Chapter 5

By noon, I muster the strength to briefly leave her side. Although I don't venture far from our cave-- in fact, it's always within my line of sight-- it must be done. Since we are entirely on our own now, I do not want to rely on the dried dung stash too much. If trouble arises, I want to know that we have emergency resources… so I leave my female's side to collect branches and twigs suitable for a fire.

Never has such a task been so tedious.

Everything within my body screams to return to her, to hold her and chase away all of her pain. As a terran male, my main purpose in life is to protect my mate, my female. When the Moon created me, so many years ago, she designed me to compliment my female in all ways. I was created to shield her when she was scared, defend her when she was in danger, hold her when she was in pain, make her laugh when she was sad, pleasure her when she was needy… And I feel as useless as a newborn cub. No matter what I did, no matter what I didn't do, my female was still suffering.

I bite back a snarl at my own incompetence.

My fist closes around a stick that had been laying at my paws, and before I could stop… the wood snaps right in half.

A roar erupts, sending nesting birds high into the air. The frantic flaps of their little wings weave between the branches high above before fading into the sky. As if that sudden outburst had never happened, the forest falls silent once again. Vibrant green leaves flutter, and the breeze lets out gentle sighs as it dances between the trees. It is a beautiful day. The sky is robin blue; not a single cloud in sight. The sun is bright, but has decided to grace us mere mortals a reprieve from its sweltering heat.

My female would, no doubt, love this weather. A rumble sounds deep in my chest at the thought of watching sunlight dance across her bare skin, warm her hair, kiss those dark spots that litter her flesh.

Yes…

One day, she will run with me through the forest of our future territory. There won't be a single care on her mind. Her lush lips will curl as I chase after her, her laughter will ring through the wilderness for all to hear. The deep wound to her ankle will be nothing more than a light scar, if that at all; her bruises will have long since faded. The once matted and filthy hair atop her head will be shiny, thick, soft. All those bones that currently protrude, sharp and hollow, will disappear with all the food and attention I'll give her. And, in the crook of her shoulder, my bite mark will be placed… telling everyone that this otherworldly beautiful female is mine. Even if it's the last thing I ever do, we will experience that day.

My steps quicken and grow more meaningful. There is a lot I must do to ensure that we have that day, and so many others after. But, no matter what it takes, we will have a long, fulfilling life together-

But her infection isn't the only thing I need to worry about…

I stumble, catching myself on a tree trunk. My lord… the one I deserted. The cadre that submitted to his every whim.

Baird, Vasil, and Kiel… understanding, but fiercely loyal canidae males.

Angus, Soran, Drakkal… pantheras that were as elusive as they were aggressive.

Killean, the only other ursidae besides myself. His temper ran nearly as hot as mine, and he was one of the only terran that I'd ever encountered that rivaled my sheer size.

Lucien… Stone! The oldest, most feared terrans in the cadre… And for good reason. The raptidae and crocodylinae males were relentless, downright cruel.

There isn't a doubt in my mind that they're actively searching for me, right this very moment. All of them, and probably including several other pellomidae lords and their respective cadres. Although other lords and their lesser cadres didn't scare me… my own was what worried me. I knew how those males thought; knew how they operated…

If they got a hold of my mate, there wouldn't be anything left of her to save. And that was if they didn't tear me apart first.

With an arm full of suitable sticks, I hurried back to my mate's side. Although the walk was abrupt and quick, it seemed to take hours. Every step stuttered my heart, every exhale struggled to replace the breath lost, my muscles burned with the raw instinct to protect what was mine.

"I swear to the gods… if those rotting bastards touch my mate…" The threat didn't need to be finished. I was certain that the intention etched to my face was indicator enough.

Hurrying into the cave, my claws clicking against the cold stone, I unceremoniously dumped the wood into the corner by the fire. Well within reach, meaning that I didn't need to stray far from my female's side. I still needed to hunt-- that fact already starting to irritate my stomach-- but that could wait.

