We were on top of the world. Around us, was an ocean of trees – pale, ragged figures who had been stripped of their foliage clothing – whilst far away on the ledge of the horizon was the faintest silhouette of a city. I could see everywhere I had been – my whole life’s journey – and behind me lay the ending to my story.
I swallowed hard, the enormity of the moment almost overwhelming me.
“Come.” David drew me close, his arm slipping around my waist. “We’re almost there. We’ll find your mother soon.”
My mother… And in what state would we find her?
I shook the thought out of my mind. It was irrelevant. The point was, I would know. The point was I would be with her once more. For one, final time.
“Okay,” I said, my voice fiercer than I felt. “Okay. Let’s do this.”
*
We heard them long before we saw them. The shadow of a low, throaty growl rose and multiplied behind us, becoming louder and louder as new voices were added to the harmony until it reached such a crescendo that the blood in my veins felt like ice and my skin was prickling with static-like energy. My hand, clasped tightly in David’s, was cold and clammy.
Every flickering shadow of a figure made me flinch, whether it was a low, loping, four-legged form, or the slinking shape of a two-legged beast. Each one caused a shudder to run down my spine and my breath to catch in my throat.
But not a single one suggested a threat. We were left well alone. Our passage to the peak was unhindered.
Winding our way along the ridge that spiralled upwards, we passed numerous caves imbedded in the mountainside at regular, frequent intervals. They were too dark and we passed by them too briefly to be able to see inside, but every now and then a pair of bright amber eyes, narrowed in suspicion, would follow us and the sunlight would glint off a set of shining sharp teeth. Behind us I could hear the distinctive pad pad pad of innumerable sets of paws dogging our steps and blocking off any chance of escape we might have considered.
I kept my own eyes firmly on the path ahead of us, refusing to allow myself to becoming scared. I had come too far to be a coward now.
By the time the very top of the mountain was in sight, we had acquired quite the crowd of followers at our heels, all eager to see how this would play out. Closest to us, practically under our feet, were pups and barely clothed children who ran between our legs, trying to catch the attention of these strangers. The older members of the pack hung a little way back as though fearful of coming too close.
Their fear gave me strength and I raised my chin defiantly, ready to face whatever was awaiting us.
“David.”
We froze instantly at the sound of the low rasping voice coming from somewhere above us. David drew me close to his side protectively, his head turning this way and that, searching for the source of the voice.
“Come out!” he commanded. I hoped that I was the only one who could hear the tremor in voice. “Come out, Lupion!”
“As you wish.”
I jumped with a startled cry as a huge, dark figure landed with a thump less than a metre in front us. The wolf looked up at us, its lips drawn back in an unnaturally human smile. It was a lank and ragged creature who had clearly been battered by every winter and scarred by every battle it had faced; its skin hung loose over sharp bones, protected only by a thick, dreadlocked coat of pitch black fur.
But, despite its corpse-like appearance, its eyes – huge in its thin face – were bright with energy, and cool with human reflection.
It regarded David carefully, its long head cocked to the side as its eyes roamed over him unhurriedly.
Then, in a painstakingly measured tone, “I have been saddened to hear of the trouble you have been bringing to my forest, Bearboy.”
I felt David bristle beside me. “I have done nothing,” he replied slowly, “other than to try and restore justice to this forest. If I have crossed the lines of the law, it has been in pursuit of a member of this pack who crossed it first.” He let go of my hand and took a step towards Lupion, who seemed completely unfazed.
“You are letting them get out of hand!” David continued, his voice growing more and more forceful. “It is your job to keep order and, instead, you are allowing them to run around freely, taking and killing as they wish. Do not ask me to be sorry for murdering a murderer.”
Lupion’s grin widened. “I would never ask anything of you, David,” he murmured in his guttural growl of a voice. “I would never expect sentient reasoning from such a dumb creature.”
Chapter8
David backed away as Logan began to slink towards him, his sharp shoulder blades rolling with every languid step.
“I had high hopes for, my bearboy,” he continued, his eyes never flickering away from David. “I could have given you everything you had ever wanted, if only you had remained true to yourself. But every time you have proven to be a disappointment. First with that true-bear bitch, and now with this scrawny two-legger.” His amber eyes flashed towards me. Lupion stalked slowly around me, sniffing me like a dog.
When he finally backed away to face me, his expression was one I could only describe as lecherous. “He has had you hasn't he?” said Lupion with a wide Cheshire-smile. “He has marked you and made you his. But…” He leaned in to sniff again. “But you have the scent of the wolf on you, too. What are you, girl? Bear-wolf-bitch-girl? What brings you here into our midst? Have you lost your way like our friend here once lost his? Are you looking for yourself in my forest?”
“I know who I am,” I snapped, my heart hammering with fear inside my shirt. “I am Helen, and I am looking for my mother. You have her. You took her, and I want her back.”
Lupion blinked his amber eyes showing absolutely no understanding. “Your mother? No. No, I don’t think that’s true at all. Why would I want your mother?”
My temper snapped.“You tell me!” I found myself shouting, my hands balling into tight fists by my side. “I know you have her! I don’t know whether she’s alive or dead, but I know you have her and I want her back!”
