The Bonding Chronicles Ch. 13

Tani'm sat up with some difficulty, but was surprised to realize how fast her strength was returning to her. She stood on shaky legs and asked, "Who's Sara?"

Karen sighed, and fought back a tear as she felt her worry rise up within her. She could feel Sara's presence through Andrew, but had no idea where her wayward mate was, nor how her beloved partner was doing. The uncertainty that surrounded her redheaded companion threatened to overwhelm her, and the one person who could alleviate her worry was lying almost dead just thirty yards away.

"She is our mate, a wonderful and clever young woman." Karen's voice carried her affection through the air, and Tani'm could sense the deep love that the older woman held for her.

Tani'm looked across the glade at Andrew, whose breathing had evened out, but who remained emaciated and frail. She had always been short, standing at only five-foot-two-inches tall, but Tani'm could tell that he was even shorter than her. As she looked upon his supine body, she could feel a strength growing within him, as if something within the small man had been awakened since he had been brought to the place they now rested.

Something about Andrew seemed familiar and inviting. She could not place her finger on what it was, but she knew that whatever was bothering her was important.

"He will require weeks, maybe months to recover from his wounds. Can Sara survive that long?"

Karen chuckled, for the first time feeling some hope in all the dark tidings that surrounded them. She could tell that the small woman had some sense of how powerful the glade was, but knew that Tani'm had no idea how significant its gifts were.

"This place is more special than you know. Time works differently here. For every minute in the outside world, about thirty minutes will pass for us here."

Tani'm's eyes grew wide, and while her mind fought against the concepts that were being presented, her earlier discovery was brought into stark contrast. What Karen said was true, and Tani'm knew it. She closed her eyes and worked out the math.

"If Andrew takes two weeks to heal, that is almost twelve hours that will pass out there." She pointed towards the forest, her gift reminding her of how alone they were as her eyes focused on a tree that she could not sense.

Karen smiled at Tani'm and appreciated how the small athletic woman accepted what had been said so quickly. "With a lot of food, and the benefits of my gift, we should be able to cut that time in half."

"Where do we start?" Tani'm asked, with an excited smile.

***** How To Break Someone *****

The cold steel of the heavy chains were the first thing that Sara noticed as consciousness returned to her. Opening her eyes, she was presented with the dark interior of a vast open warehouse that was as broken, beaten, and hollow as the hole she expected to find in her heart. She gripped her chains, preparing for the rush of sorrow that would follow as she felt the pit where Andrew had once resided within her, but where she had expected to find emptiness, there she found Andrew — weak and unconscious, but alive.

"Why did he make me do that?"

Mercedes' words carried through the open space of the warehouse, over the sound of a car that had just started outside. The young woman's shoulders shook as she sobbed, tears falling from her eyes as she took that moment to grieve.

Sara watched the thin woman, who sat on a crate about ten yards away, her ratty, unkempt brown hair matted and clumped together in tangled nests as it fell down her back.

"Because he's an evil little fucker!" Sara stated, surprising the young woman who looked at her with sad, pleading eyes.

Mercedes knew better than anyone how right Sara was, and was amazed at how calm the redheaded woman seemed despite what had happened. As much as Mercedes hated Brandon, she knew that if ever he died she would be devastated, the bond making her feel his loss with agonizing intensity.

Andrew's face flashed before her eyes, bringing a fresh wave of tears as her shoulders further slumped, and she was forced to swallow to try and keep her throat from seizing. Sara watched, as her one-time-friend struggled with what she had been forced to do, and she tried to understand the hellish existence that the young woman must endure.

Mercedes shook her head, relieving herself of her visions of Andrew's dead gaze, and stated, "I'm sorry, Sara. I tried to stop, but his commands... fuck... I just couldn't."

Sara watched as Mercedes studied her own wrists, tracing the thin scars that run up her inner arm, towards the woman's elbow.

"Why haven't you killed him?"

Mercedes' finger stopped tracing the scar on her wrist as her eyes lifted towards Sara. "I tried once... but failed. He has prevented me ever since." Her voice grew quiet as she completed her statement, emotional exhaustion seeming to weigh the frail woman down.

