The Bonding Chronicles Ch. 13

"How can you be so happy surrendering your freedom?"

Karen could see how troubled the young woman was by the fear in her hazel eyes. A smile spread across her face as she reached out and gripped Tani'm's shoulder.

"This relationship has been the greatest light in my life since discovering my gift. I understand your fear, I really do, but you must understand something: I have not surrendered anything to Andrew, and I have lost nothing through what has happened."

Tani'm's worry remained unabated, genuine fear showing on her face. Karen could sense the woman's unease in the air, her gift ensuring that she understood the depth of Tani'm's emotions.

"I'm free to do as I please, and my life, beyond this most recent adventure, has remained largely unchanged. Andrew is a wonderful man, you must understand that." Karen squeezed Tani'm's shoulder, looking the small woman in the eyes and ensuring that she was paying attention before continuing, "I apologize for making you worry. The fact is, I'm not sure if you will bond with Andrew, it's still such a mystery to all of us. If you do, know this, my young friend: We will love you for all of the days of your life, and every journey you take will be made all the more joyous for having us in it."

Karen wiped a tear from Tani'm's cheek, her heartfelt words hitting the mysterious woman hard. For a few moments they stood there and savored that feeling of connection, knowing that everything Karen had said was true.

Still, Tani'm could not shake the worry that if she did bond with Andrew, she would be losing a large part of who she was — her independence.

Karen turned towards Andrew, admiring how much he had improved, and realized that he was almost back to where he had been before the strange incident that brought them there. She saw his rising desire, and smiled as the smell of salty caramel drifted to them on a gentle breeze.

"If you don't mind, I have a demanding mate who needs my assistance."

Tani'm couldn't help but chuckle as she watched Karen lick her lips and sashay over to Andrew, her hips drawing the younger woman's attention as she knelt down between his legs. Karen worked with perfect care, bringing Andrew to climax in record time, and Karen was pleased to realize, as she tasted his seed, that she was growing accustomed to his influence.

The fear that had clouded the dark-skinned woman's face moments before was replaced by eager anticipation as Karen sauntered over to her with puffed out cheeks. She could almost taste the delightful liquid, and realized she was salivating while her crotch was growing moist and tingly. Karen took her time delivering dinner to Tani'm, enjoying the frantic need that came over the small woman as their lips met but her mouth refused to open.

Tani'm's persistence paid off, and after several desperate moments Karen released Andrew's cum into her eager mouth. Karen cradled the small woman in her arms, easing her towards the mossy ground as she convulsed through a long series of orgasms. They lay there together, Tani'm's musky feminine scent competing with Karen's, the honey-rich fragrance of Karen's winning out over Tani'm's more traditional offering.

Karen knew that Tani'm would make a wonderful addition to their family, and enjoyed the moment as she caressed the woman's straight black hair, the tender act helping to ease Tani'm through her profound climax.

"Sara, no!" Andrew's voice screamed out into the warm night air, filling the glade with the sounds of his desperation.

Karen jumped up, feeling Andrew's pain through their bond, and rushed to join him. Tani'm was helpless to move, her body convulsing through the effect of Andrew's supernatural semen.

His eyes were wide with worry, and he was struggling against his weak muscles as he tried to sit up.

"What is it?" Karen asked, hoping that Sara was alright.

"Sara..." Andrew began, taking a dry swallow against his dread, as he tried to figure out why his body felt so strange, "She is dying, I can feel it."

He could almost see Sara resting on the ground in a far-off place, curled into a ball, as her unconscious body cradled her chest.

"Karen, you have to heal her," he said with frantic eyes, tears rushing down his cheeks as he shared Sara's pain. Karen began to cry as she felt his turmoil and realized how much danger their mate was in.

"I can't," she said, as she struggled not to sob, realization settling in that she may still lose someone she loved that night. "If we rush to the car, can we get to her in time?"

Andrew struggled to breathe as he shook his head, "No... She's too far away."

