A Bear Temptation

| Chapter Nineteen |

Katze stood numbly looking around her the letter falling to the ground. She went to Zeke holding his shoulder.

“You don’t have to fight, this isn’t true.” She begged.

Zeke shrugged her off the animal rattling in his throat. There was a darkness to its tone and instinctively she backed off. As she looked around she suddenly felt like an outsider. The coldness of the others washed over her like nothing she had ever felt before.

“It isn’t true.” She plead looking into each one of their eyes but there was doubt there, and doubt was all it took.

“You will fight for a traitor?” Maxton edged.

“She isn’t a traitor and deep down you know it.” Was her courageous mates’ response.

She had never felt so loved than in that moment. Zeke was standing up for her, he was standing against his whole Clan to prove her innocence. Hopelessness set into the pit of her stomach and as much as she wanted to shout at them all to believe her, there was no point.

“Change.” Zeke demanded. “You know Maxton, I’d fight for you till the death, but you make it so hard to like you.”

Something flicked in Maxton’s eyes, sadness, doubt, shame? She didn’t know what it was but as fast as it came, it was gone leaving that stony expression he seemed to always have.

“With pleasure.”

An enormous black grizzly burst from Maxton’s body and in seconds Zeke’s dark brown grizzly burst out, equally as large and equally as dangerous. They both paced around each other as Wolff walked over gaining both their attention.

“Keep it a fair fight and make it quick, we have a war we are still preparing for.” Wolff backed up giving them space his green eyes shifting between them cautiously.

Zeke lunged first his bear pouncing onto Maxton so they both crashed to the floor. It wasn’t like him to make the first move, something told her that, but he was angry, the waves of his fury were nauseating.

Neve came beside her, those warm eyes looking straight into hers. She didn’t say anything for a long time as they both stared at each other, the bear in Neve humming in her throat.

“Tell me it isn’t true.” Neve stated evenly.

“It isn’t Neve, I swear it isn’t. She wanted me to kill Wolff, that knife in the tree over there is when I threw it at her to tell her no. In my dream she was just goading me, but I have never and would never give her information. I couldn’t live with myself if I did.”

She had never felt so desperate in all her life for someone to believe her, she just wanted them to see that this whole thing was what Serena wanted. The silence stretched out far too long, achingly so.

“I believe you.” Neve whispered.

The words meant so much, a bitter smile took her face as she hugged her, the warmth welcoming in that moment.

“Thank you.”

The two of them turned again to the fight. Katze felt sick as the two of them scratched and bit each other. She backed up, slowly not knowing why she was. Something in the pit of her stomach told her to get away from the danger, something primal she did not understand.

She turned as Calla came vaulting out the cabin the small cat taking her body. Running at Maxton she bit his leg. The others laughed at the ferocious little cat but there was a danger with two grizzlies fighting. Closing her eyes, she willed the animal to take her bones so she could get her sister to safety, but it wouldn’t. Every time she came to the surface she disappeared.

“What is wrong with you.” She spat to the animal.

Opening her eyes, the two bears had stopped fighting. Zeke had lifted Calla up with his mouth the tiny panther trying to scratch at him, but she was too small to do any real damage. Walking over to Fleur he gave her Calla. She took her, those paws lethal as they scratched into Fleur’s skin, but she walked away with her into the woods placing her down and turning so she could take her away from the chaos. The breath left her lungs in relief when her little sister was out of sight.

They started fighting again, like they had not just been interrupted by a little girl who was trying to get to grips with her animal. A little girl who was far to small for all this to be happening. The tears left her eyes without permission, the anger hitting her that she was crying.

“What the hell is wrong with me?” She whispered.

“You ok?” Neve asked again coming beside her.

“She’s too good for this world.” Those tears were back, falling in floods.

“Yes but for her to grow and learn how to control her animal this is where she needs to be.”

“I know.” She nodded hugging Neve tightly.

She saw Zeke catch her eye over her shoulder and something in him changed, a raw, potent anger filled the animal as he turned. Maxton was lunging for him ready to attack but Zeke caught him mid-air, slamming him to the ground like it was the easiest thing on earth. She pulled back from Neve watching him.

He roared into Maxton’s face as he pinned him to the earth. When Maxton tried to fight back he roared again, louder. The birds flew from the trees, the air around them silent as slowly Maxton lowered his head.

“That’s enough fights over. Change back.” Wolff demanded seeing Maxton’s submission. “Well done Zeke, you just earned your second back.”

A smile took Zeke’s beautiful face when he turned. She smiled back in response looking at him with a warmth in her heart. He had got everything back, even his title in this Clan and he deserved it.

“I don’t care if she is carrying your child. She needs to go.” Maxton wailed as he changed back eventually after a struggle.

New addition. Serenas words plagued her as her hands went to her belly. She looked down then back to Zeke in complete and utter shock. She thought Serena meant she was the new addition, not a baby.

She was having a baby.

She was having a baby and bringing it into a war.

“No.” She whispered stepping back her hands gripping onto her stomach. “I can’t be.”

“You are.” Zeke nodded his smile as bright as the sun on a summer’s day.

“I can’t change, how am I supposed to fight this war if I can’t change.” She felt dizzy and as her legs went away from her Zeke was at her side, Neve at the other them both catching her before she hit the ground.

“Come on, let’s get you a seat baby mama.” Neve goaded.

“Zeke I can’t change; I have to fight to protect everyone.” She could feel the eyes pop out her head.

“You just worry about growing a baby, we will deal with the war.” He brushed his hands over her hair leaning down and leaving a soft kiss on her lips.

“That’s a good act Katze, the only person you have been protecting is yourself.” Maxton walked towards her and the others were in front of her in a second.

“Out my way.” Maxton scoffed.

“Step down third.” Wolff commanded. “Whether you like it or not, she is carrying a future descendant of this Clan and she will be treated as such.”

“I wasn’t going to hurt her; I was just going to walk her off the land. I’m not that much of an animal.” Maxton spat.

“That’s debatable.” Zeke murmured.

“Either she goes, or I do.” Maxton shrugged. “I won’t stay here with a traitor.”

It was like an eruption of voices as they all started shouting. Zeke pushed Maxton and she could feel their animals all on the surface, this wasn’t going to end well.

“Stop.” Deon’s voice boomed. “Just stop.”

There could have been a pin drop on that forest floor, and it could have been heard. She had never heard Deon shout and by the looks of the others they hadn’t either. They all turned to him in confusion. He didn’t speak for a long time only ran his hands through his hair, repeatedly, the nerves wafting from him.

“Deon?” Wolff asked waiting for him to speak.

“I didn’t want to do it; they have my family. I didn’t want it to be like this, but I had no choice.” He plead.

“What are you saying Deon?” There was a tone to Wolff’s voice, an Alpha tone which had them all cowering.

“Please, I didn’t want to do it, I never wanted to do it.” He looked like he was going to erupt in pain.

“Say it.” Wolff demanded.

“I’m the one who’s been feeding them information, I’m the one not Katze.” The shame in his voice was crystal clear.

“You traitor.” Maxton wailed.

As he lunged Wolff turned “Stand down.” Another Alpha command had Maxton stopping in his tracks, but he was on the verge of killing Deon and anyone standing there knew it.

“This whole time?” Wolff asked sounding calm, but his body showed he was anything but.

“Since the beginning.”

Silence wafted over them, the shock like an electrocution. Zeke took her hand tightly looking at her with a painful realisation. As she looked around they all wore that same stare.