Worshiped By The Bear Kings - Complete (22 page)

CHAPTER
EIGHT

Spike had just about had enough of
this. Every minute they spent out here in front of this girl’s house, was a
minute they weren’t doing something to rescue Jasmine. In the back of his
subconscious, imagining what the Arch Baron panther was doing to his beloved,
Spike’s bear couldn’t help but release a tiny portion of his torment in the
form of a growl. Dennis heard him, turning sharply, and he motioned for Spike
to hold on a little longer.

But Spike
wasn’t going to hold on. Not this time.

He pushed
open the car door and set foot into the road. Dennis had his phone pressed
against his ear, turning anxiously.

“Look,”
Dennis said. “I’m trying her again. She’ll come down. I know she will.”

Spike looked
towards the gates of the house, his nose breathing in the crispness of the
night’s air.

“Maybe you
should be the one who waits in the car,” Spike droned.

Dennis slowly
lowered the phone from his ear. “Alright,” he said. “Just … don’t hurt her.”

Spike brushed
by him and shifted into his bear. He jumped up from the drive and latched onto
the roof of the gate and pulled his great body over it. He hit the ground on
both feet and then hurried straight to the face of the house.

“Whoa,”
Dennis said from behind the gate. “The front door is that way –”

Spike closed
his eyes and dived through the front windows, causing enormous noise in the
wake of shattered glass. He landed on the base of a couch and then bounded
across the carpet and out of the room.

He was at the
foot of a staircase. Lights switching on in the hallway above.

“Dennis – you
motherfucker!” Dara cried out from above.

A man and a
woman’s voice shouted things behind her. As Spike began climbing the stairs,
still in his bear form, Dara emerged with the anger in her face immediately
evaporating.

“Oh … my …
God…” she squealed, her voice so high a pitch there was barely more than air
coming from her lips.

She started
to back away and Spike clambered up, racing towards her.

Down the far
end of the hall, a surprised couple, supposedly Dara’s parents, saw Spike and
quickly fled back to their bedroom.

Spike loomed
over Dara, as her smallness slowed her even further still.

Then he
shifted back to his man and took her in his arms.

“You have to
come with us,” Spike demanded of her.

“No she
doesn’t!” Dara’s father shouted, reemerging with a rifle pointed at Spike. “She
stays right here!”

“Daddy, shoot
him!” Dara squealed. “He’s one of the ones who killed Jake!”

“What?” the
father gasped.

His wife
appeared beside him. “What’s happening?” she asked.

“Move aside,
woman,” the father remarked. He straightened up his aim of the rifle.

Spike pulled
Dara into his chest.

“I don’t want
to hurt you,” he said. “I just need your help to find Jasmine.”

“Daddy! Shoot
him!”

“Hold on,
dear!”

Spike
clenched his teeth together and pulled Dara closer to the stairs. The father
still didn’t have a shot yet.

“Please, I’m
begging you,” Spike tried again. “Jasmine has been kidnapped and you’re the
only one who can help us.”

The rife
cracked as the father fired it. Spike sidestepped just in time for the bullet
to nick his ear. He winced in pain.

“Please,” he
tried again.

The blood
fell from his ear and hit Dara’s cheek.

“Fuck you,”
Dara hissed at him.

Her eyes were
unrelenting. He wasn’t getting through to her.

“Dara!”
Dennis cried, racing up the stairs.

“Dennis!” she
shouted back. “Fuck you letting this monster in here!”

Dennis put a
hand on Spike’s shoulder. “I’ll convince her,” he said. “Let her go.”

Spike looked
back at the human uncertainly. Almost as though he forgot what it was to trust.

Dennis
climbed up the stairs and signaled to the father. “Put down the gun. I’m in
control of this situation.”

“Who is
that?” the father barked. “Dennis?”

“Yes, it’s
me, Dennis. Now just put the gun down before you shoot somebody. We’re not here
to hurt you.”

“I ain’t
putting this gun down!” the father shouted. “This is my fucking house! It’s my
gun and my house!”

“Please help
us,” Spike said again to Dara. He let go of her and knelt at her feet. “We
really need your help.”

He looked up
hesitantly and saw Dara now looking a little unsure. She turned to her father.

“Put it down,
Daddy,” she said. “I’m okay now.”

“Are you
sure?” the father mumbled back.

Dara walked
to where Dennis was.

Spike
gradually rose back to his feet.

Dara glanced
at both of them. “Okay guys,” she said. “This had better be good.”

