Guest: Thank you. Hopefully I won't overdo the describing of feelings sometimes.
Mrs Sorbo: Thank you so much for your kind words. Hopefully I can keep the story up to them. And about happy ending... I really don't like tragic endings. And I would be interested to know what's your understanding of what the story's message is? There is one, but I would like to know does other people see some other message in the story.
MsAartByHeart: To another castle... Hihii.

Hopefully you'll enjoy!

They couldn't return to the village. Not with Anna's untreated leg and she unable to even stay fully awake.
Feeling the woman behind him getting too relaxed and hands starting to slide down his sides Victor stopped the snowmobile.
"Hey", the feral man barked and looked over his shoulder. Anna was fully leaning against him, her chin downwards. "Don't fell asleep."
"No", came the answer without much strength and after that she started slipping again.
Growling Victor turned sideways on the seat and grabbed the mutant female by her shoulders. Squeezing enough that the pain shook up the sleepy head of hers. Discomfort showing from her lips the woman glared. Sabretooth bared his teeth in response.
If by pissing her off or making her feel threatened would keep her awake, then he would be the reason.
It would annoy him greatly if she would die just when he had gotten back to her.

Shouldn't have left in the first place.
Should have just listened the instincts about staying. Just accept this whole thing like he had already planned to. But... Fuck! It had been too much with all that sentimental bullshit, that Sabretooth had felt way too uncomfortable to stay. He panicked.
But he wouldn't admit that to no soul.

"Let go", she still had guts to snarl even in that condition.
Victor pulled a wide smile to his face, pushing away the feeling of worry.
Leaning closer, adding more pressure and smelling her starting anger Sabretooth leered.
"Guess I just kill you and be done now, if you're not gonna survive from one bullet. Where's the fire of yours... Prey?"

That word. That fucking dirty filthy word!
Despite of everything Anna grabbed the front of the beast man's throat, digging her fingers so that she felt the windpipe. Her other hand rose to the knife at her belt.
It was her only weapon now.
Bastard's hands kept gripping her shoulder bones painfully and his lips around the sharp teeth twisted more upwards. Tips of his claws pressed through fabric and into her skin.
Surge of anger pulled Anna back from the drowsiness that had so heavily hovered over her.
"Say that word again", she spitted through clenched teeth. "And I'll skin you alive."
She was too weak in the end though.

Anna couldn't even react fast enough when the bastard took her hand from his throat and twisted the wrist.
Gasp slipping she glared back to the warning stare.
Part of her wanted to try to hit with the knife or collide head against the predator's. Fight back, that was the main reaction and instinct she had. But the smarter side of her told to submit for now.
Sometimes a predator has to lay still and pretend wounded to get the prey closer.
It didn't need much for her body to yield.
The predator let go of her.

Mouth still formed into menacing one Victor huffed approval. This was better. Stubbornness and stupidity would just bring the female into deeper crap and him knocking the lights out of her.
The feral man turned back around and restarted the engine. He didn't need to order the bambi to hold onto him and this time the grip was firmer than before.
Much better.

Driving the vehicle with full speed, but avoiding most jumps and quick turns, Sabretooth made it to the cottage. It was just like he had left it.
People in the village hadn't talk about it, so maybe this place was completely forgotten?
It was at a perfect place though: deep in the woods, no people around, surrounded thickly by trees and laid on a low hill. The two-storey building was sturdy, not too large and there were good hunting grounds all around. Even a river was behind the house and not far away even.
It was just what Sabretooth wanted from his hideout. Maybe he'll turn this place into one after this shit storm calmed down.
Stopping the snowmobile next to the house Victor turned to look at Anna.
She had fought to stay awake to here but she was clearly in need of rest.
Maybe he should have tried to go back to the village, into the car and drive off. But Victor didn't do much regretting mistakes from past. Never helped with present.

This time the feral man lifted the woman in bridal style, gathered close to his chest and pushed her head to lean against his shoulder.
This is how it's done, right? Victor didn't practice this kind of carrying so he wasn't sure.
At least Anna didn't protest, much, as moving the leg hurt and made her wiggle.
The smell of blood, sweat and female wasn't exciting now than usually.
Now the mixture made Sabretooth fell unsettle, glancing at the drowsing female and making him walk faster inside.
Had to just get her patched up and the feeling would go away.