Unfazed by my outburst, Lupion raised his muzzle to address a man behind me. “Is there a human woman in our possession?” he asked mildly in the same tone one would normally use to enquire whether or not there was still milk in the fridge.
“Just the one, my lord,” the man replied in the abrupt bark of a soldier. “She was brought in three moons past. She’s not much, sir, but we figured she would be better than nothing when the frosts come.”
Lupion nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, quite so. Does that fit your requirements, Wildgirl?” he asked me. “Do you believe that to be the mother you are searching for?”
“Yes!” Hope coursed through my veins like the most potent shot of adrenaline. “Yes, that’s her! Please… Let me take her home and we’ll be out of your way…” My voice tapered off as Lupion chuckled, my hope flickering and dying as quickly as it had risen.
“Let you take her?” His laugh was like a bark. “No, don’t be absurd, Wildgirl. As I said, I have been hearing all about the trouble in my woods, caused by my young cub and a fierce two-legger that has been accompanying him.” Lupion’s demeanour darkened and his wry smile became a silent snarl. “I know that it is your fault that my mate is dead. It is your fault there is a hole in our pack where her place once was. And it is you who must suffer the retribution for that crime.”
Before my eyes, Lupion rose up onto his hind quarters and began to transform – just as wolf-woman had done before she had died – his whole body shrinking up and stretching out into grotesque shapes before his bones and skin settled into his human form. Lupion was much younger as a man than he seemed as a wolf, but no less intimidating. His eyes were still the startling orange of his wolf form; his hair was still lank and matted, and fell in thick, unkempt dreadlocks over his shoulders; his teeth were still abnormally large, protruding from his mouth and giving him a distinctly vampirish look.
“Bring the human woman,” he called ou
t to the pack-mate waiting for instruction behind us. “A trial is to be held.”
“Trial?” David gave a roar of anger. “There is nothing to determine! You stole her mother, and she must be returned! The law clearly states that no beast of the forest will harm a two-legger unless the human being has struck first! You told me that! The woman is innocent, and you have no right to her!”
“This is my forest,” Lupion responded calmly, folding his stringy arms across his chest. “I can make and break laws as I please. Besides,” His teeth flashed in the sunshine as he bared them a little wider. “The Wildgirl took away my mate. It is only fitting that I take away something of hers. We were going to save her for our Midwinter meal, but,” He gave a casual shrug, his wide eyes never once blinking, “needs must. I am nothing if not fair.”
I remained mute in the background, struggling to process all that was going on around me. We were completely surrounded on all sides by werewolves in various states of semi-transformation. Even if David were to transform himself and attack, there was no way that we would be able to make it back down the mountain alive. There was only one thought that kept me from breaking down completely - my mother was alive! Despite all the odds, I would see her alive once more.
“Nellie…”
I wheeled around at the sound of her frail voice.
“Mom!” I broke away from David and ran blindly to her, barely aware of the two guards flanking her on both sides. They yanked her away from my touch as I reached towards her, causing a cry of pain to emit from her dry, cracked lips. I stumbled back, holding my hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay…”
She was in a bad way; her face was pale and gaunt, with protruding eyes that seemed twice as large as normal; her skin had taken on an unhealthy, waxy quality, and she seemed to be so weak she was unable to stand unaided by her guards.
So desperately did I want to hug her close to me and promise her that everything was going to be okay. But I couldn’t. With my arms hanging limp by my side, all I could do was look at her, my lips parted and poised to apologise – for bringing her to this place, for being such an ungrateful daughter, for everything that had gone wrong in her life… But I was unable to free the words.
Even then and there, we had nothing to say to each other.
Except…
“Take me!” I turned and ran towards Lupion, shoving David out of the way and standing squarely before the leader of the pack. “Please… You’re right, it’s my fault your mate died and I should be punished for that. But let her go. Please,” I begged, desperation taking over completely. “Let her free and I’ll do whatever it takes to answer for the crimes that have been committed.”
Behind me, I could dimly hear shouts of protest in both my mother’s and David’s voices. But it didn’t matter. Finally – finally – I had found something that I could do to make it right. The decision was mine and mine alone, and I was prepared for whatever that would entail.
Lupion surveyed me thoughtfully, considering my proposal.
“I could make use of you…” he said slowly, eyeing me up and down like a piece of meat. “You know the way of the beast already, and there is something of the wild in you… I see that you are strong and willing. You would produce a fine litter of pups. But,” He held up a single slender finger. “But… I can not have someone amongst us whose heart does not fully belong to the pack. You love too deeply and your loyalties are lying too far away to be safe. You would kill us all in our sleep, one by one, when the vicious rage of resentment took hold – as no doubt it would, left to fester for long enough. No, Wildgirl, I would not endanger my family by bringing you into our folds. Not for anything in the world.”
My cheeks flamed in humiliation at his venomous rebuke – not even this mangy pack of werewolves wanted me!
