Shredded Bonds, a Blood Ties Novel, Book 4

by Kalalea George

  I couldn't help myself from wondering if I was doing the right thing waking Laura. I didn't want to be a weak man and a bad mate, but maybe I should allow Laura to keep the peace and serenity she found. My eyes roamed over Laura's body, taking in how little flesh was left. The flesh she had left looked like dried leather. Not to mention that Laura smelled like a rotting and decaying corpse. I'm not sure how long I stood there staring at Laura before I was pulled out of my bewilderment by Ena's screaming voice and the sound of a large cat, probably a tiger like me, hissing. I figured Ena's decoy might not be working as well as she planned.

  Knowing that Laura's family might come back to the hut at any moment, spurred me into motion. Laura deserved so much better than me. Laura deserved a happy fulfilled life. It was my duty to give her that. I needed to grow up and be a better person. I needed to accept my own faults and figure out a way to give Laura the life she deserved. I was not giving up my chance for happiness. I needed to man up and do the right thing.

  I lifted Laura's decrepit body into my hands and bolted out of the hut and into the jungle. I had a private little place already picked out, deep within my territory that I intended to take her to. I had a cabin built there years ago when I first became Leo. I used it ever so often as a little get away from the troubles of running my Bastet pride. It was the perfect place to woo her into falling in love with the real me.

  CHAPTER 17

  Jeremy’s POV

  My progress through the rainforest was slow but steady. I was keeping a steady pace of about ten miles per hour. At this rate it would be just after sundown when I arrived at my cabin. I would pause occasionally and feed Laura some of my blood. With each feeding I could see a little of her body regenerate. Based on the amount of time and recovery thus far I was pretty sure it would be late this week before she looked like her old self.

  Not that it would bother me. I was perfectly content with the idea of having Laura incapacitated and all to myself for several days. It might take almost a week for Laura's body to heal but it was clear her mind was sharp the moment she awoke. Her eyes fluttered open the moment the first drop of my blood splashed into her mouth. Then I felt her push her way into my brain. Laura managed to establish a mind communication with me. I had to assume it was either a skill Laura had through her wolf or the vampire since I was sure we shouldn’t be able to communicate mentally until we were fully bonded.

  I heard her stomach growl and I decided to pause again since I could hear a small stream not far from our location. I set Laura gently down and took a good look around with all my senses. The stream was no more than five hundred feet west and I could tell Hoatzin were living near the stream. I looked down at Laura and smiled then said

  “That clicking sound is from the Hoatzin birds. They are probably nesting near that stream. The Hoatzin are similar to your chickens in size and appearance. They have a small head, slender neck, and a funny ragged crest at the top of the head. The good news is they are a weak flier and live with up to seven birds in a single nest.

  I am going to head over there and see if I can grab us a few. They will be perfect for eating here and at the cabin. If I am going to continue to give you this much blood I am going to have to keep up my nutrition. I will be back in no more than fifteen minutes. I’m not even going to shift. I should be able to knock them out with a rock.”

  Laura gave me the equivalent of a mental head nod before closing her eyes and slipping off to sleep. I gently pushed her hair out of her face before allowing my lips to flutter past hers. Laura seemed so vulnerable and weak in this condition. My cat and I were struggling to leave her unattended in the event one of the other predators found her while we were gone. I must have paused for longer than I realized while I considered Laura's condition, because I was surprise when I suddenly felt Laura’s presence again in my mind. This time she clearly said

  “Go! I will be fine. Nothing can kill me anyway. Get some food so you can stay strong.”

  This time I moved towards the stream without further hesitation. I was just a few feet away from them when the Toucans high in trees gave away my location. I heard their particular croaking sound, which they do when they sense danger. The noise is odd and it reminds me of a cross between a frog and a pig. The moment the Toucans started croaking out their fear I could hear the young Hoatzin drop from branches into the water.

  I smiled, knowing that I wasn’t after the small young. They were now hiding in the stream it was the large “helpers” that I was after, three of which moved their bodies to protect the young in the stream. I picked up a few small rocks and quickly tossed them at the Hoatzins small beady head. I threw three rocks and like clockwork three Hoatzin dropped to the ground dead. I used the rope in my pocket to tie the birds together then tied them to my belt loop. I would pluck and roast them later tonight. I smiled at the pleasure it would bring me as Laura’s mate to cook and provide food for her. As a Bastet male it was considered an honor to be able to feed our females. With any luck Laura would allow me to serve her the cooked Hoatzin from my hands. Either way, Laura and I were going to have a wonderful roasted bird dinner tonight at the cabin.

  Thinking about feeding Laura brought a lot of Bastet traditions to mind. There were so many things about my people that I’m sure Laura didn’t know or understand. While we, like the wolves, carried a beast inside of us, our ancestors passed very different traditions down to us. The role of Alpha was passed down from father to son. It was granted not earned. The role of Leo was earned never given. You earned the role of Leo by fighting every single member of a Bastet pride. Then, even after you won, they had to accept you as Leo. Often prides went without Leo’s for several years while they waited for the right leader. I have been Leo of my pride since my seventeenth birthday. My cat is particularly dominant and the pride was without a leader at that time.

