Chapter Fourteen

Rock

I feel like this is all my fault. I was supposed to keep everyone, including Elena safe, and now, she is one moment away from certain death.

As soon as we woke up, we noticed that Elena wasn't there. We sprinted after her, following her trail, but we weren't fast enough. The chaotic scene that unfolded before us shocked us both. I roared loudly, confusing the bear shifter who was on top of her. It bought her a moment for us to think about our next move.

"I can take him on, Rock," Cal tells me, realizing just like I already did that it's not a regular bear. It's a shifter. It's probably one from the clan that has come to occupy our territory and now, he is making himself known.

"We can't risk her seeing you," I tell him, furious with myself that I am still thinking of that, but this is not just about her. This is about us all, about the only way of life we've ever known. "You and I can beat him, like this."

"Are you crazy!?" he shouts. "The guy will shred her to pieces before we even get to him!"

I know he's right. And before I can tell him anything else, Cal shouts. "Hey you!"

The bear's full attention is on us now. Or better yet, on him. Its eyes are narrowing with a mix of aggression and uncertainty. It starts to move slowly towards Cal, losing interest in Elena. I move cautiously toward her, position myself between her and the bear, but the bear only has eyes for Cal for some reason.

"Just stay calm, Cal!" I shout at him. In other words, I'm urging him to stay in his human form. Staying calm means he can control his actions. In his bear form, the animal takes over. It is guided by pure instinct until the very end, and returning from our bear state is like coming out of an endless, dark tunnel with just a match for a light.

Cal doesn't say anything to that. His focus is on the bear, and the bear's is on him. They circle around each other, a dance of primal aggression and unspoken challenges, with both sides wanting to be victorious. The air crackles with tension as Cal spreads his arms out wide, in an effort to make himself appear as big as possible, but in his human form, that isn't possible. The bear outdoes him at least two to one.

"You have to do something, Rock!" I hear Elena gasp with horror at the realization that Cal will be forced to fight this monstrosity.

I don't know what to tell her. I know that Cal can easily take on this bear in his own bear form, but I didn't want Elena to find out. At least, not now, and not like this. Hell, I haven't even decided whether I wanted to tell her, whether I wanted to bring her into this world of ours and see what she thought of it. But now it seems as if Cal alone will be the one to make that decision.

Cal mirrors the bear's movements with a predatory grace. We both know that the bear understands what he is trying to do. The unspoken language of shifters is understood in whatever form. It is a nuanced dialogue of threats and assertions without a single word uttered. Glances and growls are more than enough. The bear immediately recognized Cal's challenge, and it is more than ready to oblige, as a low rumble emanates from its throat. The dance of aggression continues. It is obvious that the bear is patiently waiting for Cal to shift.

Cal glances in my direction. I'm still torn. Cal can't take on this bear in his human form. Not even the two of us together would be able to do that in our human form. No. At least one of us has to turn, and he has to do it now. There is not a moment to lose. The bear is about to attack. He is merely toying with Cal now.

I look back at Cal, and I know time is of the essence. If he turns, Elena will see it. Who knows how she will react… but there is no time to think about that right now. Realizing that no matter what I do, everything will change, I nod in hopes that I have made the right decision.

Cal immediately drops down to his knees, allowing the transformation to begin. I know that he's been waiting for this, feeling that irresistible pull, a surge of ancient energy coursing through his veins, through all our veins. As the transformative magic takes hold, I know how he feels. I've felt that way a million times before, but it never gets any easier, any less painful. That intense, primal sensation completely consumes him, making every inch of his being resonate with a wild, untamed power. The animal inside wants to come out and play, and finally, it has received permission to do so.

His bones start to crack and readjust on the inside, shifting and elongating. His muscles also take part in this transformation, expanding and rearranging to accommodate the robust anatomy of a bear. Goosebumps prickle my skin upon hearing the sound of cracking and popping, as Cal's body undergoes the necessary metamorphosis. Fur begins to sprout from his skin, a luxurious coat that changes color as he moves, and the sunlight catches it.

Cal's face slowly elongates into a snout, his voice unrecognizable as he grunts and moans in pain. His mouth is open wide, his teeth sharpening into formidable fangs.

"Rock?" Elena stands behind me, looking at this frightful spectacle. She has clawed her fingers into my shoulders, not sure if she should be in awe or running away. I know that feeling. I wrap my arm around her, pulling her close.

"It's alright," I whisper, because there is nothing else to say. And this will perhaps be the last time she will allow me to touch her, so I relish her presence close to me, as I watch Cal's transformation slowly come to an end.