"How did you two even bond? He's such a despicable bastard. I don't know much about the bond, or how it works, but from what I've experienced, it never gave me anything but what I wanted."

Mercedes took a deep breath, fighting to contain her emotions as she tried to speak, "After you left those years ago, Brandon almost vanished. Every day for months he would disappear into the forest, and while the adults whispered that he was struggling to deal with how you left, I think he was trying to regain what he had lost.

"When he returned he seemed like a new boy. For weeks he paid attention to all of us girls, doing nice little things, and making sure that we all felt special. I was suspicious... hell we all were. You made your hatred of him pretty clear, and all those terrible things you said about him to your father were true, and stuck with us.

"But as time passed, I began to trust him. After a while, it felt nice to be needed, and to be taken care of by such a strong young man. Then, after months of being taken care of, I realized that I was falling in love with him, and that was pretty much the end of my happiness."

In that moment, Mercedes lost the fight with her emotions, and broke down in a fresh series of body-convulsing sobs as memories of her early days with Brandon revisiting her. It took her a few minutes to settle, but as her vision cleared and her breathing evened out she looked at Sara before continuing from where she left off.

"As soon as I bonded with him, everything changed..." She paused to take a deep breath, her neck still tensing in the aftermath of her previous outburst, "I had hope, for a while, that things would return to the loving place they had started, but... oh, how wrong I was.

"I think he was as surprised as I was the first time he gave me a command, and that discovery changed how he treated me. The small amount of dignity he gave me vanished when he knew I couldn't disobey him."

Mercedes shuddered under the memory of the terrible things he had done to her, while her body ached as a reminder of everything he continued to subject her to.

"The first time he gave me a long term command was after I failed to kill him, and he has kept that command in place ever since. Many of his orders have come and gone, but that..." She paused and watched her finger trace the scar on her wrist before she continued, "with another, remain my constant companions."

Sara considered what she had heard, and given her experience with Andrew, a realization was coming to her.

"How many commands can he force you to obey at the same time?"

Mercedes raised an eyebrow towards Sara, realizing that the young woman was close to figuring something out. As she began to speak, the door on the far end of the warehouse opened, and Brandon entered, coated in sweat and wearing a broad smile as he saw Sara glowering at him.

"Three or four," Mercedes said with a sigh, as she turned her attention back to the floor, her shoulders drooping in defeat as Brandon drew close.

"What are my two girls talking about?" Brandon asked as he neared them, suspicion showing at the edges of his eyes through the happy grin that rested on his face.

Mercedes sniffled, wiping the last of the tears from her eyes as she responded, "Sara wanted to know... she asked how long Andrew suffered before he died."

Brandon laughed and rested his hand on Mercedes' shoulder, savoring the fear that he could feel from her through their bond. Hidden behind all her loathing was a deep longing that the woman possessed for him, and he enjoyed knowing that no other man would ever be able to fulfill her like he could.

"You did good, girl."

She pulled away as he began to run his fingers along her cheek, and the moment he gripped her chin, to turn Mercedes' face towards him, Sara screamed out.

"You fucking piece of shit! You weak little coward! Why would you take the one thing that gave me happiness?!"

Sara's tone was harsh, and held no sense of fear from the position she found herself in. Brandon turned and smiled at her, his sharp canines glistening in the moonlight that filtered through a broken skylight above, and in that moment, Mercedes realized something was not right.

Mercedes had heard Sara scream out when Andrew had been killed, and knew the turmoil the young woman had felt. It was a pain that could not be masked, could not be resisted, and would take years to finish processing. The amount of control that Sara showed as she glowered defiantly into Brandon's smug face held no remorse, despite her words.

Within that moment, as Brandon walked over and knelt before Sara, Mercedes sat up and smiled — Andrew was not dead.

Brandon felt Mercedes joy through their connection, and thought that the emaciated woman was taking pleasure from watching someone else receive his special form of adoration.

He gripped Sara's chin and forced her to look into his eyes as he said, "Listen, Sara. Your little wizard is gone, and you are free from whatever sorcery he had used to trap you."

