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I feel his fingers between my thighs, and for a moment, I think he wants to take me. My mind is a total blank. Tearsstart streaming down my face as I keep fighting him with all my strength, but that is not nearly enough.
At that moment, he pulls out his hand, and I feel a tidal wave of relief wash over me, although I know it is far from over. He still has his hand around me, and he could do this same horrible thing again and again if he wants to.
He brings his fingers to his lips and licks the ones that have just touched my most intimate flesh. He tastes me, not taking his eyes off of me, clicking his lips in a satisfied manner.
“Yes,” he finally says after what feels like a whole eternity of this torture. “You are fertile. We can do it now.”
“Do what?” I gasp in horror.
Then, he lets go of me. “But I don’t want you in these human rags.”
He walks away from me, towards a small chest positioned near the entrance of the tent. With deliberate motion, he opens it, revealing an array of carefully folded clothes. I can’t see them clearly. All I can see is the shimmering fabric of the dress he selects and takes out. It isn’t like anything I’ve ever seen before, exuding a sort of a tribal charm, its fabric adorned with intricate patterns and vibrant colors.
He turns towards me, holding the dress with a commanding gaze.
“Wear this,” he orders.
“Why?” I ask boldly.
“It would be wise to ask less questions,” he advises me.
“Or what?” I demand, unafraid at this point. He already said that the entire Ursidae clan is doomed to die at the hand of his own clan. What else can he do to make me listen to him?
“Or I will make Cal and the leader of your clan suffer so much that they will wish they are dead,” he explains slowly, in a way that assures me he means every single word of it. “But death won’t come, and it will be all your fault. Now, if you piss me offsome more, I will glue your eyelids open and make you watch the entire thing, knowing that you caused it, but it is too late to change anything.”
I shiver with fear in front of this monster. I dare not even say animal, because not even animals kill with so much joy. For him, killing has become exactly that. I can hear it in his every word.
“But if you do as I say, I promise that I will make everyone’s death swift and as painless as possible,” he tells me solemnly, in a way that I can almost glimpse at the human side of him. But that is only for a brief second, and then it’s gone again.
“How do I know that you will keep your promise?” I ask, still refusing to accept the dress. Once it is in my hands, I know that will seal the deal.
He obviously doesn’t like my question. He frowns at it, then he steps closer to me, looking down, because our heights don’t allow us to be on the same eye level.
“All those who have questioned my word have not lived to tell about it,” he reveals, and I know he’s telling the truth. “But I will forgive you for this transgression. My word is my honor. It is the honor of every bear shifter… or at least, it should be.”
With those words, he hands me the dress and I know this is the moment I have to accept it. It feels silky soft in my hands, but I tremble at the touch of it.
“Put it on and wait for my return.”
He doesn’t wait for me to reply to that. He simply walks around me leaving the tent, obviously giving me some privacy to change.
I refuse to admit defeat. Not yet. I hurry toward the exit of the tent, a surge of urgency fueling my every movement. However, as I reach it, I discover that two guards are standing watchfully in front, with weapons in their hands. Leaving unseenwould be an impossible task. Just as one of them is about to turn toward me, I hide back inside the tent.
The seconds tick by, and I know the leader will be back any moment. If I’m not in that dress, I fear that he might remain true to his word and start with Cal, who is already here. Without a second thought, I start taking off my clothes and putting on the dress. There is no mirror anywhere around, but I don’t want to see myself like this. The sight might make me burst into tears.
The thought of what will happen makes my entire body tremble. But his promise of doing horrible, unspeakable things to Rock and Cal forces me to be brave, to endure everything… for them.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Rock
I know that time is of the essence, and the longer I stay in the shadows, hiding and biding my time, the more danger Elena and Cal are in. I have to go down and start taking out these shifters one by one.
I finally pinpoint an entrance that seems to be going underground, and seeing the two guards there, I figure that must be where they are keeping Cal and Elena. I slowly start heading down to the camp, hidden under the cover of the night. I use all of my instinct to move as noiselessly as possible, avoiding those shifters that might make too much noise if not taken out in time.
Eventually, I identify the guards stationed near the entrance to the underground cave. The night fortunately conceals my every movement and the hushed whispers of leaves beneath my feet betray nothing of my presence. I am one with the woods, one with the night. Nature is on my side, and it wants to show these shifters that this isn’t where they belong.
Executing a series of swift, precise maneuvers, I manage to incapacitate a couple of shifters on my way, with a seamless blend of skill and finesse. I strangle them until their bodies go limp, without any mercy. I didn’t want to come here in an effort to kill. But I remind myself that they attacked us first. They asked for this, an eye for an eye. We are a peaceful clan, preferring to live and let live, but attack us, and you’ll feel all the rage of nature.