  Another thing that was very different was that in a wolf pack the female often served and catered to the male. The female would be expected to cook, clean and be at the male’s beck and call. In addition, the male would make all the decision on behalf of the entire family. She wolves rarely had a say in anything. It was my understanding that most of the she wolves were very happy with these family dynamics.

  In Bastet culture, it is the males that most often cooks, clean and cares for the cubs. Similar to she wolves the male Bastet prefer the warmth of home instead of the chaos of society. Though since most Bastet prides still reside in isolated and remote areas of the world outside chaos is somewhat imagined not realized. Another big difference is in my culture decisions are always made jointly by both mates, regardless of who is the dominant animal. I would never force Laura into a decision that she wasn’t one hundred percent on board with. I pondered Laura’s upbringing in a wolf pack and felt a pang of pain in my heart for her. It had to be so hard to live in a male dominated society when Laura was such a strong independent female. I would show Laura what true equality was all about.

  I found myself humming quietly to myself in satisfaction of finding our dinner and knowing that I would open a whole new world of opportunities for my mate. I’d been gone less than fifteen minutes before I returned to Laura’s side, Hoatzin’s in tow. Laura slipped into a deep sleep while I was gone and looked so peaceful I decided to make camp here for the night instead of pressing on to the cabin.

  I opened my duffel bag and pulled out my tent and quickly assembled it. I gathered a bunch of soft fresh leaves and covered the ground under the tent with them. Once I was satisfied that it was as soft as possible, I laid out my clothes on top of the leaves then gently set Laura in the tent. I moved around the area gathering some dry twigs and branches and started a small fire. I sat on a rock just outside of the tent and began plucking the Hoatzin. I was on the third one when I felt Laura’s presence in my mind. I set the Hoatzin down on the rock and opened the tent flap. I was amazed to see Laura’s condition. Laura appeared to be emaciated but almost completely healed. She smiled up at me and said

&
nbsp; “I hate to ask, but I need more blood and some real food please”

  I immediately tore open my wrist and placed it in Laura’s mouth. Then I motioned towards the Hoatzin with my other hand and said

  “I am almost finished preparing them and they should be done cooking in hour or so. Can you wait or do you want to eat them raw?” Laura continued to feed on my blood and said through our mind link

  “I’m going to shift into my wolf and eat them raw. I’m starving”

  I felt her lick my wound on my wrist shut then she shifted into her wolf. I could tell even in her wolf form she didn’t have the strength to move her own body. I wrapped my wrist with a piece of cloth from my pocket and moved outside to grabs the Hoatzin and I tossed them towards her. Laura's wolf damn near snatched them out of midair and swallowed them whole. I would say that it shocked me to see her eat three whole uncooked Hoatzin without so much as even chewing, but the truth was my cat could easily do the same if it was healing from an injury. Laura looked back at me guiltily and said through our mind link.

  “I’m sorry but I need more. A lot more!”

  Then I watched her eyes flutter shut as Laura fell back asleep still in her wolf form. I continued to look at my mate and consider my options. Based on the way Laura consumed the Hoatzin, I knew I was going to need much larger prey if I was going to properly provide for her. With that thought in mind, I kissed Laura’s forehead and went outside to figure out what prey was available to me.

  I sat quietly for just over an hour listening to the various wild animals in our vicinity. Mostly I heard more birds, a few Capybaras which are basically large rats and wouldn’t provide the kind of mass my mate would need. I was about to settle on rounding up as many Capybaras as I could when I heard the distinctive whistle of a Brazilian tapir. A tapir was the perfect prey for my mate. It was close to five hundred pounds of pure meat. I looked back at Laura one more time before I shifted into my tiger and headed out with the intention of bringing back a real meal for my mate.

  CHAPTER 18

  Jeremy’s POV

  The tapir was desperately trying to avoid being my prey. It was bucking and shaking and running at top speed. Occasionally it would intentionally slam itself into a tree. I was latched onto its back hind quarters but it continued to run at full speed through the thickets. Branches at least three to four inches thick were snapping across my snout and back. Then, just as I felt him start to tire and I knew I would finally have the advantage, he actually dove into the river. Now, I can swim and so can my cat but truthfully I’m no match to the swimming prowess of a tapir. The dang thing dove deep and held me under water for a minute before I finally let go.

  I swam to land and shifted back into my human form. The tapir had been smart and managed to thus far escape my cat as the chasing predator. However, despite all the tapir’s attempts to avoid being my dinner, there was no way he would be able to escape my relentless pursuit. I had more tricks up my sleeve then the tapir ever would.

  I sat impatiently by the side of the river waiting for the tapir to finally surface. I stayed underwater for just under five minutes before finally coming back to the top. I could see its snout lifted in the air. It sniffed around, probably trying to determine if my cat was still nearby. Not sensing or smelling any major predators, it swam to the side of the river and exited right in front of me. Not wanting to wait a moment longer before providing for my mate I jumped on the tapirs back in my human form and shifted once I wrestled it to the ground.

