Bear Shifters (Book 3)

Chapter 11-Max

I through a right hook, then a left jab, then kneed the bag. I repeated the combination over and over, letting out all of my frustration and anger out on the bag.

It had been nearly two weeks since we came back and no sign of the humans. I should be happy, most people believe that they gave up, but I know better. They were planning something huge and it were going to strike any day now.

It didn't help that I had this dreaded feeling in my stomach that something was going to happen. I've had it for the past three days, and it just gets stronger with each passing minute.

I threw another punch, sending the bag flying off its hook and crashing into the wall. I stared at it as sand spilled out from the hole torn through it by my fist.

"Max, you okay?" I hear Kai's concerned voice asks.

I let out a sigh and turn around to face him. Kai starts walking towards me, his arms outstretched. As soon as he reaches me, he wraps his arms around me in a tight hug. I burry my face into his chest, placing a quick kiss over his heart.

"What's going on in that pretty little head of your?"

"It's just...I know something is going to happen soon. They want us to believe that they have given up, and when no one is prepared, they'll strike," I sigh, resting my cheek against his chest.

"I know, but we have everyone training and still have out patrols out," Kai assumes me, placing a kiss to the top of my head.

"I know, but even with them out, they won't be expecting it," I reason.

"Yeah I guess, but I don't know what else we can do," Kai mutters, placing his chin on top of my head.

We stay like that for a few moments, both lost in our own thoughts. Suddenly, the doors to the gym burst open and one of our warriors comes rushing in.

Kai and I pull apart staring at the wide-eyed warriors. His chest moves up in down rapidly as he sucks in shallow breathes. He finally composes himself and looks between Kai and I.

"They...they're here," he pants, making me bolt for the door, Kai right behind me.

I hate being right sometimes.

"Where?" I growl, making the warrior flinch, but I don't pay attention.

"Northern border."

That was all it took for me to shove past him and shift. I was ready for this fight. I have been training for the past two weeks, harder than I was forced to in the Basement. I could take them. Warriors filtered out from other houses, shifting as soon as they stepped foot onto the rocky earth.

Kai came up beside me, sprinting towards the Northern border. He was faster in his wolf form and soon passed me. I kept an eye on him as I pushed myself to move my massive body faster.

Within a matter of minutes, I reached the battleground. Bullets rained down from every direction. Some men filtered in through the woods, while some sat in the treetops.

I let out a deafening roar, and charged at the nearest man, slamming my body weight into him, making him crash into a tree. He slumped lifelessly to the ground, leaving a trail of blood down the bark as he went. I turn to the next man and rear up on my hind legs, shoving my claws into his shoulders.

He lets out a cry of pain as I pin him to the ground, crushing him under me, before leaping off and moving to another. Bullets found their mark in my skin, but my massive form was able to handle it.

Off to my right, I saw a few men injecting something into a thrashing member of my pack. he was tied down with ropes and had a muzzle on him. I knew what they were putting in him. They were keeping him from shifting into his human form, while also temporarily paralyzing him. I know because they used to use that on me.

I growled and charged the men, nocking into one, before sinking my teeth into another. I picked him up and threw him into a tree, before attacking the last few, leaving a bloody mess as after math.

I ripped through the ropes with my teeth and freed the wolf, but I knew he couldn't move. I leaned down and nuzzled his side, sliding my head under him, before finally moving the wolf to my back.

I look around wildly for a safe to put him and find a large log a few feet away from the fighting. I bound over to it carefully and place the wolf behind it. He lets out a whimper, but can't move anything else.

Before I can go join another fight, a sharp pain pierces my shoulder, making me cry out. I look down to find a large arrow stuck in me, with a chain attached to it. I follow the chain with my eyes and find it wrapped around a tree trunk, by one of the men.

I growl and make my way towards the man, but two more arrows find their way into each of my sides, keeping me in place. I cry out in pain as my body starts to shake and go numb. I should have known they were going to poison them.

With my last bit of strength, I pull against the chains, only managing to rip one of the arrows out, but it ripped out a large chunk of my shoulder, making blood slide down my legs.

Unable to stand any longer as the poison worked its way into my system, I collapsed to the forest floor, my body burning up from the inside. No, no, no, this was the poison they used to force me back into human form.

Soon I was lying in my naked human form, the massive arrow hooks still inside my, chaining me to tree trunks. Men move around, surrounding me with their barrels pointed down at me, as they closed in.

I let out a weak growl and attempt to move, but my body feels like it's made of solid rock. I can't feel anything, or move any of my limbs.

I look up and realize that this may be a good plan. If I let them take me, I could find a way to end them from the inside. It would be easier this time, because I was already stronger than I had been. they had taken me when I was a weak child and made me even weaker as I grew up.

Now I was a strong adult and willing to fight. They were not going to break me so easily this time. This time I had Kia and my packs to fight for.

So, I let them wrap me up in netting—not that I could move even if I waited to—and I let them drag me through the forest towards the direction of their vehicles, along with the other wolf I had saved.

I was going to take them down!