She tried to shake herself from his grip, and while her strength was formidable, he was able to keep her in place. As tears came to her eyes, he continued, "You belong to me now, and the sooner you understand that, the better it will be for everyone."

The happiness that had come to Mercedes faded as she processed his words, and the realization of what was going to happen forced her to again drop her shoulders in resignation to her fate.

Brandon looked over and studied Mercedes, shaking his head with disgust as he spoke, "Fuck, girl, you are disgusting. Go find a stream or something, and clean yourself."

Mercedes took a deep, sad breath and stood, resembling a beaten animal as her gaze studied the ground before her.

"You don't have to do what he says, Mercedes," Sara called out, just as the thin woman began to walk towards the door. Mercedes sighed as she cast her somber gaze at Sara, her eyes crying out for help, even though it was clear she knew none would come.

While Brandon studied his defeated mate, his smile deepening at the sight of her resigned demeanor, Mercedes was shocked to see Sara wink and smile; the young captive trying to convey some secret message. Mercedes had no idea what game Sara was playing, or whether she was just trying to mess with Brandon with no purpose in mind, but the message was clear: Mercedes needed to resist Brandon.

"I'm not sure what you thought was gonna' happen, little girl, but she ain't gonna help you."

Sara's laughter drew Brandon's attention, and as he squeezed her chin, causing Sara to wince in pain as his fingers dug into her flesh, she grinned and said, "Well, she isn't moving there, tough guy."

His head shot to the side, where he saw Mercedes standing with her arms behind her back and her head cast towards the ground. "I said go get cleaned up, you're filthy."

Mercedes' voice was a whisper as it left her trembling lips, "I'm fine like this."

Brandon pushed Sara back, causing the agile woman to fall onto her arms, which were chained together behind her. What would have been a simple feat was made difficult as Sara tried to blunt the force of her impact, but failed, with how her ankles and wrists were bound.

The sounds of Sara yelping in pain was drown out by Brandon's commanding voice, "I said get cleaned up, NOW!" While the words were loud, neither woman could feel the magic which fueled his commands, and as Sara squirmed to lessen the pain in her elbows, she watched Mercedes struggle not to obey Brandon's desires.

"No," Mercedes said, "I have done enough for you."

Brandon's nostrils flared as he took a deep breath. "That is not for you to decide, girl, and..." Sara could sense the subtle hint of magic in the air as Brandon prepared to finish his statement, "go clean yourself, thoroughly."

There was no doubt that he had issued Mercedes a command as her alpha, and as Mercedes turned to leave the building the large man flexed and grinned, pride showing in his confident expression. Mercedes whimpered and a tear ran down her cheek as she fought against his magical edict. Her body was trying to push her forward, while her mind worked to keep her in place.

For a moment, she was still, her body shivering against the conflicting messages, and Mercedes was again reminded of Andrew — how she had stood before the small defenseless boy, struggling to keep herself from following the despicable order she had been given, but ultimately failing as the magic of her bond forced her.

Brandon looked at Sara and shook his head, recognizing the source of his mate's newly-restored resistance. It had taken him almost a year to beat that behavior out of Mercedes, and for her to have taken such a step back was a frustration he would not tolerate. He could feel the increased drain of his command, as it drew more power to further try and compel her to follow his desire.

She took another step, but then stopped, tears rolling down her cheeks as she shook from the effort of resisting him. Again, Brandon could feel the drain from his command increase as she was forced to begin a languid march against her will, but her slow progress out of the building was painful to watch, and acted as a reminder of her defiance.

Mercedes almost collapsed to the ground as his command was dropped, the sudden release of his influence taking her by surprise. She turned and looked at Brandon, the large man sneering at her before turning his gaze on Sara.

"That's fine, little girl. I wanted her to get cleaned up for your benefit, not mine."

Sara had gotten off her back and was sitting with her legs out straight, the thick chains around her ankles preventing her from bringing her knees too far apart. She studied Brandon with curiosity, and was forced to admit that she was afraid of what evil game he was about to play.

"Strip," his magical voice commanded, as his eyes squinted towards Sara.

