Chapter Twenty-Two

Rock

I get up from the ground, my own naked body too heavy to be carried by my feet. I cough heavily, and I feel my mouth full of something coppery. I spit to the side. A small pool of blood appears on the ground. The air is heavy with the scent of pine mixed with blood and sweat.

I look around. A few naked bodies are on the ground. A few are dragging themselves to their cottages, in an effort to wrap their wounds. Moonlight spills through the canopy of trees, shining on the bodies and the scars of fierce confrontation on the ground. There are claw marks etched into the soil, and patches of torn grass. I look around, in search of Cal, but he is nowhere to be seen. Neither is Elena.

There are so many of ours needing help. As I move through the aftermath of the bear shifter fight, the pain in my leg becomes increasingly apparent. The adrenaline has left my body, and now I can feel the pain. A searing ache accompanies my every step, and the warmth of blood trickling down my leg reveals a wound that needs to be looked at immediately.

"You can't keep walking on it like that," I hear Willow's voice from somewhere behind me. "It'll get infected."

I attempt to brush it off, masking the pain with a tight-lipped smile. "It's nothing. Just a scratch."

Her gaze, however, pierces through my attempt to hide it. "Let me help you," she insists, her voice firm yet gentle.

I agree, taking a seat on a nearby stump, as Willow kneels down. She has managed to grab a loose, oversized t-shirt, so she isn't naked, but I am. Still, that doesn't affect her in any way. In fact, none of us are affected by each other's nakedness. We know that is a natural result of shifting, and we've accepted it as something normal. Our clothes are mostly worn for practical purposes. In other words, we wear clothes to protect our skin from the sun and the heat, and to warm ourselves when it's cold. We don't wear clothes to hide our bodies.

That is why I don't try to hide my manhood, as she assesses the injury to my right leg. I look around, as the village starts to hum with the muted sounds of recovery. There is no one else lying on the ground, and that makes me happy. Hopefully, we have no losses. But… where are Cal and Elena? I still can't find them in this mess.

Worry starts to gnaw on me, so I turn to Willow. "Are you done?"

She lifts her gaze at me, frowning. "You got anywhere else to be?"

She is one of the rare ones who isn't afraid to speak her mind, even when others might find it offensive. That is also what makes her opinion valid and true.

She doesn't wait for me to reply. Instead, she skillfully continues to examine my wound, her touch both gentle and purposeful. She reaches for a small bag by her side and gets out a bottle and some bandages.

"This might sting a little," she says. "Actually… a lot."

I nod, gritting my teeth. At least, I'm prepared. She pours the see-through liquid from the bottle, and I feel like razor sharp teeth cling to my leg, refusing to let go. I hiss heavily, waiting for this new onslaught of pain to subside. When it finally does, I inhale then exhale deeply, letting go of the pain.

"It's finished," she tells me, as she bandages the injury, pulling away to take a closer look at her handiwork.

"You're lucky it's not more serious," she remarks. "But you should try to rest."

"Rest?" I frown. "This is no time for rest."

She presses her lips together, turning them into one slit. "Yeah, I know. But the doctor in me can't help but advise patients on what they should do, even when the situation requires exactly the opposite."

I smile. "Thank you."

She smiles back at me. "It is me who should be thanking that human girl of yours."

"Elena?" I gasp. "Where is she? Have you seen her?"

"I have seen her," she nods. "And… even more than that. She saved me."

My mind explodes upon hearing this. Not in a million years was I expecting to hear a human saved a bear shifter from another bear shifter. It works the other way around, but not like that. And yet, Willow would never exaggerate or tell lies for no reason.

"What are you talking about?"

"Elena saved me, Rock," she reveals simply, as if it's nothing important, but I know that's just who she is, not making a big deal even when it is. "She attacked that bear shifter head on, shoving that board with nails into its back. She bought me the time I needed to shift. If it weren't for her, things could have ended badly for me."

Listening to Willow's words, a swell of pride and concern intertwine inside of me. Despite the fear she must have been feeling at that moment, she had helped Willow, risking her own life in the process. I was hoping that something monumental would happen, something that would prove to everyone in the village that she deserved a place among us, but I could never have imagined that she would dare to show so much strength in the face of adversity.

Elena… my Elena…

"But… where is she?" I ask, looking around. "I haven't seen her or Cal."

Willow starts looking about. "Me neither. Come, I'll help you search for them."