It had been some time, a long time, when Victor had treated injuries, but he still remembered.
The first time he had learned about healing others had been, when Jimmy's healing ability hadn't kicked fully in yet. But even after that had happened, it was still good to know these things: sometimes healing ability wasn't enough or it could make things worse.
Sabretooth also sometimes needed his victims suffer but stay alive. With his ability and job he had come well learned about human anatomy and its functions.
But to treat someone so they could stay alive and be fully capable afterwards was a bit hazy in the predator man's memory. He tried his best now though.

It was better to leave the bullet inside Anna's thigh. Taking it out would have been too risky: the wound could get infected, the inner bleeding could start again, he could accidentally make the injury worse and so many other things could go wrong.
The bleeding had almost completely stop during the ride to here so carefully Victor took off the binding that Anna had made.
Claws cutting pants he had cleaned the wound's surroundings the best he could, the woman not waking up which worried him. After that he had ripped couple of shirts which he had found and used the shreds as a new bandage.
The leg wasn't swelling anymore but felt hot to touch. Victor didn't smell anything to be wrong with Anna's leg, yet.
He still needed to get her out of here and have professional treatment.
In here they could take a break and let Anna's condition become even before heading back to village.
After treating and covering her with his jacket and leaving her sleeping on the large sofa next Victor had put a fire in the living room's fireplace.
Then getting snow from outside he had melted some water in a kettle.
Suffering from blood lost Anna needed to stay hydrated, and needed meat too but Victor didn't trust to leave her alone for that long.
After all this the mutant male sat on the couch next to the female.
And when not having any more stuff to keep himself busy with, his thoughts turned towards the whole situation.

What next? After all this, when the woman was safe, treated and healthy, what then?
The feral male was not sure.
But he had learned his lesson: do not leave the female alone anymore. In addition that she got herself into trouble, it was pain in the ass without her.
At first it had been more like irritating itch when Victor had left. At least compared to what had formed later on.
In just couple of days it had gotten worse. Thoughts about what if coming steadily into his mind. A bad feeling settling that he couldn't shook off. Which seemed to be right after all as seeing now the situation that Anna had gotten herself into.
Then... There was really no way describing it.
The closest thing the man could compare the state of his mind with, was like what happens with distressed animals.
When an animal keeps calling, looking and waiting for its disappeared mate. And it can't leave until the mate is found, all instincts on edge so it can't relax at all.
Like dog waits for its owner at the door. Cat calls for its sold kits. Deer stays with its injured friend or tiger guards its trapped mate.
Sabretooth hadn't been able to focus on or enjoy of anything fully, his mind all the time on the edge.
It felt like he was trapped by the guilt of leaving the female behind.
Everything felt wrong, just wrong, all the time.
And that feeling had made Victor mad, nothing making it go away until he decided to give up and come back.

Sabretooth didn't like the idea of a mate.
Someone to take care of, someone who he couldn't leave alone for long time or had to consider in when he planned something. His instincts making him crazy if he didn't stay with her, or whatever they wanted from him when it came to her.
It felt weird to doubt your own wants when you had so long just let them rule you without any hesitation. Let yourself be selfish with the reason; just because you could and it wasn't any worthwhile of thinking others. And now this was the second time that Victor was doing this, his instincts colliding with his... Uneasiness.
Was it about killing or something more basic he wouldn't be so wondering than with this mate thing.
But it wasn't like he was completely inexperienced with this.
Sabretooth had been in couple of relationships in the past.

Mystique, the blue shape-sifter, had been one of them, the longest one, though not consistent as they had gone on and off for long time.
Both knew what they were and so hadn't wait anything special from one another. Both using each other in their own way for their own things until the other got enough and they were again hating each other until something, yet again, was needed from other.
But then Victor had enough of being manipulated and played with, the blue bitch being more trouble than anything else.
...With Anna the mutant feral was not sure what kind of deal they would have.
She wasn't needy, acted independently and was strong in physical and mental way. Sometimes too stubborn though, but being treated right she would obey. Wasn't bad to look at, had the fire in her. Had a sharp tongue and was enjoyably playful when in that mood. Didn't wait him to be gentle or to sugar coat things.
Gave him a challenge and didn't fear his claws or what he could do to her if she pissed him off.
She didn't judge him or despised his animalistic nature.

