Bound Trilogy: Bound: A Supernatural Story (WLW)

Chapter Twenty-One

Bast leapt down from her perch on a high limb and her stomach grumbled.

"Damn... Probably should have gotten some food on my way out." She said to herself and just like that, images of Penelope flooded her mind.

Bast shook her head, trying to free it of the burden, but it didn't work and her skin began to heat. Her skin felt alive and her limbs on fire. What is this? She shivered and was determined to keep moving, shoving away the fiery sensations to the farthest recess of her mind. She'd made it quite far away from pack lands and let out a gust of air through flared nostrils with a nod. At least now she could walk with feet flat on the--

Crack!

Bast gazed upward and quickly spotted a tree branch plummeting down toward her. She ran for cover and watched it hit the ground as more crackling came from overhead. She peered up as the heat in her chest grew and spotted more branches soaring down toward her. Scrambling as her claws emerged, Bast fled for cover, but the last branch hit her leg and pinned her to the ground.

She let out a shuddered grunt as she looked back and saw bone protruding through her skin. Bast frantically clawed at the branch and pushed it away as blood dripped all over her lower leg. Once free, the pain hit her like a swift kick to the gut and she vomited, unable to control the urge for even a second before she heard more cracks.

Fuckin' hell!

Bast looked up as she heard two more large branches whipping through the air and falling toward her. She scrambled again and just barely made it past the first, but the second caught her rucksack on the way down and she was pinned once more, paralyzed from the waist down.

She wriggled and tried to break free, but it only sent more pain through her leg and she fell against the grass. Bast wheezed and tried to catch her breath as panic took her over, rattling the last bit of hope she'd still held onto from being around her kin and mate. Although, at least if she felt the pain in her leg, that meant she wasn't completely paralyzed. If only she could get the damn branch off of her waist. Then, maybe she would have a fighting chance.

"Look at that, Iset! I caught her with one of mine! Ten points!" Someone said from behind herself, clean out of her view.

"Bleh! I did all the work and you'll get all the glory? I think not, Sera. You still have a long way to go before claiming my prize." The familiar voices were growing closer and she realized they were coming at her from above. "And if you look at the hilt of the stump, you will find my distinct claw marks."

Soon, Sera landed firmly on the ground with Yumi on his back and Yumi dropped from him. They made their way toward Bast as she continued to struggle to break free and Sera ran to the end of the log, grumbling under his breath as he stomped the ground. Yumi maliciously giggled, then turned her attention toward Bast. The menacing smile on her face was nothing like the little wolf she'd seen just hours earlier and Sera showed little to no emotion at all as he joined her at her side. It only spawned more fight within herself and Bast continued her struggle to break free.

"Look at her go!" Sera joked as he began lifting the branch from atop Bast's body. He chuckled, but the smile never reached his eyes.

Bast had seen enough and wanted to scratch his eyes out, but she yelled in pain as part of the branch was pulled free from an injury she hadn't felt before. Her abdomen was bleeding and her strength quickly leaving her body. She crawled along the forest floor and grunted as her breath began to leave her as well.

No! Not yet! Fight! Now, before it's too goddamn late!

The heat took on a new level and she swiped out with her claws as footsteps approached from behind, yet was met by a needle in her arm. Bast recoiled from Yumi's strange attack and quaked as she felt whatever was inside coursing through her veins. Her skin immediately chilled and she fell back against the grass, her limbs collapsing limply at her sides

"Relax, hybrid. We won't hurt you yet." Sera's deep voice cooed from above her.

"Why would you say yet?" Yumi replied with a wry giggle. "Why say anything at all? I swear, if it weren't for this stupid body, I'd kill you myself. We need her calm, you dolt."

"Okay, Okay, Iset. Let's just get her to Kuba."

Bast cringed at the names that left Serafin's lips. Kuba she could maybe have come to terms with, but... "Iset...?"

Yumi peered down at her, then cleared the distance between them and rubbed a tear from Bast's cheek. She shivered at the overfamiliar touch and felt a small growl rumbling in her chest, but it vanished as soon as it began. Yumi flitted her eyes over Bast's face and her features softened.

"What kind of pathetically docile dominant have you become, Little Hajin? We'll have to fix that right away."

"Ha... Hajin..." Bast murmured as she tried to fight off her inevitable sleep.

Dark splotches threatened to take over her vision as she heard the term of endearment not but a single person had ever called her. She lost all vigor, all stamina, then felt herself being lifted up into someone's arms.

"Just go to sleep now. It'll be easier that way..." Were the last words she heard before drifting off and into oblivion.