Bearilicious - Collection (18 page)

VI.

I woke up in the middle of the night alone - Dorian had disappeared. Had it been any other time, I would’ve just fallen back asleep, but with my kidnapper on the loose, I decided to find where he’d gone.

I got dressed and snuck out of the room, grabbing a heavy vase for protection, just in case. I noticed him exiting the front door just as I left his room.

With him telling me we couldn’t leave the house due to the danger of my kidnapper, I wondered why he would leave in the middle of the night. I decided to follow, wondering where he could be going. He didn’t seem to notice me behind him and kept walking into the forest. In a spot of moonlight, he stopped. I strayed behind, watching what he could be doing.

Suddenly, just like with my kidnapper, his figure transformed from a man to a bear. The blood in my veins froze. Before I realized it, a scream erupted from my voice box; in turn, the bear turned to look at where the noise had come from.

All I could think to do was run. They say you aren’t supposed to run from a wild animal, but it seemed like the best solution. I weaved and darted through the forest, running frantically as I had the week before.

This time, my vision was blinded by tears - I could barely see as I kept running. Dorian hadn’t told me that he too transformed into a bear. How could he do this to me?

Suddenly, I slammed into a warm human body. I felt manic, unable to handle talking and explaining to another person what had happened. I looked up, wiping my eyes, to try to say
something
to the person I’d run into.

“Well, it took a while, but I found you,” a male voice said.

In the light of the moon, I saw the face of my kidnapper, a wicked smile spread across his face. My lungs simply stopped - I’d fled my savior only to be captured again by my nightmare.

VII.

My kidnapper stood before me, appearing more intimidating and frightening than ever before. My mind erased - it seemed like my whole body had decided to just break down.

My limbs decided to go completely limp and my lungs had no desire to keep breathing, while the shards of my heart spread throughout my cold bloodstream. He came toward me, seemingly in slow motion.

I closed my eyes and hoped for sweet, merciful death. It would be preferable to this.

Suddenly, my kidnapper screamed. I opened my eyes and a bear was on top of him.
It must be Dorian
, I thought to myself as my crumpled heart started to drift back together. He’d come back to save me! But, then again, he also hadn’t told me that he too was a bear shifter. My kidnapper transformed into his bear form, and the fight began between them.

This is not where I want to be. Whoever wins might maul me because, well, isn’t that what bears do? Adrenaline woke my body up, and my feet took off running.

Without tears clouding my vision, my manic rush deeper into the woods at least had a (albeit probably misguided) direction. Dorian’s face kept playing through my mind - how could he do this to me? How could he keep something so big?

A twig snapped behind me. I turned to look, then ran into a solid object. I turned back to see a small Native American woman, who braced herself against a tree to keep herself from falling.

“Wow, where are you headed so fast?” the woman asked. “What are you even doing in the woods at this time of night?”

“I… I was kidnapped,” I answered. “I need to get home.”

“Oh no! Well, these woods are dangerous, especially right now. I wouldn’t even be out here if I didn’t hear a ruckus. Let me take you home, and I can help you. It’s not far. I’m Savannah, by the way.”

“Lorena,” I answered. I put my hand out to shake, but she turned to go. She must not have noticed.

I decided to follow. After everything, a woman should be able to understand all of my problems in this situation. She moved quickly, leading me to a small village filled with huts, which appeared to be hand built and sturdy. She moved to one of the larger huts and invited me in.

“You look absolutely exhausted,” she said. “What happened?”

“You’ll never believe it, but I was kidnapped by this bear shifter,” I said. “Then I was rescued by another bear shifter. He didn’t tell me he was one though. So I ran away from him too.”

“Oh, you poor girl. Bear shifters are incredibly ferocious creatures. I’m glad you made it out alive.”

“I am too. I… thought the man who saved me, Dorian, loved me. He told me he did, but he lied.”

“Bear shifters can’t love, sweetheart. They just want to claim women as their mates by sleeping with them. They are the worst versions of men.”

“What do you mean?”

“This Dorian probably convinced you to sleep with him, yes?”

I blushed and nodded, just barely. Since I have so little experience with men, it’s strange to discuss my sex life with someone else now.

“I’m sorry,” she put her hand on mine. “He only intended to have a one-night stand to claim you as his mate.”

I couldn’t think of anything to say. My heart again felt shattered within my chest. It all seemed to make sense when Savannah explained it.

That’s why Dorian had been so quick to confess his love for me - it was all a ruse to get me in bed with him. If I had more experience with men, I would have recognized his true intentions. He seemed so genuine though - he’d been so kind.

She patted me on the shoulder, “Just get some sleep, huh? You’re welcome to stay here until the morning, and then we can get you home. You poor, poor girl.”

I only nodded, sinking into the mat that was on the floor. It felt deceptively comfortable, but it didn’t matter if it had been uncomfortable - I felt completely low. Nothing mattered now. I’d fallen in love with a man who did exactly what I always feared. He never wanted to be with me at all.

I guess I know now that I can’t believe anyone. My naivety made me believe in the fairy tale, but fairy tales are just that: stories to make ourselves feel more special, but have no root in truth.

I woke up in the morning still feeling heartbroken, but ready for the whole ordeal to be over. Savannah’s voice talked softly outside with someone - perhaps someone to help me get home?

“She’s right in there,” she said. “Now, I think I deserve my reward for capturing her.”

Capturing me?

“Of course, I’ll give you just what we agreed upon,” the familiar voice of my kidnapper said coldly. “I appreciate your help with this.”

