Immediately, the children ran to him and flung their arms around him. “Take us away,” one of them begged.
Paige motioned to her team and two of her team members carried the children out. “They know what's happening,” Dylan muttered. “But they're orphans. They've no family, and nowhere to go. The look on their faces—hoping that someone would come and save them, but knowing that no one would. God!”
Gritting his teeth, Dylan signaled them forward, and they began to fan out when they reached the stairs.
They raced up to the rooms and managed to retrieve some children from a dingy workroom. The children were doing some needlework and stared up at the Black Bears with pale, frightened faces. But they co-operated without a word, knowing instinctively that these people in black fatigues and security vests with the Black Bears logo on them were the good guys.
The look in the children's eyes saddened Luke. They had seen too much in their young lives. They had known fear and pain, and they were so hungry for love and a caring, gentle touch.
He gripped his weapon tighter as Paige barked a warning through his earpiece. “They're here! Go find the rest of the kids!”
Shots were heard on the floor above and below. The sounds of a furious firefight exploded and Dylan yelled to Luke and Jenny, “Find them!”
Luke ran towards a narrow door at the end of the corridor while Jenny shot at two men in black suits who had appeared out of a doorway. He wrenched the door open and made a strangled sound.
There were no windows at all in the room. There were about a dozen children in pajamas, huddled against the walls. They were shackled to the brick wall by their ankles and Luke saw some of their eyes glow in the dark.
These were the children who had been given the serum.
Luke knelt beside a young boy and tried to break the iron shackle. He used his claws but the shackle held fast. Luke panted and turned to the whimpering children.
“I'm going to shift into a bear,” he said quickly. “Don't be afraid. My bear is a part of me. I won't hurt you. I need the strength of my bear to get you out. Okay?” He didn't want them to start screaming and crying at the sight of his bear. He needed them calm, not hysterical.
“Okay,” a few of the older children answered.
There was more shouting and shooting outside, but Luke concentrated on his job. His teammates were covering him, but he had to work fast. He would get all the children out.
Crouching, he let his bear rip from his skin. The man melted away and his bear stood in front of the wide-eyed children. There were a few gasps and astounded cries.
Luke approached the boy, who didn't shrink away from him. The boy nodded and held still for him.
Luke slashed his claws through the rusty iron and broke the shackle. The boy instantly scrambled to another boy shackled to the opposite wall. They clung to each other and spoke rapidly. They looked like twins, with the same black hair and eyes.
One by one, Luke freed the children. There were thirteen of them. Jenny ran into the room and hissed, “Let's go!”
Sirens wailed as Luke and Jenny led the children from the room. The children weren't as thin as the other orphans, and their reflexes were quick. Luke saw some of them leap over the railing of the stairs and land nimbly on their feet.
There were a few dead bodies littered on the stairs and around the compound. Some of the black suits were escaping, and Luke saw police officers and Black Bears give chase.
More police cars screeched up to the orphanage, and Luke saw a plump middle-aged woman being led out of the building in handcuffs. Madam Dixon, the orphanage Director, was protesting her innocence loudly as she was frogmarched to a police cruiser.
The children were led into waiting ambulances, and quite a few of them turned to gawk at Luke. He was still in his bear form, so he waggled a paw at them. Some of them laughed, and the sound warmed his heart.
Perhaps the kids who had been given the shifter serum would no longer be afraid and resentful of their Change. They had seen Luke shift right in front of their eyes and his bear had rescued them. There was nothing scary or awful about having an animal inside of you. You could control your animal, and you could choose to do good and help others with your power.
Luke felt small hands patting his fur and he crouched down. A group of orphans were gathered at his side, reaching out to stroke his black fur and giggling nervously.
Dylan came and hoisted a little girl onto Luke's back. The girl squealed with delight as she clung on for dear life.
“He's nice,” the little girl declared after her ride. “I'll name him Pooky.”
“He has a name,” Dylan laughed. “His name is Luke.”
A few police officers and paramedics came to whisk the kids off to the hospital. They would be given thorough medical examinations to see how many of them had been given the injection.
Dylan spoke to Detective Kai Wong after the children left. “What will happen to the children?” Dylan asked.
“The ones who have not had the injection will be transferred to another orphanage,” the detective said gravely.
“And the others?”
Detective Wong looked away.
Dylan's face darkened.
“No,” Dylan snarled. “No! You cannot let them do this. This is wrong. This—is murder!”
