A Bear Temptation

| Chapter Three |

'We are running out of time.'

Her brother's text was clear although she didn't need that text to know that time was her enemy, her whole life it had been.

Katze sat on the old worn log her eyes leaving the small screen to look up past the trees to the sky above. It was a dull morning, the thick grey clouds heavy in the sky. It was sure to rain, just as that thought entered her mind the thick droplets of water fell from the sky in a hurried shower. A week had past and still she was no further forward, she needed to do something, anything.

"Are you ok?"

Neve walked over to her sitting on the log at her side the two of them getting soaked in the downpour. The woman was the perfect Alpha female, she cared for everyone around her, putting them in their place when needed. Those blue eyes focused on her the concern evident in her features.

"I'm fine. It's beautiful here." Katze smiled changing the subject as she looked around, it was so peaceful.

Neve's smile lit her face, the woman really was stunning. "I know. I can't imagine my life without it now. When Wolff brought me here I instantly fell in love with the place."

The last week she had spent time with the Clan, well all of them except Zeke who hid in his cabin. Katze had tried to talk to Wolff for help, she had practically begged the man. He just dismissed her saying he had other priorities however she could stay for as long as she wished.

This Clan were her only hope, everything depended on her getting them on side. Her brother could make sure everything was going as planned just now, Katze was the only person who could ensure that in the end everything could be just as she had planned.

She didn't know what to do now. In her heart Katze knew her only hope was Zeke even after the way he had treated her. Humans felt the bond as well, he was bound to sooner or later and she hated herself for thinking it but she had to use that connection to convince them for help.

She was desperate.

"You don't like talking about yourself much do you?" Neve asked looking up at the rain drenching them.

"No." Neve just nodded and in that moment Katze liked the woman that bit more.

"You should talk to him." Neve motioned to the direction of Zeke's cabin.

"I should." Katze agreed. "I really should."

Standing Katze smiled at Neve before walking back into Our Wood. She went straight to Zeke's cabin acutely aware of the prying eyes of Deon, Wolff, Maxton and Fleur as they ate around the flickering fire. Taking a deep steady breath she didn't bother to knock. Her hand gripped the old brass door handle turning it slightly until the door opened letting her enter Zeke's home.

Blazing brown eyes met hers instantly as he placed down the photographs he had been looking at. A purr of excitement came from her animal as she looked at his body stretched out on the sofa.

He was a temptation, one her animal craved. His tanned skin was gleaming in the dim light that peaked through the blinds, those abs relaxing then tightening with each breath he took. Katze stood there for several moments taking in the gift that fate had cruelly given her.

Closing the door she smiled at Zeke's narrowing eyes. "I figured it was time for you to stop ignoring me."

"Get out of my home Panther." He warned standing drawing her attention to those lines that dipped beyond his jeans.

Her animal was driving her wild with the need she had for him. It had never been this dominant or aggressively forward with anyone in her life, it was worse that he had ignored her for so long, her Panther craved his attention. l*****g her dry lips Katze forced her eyes to those brown orbs.

"No." She tilted her head to the side with a smug smile.

Zeke stormed over to her his hand gripping her wrists. He didn't stop, only pushed her body back until it hit the wooden wall. Her wrists were placed firmly beside her head as his body moulded against hers.

Katze's t-shirt had ridden up, the bare skin on her lower stomach gliding against his. A rasp of breath caught in her throat as she looked at him her animal purring loudly at the contact. A smirk took Zeke's face, lighting those chocolate eyes up with something other than sadness. She liked that look - a lot.

"What do you want Panther. I have nothing to give you." Zeke warned his features hardening.

"Kiss me." She breathed.

The words had left her mouth faster than her brain could process what she had actually done. The smirk came back as he leaned forward, slowly, those lips getting closer to her own. Her breaths were coming out in short, sharp pants, her whole body frozen, waiting.

Her eyes closed as he neared. Katze could feel his heart gallop against his chest as his breath mingled with her own. Zeke's left hand disappeared from her wrist his fingers coming down so his thumb and index finger caressed her chin, those callous fingers creating a spark of want deep inside her.

Sharply he turned her head his lips kissing her sensitive neck just before those lips dusted the shell of her ear.

"You need to leave panther." He rasped gruffly his arousal clear against her stomach.

Katze could have screamed, she would have if she wasn't so completely and utterly shocked. It wasn't with the fact that he hadn't kissed her, it was the fact that she had asked him to. He hadn't let her go yet and Katze knew he didn't want to simply because as she turned her head a searing l**t welcomed her.

"You need to let me go if you want that to happen." She mocked as his left hand came down so it squeezed her waist tightly.

"I know." He whispered.

His other hand trailed down her arm until it was finally at her collar bone. Zeke didn't stop there, his tempting index finger slowly moved lower over the mound of her breast until it flicked over the bud of her n****e. Lower it went a shudder leaving her body with the sweet, smooth contact. Eventually those thick fingers squeezed the other side of her waist as his forehead fell against her own.

"You need to stay away from me Panther, you can do so much better."

Instantly Katze was broken from the spell that seemed to have kept her in its grasp. She pushed him back the sadness in his eyes only deepening. He nodded as if she had made the right decision. A sigh left her throat.

