Protected by the MC: Bear Shifter Biker Reverse Harem Page 18

  “Now, why would you go back on our deal, huh?” he wonders aloud, turning his back to the men on their knees. “I thought we had everything arranged, but then you go and do something like this. I mean, seriously. What is this girl to you? She’s just a whore.”

  At the word whore, all three men try to lunge at him, but the two guys behind them, keep them subdued. I see we are outnumbered. There is no way we can get out of this one. Maybe if Dex and the guys were free to fight, but this is a hopeless scenario. My heart races and chills erupt deep inside of me. I’ve always been afraid of monsters in the dark. Horrible looking things, with long dark hair, claws and fangs that would lunge at you from the night, or from the darkness that reigned underneath your bed. But I know now that monsters don’t hide in the darkness. They live in broad daylight and they are just like you and me.

  They are going to take me with them. These monsters are going to take me and give me to other monsters. This fear rattles my skull, pounding against the inside of my chest. Tense silence reigns.

  “I hope you haven’t broken my toy,” the man walks over to me and cups my chin with his fingers. I twitch, my head leaning to the left as far as my neck allows. I don’t want his dirty hands on me. “She looks fine. But I’m worried you have broken something on her. If you know what I mean.”

  “You won’t get away with this, Leo,” Dex hisses and he looks like a defeated superhero who is finally in the hands of his longtime nemesis. This story doesn’t have a happy ending and it’s all my fault. I’m the reason they are targeted and I will be the reason they are going to get killed.

  Leo laughs, filling me with chills. A gust of wind grates my neck and raises all the hairs to their ends.

  “You’re done,” Leo growls, his voice like a knife’s edge. “You and your clan are done. You just don’t know it yet. Your father and I had an arrangement, but I got bored of it. And, you just gave me a reason to cut the rope.”

  Hope flares up in me. Rope. The guys are tied with rope. Maybe they’re just waiting for the right moment to transform and fight back? In their bear form, ropes wouldn’t be able to hold them. David is now behind me and my heart is in my heels. I feel frozen. This is the man who didn’t refrain from striking me. He could have killed me. And, I’m just standing here, unable to act. I feel a single tear stream down my face, but I don’t sob.

  “Kill them all,” I hear Leo say, as he walks up to me and David and all three of us head towards a van that is now, parked a little further down the untrodden path, hiding underneath a big oak tree.

  I want to scream their names, but instead of noise, only air comes out of my mouth. I try to look back, one desperate last look, but David yanks me harder, his grip branding my skin with a red claw mark. I drag my feet slowly, my breaths short, quick. I feel like I’m suffocating.

  A moment later, gunshots are heard. Commotion. Screams. Boom. Boom. Boom. A gasp escapes my lips. Leo and David don’t turn around, but I must. There is the smell of blood in the air. Nature will absorb it, drink it up, inhale it. They will become one with her, like they’ve always been. I turn around.

  Three bodies are lying on the ground. There are fresh puddles of blood, mixing with the earth around. I’ve never seen so much of it. I feel weak. One body is missing an arm. The other, a foot. Bloody clothes are everywhere. The flies are already starting to gather. The fresh smell of blood is tantalizing. Soon, other animals might come, too. Three are already there. The three bears are standing on their hind legs, their fangs bared, madness in their eyes. They look like warriors prepared for battle. Their claws are bloodied, as the grim line of their mouths spreads out into vengeful grins.

  I stop and I don’t move even when David tugs at me angrily.

  “You cunt, what the…” he starts, but he stops mid-sentence once his eyes behold what mine have already seen. “B-b-boss!”

  Leo turns around. He has finally seen what we all see. I clench my fists, testing the hands that kept me subdued, the hands that made me silent and almost broke me. The restraints are there and they try not to give, but they are too focused on the animals that are now standing before them.

  “Call for backup,” Leo manages to mutter.

  “The phone’s in the van…” David groans, as I listen, not able to drown the hatred for this man. This monster.

  “You fucking idiot!” Leo growls loudly, as the bears take a step closer to us.

  Still at a safe distance, I know what they’re thinking. There are only a few precious seconds. They will offer to let me go. They will want to trade me in for their pathetic asses, so they can continue to do what they’ve been doing all this time, to poor unsuspecting girls, like me. Well, no more. I want these men, these monsters, in the fiery inferno for all eternity.

  I yank my arms away from David’s grasp, utilizing the moment of his lack of focus. The dull, almost forgotten ache in my jaw reminds me of a wound that has physically healed, but that will take a long time to fully heal mentally. I heave, using all my strength, as my feet, cracked and bleeding, keep me firmly on the ground. I run towards my saviors, my feet flying, despite the pain, despite the sharp pebbles and rocks on the ground.

  “Get her!” Leo shouts, but it’s too late.

  I’m already on the other side, choking a sob. Breathing heavily, like my chest is ripped apart. I feel a burning sensation and I check my body. But I’m not hurt. There is no wound, there is no bloody flesh, no skin torn open. I’m alright. I’m safe. But, if these men are allowed to walk out of here, then no other girl in the world is, or ever would be. These doors need to be closed, once and for all.

