Loved by The Alpha Bear (Primal Bear Protectors Book 1)

by K. T. Stryker

  “Don’t be long,” Ava said desperately. It was like she was calling out to Isabel, begging for her help. “I’ll be waiting,” she said.

  “I promise, I’ll do something about this,” Isabel said, turning to leave. In the distance she could hear voices, so she turned around again and rushed past the cells. There has to be another way out of here. Suddenly she found another stairway and took it, floating up the steps until she came across a little red door at the end. What is this, Alice in Wonderland? She turned to knob on the door. What she came across astonished her. She walked into a bedroom, fully furnished in gold plated furniture, and when she looked around, she realized it was Analise’s room, but it was empty. “I thought I saw this room before,” she said to herself. Everything made sense to her. Analise was in charge of the cells, and she wouldn’t be surprised if Gavin’s room was connected to that dungeon, too.

  “Well, I think it’s better if I just got out of here,” Isabel said as she staggered out of the room. She was back out in the hallway again and, judging by the looks on people’s faces, she wasn't supposed to be there. She stuffed her hands inside her pockets and made her way upstairs again, to the tower. She needed to go back to her room. She needed to start planning.

  CHAPTER 8

  Isabel was restless. She was tossing and turning in bed, her head spinning with what Ava and Oz told her about the vampires. A battle was brewing, and she still had no idea how she was going to stop it. She thought about visiting the cells again, but then she decided it was too risky. Isabel sat up, dangling her feet over the side of the bed, contemplating her next move. Her staying up all night resulted in nothing but more nerves, more questions. She decided she had to snoop around if she was going to take matters into her own hands. She got up, threw her robe on and stepped outside, wandering about aimlessly until she heard Analise’s voice. Isabel felt her skin crawl. She looked around, but there was nothing.

  “You don’t understand, someone broke in there last night, I don’t know how the hell it happened!” she heard the voice say. Isabel cocked her head to the side, and when she realized she was standing right outside Analise’s room, she moved in closer, trying to listen in on what was happening. The walls were thin, a bit too thin, and Isabel knew that all this talk was about her. The thought made her sick.

  “What do you mean “broke in”?” another voice said. Isabel immediately recognized it as Gavin’s.

  “I went down there and I literally saw the iron bars, they were pushed apart, like someone had broken in,” Analise said. Isabel could just feel the tension radiating through the walls.

  “And who do you think did this?” a third voice asked. Isabel squinted, trying to identify who it belonged to; it was a strange voice, an unfamiliar one, but there was something about it that made Isabel curious. A part of her felt like she heard this voice somewhere before, and yet she felt like it belonged to a stranger.

  “Who do you think?” Analise asked, rather sarcastically. There was silence. “Tell him, Gavin.”

  “It was Isabel,” he said after a long pause.

  “Wait, has anyone gone missing?” the unfamiliar voice asked.

  “No, I checked. Everything’s in its place,” she said. “That’s not the point… now that she knows where the place is, not even a lock can stop her! She’s too powerful, you don’t understand, this is dangerous.”

  There was a pause. Isabel could just feel the tension building up inside the room. Of course they would find out I did it, she thought. She contemplated running away, but then decided against it. There was a pretty good chance they were going to say something useful. “Gavin,” Analise said. “Did you lock my room the other night?”

  Another pause. “Yes,” he said. “I’m pretty sure I locked it.”

  “So she must’ve used the stairs, like last time,” she said. “Gavin, you need to keep an eye on her more, she can’t just roam around like that.”

  “What do you want me to do, tie her to the bed?” he asked.

  Another pause. At that moment, Isabel felt like she was this close to running away. Her feet were itching, as if enticed by some invisible force. She had never been so scared in her life. Ever since Gavin saw her down there, she had been having trouble keeping it together. No matter how much she liked to deny it, even to herself, Isabel knew they were going to find out that it was her, and they were going to come after her. “Isabel,” she heard Gavin say. She could feel her heart drop to her knees. Were they going to come out looking for her?

  “What the fuck’s that supposed to mean?” Analise snapped. “You just let her roam around like that?”

  “Well, I suppose you think you could’ve done a better job? Listen, here, Analise, don’t forget your place.”

  The tension was oozing through the paper-thin walls. “I have a lot on my plate, Gavin, and you know that!”

  “Hey, I think you need to calm down, what if the newcomers hear us?” the third voice said.

  “He fucked up, Mikael,” Analise said. “He needs to get it together, or our plan’s bust.”

  Isabel took a step back. Mikael. She wondered what he looked like in real life, but for now, his identity remained unknown, behind the closed doors. Isabel wished she could just barge in and tell them she was on to them. She wished she could get rid of them. She had contemplated using her powers to demolish Analise, but the funny thing was, she didn’t even know if that was possible. How was killing a vampire even possible? Did it involve a wooden stake to the heart, like what you see in the movies? Isabel didn’t know. The tougher question, though, was how was killing a shape shifter possible? She needed to do her research. There was no Internet access, not much technology and very few resources to get through to the outside world. If she was going to find out information about vampires that didn’t involve watching modern day soap operas, then she had to start digging. “Alright,” Analise said again. This time, her voice was calmer. “Did Isabel see anything she wasn’t supposed to see?” she asked.