His hands and feet have already reshaped into powerful claws, each digit becoming a lethal weapon. Ears shift slowlyat the same time, his hearing becoming crystal clear. I know he can now hear our breaths, our every motion, becoming attuned to even the subtlest of sounds.

But that is not all. His body changes first, but that is not where the transformation ends. He also experiences a fusion of human consciousness with the primal instincts of a bear, merging the two worlds, transcending the boundaries between man and beast. It is obvious that Cal is the larger of the two, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. The other bear could be more experienced, more agile. Size matters little in fights such as this one.

Cal growls loudly, and without any warning, lunges at the other bear, claws extended. The other bear, quick and agile, sidesteps the attack, just like I thought he might do, avoiding the brunt of the first attack. Refusing to wait, the other bear retaliates immediately with a rapid series of blows. Cal's vulnerable areas, such as the neck and the shoulders are his main objective. Although momentarily staggered by this surprise, Cal immediately counters with powerful swipes, attempting to maintain control of the situation. Fur flies through the air as the bears grapple, their roars and growls echoing through the woods.

I can't take my eyes off of the primal dance of aggression, and I know Elena feels the same way. I dare not even look at her, wondering what must be going on inside her mind. She is still here, with us. Perhaps she is petrified with fear. Otherwise, she might already have run away. But I can't think about that right now. Cal has to beat this bear and send a message to the other bear shifter clan that they are not welcome here. We don't want a war, but we will give them one, if we must. And we will make them sorry for ever having trespassed on our territory.

Cal seems to have taken on a power beyond anything I have ever seen. I don't know if that has anything to do with Elena being here and him wanting to protect her, but he has never fought like this before. With a powerful surge, Cal's sheer strength and size prove overwhelming for the other bear, which is now lying on the ground, blood trickling out of his wounds. He is breathing heavily, his enormous body bearing the brunt of the formidable struggle.

Cal looms over him, asserting his dominance. A low growl emanates from his chest, a final declaration of his supremacy over him. At that moment, the whole forest seems to have fallen into a hushed stillness, celebrating Cal's victory. He looks at me, then down at the bear lying powerless on the ground. I know what he wants to do.

"No," I tell him. "Don't."

Cal lifts his muzzle toward me. I can see in his eyes that he is questioning my order, but he can't vocalize it. Not in his bear form.

"Don't kill him," I urge. "We need to send a message. What better message to send than that of defeat?"

Cal huffs heavily over the bear, then he slowly steps aside, giving the fallen bear some space. I walk over to him, staring at him.

"Go back to your leader, whoever he is and tell him this," I snarl angrily at him. "If you decide to attack the Ursidae clan, we will not hesitate to destroy every single one of you to defend our home and our people. Do you understand that?"

The bear is still lying on the ground, but I can see it nod slightly. It understands. Of course it does. Just because his human consciousness has fused with the bear, that doesn't mean that he has stopped having reason altogether. Every single animal has reason, although it is taught to be led by instinct.

We bear shifters, who live on the border between these two worlds, seem to have adopted the best of both worlds: reason and instinct. The choice of what to follow has been given to us, so that any wrong choice is our own doing. No one else's. That is why I know that he understands me perfectly. And I need him to take the message back where he came from, to his leader.

I know that Cal would do it differently. Cal would force him to shift back into his human form and he would take him back to the village for questioning. It has crossed my mind, but we know what we need to know. This bear shifter will not tell us anything groundbreaking. It is better to send him back, ashamed in his defeat, so he can convey my message that the same thing will happen to any who dares attack us.

I wonder if he will transform into a human to go back, but he doesn't. Instead, he slowly lifts himself up onto his paws, but he is too wounded to walk properly. He sways to the side, then to the other. No one says anything else.

Cal growls at him, and I walk over to him, placing my hand on his shoulder. He is trembling. I know that the animal wants to kill, to protect, to assure safety of those it loves. But this is how it needs to be done this time.

"No," I say again, and Cal listens.

He always does. He has always been someone I can rely on, no matter what. Although sometimes we don't see eye to eye, I know that he will never go against me, against my word, and he will lay down his life for those he loves. That is why I understand this rage inside of him, to punish this bear shifter who dared to attack Elena.

Then, a flicker of realization lights up inside of me. He must feel about her like I do. He cares for her. He doesn't want her to leave. Otherwise, his bear wouldn't react so fiercely with a death wish for the attacker. This changes everything. And with Elena having witnessed our secret, I know that we all need to have a long conversation, with many explanations.

We watch as the bear slowly drags his battered body away from us, and Cal's own body relaxes as we are finally left alone. Neither of us knows what to say, where to begin explaining what just happened.

I sigh, deciding that maybe it's best to start from the beginning.