by Haley Weir
“You’ll all be safe there?” The thought of losing these people is so painful, she now realizes they are the closest thing she has to a real family.
“As safe as we can be,” Douglas answers.
“Well, take supplies and get there,” Mason tells them. “Charlotte and I will be back shortly. I’ve got a helicopter to take us there. It’ll be quick, and we will be back with as many men as possible.”
“And women,” Jenna adds. “Women shift, too. Hello!”
“And women, of course,” says Mason. “I’ve got helicopters on call to fly out as many as possible.”
“So, then what? What happens when everyone is here and the poachers arrive? Is it an all out battle? A last man standing type of thing?” asks Chris.
“Something like that,” replies Xander. “I think I have a plan.”
“You want to fill us in?” asks Ethan.
“Not yet,” Xander answers.
The whir of chopper blades is heard in the distance. “That’s our ride,” says Mason to Charlotte.
“Hey, brother,” Jenna says. “Please, please be safe. I’ve gotten pretty used to having you around.”
Mason give his sister a squeeze on the shoulder and a kiss atop her head. “Don’t worry, sis. I’ll be back before you know it.”
Mason and Charlotte board the helicopter where they’re strapped in securely and given headsets so they can communicate during the ride.
“This is so cool,” Charlotte remarks. “I’ve never been in a helicopter before.”
“Mhm,” Mason nods. Charlotte can tell he’s not there with her. His mind is somewhere else.
“Mason, are you okay?” she asks gently.
“Yes, yes,” Mason says. He’s staring out the window as the helicopter takes off. “This is really difficult for me. Home can sometimes bring back more painful memories than nostalgic ones. Do you know what I mean?”
“I do,” Charlotte nods. “That’s something I fear, having to return back home. I don’t know if I could do it. I feel like I’ve come so far- not just physically, but emotionally. My parents can’t try to control me anymore. They can’t force me into a life I don’t want.”
“I know what you mean,” agrees Mason. “When I was young, there was a terrible attack. Poachers wiped out almost all of the pack...except me. I survived. Maybe I was a small enough cub to get away unscathed. I’ll never know. When I finally returned home to the bloodshed and...” he pauses to sigh heavily. “It was chaos. There were about four of us left, out of a group of 17. We lost so many that night. We needed a leader, and somehow, I was elected.”
“How old were you?”
“12. I was too young for all of those serious responsibilities, but I needed to step up. I knew it was my duty. My calling.”
“Why you?”
“It was decided by the pack’s elders way before any attack. They wanted someone young, strong, and level-headed to lead the pack if anything were to happen. So that way I could be the pack leader for as long as I live.”
“But, now you’re here,” Charlotte says.
“Yes,” Mason replies. “I needed to find my sister. My own flesh and blood. I needed her to know I existed. I needed to see her myself.”
“What about the pack you left behind?”
“They were supportive. By then, there were about 15 of us. Some stragglers from local packs that were also destroyed joined us. Typically, packs keep to themselves. But the situation was so bleak; the destruction was so severe. We decided to open up our pack to those who needed one.”
“Kind of like everyone at Bolt Castle,” Charlotte notes.
“Exactly,” says Mason. “When I left, I appointed a younger bear as the pack leader. His name is Axel. I believe in him and his ability to keep the Ottawa bears safe, but...”
“But?”
“But I feel guilty for leaving. I have no idea what we’ll find. I’d like to believe my pack found peaceful solitude, but knowing about the poachers, I just have a bad feeling.”
“I don’t know, either,” Charlotte says. “But, I’m here. We’re in this together.” She grabs his hand tightly, never planning to let him go.
Chapter 17
After a quick ride, the helicopter lands in a big open field.
“This is my first time in Canada,” Charlotte says once they’re safely off the helicopter.
“Welcome to Ottawa. I’d love to really take you around the city one day. There’s a lot of museums, restaurants, all that normal people stuff. You deserve a vacation like that.”
