“You should see him fight,” Freya replied.
“He was the one you watched at the wrestling match?” Marin said.
“Yup. He was fighting someone around the same size as him, and he beat him to a pulp. When he finished, the guy was KO’d. It was a mess.” The girls stared at her in shock.
“Wow. He gives me the creeps,” Eloise said.
“Mmm-hmm,” Marin agreed.
“Me too,” Freya said, after an almost unnoticeable pause. But it was only half the truth. He gave her the shivers, to be more accurate. She was thinking about that kiss in the forest. She was so, so scared when he caught her. She’d been running blindly, well aware that it was getting darker and darker, that it was potentially very dangerous being out there alone, and that she had no plan for getting away from her kidnappers. But she couldn’t stop running. She was full of guilt. It was her fault that the girls had come on the hike with her, and now she’d got them all into this terrible situation. It was her responsibility to get them out of it. And so she pressed on, thinking that if she kept going in a straight line, she’d get to the end of the wood eventually. And then she heard a loud, crashing sound, she turned, and Xander the Great snatched her. He was so huge and overbearing that she thought he was going to rip her apart. Her heart was beating right out of her chest and she started to hyperventilate. But his hold was gentle, and somehow his scent and the expression in his big dark eyes was calming. And then he kissed her. A thrill raced all the way from her tingling lips to the core of her body. And then she bit him. She was scared, and furious at the way her body was responding to him. When she tasted his blood, hot and metallic on her lips, she was glad. Now, she was even more glad that she’d been able to inflict some pain on their jailer, no matter how small. Still, the question drifted around in her mind: why had he kissed her? She’d half expected him to force himself on her, to exact revenge for the bite, but he’d backed away, even seemed contrite. She thought about his face; those hard, angular lines, contrasting with the fullness of his lips and the depth of his eyes. His huge, muscular physique. That moment in the stadium when he’d come up to her, first with his hand and then with his paw, and she’d been moved to lay her hand on the glass too, and in the moment, she’d really felt something. In an alternate reality, she would’ve found him very attractive. But in this world, she hated him with all of her heart.
“Freya, what are you thinking? You look like you’re miles away,” Marin said.
“Oh, just plotting how to get the hell out of here,” she said, gazing at her friends miserably. “I’m so sorry for dragging you both out here on this hike, and I’m particularly sorry about today, Eloise. I never should’ve persuaded you to walk that last section with us. You could’ve been free and sleeping in a hotel now.”
“Shh, don’t say that. None of this is your fault. All the blame lies at the door of the assholes who kidnapped us,” Eloise replied.
“Totally,” Marin agreed. “You’ve been amazing on the trail. There’s no way I could’ve done it without you.”
“Really?” Freya said, with a jolt of surprise. She hadn’t thought that she’d done anything particularly great. All she could remember right now was being cranky and short-tempered.
“Uh huh. You encouraged us loads, and took on the whole responsibility for directions and finding water. Please don’t blame yourself for anything.”
“Thanks for saying so, Marin. It helps,” Freya said. She gave a long sigh and stared into space. Then she got up, ran to the door and tried the handle. It opened. She gasped in disbelief.
“They haven’t locked us in. They know we can’t ever escape.” She came back to the couch and sat down again. “This is so, unbelievably, weird.”
Just then, there was a knock at the door. They stared at each other.
“Come in?” Marin called after a pause. The door burst open, and the girl from earlier came back in, followed by another girl who looked quite a lot like her, but she had unbraided, long dark hair. Between them, they were carrying the women’s backpacks.
“Thought you might need these,” the red-haired girl said with a grin. Freya, Eloise and Marin rushed over and grabbed their bags, as if they might take them away again. Freya felt a flicker of relief. Somehow, having her possessions back gave her a little comfort.
“I’m Mihaila, and this is Jenice,” the girl said. When none of them replied, her smile faded. “Please don’t hate me. I’ve got nothing to do with you guys being here,” she said.
“Were you abducted too?” Eloise asked. Both women gave a short, sharp laugh.