  The bears behind me are breathing as heavily as I am. The strength their bodies ooze seems to press the earth down and stop it from moving. The men opposite us know that all paths eventually lead to us. The heavy pounding of my own heart echoes off the trees and shacks around us. There is no running this time. Sweet nameless girl, I promise to find out who you are and tell your son of the bravery his mother had. I promise.

  “Listen, we can just go and you’ll never see us again,” Leo tells us. “You can keep this turf. It’s yours.”

  Dex growls behind me. I can see the terror flooding these men’s faces. They didn’t expect that the tables would turn on them like this. For a moment, the shock in their system awoke pity in me, but as long as they are alive, the air around them will be poisoned for everyone else. They are a stain on the bright blue sky and the soft green trees around us. They deserve only one thing and I know my bears know exactly what I’m thinking of.

  “What would have been your answer to us, if we asked you that?” I suddenly take over, finding my voice all over again, emboldened by the heavy earthen smell of the protectors behind me.

  Leo doesn’t reply. But I don’t look at him. He’s not my business. I mean, he is, in the sense that he is responsible for this whole shitstorm, but I’ll let the guys handle him. He’s theirs. And, whoever decides to join the party. David is the one I want. Adrenaline shoots through my body, but I’m still fighting the urge to move. To attack. Dex’s muzzle rubs my shoulder. Cold and hot at the same time, his breath grazes me. I know what he’s thinking. Amazingly, they’re waiting for me to tell them what to do. They stand behind me, huge, towering protecting, looming, showing everyone that we are a force to be reckoned with.

  “You won’t be allowed to hurt anyone else,” I tell them, shaking my head. “Turf has nothing to do with this.”

  My bare feet dig into the cold dirt, as I get reacquainted with the animal in me, the animal that yearns, that demands respect. Memory floods me and I remember how David treated me, what he did to me. I never want to go down that old, dirty worn out road.

  A roar is heard, loud, then getting louder and louder. It begins in my ears, then spreads all around me. A terrifying noise follows and I realize that a mental leash has been released. My shaky legs find their ground again, regaining balance. The eyes of the dark bears behind me, the silver orbs loom a
bove us. Their sheer size is enough to overload all human senses. Their power is undeniable. And yet, their predatory ways have been subject to me. To keep me safe. I close my eyes. I only think what I want, what I need. My lips never move. Not once. The ruthless bears attack upon my silent command. The scariest thing any of us has ever seen. It’s a flash of claws, a thunder of growls, a storm of power that released the dark force inside of them. My eyes are still closed, as goosebumps erupt all over my skin. I feel like someone from a Stephen King novel, a simple girl who has been wronged so many times and that last of those times turns out to be the final straw, evoking something horrible, all-consuming, all-empowering inside of me.

  In just a few seconds, the two men are now lying before my feet. Leo is walking that fine line between life and death. I know that by the time we finish this, he won’t see another morning. David… he was mine to decide. A mental image struck me violently, like something awaking from the deepest corners of my subconscious. My fear spiral has finally reached its end and now, I can see clearly what happened before. It’s not a sneak peek, lurking just beneath the surface. It’s a full-blown movie fest, where David’s hand punching me keeps replaying over and over again.

  Theron growls to my right and I just nod. I’m not scared anymore. Determination setting inside of me, I realize I’ve finally found my way. My muscles tense, readying. I turn to Theron and lovingly pet his muzzle. He smells like blood and pine cones, like grass and raw, feral masculinity. I see behind his angry glare and see only one thing. The same thing he sees in me.

  I take one step to David. I see he’s trembling. He’s trying to shield his face from me with his hand. I can’t help but think that this is probably how I looked and he felt no pity for me. No mercy. It was sheer luck that he didn’t strike me hard enough to actually break my jaw or neck and kill me instantly. His considerable frame looks pitiful now, as he makes a miserable, whimpering noise. Is he begging for mercy? I don’t know. I can’t hear him. All I hear is the bears’ growling, their animal language clear in my mind.

  “I hate you!” I shout, with all my mouth, as my legs fly towards David.

  I keep kicking him, my lips pressed tightly together, waiting until my body gives out, but I still don’t stop. I deliver blow after blow and I know that my body can’t deliver a blow as nearly as deadly as his could, but I keep kicking nonetheless. Whimpers leave David’s lips, as the expectation of pain increases. Finally, a tight grip on my arm makes me stop, with heavy breaths still leaving my lips. Zarael’s claw rests on my arm, gently. It’s not a beast’s face I’m seeing. And, I know what he’s saying, I know what they’re all saying. Dex’s muzzle tilts upward, showing me to go into the shack. I know I shouldn’t be seeing what will come next. My lips curl in disgust at the two men.

  “You deserve everything that’s coming to you,” I hiss at them, then walk back into Theron’s shack.

