The Bonding Chronicles Ch. 15

"I had been pregnant for a month when he confessed that he had 'Bonded' with another woman, and when I asked him if he loved her, he could only nod his head."

The tears were coming more steadily, but despite a few brief gaps between words as she caught her breath, Vivienne seemed just as cold.

"He couldn't even acknowledge what he had done, he had to convince himself that he had been magically enticed into sleeping with another woman. I should have known, he was an artist in almost every other way, and in a way I think I always knew he had an artist's taste for women. It might have been easier if he could have just told me that he wanted to be with other women, but he couldn't even do that.

"'I love you, starshine, I have since we first met,' he said, 'I tried to hide from my nature, and wanted to keep my heart just for you, but Anita has entered my soul, and we want you to join us.'"

For the first time Vivienne reached up and wiped the tears from her eyes, a hint of anger showing in her visage.

"I still remember her name, can you believe that?"

Andrew was forced to watch as Vivienne turned her pained gaze upon him, and in those deep-brown eyes he saw the years of anguish she had been hiding from. Within those eyes, he saw Sara, and knew that it was no coincidence that her mother had dealt with the pain of what Alexander had done, in the same way that Sara had dealt with her problems — by pushing them away, and refusing to look at them from any other angle than the one they first saw.

"He told me his story, of being a werecat, if you can believe that, and escaping to 'The Human World,' where he found and fell in love with me. When I challenged him to shapeshift, he said that he could only do it during a full moon, the bastard."

She shook her head as if to shake herself from the memory.

"Anyways, the rest is kind of a blur, but I can tell you, young man, with the certainty of experience, that magic does not exist. What you are feeling for my daughter is a beautiful and tragic case of young love."

She returned her attention to her phone, and Andrew suspected that she was trying to distract herself from the emotions that were still threatening to overwhelm her. Vivienne again reminded him of Sara, finding a way to hide from an uncomfortable truth.

Vivienne had already confirmed that her mobile network, wireless, and bluetooth were all disabled, before she started the harder work of looking for any errant scripts that Andrew may have snuck onto her device.

Andrew sighed, realizing how difficult life was. He had started to wonder why his life had gotten to be so hectic, and it was in that moment that he realized he was not alone. Everyone, it seemed, was fighting through a life full of complications and challenges, and Vivienne had already faced a battle he could barely understand.

"What's so funny?"

Vivienne's question caught Andrew off guard — he had not realized he had been smiling.

"Just thinking how common our uncommon problems truly are."

Andrew took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to start.

"Here's the thing..." He shook his head and chuckled, realizing how what he was about to say was going to sound. "Magic is real, like really real."

Vivienne rolled her eyes and shook her head, which Andrew found entertaining, knowing that she had to double up on the dismissive forms of body language just to express how little she believed him.

"This conversation will be much easier if you just accept that it's real, trust me."

Andrew was struggling not to laugh as she continued to shake her head.

"I know you believe that, Andrew. I was young once, and loved the idea of becoming a powerful witch, or an Amazon warrior. But the truth is, we live in the real world, and here there be no monsters."

Andrew smiled and looked at her phone, and as she looked down at her screen she dropped the device to the table in shock. On the top corner of the phone was an alert, informing her of a message she had just received from Andrew.

"Magic is real, and here, there be monsters. Growl!"

She wiped her hand on her chest, as if there was something on it, and studied the message until the alert vanished, leaving only an icon indicating that she had an unread text.

"No... But... How?" she mumbled as she looked above and below her phone, trying to make sense of how it had received a message.

As Andrew began to talk, his words appeared within a new alert on the screen, the message of the new text updating as his words flowed from his lips.

"As I said, magic is real. Like, really real."

Vivienne looked beneath the table, and then picked up the device just long enough to ensure that the various forms of connectivity were indeed turned off. After setting the device back down, she glared at Andrew for several long moments, working to figure out how he had done it.