“Noo. We were both orphaned, and the clan adopted us,” Mihaila said.
“So you’re happy here?” Freya said. They both nodded vigorously.
“It’s a pretty sweet life here. I mean, it’s a beautiful place. There’s everything you need – bars, restaurants, stores – without having to leave. And the men –” they looked at each other and made a kind of purring noise. “I bet you’ve never seen such hot guys before, have you?” Freya stared at them, lost for words. If she was honest, no. Despite being absolutely terrified when three naked men snatched them, she hadn’t failed to notice that they were stunning specimens of manhood. They were all heavily muscled, all had striking good looks. But Xander was on another level. He radiated power from every inch of his body, from his bunched shoulder muscles, to his sculpted cheekbones and jaw, to the fierceness of his kiss – okay, stop thinking about that, she scolded herself.
“Are you bear shape shifters?” she asked the girls, rapidly changing the subject. They laughed as if she’d said something hilarious.
“Nope, I’m a cheetah and Mihaila is a tiger,” Jenice said.
“Can you leave this place whenever you want?” Marin said. They exchanged quick glances.
“Yes, but we don’t need to. We mostly just leave to fight in the wrestling matches.”
“Anyway, we should go get your dinner. We’ll be back in a moment.”
They went out of the cabin, leaving the door swinging open, then returned minutes later with three heaped plates of food.
“This isn’t poisoned either,” Mihaila said with a grin. “You want me to try it in front of you again?”
“No, it’s okay,” Freya said.
“Okay. Goodnight, then. I hope you have a good sleep,” she replied perkily, as if she was hosting them in a guesthouse, and the two of them skipped off.
The food smelled delicious again. It was a whole heap of ribs, with fries and a side salad, and they began to eat with enthusiasm.
“They’re happy here,” Freya commented, after a few minutes of silence.
“They are,” Marin agreed.
“That’s so weird. They must be brainwashed,” Eloise said.
When the three of them had finished eating, they went through their packs.
“Everything’s here, apart from our phones,” Marin said with a groan.
“And my emergency GPS device,” Freya said.
“They’re not stupid, are they?” Freya’s stomach knotted again. Every detail of their abduction drove the reality of it deeper into her mind. They were trapped here, without any way of contacting the outside world.
“When is anyone going to miss us?” she asked.
“I message friends every couple of days, but nothing concrete. I’ve only been in touch with my brother a couple of times too. People might start to wonder why they haven’t heard from me, but I think it could take a couple of weeks before that translated into worry,” Marin said.
“Same here,” Eloise said. “I usually speak to my mom once a week, but I told her that I might not have reception or battery power out here, so she won’t worry for a few weeks.” Her eyes teared up again. “Two whole weeks before anyone really misses us.”
“And who’s going to remember where they saw us last?”
“Probably someone in the town. The hotel receptionist, maybe.”
“The girls who took me to the fight,” Freya added.
“But on the trail – no-one. Because we were on the damn side trail, and we hadn’t seen anyone all day.” She stopped herself, but not before Eloise started crying in earnest again, blaming herself for the fact they were on the side trail.
Her impatience gathering, Freya stood up and paced around the room. Her emotions were constantly shifting between fear and anger, and it was exhausting. She opened the front door and peered outside, before slamming it shut again, hard enough to make it tremble in its frame. After what Xander had said, the outside seemed sinister now. At least in the cabin, they seemed to be safe for the immediate future.
After a while, they locked the door and windows and laid out their sleeping bags on the couches and on a rug on the floor. An exploration of the upper story of the cabin revealed three bedrooms, all with huge double beds, but they were reluctant to sleep there, somehow feeling safer being downstairs and close together.
“I hate how ordinary this feels in a way,” Marin said, as she brushed her teeth next to Freya in the bathroom. “It’s like, we’re being held captive here, and we’re brushing our teeth, for Christ sakes!”
“I know what you mean,” Freya mumbled around her toothbrush. “But until we find an opportunity to get away from here, I think it’s important to stay as normal as possible – make sure we stay strong and don’t get sick, etc.”
