Free Bear's Match (Bear Heat Book 6) by Natalie Kristen Page B

outside, but Luke concentrated on his job. His teammates
were covering him, but he had to work fast. He would get all the
children out.
    Crouching, he let his bear
rip from his skin. The man melted away and his bear stood in front
of the wide-eyed children. There were a few gasps and astounded
cries.
    Luke approached the boy, who
didn't shrink away from him. The boy nodded and held still for him.
    Luke slashed his claws
through the rusty iron and broke the shackle. The boy instantly
scrambled to another boy shackled to the opposite wall. They clung
to each other and spoke rapidly. They looked like twins, with the
same black hair and eyes.
    One by one, Luke freed the
children. There were thirteen of them. Jenny ran into the room and
hissed, “Let's go!”
    Sirens wailed as Luke and
Jenny led the children from the room. The children weren't as thin
as the other orphans, and their reflexes were quick. Luke saw some
of them leap over the railing of the stairs and land nimbly on their
feet.
    There were a few dead bodies
littered on the stairs and around the compound. Some of the black
suits were escaping, and Luke saw police officers and Black Bears
give chase.
    More police cars screeched up
to the orphanage, and Luke saw a plump middle-aged woman being led
out of the building in handcuffs. Madam Dixon, the orphanage
Director, was protesting her innocence loudly as she was frogmarched
to a police cruiser.
    The children were led into
waiting ambulances, and quite a few of them turned to gawk at Luke.
He was still in his bear form, so he waggled a paw at them. Some of
them laughed, and the sound warmed his heart.
    Perhaps the kids who had
been given the shifter serum would no longer be afraid and resentful
of their Change. They had seen Luke shift right in front of their
eyes and his bear had rescued them. There was nothing scary or awful
about having an animal inside of you. You could control your animal,
and you could choose to do good and help others with your power.
    Luke felt small hands patting
his fur and he crouched down. A group of orphans were gathered at
his side, reaching out to stroke his black fur and giggling
nervously.
    Dylan came and hoisted a
little girl onto Luke's back. The girl squealed with delight as she
clung on for dear life.
    “He's nice,” the
little girl declared after her ride. “I'll name him Pooky.”
    “He has a name,”
Dylan laughed. “His name is Luke.”
    A few police officers and
paramedics came to whisk the kids off to the hospital. They would be
given thorough medical examinations to see how many of them had been
given the injection.
    Dylan spoke to Detective Kai
Wong after the children left. “What will happen to the
children?” Dylan asked.
    “The ones who have not
had the injection will be transferred to another orphanage,”
the detective said gravely.
    “And the others?”
    Detective Wong looked away.
    Dylan's face darkened.
    “No,” Dylan
snarled. “No! You cannot let them do this. This is wrong.
This—is murder!”
    Detective Wong shook his
head. “It's out of my hands. I'm sorry, Dylan.”

CHAPTER
TWENTY

    Nicole pushed back from her
cluttered desk and strolled to the window. She stretched and rolled
her shoulders, before reaching for her cup of coffee.
    She was the in-house legal
counsel for the Black Bears Group now. And she had made quite a name
for herself when she represented the shifter orphans from Haven
Orphanage. She had argued their case before a judge and fought for
them. She had fought for their right to live.
    The government had planned to
have the children terminated. They were seen as dangerous elements,
unpredictable and possibly violent. But Nicole and the Black Bears
campaigned for the children and fought hard for them. They raised
public awareness and asked for sponsors and support for the children.
    Many people stepped forward
to help, and many shifter families approached the Black Bears to ask
if they could adopt the kids. The judge finally ruled