Detective Wong shook his head. “It's out of my hands. I'm sorry, Dylan.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Nicole pushed back from her cluttered desk and strolled to the window. She stretched and rolled her shoulders, before reaching for her cup of coffee.
She was the in-house legal counsel for the Black Bears Group now. And she had made quite a name for herself when she represented the shifter orphans from Haven Orphanage. She had argued their case before a judge and fought for them. She had fought for their right to live.
The government had planned to have the children terminated. They were seen as dangerous elements, unpredictable and possibly violent. But Nicole and the Black Bears campaigned for the children and fought hard for them. They raised public awareness and asked for sponsors and support for the children.
Many people stepped forward to help, and many shifter families approached the Black Bears to ask if they could adopt the kids. The judge finally ruled that the government had no right to end the lives of these innocent children. The children presented no clear, present or future danger nor any security threat to the state.
Nicole turned to stare at the piles of letters on her desk. The children had written to her, and many enclosed photos of their new families. Smiling, she pulled a photo out of an envelope and stared at a pair of twin boys in the arms of a happy couple. Mr and Mrs Martinez were two of the sweetest people she had ever met. Mr Martinez was a wolf shifter, while Mrs Martinez was half-human, half-leopard. “My mom's a leopard shifter,” Mrs Martinez had told Nicole. “But I can't shift for the life of me. I break out in spots when I'm stressed though.” The twins they adopted could shift into wolves like her husband.
All the shifter children had found new, loving homes. Nicole took the stack of letters and re-read them. The letters brought tears to her eyes. She loved happy endings.
Nicole put all the letters into her briefcase. She would bring them home and keep them in a safe place. She wanted to read them out to Brendon when he was older.
She and Luke had adopted Brendon. It turned out that Brendon had bear shifter cells injected into him. Her mother had almost dropped the boy in shock when he shifted suddenly into a bear cub in her arms. “Oh my!” her mother had exclaimed. “Oh, but you're such an adorable little rascal!”
Nicole picked up her phone and called her mom. Her mother and stepdad had moved to the city, and they were doting grandparents to Brendon. They babysat her son while she was at work, and she wanted to check on the little imp.
“Hey, mom,” she said, and grinned when she heard laughter in the background.
“Hi,” her mother answere
d, laughing. “Brendon and George are tearing around the house as usual. Are you working late today?”
“No. I'll finish up early in fact. And Luke just messaged me. He said he's on his way back to the office.”
“Okay. Dinner will be ready in an hour.”
“Mom, we can just pick Brendon up and grab dinner...”
“I already prepared all Luke's favorite dishes,” her mother said firmly.
“Okay.” Nicole smiled. “See you later then.”
Nicole went back to her desk and opened another file. She worked steadily until she heard a knock on her door. “Yes?” she said automatically as she looked up. The door to her corner office was always open.
She smiled when Luke came in and leaned over her desk to kiss her. She sighed and breathed in the familiar, masculine scent of her mate. He was in his black fatigues and he looked tired but happy.
“Hey, you,” she murmured against his lips.
“I missed you,” Luke said, caressing her cheek. “And our son.”
“Brendon is having a whale of a time by the sound of it,” she chuckled. “I just called mom. She said to go over for dinner. She cooked all your favorite dishes.”
“Really? Yum! She spoils me, you know?” Luke winked at her.
“I know! She never cooks my favorite dishes any more,” Nicole mock-grumbled.
Luke grinned and held her briefcase for her as she logged off her computer.
Arm in arm, they walked out of her office. Nicole called out to her colleagues who were still on duty on her way out, and stopped to joke and chat with a few of them.
As she got in the car, she stared out the window and watched the cityscape. The sky was a deep, mystical purple and the city sparkled with bright lights and flashing signs.
Luke reached over and laced his fingers through hers as he drove them home. Nicole leaned over to give him a peck on the cheek.
“I love you,” she whispered.
Luke touched her hand tenderly to his lips. “And I love you, forever.”
~ End ~
About the Author
Natalie Kristen is a writer who enjoys mixing the sweet with the spicy, the light with the dark, the possibilities with the unimaginable. She enjoys exploring paranormal and dystopian worlds, deep desires and inspiring romances. She is hopelessly addicted to coffee, chocolate, reading and writing. She loves to hear from readers so please feel free to follow her on Twitter and Facebook, or visit her blog for the latest news and updates.
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Bear's Match (Bear Heat Book 6) Page 7
