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You are as big as you want to be, I tell myself. No fear. No fear. No fear.
Only, that is easier said than done. Just as I’m sure that I am taking my last breath, the bear is suddenly pulled away from me. Behind it, there is another bear, and that woman I just saved is nowhere to be seen. I glance around the other bear and see droplets of fresh blood on the ground.
The bear rushes to me and stands in front of me, sheltering me with its formidable size. I realize instantly what has happened. The woman has managed to shift. I bought her enough time for that and now, she is defending me. My heart swells up inside my chest and I almost burst into tears. But I remind myself that this fight is far from over.
I stand aside, watching the two bear shifters engage in a primal dance of combat, their massive forms colliding with a force that threatens to cause an earthquake. Claws meet fur, and guttural growls reverberate in the air around us. But the enemybear shifter is more powerful. Or perhaps, more experienced in combat. It manages to take out the woman, whom I can somehow recognize even in her bear shifter form. Almost as if there is an inner understanding, allowing me to know who is who. And I manage to recognize, her even beneath all that fur.
She is lying on the ground, breathing heavily. The bear aims its claws at her head, and I know that I have to do something. But before I can act, another bear arrives and saves her from the strike. Again, unconsciously and without realizing I’m doing it, I identify this bear as Cal.
He turns to me, growling, but not in a menacing way. Rather in a way that he’s almost asking me what I’m doing here. Before I can say or do anything, more bears lunge at him, and he is unable to defend himself from all those attacks. He growls in pain, as claws dig into his fur and flesh.
Everything becomes a blur of dark fur and a cacophony of noises. I can barely think and see straight. I look around, but there is nothing I can use for defense. Then again, what can I do against any of these bears? Throw dirt in their eyes?
At that moment, my world turns upside down as a powerful force seizes me, the claws of a bear shifter closing around me with a grip that leaves no room to even wiggle, let alone to escape. I try fighting him off, but all I am doing is flailing my arms and legs with no sense. Panic surges through my veins and I realize that there is nothing I can do to save myself.
I glance at the other bears. Cal is on the ground, breathing heavily. He is looking in my direction. I know he can see me, but he can’t move. He’s been badly hurt. Everywhere around me, I see fallen bears. The chaos of ongoing battle fades away, as the bear shifter who captured me, now starts walking out of the village, carrying me with it.
“Let me go!” I try shouting, although it does me no good. “Let me go!” I try again and again, but with the same success. The bear is deaf to my words. I am now at the mercy of a creature whose intentions remain shrouded in uncertainty. Fear grips me like a cold talon, and I know that I have to wait and see what it wants with me.
Still, I keep struggling against the bear shifter’s hold. I can’t see the village any longer. I can’t even hear them. We are out of the cave, and a few other bear shifters have joined us. I know they are not Rock’s clan. I can almost sense their strange smell, proof that they don’t belong here.
“Where are you taking me?” I demand, but I again get no reply.
All attempts to break free from the bear shifter or to get him to reply prove futile. The trees of the surrounding woods blur as I’m taken deeper and deeper into the shadows. It has gotten dark, and the eerie glow of moonlight is filtering through the dense foliage all around us.
The bear refuses to ease its grip on me. In the midst of my fear, I try to catch glimpses of my surroundings, hoping for any sign of aid or escape. The struggle continues, and I know all of this is far from over.
I suffocate my sobs and tears, as the scent of earth and pine fill my nostrils. There is no more noise from the village. I know we left all of that behind. Instead, I can hear twigs snapping under the bears’ big paws and the forest floor, covered in a carpet of fallen leaves, rustles with each step. Shadows are dancing among the trees, frightening figures of monsters that lurk in the darkness. But I know that there are no monsters there. The real monsters are next to me, taking me probably to their lair in order to kill me.
I have stopped talking, because it serves no purpose. The bear shifter won’t talk back. The few others that have joined usare the same. Their movements are deliberate, navigating the labyrinthine paths with a familiarity that hints at an intimate knowledge of the terrain. How long have they been scouting out the area? It has to have been for quite some time.
Finally, we arrive at a clearing. I immediately notice it is a set up camp, intended for short-term stay. A few huddled groups of men are around, but no one approaches us. The bear suddenly sets me down on my feet, exposing me to the scrutinizing gazes of the other shifters… and a man.
A formidable figure, he approaches me with an air of authority as if he’s not only their leader, but he also owns these entire woods. His eyes, sharp and calculating, lock onto mine. He moves closer to me, and I want to pull back, but the bears have surrounded me. There is nowhere to run.
The man grips my chin with a forceful hand, his voice cutting through the uneasy silence. “Is this the one?”
The bears surrounding me emit a low, guttural growl in response, confirming the man’s inquiry. A nod of approval from their leader signals a sinister understanding.
“Fine,” he declares with cold detachment. “Throw her in the cell.”
“What?” I shout, my eyes wide with disbelief. “No! You can’t!”
My words fall on deaf ears as the bears, following the leader’s command, seize me and usher me towards a concealed enclosure. Despite my protests and struggles, their strength is overwhelming. Eventually, they throw me into a cold, dimly lit cell.
The barred door clangs shut, sealing me from the outside world. Darkness envelops me, broken only by the feeble glow filtering through the cell’s meager openings. Alone and confined, I continue to shout, but I know I can’t be heard.
I sit down on the cold, wet ground, wrapping my arms around my knees. Tears start streaming down my face, as I wonder if Rock and Cal are even alive.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Rock
I get up from the ground, my own naked body too heavy to be carried by my feet. I cough heavily, and I feel my mouth full of something coppery. I spit to the side. A small pool of blood appears on the ground. The air is heavy with the scent of pine mixed with blood and sweat.
I look around. A few naked bodies are on the ground. A few are dragging themselves to their cottages, in an effort to wrap their wounds. Moonlight spills through the canopy of trees, shining on the bodies and the scars of fierce confrontation on the ground. There are claw marks etched into the soil, and patches of torn grass. I look around, in search of Cal, but he is nowhere to be seen. Neither is Elena.
There are so many of ours needing help. As I move through the aftermath of the bear shifter fight, the pain in my leg becomes increasingly apparent. The adrenaline has left my body, and now I can feel the pain. A searing ache accompanies my every step, and the warmth of blood trickling down my leg reveals a wound that needs to be looked at immediately.
