The Bind

The Viewing

CLAIRE POV

They shuffled out of the penthouse and Sally huffed down on the couch in their place. "What a case of tools. Nice attitude though, did you learn that in FUTAR?"

I melted back into a tired women in her mid 20's with questionable posture. Snorting air in the way one does when they find something humorous, but not quite enough to muster an actual laugh. "Not exactly, I learned that by virtue of having a Monarch for a mate who is accustomed to getting his way." I smiled instinctively when I thought about Xavier, then frowned at the implications of his absence.

The cavernous maw in my middle chose that moment to voice it's displeasure, and grumbled audibly. Asking plaintively if there were delicious morsels to be found in the immediate vicinity.

"Taco time!" Sally jumped back up and skipped to the kitchen, pulling out plates and pre-made tacos from the stainless steel fridge. They smelt like they had been left just long enough for the fresh ingredients to marinate into the perfect amalgamation of flavors. It was comforting to have someone so predictable in my life when everything else refused to assume any form of sense.

The scent wafting from those morsels was something I would never forget. It was the first time my new sense of smell had the opportunity to deconstruct a meal. For the ninety seconds it takes an emotional response to cycle through my system, excited anticipation at discovering all my favourite foods glowed in my stomach.

"I don't have the words to express how happy you make me Sally. Is Diego here?" I had left Sally with her new pack members to come and pass out here, but not before asking her and Diego to stay.

"In the spare room. I decided you needed some stay in company, and Diego would benefit from two dedicated carers." A flash of worry marred her features. Their bond was still unsealed, and it pulled at her with adamant intent. I could see it hiding in the small movements, her fidgeting hands and shallow breathing. Her darting eyes, and the pinched neutral expression in place of her easy smile. Diego was trapped in a cruel catch where bonding would divert an intolerable amount of energy away from healing at this crucial juncture. Unfortunately, the strain of not bonding would cause the speed of his ability to knit bone and regenerate flesh to decelerate painfully.

We relocated to the spare room. It only had one wall of windows, but a wall of mirrors on the cupboard door made the room seem double the size. A multicolored Diego was the current feature piece, swallowed by the extravagant white bedding.

His arm was in a sling, the shoulder had been dislocated and three main long bones all broken. His right hamstring had been ripped by the teeth of another wolf, and four ribs had been snapped like twigs.

"Damn Diego. You look like a mess." He blearily opened his eyes, I felt them linger on my own bed head and swaddled arm. Ever the gentleman, he didn't make any further comment on my disheveled state.

"You should see the other guy." He mumbled instead. Trying to pull himself out of sleep, but failing, until the smell emanating from the mountain of tacos wafted over him. With the possibility of imminent food, his eyes flared open and he tried to sit up with a groan. I empathized with the hunger, healing was hungry business.

I kissed him on the forehead and propped him up as best I could "Thank you."

"Anytime Claire. You are turning out to be a very interesting creature to know." He paused, there were some more words hanging out at the back of his mouth, but they seemed a little shy. So I just waited.

"I..ahh... have something that might be of interest to you." He fiddled with his smartphone with his one good hand.

"I thought that Sally might want to watch her first shift somewhere down the line. She loves to know how things work and all that." He smiled at Sally affectionately, with a hungry gleam that desired a very particular brand of consummation. Then winced, at the pull that followed in its wake. "So, I set up a camera over the clearing. Did you want to watch what happened?" Diego's voice skittered all over the place, speeding up and then slowing right down then speeding up like the run of an erratic criminal dodging bullets.