Soul Bonds

25. Almost the End

Previously, on Soul Bonds...

"North, Sean, please take Sang to the Griffin residence. Once she has shifted back and you have checked her over, we will need you back here, Sean. North, since I know you would currently ignore any orders to the contrary, please stay with Sang."

North gave an affirmative grunt then shifted back to his wolf. Sean carefully placed Sang between North's shoulders and then shifted. They set off up the path out of the quarry.

**********

North was furious.

That wasn't entirely accurate. Yes, he was full of burning rage at what Marie had done. But his body still shook with the fear of nearly losing his Baby and Victor. His knees were still weak with relief after feeling Sang's emotions through the bond the moment after the horrible thud.

No, North wasn't just furious, he was filled with a multitude of conflicting emotions, and since anger was his go to, he stuck to what he did best.

He flinched as Sang pulled out a hair from the base of his neck while she was shifting her balance.

That reminder of her current state further fouled his already foul mood. His thoughts and anxiety spiraled as he tried to imagine not only how he could live without his Sang Baby, but how he would have to stop some of his brothers from following her to the grave.

As his thoughts continued to spiral into darker territories and his anxiety grew, a small part of him yearned to break his cycle of thoughts the old way.., getting drunk and tearing apart cars. but he promised Sang, and he wouldn't break that promise, but damn...

He was about to ask Doc for help when Sang grabbed a beak full of hair and pulled. He yelped and jumped.

"If you drink, I drink." Sang's mental voice sounded in his head.

North replied with the mental equivalent of a grunt. Then he returned Doc's amused glance with a low growl.

He fought himself to stay mentally present, but the anxiety kept building in the back of his head. By the time they made it back to Nathan's, he had himself convinced that Sang was hiding some grievous injury and she would die if he didn't get eyes on her human form right away.

Sean shifted at the door to let them in, then scooped up Sang from North's wolfy back. Once again, he started cooing at the little bird that was their little bird, petting her back with a gentle finger and dropping kisses on her head.

Sang trilled the equivalent of her giggle, and Sean headed towards Nathan's bedroom, lamenting something about the lack of an interspecies giggle cure.

North shifted and followed, intent to get eyes (and hands) on his Baby.

Sean gave her head another kiss then set her on Nathan's bed.

"Shift and get some clothes on and call for me. I'll give you a check over and then you can deal with Mr. Grump over here." He turned to leave the room and bumped straight into North, who was right on his heels.

"Shift now!" North barked at her.

Sean pushed at North's shoulders, but failed to move him any. "That's not what I meant, North! She's clearly uncomfortable with that, so we're going to step into the hall until she's dressed."

"Damn it, Sean! I need to see her!" North started pushing Sean out of the way, but Sean narrowed his eyes and North was immediately hit with an intense case of vertigo. He was too focused on tamping down the rising nausea to protest Sean moving him into the hallway and onto the ground. The vertigo lessened slightly, and when North made no further moves to get up, it disappeared.