Chapter Sixteen

Cal

I stare after Elena incredulously. She takes only a few steps away from us, when I try to go after her, but Rock grabs me by the upper arm, preventing me from doing so. Our gazes lock, and he just silently shakes his head. I turn to Elena, but she has already disappeared in the woods. I can only hope that she knows her way back.

"We're just gonna let her go, all alone?" I gasp, shocked that he would even consider such a thing.

"Of course not." His reply surprises me.

I frown. "Why didn't you let me go after her then?"

He lets go of my upper arm before speaking. "She's in shock now. She isn't thinking straight. No one who just witnessed something like that would be able to. We need to give her some time, to process everything."

"But she's going back to the camp," I remind him. "She'll be alone there, and you can see for yourself that the woods aren't a safe place right now, especially for a woman all alone."

"I told you she won't be alone," he tells me. "I'll go after her."

"I'll come with you then," I quickly nod, ready to head out immediately.

"No," he shakes his head. "I need you to go back to the village. The other bear shifter clan is venturing deeper into the woods, and also closer to us. You need to make sure that everyone is on guard. We need a look out, in case they discover our village and there is an attack."

"But you're the leader," I say. "Shouldn't you go back to the village, and I can go after Elena?"

He shakes his head, admitting something I wasn't expecting him to. "I didn't react well to all of this."

He pauses for a moment, searching for the right words. I can only imagine how difficult it must be for him, constantly juggling the needs of everyone else, making sure that everyone was safe and sound.

"I broke her camera," he adds, sounding apologetic. "I… shouted. I didn't handle this situation like a true leader."

I understand where he is coming from. This situation is really convoluted. On the one hand, he has to make sure that our village is safe and that the secret of our existence is kept away from the consciousness of humans. On the other hand, I know that he has feelings for Elena. We both do. He doesn't want to lose her. He doesn't want anything to happen to her.

"I think none of us reacted the way we should have," I admit as well, walking up to him and pressing my hand to his shoulder. "So many things have happened, and… well, you as the leader got the worst end of the stick."

"Yes, but it's not only that," he continues, sounding awkward and confused, something completely unlike him, "it's this… triangle of ours."

"I know," I nod, looking down at my feet. "I never thought I would be even considering something like that."

"Me neither," he replies.

It is obvious that we feel the same about it, but we don't really want to talk about it. I guess it's just the way men are wired.

"But… is it OK?" I ask.

"Mhm," he nods. "You're OK with it?"

I almost chuckle loudly, but I resist the temptation to do so. "Yeah."

"Alright then," he says, and I just nod.

We add another mhm on both ends, and that concludes the conversation. Guy style.

"I think you'd best go after her," I suggest. "Just to be on the safe side. Maybe that guy is still close, thinking of revenge."

"Good point," he replies. "I'll go after her. You head straight for the village."

"Right away," I confirm. "I'll make sure that we are ready for a potential attack."

"Let's hope that we still have enough time for it, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," he reminds us both.

He pats me on the back, then turns around and disappears in the direction where Elena did. I walk back towards the village, my thoughts a whirlwind of commotion. The adrenaline has almost completely left my body by this point, and the fact that I'm naked as the day I was born doesn't bother me much at all. I know I won't be meeting anyone on the way, unless I stumble onto yet another bear shifter willing to fight me.

But now, I realize that there are two equally pressing concerns here, and that is why Rock is being so torn. I know that Elena wasn't expecting any of this. The impact of what she has seen is probably huge, and that will definitely affect the relationship we've been building with her.

Relationship? I wonder to myself. Well, yes.

I do consider it somewhat of a relationship, and I'm sure Rock does as well. Our path has constantly led us to hers, intertwining our lives in ways we weren't even able to imagine. I walk quickly, but still with measured steps. I can't stop thinking about her, about the way she reacted and how she refused to come back to the village with us.

Then again, I can understand her point of view as well. I'm not sure I would want to go somewhere where it's obvious I'm not wanted. Although we haven't really spent that much time around humans, it seems that some of them are driven by the same instincts as us, although we all consider them too unpredictable. They are not familiar with the supernatural factor. It is not a part of their everyday life. In fact, in this day and age, most of them have detached themselves so far away from nature that they don't believe supernatural things even exist. This is sad, really. But it is not our duty to tell the humans where they have made the mistake of heading in the wrong direction. We've simply decided to steer clear of them.

I never thought that I would find myself in this situation. Bear shifters mate for life. So, when you find your mate, you don't look for anyone anymore. You simply don't need to. But I never thought that I would find a mate whom I would be forced to share with Rock, of all people.