"Yeah, I'm not your puppet, you can't-" Sara's statement was cut short by the sight of Mercedes taking off her clothes behind Brandon. The command had not been meant for her, and as the few layers of fabric were removed from the emaciated woman, Sara could tell that Mercedes was resisting every step of the way.

"If you're gonna defy me, then I might as well have some fun rebreaking you."

The bruises and scars that littered the poor woman's body were frightening in the story they told. She had various amounts of dirt and grime that covered most of her flesh, and Sara realized that Mercedes' hands were the cleanest part of her body. There were clear marks along her sides, where Brandon had dug his fingers into her flesh with enough force to cause bruising. It was in that moment that Sara got an idea of what Brandon had in mind.

The thick, musky scent of Brandon's pheromones filled the air, and proclaimed his arousal as he watched his mate disrobe. Even through her grubby appearance, he was reminded of the many ways he could use her body to bring himself pleasure, and idly massaged himself through his jeans while she turned to face him.

"Show this little girl how much you adore me."

The feral desire within his command was not missed by either woman, and even Sara — who was not bound to Brandon — knew what he wanted Mercedes to do.

The young woman moved before him with jerky and uneven steps, her resistance to his will evident with every odd movement. Sara could tell that this was nothing new to the sad woman who began to kneel before him, opening his pants and pulling out his six-and-a-half inch cock.

Brandon's musk consumed their senses as his dick came into sight, and Sara was reminded of what Andrew's groin had smelled like during the early days of their relationship. It was earthy and a little inviting, though Brandon's carried an undefinable bouquet that left an unpleasant tang in the back of Sara's nostrils.

Mercedes groaned as she took his cock down her throat, the sound declaring how unpleasant she found his salty meat. It was difficult, but Sara could see the subtle signs of resistance in Mercedes actions: her strokes were jerky and her lips kept breaking their seal around his shaft.

Sara was surprised to learn that the girl was not good at sucking dick. It was not the fact that Mercedes was not performing the task well that caught her off guard, but the fact that she could identify with such ease the poor performance of the other woman. It made sense — Sara was forced to admit — who would want to suck dick well, when you were being forced to do it against your will.

Brandon watched Sara, and paid little attention to the woman who drove his shaft down her gullet. To him Mercedes was a tool, a tool that was serving her purpose.

As the scene played out before her, Sara could feel Andrew growing more and more aroused, his unconscious body building towards a powerful orgasm at Karen's expert care, who Sara could almost hear screaming in pleasure through her bond with Andrew. Whatever her brunette mate was doing seemed to be working, because she could feel more of Andrew's strength return to him as she felt his presence within her grow more pronounced.

He was still far from healed, their connection a whisper of what it had been before their most recent ordeal, but he was getting better. Sara's pussy tensed, and she could feel her thick syrup coat the crotch of her panties as her sweet musky scent filled the air.

Brandon smirked, mistaking her aroma for arousal at what she was witnessing, and not for what it was — her building sexual need at what was being done to Andrew.

"Don't stop, girl..." Brandon said to Mercedes, "but present your ass to our guest."

His magical words took time to force Mercedes into action, and while the service she was providing felt wonderful, he was growing more frustrated at having to enforce his commands with such intensity. He could feel fatigue building within him, and remembered the early days of his relationship, when he had been forced to concentrate on every command, and ended most days exhausted and drained.

"Clean her ass, with your tongue," he barked at Sara, his command lacking the magical influence necessary to compel her into action.

Sara could tell that the lack of hygiene which seemed to be Mercedes' signature form of defiance, was most pronounced in the darkened and oddly moist folds of flesh which were presented to her. The aroma of the unclean surface was unique and revolting, unlike anything Sara had ever smelled.

"Yeah, that's not going to happen," Sara said with a confident tone, ensuring that Brandon knew she was not going to be dissuaded from her position.

He reached down and ran his fingers across Mercedes back, his nails extending into claws that caused the frail woman to whimper and cry around his dick as he drew blood from her flesh. The pain was agonizing, but with his cock in her mouth she could not cry out, and his command prevented her from clenching her jaw against the pain.