Soul Bonds

21. North

North woke up pissed.

Yes, normally he woke up in some state of anger, but this reached all new levels, even for him. One minute, it was deep in the night and he was leaving Sang Baby's and walking to Nathan's, the next, it's daylight, and he's flat on his back in Kota's living room, and WHY THE FUCK DOES HE TASTE PEANUT BUTTER?

"LUCIAN!!!"

Sure enough, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum were nearly rolling on the ground in laughter, and yeah, Luke had his phone out, presumably recording. North levered himself up to a sitting position, which sent the two cackling idiots running for the door.

Doc and Mr. B appeared in front of him. Mr. B held out a hand to help him up.

"How's Sang Baby?" North demanded before he was fully up.

"Pookie is at Nathan's with Silas, but she needs you." Sean replied. North was out the door before he had finished speaking.

North could hear Sang crying from the street. He hit the front door at a dead run. The door flew open and North found Sang curled up in a ball, wrapped in Silas's arms. She was crying his name and all he wanted to do was hit something because apparently they had failed to protect her... again. There were nine of them, and they had been trained to handle just about everything, but still they couldn't keep the most important thing in his life safe.

His hands tightened into fists, but Silas stopped him before he would have to patch holes in Nathan's walls.

"She's safe, brother." Silas said in Greek. "No one has hurt her. She just needs you to hold her. Come, take her, and I can explain what's going on."

He wasted no time scooping her up and holding her close. Sang gripped his shirt with both hands and buried her face in his shoulder. Her crying slowed and North could live on that feeling of pride and contentment for the rest of his life. His Sang Baby needed him. He was able to help her.

North sat heavily on the couch, and Silas pulled Sang's legs onto his lap. In Greek, Silas told him everything that had happened in the time he had lost. He knew Silas was telling him the truth. He wouldn't lie about something like this, but it was impossible to believe.

Silas easily read his face. "Watch the video Luke is about to send you. Seeing it might help."

North's phone immediately chirped with a text message. He dug the phone out of his pocket. Sang must have felt unbalanced because the hand near his heart gripped his shirt tighter and her nails scrapped at his chest. He fought for control for a moment before turning his attention to his phone. He was unsurprised to find that the text was from Luke.

When he tapped the video, he nearly dumped Sang on the floor. A bad ass looking solid black wolf was laid out on the floor of Kota's living room, and that goddamn idiot brother of his, and his goddamn twin in idiocy approached the sleeping wolf. How the fuck did they not get themselves killed? They were both sniggering as Luke passed the phone they were recording from to Gabe and grabbed a jar of something and... was that a spatula? North watched as Luke loaded the spatula with what appeared to be peanut butter.

The cackling idiot liberally loaded the wolf's mouth with peanut butter, and then they both started falling on their asses laughing as the wolf started licking off the peanut butter from the roof of it's mouth. There was the sound of the front door being flung open then North heard Doc over the two hyenas.

"What are they doing?! Owen, we don't have time for this! I need him now!"

The wolf was surrounded by a swirl of fog and when it dissipated, he saw himself lying on the ground. Video North furrowed his brow then bellowed his brother's name. He was starting to sit up as the video ended.

"That really happened." North said flatly.

"Please tell him the rest, Silas." Sang said quietly as she pressed her face tighter into North's shoulder to hide the flaring of a blush on her cheeks.

Silas sent a quick prayer to his Mama and all the saints that holding Sang would keep North from punching him. However, he knew his chances of telling him this and getting away unscathed were slim. Switching back to Greek, he told North about the soul bonds, that he needed to bond with Aggele, and finally, what the bonding entailed.

Sang could feel the trembling coming from North's body as he tried to process. Thankful for the fact that she was still wearing Luke's hoodie, she wrapped her arms tightly against North's neck. His arms came around her and held her just as tightly.

"I need you to leave, brother." North growled in Greek.

Silas considered for a moment warning him about what Kota had done, but if he was getting a reprieve, he was taking it. Aggele was the only one he would listen to now.

Silas ran his hands comfortingly down Sang's lower legs before moving them off his lap and beating his retreat.

They were silent after the door shut. North was focusing on shoving his rage back into it's cage and Sang was focused on him.

"North Star, do you still like me?" Sang's voice was tiny, but North's well-tuned ears didn't fail him.

"Sang Baby, I haven't just liked you in so long. I love you, Sang. I love you so much." He paused. "Do you..." She interrupted him with a kiss.

"I love you too, North Star." 

He captured her lips again. She shifted to straddle his lap. They both groaned when he grabbed her hips and pulled her tighter against him. The sensation caused Sang's fingers to dig into his chest again, before they slipped down to his waist and disappeared under his shirt.

North moaned into Sang's mouth as her hands traced up his chest. She broke away from his mouth to drag his shirt off, then leaned forward to press a kiss to the curve of his neck. Her lips left his neck and he shuddered, knowing what was coming, and knowing his control was already in shreds.

Just as her teeth made contact with his skin, he barely managed to push her down his legs. North laid his head on Sang's shoulder and tried to breathe.

"I can't make love to you like this, Baby. This is the last time I'll be making love to someone for the first time for the rest of my life, and it needs to be special. You deserve all that romance shit. I'm not going to give that up just because some voice in their heads told them to. Silas said this thing is like a copy of my soul. I can't believe a copy of myself would do this to me." 

Sang pulled up North's face until his eyes met hers. "It hurts, North Star. This thing inside me, my wolf, needs her family, and she's trying to claw and fight her way free, but it's all just me, and it hurts, and these bonds are the only thing that helps. I'm sorry, North Star, I'm so sorry, but it's alright. Every second I spend with you is special, precious. I don't nee..." North silenced her with a kiss. 

"The list of things you think you need is microscopic. Now, behave or I'll have Vic buy you a horse." 

"Why do I need a horse?" 

"Girls love horses, I don't fucking know, Baby. Now, come on." North stood and carried her to the bedroom. 

"I guess it's naptime?" Sang asked with only the slightest touch of snark in her voice.

"If you really want to, I guess." North replied. "I said I wasn't going to fuck you, Sang Baby. I never said I was a saint." 

Sang's eyebrows flew up at the devilish gleam in his eyes, and the door shut behind them. 

**********

Author's Note: It's shorter, it's late, but it's up. 

For those in the States, please be careful with fireworks this weekend. No one needs to lose a finger... or eyebrows. Although, one is preferable over the other. I will be staying at home while my husband and kids blow up my in-laws neighborhood. It's going to be pupper's first 4th.

Publication Date: 7/1/22