Screams, howls, growls, pain. Someone is screaming no, another is yelling for war. A voice pleads from the vacant darkness.
It's cold. Whimpering, I search for warmth in this darkness. Is there anyone? Can anyone hear me? Wait, there's a warm body. I can sense you, whoever you are, please, please share with me your warmth. Please..., such a familiar melancholic word.
Oh, my nose suddenly feels warm.
Scrunching my nose at the left over wet sensation, I lift a heavy paw to clean it off. Huh? I can now touch my nose... and the voices are gone. Slowly opening one of my eyes to the dark room I come to acknowledge that in this place there are hints of light much unlike the dreams I relived over and over again. My nightmare, though finished in the land of dreams, is now replaced by real life. Life, ha, lives...
Letting out a big yawn, I scrub my teary eyes while morphing into my naked fragile self. Letting out a shudder, one of my males purrs as he closes the distance between us with his leopard beast body. In front of me, my other male Adan reaches out and kisses my forehead while waiting patiently for my hands to raise up so that he can help with placing the cloths on me.
As I dress, my eyes droop as I again remember Wyatt. He would've been the one to have woken up beside me. Instead of Leo, I first would have felt his fur.
NO SUKI!
Shaking my head from my dark thoughts and coming back to the present, my eyes widen in realization that I'm now fully dressed and am standing up. When did that happen?
Sigh, yes, I can't fall into the pit of sadness and despair. It really is a black grayish colored hole that can and has become strangely addictive, so much that letting go can feel so heavenly. For me, hibernating has been a gift in the process of having airs of relief from this hollow pain. However, I also believe that I've been battling my grief and pain during my sleep. If that's even possible.
Glancing around as I'm being led to the outside, I first sense the fresh cold air blowing through my hair. Feeling a heavy set of fur cloth placed around my shoulders, I then look up to notice Adan's small smile and twinkling steel blue eyes. Oh? Is he up to something? Getting a closer look at him, I then become aware that there's an additional mark on his face. He did it, my Adan did it! He's now a three marked male. Smiling back at him, he then shows a wide grin and happily swings his bushy tail back and forth as he tries not to jump on his toes to the place where they're leading me.
Behind us, I listen to Leo scurrying around while carrying some of our heavy furs. He then sneakily closes by and gives a quick peck on the cheek as he happily trots upwards. Goofball. Now, really, what are they up to? Seeing his exciting cubbish hops brings a spark of joy to my eyes.
Though this joy was short lived when nature suddenly invaded my senses. Shivering and feeling slight tingles of pain, I looked down to see that my bare feet has been touching the snow this whole entire time. I'm not fully dressed!! Pouting, I looked up to see a relief looking Adan, who then gave a peck to my other cheek and held me bridal style as we went up the hill. Why that face though? And was this a joke?
Finally up on the hill, the first image to greet us is of Radu and Leo hurriedly placing the furs on the snowy ground. Behind them, or say underneath them appears a gorgeous view of our den and further out is the river of bears. Meanwhile, Vick stands aside cooking smoked meat.
How did I not smell this? Scent them?
My stomach chose this special moment to grumble outloud to which Radu and Leo finally stand up and greet with large happy smiles. They then hurriedly pulled Adan to arrive at the area. As Adan walks by with me in his arms, Vick with his stoic face greets me with curious yet worried black colored eyes.
Greeting him back with a nod, I suddenly come to terms that I'm no longer afraid of him. Instead I believe my fear is of death, of losing my family, my friends. Yet, have I forgiven him? I don't know because right now my pain for Wyatt is still strong in my heart. Maybe later, when all is calm, and I can one day laugh normally, then I'll think back to him.
As my feet touch the furs, Radu hurriedly tells me to sit down as he and Leo tip toe around to fetch a bowl of boiled nuts and another to bring in the ready meat. As for Adan, well he just placed my thin body between his legs since having the three marks he is now automatically considered as the head male of our family. A position that another male could one day obtain if shown stronger than him, butttttt that's a topic for another day.
"Suki, try these boiled nuts, they are really tasty and said to be wonderful for females," comments Radu as he sits beside us.
Tossing a few into my mouth, my glands salvigate and I taste the salty earthy flavor. "It's delicious... did the travelers come by so soon?"
Hearing my question Leo shakes his head, "no, actually it was Sheila who invented some new ways for us to eat."
Sheila? Last I remember she also lost someone special to her. "How is she?"
"Eat first Suki," commands Adan as Vick passes him a piece of meat.
At this moment I didn't take offense since I really am, like realllllly, starving and as my head male, he's the one in charge of my health.
After watching how my gluttonous bear beast self devours the food, he then began to tell me that Sheila has been occupied in finding ways for our tribe to eat better foods. Why? Well, she's planning to travel with some of our warriors to other tribes to ask them to join our war against the Ape Clan.
Wait, did I miss something? "I thought this was our battle?" I ask as I wrinkle my nose at the bad taste of adding other tribes to our plan of revenge.
Instead of Adan answering, it is Vick who, looking at the rising sun, answers, "the mane wolves who attacked us did it unwillingly since their females are being held hostage by the Ape Leader and his group of loyal followers... we believe that there is a possibility that there are other tribes affected by them."
"Not only that, but he might even have set his eyes on our tribe as well. Sheila must've been the perfect excuse given to finally attacking us," growls Radu as he sinks his teeth harshly at a piece of fatty meat.
So, he, that, THAT greedy buffoon wanted to attack us all along?!?!?!?!
Growling loudly, I felt my skin trying to morph into my beast, yet Adan instead of letting go held me tight and actually bit my ear.
"Yow!!! What the hell Adan!!!"
Adan quickly spins me around to face him and looks straight at my eyes, "I don't know what hell is, but no morphing for you Suki. At least not for a while."
Grumbling, I was about to protest when Radu stepped in, "Suki, I'm not sure if you've noticed but you've passed the time when the bear beasts have stopped hibernating."
Behind me, Leo places his curly head on my shoulder, sniffs the back of my head, and whispers, "you've been waking up every now and then but always fall back to sleep.. For us, can you please stay awake, stay here as our female. Please Suki?"
That word again. Please.
Flashbacks to pleading on that windy night out loud to Wyatt for him to come back safe to us. To later on, Radu brushing my hair as he silently cries for me to wake up. To glimpses of Leo munching on something and attempting to feed me with his mouth while warm tears fall down his cheeks. And then there's Adan who places his heavy wolf head on my body and whines for me to move. To finally scenting Vick around my room and hearing his steady voice repeating to my sleeping body that, "you're strong, have always been strong."
They care for me, my family loves me and I almost completely gave into grief.
Unknowingly, tears began to slide down from my saddened eyes. Sniffing, I then borrowed my head into Adan's shoulder and truly cried, "I'm back, I'm really back, and will stay because I love you, I love my family and want us to prosper, want us to be strong, to live for a long time, so..." With what I believe as snot going down my nose with an added ugly wrinkly mouth, I leaned back and screamed out loud into the sky so that this world could hear me, "I'M NOT LEAVING!"
Chapter originally written and published on December 17, 2021 in Wat tp ad. Time: 21:30
--- Authors Note --
My wonderful readers, we are almost finished with Suki's story!!
Sorry that the last few chapters have been pretty sad, but from here onwards I'll try to bring back a few laughs before completely finishing the book. So hopefully no more crying in the baths, si? (psss btw sorry about that but atleast you were at a private place when you read the previous chapter).
Thank yall for giving my book a chance, voting, and of course those wonderful comments! Stay safe!!