Worshiped By The Bear Kings - Complete (8 page)

CHAPTER SIX

Artificial light filled the interior
of the farm’s stable. Jasmine was standing outside of it whilst Gabe made sure
his horse was settled. She was alone in technicality, but she was still being
watched. The black bear warriors were more than a little intrigued by her
presence.

“Quit
staring,” Gabe barked as he exited the stable. “She’s off limits for any of
you. That comes from the top – our lord Hades.”

The bears in
the shadows surrounding, made no move to approach any further.

But they
didn’t back away either.

Gabe led
Jasmine along the dirt path that led out from the stable, and around other
structures located in the centre of the farm.

She wondered
if there was any chance she could convince him to let her go.

“Who is
Hades?” she asked. “The man we were bowing to earlier?”

“Yes,” Gabe
said gruffly.

“Would he
really be that upset if you lost track of me?”

“You saw him.
What do you think?”

“Maybe he
would just forget about it. I’m just a girl, you know. Thunder and Spike will
just get another one.”

“Look,” Gabe
said. “I don’t know you. You may be affluent and popular where you’re from –
but that doesn’t mean anything here. You were possessed by the Uthuro and now
you are possessed by us.”

“I’m a
person, not a possession.”

“You are a
woman,” Gabe said.

That didn’t
exactly refute Jasmine’s argument – at least not to her – but Gabe seemed
satisfied that would be the end of the matter.

It was of
course true that she and Gabe didn’t know each other very well. Perhaps if they
bonded a little they might become friends and then he would change his mind.

Bear shifter
or not, what they were doing to her was against the law.

“So where are
we going now?” Jasmine asked.

The winding
path had now tapered off into a wide area filled with cars and other vehicles.

Many of the
bears appeared to be exiting from here.

“We have a
drive ahead of us,” Gabe said.

“Back to your
camp?” Jasmine shot back.

“Something like
that.”

CHAPTER
SEVEN

Spike’s bear was now at the edge of a
great chasm that separated his part of the forest, and the forest that led to
the shifter town. He was wary of his descending here, unsure whether to
continue on as a man or as a bear. As a man he would have a better chance of
agilely climbing to safety – but in the event he did fall, he would rather it
were in bear form. After some moments he decided it was too unsafe to cross
here, for either form of himself, and he started maneuvering in search of an
alternate route.

Today had
been a sad day for him. The loss of his wife, the loss of his forest and tribe,
and now the loss of his new mate. He hadn’t been sure splitting up with Thunder
had been the best course of action, but his older cousin had been certain it
was for the best. Spike wasn’t used to being outside the forest the same way
Thunder was. This wasn’t easy for him. Now he had changed direction he felt he
had lost his sense of bearing. This wasn’t good for his bear.

Before long
however, something of interest appeared in his peripherals. As he turned his
head he saw that there was a magnetic purple light being omitted from the
forest behind him. It was beautiful, yet frightening in a way. Spike had no
idea what he was looking at.

A man suddenly
emerged from the trees. The purple light dimmed out as he approached.

Spike made an
aggressive gesture at him, couple with a mild growl.

“It’s okay,”
the man said. “I’m a friend. Come back to your real form now.”

Spike stepped
back, confused.

The man
stepped forward. “I know everything about where you’re going and what you’re
doing. You want to find Jasmine, don’t you?”

Spike
stopped. He lowered his head and shifted into his human form.

“That’s
better,” the man said.

Spike looked
up at him. “Who are you and what do you know of Jasmine?”

“She and I
are old friends. In a way. So that makes me your friend. And I can tell you
where she is so you can rescue her.”

“I’m
listening.”

“Of course
you are.” The man walked up to Spike’s side. Not quite threatening, but sending
Spike the signal that he wasn’t afraid. “Just follow my finger please.”

The man
lifted his left index finger into the air and Spike’s eyes followed it. It
moved past the other side of the chasm and swung round to the right. In the
direction there, Spike could see nothing  but the sky and the stars. And some
very faint city lights.

“All the way
out there, my friend,” the man said.

“The Destair,
who have taken her, are a bear tribe like any other. They don’t live in amongst
the people. We live with our own kind.”

“The Destair
have completely changed their position since you last encountered them. They
have some very dark allies you need to be careful of.”

“Tell me
more.”

“There’s
little need. You will see for yourself.” The man reached into his pocket and
produced a small piece of folded paper. “That’s the address. She’s being held
somewhere in there.”

Spike looked
at the paper. “This means nothing to me.”

“Before you
go after her, you will need to rescue your cousin also.”

“Thunder?
What’s happened to him?”

“He’s at the
ranger’s station being detained by police. You have a very small window before
they transport him. You’ll have to hurry as fast as you can.”

“And what of
Jasmine? How are we supposed to get her out of this building once we get there?”

“Well, you
have three options. By force, by stealth, or by diplomacy. In any case, I can
guarantee you if you do not leave with her from that building tonight, you will
never see her again.”

“Why? What
are they going to do to her?”

“I have said
enough.”

“And … when
we see Jasmine. Which of her friends shall we say led us to her.”

“I wouldn’t
tell her anything about me,” the man said. “You’ll only frighten her.”