  I estimated the tapir weighed just less than six hundred pounds. It would provide plenty of meat so that Laura could heal and I could keep up with her necessary blood supply. In order to get the tapir back to our makeshift camp I decided to drag it in my cat form instead of making multiple trips in my human form. I prepared the meat and used some of the native spices to add flavor, then made my own improvised fire spit and started to slow roast it. It was cooking for a little over an hour before I felt Laura’s presence in my mind. Laura was in need of blood again and she wanted to shift back into her human form and come sit by me at the fire. Laura was nervous because she had no clothes to change into and was trying to avoid asking me for clothes.

  I teasingly told her how we Bastet are accustomed to nakedness and don’t necessarily see it as sexual. In a Bastet pride most members shift and remain naked with little or no clothing. In fact, if she were to ever actually visit my pride she would see most members are naked all the time. Despite no actual words being spoken and Laura still being in her wolf form, I couldn’t miss her discomfiture.

  Since it was my goal to make Laura more comfortable with our relationship and cultural differences I didn’t want to push the issue and cause yet another rift between us. Things like this however could make our lives together a bit difficult. If nakedness in general caused her to become distressed she would most likely not enjoy living in my home. I might have to consider stepping down as Leo and moving to a location better suited for Laura. That however was something that could wait. Not wanting any of my thoughts to leak through to Laura I thought it best to speak out loud so I said in a gentle tone

  “No need to feel uncomfortable. I understand the wolves tend to be a bit more reserved when it comes to public nudity. I do believe most male wolves tend to be jealous and possessive. I’ve heard that they can even become enraged if other males touch them while looking at their naked bodies. I’ve heard a lot of bad things have happened because of misunderstandings.

  Bastet culture is very different. Females tend to be the possessive ones, and occasionally can be moved to violence prior to blood bonding. It’s really more about natural selection and the possibility of losing their mates. However, once blood bonded both the male and the females are confident and secure in the relationship.

  In fact I can promise you, as your mate I would take your word for fidelity. I would never question it or ever think that you would stray. Mates are for life and true mates are for eternity. So I would never care who saw you naked because I know you would always come home to me.

  Um, anyhow you are lying on top of my entire wardrobe that I brought with me. Please feel free to shift in the privacy of the tent and wear anything that tickles your fancy.”

  Laura emerged from the tent a few minutes later wearing one of my gray colored tee-shirts and a pair of black basketball shorts. She tied the tee-shirt snuggly at her waist and used a hair band to make my shorts stay up. Despite her handy work, my clothes were still three sizes too big and hung awkwardly off her body. Before I could stop myself I burst into amused laughter. I sobered immediately when I saw Laura did not look amused. She turned a sour face towards me and said

  “Very funny, ha ha! I can’t help you are a huge man with enormous muscles. No woman would look good in your clothes. Give me a little time to adjust and I just might run around naked like the rest of your Bastet pride. At least no one would laugh when they saw my rock hard body.”

  Her voice had actually been full of amusement and her laughter filled the air the moment she stopped speaking. I could swear I felt her joy. It was such a pleasure being near her and before long I realized I too was laughing along with her. Something about hearing her voice and laughter seemed to completely break the ice for me. The months and issues that separated us previously seemed to be minute in comparison to my genuine feelings for her. I just somehow knew that we would work through all the issues.

  I felt Laura’s mood shift and I knew her body needed my blood and more food. I actually knew before it happened that she was getting ready to ask. I offered before she had to say a word. It was strange but I could swear I actually felt her emotions. I knew asking for my blood was unnerving to Laura so I said in a low even tone.

  “Hey, why don’t you sit down and have a little more blood. I think some of the foods ready too. Once you’ve had your fill of blood, both of us can stuff ourselves on tapir.”

  I felt a sense of relief wash over Laura at my words. Then before she could say anything I
quickly pulled the rag off my wrist and pushed it towards her face. I watched Laura give me a small hesitant smile before she slowly allowed her fangs into my wrist. Prior to this feeding I had always opened a gash in my wrist and Laura simply sucked from it. There had been nothing good or bad about the experience. In truth I would have referred to it as a necessary evil had anyone ever asked.

  This time when I felt her fangs actually slip into my wrist my whole outlook of sharing blood with Laura changed. It was erotic and amazingly sensual. It caused butterflies to burst from my belly. I felt my mouth go dry and my heart accelerate. My body was quivering with pleasure. I could feel my blood heating and desire began to pull in my stomach. I could feel and smell Laura’s own desire building as well. I’m not sure how or what changed but this was too erotic and pleasurable to be considered a simple feeding. Knowing that Laura had intimacy issues and might still get angry if she learned I was getting sexually aroused, I tried to force myself to think of things that would be a turnoff.

  I fill my mind with images of old fat men dancing naked. Since there is absolutely nothing attractive about saggy old men to me I instantly calmed down. With a major damper now on my libido I was able to regain self-control. It was then that I noticed Laura’s feelings of arousal had only grown. By the time she licked my wound shut, my own body was back to being fully stimulated as well. Just as I started to again force myself to think of the old naked saggy men Laura shocked me by holding up her hand in a stop motion and saying