  “She didn’t,” Gavin said. “She can’t do anything, I’ve got her under my control.” Isabel stomped her foot just hearing that. “What was that?”

  Isabel took off. She could feel her feet taking her to the far end of the corridor, but before she could round the corner, she heard Analise’s vicious voice call her name. “Isabel, can I have a word with you for a second?” Isabel turned around and walked back. She couldn’t let them know she heard anything.

  “Hey!” she said, faking a smile. “How are you? I was just going to get something to eat, you want to join?” Isabel could feel Analise’s eyes boring into her. Her eyes were like daggers, and they were piercing into her soul. Suddenly, Isabel didn’t feel safe. Something told her to make a run for it, so she did. Seconds later, she felt a pair of claws grab her from behind, and then another hand came over her mouth, shutting her up completely. She could feel herself being lifted off the floor, and she was kicking at the air with her feet, trying to break free from their grip. But it was no use: whatever had a hold on her was extremely strong. She could only see the ceiling, but she could tell the hallway was completely empty, like everyone had disappeared into thin air. Isabel twisted her neck around, the sound of feet clicking against the hardwood floor echoing in her ears. Where was everyone? “Let me go, let me go!” she mumbled under Gavin’s hand. Suddenly she felt an incline, like her body was being carried down the stairs.

  CHAPTER 9

  “Where are you taking me?” Isabel yelled, struggling to free herself. She could feel her captors’ grip tightening around her ankles and wrists, but she couldn’t quite tell who was at each end. Her stomach churned at the sensation of being carried down the stairs, the floors too many to count. She knew where they were taking her, wasn’t it obvious now? “Please, just let me go!” she cried again. The sounds of their clothes rustling echoed down the stairwell, and Isabel could almost smell Gavin’s breath on her face. She didn’t know what it was about his smell, but she could almost always recognize
it. She looked around and all she saw were cement bricks, and it was only then did she confirm that they were taking her to the underground cells. The panic was rising up in her; what were they going to do to her in there? She thought about Oz, and how weak he looked. Isabel wasn’t very optimistic. Suddenly she felt her body become perfectly horizontal again, but she was still floating in midair.

  “Alright, did you do this?” Analise asked. They lowered Isabel back down, and the first thing she saw were Gavin’s piercing eyes. They were fixated on something behind her, and when Isabel turned around, she saw the iron bars, pushed apart as if done by some kind of animal, and the animal was her. “Isabel,” Analise said again, leaning in close to her. “Did you do this?”

  Isabel could feel a lump form in her throat. She took in a deep breath and straightened herself; she was getting in trouble either way, so she might as well just tell the truth. “I did,” she breathed, her lips curving to a smile, a smile so menacing that it made Analise flare her nostrils.

  “And you did this, why?” she asked, folding both arms across her chest. Isabel felt like she was back in high school again, and that Analise was her bitchy math teacher.

  “I heard voices,” Isabel said, almost robotically. “They were calling out to me, telling me to save them.”

  Analise just stared at her. She turned around to look at Mikael, who was nothing short of the scariest man— or shape shifter— Isabel had ever seen. He was about seven feet tall, his legs resembling flag poles, and he was broad across the shoulders. He had reddish stretch marks all over his skin, making it look like some invisible force had tugged it at. Isabel deduced that it was a shape shifter thing. What blew her mind, though, was how he looked nothing like the real Oz. How is it possible for someone to change so much? Isabel looked over and saw that Analise hadn’t taken her eyes off her. “Who did the voices belong to?” she demanded.

  Isabel hesitated. The last thing she wanted was to get Oz and Ava into trouble. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say anything, she heard a throaty whisper coming from inside the cells. “The voice belonged to me,” it said. “I did it.” Isabel turned around, and it was Oz. His skin was paler than ever, and she could see him crawl on his hands and knees, eventually settling down next to the cell door. His voice was raspy— Isabel deduced that he was dehydrated— and the corners of his lips were chapped to the point where it hurt to look at them. It seemed as though every time he opened his mouth, the corners would bleed a little. Isabel cringed at the sight. “We’re on to you, you think we’re not on to you?” Oz hissed.

  Analise walked over to his cell, eyeing him up and down before she started kicking at the iron bars loudly. They vibrated in their place, their ringing echoing all across the cemented cell floor. Oz rolled over and covered his ears with both hands, his body rocking back and forth violently. Isabel felt helpless. She tried to move but it felt like her feet were cemented to the floor. They’re doing this on purpose, it’s all a part of the mind control. She averted her gaze to Gavin, and when their eyes met, she realized he had been staring at her, holding her in place. If she was going to rebel, then she had to find a way to overcome Gavin’s powers. She closed her eyes and tried to focus all her energy on what was happening. She could feel an invisible force, something intangible, and it was taking over her mind and soul. Bit by bit, she began feeling detached, like her soul had escaped her body, and she was watching everything and everyone from afar. She had a will, a free will, to do whatever she wanted, and to act however way she wanted. Suddenly she felt more powerful than ever. She fantasized about breaking into those cells and freeing everyone that was in there, but then she felt her arms falling limp to her side again, her ability to focus diminishing altogether. She wondered why this tended to happen without warning, and she cursed herself for not being to gain control over her own life and body.

