My throat was raw, and my eyes still felt swollen. I thought I had my emotions under control, but obviously I didn’t. I was meant to deal with this, do things on my own, but I wasn’t prepared for this sort of… magic and demonic presence in my life.
“The club got carried away.” Bear cleared his throat. “They brought a lot of red meat, which is good for your bear, salad, which strangely sounds okay to eat…” His voice trailed, and he pulled out a container full of greens. He took out a leaf and stuffed it in his mouth. “Hmm, not bad. Must be the dressing or something. Bear set it on the table and pulled out more food.”
What just happened?
He continued to pick out salad from the bowl until the plate he filled with a large amount of food was heated, then he set it in front of himself. He crooked his finger once he sat down and had me sit on his lap, and began cutting and placing food in my mouth.
“I can feed myself,” I said with a full mouth.
“And each time you tell me that, I say I’ll feed you.” He placed another generous portion of steak into my mouth. Lunch, dinner, breakfast, whatever meal this was, he fed me like this until we both had our fill. It was the most I had ever eaten in one sitting, and I ate until I was completely stuffed.
Once Bear was satisfied, he turned my body to straddle him and rubbed his gigantic hands up and down my thighs. “Now, what do you need? I know, but I want you to say it. We are working on communicating verbally.” He lifted that infamous eyebrow, and I tried to close my legs shut.
He chuckled darkly. “You like it when I get serious, don’t you? Don’t you lie to me or omit any information, you understand?”
I pursed my lips together, nodding.
Serious Bear was sexy.
“What do you need besides your physical needs, little bee? Your body obviously can’t hide anything.”
This. Bear.
“Um, I know they are alive. But for my sound mind… can I see them?”
Please don’t make me say all their names. There were so many I remember lying lifeless in cold blood on the ground. It was a dream. I knew they were alive, but I just needed to see them.
Bear rubbed his warm hand up and down my body and pressed a kiss to my temple. “Course, which one first?” He lifted his phone off the table and unlocked the screen.
Locke came to mind, and Bear’s fingers paused when I said his name. “I’m going to be honest with you about Locke, Nadia. Locke isn’t doing very well. He’s changing, going rabid like I told you about. His animal is taking over, and soon, there won’t be much human left in him.”
“Just like in my dream,” I muttered. “He turned into a wolf and ran off into the woods and left us all.” I lowered my head, but Bear grunted and lifted my chin. “That won’t happen. Bram and Tajah are working on some experiments that are helping. I just want you to know that he isn’t the same Locke you first met. He’s giving up, baby.”
I nodded, and he made the call. It rang several times until it finally picked up. When Locke answered, it wasn’t the same man. Locke was… unhinged when I first met him. There was an air of crazy to him, but this was different.
He was unkempt, with a hint of animal residing under the surface. Locke’s eyes were dark, and his fangs hung over his lips. Luckily he was still there, though, still human. “Nadia.” He gave a crooked smile. “Glad to see you are alright. Knew you’d make it.” He chuckled and blew out a ring of smoke.
“You shouldn’t smoke,” I blurted. I covered my mouth, wanting to smack myself for saying such a thing, but Locke flung his head back and laughed.
“I know I shouldn’t, sweetheart, but where’s the fun? Anyway, glad you’re back. Bear needs someone to hold his balls and keep him in line. You promise me you will do that, right?”
I nodded, but Bear said nothing, hardly looking at the screen.
“I gotta go now. Gotta take a piss, but you take care.” The phone was cut off before I could say goodbye, and that call disturbed me more than it comforted me.
“He’s not well. We are hoping his mate comes soon.” Bear squeezed my thigh.
“And how will he find a mate when it looks like he is locked in a cell?” In the background, there was a stark contrast of dull, grey cement walls and a prison-like atmosphere. The cot had seen better days—its blankets tattered and torn, and the couch in the corner was worn and frayed. The room had an eerie stillness to it as if the air itself carried with it a sense of dread.
Bear just shook his head. “I don’t know, baby.”
We spent the rest of the day video-calling. I said we should just drive down the mountain and visit everyone at the bar that night, but Bear was adamant we stayed at the cabin making awkward video calls so I could make sure they were really alive.
“Hey, honey, oh yes, Tajah is fine,” Beretta purred over the phone. It was dark in their bedroom, but she turned the phone light on to show Tajah’s sleeping form. “I could wake her up, but she might light the bed on fire. She’s done that several times. I must keep a fire extinguisher by the bed.”
I gasped and giggled at the same time as Beretta stepped out of the bedroom. “But hey, to save you time, let me get Bram.” Beretta flipped the camera so it was pointing away from her and opened a door.
Steam billowed out from the bathroom, thickening the air. Bear suppressed his laughter as Beretta pulled open the curtain in one swift motion. Bram stood there in the center of the room, his naked body illuminated by the light. He screamed as sparks of electricity flickered around his fingertips, and Beretta cackled in delight. Bram frantically waved his hands and reached for the curtain, pulling it shut so he could conceal himself.