"Will you stop being so pathetic." Katze blurted.

His eyes met her in shock. "Excuse me?" He wheezed.

"You reek of self-pity. It's making my animal nauseous. You lost your bear, get over it. I can't even imagine what you went through but your still here Zeke, still living. You may be different, changed but that doesn't mean you can't have a life. The people in this Clan love you, they would do anything for you and that is regardless of what you are." She watched the frown cover his features.

"You have no idea how I feel Panther, don't throw in my face something you can't possibly understand." He spat back.

"You are right I don't understand it." She didn't add that the more she was around him the more she wished she did. She wanted to understand everything about him.

Taking a deep breath to clear her impossible thoughts Katze continued. "That doesn't mean I can't have an opinion. I think you need to start living again. There are people out there dying, people who have been told they have less than six weeks to live, children who's family's care nothing about them or who are beaten day in day out. Compare your life to theirs. You have a Clan who would move heaven and earth for you. You have a life, maybe not the one you envisioned but you still have a life to live Zeke and it could be an amazing one."

He also didn't know it but Zeke had a mate who knew that he needed to find himself again, she could fell how lost he was, sense how desperately isolated he felt. Katze was beginning to rethink her previous thoughts, she didn't know if she could force the bond onto him. Katze had a deep feeling in the centre of her heart that if this bond developed it would be something pure.

That thought terrified her.

Walking over to Zeke Katze took his broken face in her hands so his eyes met hers. He looked so lonely. Leaning up she kissed his lips lightly regretting it as soon as she did. It was wrong of her to act this way towards him especially with what she knew about her future but a part of her wanted him, even if it could never be forever.

"How would you feel if you lost your Panther?" He asked his eyes staring straight into hers.

A chuckle left her lips, it sounded bitter which resembled how she felt. "Relieved Zeke, so damn relieved." He frowned yet didn't say anything further about her words.

"You could do so much better than a broken human panther. Your mate is out there somewhere waiting for you." He whispered solemnly.

"Oh, I have had enough of being nice." She snapped ignoring his words. Her mate was waiting all right, he was waiting to snap back into reality.

Gripping Zeke's ear he squealed like a little girl. Yanking him outside into the cold damp air she threw him to the muddy ground just like he had done to her a week previous. His Clan were all around gasping at what she had done.

"There are your Clan, spend sometime with them your cabin is out of bounds."

"You can't ban me from my own home." He shouted looking down at his muddy torso.

Katze smiled. "I can and I just did."

"I'm not the person I used to be, I'm not the person they knew." He whispered probably knowing his Clan could hear him.

"Life is like a deck of cards Zeke. You never know what card you will pick, you don't know if at the end of a game you will win. Each bluff is a gamble just like every decision we made. From listening to you friends you made a choice to fight for your people, you are the second every Alpha dreams of. You give this Clan loyalty, that's the most important thing in life. If you aren't the person you used to be then let them know who you are now." Katze could feel the tears build in her eyes. Fate was a cruel thing, he deserved better than a girl who could never be what he deserved.

A smell hit Katze's nose, it wasn't familiar. Turning she frowned at the man walking towards them with a smile on his face. His dark eyes were familiar, their warmth immediately settling her animal that there was no threat.

"Dad?" Zeke whispered from behind her.

Katze turned to Zeke who had turned as white as a snowman. He was staring at his Dad with so much fear Katze wanted to take him into a deep warm hug just to sooth him. She needed to get control of her animal, the Panther was practically panting anytime she was around him.

"I hope you don't mind son but as you keep ignoring my calls and texts I figured it was time to see you. Although it looks like you were busy getting your a*s kicked." He smiled at Katze who's face heated instantly.

"Ah..." Zeke seemed completely lost for words.

Swallowing at his intense stare Katze looked down awkwardly. When she looked back up after a tense silence he was still staring, his face contorted into what could only be deciphered as pity.

"Oh sweetheart, I'm sorry. It's an awful fate you live with." He lifted his hand tilting her chin up and she knew he was staring at her eyes, her curse.

Blinking several times Katze could feel her lungs closing. He knew about her. Nobody knew except from her own kind. The man nodded letting her go simultaneously talking a deep breath. Giving her a welcomed rest from his intense gaze he turned to Zeke his eyes instantly hardening.

"Human or not I taught you better than to ignore family. I taught you to come to us when you needed support. Didn't I?" The older man asked his eyes showing the worry he had for Zeke.

Katze smiled looking at the older man, she knew he wouldn't share her secret, she could somehow feel it. He was more concerned about his son. It was like looking at Zeke twenty years from now. There were very few differences, the crinkles at his Dad's eyes, the dusting of grey in his hair and the deep laughter lines indented on his face. Their eyes were identical, it was almost unsettling.

"Yes Dad, you did."

"Hm, I thought so. I'm never wrong." The older man smiled at Katze with a wink as Zeke stared at the ground in his own deafening silence.

"I think it's time we had a chat, don't you son."

Zeke didn't respond. With his head down he walked further into Our Wood his Dad a few steps behind him.