Quick note to a reviewer. No sadly it wasn't a case of writers block that caused 3 months without an update. Real life 'pulled the rug from under my feet' and writing had to be put on the back burner until everything settled down.
.
.
.
"CHIAKI!"
Frantically Curtis placed her on the ground as gently as he could. What was wrong?! Had her use of his beast power been to strong for her female body to handle? He glanced about, seeing the fearful people around them. They wanted to help his mate, but too frightened by him to venture closer. Curtis ran a hand through his hair, retrieving the life saving gem he'd kept with him for several months now. Carefully he pressed the gem to Chiaki's lips, breathing a sigh of relief as it disappeared, being absorbed into his mates body.
He finished his transformation back into his fully humanoid form and pulled his hip wrap off, uncaring of his nakedness. He wiped the blood away from Chiaki's body, seeing the flow begin to slow as the magic of the gem began to work. Her face took on a healthier shade and all the damage caused by her being washed downriver by the flash flood healed and disappeared. Soon after the blood stopped seeping from her body, Chiaki's eyes began to flutter.
"Chiaki?"
"Hn? Kurt?"
"Yes, it's me. How are you feeling now?" He asked her softly, speaking too low for others to hear.
"Like I was hit by a truck." Her lips twitched up into a tiny smile. "What happened?"
Curtis looked pained. He wasn't exactly sure what had happened. Obviously his mate had been through too much in the past day. This was all he was sure of. "You passed out... and were bleeding." He pulled the soiled fur up to cover her, assured the bleeding had stopped now. He glanced around at the beast men. "I should get you to a healer."
Langzhu spoke up. "I'm the healer for the Rock Mountain Wolf Tribe." He took a careful step forward, unsure if the snake male would again lash out.
Curtis lifted his head, giving the elder male a hard look. "Then I want you to care for my mate."
Langzhu nodded. "Of course my boy." Knowing he now had permission to come closer, Langzhu walked over to Curtis and Chiaki. He kneeled down next to them. His wrinkled hand was pressed to Chiaki's forehead. "Her fever from earlier is gone." He checked her eyes, looked into her mouth, and felt for her heartbeat.
"Well?" Curtis pressed after several minutes of examination.
"She seems to be fine, though..." He motioned to the blood stained fur between her legs. "May I examine your female for damage?"
Curtis tensed up, but Chiaki placed a hand on his arm. "I can answer that one doc, yes, you can examine me to see why I was bleeding."
Langzhu pulled the fur away, seeing the snake male narrow his eyes and glare at him. He was a healer though and fairly old on top of that. Seeing the privets of a female wasn't exciting to him. He examined Chiaki, pressing on her abdomen and checking for any more fresh blood. Once finished, he covered her once more. "I can not find the cause of the bleeding."
"I gave her a healing crystal."
Langzhu's ears perked up at those words. "Indeed? Then any damage that her body sustained has been healed and i will not find anything to tell me what happened. However, that also means that your mate shall make a full recovery. I suggest she stay in my care for a few more days so I can give her some plants to help recover after the sudden blood loss." He waved to the doorway being protected by a pair of wolf tribe males.
Curtis nodded and scooped Chiaki up as he stood, following the elder healer into the building.
o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o
Qianhuang felt the sudden burst of mate energy as it rolled over him. The sudden shock of it nearly knocked him from the sky. Chiaki was in danger! What had happened? Why was she using the power from the mating bond? Had something happened to the snake and she was trying to protect herself?
A million thoughts began to race through his head. This must have been why he had been feeling uneasy. Thankfully, he was already headed back to their home. if he pushed himself, taking no rests and forgoing hunting... it would still take too long for his liking. He could move quicker without the large clay jars filled with salt. But he had traded so much to get them for his family.
"Papa?" Kimba questioned as his fathers flight became panicked and erratic.
"It's nothing, cub." Qianhuang replied, hoping his voice didn't betray him. Still he needed to get to Chiaki faster than he was right now. The Leopard Village was the only one on the way that he knew anyone. He adjusted his flight slightly. He'd ask the other Earth female to watch his son and the salt pots.
o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o
"Oh gods! What happened to you?!" Huanhuan asked Chiaki as she was brought back to the pile of furs only a handful of minutes after she'd left.
Chiaki was being carried by a nude man with long bright red hair. Huanhuan refused to let her eyes wonder anywhere but his face the moment she'd realized he was unclothed. He placed Chiaki on the furs, pulling a bloodied fur from her body before covering her with the clean sleeping furs of the healer.
"Don't know." Chiaki replied.
"I'm afraid that is the best even I can say." Langzhu added. "Rest assured though that the danger has passed." He glanced over to Curtis, who had replace the bloodied wrap around his hips. "You should go wash that, it'll draw in predators."
"Is your village so weal it can't fight of some wild animals?" Curtis retorted. "No, I will stay here with my mate."
"With the shape I found her in, you should be ashamed of calling yourself her mate!" A voice said from the entrance way.
Curtis turned to face the newcomer. A male with mid-length white hair, black ears and a black and white striped tail. A white tiger male. "You are the male to tried to keep me away from Chiaki!" Curtis yelled at him.
"I saved her, by all rights she should take me as a mate! A feral like you can't take care of a female. We all know the stories! Females stolen by feral males die quickly. I saved her life!"
Langzhu sighed. What a mess this was. But Bai Di did have a loose claim on the female. Saving the life of a female allowed the male to pursue her as a mate and if she had no mates yet it was almost a sure thing. This female, Chiaki, had a mate already... though he was a feral snake beast. However, he'd shown great promise in his ability as a male by having a healing gem with him. "This is a healers area, if you two insist on fighting more, take it outside!" He snapped at the younger males.
"Curtis don't." Chiaki asked from where she lay.
Curtis turned away from Bai Di, set on ignoring the tiger male in favour of making sure his mate was comfortable.
Bai Di didn't want to relinquish his claim from saving the females life. He was a strong and good looking male, but so were so many others. This was the best chance he had a gaining a female. He walked over to the far wall and sat down, watching over Chiaki from a distance.
