“Block right. Left. Up. Parry. Good.”
“I still don’t see how this is going to help,” Sarah panted. “You’re softening your blows; I know you are. There’s no way I’ll ever match the strength of a Bear or a Wolf. My arm would just be broken trying to parry.”
Nathan laughed. “I don’t think you realize how much stronger you are now that we’re bonded—how much stronger we both are.”
“Yes, but still.”
“You’ll be fine, Sarah.”
Sarah frowned at him but continued practice. Nathan seemed excited about something, but he wasn’t telling—she’d tried. As always, practice left her hot and sweaty but pleased with the day’s work. The next time someone tried to mug her, they’d be having broken bones set at the nearest hospital.
“This way,” Nathan said, leading her past the spare house, where they were both still staying, to the Clan eating area. Instead of the usual pots and pans, Sarah saw what looked like a mannequin dressed in some kind of armor.
“Boiled leather, lightweight but tough,” Nathan said proudly. “Comes with a sword. With these and your extra strength when you’re with me, you’ll be able to defend yourself against the Wolves while I fight.”
Sarah picked up the armor, turning it around in her hands. “It’s beautiful. Can I try it on?”
“Of course.”
Sarah basically skipped back to the house. Nathan went with her, of course, but stayed outside to let her change into the padding that went under the leather armor. Sarah appreciated it, but when it came to putting the armor on, she got lost quite fast.
“Nathan? Could you help me with this?”
Nathan came in, clearly trying not to smile at her attempts.
“That part goes on your leg,” he said. “The one for your arm is here.”
Sarah blushed. “Fine, you do it then.”
Nathan did, tying and clipping the leather in place as though he’d been doing it his whole life. His hand lingered on her arm. Sarah turned to look at him, and when their eyes met, it was as though something invisible took hold of them, drawing them together.
Nathan’s golden eyes were questioning as Sarah leaned toward him. She hesitated and then closed the distance. Their lips met gently, and she leaned into the kiss. Nathan’s arms came around her, holding her close. The power in his muscles could have crushed her in an instant, but he held her so gently it was as though she was made of glass.
Without meaning to, Sarah found her mouth opening, and Nathan responded, his tongue sliding with hers, exploring her mouth. Sarah moaned as his hand tangled in her hair, gripping her head, taking control of the kiss. Her own hands were roaming over his broad chest, and she couldn’t help it, she slipped them under his shirt, reveling in the feel of skin on skin.
Nathan made a growling noise under his breath and pulled her closer. He was so big she could barely fit her arms around him. The coarse hair that covered his torso caressed her fingertips, and he tilted her head back, deepening the kiss…
“Aren’t you done with that armor yet—oh. Right.”
They broke apart in time to see Gareth backing out of the house.
“Sorry, I see you’re still… busy.” He smirked at Sarah and closed the door behind him. Sarah staggered to the bed and sank down, her head in her hands.
“Sarah? Are you alright?”
“I… I don’t know. How do you do it? How can you tell what feelings you’re having are because of this bond and which aren’t?”
“Does it matter?”
“Of course, it matters! If… if we’re going to be together, I want it to be because we want to be, not because we’re forced to by some freaky Bear magic.”
Nathan nodded. “I guess it’s different for me. I knew how I felt before…”
He trailed off, going nearly as red as Sarah.
“Anyway, let me help you get the rest of that armor on.”
He seemed to be doing his best to help her get geared up without touching her again, which was difficult considering he still needed to strap a number of leather pieces onto her body.
She and Nathan exited to whistles from the Clan members who were around, waiting to see how she did with the new armor.
“Shut up, Gareth,” Nathan muttered as Gareth opened his mouth. “Come on, Sarah, you’ll need to practice with this on, to see how it affects your movement.”
He grabbed her hand and pulled her away. Sarah could hear the Clan sniggering behind them.
They practiced for about an hour before Nathan finally agreed to let Sarah take a break.
“I was thinking…” she said hesitantly. “I was thinking maybe I could help with the situation with the Wolves? Apart from fighting, I mean. I was always good at doing research. Once we get the records from the Wolves, I could help go through them.”
“I’m sure Jack would be glad to have the help, and we do need to work on that space thing. It’ll be good practice for us staying apart for a while.”
That night as they went to sleep in their twin beds, Nathan fell asleep quickly, but Sarah lay awake for hours, staring at him, wondering about how she felt, about how much of it was real…
She didn’t have much time to think over the next few days because the Clan was in full preparation mode to try to steal some of the Wolves’ records. She knew she should be excited that they thought her plan was worth so much, but all she could really feel was scared.
“We can stay behind,” Nathan offered, watching her nervous expression as the Bears went through their own drills.
“No.” Sarah shook her head quickly. “You’ll need all the help you can get. I can do it. I can fight.”
“I’m sure you can, but your job won’t be to fight. It’ll be to stay safe so that I can fight. Don’t go risking yourself unnecessarily.”