They climbed into their sleeping bags and turned out the lights.
“It’s so much quieter than being in our tents but I can still hear the familiar sounds of the forest,” Marin said.
“Yeah,” Freya said. She could make out noises that sounded a lot like bears calling to each other, but she chose not to mention it to the others.
Some hours later, while it was still pitch dark outside, Freya was awoken by a long, low moaning sound. She sat up fast, discovering that it was coming from Eloise. Wriggling out of her sleeping bag, she crept over to her and stroked her forehead. Eloise awoke with a jolt.
“Get away from me!” she yelled, swatting at her clumsily.
“Shh, it’s me. You were having nightmares,” Freya whispered.
“I was?” Eloise whimpered. “I was in a tent, all by myself, and a bear broke into it. Its claws ripped right through the canvas, and then it was about to bite me with its huge teeth. I was so scared!” In the darkness, she suddenly looked like small child, vulnerable and petrified.
“It’s okay, it was just a dream. Nothing’s going to hurt you,” Freya said soothingly, and she kept on stroking her forehead until she fell asleep again. But by the time Eloise was asleep, Freya was wide awake, and sleep seemed very far away. She pulled on her shorts and sweater, opened the front door and crept outside. The moon was bright, and almost full. She sat down on the stoop, propping her chin on her hands, and watched it. It was the same moon she’d watched day after day, and it had always seemed a benevolent presence, overseeing their journey. But now it was watching her as a prisoner, and its face was unchanged, as if it cared nothing for their plight.
A figure passed at the end of the garden, startling her. It was a huge, muscular man, dressed only in a pair of shorts. Xander.
“Freya?” he called, seeing her at the same time. “What are you doing out here?”
“Being too scared to sleep. Wondering what I did wrong in a past life to end up imprisoned here. Wondering if I’ll ever see my family again. Take your pick,” she said, her tone savage. He was walking toward her now, and there was no mistaking the flicker of pain in his eyes.
“I am sorry this has happened to you,” he said.
“That’s not a lot of consolation,” she retorted. He sighed.
“Can I sit?”
“Do you need to ask?” That flash of pain again. She didn’t care. It wasn’t her job to make him feel good about keeping them prisoner here.
“Things will be easier if you try to accept your new life, and you might even find that you’re happier here than out in the human world,” he said, sitting a respectful distance away from her. She picked up his scent. He’d showered recently, but he still smelled of the forest. Like sweet summer days. She wanted to hate the smell, but she couldn’t. It was kind of arousing.
“I’ll never accept it,” she spat, anger at herself for being attracted to him making her extra vitriolic. He blinked.
“I like your spirit, Freya. I think you’re as tough as a shifter,” he said. It was her turn to blink at the strange compliment.
“So what’s keeping you from your beauty sleep?” she said. He gazed up at the moon and pressed his lips together. She sensed that he was considering whether to say what was on his mind.
“Maybe worrying about our new inhabitants. Wondering how things went so wrong today. And –” He broke off. “I didn’t ask for this to happen, Freya.”
“No, I can see that you didn’t. But it’s in your power to end it.” He turned his head and met her stare with his smoldering gaze. There was sadness in his eyes.
“It’s not in my power, Freya, because it’s a lot bigger than me. I’ve got far more than myself to think about.” She frowned in incomprehension.
“Why do you have all this responsibility? Because you’re the best fighter?”
“Because I’m the Alpha of the clan, the leader. So every decision I make has to be for the good of the whole clan.” She was quiet for a moment. She sensed that beneath his brute strength, there was a sensitivity, and she needed to access it.
“Please try to understand my motivations, Freya,” he said again, in his deep, rumbling voice. If his words were meant to calm, they had the opposite effect, and a tidal wave of fury rolled up inside her.
“So you’re asking me to accept the fact that we’re all prisoners here, and be sympathetic toward you for imprisoning us? Do you realize how fucked up that is? You’re basically asking us to have Stockholm Syndrome!” She was yelling now, but she didn’t care; her whole body was vibrating with anger. “I don’t believe what you’re saying. You can change this if you want to. I don’t sympathize with you. I hate you!”