  I make sure to close the door behind me. I walk over to the bed and lie down. The window is open, but no sound comes from outside, apart from an occasional bird chirping in the trees. I don’t know how long I lie on the bed. It seems an eternity. Then, Theron opens the door. I bolt upwards, staring at him. He’s alone. He is naked, wearing just a towel around his waist. His intelligent, piercing eyes smile at me even before his lips do.

  “Is it… finished?” I ask.

  “They won’t hurt anyone again,” Theron nods softly, sitting down beside me. He takes my hand in his. It’s warm and tender. There are no remnants from that beastly bear he was only a few moments ago.

  “What about - “

  “The bodies?” he interrupts me. “Dex will take care of that and Zar will help. I came by to check on you.”

  “Me?” I swallow heavily. Just like their inner bears are gone, so is my courage. Right now, it seems like that girl who was so fierce and brave is gone. But the question is, do I really need her back? Can I just be myself with these men, these wonderful, brave protectors of mine? “I’m fine,” I just nod.

  “Are you sure?” he asks, tilting his head a little.

  “I… I think so.”

  “I have a confession to make,” he suddenly tells me and those black orbs in his eyes sparkle up again. “Actually, we all do.”

  “What are you talking about?” I try to battle the dread that is now rising in me.

  “Well,” he starts by scratching the back of his neck, as he always does when he’s not sure how to start something. It’s amazing how close we’ve all gotten in this short amount of time. So, I’m trying to figure out if this is a red flag or not, but he’s got that poker face again. “We sort of knew that Leo was going to attack.”

  “What do you mean you knew?”

  “Thor dying wasn’t an accident. It was him. And, we knew he’d be coming to pay us a visit at some point. While they were here right now, our brothers attacked their compound. We knew we would easily deal with Leo and a few of his guys.”

  “So, you’re saying you knew this and you didn’t warn me?” My heart starts hammering, as I look at him in disbelief.

  “Yes, that’s what I’m saying,” he confirms.

  “But… why?” His voice just floats through my mind. I can’t imagine they’d do anything to hurt me and yet, they failed to warn me about something like this. Why?

  “You needed to face him,” Theron explains. “You needed to battle this fear, this crushing sense of inadequacy and guilt. I noticed you were starting to give in and we just decided to use this situation, to try and help you.” He pauses and looks at me. He can feel that tension, as well as I do. “But you need to know that you were never in any sort of danger. We allowed them to capture us, to take us ‘by surprise’ so they’d think they had the upper hand. But we were in control of the situation the whole time.” He draws in a quick breath, as if he’s scared, I won’t believe him.

  The sincerity in his voice is unmistaken. I know Theron, just like I know Dex and Zarael. I trust them. They would never harm me. They’ve proven that already.

  “You’re not as weak as you think you are,” he continues. “You just needed to see that for yourself.”

  Chapter 28

  Twelve months in this place passed by like twelve days. I’m looking at my own reflection in the mirror, almost not recognizing myself. There is a crown of flowers in my hair, which is now falling past my bare shoulders, all the way down to my back. My dress straps are thin, but they’re holding themselves up pretty firmly. I look down and I can barely see my toes. I feel huge. Even though the guys would never say that. More cushin’ for the pushin’, is what Dex said a few times and I just laughed every single time. Theron doesn’t say anything. He just places his open palm to my belly and waits. Sometimes, he feels it. Even when he doesn’t, he seems content just by knowing that little person is there, even if he or she doesn’t show many signs of his or her presence. Zarael is more like Theron than Dex. He talks to my belly, pets it. He tells it stories about the lake and that Native American legend he won me over with.

  “Hey, sis!”

  The door barges open and Vanessa storms in. She is wearing a lily colored dress that floats around her legs. Her hair is up in a messy bun, her cheeks slightly flushed from the summer sun and the week she has spent here with us. I turn to her and smile.

  “You’re glowing,” she whispers.

  “You mean I’m gargantuan,” I correct her, with a smile.

  “Smart ass,” Vanessa pinches me on the cheek, then sits on the bed.

  “Where’s mom?” I ask.

  “She’s with Dex.”

  “Oh, my God,” I shake my head. “Why did you leave her with him? You can leave her with Theron or Zar, but not with Dex. He’s got no social constraints.”

  “That’s what makes him so much fun!” she laughs.

  “Yeah, I doubt mom would find him as amusing as we do,” I chuckle, still shaking my head. “I’m a little nervous.”

  It’s the summer and I’m shaki
ng. I can feel my fingers trembling, my palms all clammy. No matter how often I rub them against my dress, it’s no use. I feel a little exhausted, too. I haven’t been sleeping well. The baby is too active during the night and it leaves me with the sheets in a knot in the morning and vivid dreams.

  “Why?” Vanessa asks me. She knows that I need constant touch and reassurance. Especially now. Luckily, the guys know it, too. “From what I understand, it’s a lovely little ceremony that binds you all together to one another and to the child. Sounds so intimate and wonderful. Why would you be nervous about it?”

  “I guess I still have that silly fear that they might change their minds about me,” I reply, shyly.

  “Are you kidding me?” Vanessa almost shouts. “Are you blind, girl? Have you seen the way these guys look at you? They worship the ground you walk on.”