The more I think about it, the more I see it as alright, just like I told him. But I don't know what sort of reactions that will stir in the village. What will the others think? If Elena does eventually change her mind and comes back to the village, will the rest of them accept her, being human, when we've always been taught to keep away from them?

As I'm nearing the cave, I remind myself that I have to focus on the village now. Rock will take care of Elena. If anyone can convince her to come here, it's him. As for me, my thoughts need to gravitate towards the threat posed by the enemy bear shifters. It is more than possible that they are surveying the area, lurking somewhere around. It might be just a matter of time before they attack us, and Rock is right. We need to be ready.

What just happened proved to us both that the enemy is closer than we think. We know where they set up camp, and we thought it was at a safe distance for now, that we had enough time to prepare. But the time has come. The peace and the balance we have sought to maintain for so long is at a risk of being destroyed. We can't allow that to happen.

Rock is our leader, but he can't protect us all on his own. We all have to take part in defending our way of life. That is our priority now. That, and bringing Elena to our village, so we can keep her safe as well. Once the threat of the enemy bear shifter clan is dealt with, we can see what the village thinks of having a human in their midst and if it will be possible for her to live with us. It would be quite a change for us all, but I hope that it is possible.

As I approach the cave, passing through it, I scan the familiar surroundings, searching for signs of normalcy in the middle of these turbulent times. I can see the light of the lanterns and the faces of villagers engaged in their daily activities. However, underneath this veneer of routine, I can feel a subtle tension. Everyone is aware of the danger we are in, and they are only half focused on their tasks. There is an unspoken acknowledgement in the village, a hushed sort of secrecy that reveals these very unspoken dangers.

I find Willow and tell her to gather everyone at the square. About fifteen minutes later, we are all huddled there, their eyes watching me with anticipation. I honestly don't know where to start. This is usually what Rock would do. He is good at speaking to the community, at telling them that there is danger in our midst, but that everything will be alright, that we will make sure of it. I can see it in their eyes that they need me to say exactly that.

"Listen up, everyone," I start, clearing my throat. "I know that this is usually what Rock does, giving a speech when there is something to be shared, but in his absence, I will do it."

"Where is he?" A voice from the crowd wonders.

"He will be back shortly," I assure them. "In a few hours, I'm sure. So, don't worry. He hasn't gone anywhere." I pause, getting back on track. "We've got trouble on our hands, but you already know this. The enemy bear clan has set up camp in these very woods, and just now, one of them attacked me, Rock and Elena. I managed to fend him off, but make no mistake, the danger is real, and it is near."

A hushed murmur spread through the gathered villagers, as concern etched lines on their faces. I raise my hand to quiet them down, but also to reassure them.

"None of us is alone in this," I continue. "We've faced challenges before, and together, we've always come out on top. These threats won't break us."

"That's right!" Someone from the crowd shouts, lifting a fist into the air.

I smile. "We've built this village together, and we'll defend it together. They may try to sow fear, but we won't let it take root among us."

"Yeah!" Another voice agrees, and a few more fists blossom up from the crowd. My gaze is sweeping across the tentative faces, their raised fists emphasizing the strength that lies in unity.

"So, be vigilant. Keep an eye out for anything unusual. And remember that fear only has power over us if we allow it. Together, we are a force to be reckoned with, and we won't back down!"

This time, my own fist flies up into the air and an avalanche of applause follows immediately after. I smile at all those inspired faces, hoping that I managed to remind them what they are fighting for, not only themselves, but for their family, friends and everyone they care about.

"That wasn't half bad," Willow approaches me, patting me on the shoulder.

"Thanks," I grin. "Rock would have done a better job. His are big shoes to fill."

"Yup," she nods, then continues. "Has he gone to the other clan?"

"No," I shake my head, wondering if I should tell her the truth. Maybe having an ally in all this wouldn't be a bad thing. "He went to speak to Elena."

"The human?" Willow wonders.

"Mhm," I confirm. "It's… a long story."

"You're thinking of making her your mate," she says simply. "And so is Rock."

"Yeah," I scratch the back of my head. "Sort of."

"See?" she grins. "Not that complicated or long, if only you know how to focus on what matters."

"I guess," I reply. "It's just… strange, and not what I expected would happen at all."

She ponders for a moment, then she smiles. "Listen, I doubt you guys would bring her to the village if you thought her a danger to any of us."

"Of course not," I assure her.

"Then maybe it's time to turn over a new leaf," she says somehow mysteriously. "But first things first. Let's show these guys that they can't just waltz in here and terrorize us."

"Deal," I smile back, as we both head in the direction of the dining hall.