Their eyes locked, the intensity of their worry mirrored in each other's moist gaze. Andrew took a deep breath while Karen helped him get seated, his eyes darting around the glade as he considered their options. Tani'm went unnoticed by the small man as his unfocused gaze shifted around, the movements of his eyes a reflection of his mental struggle to find a solution to their problem.

"Fuck, I hope she doesn't kill me," Andrew said, as he placed his hand on Karen's cheek, having settled on a course of action.

The worry that washed over her face was replaced by contentment as he pulled her into a soft and loving kiss. Their lips' embrace lasted for what felt like eternity, the few brief seconds of their intimacy potentially the last time that Andrew would ever kiss one of his mates, and Karen could tell he savored every moment of it. The gentle, soothing caress of his lips spoke to her of the depth of his love.

In that moment, she realized what he was planning on doing, and before she could pull away to try and talk some sense into him, he went limp in her arms.

The shock of what had just happened consumed her, as she screamed out, "No, Andrew, no! I can't lose you too!" She shook him, his unconscious body shifting in her grip as his eyes continued to move under their lids. "You better bring her back to me... Damnit, just come back... together."

She pulled him against her, tears falling from her face as she held him close. For several moments, she cried with him in her arms, his rhythmic breathing a comfort to her frayed nerves. She pulled back and sniffled, wiping tears from her face as she looked over and saw Tani'm watching her. The small woman was seated, her face a pale mask of surprise, as she looked at Karen and Andrew with open-mouthed shock.

Karen swallowed the last of her worry, and as she turned her attention back to Andrew, preparing to set him back upon the ward, she saw what had captivated Tani'm so fully. The ornate symbols within the large circle were glowing in oscillating tones of purple and green, the wards filigree pattern a kaleidoscope of viridian and violet light.

"What happened?" Tani'm asked from where she sat, her orgasm having abated in time to see the last moments of the couple's tender kiss.

Karen finished setting Andrew back onto the ward, and was unsure how to respond to the young woman's question. She realized that Andrew's condition was a mystery to her as she released him, his face wearing a contented expression as his eyes darted from side-to-side under their lids.

With a deep sigh, she began, "I'm not sure, but I think he is trying to give Sara his magical energy."

"Could that save her?"

Karen shook her head, the reality of the moment setting in. "I'm unsure, though Andrew seems to think so." She caressed his cheek, savoring the look on his face and the feeling of his skin against her hand, trying to memorize every detail in case something went wrong.

Tani'm could not take her eyes from the small man, her voice carrying a small amount of gratitude as she asked, "Is this how he helped you, when you saved my life?"

"Perhaps, in principle. The truth is, I have no idea what he is doing. Never before has he fainted when connecting himself to one of us." She brushed his cheek and smiled longingly at his happy expression, before finishing her thought, "This is new territory for us."

***** Dream Man *****

The sound of her own laughter echoing through the empty space of the warehouse dimmed, and was soon replaced by blackness. The pain through her body subsided as Sara felt the floor slip out from under her, and she was reminded of the sensation she felt when floating up from the bottom of a pool, as she felt her body shift and twist through the air. Where she had once felt the security of the cold, hard concrete, she felt nothing, as she drifted through the unknown.

She opened her eyes, finding herself surrounded by absolute darkness. At first, as the deep chill of emptiness seemed to rush at her from every direction, she thought that perhaps she had gone blind, but as she raised her hand to reach into the blackness, she saw her hand, and was shocked.

Her arm was semi-transparent, emanating a bright amber light that seemed to radiate out from the edges of her skin. She spread her fingers and admired the beauty of the light, as it stretched out between her digits, filling the empty space with a bright intensity.

Sara called out, "Where am I?" Her voice seeming to echo through the empty space that surrounded her, returning in strange and unexpected intervals.

She tried to run, but while she felt her feet resting upon a solid surface, she failed to see anything beneath her, or have any sense of movement as she tried to dash through the empty space. Her semi-transparent legs were naked and glowing, just as her arm had been, and where she expected to have felt pain and seen a broken ankle, she found healthy, radiant tissue. She gripped her side, and could feel her solid ribs expanding and contracting with the rhythm of her frantic breaths.

