Implanted (The Ascension Series Book 2) (2 page)

Her heart melted, and she considered taking a step forward, but then another cub galloped from the trees and careened into his brother’s backside. The siblings wrestled, and Fran held her breath for a moment before bursting into laughter. They tumbled and rolled around in the grass like a set of fluffy toy teddy bears.

Teddy Bear.
Another sucker punch hit low in the gut. The last time Fran remembered Mom calling her brother Teddy Bear, his chest puffed up and his face had become bright red, while insisting he no longer be called that babyish name.

“Mother. That’s hardly a fitting way to address a sixth grader. I’m almost a man,” he had said. Fran’s heart squeezed as she thought about Ted and their childhood growing up on the East Side. Back when they were a family. Or so she had thought.

Fran watched the cubs at play, scratching at her bug bite, unaware of the mother bear emerging from the tree line.

When mama bear let out a warning growl, however, Fran looked directly into the angry black eyes, and felt a rush of familiar panic. On instinct, she jumped away from the oncoming danger, and her foot slid from the soft grass to the slick mud. Her heart raced, beating out the milliseconds as she slipped down the embankment. A breath later, she hit the icy water and was pulled into the raging current.

Chapter 2

RETTER

After delivering the final cartons to Tanya, Ret hiked through the woods on the lookout for a few plump berries. His final destination beckoned, but his mouth watered with the idea of a quick snack, making a small detour necessary.

He closed in on the mulberry tree and drew in an unhurried breath. The air, thick with the taste of ripe fruit and a spray of peppery herbs roused his taste buds. He slapped at the tiny gnats as they bounced off his cheek, glad the mini-scavengers preferred the rotting leftovers on the ground, and plucked a handful of dark berries.

Juice trickled from the corners of his mouth. He dragged the backside of his hand across his face and closed his eyes. Thanks to his mother’s training, the health benefits of the fruit from the great
Morus Nigra
tree scrolled through his mind. Vitamin C and potassium topped the list. He enjoyed the way the slightly bitter juices bit at his tongue before mixing with his own saliva and morphing into a syrupy nectar.

He yanked some low-hanging sprigs from a nearby sapling to fashion a quick container and weaved the sapling’s rubbery twigs into a small bowl. After adding some more bounty, he continued along the trail and paused when he reached the raspberry patch. He plucked a few, taking care not to squash the delicate berries, as the word
phytonutrients
stretched through his mind. He shook his head as he filled the bowl wishing sometimes he could just enjoy the fruit without the science. But in Ret’s world, science and nature were weaved into his genetic makeup as tight as the sprigs of his newly fashioned bowl.

When he reached the place where the tributary snaked along in a lazy, pre-summer crawl, Ret squatted on the muddy banks and dragged his fingers through the cool water. This quiet section had been one of his favorite childhood spots. He’d learned to swim here and caught his first fish on these banks. He laughed out loud remembering how he had sprinted barefoot along the shoreline with a newly crafted spear. With slick mud oozing between his toes, he’d slipped, landing on his bottom several times as he chased his game. Although at the time he felt like a true hero, he now realized the skinny boy with the sharp stick probably rendered little more than a lucky shot on that day. Nevertheless, mother had deemed him a fine fisherman which had birthed a daily desire for a fresh catch.

The long rains of spring had awoken the rapids a hundred yards or so downriver and he saw the break where the water became a fast-moving torrent. Although those waters weren’t the place for the faint of heart and definitely not for weak swimmers, for Ret the rapids were an adrenaline-filled afternoon of fun. But not today. Today was for resting and reflecting.

The hot sun felt good on his overworked muscles, easing tension from his shoulders. He leaned back and released a lazy exhale, closed his eyes, and let his mind wander through the hills and valleys of his recent adventures.

He touched the missile launcher tethered to his side, and his fingers itched for a little practice. His pulse picked up while thinking back on last fall’s pheasant hunt. He’d used the long winter to hone his skills and now felt impatient for the upcoming hunt this fall. 

Before standing with a lazy stretch, he unearthed a sharp stone and decided upon a knobby protrusion from an old oak as his target. After a few warm-up swings, Ret placed the rock into his sling, swung the rope in high-arcing circles until the perfect moment, and …
There
!

Ret released the launch, and the stone whisked through the air before hitting its mark with a solid thud. He smiled and loaded his leather pouch with more stones.

