by Sam Crescent
“You’re a monster,” she said.
He laughed. “No. You see, if I were a monster, I wouldn’t have given them an incentive. I left a nice clean bucket of water for them. Of course, if they make it from the blood loss, then they are strong. I’m giving them a chance to learn who they are. There’s no way I can be deemed a monster.”
Tears filled her eyes. The way he described it, she couldn’t imagine experiencing that kind of torture. She hoped he was delusional and those were all lies.
“Anyway, enough of those sluts. I had to do that. They were all making me weak. I’m not weak. Their men weren’t good enough, and all they had was me. I’m a fucking king. They should treat me like one. It’s what I am. I’m a king and they should have been happy to just serve me. Useless fucking sluts. All of them. All of you females are.” He shoved her again, but this time, she was prepared and was able to keep her footing. She wanted to laugh in his face. Instead, she just kept on walking, not giving him the satisfaction of knowing he scared her.
“So, I need to be reborn. The sleuth, their stench is all over me. I can’t stand it. I need to be clean. We’re all born in water, and I will have to die in water.” He nodded his head. “That’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to die and then I’m going to come out reborn.”
She frowned. “How will you be reborn?” she asked.
“I’m a king. I will come out, and if not, you’re going to save me.”
Bethany couldn’t believe what he was saying. He truly believed she would save him? She nearly burst out laughing but bit her tongue. Who would save this man who was a monster who deserved to die? He was crazy.
“What happened to my cab driver?” she asked.
“He’s dead. He wasn’t going to take the easy road. I’m not a bad guy. No, I’m a good guy. People just need to learn to do as they’re told.” He shook his head, as though he actually believed the shit coming out of his mouth.
They kept on walking and he ranted, talking about how useless the world was. How they were only there to serve him and how everyone should be grateful for his very presence. She hated listening to him, but she also wasn’t about to tell him the major flaw in his genius plan. If he was going to be reborn, it meant he was going to die.
His heart would stop.
Breath would leave his body.
She wasn’t going to save him.
All of this crazy talk terrified her.
They kept on walking and the sun had already set. Did Caleb know she hadn’t made it to the hotel? He must have known. Or was he too busy hunting for this bastard?
The crazy bear clearly didn’t understand that Caleb wouldn’t just send her to another town and not check up on her. At least, she hoped not. If this were the other way around, she’d have called the hotel and asked to speak to him.
The bear grabbed her arm and laughed. As they came through the clearing, she heard the rush of water. The light from the half-moon highlighted the waterfall. In daylight, or any other circumstance, she would have admired the rare beauty of it. Tonight, not so much.
“Look at it. My rebirth. My growth. This is where I will come into my own. People will see how fucking wonderful I am.” He held his hands up and laughed. “Beautiful.” He roared and she tensed up.
This man was so crazy.
She stayed perfectly still, not wanting to ruin his moment, but also just wanting to stay as clear of this man as was physically possible.
He faced her. “This is a beautiful moment for you, too. You can strip if you’d like.”
“My hands are behind my back, and if it’s okay with you, I’ll wait, fully clothed until after you’re reborn.”
She wasn’t sticking around. Hell no, she intended to run at the first opportunity. So long as he untied her wrists, which she hoped he did, figuring she would need them to actually save him.
He tutted. “You think I’m crazy. You think I don’t see what you’re doing?” He shook his head. “You disappoint me.”
He pulled the shirt over his body and wriggled out of his pants. Fear clawed its way up inside her.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“I can see it in your eyes. You think I don’t see what you’re going to do?” He laughed. “Oh, you shouldn’t underestimate me. I know so much about everything. I can feel the earth. I can sense this. I know what is required of me.”
He spun her away from him and untied her hands. She quickly pulled them up, rubbing at her bruised wrists. The rope had been way too tight. She watched him as he wrapped an end of the rope around his wrist and then grabbed hers.
“What are you doing? Let me go.” The rope was back on her wrist, this time even tighter and cutting off circulation.
“I’m not a fool. There’s no way you’d pull me out of the water of your own free will. With you in the water with me, as I die, I become heavy, and I will pull you right under with me. What you’ve got to hope is that your desire to live is stronger so you can pull me out of the water to revive me, or you’re drowning right along with me.”
“What? No, you’re crazy. There is no way this can work.” He was going to take her into the water. “No.”
“Yes.” He marched toward the water. “You had your chance to take your clothes off.”
“No, please, I don’t want to die. You don’t have to do this. I’m human. You’re a bear and you’re bigger than me. How strong do you think I am? You’re going to kill us both.”
“And if that is what needs to happen, I will let it.”
“Help me,” she screamed.
The sound got louder as she was pulled into the water. She didn’t even want to think of what creatures could be waiting to eat them in the dark water.
The crazy bear didn’t leave her alone.
“No. Please. Let me go. I don’t want this. Please.”
There was no way her life could end like this.
She tried pulling on the rope. Her hand was losing feeling by the second as he’d done it too tightly.
“Caleb! Please, come. Help me.”
Her time was running out.
“No, please, don’t.”