Confusion assaulted her as she failed to understand what was going on. Was she dead? Was this her brain's way of shielding her from the horror of her condition? She had gone out on her own terms, and while she hated leaving Andrew and Karen behind, she was proud for how she had handled herself. She may not have killed Brandon, but she had shown him his own mortality, and taught him that some people were not to be fucked with.

Sara turned, trying to spot anything in the dark void that surrounded her, and after a moment of scanning the area, she noticed something not even a hundred yards behind her. It was on the ground, and emanating a dim green light into the air.

She prepared to run towards the light, and just as the thought crossed her mind, her body lifted from the ground, and she sailed through the emptiness, landing beside the glowing patch of ground with gentle grace. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of a dim and glowing magical symbol. Sara had seen many of them within the printouts in Andrew's room, and while she had no idea about the nature of this shape, she knew that it was powerful by the complexity of the lines that worked in exacting ways to make up its design.

As her eyes scanned the ornate symbol, movement drew her attention, and for the first time, she saw a small purple point of light moving along the glyph's surface. It lifted from the ground, moving close to Sara, and as she reached her arm back, preparing to backhand the small sprite should it move any closer, she could sense Andrew's presence.

The violet light stopped and fluttered before her, its emotions radiating out in chaotic waves of concern and regret, and for a few seconds she basked in its dim light, feeling its emotions shift towards adoration and apprehension. Just as she prepared to return her attention on the mysterious symbol, the sprite began to pulse, every passing moment causing the sprite to grow in size, as the intensity of its violet rays increased. Sara turned her gaze, shielding her eyes from the powerful light of the mysterious creature with her arm, until eventually, at the exact moment when Sara began to fear for her safety, the light vanished.

She pulled her arm away and screamed out in excited joy at Andrew, who stood before her. His body was like hers, semi-transparent, but radiated a violet light, the radiance of his being a perfect reflection of the joy in his smile. She ran into his arms, the small man holding her close as he laughed into her chest.

"We really need to stop meeting like this," he said from between her breasts, his voice breaking with laughter as he nestled into her soft skin.

She held him for a few moments, taking tremendous comfort from the warmth she felt radiating from his small body. "This can't be real, you aren't here," Sara proclaimed, feeling Andrew's laughter increase as he held her tighter.

"I know how you feel, kitten, but it's real, and I am here." He pulled back, looking up into her watery eyes, and as he wiped the tears from her cheek, he looked around, seeing the impenetrable blackness that surrounded them. "Wherever 'here' is."

Sara shook her head, realizing that it was him, and then, as she remembered the last time she had seen him, she gripped his shoulders and pushed him back, taking a close look at his chest.

"How are you still alive, Andrew? I saw what she did to you, and there is no way you could have survived that attack."

Andrew looked guilty as he smiled up at her, pride shining in his eyes as he realized how well his gambit had paid off. "I have Karen to thank for-"

His words were cut short by Sara, as she almost yelled, "She could not have healed you, Andrew!"

Andrew shook his head and rested his cheek against her hand on his shoulder, savoring the contact of a woman he feared he would never see again, and basking in the worried eagerness she was exhibiting.

"As I was saying..." Andrew began, looking into Sara's eyes as she shrugged in bashful regret at having cut him off, "the Glamour is an amazing ward, and it turns out my guess was right, wards are spells — though, there is a reason that some spells are only cast as wards." His gaze drifted off as he considered the cost he had paid; having to sustain the Glamour for the few seconds that Mercedes and Brandon had lingered almost killed him, the powerful spell consuming much of his body just to maintain the illusion.

"You amazing, clever man," Sara said with admiration in her voice, before leaning down and sharing a passionate kiss with her mate.

Andrew was happy to remain in that moment forever, but as their lips wrestled, he remembered what had brought him to her in the first place. It was his turn to pull back, looking her up and down as he tried to find what had been killing her. The damage to her body was pronounced and deadly, he could feel it, but it was not until he went to look in his mind that he realized he could sense her all around him.