CHAPTER NINE

The insides of the Arch Baron’s
palace were devoid of light and noise. Beside where he lay in an unconscious
slumber, the only sound that could be heard from the other side of the door was
the last of his men turning in for the night.

There was no
one else coming here. No one to rescue the dragons or the bears.

Of course,
now Jasmine and Brad had found each other and were no longer affected by their
poisons, their escape could be imminent. Jasmine’s whole body was consumed by a
rush of adrenalin. From her place on the floor she could see Gaspar lying
there, ready to wake at any second, and yet she allowed Brad to continue to
fuck her. ‘Allowed’ might even have been too strong a word. He was fucking her
alright, and he was doing it properly this time. On the hardened concrete
floor, her hands and knees tearing against it. He was coming at her from
behind, ravaging her without any inhibition.

Without any thought.

Without any
feeling.

Other than
his bear wanted to fuck…

This was how
Jasmine wanted it. And not just with Brad – with her other bear king too. The
thoughts in a way were even more lewd than the act itself… Just her thinking
about it this way, wanting it like this – it went against all her polite
sophistications and social conformities. But this was the truth. The hot,
sticky, smoldering desire of lust that came between three unbridled lovers.
Only two for now of course. But they were saving one for later…

When Brad’s
cock finally caved and the jizz started flowing, it came out in five separate
hot bursts, each lasting longer than the one previous. He moaned above her,
sounding as though he was in awe of his own orgasm, and gently withdrew from
her, falling to the floor below them. He scooped her up in his hands and held
her over him, the pair staring at each other.

“Wow,”
Jasmine whispered.

“Wow,” Brad
whispered back.

“You didn’t
come like that last time.”

“No encounter
should be the same.”

“What have
you got planned for next time?”

Brad grabbed
hold of Jasmine’s hand which had been caressing his earlobe.

“I don’t want
to ruin the surprise,” he said. Then his gaze became more serious. “We really
need to leave now.”

Jasmine
nodded. “I know.” Then she added, “We have to get Stacey.”

“Stacey?”

“She’s my
friend who married the dragon king. This was their palace.”

“So this was
Firebound Island after all?”

“Yes.”

“And where is
she?”

“She has her
own room on the other side of the palace. I know where it is. For some reason
they don’t lock doors around here so…”

“Okay,” Brad
said. “Let’s do it.”

Brad rolled
out from underneath her and the pair retrieved what was left of their clothing.

As they were
getting dressed, she caught Brad staring at her.

“I’m sorry,”
he said. “You’re just so beautiful. I’m really lucky.”

Jasmine
blushed. “Don’t you ever forget it.”

“I won’t,”
Brad said.

And because
it was real…

Because it
was what they both had always wanted…

She believed
him.

CHAPTER TEN

Not that he particularly favored
taking sage advice from a disembodied lion’s head, but when the Guardian had
said that Dara hadn’t been completely honest about some things, Dennis
instantly knew the words were true. Their conversation had been taken outside,
where Spike was safe from the man and his rifle, and Dara still felt protected
as they were still on the property. Dennis knew she wouldn’t give the answers
they required freely. But if there was a way to reach her, he had to try.

For Jasmine’s
sake.

“You’re
involved,” Dennis began. “You somehow know something about all this.”

Dara’s eyes
widened. Her hands went to her hips.

“Yeah, I’m
involved,” she hissed. “That cunt killed my brother.”

Dennis shook
his head. “I’m not explaining it right.”

Dara’s
eyebrows rose further. “What?”

“Before
today. Before any of that stuff with Jake and the bears. You’re involved with
the shifters.”

“Mmmm.”

Her tongue
smacked against her teeth.

“You’re
confusing her,” Spike said. “Look, we were told you know how to get to
Firebound Island. That you were the key that will get us there tonight.”

“Fire Island
what –?”

“That’s where
Jasmine is,” Dennis said. “That’s where they’ve taken her.”

“Seriously
guys,” Dara muttered. “I’m not even kidding you. I don’t have a clue.”

After a
moment she rolled her eyes and stormed past the pair back towards the front
door.

“Wait,”
Dennis said.

Dara stopped.
Turned. “Goddamn it, what?”

“Do you know
anything about the shifters? From before today? Have you any connection with
that world at all?”

“I don’t,”
Dara said. “I … may have a friend who does.”

“What
friend?”

Dara sighed.
“Just a friend. A girl. She … has a thing for them … or … this is stupid.”

She turned
back to the house.

“Does this
girl know any dragons?” Spike asked.

Dara turned
again. “I don’t know.”

A moment of
pause.

“Okay, she
does. What of it?”

Dennis
stepped forward. “You’re going to take us to her.”

