Page 31 of Unclaimed Bonds

The funny thing about these voices, as I pay closer attention, is they sound exactly the same in my mind. Yet, the intonation and personality behind the words help me to differentiate the two.

Shut up!You’re the one who shoved past me as I opened it, Voice Two snarks.

Shakti leaves my side. “What the hell are you doing? I told you two to stay outside in the waiting area until she woke up and the doctor looked at her,” she issues firmly. Ah, this must be two of the boys she mentioned earlier.

I told you we should wait, Voice One says. I picture an elbow hitting someone in the chest.

Pshhh. Like I’d listen to you anyhow. She needs us. You heard her thoughts, just as I clearly did, Voice Two responds, and again, another elbow jabs back in my head.

How are they doing this? It’s almost like when I heard Alpha Agnus’s voice in my mind. She told me to use my brain to visualize my surroundings.

You met Alpha Agnus? Voice One asks.

“Well, are you two going to explain yourselves?”

“Sorry, Mom, but… we, uh… ouch! What the hell was that for?” Voice One speaks out loud.

Shut up!Maybe Little One doesn’t want anyone to know, Voice Two hisses in my head. I grow confused and overwhelmed as the banter between the two occurs at lightning speed.

“Sorry, Mom. It’s just that….” Voice One stops mid- sentence. In my head, he asks if it’s okay to tell my secret.

I hesitate, worried she won’t like me anymore, especially if she thinks I’m weird.

She’s our mother. You can trust her, just like you can trust us.

Trust. I contemplate the word. It feels like such a foreign concept. Even though my instincts tell me I probably could trust them, I’m not sure it’s safe. Fear blooms deep in my chest.

You can trust us. Our mother knows that we communicate to each other in our minds. If you ever meet our big brother, you’ll learn that he’s special, too. It will be fine.

Caution still stirs in my heart. But I want her to know. I guess, if something happens or they kick me out on the streets, it’s better to find out now, rather than later. I nod.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, we can communicate with her the same way we communicate with each other,” Voice Two blurts.

“Jeremy, language! How many times must I remind you?” Shakti scolds, not really reacting to what he just said. Personally, I would have freaked out.

“Nah, my mom’s cool. I’m Justin, by the way.” Voice One says to the whole room. “The abrupt one is Jeremy. I love how you picked up on the differences in your head.” A slew of images flash through my mind of someone receiving a beatdown. I assume those stem from Voice Two, or Jeremy.

“Mom, she can’t see or talk. It was really bothering her. We just want to let her know that she’s not alone, and we can help.” Justin is cordial when he speaks. Maybe that’s just the way he talks to his mom.

“She’s scared and sad,” Jeremy admits softly this time.

An image populates of a tiny person in a hospital bed, attached to tubes. She’s thin, and frail, and her face is hollow and sunken in, akin to a skeleton. A woman dressed in a smock and matching colored pants works to rearrange lines and reposition the body.

Is that me? He’s showing me what I look like. Wow. I look like death lingers closely. With each image, I experience their fear, concern, and sadness. They don’t even know me, and they are worried about me.

“The doctor should be here shortly. He went to one of the pack members’ homes to help with a birthing. I usually go, but I wanted to be here when you woke up,” she explains.

I think it’s strange. I only just met her, and I really feel like she cares about me, in such a short time.

She does. We all do. One of the boy’s voices enters my head again.

“Mom, she’s wondering why you care about her,” Jeremy tells his mother.

A hand grips my own, and her floral perfume wafts closer. “Because the moon goddess brought you to us. I will care for you as if you were one of my own.”

No words, no thoughts, can express the feeling that blossoms in my chest. Even without my memory, my instincts claim that I have never known this kindness. Two hands touch my feet.

“Hello, Little One. You’re awake,” a man’s voice greets from the doorway. “I’m Dr. York. We haven’t officially met.” A shadowy figure stands off to the side.