Her Vengeance or His Love

The Were-Bear Estate

(Jace P.O.V.)

As promised Sage took her time climbing back down the mountain. Aside from my lungs feeling like they were on fire, the run as a whole was an enjoyable challenge, one that Onyx and I hadn't had in a long time, being an elite soldier that was saying something. We had been on the road for about six hours and we were finally coming up to our stop. Gemma and I had made this journey countless times and knew what we were in for but this was Sadie's first time walking into bear territory and there were a couple of customs Benate's tribe insisted on, especially when dealing with other supernatural species.

Once we parked we loaded everything that we could carry and prepared for a grueling three hour to hike up the mountainside to a small clearing on foot. Here we would camp out for the night and take advantage of the much needed rest then do it again for another three hours before we finally reached Benate's small tribe that consisted of all his close family; wife, kids, parents, his siblings if they were still not mated and his in-laws. It was a b***h of a journey but if it meant seeing Benete Gemma and I would make it any day, he was family.

Bears absolutely hated having their territory invaded and to avoid having too many visitors they made it difficult to see them. Benate was no exception. Despite living with extended family they lived a minimum of five miles from one another in all directions and pretty much kept to themselves. The only ones that lived within proximity to Benate's cabin were his and his wife's parents. This arrangement, in all honesty, was probably to help take care of all their cubs. I laughed at the thought and shook my head and as we started the beginning of our six hour hike I wondered how many more kiddos Benate's poor wife has had since we saw her last.

(Sadie P.O.V.)

I wasn't really sure what to expect after a six hour drive into the mountains but hiking in human form no less for a total of six hours was not it and I was not happy. I tried to use the excuse of my previously broken leg hurting so we could shift but after the hike Sage put everyone through they weren't hearing any of it. The hike in human form was a rule they had for all guests and it was one that everyone upheld.

"This is their way of exhausting their company before anyone reaches them," I complained.

"Probably. I'll tell you one thing, if you are an enemy and you come in animal form or use superhuman speed they'll definitely detect you," Jace said.

"How do you figure?" I asked.

"For starters we are up wind, our scent has probably reached them hours ago and two, we pasted at least two of their houses on the way up here and they definitely detected us," he said stopping at the top of the little hill he was on and stretching, "We're here," he announced putting his gear down and crouched in a football quarterback's stance.

Almost in an instant Jace went flying backwards toward the ground. He had been tackled by six giggling and growling kids. They were all laughing and shrieking when a young brunette yelled at them to give poor Jace some air.

"Alright kids let's give Uncle Jace a breather," she said, bouncing a swaddle against her chest.

Almost on cue Gamma made a beeline toward the woman and cooed at the wrapped up bundle, "They're so cute," she squealed, "Twin girls? Boys?"

"One of each this time. These two are the loudest of the bunch if you can believe it," she laughed.

"Sadie, this is Clarissa, Benate's mate and the little army that took down Jace are their kids."

My eyes must've popped out of my head because both Gemma and Clarissa both burst out laughing, "All of them?"

"That's only half of them dear," she laughed harder when I turned pale, "Like wolves, bears can have multiple cubs at once. In my case it was every single time I got pregnant. And in case you're wondering, there's twelve not including these two."

I shook my head. I couldn't fathom having fourteen kids in one lifetime. "Let's go get her a chair and a glass of water. She looks like she's going to pass out from the news and their not even her kids," Clarissa said laughing harder.

The cabin that Jace had referred to was basically a mansion made of logs. It was three stories high and the length of a football stadium. The main floor had a dining room the size of a small banquet hall with an adjacent kitchen any master chef would be proud of, the large family room had several L-shaped couches circling the 95 inch T.V. that hung over a beautiful rustic fireplace. Just off of the living room was a sub level that was a playroom for all the kids. The second floor contained all the kids' bedrooms and personal bathrooms and the top third floor was Benate and Clarissa's master suite with their offices and private balcony. The home was vast and open and built with the intention of letting nature flow through it. This was a home filled with love and passion and in every detail of the home from the miscellaneous toys scattered throughout to the family photos that filled the walls.

On either side of the house were two smaller cabins belonging to the parents and in-laws. Behind the house, past the pool and large variety of complex jungle gyms were five additional cabins reserved for guests.

"You guys will be staying here," she said handing us each a set of keys,"It's not that we're not trustworthy or will respect your privacy but the little ones are nosy as all hell and are likely to try and riffle through your stuff," she said when she noticed I was questioning the keys, "Benate is in council with his brothers but will be home by 5, that man's stomach never misses dinner so rest up and we'll see you then," she said leaving us to get settled.

"What do you think?" Gemma and Jace asked.

"She's crazy as all hell for having that many kids but a saint for still being so relaxed with them all, I like her," I said with a smile.

"They're good people and a nice family to have," they smiled.

* * *

Dinner time had come up fast and we were relieved that it did. By the time we had come into the dining room our stomachs had growled in anticipation. Our senses were assaulted with the smell of steak, garlic mashed potatoes, sautéed spinach, zucchini and mushrooms. The center of the table had several small bowls with garden salads and all the fixings. Clarissa and two older women came out holding two more dishes; cream of mushroom green bean casserole and a cheese gooey broccoli casserole. Once the food was done being set out the younger children were seated in high chairs while the older children made their way to their respective seats, leaving the head of the table to the adults and their father.

Once everyone was settled it was almost as if on cue that Benate burst through the doors with a beaming grin and laughter.

Benate was a presence to behold. He was loud and boisterous, sure, but it was more than that. If it wasn't his 6'10 height then it would have been the sheer width of his shoulders and chest, he was, well, built like a bear. He looked like a Norse Viking from the Discovery Channel, beard and all. And the energy he gave off had everyone in the room suddenly buzzing to life. The little ones squealed in delight at their father's presence while the rest of the children ran up for a quick hug before returning to the dinner table.

"Right on time dearest," Clarissa said, giving him a kiss and handing him a bottle of wine and wine opener.

"Benate, miss a meal? The Goddess forbids it!" Jace called out.

"Holy hell kids, you've aged!" he laughed, lifting Gemma and Jace in a duel bear hug.

"Benate... can't breathe," Gemma squeaked.

"And you must be Sadie, welcome to our home Alpha," he said, his eyes flashing gold briefly as he gave her a firm handshake, "Let's dig in to this feast!" he said giving Sadie a small nod of respect.