Taming the Bear Collection (21 page)

      
“Is it a roadblock?” Rain asked as Beorn nearly stopped the truck on a dime.

      
“It looks like it,” he said.

      
The two men were shouting commands and lifting their guns to threaten. In the distance the old Save More stood watch with a few dusty lights illuminating the parking lot. There were motorcycles all over the parking lot, warning Beorn and Rain that this wasn’t going to be easy.

      
As Beorn’s eyes travelled from the two men to the Save More he began to grit his teeth. Rain could see the vein popping in his neck as he grunted something unintelligible.

      
“Duck,” he said.

      
Rain didn’t need to be told twice. She nearly dove to the large floorboard as the air was filled with the sound of screeching tires. In a split second they were roaring down the street again. She could hear gunshots, hear the glass shattering overhead and then she heard cries of pain as the truck plowed into the two men. She still didn’t get up as she felt the truck turn the corner into what she could only assume was the parking lot.

      
Beorn punched the gas one more time and a shockwave went through the truck as Beorn hit something. Glass crashed all around Rain and the truck screeched to a halt.

      
“Let’s go,” Beorn said, grabbing his rifle.

      
She threw open the door of the truck, looking in all directions. They weren’t stopped in the parking lot—Beorn had driven right through the front of the grocery store. As she looked at the front of the truck she saw blood and body parts in all directions. He had taken out several of the bikers with his truck, mowing them down like ants.

      
Gun shots went off in Beorn’s direction and Rain froze. This was it, this was the end.

      
Beorn sprang into action as soon as he exploded through the front of the old grocery store. The register stands and aisles still sat inside the building, providing enough resistance to stop the three-ton steel bullet he had crashed into the store.

      
His rage was palpable. They had his best friend in the world and they had threatened him and his mate. This aggression would not stand. When he had pulled into the parking lot he had seen their bikes parked close to the entrance. They had found Thorn and cornered him, obviously. Beorn didn’t think of the consequences, he just hoped to take out as many of them as he could when he crashed through the store.

      
Judging by the blood and moans of pain, he had taken plenty of them down. He cursed his own stupidity as he jumped out of the truck, holding his rifle. What if Thorn had been standing there and he had hit him too?

      
Those thoughts quickly dissipated as bullets began ringing overhead. By the cart return there were several grungy-looking wolves shooting at him. A few easy shots from his rifle took them out and ended any thoughts they’d had of bringing the raging bear down.

      
Where was Rain? Where was Thorn? Where were the rest of them? He was confused, disoriented as he tried to find his enemies. Beorn turned and his eyes locked on something at the end of an aisle.

      
The wolf who stood there was tall and muscular with darker skin. His eyes almost glowed in the darkness and his teeth gleamed with evil intent as he smiled at Beorn.

      
“You son of a bitch!” Beorn shouted, throwing his rifle aside and beginning a determined march down the aisle.

      
Right before he entered it a battle cry pierced the air and a smaller wolf leapt off a register stand, intending to catch Beorn off guard. The bear was in no mood to be screwed with. He caught the bastard by the throat and squeezed with all his might, not even reacting as he heard the bones of the wolf’s neck crush in his bare hands.

      
“Keep coming,” a voice from the end of the aisle said.

      
Beorn tossed the now-dead biker to the ground and continued his march to face Abaddon one on one. He stopped five feet from the demon. The store was completely silent now save for Beorn’s intense panting as he stared down the demon gang leader.

      
“Are you ready for this?” Abaddon asked, holding his hands out to his sides.

      
Beorn didn’t answer. Instead, he twisted his head, cracking his neck rather loudly. He followed by cracking each knuckle in his hands as he smiled back at the demonic wolf.

      
They stared one another down for what felt like years. The first time Beorn had looked at Rain it had felt the same way, a moment that would never end. That moment would forever be on top in his past, but this moment would live somewhere near the bottom.

      
As the thoughts of Rain entered his mind he felt the rage seething inside of him even stronger. Abaddon wasn’t just threatening Bucklin or Beorn, he was threatening Rain. Rain, the headstrong, immature female wolf who had felt torn between two lives that she wasn’t quite sure how to live. A girl who hadn’t known responsibility yet, but was now being forced to grow up before she was ready—all because of the asshole standing in front of Beorn. She deserved better than this. She deserved better than watching her mate have to kill over and over again.

      
Beorn had spent his entire life as the grumpy, solitary bear who didn’t give a damn about anyone but himself. If he needed sex he found a willing partner and then dumped her to the side. He’d spent his whole life trying to live as equals with the angry, murderous monster inside of him. But this was it: now he was turning into the monster.

      
“Your move,” Abaddon said with a smile and a wink.

      
You threatened Rain,
Beorn thought.
I love her and I always will.

      
With those thoughts Beorn rushed forward, screaming as he did so. Abaddon’s eyes grew wide; clearly, he hadn’t expected the giant bear to charge him with so much force. Abaddon was big for a normal human, but Beorn still engulfed him when he reached him, lowering his shoulder into the demon’s sternum as he wrapped his arms around Abaddon’s legs and lifted with his shoulder, pushing the demon backwards off his feet.

      
The two men hit the ground with a thud, and Beorn heard a satisfying crunch as his shoulder continued its drive into the demon’s sternum. As Abaddon gasped for breath Beorn raised up, clubbing Abaddon across the face with his giant ham-fists. Bones cracked and blood flew as he continued to beat the demon senseless.

      
Finally Abaddon regained his senses and brought his knee up into Beorn’s crotch. All the pleasure and enjoyment Beorn had derived from the way Rain had roughly worked his cock and balls with her mouth yesterday was long gone as a sharp pain radiated through his body. It started low in his crotch before spreading to his stomach. Beorn gasped for air as Abaddon pulled himself out from under the bear. He rose to his feet and smashed his forearm into the side of Beorn’s face, blurring his vision.

