A Bear Temptation

| Chapter Twelve |

Zeke shook the hands of his father's clan; he hadn't seen most of them since he was a boy. There was a sadness in the air, a bitterness that only came with loss, it was suffocating.

He had come with Wolff and Maxton to where his father's Clan resided. The others had wanted to come but they stayed behind with Calla, they were still at war after all.

Today was the day he said goodbye to his family, to the people who raised and cared for him.

He looked at the raised wooden resting place his Dad and Mum lay on. They were covered with white sheets their bodies surrounded with bright beautiful flowers. This was how they had to say goodbye to their own. The bodies were burned so humans couldn't test their DNA.

"Your father was a brave, loyal warrior. You should be proud. His death will not be in vain."

Zeke smiled faintly at his father's Alpha. Kyros had an aura about him, one that oozed power. Shaking his hand, he watched him walk round to start the service.

"Today, we say goodbye to two members of our family. We feel this loss as one and in our hearts they shall live on." Kyros' voice boomed through the silence.

Zeke looked beyond their resting place into the trees. This was where his Dad guided him through his first change, where his Mum would shout at him for climbing trees too high. The memories assaulted him, making him dizzy. Maxton’s hand gripped his shoulder holding his feet to the ground.

"Our family has been attacked, our future shaky but we will fight to avenge those fallen. We will kill those responsible and paint our earth with their blood. But today we will mourn the passing of our family and remember them as the loving, caring people they were."

They all lifted the sticks of wood at their feet. Kyros lit his first and passed his flame to the next person's wood. In seconds they all had their sticks lit.

In unison they stepped forward lowering the sticks to the wooden resting place his Mum and Dad lay on. The cracking of the wood as the fire engulfed the bodies hit him. Zeke fell to his knees the sobs wracking his body.

The rest of the people around him including Wolff and Maxton also got to their knees bowing their heads. It was a sign of respect; in grief they were all the same.

"I love you; I love you both so much." Zeke whispered the tears like a tsunami down his face.

Nobody would dare see him as weak in that moment, he had just lost his family.

There wasn't a pain like it, there was a burning in his heart, one he feared would never leave. He got to his feet slowly Wolff and Maxton by his side. The fire burned rapidly taking the bodies from this earth. There was something so final watching those flames. His Mum and Dad were gone, and they were never coming back.

Walking over to Kyros Zeke smiled, never had he felt so hollow and as he looked at Kyros, that same look reflected. Losing clan members for an Alpha was heart-breaking, they blamed themselves as the leaders of their people.

“It wasn’t your fault. There was nothing you could have done; this was the Council’s fault.”

“Your family were my responsibility; I’ll always blame myself.” Kyros answered firmly.

Zeke didn’t respond he only nodded knowing no words could stop his thoughts. There was a big responsibility on an Alpha, one that couldn’t be taken lightly.

Kyros stroked his huge beard turning to Zeke, “Jeff asked me to give you something.”

Following Kyros into his cabin Zeke frowned as he handed him a book. It was old, worn and had definitely seen better days.

“What is it?”

“Your family were gifted this many years ago. This book is passed down to the first child born from every generation. It has every story, prophecy, and war in history. You will write in this book like your father, documenting the history of our people.”

“This was where all his stories came from.” Zeke gasped rubbing his hand over the worn leather cover.

“Those weren’t stories, those were the history of our people. That book is a gift, it links you to your ancestors and most importantly it links you to your father.”

With that Kyros left, Zeke followed him out watching as he said goodbye to Maxton and Wolff. He turned to Zeke shaking his hand with a nod and with that he was off into the woods probably going for a run.

“You ok?” Wolff asked his hand placed firmly on Zeke’s shoulder.

He looked back at the burning remains of his family taking in the smouldering flames one last time. This wasn’t how he wanted to remember them, he had to remember the good times.

“I will be.” He nodded.