Charlotte smiles at the thought of there being a “one day” for the pair. Typically when Charlotte crushes on a guy, she lets her mind wander and fantasize about what their future could look like. That never worked out well for her, as most of those crushes led to heartbreak or disappointment. With Mason, she’s barely had time to consider what their future could be, if they even have one at all. She hasn’t planned vacations or their wedding or what their children could look like, just as she’s done with so many crushes before. It’s not because she doesn’t see a future with him, but because she doesn’t have to imagine a fictional world. Her world already includes him and the passionate, magical experiences they have shared. “I’d love that,” Charlotte replies. “Where do we go now?”
“Now, we walk. You see those woods up there?” Mason places his strong hands on Charlotte’s shoulders, angling her in the direction of the trees. She gets weak at his touch and desperately wishes that this was a carefree vacation full of museum visits and strolls through the city. She’s happy to just be with him at all, especially to support him during a difficult time.
“I see them,” Charlotte confirms.
“That’s the entrance. We’ll arrive at a path that takes us to the main house, which isn’t far from our HQ.”
“You have an HQ, too?”
“All packs do, for emergencies.”
“Go it,” Charlotte says.
“You know, if you don’t want to do this, it’s not too late. I can get you back on that helicopter and you can be at Bolt Castle within a few hours.”
“What makes you think I don’t want to do this? I offered to be here. I want to be here. With you,” Charlotte says.
Mason stops and turns to face her. “I knew immediately when I first saw you that you were special. Your kindness, your humor, your patience...it all radiates from your aura. I knew I needed you in my life the moment I set my eyes on you.”
“I know what you mean,” Charlotte replies. Mason grabs her face and presses his mouth against hers. For a moment, they are the only two people on the whole planet. They kiss passionately. When Mason pulls away, Charlotte pulls him back. “I usually know what I want when I see it, too,” she says, planting her lips on his. Their tongues meet, swirling and dancing as they hold each other.
“We should keep moving,” says Mason, grabbing Charlotte’s hand. He leads her to the clearing, and they find the path. Charlotte finds the stillness of the woods almost haunting. There’s the occasional chirp of a bird and the buzzing of critters, but it suddenly feels like they’re the only two left in the world.
“Do you ever regret leaving home?” Charlotte asks.
“Sometimes I wonder...but, no. I don’t have any regrets. I needed to find Jenna. It was so important to me. I never expected to find a whole family within the walls of that castle,” Mason responds. “A family, a sister, and someone special.”
“Oh, someone special?” Charlotte teases.
“Yeah, she’s pretty great, I’m not sure if you know her,” Mason says. He gives her his crooked smile that never fails to make her swoon. She’s not sure if he’s smiled all day, and seeing it warms her heart.
“I might have met her before,” Charlotte continues with a giant dorky smile stretched across her face. “Can you describe her to me?”
“Absolutely. Her face is imprinted in my mind forever. She’s got a smile that melt hearts, and big, gorgeous curly dark hair. I like whe
n she wears it down, but she likes to wear it in a messy bun. I liked that too, though. She’s great with kids and has a heart of gold. She cares about other people. Honestly? She’s a catch. I’d love for you to get to know her some day.”
Charlotte can’t stop laughing. She loves so many things about him, including his sense of humor and playful spirit. They approach a clearing in the trees and both stop dead in their tracks when they see the scene before them.
What seems like it once was a ranch-style home is now nothing but the skeleton of a house, it’s flesh and organs burnt to a crisp. “Oh my god, Mason,” Charlotte begins. “I’m so sorry...”
Mason doesn’t say anything. Charlotte wonders if he’s in shock. He keeps walking and looking for any sign of life. All that he finds is a pile of ash where his home once stood.
“Let’s keep moving,” is all Mason says. He doesn’t shed a tear or even break a sweat.
“Where? Where next?”
“To the Headquarters,” Mason tells her. “If anyone survived whatever this was...that’s where we’ll find them.”
Charlotte follows Mason as they walk through the destruction. “Who did this?” Charlotte asks quietly.
