Caught Between Two Bonds

Kurt's body tensed. He wanted to go out that door, but he couldn't leave Selina here alone. Selina saw it—the way he was pulled in opposite directions. The mate bond was pulling at him, yanking hard. Kurt wanted to run to Marina, to shield her with his body, to do whatever it took to keep her safe. But his innate need to keep Selina safe won out as he took a step towards his sister.

"Liam," Selina barked. "Outside. Now. Protect Marina."

Liam, now standing by the window, didn't hesitate. He moved like he was inhuman speed, his massive frame eating up the distance to the door. He disappeared into the sunlight, leaving Kurt and Selina alone in the farmhouse.

The sounds coming from the rear of the house escalated. Snarls. Growls. The low, guttural noises of rapid beasts closing in on their prey. Selina's breath caught as the first wolf slammed through a broken window, the remaining glass shattering from the impact.

"Get behind me," Kurt growled, as the sound of snapping bones and tearing cloth filled the air. Within moments, Kurt's sleek, dark gray wolf, Storm stood next to Selina. He was impressive, standing almost as tall as Selina. Storm's gold glowing eyes locked on the emaciated, mangy light brown rogue wolf.

"I don't think so," Selina snapped, stepping forward. She raised her gun, her hands steady despite the growing fear in the pit of her stomach. "I'm not going to hide while you fight. Not a chance."

The broken door burst open, splintering under the force of the attack. Three more wolves surged into the room, their eyes wild and feral, yellow fangs bared. Selina didn't flinch. She remained focused on the first one as it sped towards her, leaving bloody paw prints in its wake.

With every snap and snarl, Selina's fear increased, but she pushed it down, calmed her breathing, took aim and squeezed the trigger. The first wolf's head snapped back, a clean shot through the eye. It dropped like a puppet with its strings cut.

Kurt let out a deafening growl as his lage form leapt towards the three at the door. He hit the ground on all fours, his wolf form massive and lethal.

With his front claws, Kurt tore into the matted brown one's stomach, releasing a putric metallic smell in the room as it howled in pain. Selina moved with him, then spun and and took aim once more.

Before she had a chance to fire, storms bloodied wolf flew past her, landing in the rogue wolfe, pulling it the ground. The back of it's neck gripped tightly in Kurt's jaw. The sickening of bone breaking was heard as Storm bite down and tossed the now lifeless rogue aside.

Storm growled urgently, as he motioned towards the front door. She didn't need to be told twice. Selina turned, her eyes locking on the the remaining wolf just as lunged. "It's mine, get outside," she barked then shot. The rogue was down but still moving, albeit slowly.

Selina launched herself over it and ran out the the door. Her heart stopped. Outside was chaos.

Liam was pinned against the jeep, his massive frame straining as he fought off two wolves. Blood dripped from the wound in his thigh. His gun was in his hand, but he was firing wild, the shots ricocheting off the ground. Marina was inside the jeep, her face pressed against the seat, her hysterical screams muffled by the door.

Kurt, still in his wolf form, didn't hesitate. He launched himself at the wolf tearing at Liam's leg, his jaws snapping shut around its throat. The two wolves rolled, a snarling, snapping ball of fur and fangs. Kurt's wolf, Storm, came out on top. He ripped the rogue wolf's throat out, showering himself in it's putrid blood.

The rogue's body went limp, and Storm surged to his feet, his chest heaving. He heard Selina's calm voice to talk down Marina get her to unlock the door. He glanced around his side of the Jeep.

Liam had managed to take out the other rogue. Storm was about to shift back, when he heard a low grumbling snarl and Selina scream for Kurt. The injured wolf was running towards Selina, but she couldn't get a shot on it.

The rogue lunged at her, its jaws wide. Storm moved. He lept over the top of the jeep like a projectile, his wolf form silhouetted against the sun. He was a massive, dark shape. Time seemed to slow as he crested the vehicle, his body beginning to shift mid-air. His limbs elongated, his fur receding, his face contorting into human features. He hit the ground hard, the impact sending a shockwave through the dirt.

He didn't hesitate.

"Get down!" he barked, grabbing Selina's gun from her hand. His voice was rough, still tinged with the growl of the wolf. He didn't aim. He just raised the weapon and fired.

A sharp crack echoed through the yard as the wolf's head snapped back, its left eye exploding in a spray of blood and tissue. It's lifeless body went limp and skidded across the ground.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then Marina's screams pierced the air again, raw and terrified. "He's found us. Oh Goddess, he's found us."

Kurt turned to her, still naked and splattered in the rogues black blood. His face streaked with Liam's blood, his voice calm despite the chaos. "Marina, you're safe. We're safe. It's okay. We've got you."

But Marina wasn't listening. She was lost in her fear, curled up in the back seat, her arms wrapped around her head while her body shook.

Selina returned to the house, in search of Kurt's discarded jeans, her hands trembling now that the adrenaline was fading. She glanced around in disbelief not watching where she stepped and stumbled over the remains of Kurt's jeans.

Kurt watched as Selina walked away, back into the house, his jaw tightening. He wanted to follow her. He wanted to make sure she was safe. But Marina's hysterical sobs pulled him back.

He walked over to the otherside of the Jeep his movements slow. "Marina," he softly repeated "You're safe. We've got you." Marina didn't respond.