"You're a very talented young man, that's for certain," she said with a broad smile. "You almost had me, I'll admit, but I know how you did it."

"Really?" Andrew asked as he took a sip of tea.

"Whatever program you installed on my phone must have hijacked the OS. So, while it reports that all connectivity is off, the bluetooth or wireless must be active. You're using that to send those commands."

Andrew laughed, impressed with her sound evaluation of how what she had seen could have been accomplished. He then set down his cup of tea and shook his head, knowing he would need to step up his game if he wanted to convince her, and knowing that he was putting her in danger by making her aware of the reality she actually existed within.

"You have to promise me you won't freak out too much when I do what I'm about to do. Okay?"

She seemed worried as she asked, "What are you about to do, Andrew?"

Andrew continued his nervous laugh and just said, "Something stupid."

Vivienne watched as Andrew stood from his chair and extended his arms from his sides, with his legs apart. His fingers were splayed out, with no fingers touching, and he held out each bare foot, showing her that there was nothing on the bottom of his feet. It was clear that he wanted her to know that he was not in contact with anything, and that there was no possibility of him manipulating things through hidden means.

She watched her phone, expecting to see something appear on the screen, when she began to notice a strange sensation in the air. It reminded her of when she was a child, and would drag her feet across the carpet, how her hair would stand on end and cause a strange itchy-tingling sensation to travel across her body. Just as fast as it had appeared, the sensation was gone, but in its place her mind reeled at what she saw.

Her sleek black smartphone lifted from the table, hovering in the air before her. It spun around its center axis, reminding her of a gyroscope as it twirled in place a foot from the surface of the table, until it stopped with the screen facing her. Vivienne wanted to look away, but she couldn't even blink as she struggled to make sense of what was happening.

She reached out, passing her arm above and below the glossy device, and could not find any wires or methods for its suspension. The screen displayed the message, "Shutting Down" before again going black.

As the phone turned around, there were a series of pops just before the back panel came off of the device, exposing its battery, SIM, and expanded memory card. While the back panel moved to the left, the battery came out and moved to the right, with the SIM and memory card sliding out and taking up position just above the battery.

Vivienne stood in a panic, her chair toppling over to the side as she rushed to move away from levitating device. Her face was pale and her eyes were glued to the scene above the table as she pressed her back against the wall, her hands reaching out to the sides, searching for anything to grasp onto.

All of the screws that held the phone together began coming out, and organized themselves in the air to the right of the battery. Over the course of ten seconds, any component that was not soldered into place was removed, until all that was left was the individual pieces that had once been Vivienne's smartphone.

Andrew was glad that the pieces had been so small, and was amazed by how easy the task had been. He placed all of the components onto the table, just as well-organized as he had kept them in the air, before dropping his spell and stretching out his arms. His performance had not been physically straining, but there was something about the act of stretching that made him feel better.

As he returned to his seat, he cast his gaze on Vivienne's ashen face, and wondered if perhaps he had gone a bit overboard.

"As I said, magic is real."

The woman stayed like that for many seconds, afraid to blink as her mind failed to come to terms with what had just happened. Andrew finished his cup of tea, and stood from his chair before returning to the kitchen to refresh his beverage.

"No, that's impossible."

The words were barely a whisper, but Andrew heard them as if she had screamed them at the top of her lungs. His heightened hearing was a gift from Sara, that reminded him of just how important that conversation with Vivienne was.

"Two weeks ago, I would have agreed," Andrew said as he set down the pot of tea. "The question you have to ask yourself now, Vivienne, is: If magic is real, could Alexander, and by extension, your daughter, really be werecats?"

The woman gasped as she realized the true reason for Sara's aloof and wild nature. Sara had tried to tell her, that was what their arguments had always been about, and now that she was beginning to consider the truth of Sara's heritage, she wondered if she could have kept Sara closer if she had only believed her sooner.