She… she didn't look much better. In fact, she looked a little worse. Her flesh had been pale when I had found her, but it was pasty now… as if she'd never seen sunlight a day in her life. Her full lips were pale too, dry and cracking.

"Oh, little one." I crooned, coming to a crouch beside her. My hand retreated from her forehead just as quickly as it was placed there. "The infection is boiling your blood. You are burning up!"

A little bit of water was spilled over her face, down her neck. There was no reaction from her. The female didn't twitch a finger as cool water dampened her skin, didn't so much as suck in a sharp breath. She didn't feel a thing, even in her slumber.

I scrubbed at my face. Vasil had always been the one to tend to our wounds, and he'd made it seem so easy. Deep gouges, bites, and broken bones were nothing for him; if we had limped into his cave, we left walking with our heads held high. He always had an endless supply of herbs and salves on hand, no matter the severity of the injury. No matter what, Vasil always knew which herb treated a cough; always knew which salve stopped the bleeding and numbed the pain.

Never in my life had I ever considered shadowing the canidae male, but now I was mentally strangling myself for not doing so.

"Come on, little one." Gods, how much did I want to know her name! "That wound needs to be cleaned."

I settled her foot onto one of my thighs, and set about removing the silk bandages. The silk bandages, which came from the best araneae weavers, were a one-time thing. Once they were bandaged and, eventually, removed, they lost their tackiness. Thank the gods that more silk bandages had been stuffed into the satchel, but it could only go so far. Once I ran out of the rolls, I'd have to find something else to bandage her wound. On my own, and without the backing of a lord, there was no way that I could convince an araneae weaver to bestow me one of their most valuable creations. Araneae may be resourceful terrans, but they weren't generous.

Pulling back the small pelt, my nostrils flared damn near as wide as my eyes did.

By the gods… her wound looked… better?

The skin was still red and swollen, but it was beginning to crust. It had also stopped bleeding, and by the color of the dried blood on the pelt, it had stopped bleeding quite a while ago… I leaned my face closer and sniffed at the wound.

My nose was strong, perhaps the strongest of all terrans… I didn't smell a hint of infection. Nostrils flaring for the slightest hint of rot, it found absolutely nothing. When wounds were infected, the smell of rot was unmistakable and overpowering. Like a fungus, infection festered and ate away at its victim, spreading until it was all-consuming. But… there wasn't as much as a speck of rot in her body.

Sitting back on my haunches, I stared down at my female.

This… could not be good. How could her wound be healing as her health steadily declined? For as long as I could remember, after all the times I've been injured, the wound depended on the body to heal. If the body was not healthy, then the wound would just sit and continue to worsen. It took resources to heal-- it tired out the body, making it sluggish and weak. How much longer could she take before she could no longer sustain herself? The body could only take so much.

I was so clueless. How could I help her now, when I didn't even know what was happening? If Vasil was here, he would know what to do. He would be able to save her. If only he were here…

I knew where he was; knew the whereabouts of his den like the back of my hand. I knew where he kept all of his healing stock, where he kept his stash of extra supplies. But, to reach the canidae, that meant that my female and I had to venture into my old cadre's territory. We would have to face the males I had left behind, as well as the lord I had deserted. My small, fragile mate would be truly surrounded by beasts… ones that rivaled my own strength, size, and speed.

I was strong, fierce, and well-trained. Hardened by years of fighting, blood and pain did not stir an ounce of hesitation. To protect what was mine, whether it be my territory, my mate, or future cubs… I would gladly unsheath my claws and release terror upon any creature who dared to challenge me. But even I knew that I would not, could not, win a fight against my old cadre. One on one, I stood a chance; even against Stone… But if they all came at me at once, as they most likely would…

What would become of my mate?

Terran disdain for humans was not a matter to take lightly. Humans hid away in their little square, shielded from the true realities of nature by a piece of paper. They were cowards… males abandoning their mates and their offspring; mated pairs rutting with other humans, despite having been mated for many years; orphaned cubs wandering the streets, unfed and dirty; desperate females having to spread their legs just to survive; mated pairs beating each other black and blue… Those were all things that I have heard about the humans, coming from the lips of traumatized males that had ventured too close to the barrier. And soon, those traumatized males changed, their troubled eyes and tense lips melting away into a sneer whenever humans were mentioned.