The crazy bear smiled at her one last time and sank beneath the water. Her minutes were numbered.
Chapter Ten
“Faster,” said Caleb.
“We don’t want the cops’ attention,” said Reese, picking up the speed.
They’d all piled into the pick-up truck and headed to the place Joe said they’d probably find the rogue bear. It was a sacred place the bears visited at least a few times in their lives—when they mated, after the birth of their cubs, and for spiritual rebirth. They’d left David behind to care for the bear females until they returned. After seeing the dead, mutilated bodies, his fears grew tenfold. That bear was capable of anything, any remnants of humanity long gone.
“Do you remember where we live?” asked Brian. “I haven’t seen a cop around here in years. Don’t worry about speeding.”
“Whatever,” said Reese. “How much farther, Joe?”
“A few more miles. It’ll be on the left after a curve in the road. I haven’t been here in over a decade. I thought the next time I came, it would be to celebrate my mating.”
“Tough luck there, Joe,” said Brian. “But they say there’s someone out there for everyone, even ugly bears.”
Joe growled.
“Enough,” said Caleb. “Focus. We’re almost there.”
Reese slowed the truck before carefully parking along the overgrown side of the road. There were walls of trees on either side of the road, now pitch black. Even the light from the half-moon couldn’t penetrate the old-grown forest.
He wasn’t sure if he should shift or go on foot. Then he thought better. As soon as they stopped, he removed all his clothing, nodding for Joe to do the same. His senses, speed, and strength were immeasurably stronger as his alpha wolf. Every minute could mean life or death.
“Where now?” asked Reese.
“Follo
w me. The mountain is deep in the forest. We need to get to the waterfall. It’s rebirth by water.”
“Why would he need Bethany for his rebirth?” asked Caleb. “She’s a human, not a wolf.”
He shouldn’t be complaining. The rogue could have killed Bethany within minutes of getting her in his cab as revenge for sheltering Joe and threatening his life. Instead, he was using her in some twisted ritual. He better not have touched her.
“You’re asking the wrong person. Just because I’m a bear doesn’t mean I can understand the mind of a mad man.”
Time was wasting. The moment Caleb shifted into his fur, he picked up the scent. Bethany’s unique scent. She’d been here recently, along with that filthy rogue.
A major sense of relief flooded his veins at knowing they’d come to the right place. Now he had to hope she was still alive to save.
This forest was new and unfamiliar. He couldn’t run as fast as he’d like and mostly kept behind Joe, wishing he’d move his ass faster.
It was too quiet. There were no whimpers or screams, and he didn’t know how he’d react if he found her dead. He’d lose it, leave his pack, and turn feral forever.
They came to a stop. As he began sniffing the area, he smelled blood, his heart jackhammering in his chest. Although his pack could communicate in their wolf forms, they couldn’t understand bear. Joe shifted back into his skin, and he followed the lead.
“Why are we stopping?” asked Caleb.
“The rogue’s scent is strong now. The waterfall is just ahead, so we need to be careful. Remember the state of those bear females? If we startle him, he could do something we’d regret.”
He was right, of course. As much as he’d love to rush in with teeth and claws, he had to be smart about every move from here on out. It was time to use the hunting stealth of his wolf to ensure her safe rescue.
“That’s her blood I scent.” He didn’t want answers or pity. It was just a fact, and he didn’t want to overthink it, not when they were so close.
“Don’t think about it. It doesn’t mean anything,” said Joe. The look in his eyes was that of a packmate, and his respect for the bear grew. They’d started out as enemies, but now he could call him a friend.
They nodded at each other and then shifted back into their fur. Bears were able to shift on will, as was Caleb as alpha wolf. His packmates were only able to shift during the full moon, so they were still behind them, trying to catch up in their human forms.
He crept into the underbrush, keeping low and as silent, noting every branch and leaf. His senses were on high alert.
The sound of the water grew louder the closer he got, and he noted the glint of the moon reflecting off the water’s surface. He emerged into the clearing, testing the air, trying desperately to find his mate. The scent was powerful now, but no sounds, not even a twig snapping.
They patrolled the area, the falls, the small pool, and surrounding woods. No sign of Bethany or the rogue. His packmates finally caught up with them.
“Where are they?” asked Reese. “Where the fuck are they?”
Joe shifted. “We must be close. The grass is still wet. The scent is strong.”
“Then where? What the fuck is going on?” asked Caleb after returning to his skin. He paced the area, his gaze finally settling on the still water at the opposite end of the waterfall. “Are they under the water?”
He froze, unable to move.
“The rebirth involves the water,” said Joe. “That’s why he came here.”
“Shit, you think they could be…” Brian was smart to shut his mouth.
They all stared into the dark, murky water. The thought of Bethany drowning invaded his thoughts. Her beautiful life snuffed out. He’d failed her.
“Over here!” Reese shouted from the other side of the pool. “They went this way.”
He exhaled the breath he’d been holding and rushed over to his packmate. It was true, the scent was stronger here and the clumsy path through the old-growth forest was easy for even a novice tracker to follow. Caleb was no novice.