“Poachers. Only poachers would do this,” he replies. They walk for what feels like miles, but Charlotte can’t really tell. The trees all look the same, and if she was not with Mason, she would definitely get lost. Finally, Mason stops suddenly. A building is in the distance. Charlotte concludes it must be HQ. She’s relieved that it’s still standing and hopes that there are signs of life.
When they look up, Charlotte has to stop herself from screaming. Strewn through the trees are bear skins, bloody and horrifying. Charlotte turns to Mason, but he’s already in full sprint headed into the building. She follows him as quickly as she can. When they get inside, there are lights on and food on the stove.
“Don’t make a sound,” whispers Mason. Charlotte stays close to him as they move down the hallway.
“What’s goin-,” Charlotte begins to ask but Mason looks at her with his finger over his mouth, shaking his head and willing her to be quiet. Of all the doors that line the hall, only one is open. It’s cracked ever so slightly at the end of the hallway.
Mason motions for Charlotte to stay back, tiptoeing quietly to the open door. He proceeds to kick the door forcefully, and he’s met with two screams. Charlotte runs to the room to find Mason standing before two teenage boys.
“Mason…” the taller one with blonde hair says in shock. “Mason, you came back.”
“Is that really you?!” the other boy shouts. He is shorter and more stout, with dark hair.
“It’s really me, boys,” Mason opens his arms to embrace them. Charlotte’s touched by the tenderness of the moment. All of the men in her life typically deem themselves too masculine to openly embrace one another. Then again, Mason is like no other man she’s ever known.
“Axel,” begins Mason, addressing the taller boy. “What happened here?”
“We were ambushed,” says the other boy.
“He asked me, Carter,” says Axel.
“What? I was here, too,” Carter retorts.
“Yeah, but he asked me,” Axel fires back.
“Boys!” Mason commands in his deep booming voice. They immediately stop bickering.
“Sorry,” says Axel. “It’s been just us two for a while now.”
“How long?” asks Mason.
“Maybe...seven or eight months. We were fine for a bit after you left. But then….they came,” Carter explains. “Poachers. Real ugly dudes, too. Ugly on the inside and out.”
“What happened to everyone else?”
The boys are silent. Charlotte, watching from behind Mason, notices that the boys have tears in their eyes.
“What happened?” Mason repeats, his voice shaking.
“It started with a fire. They doused the house in gasoline while we were sleeping. It only took one match.”
“Why was no one on guard?” Mason asks, and Charlotte can’t tell if he’s about to burst with anger.
“Someone was on guard, Mason. There were two guards, actually. We’ve doubled up our security measures since you left, but it still wasn’t enough,” Axel explains.
“What happened?”
“You saw the trees, didn’t you? They were the first victims.”
Mason inhales sharply. “Who...who was it?”
“Parker and Cole,” Carter replies. “I don’t know how it happened, but by the time it did, it was too late. We did our best to get everyone out of the fire but...”
“About half of us made it out of the fire, and the others were hunted and skinned,” Axel says bluntly.
“You just...left them in the trees like that?” scoffs Mason. “It’s a crime scene. It’s grotesque. How could you just leave them like that?”
“How could you just leave us, Mason?” Carter says.
Mason says nothing for what feels like an eternity. “You’re right,” he finally replies. “This is my fault. This is all my fault.”
Chapter 18
“Maybe you guys should sit and talk somewhere,” Charlotte finally speaks up, hoping to diffuse the situation before it escalates. As a child care professional, she’s an expert at conflict resolution. But she’s not sure that her skills will still apply if they become bears.
“Let’s sit,” suggests Mason, and they walk back down the hallway to the dining room.
“Axel, Carter, this is Charlotte,” Mason introduces her.
“Hi Charlotte,” they say in unison.
“I shouldn’t have left,” starts Mason. He buries his face into his hands and slumps onto the table. Charlotte’s never seen him so defeated before.
