A Bear Temptation

| Chapter Fifteen |

She had barely snuck back before she was shown to the ritual grounds. Everybody was so busy preparing she got in without a problem. Katze had dreaded this moment for as long as she remembered but somehow standing on the grass surrounded by men, it did not seem real.

"Today is the first day of the rest of our lives. Today is our beginning, we will raise our people to greatness." Hagans's voice boomed through them, creating a buzz of excitement through his followers.

He stepped forward so he was standing right before her. "Today you will serve your purpose." He stated with menace.

She gritted her teeth as he stripped the clothes from her slowly, enjoying her discomfort. In her mind she chanted to be strong but as she stood there she felt anything but. There was nothing around them, not even trees. It wasn't long before she stood n***d, in front of them all.

She wanted to cry but she wouldn't give them the satisfaction. As she went to cover herself Hagan pulled her hands to the side with a warning snarl.

"Lie down." He demanded.

She did, lying on her back just where he motioned. The air was icy against her skin, she had never felt so cold and vulnerable in her life.

"Cleanse her." Hagan stated.

She knew what was coming yet still she gasped as the icy cold buckets of water were thrown over her one by one. The animal was at the surface wanting to take them all on but Katze was so outnumbered she swallowed the animal down.

"On your front." She turned awkwardly.

Again, the buckets came the icy harsh off her back. For a second she went somewhere else. She went to Zeke and his Clan, she went to a place where they treated her as a person and would never humiliate her like this. There was so much pain, so much agony coursing through her veins.

"Sit."

Getting up she sat, pulling her knees up so she was covering herself the best she could. Her eyes could barely focus, she felt like she was going to die.

Hagen kneeled before her and took her hand in a grip stronger than was necessary. The others kneeled also; the circle strong around them.

"With this chain I bind us."

He wrapped the chain around their hands leaving the silver panther symbol on her palm. If it glowed a deep blue she was the one. It took a while but eventually the symbol glowed. She thought that was it but brighter it got until it was too much. She looked away her eyes seeing dots all around her with the blinding light.

"You are the one." He whispered the others gasping knowing that they had chosen her correctly.

For a moment, she thought she saw someone. After a few seconds of blinking ferociously she realised she hadn't imagined it. Maxton stood in the distance.

"He needs you." She heard his whispered words.

Suddenly everything made sense, the pain she felt was not hers. It was Zeke's but with everything her body had just went through it was numb to it.

"He doesn't have long left Katze, run."

Something in the animal awakened, something primal. She stood the animal taking her skin in seconds vaulting over the others surrounding her. She didn't stop, she ran, the cat soon meeting Maxton who was already running in his bear form.

A commotion behind her had her turning back. The others were turning, some already running for them. She snarled at Maxton to run faster.

If they didn't they were dead.

Her legs burned as she ran but Maxton was slower, he was bigger, bulkier. The others vaulted on him, trying to take him down. Katze halted turning to help him. Zooming back, she pulled the panther off his back as he threw the other from him.

Again, they were running, the panthers on their tale, nipping at their feet, trying to get them to stop. Maxton had blood everywhere, his coat was covered but he was protecting her something fierce and an admiration for the man grew.

"Ahh." Maxton screamed, a human scream.

She panicked, turning to see what was happening. The panthers were tearing him to pieces, the others vaulting for her.

"Run, save him." He begged.

It was an awful choice she had to make, one that would haunt her, but she turned not daring to look back and ran. Maxton's wails of agony drifted into the distance until they couldn't be heard anymore, and she feared the worst.

She had never been more hopeful as when she saw a bear bounding towards them, it was Deon. He flew past her to the panther that was lunging for her, taking it by the neck and biting, hard. Katze didn't concentrate on it for long, she kept going, running faster than she ever had.

It felt like forever but eventually she crashed into Our Wood, the panthers hot on her tail. The others were there, guiding her to her mate, keeping her safe so she could save him.

As she got before him her heart sank. Zeke was half animal, half man. He looked dead already. She saw the bite mark on his skin and a snarl left her lips without permission. She followed the scent of it to her sister, watching as the little girl cowered behind a tree.

"Run and hide. Now." She did not sound human.

Her cat wanted to kill her sister for marking their mate, it wanted to end her for causing him so much harm. He was hers and even though her sister hadn't meant what she had done, the animal wasn't for taking that as an explanation.

"Oh God, this is all my fault." Katze whispered.

A faint groan left his lips and even though it was one of pain Katze had never been so relieved. She stroked the hair from his sweaty face leaning down, her teeth bared ready to claim their mate. Somehow her instincts were telling her what needed to be done.

Her teeth grazed his skin just as she felt an arm grip around her chest and throw her. The pain was instant as her back bounced off the tree leaving her in a heap below it. As she looked up Hagen was walking towards her, the others all fighting for their lives behind him.

"Please Hagen, let me save him." She begged as he came before her, lifting her by the neck she could barely breath.

"I told you I would break you; you will watch him die today Katze. You will watch the man you love die." A smirk lit his cold face.

Gripping his hand, she tried to free his grasp. She could feel the world drift from her senses as her mind became foggy with the lack of air. There was blood and pain everywhere and she could have cried knowing this would be the last thing she would see.

Just as the world was going to leave her, she felt his grip loosen, her body falling to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Snapping her eyes open, the world seemed like it was spinning, the sounds of the animals a million miles away.

Behind Hagan was a little blond panther, its nose and mouth covered in blood. She frowned stumbling to her feet, as she walked round Hagan looking at his neck, Calla had bit him. Just as she went to turn to the panther Pax screamed for her to get to Zeke. He turned just as the words had left his mouth, bounding for Hagan, nipping at Calla to run. She did disappearing into the trees.

"Zeke." Katze screamed seeing him in the distance.

She dodged the fighting animals, running for him. Falling to her knees at his side she lifted his arm, biting into it with all her force, the sweet tang of his blood warm on her tongue. Pulling back nothing happened. He was completely immobile.

"Please God no, Zeke please come back to me." She whispered the tears ready to fall.

She listened as the weak heart in his chest stopped, the others around them sensing it too. There was a moment of stillness, one of pure terror.

It did not last long, a thumping in his chest came just in time. His heart kickstarting like an old motor bike. She watched as he dragged air into his lungs, watched as the colour came to his cheeks.

"I love you." She whispered in elation.

A strangled rattle of his bear had her jumping. She could sense it, the smell getting stronger until it was making her dizzy. Standing she slowly stepped back, one small pace at a time. A deafening roar left his body and just as it did he changed.

He transformed into his large, dark brown bear and as she looked at him she swallowed at the look of fury buried in those eyes as he saw his clan being attacked.