Jasper's Soul Mate (18+)

Chapter 7: Bonds

 "Storms make trees take deeper roots."

-Dolly Parton

"Is she normally like that?" I ask the couple while walking around the room to collect stuff and familiarize myself.

"She's usually much worse," the woman replies, shifting around in her seat with a grimace on her face.

I come back to her side with what I need in my arms. "Are you certain you don't have any other injuries?"

She worries her bottom lip and looks hesitant, but finally admits, "It's my back. I think I scraped it pretty bad when I was getting away from the hunters."

Her mate growls and immediately approaches. Jasper does too.

"Let me see," her mate demands.

I step back as she rises, turns, and lifts the back of her shirt. Sure enough, there is a painful looking wound near the middle of her back. But it's not the type of wound that a shifter would have a problem with, I find it odd that she hasn't healed from it yet.

"You should have healed from that by now," I voice my concern. "What did you scrape your back on?"

Her shirt falls back into place and she grasps her mate's hand. "I didn't see what it was, and I'm pregnant, so that might be why I'm not healing as quickly."

I nod in understanding. That makes sense, though pregnant shifters don't usually hunt. More often than not their mates won't allow it as their protective instincts override rationality during that time.

As if reading my thoughts, her mate chimes in. "I didn't want her to go. She snuck after me."

"Clyde, I'm sorry," his mate whispers to him, pushing herself closer into his side.

I look away from their moment to give them some privacy. Next to me, Jasper is doing the opposite. He's watching closely, something dark swirling in his eyes. I poke his arm and his attention then fixates on me.

"You alright?"

He nods curtly before looking away. I turn my attention back to the others in the room.

"I'm going to have to numb your arm while I stitch together the wound," I explain as I pick up a syringe once Clyde steps aside. "As for the scrape, your mate should be able to help you heal it, but if you want I can clean it up and bandage it for you as well."

The two exchange a pained look. "Clyde can't heal me," the female says softly. "He's not my true mate."

A flash of pain surfaces on Clyde's face and his mate hugs him close while smiling up at him. Their situation suddenly makes sense; they wouldn't even be here had they not been strictly bond mates.

It isn't uncommon amongst shifters to make pacts with others by binding their children when they're young. I only ever heard about it in passing but it was normally something done with strong families who wanted to ensure that their strength would continue to pass on after with their children.

Despite essentially being forced together, Clyde and his mate seem so happy. If our roles were reversed, I doubt that I would be even remotely as content as they seem.

I clear my throat. "Okay. So I'll bandage it for you. Is there anything else I need to know?"

"No, that's all."

I make quick work of her injuries, suturing the wound that was gruesomely torn by a bullet, and cleaning and wrapping the scrape on her back.

She stops me from walking away to help another who'd walked in with a similar wound. "I know it's soon, but if the other doctors don't return can I depend on you to deliver my baby?"