The males of my old cadre wore a sneer the best. Gods, for some of them, that awful look was all they carried most days.

Staring down at the human tucked beneath the furs, I gently grazed a claw down her cheek. So soft, so vulnerable. Yet, despite the fact that it was just my claw, the boiling heat just beneath her flesh practically burned me.

I scrubbed at my face again, slinking away from her. The fire flickered before me, dancing in the darkness of the cave. It was a strong flame, but its size had been greatly diminished in an attempt to keep the female cool. But, no matter how many times it had been reduced to mere embers, nothing seemed to be helping. She was burning nearly as hot as the fire itself.

And her infection wasn't the only thing I had to worry about.

Striding to the cave entrance, I gazed out into the wilderness beyond. There was no time for sleep. At any moment, Lucien could drop from the sky and scoop my mate into his arms. There would be no way I could ever catch up to him. In the blink of an eye, she would disappear from my life. She would be unprotected, left in the clutches of a male so cold, so indifferent, that it frightened even me at times. And there was no telling what he would do to her…

There would be no sleep for me.

If I had to, I'd guard this cave entrance for the rest of my days; all to protect her.

Only her.

Hours passed, and the moon and her many children ruled the night. The chiroptera males had passed through the area two more times, weaving through the trees to snack on sleeping squirrels and birds. Once, they had flown directly over the cave, and I was certain that they'd smell me and charge. I'd been ready, a blade in one hand, teeth bared, and claws aching… but they hadn't stopped. Chriopteras had a good sense of smell-- nowhere near as good as my own-- but their noses had to be blocked to have not caught my scent. Either they hadn't been paying attention, which was extremely unlikely as they tended to be extremely observant… or they'd allowed me to stay. For now.

How long their generosity would last, I did not know. But the fact that they had flown over the cave was warning enough. They knew where we were, and judging by the hoarse clicks they had exchanged… the males were not very happy with my presence.

My gaze returned to my female.

If I had been alone… those males would have charged. They would have dropped from the skies and confronted me with slashing claws and gnashing teeth. But they did not charge…

My female, despite being covered in my scent, is an unmated one. My seed is not deep in her womb and my bite is not placed on her neck for all to see. I have not dominated and mounted her yet; nor has she done the same to me. In their eyes, they still have a chance at stealing her from me. Most likely, they are waiting for me to leave, to turn my back for a split second so that they could grab her.

A snarl twisted my lips.

They will not grab her. Most likely, their flight close to the cave had been an intimidation tactic. Chiropteras are brutal and aggressive, but they are not stupid. They would try to avoid a fight if at all possible… and any lesser, younger male would've spooked at their threat. I, however, was no lesser male; nor was I young and naive. I would not be scared so easily. If it came down to it and they challenged for her, I would accept it eagerly. They will bleed beneath my fury.

But they won't have the chance to challenge me for my mate. We will be long gone by the time the sun dies and gives life to the moon. I will not risk her safety, and I do not trust these strange males. They are driven by the need to mate and claim, and their eyes are set on the human nestled in my furs. Unacceptable.

So, as the night eventually begins to bleed into daylight, I begin to pack. I will have to leave the firewood here as my arms will need to carry my mate securely, but it does not stress me much at all. There are still some dung chips in the satchel, so that should sustain a fire in our next cave long enough for wood to be collected again.

But what does worry me is the condition of my human. She is still burning with a fever, and her breaths have weakened greatly, rattling in her chest. Sweat slickens pale skin, plastering her mane to her flesh. No matter how many times I brush the hair back, it always finds itself glued to her skin again. Despite the sweating, she trembles a lot. Trembles as if she were freezing despite the many furs surrounding her. I… do not know what to do.

I am at a loss, and it is driving me mad!

Stalking around the cave, I stuff things back into the satchel. Herbs, salves, bladders of water, pieces of dried meat I've gnawed on throughout the night, her discarded coverings which are still wet with her sweat, freshly sharpened blades, extra furs. We cannot afford to lose any of these items, cannot afford to leave any behind.