“But then again…” Lupion hummed to himself, tapping a finger thoughtfully against his bottom lip. The whole crowd was silenced, completely bound up by the suspense. “But then again, I suppose I could give you the chance to prove yourself. Kill the bear, Wildgirl, and then I will reconsider releasing your mother in exchange for you. Prove to me that you do not already belong to him.”
“I belong to no-one!” I snarled back, letting my anger overcome me and hide my fear from myself. “And I don’t need to prove anything to you! The deal is this – let my mother go and I will stay here, of my own free will. You can eat me, you can breed me – I don’t care. But that is the deal. Take it or leave it.”
Lupion’s face twisted hideously, and for a moment I was sure he was going to order the execution of all three of us. But then he bowed his head in acceptance. “Very well. From this moment on, you have forfeited your life for hers. Now, you belong to me.” He called out to his subordinates, “Release the woman!” I heard my mother cry out as her guards released her and she fell to the ground. “Take her back to her world,” said Lupion coolly to David, who was standing in a stunned silence. “And watch your back. Your time is waning, bearboy.”
“No,” David growled, stepping forwards. “They are coming with me. Both of them. You have no right to detain either of them, and I will not let you!”
My heart sank. Why couldn’t he see how much danger he was putting us all in? Stupid, bloody-minded man!
Lupion was far from amused. “I have granted you far more leniency than you deserve,” he stated coldly, raising his chin and looking down on us. “I would advise you very, very strongly, David, to accept the deal with as much grace as you can manage and count your luck before I have every member of my pack strip you apart inch by inch. As you can see,” he made a wide, sweeping gesture to the crowd around us, “our supplies have become scarce, and my children are all hungry. You, my friend, would prove to be an ample meal and fill many bellies if you do not take care and show the proper respect.”
I looked around at the sea of faces and recognised the hunger in their pale faces, and – for one moment – I could understand them, sympathise with them, even. For a moment, my fear was gone and I mentally embraced my fate. “David,” I began. “It’s okay-”
But David was not listening to me. I could see fury rippling through his body like waves of electricity, sparking off his fury and igniting the raw passion within him. It was as though he was growing before me. Not growing as he did when he became a bear, but growing as a man – filling out, becoming taller, until he practically loomed over the scrawny Lupion. “Try it,” he hissed, his dark eyes blazing. “I dare you. Try and touch them – either – of them.”
Lupion’s lips pursed into a single, thin line. Then, suddenly, he raised his head let out a long, piercing howl that reverberated across the sky and filled the air with a single, ringing note.
I gasped in pain and clapped my hands over my ears, the noise unbearable to me.
The ground beneath me rumbled and shook as the wolves surged forwards at their leader’s command, the atmosphere filled with eager snapping. Amidst the noise of the beasts, I heard my mother cry out. I tried to turn and run to her, but as soon as I moved a pair of strong, vice-like jaws clamped around my arms.
I screamed, my voice adding to the cacophony of chaos. I could feel the teeth bursting the thin membrane of my skin and the flow of blood slick on my arm.
This is it. This is what it feels like knowing you only have moments to live.
“Stop!” David’s voice rose above everything, and I turned my face towards it blearily – my head spinning from the pain in my arm.
One hand was held high in a call for attention. The other was clamped around the neck of a struggling Lupion.
“Stop!” he commanded again in a fearsome rumble that brought everyone to a silent halt. “Harm one hair on either of their heads and I will break his neck.”
There was not a single doubt in anyone’s mind that he was not completely, deadly serious.
I fell to the ground in a crumpled heap, gritting my teeth hard to keep back the scream of pain as I cradled my wounded arm close to my chest.
�
�You won’t get away with this,” I heard Lupion hiss, his voice even more hoarse as David cut off much of his air. “If you kill me, they will hunt you down to the ends of the earth.”
“Don’t make me kill you,” was David’s response, spoken almost as a plea. “Let them both walk away from this unharmed. They mean nothing to you.”
“And what do they mean to you? Why are you protecting them so fiercely? What makes you choose a strange two-legger over us who were once closer to you than your own family? What curse does she have over you?”
David’s countenance darkened. “You are the only cursed creature in this forest. And your so-called family would perish without you. Is that what you want? They would have no hope of surviving the winter without your direction.”
This rendered Lupion silent. His bulging amber eyes wandered over the pack before them as though carefully assessing the worth of each member before they settled on me and narrowed. “If you want her, take her,” he said, twisting his face upwards to leer at David. “But she won’t last long. Not with a nasty bite like that.”
David looked at me and his eyes widened in horror as he caught sight of the blood pouring from the wound in my arm. He shook Lupion like a doll, his face contorting in grief and hatred. “I should rip you to pieces right here…”
“I agreed to your terms,” Lupion snapped back, pulling on David’s fingers. “You have made your choice. Now take the girl and get out of my forest. And if I ever catch sight of you again there will be no more mercy shown towards you.”
They looked at one another for several long, drawn out moments – each measuring the honesty of the other.
Then David threw Lupion down onto the ground like a sack of potatoes and flew to my side.
“You saved us,” I whispered, smiling as he lifted me into a sitting position and assessed the damage done to my arm. “Thank you.”
Bear With Me (BBW Paranormal Shifter Romance) Page 6