“Yeah, and
you’re getting laid tonight,” Dara snapped back.

Dennis
grabbed a hold of Dara.

So she could
see his eyes. So she could see he was serious.

“You’re going
to take us to her,” Dennis repeated. “Right now.”

CHAPTER
ELEVEN

Stacey was fast asleep when Jasmine
and Brad entered her bedroom. As they moved towards her, Brad stopped to marvel
at Zane trapped in his prison of frosted green ice.

“This man is
still alive,” Brad whispered.

Jasmine stood
beside him. “That’s Zane Hunter, King of the Island.”

“Is this what
has become of all the Uthuro?” Brad asked. “Have you seen them?”

“They’re in
the dungeon below,” Jasmine confessed. “We could have gone through there to get
to here, but I thought it would upset you.”

Brad turned
to her. “I can’t leave my people here. I can’t. I –”

Jasmine
touched his wrist. “We will come back. When we can fight them. We will rescue
everyone.”

Brad was
silent a moment. Then he nodded. “You’re right. I do not know how to undo this
magic.”

Stacey
coughed in her sleep. The pair turned to her.

“Let’s hope
she doesn’t wake,” Brad said.

They went to
the bed and removed the covers. Brad took hold of her underarms and hoisted her
onto his shoulder. Jasmine moved round to see that Stacey was still fast asleep
and sitting comfortably there. She went back to face Brad.

“Are you
ready to leave this place?” he asked.

“Yes,”
Jasmine replied.

“Come on.”

He took her
hand and led her back out into the corridor.

Just as it
was when they had made their way over here, the palace was completely dark and
silent. The radiating walls and floors of ice that had come to life earlier had
now been switched off.

But they
could still see their way out of there.

Jasmine took
the lead as she had the nimbleness to peer around corners and observe their
surroundings better than Brad could. After some careful maneuvering they found
themselves back in the palace’s throne room with the doors to the entrance just
meters away.

Stacey then
started coughing again.

“Check on
her,” Brad whispered.

Jasmine slunk
round to find Stacey was waking up.

“Ugh…” Stacey
moaned. “Where am I…?”

“It’s me,
your friend Jasmine,” Jasmine whispered quickly. “You need to be quiet. We’re
trying to escape.”

Stacey didn’t
say anything at first. Jasmine kept looking at her, hoping she would catch on.

“Zane…?”
Stacey said suddenly. “Zane? Zane where are you?!”

“Shit,” Brad
gasped.

He set her to
the ground and quickly covered her mouth.

Stacey started
kicking and screaming but he was too strong for her.

“Hide,” Brad
said to Jasmine.

“What about
–?!”

“HIDE.”

Jasmine ran
to the right side of the palace and hid behind one of the pillars. Brad and
Stacey also slunk away off into the shadows. Stacey’s cries were muffled, but
they could still be heard.

Footsteps.

Two sets.

A door opened
in the landing above them and the metallic boots hit the floor. Jasmine
appeared around the side of the pillar and saw one of the panther guards
looking in her direction.

She quickly
pulled away again.

Stacey’s
cries had ceased. They waited in silence, listening only to the boots echo
across the floor.

They stopped
at the top of the stairs. So close now.

There was an
eerie purr and then the boots retracted. They were moving away.

Soon the door
closed again and they were alone.

Jasmine slunk
out of the shadow to meet with Brad in the centre again.

“That was
close,” she whispered.

She turned to
see that Stacey was slumped over Brad’s shoulder, presumably unconscious.

“Is she
okay?” Jasmine asked.

“She’ll
live,” Brad muttered.

Jasmine
glared at him.

“She’s fine,”
Brad whispered. “We need to go now. No more mistakes.”

“Okay,”
Jasmine said.

They went
through the opening between the front of the palace and the throne room. The doors
to the entrance stood before them.

Jasmine went
to the door and pushed down the lever. For a moment she thought they might be
locked in. That they’d come all this way for nothing.

But no, they
were open.

An icy wind
blasted through into the palace as it opened and Brad bobbed his head and began
to make his way outside.

Jasmine moved
around the side of the door and went to leave too.

But then, she
stopped.

Ow.

Brad turned,
his feet lodged in the snow.

Ouch.

“Come on,” he
said.

Jasmine had
frozen completely still.

“Come on,” he
said again, backtracking a couple of steps. “What’s the matter?”

OUCH.

“Oh shit,”
Jasmine gasped.

“What is it?”

HOLY

FUCKING

SHIT

“Brad!”
Jasmine squealed in terror. “It’s coming! I’m having my baby!”