They got into the truck they came in driving home to Our Wood. The bitter silence filled the car. He gripped the book in his hands tightly watching the trees go past them in a hurry. It was like the more trees’ past, the more his heart darkened.

He just wanted to be alone.

They arrived at Our Wood, the rest of the Clan waiting around the campfire. Zeke didn’t greet them; he didn’t have the energy. Numbly he got out the car walking until he was at the water. Sitting down he opened the book scanning through the pages.

The words ‘Panther’s Prophecy’ had him stopping. He read of Katze’s future, all three pages telling how she was the saviour of the panthers and would save their people so they would become a powerful leading force. At the end was a drawing, one of her eyes. It was like he was looking straight at her.

“I’m sorry Zeke.”

Startled he snapped the book closed jumping at the voice that came from behind him. Deon had a habit of sneaking around. Taking a deep breath Zeke turned to him.

“I just want to be alone Deon, I need some space.”

“I understand.” Deon responded however didn’t leave.

“I’ve lost everything.”

“No, you still have us.” Deon affirmed.

“But for how long? Do you really think we can beat them?” Zeke knew he wouldn’t respond, they all had the doubts in the back of their mind, the doubts that not so long from now they would all be dead at the Council’s hand. It was just that nobody wanted to admit it.

“I wish I could make it all better for you.” Deon sounded so broken as he sat beside Zeke.

 He didn’t know how long they sat there; the sky darkened slowly as the light breeze wandered around them.

“Get her for me.” Zeke whispered. “Bring her home.”

“I wish I could, Wolff won’t allow it. I don’t have the power to go against his orders. I wish I did, I wish I could make this whole thing better.”

Zeke nodded knowing Deon could do nothing to get his mate, but he was desperate, he needed her especially now. He could feel himself slipping from this world and he feared that he may not have the strength to stay.

Life just didn’t seem worth living anymore.

Deon stood looking behind his shoulder, Zeke followed his movement frowning. He couldn’t see anything, but Deon had a weird smile on his face.

“She’s come.”

“Who’s come?” If it was the council again, they had a lower standard than Zeke thought, who would attack them on the day of his family’s funeral.

“Katze.”

His heart stopped as he felt the goose bumps on his skin rise to attention. His feet took him, running through the trees. He had never moved so fast, never felt this desperate to get to someone.

Those eyes captured him in the distance, he stopped dead in his tracks, his breathing coming out in sharp pants. He didn’t want to move any further, didn’t want to risk it all being a dream.

“Zeke.” She whispered the words; he was too far away to hear but he saw her mouth move.

It was her; it was really her.

Katze walked towards him, Zeke doing the same until he was running again. He grabbed her cheeks as she came before him, looking into those eyes, one blue, one green, them both beautiful.

“It’s really you.” He cried.

“Who else would it be.” She remarked with a smirk.

“Smart ass.” He chuckled, it felt good to laugh and really mean it.

“I love you too.” He smiled, returning the words from when they parted.

The tears fell from her eyes and he didn’t like it. Wiping them with his thumbs more came. He did the only thing he could. Zeke pulled those lips to his, kissing her like a man starved. He loved this woman more than anything on this earth. Her taste was intoxicating, he revelled in it.

She pulled back from him looking up with a bitter sadness. Zeke frowned knowing whatever she was going to say, he wasn’t going to like it.

“We only have till sunrise; I have to go back.”

 Those words put a bitter taste in his mouth, he closed his eyes taking a deep breath. His heart had taken so many blows that he just let this one go. If tonight was all he had then tonight they would have to make memories that would last a lifetime.

“How did you get out?” He took her hands in his kissing both of them.

“There was a fire, everybody was distracted. My brother will cover for me but his shift of watching me ends at sunrise.”

He didn’t like her being watched, he didn’t like any of this and he never would but he had to take what he could because right now if he didn’t have at least an ounce of happiness he wouldn’t make it through the night.

She was the little bit of light in a tunnel filled with darkness.

She was hope.