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Emerging into the open air, we find ourselves amidst the camp’s outskirts. We have to remain in the shadows, moving in unison. We utilize the night as our ally as we silently neutralize guards along our path, each confrontation ending with subdued thuds and the disappearance of bodies into the darkness.
I’m sure that we can’t take out all of them. But we’ll try to incapacitate as many of them as we can. Then, we’ll decide what to do with the rest of them. But first, we have to find Elena and make sure that she is safe.
We keep going, circling the camp and different tents. The moonlight outlines the contours of the camp, providing just enough visibility for us to navigate the area without being detected. Fortunately, the guards are unaware of the silent threat in their midst. They keep falling one by one, making the camp a less hostile space each time a guard is taken down.
Finally, we find ourselves behind the tent that seems to be the one we’ve been searching for. We notice two guards standing vigilant in front of the imposing tent. They are the next obstacles in our path to finding Elena. I gesture at Cal to take out the one closer to him, while I will take out the one on the left. He nods soundlessly.
We have to work in sync, so that neither of the two guards notices what is happening to the other one. We sneak behind them slowly, then grab them by the neck. They are taken by surprise, so they have no time to react. Their legs start kickingagainst the ground as both Cal and I squeeze their necks until their bodies go limp. It was quite a task, because both men were huge. I could only imagine how difficult it must have been taking them out in their bear form.
Now, the path to the tent is open. I can still hear some voices in the distance. Cal looks at me.
“Should we take care of them first?” he whispers.
“No,” I shake my head. “We need to make sure that Elena is alright. Then, we’ll find a way out of this camp and back home.”
I push inside first, with Cal following me closely. The place is wrought with indications of bear shifters, an atmosphere of authority and mystique. The dim light from the lanterns casts long shadows on the tribal decorations adorning the tent’s interior. My eyes quickly shift to the heart of the tent, and there, Elena stands, a vision in a stunning tribal dress, her entire body trembling. Her eyes are pleading for us to come to her and take her into our arms, to make sure that she is alright.
For a moment, both Cal and I are mesmerized by her visage. She looks unearthly, like a fairy who got lost, away from the woods and now, a human has captured her, preventing her from going home. This is the moment when I want to tell her how beautiful she is, how happy I am that she is alright, and most importantly, that she has captured my heart, that I will be forever hers if she will be forever mine. And I know that Cal feels the same way. It is as if our love for her has intertwined, doubling in size, emboldening us with this insane bravery and power to endure pain beyond our wildest imaginations.
“Rock?” she whispers, her voice on the verge of breaking, and that brings us back to the urgency of the present moment. “Cal?”
Overwhelmed with a mixture of emotions, we rush towards her, our steps quickening by the shared relief at findingher alive and well. As we reach her, the tribal dress she’s wearing sways gently with the motions of her body, as she waits for us to embrace her.
We hug all at the same time, her small frame becoming entangled in ours. For a moment, nothing else exists, and we three are alone and safe. However, that moment of solace doesn’t last long. I pull away first, cupping her face.
“Elena, are you alright?” I ask, taking a quick, introspective glance at her. She seems fine and unharmed, fortunately for that rat. I don’t even want to call him a bear, because I am offending the tradition we belong to.
“I am so happy to see you,” she gushes. “I thought…”
“Never mind that now, sweetheart,” Cal tries to comfort her. “You’re alright and that’s all that matters.”
“But you… you’re hurt,” she looks at us both. “You’re both hurt.”
“We’re fine,” I assure her. “Don’t worry about us.”
“We have to go,” she urges, grabbing us both by the hands, as if she’s just remembered something. “Now.”
Her voice is trembling. Her eyes convey a sense of determination as she speaks, and I can see the fear. I can almost feel it emanating off of her. I wonder what he has said and done to her to make her this afraid. I vow to avenge every tear that has fallen out of those beautiful eyes, and every shiver of fear her body has been subject to. But perhaps, now is not the time.
“You’re right,” I nod. “We took out several of the guards. Hopefully, we can sneak out into the woods unnoticed.”
“Come,” I take her by the hand, and in turn, she takes Cal’s hand.
I can’t help but think that this is how we will remain forever, the three of us, together in good and bad. The thought fills me with hope for the future for us all, for the village.
We hastily make our way towards the exit impatient to be out and concealed in the woods that will protect us. However, as we reach the exit, we collide with an unexpected obstacle.
I bump into the leader, the force of the blow propelling all three of us backward, with him standing in the doorway, blocking our exit. The atmosphere tenses immediately, as a stern expression etches across his face.
“Leaving so soon?” he growls, and I know that we can’t leave without facing him.
I push Elena behind me, shielding her with my body. “Cal, look after her,” I tell him. “I need to take care of this tyrant.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Elena
Rock is standing in front of me, with Cal by my side, holding me by the hand. This feels like a nightmare, but I know that it isn’t. We’ve come to the end of the line, and this is where everything will be decided. We are both counting on Rock to do what needs to be done, because in all of this, I’ve realized that he is our protector, he is the one who will lay down his life to protect us. He would kill for us. He would die for us.