Sarah nodded distractedly. “When are we leaving?”
“When I’m confident you’re going to be okay.”
“I’ll be fine,” she said guiltily. “I don’t want to delay this. People are dying…”
What she didn’t know was that Nathan wasn’t leaving her safety up to chance. In the private moments he caught while she was asleep, he’d discussed it thoroughly with the whole Clan. Nathan was one of their top fighters. They couldn’t afford to have him in the back. They’d compromised by putting him in the middle of their formation and assigning Jack specifically to protect Sarah if Nathan was distracted for even a moment.
“I know,” Nathan said. “How would you feel about going out tomorrow?”
Sarah swallowed and held her head high. “Tomorrow is perfect.”
When she woke the next day, she felt rather like she had the time she’d forgotten they had a drama assignment at school and had to walk on stage without knowing any of the lines.
She went over the defensive movements Nathan had taught her and tried to remain calm. If he got a hint of panic from her side, he would insist they stay back, and she knew he’d never forgive himself if one of his brothers got hurt because he wasn’t there to protect them.
“Okay, everyone ready, we’re about to move out,” Derek called. As one, the Bears Shifted. It never failed to amaze Sarah. It was slightly scary but also awe-inspiring, watching the Clan of huge Bears get into attack formation. They were so heavy, once they started running, nothing was going to stop them. They were like a force of nature.
She scrambled onto Nathan’s back, gripping his fur tightly, her sword strapped to her side. One of the Bears—Derek, she assumed—was making noise with his throat. It sounded like growling to her, but the rest of the Clan seemed to understand because a moment later, they took off.
The woods flashed by as Sarah bent her head low over Nathan’s back. She could feel his shoulders moving beneath her legs, and glancing around she saw a Bear on either side of her, though in their Shifted forms she couldn’t tell who was who.
She was expecting it, but she still screamed when a feral Wolf came running at them out of the trees. Nathan didn’t change course, but the Bear to the right of him split off, tackling the Wolf, pushing it away from the rest of the Clan.
You’re okay, we’re fine.
Sarah screamed again, staring around wildly. Beneath her, Nathan stumbled, and she had to cling on tightly to stay on his back.
Sarah?
“Nathan?” she said in a trembling voice, but it was lost amidst the thunder of the running Clan.
Sarah, if you can hear me, don’t speak, think the words at me.
Terrified out of her wits, she tried to do it. Nathan? She thought as hard as she could. Can you hear me?
Nathan stumbled again, and the Bear on his left made a growling noise and moved closer to him, apparently concerned.
Sarah, yes, I’m here.
What’s happening? She squeaked in her mind, wondering if she was going mad.
I don’t know, you were scared, and I wanted to reassure you, but it was as though you heard me.
This isn’t possible, Sarah said—thought—wildly.
Never mind that now. Let’s just get those records. We can sort this out when we get back.
Sarah’s fingers were white from clinging to Nathan’s fur, and she still wasn’t sure she wasn’t going mad. To distract herself, she started humming a little tune, a song she had learned in daycare about birds and how they made their nests.
What?
To the trees, tumdedee…
Sarah?
Oh. Sarah could feel her face going red, despite the wind on her face as they ran. Are we communicating, or are you reading my mind?
I don’t know. Hang on.
For a moment, there was silence, then Nathan’s voice was in her head again. Did you hear what I just thought?
No. What did you just think?
Never you mind, Nathan said, and Sarah wondered if she could detect embarrassment in his mental voice.
How do you do that?
Don’t want me to hear your every thought?
Would you like it if I could hear all yours? Sarah laughed at his silence. She didn’t need to know what he was thinking—she could guess well enough. Having Nathan witness all her thoughts about him would be… embarrassing, to say the least.
Try thinking it inside your head.
That’s what I’ve been doing! Where else would I be thinking it?
I don’t know… just… keep it inside yourself, not letting it escape your head…
Sarah grimaced but thought she may as well try. She imagined her brain inside her skull, and her thoughts bouncing around inside. Stay inside, she begged them. Still, better to start with something not too embarrassing, just in case. I hope Megan is alright, she thought.
Me too. I’m sure she is. She’s not stupid—she’ll stay inside.
Damn it. Okay, let me try again. Sarah decided that maybe what she needed was some more motivation. Perhaps it was time to bring out the embarrassing thoughts. I like the way Nathan kisses me, I wish he’d put his hands on me when he did.
She scrunched up her face, already regretting her rash choice of words.
Did you do it yet?
Oh, thank God.
What did you think?
Never mind.
Come on, I’m curious now.
I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.
She thought she could hear Nathan grumbling under his breath. His shoulders seemed to vibrate underneath her.
She didn’t have much longer to dwell on it, though. They were entering the Wolves’ camp.
As they’d predicted, there were only a few of them. It looked like only two or three. Two or three looked like way too many for her liking.
She’d seen videos of Shifters before, of course, everyone had. This was different. The Wolves threw themselves at the Bears, not in an organized move to defend their territory, but in a wild, violent need to kill.