      
Beorn shook it off as he thought of Rain again. He roared and shot back into the demon’s stomach, picking him up off the ground. Abaddon kicked and punched, but he was unable to free himself as Beorn began to crush him between his shoulder and arm. It was the most literal definition of a bear-hug and it was more painful than it looked. Abaddon cried out as Beorn squeezed with both arms, feeling something pop in the demon’s lower back. After that the kicking ceased and Abaddon’s legs went limp.

      
“Die!” Beorn roared as he began to run forward. The two men slammed into the metal grocery store shelf, sending it toppling over backwards. Abaddon cried out in pain as his body broke between Beorn and the unforgiving steel. Beorn wouldn’t give him a moment to catch his breath, though; instead, he grabbed the demon by the throat and tossed him back towards the front of the store. Abaddon’s body hit the ground with a thud and he skidded to the cash registers, not moving.

      
Beorn charged again, his feet leaving the floor as he got close to Abaddon. The demon’s eyes grew wide as Beorn crashed onto him, flattening him between the concrete floor and his heavy frame. Beorn delivered a few more blows to the demon’s face, shattering bones with each shot. Abaddon was covered in blood and his limbs were twisted in ways they were not meant to go. Something sharp jutted up out of his chest, more than likely a broken rib that had been forced up there.

      
There was a noise in the background, one that almost sounded human. Beorn ignored it as he continued his assault on the son of a bitch who had caused so much grief and pain. With one hand on the demon’s throat he continued to squeeze and slam his fist into Abaddon’s now unrecognizable face.

      
Beorn stood, trying to block out the screaming he heard in the background. Someone was yelling at him, but he couldn’t make out the words. His bear was growling and roaring, demanding more blood sacrifice from the demon. Beorn looked to his left and saw one of the heavy, old cash registers sitting on the counter. He picked the steel box up, ready to finally crush the demon’s head and finish this fight once and for all.

      
“See you in hell,” Beorn said as he lifted the cash register high.

      
“Beorn! Stop! Please stop! For the love of God, Beorn, stop!”

      
The words were coming through loud and clear now, enough for Beorn to make out every syllable. Still holding the cash register high, he looked to his left, to the place where his truck had come to rest. Rain and Thorn were both on their knees. Tears were streaking Rain’s beautiful face, nearly bringing tears to Beorn’s own eyes. One of Thorn’s eyes was swollen shut and his jaw was misshapen. He could barely lift his head to look at his old friend, but Beorn saw the sorrow and pleading in his one good eye.

      
Behind them stood six of Abaddon’s gang, each wearing the leather vest and insignia of Satan’s Angels. They all held various guns that were pointed firmly at the backs of Rain’s and Thorn’s heads. The moment he brought the cash register down was the moment their lives ended. His eyes traveled behind them, landing on the cause of all this pain. Leena was standing there, her hands on her hips and a sneer on her face. As their eyes met she blew him a kiss before giggling.

      
Beorn slowly lowered the cash register before tossing it to the side. It was over. He had lost.

      
After the gunshots had started, Rain had lifted her gun and looked in all directions, but she didn’t see anything on her side of the truck. On the other side she saw Beorn throw his gun down as people fell, and then he was gone and she was alone.

      
Where had he gone? He had vanished and left her alone in the front of the store. She walked around to his side of the truck, turning her head in revulsion as she looked at the men that lay dead by the cart return.

      
“Beorn?” she said weakly. She tried to call for him again, but she wasn’t able to speak at all. Glass crunched under heavy boots behind her. She felt her stomach jump and she spun, raising her gun in defense. “Ahhhh!”

      
She screamed as her gun grew red hot, burning her hands and forcing her to drop it.

      
“You won’t be needing that,” Leena said, a half smile on her evil face. “Why don’t you just have a seat.”

      
Rain started to back away, but she backed right into several more men in gang leathers that had snuck in behind her. One harshly put his hand on her shoulder and forced her to her knees. Another threw a limp body down to the ground beside her.

      
“Thorn?” she asked weakly.

      
The only response she got was a weak cough as he tried to get to his knees.

      
“He’s fine,” Leena said, flipping her hand dismissively. “He’ll live, at least.”

      
Rain rubbed her burned hands as she sullenly looked up at her surrogate father’s former sister. What kind of witchcraft had she used to burn her?

      
“Speaking of living,” she said, looking up.

      
Rain turned to see a lifeless body slide into view on the other side of the registers. She couldn’t make out who it was, but her eyes were quickly drawn to Beorn who came screaming out of the aisle before diving onto the limp body, screaming as he began to pound it into dust.

      
“He’s killing him, mistress,” one of the bikers said.

      
“His flesh will heal,” Leena said. Then her cool facade suddenly changed as her eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped. “Unless his head is destroyed. Fuck!”

      
“Beorn, stop!” Rain screamed, realizing that he was very close to completely smashing Abaddon’s head with his bare hands. They would never let him live if he killed their master. “Please!”

      
Beorn lifted a cash register, preparing to bring it down on Abaddon’s head.

      
“Beorn! Stop! Please, stop! For the love of God, Beorn, stop!”

      
He turned to look at them as Rain felt the cold tip of a shotgun pressing into the base of her skull. This was the end of the road.

      
Beorn looked completely defeated, not an ounce of fight left in his body. He dropped the cash register beside him and put his hands up.

      
“Beorn, I’m sorry,” she whispered.

      
“Enough out of you,” Leena said, shoving the back of Rain’s head. Rain fell forward, catching herself on her hands.