“But why
would –”

The man was
done answering Spike’s questions. He vanished right before his eyes, leaving
Spike lost and alone in the night.

CHAPTER
EIGHT

The car smelled new, and had been
scented with an additional fragrance. Gabe opened up the glove box and
retrieved a silver banded watch and a pair of shades. Jasmine buckled herself
into the passenger seat whilst he put his accessories on. By the time that
they’d pulled out and away from the farm, looking across at Gabe, Jasmine
couldn’t see anything bear-like about him at all.

“Just let me
out,” she whispered. “Just say I ran out at the traffic lights or something.”

“You couldn’t
do that, the doors are locked from the driver’s control box.”

“Well, I
don’t care. Say the door was open. Just let me go. Please?”

“I don’t know
why you keep asking.”

“Because I
don’t deserve it. And I know you’re not a terrible person underneath.”

“How do you
know that?”

“I just can
tell. That’s all. You can tell things about a person, and I know you’re not
that bad.”

“I was the
one who took you, remember? I did that of my own free will.”

“Maybe you
were saving me from something worse.”

Gabe smiled.

Jasmine was
pleased by the smile, because as long as he was happy, there was a still a
chance he might help her.

Gabe looked
at her. “Oh. Come on. Really? I look like such a nice guy, huh?”

“You do.”

Gabe then
suddenly swerved into the side of the road and parked the car. Jasmine tried to
open her door but found it was locked.

Gabe slowly
took off his sunglasses. “I’m only going to say this one more time without
hurting you. The rules are – you do as I say. Now all I’ve been set to do is
give you a place to rest, and see to it that no one else interferes with you.
It’s really simple. If you misbehave however, and keep nagging at me to let you
go, then it’s going to get very ugly, I promise. Do you understand?”

Jasmine hesitated.

“Do you
understand?”

She nodded.

“Then shut
the fuck up please, and just do what you’re told.”

Gabe put back
on his sunglasses and tore the road up as they zoomed back into their chartered
course.

Jasmine
recoiled into her seat and looked at her surroundings defensively.

It seemed the
only way out of here would be through something she did on her own.

CHAPTER NINE

Thunder Brad had been handcuffed to a
steal table in the visitor’s centre whilst the police were questioning his
accusers about what had taken place that afternoon. The cuffs wouldn’t be
strong enough to hold his bear of course, but Brad wasn’t ready to give the
game away yet. He believed Sergeant Green and Constable Ford would come back
any minute and he’d be able to convince them the others were telling lies. He
was the senior forest ranger after all. His word should count for something.

Meanwhile,
precious time was being lost for him to locate Jasmine and rescue her. At some
point or another, his patience was going to run out. He almost felt ridiculous
just staying put here. At the same time however, he needed to confer with Scott
and the members of the police about where the black bear camp might be.

He hoped
Spike was having better luck than he was.

It was only a
few more minutes before the door opened and Green and Ford entered with
Jasmine’s companions. As they moved across the room and the girl made eye
contact with him, she looked like she was about to have a fit.

“Are you sure
this is the man you saw with the rifle?” Sergeant Green asked.

“Yes,” the
girl squealed. “He shot Jake!”

Thunder Brad
winced. Even though he was guilty, a traditional lineup should have been called
for.

“Alright,
we’ll take it from here,” Sergeant Green said urging them to exit with him.

But the girl
pushed past both cops and swung her fists at Brad, barely missing his face.

“You
monster!” she shouted. “Monster! Monster!”

The cops
pulled her away with the assistance of the boyfriend and then they really were
gone this time. Sergeant Green had a few words with them outside, before
returning to the centre. He pulled up a chair and sat opposite Brad with a
folder.

“So did you
do it?” he asked, turning the pages.

“What?” Brad
said. “No.”

“Any
explanation as to why you’re being accused?”

“Perhaps
because I’m the only other person they saw out here. And they’re guilty.”

“Of starting
the forest fire?”

“Maybe they
killed her brother too.”

Sergeant
Green nodded. “I have to be honest with you, I have no idea who’s lying. If I
can’t tell, it’s unlikely anyone else will either, until the evidence is
recovered. Until then though, you’ll have to remain in our custody.”

“Not if you
can’t charge me,” Brad said. “I know my rights. I’m a ranger, for Godssake.”

“In any
case,  you’re going to have to come in with us for an official interview.”

“Tonight?”

“Yeah,
tonight.”

Brad
scratched behind his ear. He considered if there was any information he could
give to Green that would get him out of this mess.

“Is there
something you want to tell me?” Green asked.

There was a
knock at the door.

“To be
continued,” Green said getting up. He went to the door to find Constable Ford.

Brad watched
them carefully.

“Another
witness?” Green muttered. “From where?”

“Officer
Foley picked him up just before. Says he has information about our friend the
ranger here.”

Green glanced
over his shoulder at Brad.

Brad gave
away nothing.

“Alright,”
Green said. “Send him in.”

Sure enough
standing in the doorway, proud and resolute, was Spike.

Before cuffs
were broken, tables knocked over and windows smashed, Brad couldn’t help but
smile.