  “Stop, Stop!” Oz yelled, folding both arms above his head. He was curled up in a fetal position, his body shaking to the rattling of the metal bars. “Please, for the love of God, just stop!”

  “This ought to teach you to mind your own business!” Analise snarled. She stepped back and turned to Gavin. They exchanged brief glances, and then suddenly, Gavin grabbed Isabel and pulled her towards him. She tried to wiggle away from him, her body arching all the way back, but then his grip on her wrists tightened, and she could feel herself being pulled towards Gavin again and then shoved into the cell with Ava. Her body slammed against the wall and she fell to the floor, crawling on all fours in an attempt to get out. “Don’t even think about it!” Analise hissed, kicking Isabel so she fell back again. “You’re going to regret this… do you want to get yourself killed?” she asked, glaring at Isabel.

  “I want to get out, get me out!” Isabel yelled, rising to her feet and trying to push past Analise. She felt her body being pushed back again, and she ended up right back where she was. Ava was lying there on the ground, her eyes following them as they came at each other like animals. She tried to get up but her body failed her. She couldn’t even stand on her own two feet. Since they locked her up in there, she hadn’t been feeding on anyone, and it made her weak. She and Oz were locked up in separate cages. If they had been able to get through to each other, they could’ve fed off of each other. But instead, one watched the other all day, their lives turning into this endless cycle of desperation. The truth was, Isabel was their last hope. They both knew how powerful she was, but she just had to believe in herself. Ava opened her mouth by no words came out, and with every breath she sucked in, she could feel her throat dry up like sandpaper. She reached out to Isabel, but then Analise kicked at her hand, and she fell back, howling in pain. “Why the fuck did you do that?” Isabel asked, shoving Analise.

  “Gavin, are you just going to stand there and watch?” Analise asked, turning to him briefly before she realized Isabel had slapped her across the face. “That’s it,” she snapped, taking her claws out and attacking Isabel.

  “Wait,” Gavin said, placing a hand over Analise’s shoulder. “This isn’t how you’re supposed to handle things.”

  “Oh, and you’re the expert at it?” Analise asked, rolling her eyes at him.

  Gavin gently pushed Analise aside and stepped closer to Isabel, his eyes locked on hers. Suddenly she could feel the hunger rise up in her again. This time, it was fierier, more intense than it ever was in the past few days. She clutched her stomach with her hands, trying to control that tingling feeling, that warmth, which was slowly spreading out through her. “Analise, I’d like for you to step out,” Gavin said, nodding towards the exit. Analise narrowed her eyes at him, her face drooping to a scowl. She stood there for a moment, as if waiting for Gavin to change his words, but when he didn’t she let out a sigh and turned around, making her way back upstairs.

  “Sometimes I wish I was a free woman, but I’m not, now, am I?” she muttered, her voice growing more and more distant as she climbed up the stairs. Isabel cocked her head to the side, listening to Analise’s footsteps as they moved further and further away. In her absence, Isabel found peace. And now, she was left with Gavin. She squirmed in the corner of her cell, trying to stay as far away from him as she possibly could.

  “Isabel, why so scared?” he asked. There was something about the way his teeth protruded through his smile that made Isabel shiver. He wasn’t the old Gavin anymore, but he was something else, something more menacing. Isabel looked over and Oz had his eyes closed; he was almost completely out of it. Ava was slumped down on the floor, her body curved into a wobbly L shape. “Well, that just leaves the two of us,” Gavin said, raising an eyebrow at Isabel.

  She tried to resist it, but Gavin’s eyes ignited a spark inside of her. She hadn’t fed on anyone in days, and as much as she had liked to push back the feeling, it always seemed to pop back up. Her hunger was something she couldn’t control, and it seemed to her that it had reached its breaking point. Just looking at Gavin made her feel desperate, like an electric current was za
pping through her, and no matter how hard she tried, Isabel knew she wouldn’t be able to resist. “Please, just stay away from me,” she said, holding up both hands in front of her. “I don’t want to do this.”

  “Oh, you don’t?” Gavin asked, crouching down in front of her. He got down on his knees so his eyes were level with hers. “Look at me,” he said. Immediately, Isabel raised her eyes to him, like some invisible force was pulling them up. “Look at me and tell me you don’t want me,” Gavin continued, licking his lips. Isabel’s lips were slightly parted, and she could feel the desire gush right through her.

  “I, I-” she muttered.

  “Shh,” Gavin said, leaning in close to her. She could feel his warm breath against her face; she couldn’t resist it anymore. Isabel dove in and kissed him hungrily, their tongues intertwining.

  She closed her eyes, letting the feel of his hands on her ignite the fire inside her, and despite how she felt about him, couldn’t deny how much she needed this. She could feel her body reacting to his touch, the feel of his lips against hers, and she knew that whatever false bravado she had put up only moments before was gone now. All she wanted was to feed, and a part of her tried desperately to close off the notion that she was getting what she wanted from Gavin.