Free Worshiped By The Bear Kings - Complete by Rosette Bolter Page A

glass. He clinked hers as he gave it to her, and
then took a sip. “Fire away.”
    “Have you any
idea what’s going to happen to me?”
    “It appears
Hades is going to use you as a means to entice Thunder and Spike to join us.”
    “And how
might he do that?”
    “He’ll reach
out to them probably in a few days. When they’ve calmed down. What Hades does
with you from there will depend on their reaction.”
    “Has anything
like this happened before?”
    “You mean
with the Destair? Or just bears in general?”
    Jasmine
lowered her eyes. She took a sip of her wine. “Forget it.”
    Gabe leaned
back in his seat. “Do you mind if I ask you something?”
    “What?”
    “Were you
really into those bears? Or did you just think you were?”
    Jasmine
frowned. “What happened is private.”
    “But do you
really feel connected to them? Even though you just met them?”
    Jasmine
didn’t need to think about the answer. Only what to tell Gabe.
    “Yes, I do.”
    “Well.
They’ll be tested.”
    Jasmine made
a face at him. “Don’t you feel bad about keeping me here? Against my will?”
    “To be
honest, I’m quite enjoying our time together,” Gabe confessed.
    He winked at
her.
    “Oh come on,”
she said. “It will never happen. I can promise you.”
    “Never say
never,” Gabe replied and drank his wine.

 
    CHAPTER
THIRTEEN
     
     
    At the foot of the road, Brad could
hear the sound of crunching tires.
    He slapped
Spike across his arm to get his attention, and they both turned at the same
time.
    The car’s
headlights bore down on them.
    Spike stepped
out into the middle of the road and put his hand out, indicating for the car to
stop.
    It sped up
instead.
    Brad morphed
into his bear and sprung from the gravel into midair. He landed on the hood of
the car with a gigantic bang. The driver lost control and they swerved to the
right straight into the bramble.
    Brad regained
his footing on the bottom and stared through the glass to observe the car’s
occupants. They were stunned but unharmed.
    “Everyone
alright?” Spike inquired walking over.
    Brad morphed
back into human form and pounded his fist on the bonnet. “Out.”
    The driver’s
door opened first. Jasmine brother managed to get his legs out before a
revolver appeared and slid unintentionally across the road adjacent.
    “Oh crap,” he
whispered.
    Spike picked
it up and pointed it in his direction. “Hold still.”
    Brad leaned
down to see what the passenger was doing. She appeared to be talking shrilly on
her cell.
    “Give us the
phone,” Brad droned.
    “Alright,
alright, relax,” the brother said, and yanked it from the girl’s hands. He
threw it to Spike while the girl squealed angrily.
    “Shut her
up,” Brad commanded jumping to the ground.
    He stood
directly opposite the brother who was now engaged in a fist fight with his
girlfriend.
    Spike walked
forward and pointed the gun menacingly.
    “Last
chance,” Brad said.
    “Okay,
Jesus,” the girl shrieked.
    Brad turned
to his cousin. “I know these people. They’re friends of Jasmine’s.”
    Spike glared
at them untrustingly.
    Brad turned
back to them. “I’m sorry about your brother. But he was a murderer and he
deserved what he got.”
    “You’re the
murderer,” the girl hissed back.
    “Where’s my
Goddamn sister?” the man said, trembling. “Is she still alive?”
    “She’s been
taken by the bears who set fire to the forest,” Brad explained. “We know where
she is, but we need your help to get her back.”
    “Why so you
can kill her?” the girl snapped.
    “No,” Brad
said, expressing hurt. “We would never do anything to her.”
    “You’re the
ones who kidnapped her in the first place,” the man said.
    “I’ll tell
you what,” Brad said. “If you help us rescue Jasmine, then she’ll be free to
choose where she goes after that. The debt will be considered paid.”
    There was a
sharp growl in his right ear.
    Brad turned
to see Spike looking enraged.
    He waved