After a few more hits, the stationary target lost its appeal, and Ret skipped his remaining ammo across the surface of the river. As he gazed into the water, watching the final ripples shimmy away to the opposite shoreline, he heard the distinct bellow of a mama bear. 
Sophie
must be out with the new cubs
.

Ret had named the twin cubs Otto and Bo and had enjoyed a romp through the clearing with the boys on more than one occasion. He remembered how Sophie would reprimand her offspring with motherly grunts and decided to pay them a visit. He stooped to collect the bowl sitting at his feet knowing his furry pals would enjoy an afternoon treat.

Suddenly, another bellow filled the air, causing tiny bumps to rise on Ret’s forearms. He dumped the bowl and swiped an extra rock from the dirt, tossed it into his pouch and took off in the direction of Sophie’s wails.

As he raced along the river’s edge, Sophie launched another battle cry. If she was
this
upset, her cubs must be in danger. Ret broke into a full run, loading his sling as he followed the sound.

But when he reached the clearing, the cubs appeared safe, wrestling and rolling in the meadow as usual. Sophie, on the other hand, stood on her hind legs, knee deep in the river, with the rapids splashing up high on her furry form. Her cry of distress continued and Ret wondered if she’d been injured.

He slowed to a walk as he approached, clucking his tongue in a soothing manner. What had always worked in the past, however, didn’t seem to faze the mother bear. Once near enough, Ret assessed her from head to toe. No obvious wounds. She stood upright and strong, and bellowed again, filling the air with thick vibrations.

Ret’s gaze whipped along the raging river and a swatch of color caught his eye. Had someone fallen into the rapids? Ret knew the villagers opted not to enter the river this time of year claiming his sport of rapid riding to be a bit extreme. Yet, his gut—and Sophie—told him something wasn’t right.

He scanned the shoreline with Sophie’s desperate cries as a backdrop. On a nearby river rock, Ret saw a torn cloth clinging to the rock’s edge. His eyes darted from one rock to another while searching the foamy islands.

He saw her hand first. Laying casually on top of a boulder as if she’d simply stopped for a rest while swimming. Her body, wedged between the boulder and mass of sharp stones, lifted and dipped as the water passed over and under her form.

Like the rushing of the water before him, adrenaline cut through Ret’s veins. He thrust himself, waist deep, into the freezing water. Before he could even wonder what had brought Wolf into these dangerous rapids, the current yanked at his body. He carved a trail to the high boulder, the roar of the river drowning out Sophie’s wails.

The torrent labored to hamper his progress, but Ret pushed back. Would the ferocious waters dislodge Wolf, sending her downriver before he could reach her? His mind reeled with calculations—percentage of submerged mass in relation to the speed of the current—as if he could determine the number of remaining moments before she launched. She bobbed on the water’s surface, and Ret swallowed back lumpy fear. He reached out and lunged, catching her around the waist. Relief lasted a short moment, as Ret rolled her over to face the sky.

Her skin was ashen grey.

Ret looked back at the shore. Could he maneuver her back in time? He couldn’t risk losing a precious second. Instead, he hefted her limp body fully onto the boulder that had served as her temporary refuge. After crawling to her side, he placed a finger on her carotid artery, and a wave of relief exploded through him. He felt a feathery pulse—but she wasn’t breathing.

With a supportive hand beneath her skull, he pulled down on her chin, rolled her head back, and opened her mouth. Without hesitation, he performed as he had been taught. He covered her lips with his own, pinched her nose and sent a strong breath into her lungs. He watched her chest. No movement. He repeated the process.

No rise. No fall. He pinched off her nose, covered her mouth with his own and released another breath before sitting back on his heels.

“Come on, Rebel. Breathe!”

Chapter 3

FRAN

Beneath her lids, a blood-red landscape dotted with miniature white explosions shocked Fran into a strange realm somewhere on the brink of consciousness. A fire rolled through her insides and a rough presence roughly rolled her to her side a moment before liquid erupted from her belly.

A choking spasm sent her into a state of panic as she fought, unable to catch her breath, but a moment later, she rolled onto her back, and sweet oxygen refueled her lungs. She wheezed a raking breath and coughed as she tried to fill her lungs. More liquid gushed from her mouth, and she almost rolled from her perch, until a strong hand pulled her back and held her steady.

“You’re okay. Just relax and breathe.”

She recognized the voice.

Ret.

