketed the gun, crossing her arms. "Well yes, normally we'll just chuck you all in the truck and take you away to be ransomed. But, well, I feel like I just had to make an example for our dear Puller here."

The sudden sensation of EVERYONE looking at me made me feel rather small.

"Me?" I asked, trembling in fear. "But why?"

"Why?" she echoed, her eyes narrowing. "Because I'm making a point, that's why. If you ever decide one day that maybe you just don't have the strength to reject that wonderful bond you made, this right here will be the result."

She took a step forward, her presence suddenly menacing. "I don't usually make a note of those we ransom. But you my friend are going to be remembered forever. And if we ever find out that you completed that lovely little bond of yours...well, you can guess what we'll do to you both."

The bald man from before came back, a strange golden rectangle in his hand.

"In fact, maybe we can find out today," she said, grinning down at me. "Catch."

She took the strange rectangle and chucked it at me, my reflexes forcing me to react and catch it before I could think to do otherwise.

Pain.

It rushed through my entire body like a river of flame. I was barely aware of myself thrashing about on the ground. All I could feel was pain, pain, pain and then...

Clarity.

The dull wall around my mind that kept Marin out had collapsed and vanished, leaving my mind as open to her as a book. I could feel her instantly.

Warmth, love, adoration.

She was there, in me, beside me, clutching my fragile soul close as she took a step in front, holding it behind her protectively.

"Don't worry darling, I'm here."

My eyes opened of their own accord, my hands forcing me to sit up as my head began to turn to and fro without my control.

They noticed the Cow-Girl and blinked, a small smile on my face as I nodded at her in thanks. She blinked back at me, only for realization to flash across her face as she nodded back and squeezed my hand gently.

My eyes kept searching, only to stop as they rested on the Incorruptus emblem on the Werewolf's top...and then finally the Werewolf herself.

"Hello little Miss Ball and Chain," the Werewolf growled, smiling dangerously down at me. "You don't look as confused as you should be. Did you peek through the cracks?"

"That talisman is illegal in every civilized country," I said, the words leaving my mouth without my control. "You could've burned his mind, you could've killed him!"

"Oh poo, but I did you a favour," she said, grinning maliciously. "The wall is gone, his mind is open and the bond is free. You should be thanking me."

I looked down at the various cuts and bruises on my body, the torn clothing revealing some I hadn't even noticed.

And then slowly, they began to heal.

"A Monster that heals quickly?" the Werewolf questioned, frowning for a moment. "Well, that does make this more interesting. How many times can I cut until you can't heal him anymore?"

I looked back at her, face contorted with fury as I bared my...teeth?

Her eyes widened and then she let out a bark of laughter. "A Vampire? Our little Puller Mated with a Vampire?! Oh my, talk about punching above your weight."

"Shut up," I said, again the words leaving me without control. The Werewolf blinked in surprise, words suddenly difficult as she looked at me in disbelief. "He's my Mate and you've hurt him. Nothing will stop me from hunting you down like the mutt you are."

Immediately the Werewolf snarled and rushed towards me in but a blink, grasping my neck and squeezing hard.

"You Vampires are all so fucking proud," she snarled. "Proud and stupid. Mutt am I? Maybe I should just kill your little Human now, hmm? Think you'll act so high and mighty then?"

I glared back at her. "Do it and my family will kill everyone you love. I've seen your face which means my family has too and they'll avenge us both. You know what a Blood War is, Mutt. Do you really want that?"

She narrowed her eyes...and let me drop to the floor.

"You know how the talisman works, don't you Vampy?" she asked, sneering down at me. "One identifies and brings you forward, the other tracks you down. And we are everywhere so you're likely already on your way. Can't be in both bodies at once now can you?"

She kneeled down and whispered in my ear. "And once we've got you both together, we're gonna play a little game with the two of you. You're gonna love it, I promise."

Standing back up, she sneered once more before striking me across the head.

Darkness took me instantly.

...

...

...

A hand reached out, eyes desperate, filled with tears.