I looked around the hut manically. I need an escape route. I rushed to a window just big enough for me to fit through and attempted to get out. With my hips, it was a tight fit, but I managed to squirm out and land painfully on the ground.

I attempted to get up with some vigor, but my body simply didn’t have the energy to move very fast. My legs ached as I tried to run. I heard pounding footsteps behind me and tried to push myself.

Before I knew it, I had strong arms around me again, dragging me into the woods. I tried to scream, but nothing came out. It seemed my voicebox had given up, along with the rest of my body. My kidnapper has won.

VIII.

Instead of the shack he’d taken me to when he first kidnapped me, the man instead dragged me to a lavish mansion in the middle of the woods.

I fought against him, but he was just too strong. Deep in my heart, I knew I wouldn’t escape this time. Even if I could get away, what would it matter?

He threw me into a room and locked the door, promising he would return when he was “good and ready.” I sat on the immaculate bed in the center of the room and thought about my life so far. I wondered if anyone had even noticed I was gone.

My friends had been too wrapped up in their significant others to notice me at all, and my parents had died so long ago that it didn’t matter. Plus, my mom never really seemed incredibly interested in me when she was alive.

I’d let on to Dorian that I needed to contact my parents, but it was only to let him know someone was thinking of me. Even if no one was.

I always felt as a child that my father wanted a boy and that my mother didn’t want children at all. They appeared to like each other enough, maybe even love each other, but my mother sometimes said they married too soon after meeting each other - she’d wished my father had wanted to take it a little slower.

Perhaps it’s good in that regard that Dorian never loved me at all and didn’t really want to marry me. I don’t want to be like my parents; I’d rather be happy. And, of course, alive.

But sitting with Dorian in his living room reading had made me happy. I’m not sure my parents ever had that kind of quiet, mutual affection for each other. Of course, Dorian didn’t really have any affection for me at all.

My kidnapper opened the door forcefully, “Come with me into the den. I’ve made you breakfast.”

“I’d rather not, thank you,” I replied.

“That’s not a request, girl.”

I rose and let him lead me into the pristine “den.” If I were to imagine going to Versailles and relishing on of its sitting rooms, I would imagine something like this.

I never imagined being a bear shifter could be so profitable. A plate of toast and cereal sat on a table in front of a couch so fancy, I feared sitting on it.

“Sit,” he said, gesturing at the couch. “Eat.”

I sat, but didn’t really want to eat the soggy cereal. I don’t even like cereal.

“Have you lost your appetite since you lost your precious Dorian?” he hissed, standing before me with an evil smirk. I can’t believe I ever thought he was so handsome. “If you cared to know, he really died valiantly. He put up a good fight, but I’m just stronger.”

“What? You… you killed…?” I couldn’t finish my sentence.

“I did. He must have really loved you with how hard he fought to keep me away from you. He didn’t even reveal that he’s a bear shifter for fear that he’d lose you. He was always such a weak man.”

“He wasn’t weak! It’s weak to kidnap a woman instead of winning her on your own.”

“I did win you in a fight with him.”

“I’m not an object. He didn’t own me, and neither do you.”

His smirk grew, “Oh, my dear, that you have wrong. Tonight, I’ll claim you as my mate, and I’ll become the most powerful bear king in history. Once I impregnate you, I’ll have offspring with incredible powers. My clan will rule the world!”

“Why me? I’m not powerful. I’m nothing special.”

“There you’re wrong. Did you ever notice your parents sneaking out at night, especially on a full moon?”

I showed no kind of recognition to him. I don’t discuss my parents with people, especially kidnappers.

“Your father was a bear shifter, just like me. And your mother was a werewolf. Then they had you. Your father could have really been something if he’d only had a boy as well, but your mother was so wild. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“You don’t know my parents at all.” I don’t even know them, so why would he?

“I do know your parents. Our fathers were best friends. You may not remember him though - your mother wasn’t a fan of us bear shifters. She didn’t want you around us. She wanted you to be better than her. And you are, because you’re going to marry me.”

“I doubt my mom would be proud that I married a kidnapper.”

“I am the king of the bears!” his voice rose. “With you, I will be the most powerful king in history! Even non-bear shifters will fear me!”

“People generally fear bears since they’re wild animals. I doubt it will be because…”

“Don’t condescend me, girl. You will be my beautiful bride, and I will get the power I’ve always deserved.”

I shook my head, feeling my whole world again crumbling. I never should have run away from Dorian. I just… I didn’t know what to do when I saw him transform.

I thought he must be evil too - why else would he have hid it from me? But I didn’t think he could’ve been reluctant to tell me with all I went through. He probably just wanted to keep me calm and comfortable.

And now he’s dead. I’ll never get to spend time with him or taste his delicious cooking again. I’ll never see his handsome face or get to embrace him again. I’d been so wrong to leave. I can only imagine what he thought when he saw me running away.

“I will never be your bride,” I said, pushing his paltry breakfast away. “I will always love Dorian. I’ve already committed myself to him, and I won’t betray him with you.”

“That’s all very sweet, but he’s dead,” my kidnapper narrowed his eyes. “You’ll be mine before midnight, my sweet.”

He dragged me to the room he’d initially locked me in and threw me on the bed again.

“If you don’t want to eat, you’ll just have to go hungry,” he snapped and slammed the door.

There’s no way out this time. No windows to wiggle out of, no way to distract my kidnapper and escape… I’ve really done it this time.

I wish someone had taught me to better read men and situations. If my parents had been animal shifters, why didn’t they tell me what to do if this situation came up?

I spread out across the bed and cried, my whole body heaving with sobs. I never thought my life would end up this way.