She slid down the wall and collapsed to her knees, years of torment over her strained relationship with her daughter being brought into stark contrast. In that moment she was visited by the many decisions she had made over those years, choices that had led her to that moment, and realized that all of them had been guided by her own failure to believe what her daughter had told her. A failure that she knew may very well have cost her everything she loved — Sara.

Something inside of Andrew stirred, compelling him to comfort the grieving woman, and as he began to move towards her, he realized he had no idea what was bothering her. Was she frightened of the world of magic she now faced? Was she distraught over the loss of Alexander, now knowing that his nature truly had drawn Anita into their life? Or was she struggling with the realization that Sara was a werecat?

In the end, it didn't matter, and he set his cup on the corner of the stove before taking the last few steps to where Vivienne was gasping on the floor.

***** Two Strangers In The Night *****

The forest had become a dangerous place, and Wildfang could feel it.

He had anticipated having several nights to replenish his strength, which was just long enough for him to regrow the muscle he had sacrificed to maintain the wounds he had inflicted on the forest guardian. But, after just one night, he could sense the foul woman searching for him in the darkness, and as she drew close, he knew that she had regained all of her strength.

His stomach growled at the feast he was forced to flee, but he knew that she was almost upon him, and no matter how much he needed to eat, he knew he was in no position to face the woman again so soon. Despite the pain of his weakened body, he fled into the forest, his magical nature obscuring his path and diminishing the sounds of his retreat.

Frustration was not a new emotion for Wildfang, but he had not expected to be feeling it so soon after recovering from his banishment from his pack. The mundane world, as he started to think of it, had all the makings of the perfect feeding ground. Even the humans, with their strange and loud sticks, would have stood little chance against him, if it were not for that magically empowered female.

Wildfang had been lost in thought as he rushed from where the forest guardian would find his feast, but he was taken from his introspection as a scent slowed his escape. There was something new in the air, something strange and unfamiliar to the mighty wolf, and as he took deep breaths, he failed to place the fragrance. It came from something wild, and there was an aspect to the fumes that he found confusing. It was not of his species, he knew that, but at the same time, he could not help but feel the intense desire to mate.

Whatever the creature was, he was certain that it was supernatural, and powerful. Part of him wanted to move towards the scent, to see if it was a being with which he could satiate the urges of his male flesh, but a more pragmatic part of him knew he was better off avoiding any unnecessary confrontations. Whatever lurked in the shadows was unlikely willing to satisfy the desires that it stirred within him, and he was too weak to take his pleasure from it by force.

He found a large hollow that had formed beneath a fallen tree, the rotten wood having crumbled away as a new tree grew from its top, moss and roots keeping the upper half of the once-proud pine intact. With some small amount of concentration he focused his magic, and blended in with his surroundings, making the fallen tree look once again whole.

There were certain things in life that Wildfang savored above all others, and wielding that gift, obscuring himself against the forest, was one of them. Not because it felt good, but because he knew that he alone could do it. Among his pack he had been the only wolf capable of the feat, and until the forest guardian, he had known of no other creature that could blend so seamlessly with their surroundings.

He wondered if perhaps that was the reason that the pack had taken so long to banish him, and allowed him to test their rules so completely. Killing and feasting were his greatest joys, and never lent themselves to the mentality of his pack, which was led by an ancient but weak-willed wolf.

A growl escaped his throat as he thought of his old packleader, and he realized his one regret being trapped in that new land was that he would never get the satisfaction of gorging himself upon the old wolf's ravaged remains.

His moment of introspection was cut short as he saw the creature following the path he had stumbled upon, and his eyes focused on the strange yet majestic beast. He had seen a few cats since arriving in the mundane forest, but nothing like the large orange and white feline that pranced by a dozen yards from where he hid. Black spots seemed to dance across its body, almost as if they moved with the shadows of the forest, making the creature especially difficult to spot in the darkness of night.

Though for Wildfang, from his vantage within his hidey-hole, the beast was difficult to miss.