'Don't leave me!'

...

...

...

Groggily, I opened my eyes and blinked at the new surroundings.

I was inside a rather large stone room. There were Monsters and Humans chained up to the walls all around me. I tried to move but the cold hard sensation of metal stopped me, forcing me to look at the chains keep me to the wall.

A flash of memory, the explosion, the bodies, Incorruptus, the Werewolf, the dead man, his Mate killing herself over his corpse.

I took a shaky gasp and looked around.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"One of their little hideaways," a man said, his face creased with concern as he looked across the room at a woman...no, a Harpy. "Peeka, are you alright?"

Peeka was clearly frightened but nodded regardless. "I'm fine babe, but...oh Jason, what's going to happen to us?"

"They'll contact the authorities and begin a ransom," a familiar voice said.

I looked towards it and quickly recognized the Cow-Girl from before. She caught my gaze and smiled weakly back at me. "That bitch hit you pretty hard, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I said, slightly surprised at just how fine I did feel. My wounds were gone. "What happened before, that wasn't me talking."

She nodded. "They used a Soul Talisman to force your Mate into your mind. It was her talking before, but don't worry, you don't look like the Talisman affected you adversely."

"Adversely?" I questioned, groaning as I shook my head. "My head feels hollow."

"No, it feels lighter," she explained. "The Werewolf called you a Puller before. Now I can't really smell you with everyone here, but you are one right?"

A sudden sniff from someone next to me made me jump in surprise, turning to see a banged up looking Dog-Girl chained up next to me.

She scrunched up her nose and pulled away in disgust. "Yeah, he's a Puller all right. Smells foul."

"Excuse me?"

She blinked and seemed to draw into herself, her cheeks flush with embarrassment. "Sorry dude, but you don't smell right."

I blinked in confusion.

"What's your name?" the Cow-Girl asked, bringing my attention back to her.

"Nathan," I replied.

She nodded. "I'm Isabella. Remember before when I told you my profession?"

"A therapist, right?"

She nodded again. "Correct. I work with interspecies Mated couples. And sometimes, though it is very rare, I get a couple in which...well, the Human has rejected the bond. It's always the Human."

"Yeah, because they don't get how wonderful it is," Peeka muttered, glancing at Jason, the man who could only be her Mate and smiling happily.

"Moving on," Isabella said, giving the Harpy a pointed look. "You are a Puller, Nathan. A Rejecter, a Hollow Mate. There are many names for it, but the fact of the matter is that you rejected the bond before it could complete."

I frowned but before I could say anything, a flash, a memory, an image of Marin reaching out for me, tears streaming down her face.

'Darling come back, don't leave me!'

I groaned in pain, shaking my head against the onslaught of emotion.

"Nathan, Nathan look at me," Isabela said, concern on her face.

"Sorry, I uh...I don't know what...ugh..."

"You had a flashback right?" she inquired. "A memory, perhaps of you meeting or maybe even when you began to Mate?"

I swallowed a lump in my throat as the image, her desperate plea began to repeat, shaking my head roughly to dispel it.

"No, no, Nathan stop it," Isabela said firmly. "Don't fight it, you'll only make it feel worse."

"It won't stop," I said, panting against the emotion the memory was trying to force on me. "It never stops, I have to take pills to get a semblance of a normal life."

"Zepharax right?"

I looked at her, surprised that she knew.

"You do know the more you use them, the less effective they become?"

"I figured as much," I muttered. "But when they do their job, I at least feel good."

"Do you?"

I opened my mouth...and then closed it.

"I...I..."

'Why can't I say it? It felt good to feel normal, right? So why can't I say it?'

"You have to stop fighting it," the Dog-Girl said, catching me off guard as I looked at her. "It's not something to be scared of."

"I won't lose myself."

The words left me before I could think to stop them...but they were true. It was my biggest fear with the whole bond. That I would lose myself, my individuality and become a mixture of myself and Marin.

I didn't want to lose what made me who I was.

"Is that what you think happens?" Isabella asked, her eyes sympathetic. "Because you couldn't be any more wrong about it if you do."