"Wow..." Andrew said as he looked around them, realizing the importance of the wide empty space that they found themselves in.

Sara followed his gaze, trying to find what had captured his attention. After a few moments of searching she asked, "What? Do you know where we are?"

The confusion in her voice told Andrew that she had not realized the true significance of what they were looking at. He looked down and saw — for the first time — the large and intricate symbol that had been etched on the floor in verdant lines of magical energy. Kneeling down, he ran his hand over its delicate surface, and said in a hushed whisper, "We are within your mind."

Sara studied her surroundings, amazed by the emptiness that surrounded her. For some reason, she had always imagined that it would be like any number of representations from the movies: Electrical pathways with bright lights shooting between synapses, or memories locked within organic viewports, showing important moments from her life. As she studied the silent nothingness that surrounded her, she huffed, declaring, "How boring."

Andrew laughed at her reaction, before realizing that the symbol that rested at their feet was meaningful to him. He recognized much of the design, having seen it every time he cast the spell that he had been using to try and turn her into a full Therian. The design on the floor of her mind was much more complex, and as he studied it, its shape represented within the monolith, he knew one thing: It was not complete.

He realized with shocking speed that the design they were both studying was an amalgamation of most of the pieces of the spell he had used to enhance her gifts. Each piece was laid out, one on top of the other, and that under those pieces there was a simpler, more foundational glyph that he had seen in one other place. It was one of the seven glyphs from the ward in the glade, and had never been part of his spell.

He stood, rubbing his chin while he thought. The symbol was incomplete in many ways, but what felt most significant to him, was the underlying glyph. It too was dim and incomplete, and as he looked into Sara's eager eyes he knew — somehow — that the underlying symbol was the key to everything. He wondered, if he had been able to stand within her mind and see the glyph before he had started changing her, would it have looked any different? Had he been standing in that place a week before, looking at that point, he suspected he would have seen a small part of that primal symbol, that lone symbol that seemed vital to unlocking her potential.

Sara's face beamed with a smile as Andrew's eyes grew wide with realization.

Andrew said, "I think I can save you," before reaching out and caressing her cheek. He enjoyed the adoration he saw in her smile, before he corrected himself, "Rather, I think I can help you save yourself, but it won't be easy."

While his mind raced to figure out what he would need to do, he came to a single conclusion, and his gift was screaming at him about how dangerous it would be.

"Wait here, kitten, and focus on keeping yourself alive. I will be back shortly."

Sara was about to respond when Andrew's body flashed, the intense violet light forcing her to turn her gaze, and when she looked back, the small fluttering sprite was all that remained of her exalted mate.

She could feel the damage to her body, blood seeping from torn flesh within her chest, building pressure and making it difficult for her to breathe. Sara was pleased to realize that time seemed to be moving much slower, each of her breaths taking many long moments from her point of observation, and she hoped that Andrew would return in time to save her.

She tried to influence her body, finding that her wounds were outside of her reach, so with a lot of effort, she focused on settling her breathing and trying to slow her heart. It was difficult work, but she took to it with a natural ease that surprised her.

The sprite stayed close to her as she paced around the symbol, the flittering point of violet light seemed to grow in arousal as it nestled up to her neck and explored the more intimate parts of her body. She began reacting to its influence as hot waves of sensual energy radiated from its small form, until within her mind, she noticed her hands rubbing her sides and stimulating her glowing flesh.

It was in that moment that the sprite again flashed, but this time, she kept her gaze locked upon it, watching as Andrew again took shape within the intense bright light; and as it faded, he smiled up at her. His body was thin and frail, but intact, and unlike the last time he had been in her mind, his dick was solid, standing forward and declaring his arousal for all who cared to witness.

"Okay, I need to get started, ASAP," he said, as he pecked her on the lips, before turning and kneeling beside the intricate design.

"What can I do?" Sara asked.

Andrew paused his preparation, taking a moment to look into her eager eyes, and realizing how excited she was to be part of one of his magical creations. He smiled, knowing that she did not fully grasp the importance of what he was about to do.

"Just be yourself, and prepare to heal your body."