Free Black Bear Fall: A BWWM Paranormal Romance (Black Bear Saga Book 2) by Tia Wilson Page B

They think throwing us from the safety of the clan would weaken us, kill us off. Their mistake. We are stronger and more resilient than they could ever imagine. As long as they continue to think of us as a collection of sideshow freaks we hold the upper hand,” Nasak said lying back and closing his eyes.
    They will always underestimate us Nasak thought and that is why they would never suspect that a ragtag bunch of freaks could ever have any kind of advantage over a pure shifter. Nasak knew he held the real trump card. The wooden crate and the prisoner inside that they had carried for the last month was the key to the kingdom. The creature inside was going to pay for the sins of the white bear clan. Only Nasak and one other mongrel knew who it was they had captured and he intended to keep it that way for as long as was needed.
    Clarence nodded his head and knew now wasn’t the time to get into a long digression with his friend. They both knew what needed to be done and that the path ahead was dangerous for all mongrel kind.
    Within a few minutes Nasak could hear the raspy breathing of his friend sleeping, each breath sounding like something fleshy and loose was fluttering. He stared at the ceiling thinking of home and his final day. A day mixed with the fear of the ceremony and a kind of reflected pride that came from his father. On that day Nasak was to become a man. Instead he became a twisted broken monster that made clan members turn away in disgust and a shared communal shame at what Nasak had become. His expulsion from the bosom of the clan was quick and brutal. I won’t go so easy on you Tulimak, he thought as he closed his eyes. I intend for you to suffer a slow and painful demise as I destroy everything that you believe is your birthright and I will pull the fabric of your family apart. Starting with your father.

9
    Tom
    T om lay on his stomach at the edge of the ridge and looked across the wide open plain. The train tracks cutting across the browning grassland were the only man made thing visible. To the south the tracks continued on for a hundred miles before they crossed the ravine known as Ravens Wing to the the local nomadic people. The ravine and the bridge that crossed it was the point of no return, if Tom was still on the train by then the mission was a failure.
    To the west where the train tracks snaked down from the snow capped mountains Tom could see a thin line of smoke curling up into the sky. He dialled in the binoculars and the image came into focus. It was the White Star, the train he was looking for. From this distance he could just about make out the blazing star logo on the side of the train.
    Tom unzipped a pouch on the front of his flack jacket and took out a protein bar and started to eat it. I have thirty minutes before the train passes me by, he thought, as he chewed on the dry fruit packed bar. He finished eating and drank some water and checked the trains distance again. He still had plenty of time. Tom ran his hand over the saddle of the dirt bike. He had haggled the price down to four hundred dollars, the kid who was selling it was more interested in being payed in the mighty dollar than the local currency.
    He checked again and now the train was a couple of minutes away. He traced his path across the grass plains on a small map he had and recalculated the time it would take him to clear the train and make it to the front carriage and the sleeping quarters. If all went to plan he should have a few minutes to spare before the train hit the bridge. He checked his calculations again, anything to keep his mind off the dangerous mission ahead. One last time Tom checked each item of his equipment and tightened his kevlar jacket. He was ready.
    The train passed by Toms hiding spot and he threw the binoculars on the ground. He hopped on his motorbike and gunned the engine. The bike bounced down the hill and once he was on the flat hard dirt of the grass plains Tom accelerated towards the train