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Therian Dreaming II

Chapter Twelve

© Cederwyn Whitefurr

21st April 2023

All Rights Reserved.

Pete held the crying and traumatised Kelsie of over two hours, before she finally cried herself to sleep and he gently picked her up and grunted, his knees crackling as he lifted her dead weight.

“Easy honey - “ Pete murmured, feeling her start to wake. “Its alright, I got you my love, you're going to be okay... I hope..."

As quietly as he could, Pete carried her home. He felt nauseous, feeling the cold, slick sweat that had soaked through her fur, the quivering of her muscles and her soft whimpering cries in whatever passed for sleep in her mind. He had no answers, only questions, and those questions in turn, asked more questions.

He could only hope Kelsie could answer some of them, when she woke...

*

He dozed, Kelsie's head resting on his lap as he sat up in bed, then felt her tremble and his eyelids lifted like he had weights tied to them.

“Pe..." Kelsie swallowed, then squeezed her eyes closed at the morning sunlight that streamed in through the bedroom window.

“Shh, easy Kelsie - “ Pete murmured, wiping her forehead and ears with a cool cloth, placing it back on the edge of the bowl. “What happened? When I found you - “

Kelsie flinched like he'd slapped her muzzle, her eyelids screwing shut and she wrinkled her nostrils, her lips forming a quivering line.

“Hey, easy!" Pete gasped, feeling her heart-rate suddenly pounding like a jackhammer. “Rest love, please? I'm sorry, I did not mean too - “

Kelsie began quivering, before the tears started sliding down her cheeks.

“Pet..." Kelsie's quavering voice was wracked with sobs. “Gh..."

Pete held her gently, stroking her ears soothing. “Kelsie? Please my sweet, gentle girl – breathe – in...out...in..."

He felt Kelsie's chest expand and contract again and again, until he gently dabbed her eyes with his fingers.

“Now, slow, deep breaths – tell me what you can love, please? I left you, brought Fawnie home..."

“Gho..." Kelsie's voice broke again and she squeezed her eyelids tightly closed, the trembles that ran through her making him think she was getting gravely ill.

Gently, he lifted her head, gazing at her tightly closed eyelids, before she weakly opened them and looked up, seeing his love and trust in her shining like a lighthouse beacon.

“Draw from me Kelsie, know I love you, cherish you and would do anything, anything, to protect you... I am yours, and I hope – you are mine."

Kelsie sniffled, then gave a weak smile of appreciation. Closing her eyes, she rested her head on his lap and Pete once more stroked those beautiful black tipped ears.

Kelsie quivered for several minutes, her mind struggling to make sense of what had happened.

“I'm not the same – anymore - “ Kelsie whimpered. “Something...dark – inside of me..."

Pete frowned, trying to decipher what Kelsie was saying.

“Go back my beloved, please? For me? Help me to understand – what happened?"

Kelsie opened her eyes, looking up at him, wide-eyed and fearful, but his love for her surrounded her and fought against the fear that wanted to drag her back into its dark, cold embrace.

“I....was sleeping – something cold – I thought..." Kelsie began, then it felt like her tongue swelled in her muzzle. “Water...please?"

Pete took the bowl from the sideboard, awkwardly holding it so Kelsie could sip from the edge.

“Not too much love," He spoke quietly, before placing it back on the sideboard. “You were sleeping...and?"

Pete dried her muzzle with a corner of the coverlet.

“It...cold..." Kelsie shivered, her beautiful pelt rippling. “A...doe – yet not a doe..."

“A..." Pete blinked in bewilderment, wishing he could just reach into Kelsie's terrified mind and pluck the memories out, banishing them.

“Mother!" Kelsie squealed, then her trembling grew worse. “Her throat – it had been..."

Kelsie made a sickening gagging sound in her throat. Pete twitched and held her gently.

“Woah, easy, easy...you're alright – I think I understand, but you said... are you sure - “

Kelsie's eyes rolled and she stared at him, before her eyelids slid halfway down and she glared at him, as if daring to call her a liar, before she blinked and that strange look vanished as quick as it come. Pete involuntarily quivered – for in that split-second – Kelsie's eyes had gone from her beautiful brown – to an inky, coal black – then back to their usual brown.

“Kelsie, sweety? Please, try your best, help me understand? What – happened?"

“Mother - “ Kelsie repeated, exasperated and growing increasingly thwarted, her words unable to truly explain. “I saw her – Silverhoof – her name was Silverhoof – they – they cut..."

“No, Kelsie?" Pete began to weep, he couldn't help it. “Push those memories away, it wasn't your fault! What – happened – you were a baby – a fawn – no, my dear, sweet, gentle doe..."

“Mother..." Kelsie snapped suddenly, her anger flaring like a torch within her. “My mother – she... a gho..."

“Ghost? Spirit?" Pete offered, using the back of one hand to wipe away his tears.

“Ghost!" Kelsie sighed at last, having the word she needed. “She – trapped me – I couldn't move..."