At last, after countless laps around the small cave, everything is packed except one large fur, which is still draped around my mate. She will remain in the pelt throughout our journey to ensure she stays warm, as well as engulfed in my scent. It will not do much to conceal her scent from other terrans, but it will at least be something. Until she has been claimed and mated, she will need my scent rubbed into her skin constantly. It is the only way to lay claim to her without actually biting and mounting her… which I will never do; not when she is so vulnerable, so sick.

Throwing the satchel strap over my shoulder, I crouch beside my human. I… I do not want to touch her. She is so frail, but add on the fact that she is weak with infection? I could breathe wrong and it would harm her.

I do not know why the moon made me for her. What was she thinking? Pairing a brute such as me to someone so innocent to life beyond the barrier? My female is not a terran. She did not have fur or scales to protect herself against the elements; did not have wings or fins to flee with; did not even have claws, venom, or suitable teeth to defend herself. She was bare, soft, small, and thin. And the moon thought that I would handle her gently, that I would never hurt? I was the last male to be gentle. I was always the first to anger, the one to start and finish fights. My human should have been mated to a hyaenidae pair; they were gentle to their females. In fact, it was well known that the males worshipped their mates. I, on the other hand, was no hyaenidae male. I would accidentally hurt her…

I stared down at my body. The massive, bulging arms; the thick muscles; the scars that crisscrossed just beneath a dark coat; large hands tipped with razor-sharp claws. Glancing down at the human before me, I could not even imagine how we could make this work… Could I even mount her properly? I doubted it; I was just too large. She would be crushed beneath my weight.

My hands curled, claws slicing into flesh. I welcomed the pain, embraced it. Brushing a finger down her face, unwilling to allow myself to touch her further, I bowed my head. Perhaps… Perhaps it would be best to return her to the square… They, no doubt, had medicine there that would be able to save her. They would do what I have been unable to. It was a much better option than continuing the way we were now; watching her slowly fade away.

Fleeing through the forest. Eckis tearing her to shreds. Screams and screams and screams.

No!

I will not return her to the human settlements. Although I have not been able to ask her myself, it was clear that she had been running from something, perhaps even someone. Why was she running? I did not know. But she will tell me, and I will protect her.

She is my mate.

Shaking my head at my foolishness, I bend to scoop her into my arms… My arm slips beneath her knees, the other sliding to her back. And, just as I begin to lift her...

She screams! A horrible, shrill thing that damn near makes me drop her. She convulses in my arms, thrashing and twisting. The mating call booms from my chest, thrumming through my veins with every beat of my ragged, shattering heart. But it seems to only make her panic even more, her limbs flailing.

"Little one!" I hug her closer to my chest, trying to physically hold her still, but the screams just get louder. Her eyes are rolling in her head, the whites all I can see.

Falling to my ass, she is pressed so tightly to my chest that I can feel her heart racing as if it were my own. It is too fast… if it continues much longer, exhaustion will win and it will stop in her chest. There will be no way to save her then… perhaps it is already too late!

I roar, "mate!" Pressing my forehead to hers, I can only hold her and try to wait out the unseen attack.

Growls rumble in my chest, my muscles aching to face this attacker head-on, but there will be no fighting for me. She must fight this battle herself, but not alone. Never alone.

She is cradled in my arms, resisting my hold and mating call with every ragged exhale. My mate tries to jerk her hands to her face, curling her fingers like claws to gouge at her flesh. They do not get close. I grab her wrists and hold them in one of my hands, easily pinning them away from her face. I will not release my hold; never will. I lean over her as if to shield her from the torment taking over. It is useless, but if I could take it from her, I would. In a heartbeat.

Whimpers tear from her throat, all that is left of those horrible, pained screams.

Then I hear it, distant at first, but within seconds they are loud enough that I can decipher what it is that I hear.

Clicks.

Angry clicks. Hurried, guttural ones.

Just outside the cave entrance.