It held a large section of a hind leg from one of the elks he had slain, the skin having been torn from the piece, leaving the meat and bone for the massive cat to enjoy. His stomach growled at the memory of his lost feast, and just before the feline vanished behind a tree it stopped and turned its gaze towards him, its head following its body as it lowered itself towards the ground.

Wildfang held his breath, forced to watch as the supernatural predator sniffed the air while its eyes darted through the forest. A moment later its gaze settled on where he hid, the reflective orbs shining towards him like two full moons piercing through the darkness, and for the second time since arriving in that land, fear raced through his body.

There was something familiar about the creature's gaze, though he could not place where he had seen it before. A feral hissing growl was released by the large cat for a few seconds, before it turned its head and vanished behind the tree. Wildfang was frozen in place, the cat's warning sending a chill through his body as he realized that perhaps his hunting grounds were no longer his alone.

As he shimmied out from his hiding spot, the illusion falling from his body, he was forced to wonder if perhaps the cat was in league with the forest guardian. The evil woman was still alive, and the annoying jackalope remained at her side. He could feel them back at his killing field, gathering their supplies and taking his prized meat with them.

What was he going to do? Killing the forest guardian and jackalope was possible, even with the help of those troublesome humans, but if that cat got mixed into the fray, all bets were off. He was confident that once he returned to full strength, none of them could take him in single combat, but if they worked together, he was doomed.

Dread stalked him as he rushed from the scene, knowledge that the promise of his banishment may soon be fulfilled. His life very well might be taken by the creatures he had once hunted so arrogantly.

***** Unexpected Growth *****

Sara knew the moment she exited the forest that her already strange night was about to become much more challenging. The silver sedan sitting in her driveway shed light on the conflicted emotions she had felt from Andrew over the last half hour, and what had started as anger in her mate, had turned to remorse not long before she arrived.

The tall grass in the clearing around her home added the perfect cover as she snuck up to the house, and the scent that greeted her as she lept four feet up and through her bedroom window confirmed what she already knew; her mother was waiting inside.

"Okay, so let's say that magic is real-"

It was her mother's voice, carrying down the hall and through the closed door to the room she now considered her den. Andrew kept their bedroom spotless, and with her keen senses she knew how well he had performed his job. So, with no trepidation, she placed the hind-shank of elk on the floor and shifted back to her human form.

"You can't seriously still be doubting the existence of magic?"

There was frustration in her mate's voice, and she was forced to shake her head while getting dressed. Sara was unsure how she felt about what she had already heard, the idea of Andrew exposing his gifts to her mother bringing up conflicting emotions. She wanted her mother to understand them, and their powers, but at the same time, she knew that Vivienne had not earned that right, attempting to steal what Sara would have given freely.

Her new body still surprised Sara, and the speed with which she moved through her room was a revelation that continued to give her joy. At some point, Sara knew that the novelty of Andrew's gift would wear off, but for that precious time where the contrast between who she had been and who she had become was still clear, she wanted to bask in every moment.

"No, you're right, I... Well shit, how the heck can I reconcile this? And even with magic being real, that doesn't ..."

There was pain in her mother's voice as her words trailed off, and the pause gave Sara enough time to finish putting on a pair of sweats and a loose-fitting sweater. She had just started to slide sunglasses over her amber eyes, when her mother started speaking again.

"None of this changes the fact that you two kids have rushed into a relationship that I know is destined to break your young hearts."

It was just like her mother, trying to tell Andrew what was best for him and his family, while simultaneously undercutting any argument he may make by putting him in the context of a child.

Sara was about to open the door when the clarity of that thought, and the wisdom of her analysis stood out to her. Andrew had influenced her in more ways than she had guessed, and despite her efforts, she could not stem the rumbling purr that built up within her.

"At some point, you're going to have to accept that Sara has grown up, and that she has to leave the safety of the glass enclosure you have built for her."