The Bond

Alice ducked under the attack and Sucrose soared above her. The small wolf landed next to the cave wall and the entire thing vibrated as a red light burst and the wall crumbled as a boom almost deafened Alice.

Alice shook her head as she cried to stop the ringing echoes. "What are you doing?" she demanded.

Sucrose had the end of her chain in her mouth and her eyes darted back and forth before she gingerly set it down and bowed her head. "I'm getting you out of here."

"What? Why would you do that?" Alice frowned. "You're one of his wolves, this is some sort of trick."

"No," Sucrose answered her voice sweet and thick like honey. "You misunderstand who I am and what I am to that creature."

"Your name is Sucrose and you're one of his."

"Yes, but I have only been following him in an attempt to stop him." Her eyes darted about again. "I'll get the collar and chain off back at my lab, follow me."

Alice growled. "You expect me to just believe you?"

"No," Sucrose replied. "But we don't have time. Please, I can help you if you follow me. If you stay here you'll be his plaything forever and just end up joining the others once he's bored."

Alice cocked her head. "Others?"

"You thought you were the only one?" Sucrose laughed. "I'll explain when we get back to my laboratory. Now, let's go." She grabbed the chain before Alice could object again and at a quick pace, she led Alice through the cave and into the daylight.

"It's already so late?" Alice growled but Sucrose didn't answer.

Considering her mouth was full, Alice couldn't say that she blamed the other wolf. The guards were gone, that was a good sign at least but Alice didn't like where Sucrose was heading, to territory that she hadn't set foot in before.

Alice stopped walking but Sucrose pulled along until the darkness of the trees being so dense swallowed the two of them.

Sucrose dropped the chain several yards in and motioned with her head for Alice to follow after. The Alpha wasted no time and chased after the smaller wolf until they got to a huge gaping maw of a cave.

Alice set one paw inside the entrance and her gums flared up as she growled. The sickly sweet apples and cinnamon were everywhere. The entire cave reeked of it, and as Sucrose paused beside her, Alice smelled it again this time coming from Sucrose herself.

"Are you my mate?" Alice demanded with a shake of her head. What was going on now? None of this made sense.

Sucrose laughed a long bitter chuckle. "No, I'm no one's mate. I'm no one's anything at this rate."

"Then why?" Alice demanded. "Why are you steeped in the scent of my mate? Why does this entire place smell like him?"

Sucrose shifted and a young woman with a dainty silver braid and a modest white dress bowed her head to her once more. "That's my fault. I am Harris's pet and his one and only scientist."

"Scientist?" Alice frowned. "Why do wolves have to mess with human things like that?"

"He wanted me to create something unique and more powerful than anything else. He's used it several times now, and several times it's done its' job, until you."

"What do you mean? I was still tricked by him!"

Sucrose nodded. "You were, but you kept fighting. Even after the mating, you didn't let him claim you."

Alice glanced away. Thankfully her furry cheeks hid the blush. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Sucrose cleared her throat in a delicate rumble. "You smell of mating and him. His real smell is faint but I'll always be able to make it out."

"Wait, that scent isn't even his?" Alice demanded

"No," Sucrose clucked her tongue. "All of that was created and is synthetic. None of it is real."

A huge weight that had been crushing Alice from the inside dissipated and she took a deep breath as she grinned. "At least you've given me some good news. Now, what do you mean it's happened several times? What else is he hiding and why are you even helping him in the first place?

Sucrose glanced away as her eyes glued to the various glass beakers and instruments scattered around the makeshift lab. "I was kicked out of my pack when I was younger. Harris found me and I believed everything he told me."

"What did he tell you?" Alice demanded. At least she wasn't mated to a genocidal maniac. Her relief threatened to burn her from the inside out.

"That I was special, that with me at his side we could change the world." Sucrose scoffed. "We've been changing the world alright." She turned and sighed as she stared at Alice. "I must admit I didn't think it was all bad until I saw and heard of that human you've been keeping as a pet."

Justa. She didn't have to worry about loving him any longer, no more issues. She would grab Mark and kidnap Justa and go live in the forest somewhere where no one could ever bother them. This whole experience was enough to make her just want to restart the pack.

Sucrose continued. "It made me think about what I've been doing and what I've helped create. And I'm done being that kind of person. I've helped Harris several times now do the same song and dance with different wolves."

"So many other alphas?" Alice demanded.

"No, just the alphas mates. One by one he sowed discontent and managed to leak his own pack into theirs. Always packs that had human settlements near by. And using the new mate bond and the hatred that beats in every wolf's breast, he created an army."

"He slaughtered them, didn't he?" Alice demanded.

"He did." Sucrose sighed again. "The last attack involved children. I-" She swallowed hard. "I had never seen a human child up close. I tried to hide one. They were just so scared and they saw their mom die. I just wanted to help. Harris found out, and killed the little one in front of me. Told me that I was getting too soft and I needed to toughen up if I wanted to remain by his side."

"But without you, he doesn't have the weird fake bond." Alice pointed out.

"No, but he's seen me create it enough times if he had to he could duplicate it after a few attempts. He's just hesitant because those steps to create it are complicated." She looked through the beakers and vases until she grabbed a short fat one. "This will take the curse off that collar."

"How was he able to even do that anyway?" Alice demanded as she watched Sucrose pour out a couple of bright blue drops in a tall thin tube.

"I've been experimenting for years. You have your magic, and I have my potions." She let the drops land on Alice's collar and the metal hissed as the collar cooled around her neck.

"You can take it off now."

Alice nodded and reaching up she pulled the offending item away. "So you're helping me because you want to stop him?"

"Yes, and because I'm going to need a pack I can be hidden inside after this is over. When the other wolves find out what I've done, they will try to kill me."

"What happened to all of his other mates if he keeps doing this? Why are they willing to just accept it?"

"They're his slaves. Unlike you, once they've mated with him and he's claimed them, they lose their wills. They do whatever he says."

"Why didn't he do that to you then?" Alice stared at the other woman.

"He never wanted me," Sucrose answered with a shrug. "But this isn't about revenge for that. I don't want him either. I just want to be in a pack that won't run me out because I like to experiment."

A smile flickered over Alice's lips. "Well, my pack has a wolf that likes to cook. You won't be too separate from the others."

Sucrose's eyes widened and then she smiled as tears shimmered and made her eyes glassy. "Thank you, I'll never regret this decision for helping you."

"Now, the collar is gone, and I understand how the scent trap works, but how can I make it lose its power? I have to save Justa and I don't care how many of his wolves or my own I have to kill to do it."

Sucrose looked through her vials for a few minutes before grabbing one with a pink liquid just covering the bottom. "There's not much left, and it won't last for long but I don't have time to make you another batch. I use it whenever I have to create more for him, and he uses it so he doesn't fall for his own trick."

That got Alice's attention. "Can he fall for it?"

It was like the perfect picture. Sucrose's eyes widened and a smile spread across her lips. "I don't know, but I'd be willing to give it a try to find out."