His firm grip pressed into her arm, and Fran registered pain. But before she could speak, her body began to convulse with violent tremors.
What’s happening to me?
She wanted to scream, but her jaw remained clenched as she warred to keep her teeth from rattling out of her mouth.

Snippets of scenes flashed through her head. Baby bear cubs … a ferocious growl … Something was missing. How did she get here and why was she so cold?

Next thing she knew, she was being carried by Ret. Her feet dipped into the swirling water, and she instinctively huddled into his warmth. While being carried like a baby, she somehow recognized that with Ret she was completely safe.

Chapter 4

RETTER

Ret pulled Wolf’s body close as he fought the rapids. Her shocked system needed more warmth than he could provide, but he offered what little heat he had. She coughed and shuddered as he moved through the current one slippery step at a time, testing the river bottom before applying his full weight. When the shore lay a mere fifteen feet away, Ret plowed ahead with unbridled determination and adrenaline-spiked power. Wolf had breath in her lungs, but unless he could stop her body from going into shock, the recovery would be for naught. 

Once close enough to heave Wolf onto the grassy embankment, Ret relinquished his hold before squatting low to garner the leverage to thrust himself upward as well. The swirling waters tethered Ret to the river, weighing him down like a dense, unmoving boulder. He reached overhead and dug his finger into the soft ground. As the muscles in his back screamed in protest, he pried himself loose from the current and dragged his torso over the embankment. Rolling onto his side, Ret labored to catch his breath.

He lay face to face with Wolf who shivered and whimpered between coughing spasms. He had to warm her up or she’d die out here. A fire. He’d need to build a fire. Ret jumped to his feet and sprinted to the tree line, grabbed a handful of twigs and dried leaves. The flint he carried in his pouch was fully saturated and he scanned the shore for a dry stone. After locating a smooth grey flint and sparking the fire to life, he sprinted again to the tree line for larger kindling.

Upon returning, Ret dropped the meaty limbs and hollowed log from his shoulders and stood in amazement. If his lungs had cooperated, he probably would have bellowed in laughter at the odd scene before him, but instead, just shook his head as he walked forward.

Along one side of Wolf, lay Sophie, cradling the pale blonde girl as if she were a third cub. Otto and Bo sat opposite their mother, backs leaning comfortably on Wolf as they enjoyed an afternoon snack. Wolf, who lay cocooned in their warmth, seemed to be sleeping soundly.

As he approached, Sophie released a few motherly grunts before rolling to her side and moving onto all fours. Ret ruffled the fur along her back as he passed by and squatted down next to Wolf. Her skin had perked up to her typical pallor, and her hair had already begun to dry in clumps around her face. Outside of a few cuts and scrapes along her arms, she looked fine. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and her lids fluttered.

Upon seeing mama bear, Fran’s eyes flew open and she sucked in her breath.

“No worries, Wolf. Sophie’s not going to hurt you.”

Ret reached over Fran to tousle the heads of Otto and Bo. “No. I’ve known Sophie since she was just a cub like these little guys.”

He looked down at Fran who stared wide eyed at him.

She opened her mouth, and in a voice even raspier than usual, she said, “You’re dripping on me.”

Ret laughed and moved to the fire. He arranged the thick limbs before taking a seat on the hollow log.

“So, what were you doing by the rapids?”

Wolf sat upright, and the cubs skittered way. “Just spreading my wings.” She eased her head from left to right and put a hand behind her neck. “Wow. Feels like I lost a brawl.”

“You were in a fight, alright,” Ret agreed. “But I’m pretty sure you won this round.”

Her bloodshot eyes held Ret’s gaze. “Thanks.”

Ret nodded.

She held out her hand and Ret grasped her forearm. She winced, but then gripped his back, and they shook in open-air fashion. “Please don’t tell anyone what happened,” Wolf said. “I’ll never be able to leave again.”

“I get it.” Ret nodded. “You gave me quite a scare, though, Wolf.” Suddenly exhausted, he leaned back on his forearms, grateful for the warm sun.

“Sorry ‘bout the scare,” she said. “And by the way, it’s Fran.”

“Do you know how to swim, Wolf?

“Sure,” she replied.

“Good. When the rapids calm down a little in the summer, I’ll teach you how to paddle around the currents.”

“Oh boy, can’t wait.”

Her sarcasm wasn’t lost on Ret, but with the warm sun and loss of adrenaline, all Ret could do was lay his head back and shut his eyes.