Feral | ✓

FERAL: chapter thirty-five

A way to help Gaius.

That's all I've been looking for over these past three days, and now I'm finding out there may actually be one.

"A way to help him? How? Why haven't you mentioned this before?!"

Vernon's hand flies up and he raises his hand to my lips in a silencing motion. I stop talking and stare at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I wasn't a hundred percent sure before. Even now, I still don't completely know if it'll work," he explains.

"What is it?" I ask.

"I would break your mate bond."

My heart drops and my blood runs cold.

Break our what?

"You would do what?" I snap and my eyes narrow.

"Temporarily," Gray glares at Vernon. "It would be temporary."

Vernon nods and my arms cross over my chest warily as I stare at the two of them.

"How would that help Gaius?" I ask.

"Do you remember what I said about me being able to see bonds?" I nod slowly. "Well that's only part of it, I can break and restore them too."

"Neither you nor Gaius are actually real ferals," Gray jumps in. "True ferals are born without mates; they can't change. But you and Gaius? You were born as normal wolves and changed to ferals. You shifted after finding Gaius and being around him, but whatever they did to Gaius is somehow different than what they did to you."

"Breaking a bond will feel as if your mate is dying; you would be in a significant amount of pain, but it also significantly lowers the strength of the wolf counterpart of a werewolf. Are you following along?" Vernon asks.

I nod.

"Since you just being around Gaius isn't enough to bring his human side forward, we're hoping that restoring the bond will be. Restoring a bond feels as if you just met your mate for the first time and with his wolf already being significantly weakened, we're hoping that'll be enough to force him to shift back."

"So basically, you want to break our bond in order to force Gaius' human side to come forward? How will that fix his wolf though?" I ask.

"That's what we're not entirely sure about," he admits. "From what Gray told me, Gaius was sure from the moment he saw you that there was more than just a mindless monster inside of you and he was right. For whatever reason when you shifted, your wolf was no longer feral. We're hoping that when Gaius shifts, the same thing will happen."

"That's if this actually works," Gray reminds us.

"Is this something you want to try?" Vernon looks at me.

There's a chance that this may not even work. I could be forever ruining our bond if I agree to this, and yet I can't say no.

Any possibility is better than none.

"I want to try it," I tell them determinedly.

"This will be painful," Gray stares at me.

"I know," I tell him. "But if this might help my mate, even if it's highly unlikely, I have to try."

Gray stares at me for a minute before nodding slowly.

"We try this tomorrow," he tells the two of us.

Vernon nods and so do I. I want to try it today but I know Gray will say no to that.

I stand up and make my way to the door before turning back around to face the two of them.

"Thank you," I tell the both of them gratefully.

Gray nods and Vernon offers me a lazy smile. After leaving the room, I close the door and lean up against the wall before closing my eyes.

Gaius may be able to return to normal. He may be able to go back to the wolf he once was. He may be able to return to me.

A small smile forms on my face at the thought. I know they told me not to get my hopes up but I can't help it.

I'm hopeful.

...

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Gray asks me again.

Foster stands beside him but he looks as if he's halfway asleep.

It was early in the morning; around four am. Gray had chosen this time to ensure that Gaius wouldn't be awake when we started the process.

"I'm positive," I tell him honestly.

Warriors are lined up against the walls, ready to assist if needed. Gaius lays on one bed in the room while I lay on the other. Vernon's standing in between the two of us as he waits.

"Positive?" Foster asks once again.

I fight back and eye roll and nod. "I want to do this. I know it'll be painful, I know it may not work, but I have to try."

The two of them stare at me for a minute before Gray sighs and nods at Vernon. Vernon's eyes turn pink and he stares at me.

"I'm about to start," he warns. "This is your last chance to-"

"I'm not backing out," I cut him off with a glare.

Vernon grins at me and nods before he places his hand on my chest.

"This might feel a little uncomfortable at first."

And it does. His hand doesn't move, but it's as if I can feel it moving around inside of me. It feels as if it's searching for something.

When he finds whatever it is he's looking for, he grasps it and I grunt. His other hand moves to Gaius' chest and he does the same. Gaius' eyes instantly snap open and he moves to attack Vernon. Foster and Gray are quick to hold him down before he can do so.

"Hurry up!" Foster rushes.

Gaius' struggle grows stronger as he wakes up more, but the feeling of something being ripped out has the two of us whining in unison. Gaius' movements stop and my body freezes as pain takes over me.

It's nothing like the pain I felt coming from Gaius when he was missing, it feels as if I'm bleeding out. The longer we sit there, the more the pain grows and the emptiness becomes more pronounced.

I can feel my wolf try to push forward, but it gradually grows weaker and weaker. A throbbing sensation fills me and my eyes turn to find Gaius' only my vision is blocked by Vernon's body.

My mouth opens to tell him to move; I need to see my mate. No words come though, I lay there as tears begin to fall and I eventually pass out.