The Bears were ready. Gareth split off to go for their records. A Wolf tried to follow him, but Thomas tackled it. The clashing and gnashing of claws and teeth were terrifying.
Another Wolf went for the center of the Bears’ formation. Nathan reared up on his hind legs. Sarah was ready for it and clung to him. He swiped viciously at the nearest Wolf, knocking it aside, but it was up in an instant. Blood poured from its side, but it didn’t seem to notice.
A paw came out of nowhere, and with a cry, Sarah brought her sword up. She heard a howl and felt her face splattered with blood. The Wolf came at her again, and as she looked into its eyes, she saw the end of the world.
This wasn’t what nature intended. This was a reckoning—forces way beyond their control come to wreak chaos on the living. Because that thing… it barely looked alive, with froth foaming at its mouth, with its glowing red eyes… It looked like a demon summoned to rip apart all forms of civilization as she knew it.
What? Nathan’s voice in her head sounded confused, as though he’d heard her muddled thoughts.
Sarah didn’t get a chance to reply. Her momentary existential crisis was interrupted by a glimpse of a wide jaw, sharp, bloody teeth…
The Wolf was knocked aside by another Bear who took a chunk out of its side with his teeth. This seemed to enrage it more than anything and, it responded. Two more Bears joined, trying to subdue it, but the thing seemed to have the strength of a god, and they were losing…
Sarah didn’t hear it, but something in their growling language must have been said between the Bears, for Nathan was spinning beneath her, turning around, following the rest of the Bears in their retreat. Sarah heard growls and snarls from behind her, but she didn’t turn to see which of the Bears was bringing up the rear, protecting them as they ran back.
She heard the clash of the perimeter guard against the Wolves as they flew back into the camp. The Bears all seemed to know where to go. They headed as one to an empty circle with a gigantic slab in the middle that looked kind of like a sacrificial altar.
She realized they had stopped and tried to get off Nathan’s back, but her limbs seemed frozen. All around her, the Bears were Shifting back, but Nathan stayed in his Bear form, waiting for her to get off.
Jack approached her slowly, as though she were a spooked animal. “Sarah, you need to get off now. I’m going to help you, alright? Here, take my hand.”
He pried her hands out of Nathan’s fur easily and pulled her off him, balancing her on the ground next to him. Sarah’s legs didn’t seem to want to take any of her weight. The next moment, Nathan’s arms were around her.
“It’s alright. You’re fine now. We’re back—we’re safe.”
Slowly, Sarah relaxed, finding her feet, watching the scene before her in a dazed sort of way. There were a couple of the Clan sitting on the ground holding bandages over various injuries, but none of them seemed to be terribly hurt. Thomas was moving from person to person, administering poultices and sometimes saying strange, song-like words that seemed to make the air around him glow.
“Did… did we get what we needed to?” Sarah finally asked.
Everyone looked at Gareth.
“Of course, we did—what do you take me for?” He held up an armful of ancient looking scrolls. Sarah winced, sure his grip was going to crush the ancient paper to dust. Jack seemed to share her concern, for he hurried forward to take them, balancing them on his open hands, clearly worried of breaking them with his strong grip.
“Here, let me,” Sarah offered, forcing herself into movement.
Jack gratefully tipped the scrolls into her arms. “Come on, I’ll show you where to put them.”
Just the short walk to what appeared to be their record keeping house made Sarah dizzy. She’d forgotten about staying close to Nathan, and Jack had to help support her back to the healing circle.
“Is everyone okay?” she asked worriedly.
“We’re fine,” Jack said, but Sarah was glancing over his shoulder. Thomas was removing a bandage from Gareth’s arm to check the wound beneath. There was a deep, jagged cut that was still oozing blood.
“Don’t you get squeamish on me now,” Gareth called to her as Sarah swayed on the spot. If her idea had hurt any of Nathan’s brothers…
Thomas calmly replaced the bandage and told Gareth to sit still for a while. Gareth jumped up as soon as his back was turned and went to play some kind of game with the other Bears that involved a battered wooden ball, a lot of shouting, and a fair amount of head butting. She winced as they clashed together and laughed uproariously.
Sarah saw some of the Bears who didn’t appear to be injured going off to a small gathering of tents.
“What are those?” she asked Jack, pointing.
“Mating Ritual tents,” he said.
“Mating Ritual?”
“It’s the season. We all need to choose a partner before we can continue. Most of us are happy. We’re just waiting on Nathan.”
“What?”
“He’s usually leading the way with the Mating Rituals, but this year he’s refused to go anywhere near those tents.”
Jack gave Sarah a knowing look before depositing her at Nathan’s side.
“What are you grinning about?” he asked.
“Nothing,” she said quickly. “I’m just glad we succeeded, that’s all.”
Nathan put an arm around her and started leading her back to the house that had somehow come to belong to the two of them, not sparing a glance for the tents along the way.