I blinked, but said nothing.

"When Peeka and I Mated it was unlike anything I could dream of," Jason said, the man looking at me with a firm confidence. "I didn't lose my personality and meld with hers, that's not how it works. We just became...more of what made us ourselves."

"We became open," Peeka chimed in, looking at Jason warmly. "Our minds, our very souls were laid bare to each other and it was just so wonderful. To feel his warmth inside me no matter how far apart we were. To hear his voice if I...well, became a little needy."

"You're always a little needy," Jason said, grinning.

"Honey!" Peeka whined, pouting at him.

"You know whether or not they needed someone to be there for her," the Dog-Girl continued, looking over at a pretty redheaded woman. "To hold her when she was sad or just a little attention starved."

They both smiled at each other and giggled.

"Do you see, Nathan?" Isabella questioned, a warm smile on her face. "It's not something to be frightened of. It's love in its purest form. And I'd bet my little finger that the only reason your Mate didn't just track you down is because she wanted to wait until you understood that."

"How could she have tracked me, I moved miles away."

A couple of giggles from the varied Monsters made me feel a bit stupid for having said that.

"What's so funny?" I asked, confused.

"Your Mate is a Vampire, Nathan," Isabella giggled. "You could've moved to Japan and she'd still find you."

"She's drank your blood right?" Peeka asked, smiling wryly when I nodded, a little shy as I remembered the first time Marin did so.

We'd been together at that point for only four days.

"I thought you guys don't drink Human blood?" I asked, a little surprised at the out of nowhere request my blushing girlfriend had just made.

"We don't," she mumbled. "But we do...I mean when a Vampire gets with someone, drinking their blood can give a lot of benefits."

"Such as?"

Her pale face became even redder, if such a thing were possible.

"Well it'll let me know where you are if you ever get lost. Um, it also lets me know when you're hurt or upset. Oh and it..."

Quirking an eyebrow at her incoherent mutter, I turned her face towards me with a gentle finger.

"What was that last bit babe?"

She looked at me, unblinking, her face still very flush.

"It lets me know when you're feeling...pent up."

'Pent...oh.'

I grinned at her face and kissed her lightly, ignoring my own nerves.

"Pent up eh? And what if I was a little pent up?"

"Well..."

It was like a personality switch. One moment she was my shy, bashful girlfriend and the next she was a dominant force of seductive nature.

She pushed me down on my bed and straddled me, her fangs very visible as she grinned down at me,

"If you let me take a little bite baby," she began, leaning down and licking my neck softly. "Then in a couple of minutes I'll let you find out."

Any thoughts I had left me as I felt her grind against my clothed arousal, her hazel eyes flashing red for all of a moment.

I nodded quickly, her little giggle soft and sensual as she leaned down and her fangs pierced my neck.

I blinked, the memory strong and vivid before I forced it away with a fierce shake of my head.

"It must've been a good nibble," the Dog-Girl said, smirking at my red face as she sniffed me knowingly.

"Well like I said," Peeka interrupted, her face also a little bit red. "If she drank your blood then she'd be able to find you no matter where you went. It's called a Blood Scent, and she has yours."

"I think it's cute," Isabella said, smiling softly. "And more to the point, it proves what I said. You rejected the bond, ran away and while she could've tracked you down and completed it, she didn't. She wanted you to be ready, to accept it and her. There's no other reason I can think of to explain otherwise."

'Is that true, did Marin really leave me be on purpose?'

A sudden crash made us all yelp in surprise as the door opened and the sadistic Werewolf from before waltzed on in.

"Hello children," she growled, smirking cruelly at us. "Are we all having a good quality time together?"

Nobody said anything, the memory of the Kitsune and her Mate were still fresh on our minds.

"Heh, I guess I'm not invited to your little club, oh well." She looked behind her. "Bring her in and chain her up, she'll wake up in a few minutes and I don't want a scuffle."

I blinked as a Wolf-Girl came in, dragging someone behind her.