“You didn’t come back. You were supposed to come back,” Axel cries. At first he seems angry, but Charlotte realizes he’s just hurt. He’s hurt and scared. They are just boys.
“We waited for you. We didn’t know what to do. We didn’t know where to go. We figured you’d come back for us,” Carter explains. “We thought if we left to try to find you, we’d be caught by poachers. I have no idea where they went after the attack. And then we thought if we left, and you came back, and we weren’t here...” he trails off.
“I should’ve come back so much sooner. I found my sister, Jenna. I should have brought her back here with me where she belongs and we could’ve...we could’ve...”
“What could you have done, Mason?” Charlotte interjects carefully. “I hope you don’t think I’m overstepping, but hear me out. These poachers...they’re monsters. They must have outnumbered your men. What if you and Jenna were here? How do you know you would have survived?”
“You know, she’s not wrong,” Axel says. “Of course I feel like our chances of survival would’ve increased, but who knows? We were completely blindsided. You might have been sleeping inside while they planned their attack, just like the rest of us.”
“They make a good point,” says Carter. “At least you’re okay. And Jenna, too.”
“Maybe you couldn’t have helped them,” says Charlotte. “But now you have a chance to help others. Everyone at Bolt Castle needs you. You have a purpose, Mason,” Charlotte reminds him.
“Next you’re gonna tell me everything happens for a reason,” Mason snaps.
“What if it does?”
“Maybe,” says Mason, shaking his head. Charlotte can’t handle seeing him this way. It’s breaking her heart.
“So, what are we going to do?” asks Carter.
“If there’s any way we can help, we are there,” Axel says. “I don’t want anyone else to go through this. And I want justice, dammit!”
“We need to go to Bolt Castle,” Mason says. “Upstate New York. Not far from here. I came here to gather the troops so we could take them down together. I thought we’d return with an army.”
“Bolt Castle? I’ve heard of that place. In stories, at least. There was a battle there many years ago. My father used to tell me about it,” says Ax
el.
“Oh, yeah. I remember. What was that guy’s name? Like...Xavier?”
“Xander, it was Xander! I remember that name from the stories. Who lives in the castle now? How did you end up there?”
“Wait, you’ve heard of Xander?” Charlotte asks in disbelief. “I can’t believe that! He owns the castle. That’s why we’re there. Well, partially. Jenna and Xander are together.”
“Xander is now a crucial member of our makeshift bear pack. He’s been with the others, Blake, Ethan, and Douglas, for most of their lives. He helped them control their bears. He helped Jenna, too.” Mason explains.
“Blake has a wife named Avery. They have a baby named Penelope. I’m the nanny. That’s how I ended up at Bolt Castle.”
“Is Avery a shifter?” asks Axel.
“No,” replies Mason. “Neither are Ellen, Mikayla, or Chris, but they all live there with us, too.”
“Wait,” Axel says. He sits up in his seat and looks deep into Charlotte’s eyes. “How about you?”
“Nope, just your typical human, no shifting included,” Charlotte tells him.
“There’s nothing typical about you,” Mason says at Charlotte, a smile finally appearing on his face.
“It sounds like you have quite a crew there, Mason,” notes Carter. “Do you care about these people?”
“Over the past year, they’ve become like a family to me. They welcomed me in with open arms and made me feel like I was one of them.”
“Then, why are we still sitting here talking?” Axel asks. “Let’s go to them. Let’s give them everything we got. Any family of yours is a family of mine. That’s just how it works.”
“What he said,” Carter adds on. “I’ve been wanting to get out of here for so long. We just didn’t know where to go. We didn’t know where it was safe for us.”
“Stick with us,” Charlotte says. “Nothing’s going to happen to you while you’re with us.”
“She’s right,” agrees Mason. “We need to get you out of here. I don’t know how you’ve lived this for so long. With those...in the trees...”
“They deserved better,” Charlotte fills in the gaps, trying to keep morale up. “Let’s get on that helicopter, get back to Bolt, and kick some ass.”