“Try to keep up,” he said to his men. “We’ll go on ahead.” He nodded to Joe, and they both leaped forward, seamlessly shifting into their beasts. Caleb took the lead this time, only going on instinct and following the route the rogue had taken. Adrenaline pumped wildly through his veins, his muscles working in overdrive as he plowed his large wolf body through the underbrush.
He imagined Bethany’s fragile skin being subjected to the rough terrain. If he got her back, he’d never let her out of his sight again. His precious female was going through hell. New scents began to filter into his senses as they put miles between them and the waterfall. This wasn’t his territory and he found markers that the land was already claimed by rival wolves. He didn’t heed the warnings, not now, not when Bethany’s life was in danger.
The powerful scent of blood wafted toward them and he bolted to a stop. There was blood, a lot of damn blood. It wasn’t Bethany’s or the rogue’s. They spread out and examined the area. Joe roared, and Caleb joined him.
There was a dead male wolf in the brush, his throat ripped out. It had to be a bear attack—a rogue bear attack.
They kept moving forward, following Bethany’s trail. They were so close he could practically taste it. He closed his eyes, breathing her in. So close.
There was a scream in the near distance. They broke out into a run. He couldn’t keep his growls silent any longer. He’d tear that asshole to shreds. And he hoped Joe would have his back and not bow out.
He noticed the eyes first, the same glowing eyes he’d seen last time in his woods. The rogue bear looked in his direction, tossing the female to the ground.
“You took longer than expected,” he shouted, closing the distance between them. “Wolves aren’t nearly as intelligent as bears, so that must explain it. On the other hand, wolves and bears together, that’s the winning combination.”
“Where’s Bethany?” asked Caleb. He stood there in his skin, desperately wanting to return to his fur and lunge at the rogue. First, he needed answers, and he better like what he heard.
The female on the ground moaned and tried to sit up. She was a young wolf, he had no doubt about it. Still, no sign of his mate.
“Bethany? I’m assuming that’s your woman? Disgusting that you have to stoop so low when you could take a wolf as a mate. Humans are weak and pathetic. They’ll never make you stronger. Your offspring will be worthless hybrids.”
“Where’s Bethany?” His voice was deeper and menacing. He tired of this crazed bear’s games.
“She was going to be my little helper, but then I realized I had to be reborn with my mate. Didn’t take me long to find a worthy one.” He looked back at the female on the ground. “Now I need to get her back to the water.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” said Joe.
Caleb turned to the right. The bear was by his side, his shoulders back.
“Ah, one of the traitor bears. I thought I’d gotten all of you. But there are still a few loose ends I plan on cleaning up after my rebirth. I want no memory of the old sleuth remaining. Everything must be new.”
He walked back to the wolf female and grabbed an ankle, dragging her along despite her cries.
“Let her go,” said Caleb. “She’s not your mate.” This female was important. She belonged to one of his men. He’d sensed it right away.
“She is now. I get to choose.”
“That’s not how it works,” said Caleb. “Where’s the human girl?”
“Consider yourself lucky. I did you a favor. There are plenty of other female wolves in this pack. Take your pick. This one’s mine.”
****
Bethany hadn’t moved for so long that her muscles cramped. There hadn’t been any sounds or movements for what felt like an hour, so she dared to get to her knees and crawl forward inch by inch. She’d covered herself in mud, hoping to keep off any bear radar. So far, it had worked. Her body shivered now, cold, w
et, and battered. She imagined Caleb’s warm cabin, a fire going, food on the stove. It felt so real she could feel the warmth, smell the food, and feel the safety. It was all an illusion to keep her sane.
The bear had dragged her into the freezing water, about to plunge himself beneath the surface when he’d started ranting about needing a mate to complete the rebirth. He’d started roaring and thrashing about the water, terrifying her. Then he’d dragged her through the forest, stopping at every den he came across. When a small pack of wolves approached them, he’d shifted into his bear, quickly slaughtering one and chasing after the others.
She’d looked down at her arm, the rope at her wrist no longer attached to the bear. When he’d shifted, the rope burst off his human wrist. It was her chance to escape.
Bethany had run and run, mostly blindly as the forest was so dense and pitch black. She didn’t have time to worry about her many aches and pains or focus on her fears of being in a dark forest at night. Nothing could be worse than being at the rogue bear’s mercy.
She’d untied the rope from her wrist and stayed in hiding. The wolven cries and howls of pain made her cringe, but there was nothing she could do to help.
Hiding was the only thing she could do now.
If only Caleb could find her. She prayed he was looking in the first place.
She must have started to drift off to sleep when she was startled as the earth seemed to tremble and the sound of an animal attack echoed around her. Bethany made herself as small as possible, curling into a ball. She was too tired and weak to fight off the bear at this point. She had to remain hidden.
Then she lifted her head. Had she heard right? She swore she’d heard his voice—Caleb’s. But her mind could be playing tricks on her again.
It was her name. He was calling her. After listening carefully, she was certain.
Tears immediately welled up in her eyes as sweet relief flooded her body.