We start asking around if anyone has seen them, searching through the village, seeking any trace of them.

"Cal!" I shout after a while, my voice cutting through the hushed ambiance. The flickering lanterns cast long shadows as we move through the quiet paths, the village gradually returning to a semblance of normalcy. Yet, the unease lingers as we comb through familiar spaces that have just been attacked.

Willow's eyes mirror my own worry as we exchange glances. "They must be out here somewhere," she tries to reassure me. "We'll find them, Rock."

Our footsteps echo through the village clearing as we continue our quest. Each moment without Cal and Elena is making me feel more anxious, heightening the tension. The silence is occasionally broken by the distant rustle of leaves or the soft murmurs of villagers tending to each other in the aftermath of our defense.

We head through the cave and outside, my gaze sweeping over the wooden expanse that borders our sanctuary. The dark woods hold secrets, and I know that if it could talk, it would tell me what I need to know.

"Where could they be?" I muse aloud, the worry evident in my voice.

Willow, determined and steadfast, places a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "We'll find them, Rock. We won't leave a stone unturned."

At that moment, we hear footsteps behind us. We turn around hastily, ready for a fight, if necessary, but it is only Leo. The urgency in his voice cuts through the night air, disrupting our search. He is breathless, and his words spill out in a rush.

"I saw them…" he pauses to breathe in. "The bears took Elena first, and then Cal."

Fury ignites within me, a fierce flame fueled by the protective instinct of those under my care. "Which way did they go?" I demand, my voice low and steely.

Leo points towards the woods, his finger shaking in the direction he is pointing. "There, Rock. I… I tried to follow, but I lost sight of them."

I place my hand on Leo's shoulder. "It's good you didn't. Because then, I wouldn't know where they were headed."

I surge forward but Willow shouts after me, her voice forcing me to stop.

"Wait! You can't go alone," she reminds me.

"No," I shake my head. "I have to go alone."

"That's what they want," she tells me. "Why else would they kidnap Cal and Elena?"

"I know that's what they are expecting," I nod. "But I'll surprise them. I'll be like the wind. They won't even know I'm there. I'll destroy them from the inside."

"Let us come," Willow tells me. "We can help."

"No," I repeat. "You have to stay in the village and make sure that everyone is alright. Set up defenses. Better ones, this time. We can't allow this to happen again. Hide the little ones. And have everyone prepare for another fight, if it comes to that. We were lucky this time."

"We were," she nods. "We thought we were ready."

"We should learn from our mistakes," I remind her. "So, stay here and be my eyes, Willow. Reassure everyone that it will be alright. In the meantime, I'm going to get Cal and Elena back."

She doesn't fight me on it this time. "Alright," she nods. "Just… be careful. We all need you to come back. All three of you."

I smile, feeling the shift in the village would be noticeable to everyone. When I get Elena and Cal back, life will be different for the three of us. She will be welcome in this village and appreciated for her bravery. Pride swells inside of me again and I can't wait to have her in my arms and shower her with kisses.

I turn around, venturing into the woods, deeper and deeper. My every instinct is to find Cal and Elena. I use my sense of smell, finding them easily. I would be able to find Elena from the other end of the world, if I had to.

I know that I have to find them before it's too late. The worst thing is that I don't even know what the other bear shifters want with them. Why the two of them? Why are they so special?

My jaw clenches and my steps quicken, the pursuit of answers and the safety of my loved ones propelling me forward. My scent is concealed, but I bend down every once in a while, smearing myself with mud and dirt, just to be on the safe side. I move stealthily, each step calculated to minimize sound as I approach the enemy bear shifter camp. The silhouettes of their tents emerge against the night, and I know I'm there.

Hiding in the underbrush, I observe the camp. My senses honed, I scan for any signs of movement or activity that might reveal the whereabouts of Cal or Elena. The night air carries the hushed murmurs of the enemies, so I can't hear what they're saying. But their voices are an unsettling undercurrent in the woods I know and love. They need to go. They need to be taught a lesson they will never forget.

As I crouch concealed by the leaves and bushes, I count the tents, gauging the potential threats within the encampment. The flickering glow of a campfire is illuminating the central area, just like I remember it. My approach needs to be methodical and strategic, because a single wrong move could mean either Cal's or Elena's death.

Now, the only trick is finding out where they are keeping the prisoners.