Free Hidden, Clan of the Werebear by Madison Johns

clan, Elaina?”
    “I’ve been taught that they are dangerous, and that they might be searching for me.”
    “Why, Elaina? Why would the clan be searching for you?”
    “I-I don’t know. It’s just what my protector has always told me.”
    “I’m sure you don’t have to worry. The only ones who have to fear the clan are werebears who break their rules of conduct, and any male that lives in this village. They’ve taken most of the men away. Now there is only Cullen and me. I don’t know what more they can take from us.”
    “There’s always more that they could take. What if they take you and Cullen? What would the village do, then?”
    “Neither Cullen nor I would allow that. There’s no way the clan would take the last of the men without dispersing the remainder of the village.”
    “Like how?”
    “Well, since they have so much power and are known to be quite brutal in the north, there’s no telling what they’d do. But don’t worry, we won’t let anything happen to you or anyone else.”
    Elaina rested back against the fur covered bed. “So why did you come in here?”
    “I heard you scream.”
    Elaina’s eyes widened as she caught sight of a sliver of light from a behind Damon and watched helplessly as a blade sailed through the air. Instead of it hitting Elaina, it stuck Damon on the back of the shoulder. Elaina screamed for help, but Damon shifted and tossed Shauna to the ground. She dropped her lantern and it set the side of the hut on fire. Women ran inside with buckets and extinguished the fire quickly, but not before a hole was burned through, exposing the night sky. Shauna was then dragged out and chained to a tree outside.
    Elaina helped Damon back to his hut and watched as Hannah attended to his wound. She mixed a smelly brew with herbs and leaves, heating it up by holding the pottery bowl over the fire. She then smeared it on Damon’s wound.  He flinched, but never made a sound.
    “I’m so sorry, Damon. I feel so responsible.”
    “Don’t,” a voice from the doorway said. “Shauna has always been like this. She’s tried to kill me before, too,” Klesa said. “At the time, I was pregnant with Ivan. Shauna can’t carry a cub to full term and she resents anyone who might be able to.”
    Damon tried to smile, but grimaced. “We need to get rid of her before she harms someone else. I’ll discuss it with Cullen when he returns. I even rutted with her tonight to pacify her, but I guess when I comforted you, Elaina, she was consumed with jealously.”
    “Crazy, is what she is. She should know that you have to mate with other females in hopes of creating more cubs,” Klesa said.
    Damon’s eyes were heavy now, and as he blinked, he said, “Head back to Cullen’s hut. I don’t need to tangle with him tonight.”
    Elaina stood up and Klesa walked her back to the hut. Both women froze as they stared into the enraged eyes of Cullen. “What’s going on here?” he demanded.
    Elaina’s hands went to her hips. “Well, it’s not what you think it is.” She gazed at the lightening sky. “Where were you all night?”
    “I was scouting the nearby perimeter. The last thing we need to worry about are werewolves straying into our territory.”
    “Werewolves have their own territory to monitor, I’m sure.”
    “Oh, and what do you know of werewolves?”
    “Not much, but they’re not any threat to this village. But if what Damon says is right, the Clan of the Werebear is.”
    “I better get back to the children,” Klesa said as she walked away, obviously not wanting to get involved in the conversation.
    Cullen stared at the sound of chains near a tree. “Why is Shauna chained up?”
    Elaina walked into Cullen’s hut and pointed out the new window. “I was having a nightmare and Damon heard me scream. When he was comforting me, she followed him in here and attacked him with a knife. The old one had to patch him up.”
    “It looks like we’ll have to deal with her tomorrow,