He looked stung for a second, but he recovered fast, growing even huger, seeming to loom right over her. His eyes blazed with an animal fire and she was uncomfortably reminded of his true nature.
“I don’t think that you hate me,” he said, in a soft, almost crooning voice. He lifted one of his huge, scarred hands and ran a finger along her jaw. She froze, not moving a muscle, although her heart was fluttering in her chest like a caged bird. His touch made her tingle, in a very unwelcome way. But she wouldn’t give in to it. With a gargantuan effort, she maintained eye contact with him and jutted her chin out.
“I do. You’re keeping us all here against our will. I hate you with all of my strength. And don’t you dare touch me again!” His eyes widened, the whites gleaming in the moonlight.
“Whatever you say, little human,” he said. He started to get to his feet, and then he paused. “Be careful around my elder brother, Maximus. The clan’s at a difficult point in its evolution, and there may be unexpected tensions.” He stood up and, without a backward glance, walked away into the night.
As soon as he was gone from sight, Freya rushed back inside and closed the door as quietly as she could. She was trembling all over. She wobbled over to the bathroom and shut herself in. That conversation had taken more mental fortitude than she was aware she possessed. She’d never felt so deeply conflicted in her life. As fucked up as it was, she did understand his reasons for refusing to let them go. He wasn’t some animal brute either. He was an intelligent man, whose emotions showed in his face more than he realized. But he was also as intimidating as fuck. He was like a wall of muscle, towering above her, his skin still showing the wounds from the fight where she saw him knock another huge guy unconscious. And he had an extremely powerful and dominating presence. Yet she’d said all that to him. He could have snapped her neck like it was a cucumber. What was the matter with her? And why the hell was her body responding to him like that? A glance in the mirror showed that her eyes w
ere bright and her cheeks flushed. She could still feel the rough skin of his finger chafing her jaw.
“Fucked up,” she muttered at her reflection. But as she continued to stare at herself, an idea began to form in her mind. Why should she be helpless in this situation? Why not use the advantages at her disposal?
She went back to bed and curled up in her sleeping bag while her mind whirled, turning her idea into a plan.
Chapter Twelve
On the tail of a small deer, Xander sensed something moving fast behind him. In the instant it took him to check himself and turn his head, his brother sped past him, tracking the same prey. Xander gave a howl of rage and increased his pace. In a moment, he drew level with Maximus, and as he came close enough, he launched himself onto him, claws first. He felt them digging into Maximus’ hide, but he didn’t care. He knocked him to the ground with his weight and sank his teeth into the mantle of loose skin around his neck. Maximus gave a roar of surprise and pain, trying hard to shake him off. But Xander didn’t let go. He bit down harder with his powerful jaws, tasting the metallic tang of blood, until he scented his brother’s panic. Maximus absolutely hated being overpowered. Even when they were cubs, he’d refuse to submit and show his soft belly until he knew there was no other option. Maximus roared and growled. Xander released him just long enough to close his jaws around his windpipe. He wasn’t sure if he’d be quick enough, but he was delighted to see his reactions, which had been dulled in recent years from living too much as a human, returning to him. Maximus gave a cry of pain as Xander’s teeth scraped at his windpipe and he rolled fully onto his back. According to bear protocol, he should let him go now, but Xander held on a minute longer, thinking about how Maximus had recently attacked him while he was mid-shift.
When he finally released him, rivers of blood ran from Maximus’ throat, staining his fawn-colored chest fur dark red. He stayed in a submissive pose, but his eyes were full of hatred. Xander gave a long, low call, which was the signal to shift. As much as Maximus would want to stay in his bear form, he couldn’t refuse the order of his Alpha. Reluctantly, painfully, he got to his feet and shifted into his human form, and stood trembling in front of Xander. His throat looked terrible, Xander noted, with a flicker of guilt. It was ringed with gashes, as if someone had tried to cut his head off, very ineffectually.
Bear in the Rough: Bear Shifter Romance (Broken Hill Bears Book 1) Page 10