Staring into the fire, listening the burning wood's crackling and feeling the warmth increasing in the small living room that had a kitchen in it, Sabretooth decided.
This could work, this mate thing.
Just needed to keep the bambi alive, satisfy his needs with her, see her now and then... Yeah, that didn't sound too hard. And it wasn't like he wouldn't get anything from this thing. He was a lot more relaxed and lucid now with Anna next to him. He enjoyed fucking her, enjoyed of her company and... He kinda enjoyed of tending her.
Making her feel better had given him different pleasure than when just filling his needs, and it didn't feel uncomfortable.
Just a bit alien.
But she was still a stubborn mule and challenging him so that it wasn't amusing anymore.

Sighing, still doubts in his mind but now more content with his decision Victor leaned backwards on the furniture, glancing at the sleeping woman next to him.
Victor needed to get Anna into the deal. Or force her. She was his now and when Sabretooth wanted something he didn't give it away. Or he destroyed it so no-one else could enjoy of it.
He was a bastard in that way: he didn't like sharing or losing.

Anna woke up suddenly because of a dry throat.
Body jerking with every coughing she quickly turned to her side, fingers digging into cushion when the movement shot pain into her thigh.
The fit was as quickly gone as it had come, the woman breathing heavily and trying to swallow moisture into her throat.
A hand settled onto her upper shoulder, supporting her pose. It was comforting, just the warm touch.
Opening her eyes Anna saw a cup being brought to her mouth.
"Drink", gruff voice commanded. Wanting the irritation to stop she drunk the warm liquid. It was just water, tasteless and warm, soothed her throat.
Wanting more faster she placed her hand onto the one that hold the cup. The holding palm's size and rough texture made her glance to the person next to her.
She was surprisingly little concerned or dumbfounded to see it was Victor.
She was curious though, and a bit confused, of his presence and his caring action. They made her suspicious of his intentions.
Anna kept watching the feral man as she drunk, he holding her gaze back evenly.

The look on his eyes made her uncomfortable.
It wasn't just a look. It was intense and observing, but not a hostile one or Anna didn't sense that from it. It still made her inner animal nervous though as the feral just stared all still. The whole situation felt suddenly very intimidating to Anna whose stomach started to turn into knots under the gaze. She swallowed the last from the cup and lowered her face while licking his lips. She was unable to look away from Victor though, mostly because of stubbornness and some of... She just felt like not to let him out of her sight.
After her drinking everything the predator put the cup down to the floor and kept staring back, his hand still laying on her shoulder.
Ears twitching Anna asked with a bit groggy voice.
"How long I slept?"
"About an hour."
Nodding Anna slowly turned her gaze away. This was just like the jacket back then.
Looking around gave to Anna something else to be worried about though.
She recognized the living room of her childhood home, the cottage where father had kept her.
"...How did you know to come here?" she asked, feeling a fight sparking inside her, between need to stay calm and a primal fear.
Bad place. Bad, bad place, lots of pain. Caged, no escape.
The beast is dead, the forest is safe, the cottage is safe, no need to fear.
But it is not easy to forget the fear that had been felt through years.

"Found it after our first fight... The place is haunted or something?"
Anna couldn't response to the joking tone. Instead she pushed herself upwards.
The hand on her shoulder pushed her back down, and that action in turn made her automatically hold herself up against the pressing hand. The claws pressed into her through clothes.
"Don't get up. Why are you nervous?"
The tone of the predator's puzzled her. It almost sounded like he was sincerely asking what was wrong.
Like she was going to tell him.
"The villagers know this place, they'll come here or sent police."
"That's not what's making you scared."
Finally the prey feral looked at the male, glaring up to him.
"Not your business. Let go", she snapped, still keeping herself up against the pushing hand. Victor put more force to the act and in her current state the woman couldn't fight back.
But she wasn't going to submit.
Pulling the knife out she placed the blade against the side of Sabretooth's lower stomach.
"Let go", she repeated.
A deep warning growl filled the strained air in the room.
"Put that away."
"Take your hand off first."

Victor didn't feel like playing nice now.
The place obviously was upsetting the woman and he wanted to know why.
But she was just as stubborn as ever.
She had to start obeying him if he was gonna keep her around. If she would always wrestle with him verbally and physically in everything, then one time it would lead into her death.

So, grabbing onto the knife holding hand and to the other one too Victor flipped the female onto her back. He ignored the hiss of pain as her injured leg was suddenly moved.
Pressing her hands down, basically making her almost incapable of fighting back in the condition of hers, Sabretooth leaned down towards the laying female.
Baring his teeth Victor let out a challenging growl to the still woman.
She answered back with a glare of hers, not wavering as he loomed above her face.