Pete blinked, staring and confounded. “Trapped... how? I don't understand, Kelsie, can you - “

Kelsie shuddered, then shook her head from side to side, her ears slapping. “I don't know!"

Pete shivered and gently cuddled her close, holding her quivering head against his chest, letting his heartbeat slowly calm and soothe her.

“She...others – they – took me away!" Kelsie squealed, her cry waking Fawnie, who began to wail herself, tormented by Kelsie's grief and suffering.

“Fawnie? It's alright, come here baby girl..."

Fawnie continued to cry helplessly, until Pete gently laid Kelsie's head on the bed, then slipped off and hurried over, picking up their hysterical Fawn and carrying her back to the bed, placing her against Kelsie's belly. Nervously, Kelsie trembled, then her instinct to soothe her fawn took over, and she gently nuzzled and groomed the shaking fawn.

Pete watched them both for a while, a secret, dark part of him wishing he had what they finally had achieved – a true bond between fawn and doe – between mother and daughter. After twenty minutes, Fawnie's cries and quivering eased, before she drifted back into a troubled sleep – every so often her beautiful fawn spots would shudder.

“I envy you both Kelsie - “ Pete admitted, as he stroked Fawnie tenderly, then Kelsie's ears. “I am her father – I love her, truly, but I do not – I can not – truly bond with her... as you have."

Kelsie frowned, then blinked and looked up, her chin resting protectively on Fawnie's shoulder.

“I don't understand - “ Kelsie murmured quietly, so as not to wake their daughter.

“I know, it doesn't matter – now – Silverhoof – she...trapped you? Can you explain this?"

“I couldn't move – it's..." Kelsie frowned, struggling once more for the words she needed. “I couldn't move, like I was frozen with fear -"

Pete absorbed this, gently caressing her ears, as he pondered deeply. “It is possible, the fright you must have had – I've seen deer paralyzed by bright spotlights before and..."

Kelsie frowned; before she shivered. “I think I understand. I couldn't move – she...master – what is...true named?"

Pete blinked, ignoring the fact his frightened doe had called him master – he thought she'd outgrown that, before the words 'true named' rang in his head, in search of connection.

“Kelsie? I – do not know, I am sorry, but there are some things, I just do not know my sweet. Please – continue, I want to help you my beloved, but I can not - if you don't try to tell me...“

“Ghost... trapped me - “ Kelsie repeated, growing frustrated again. “Took me – sent – me, a place...cold ... so ...cold... I was alone – scared – Silverhoof – next to me..."

Pete remained silent, trying to picture in his mind, what Kelsie was describing – but he had no reference, no understanding of what had truly happened, all he could do was offer her warmth and comfort.

“She...others..." Kelsie stammered.

“Wait – others? What others Kelsie? Please – help me to understand my love?"

“...herd - “ Kelsie sniffled. “Family... friends..._They...they stood before – before _me... but it wasn't me, it wasn't me Pete! It – it was dark, cruel – wanted to torture me, devour me..."

Pete couldn't suppress the shiver that ran up his back. His own inner Therian suddenly woke, its attention seized as it rushed forwards like the apex predator it was – Pete gasping as he felt his blood turn to ice inside him.

Listen to her, she acts like she isn't aware of what she really is – what WE really are – let me show her, take her, make her truly ours...

“NO!" Pete suddenly screamed, clutching at his head.

Fawnie awoke with a startled cry, cowering back against Kelsie, who likewise flinched away – sensing or perhaps seeing for a minuscule second – what tried to come forward – she could sense it, like calling like – that shivering cold that seemed to drop her blood temperature into the sub-zero.

With sudden strength, she leaped up, her fawn beneath her trembling legs, as she glared at the thing which had taken over her beloved mate.

“Little doe – you really think you can stop me? Oh, sure, you've bonded to yours – twisted and corrupted it – making it your pet..." Come a voice from Pete, his eyes going black as midnight as the Therian within him crushed his consciousness beneath its merciless presence. “I'll make you learn your place little one – then I'll enjoy making you scream... show you what a real buck is capable of – how about that fawn you're so trying to protect? Think you can save her from..."

Kelsie's tail frizzled, hairs from the tail tip to the back of her skull suddenly standing on end as she felt a presence form to the side of the bed, shimmering into existence as her deceased mother.

“Oh, how cute - “ Laughed the Therian. “What are you going to try and do? Scare me to death? Ooh, I'm trembling!"

It mocked the spirit, who merely stared back, her eyelids closing as she lowered her head, glaring at it through her eyelashes.

“I'm not, no..." Come Silverhoof's sibilant whisper. “He is..."

With a cruel, mocking smirk, the Therian raised an eyebrow, as if sarcastically humoring the spirit doe. With a toss of her head, she gestured and the Therian's head turned; before its eyes went wide in pure, absolute shock...

His head bowed, antlers lowered, the dominant, powerful spirit stag that was Kelsie's father glared up at the Therian that'd claimed their daughter's mate.

TO BE CONTINUED...