Page 11 of Bear Protector
Even when the Chancellors ruled all those centuries ago, all men, women, witches and familiars were equal. The historical accounts told that the Chancellors communicated for as long as they could, but satellites and land-based infrastructure eventually broke down to the point where each region was on its own, isolated islands onto themselves. Beyond the land masses were expanded oceans, which the destroyers ruled due to their expert swimming capabilities. Shipping, fishing and any water-based activity ceased abruptly as a result.
Their lives here had been different, right up to the winter that Minassus had transformed him and the first wave of men with the 236-k gene. He and the first set of turned shifters had a month as heroes while Minassus was in a coma. At the time, their actions were seen as noble and brave. Unfortunately Minassus recovered, and soon after, citizens learned the full cost of what it meant to carry the gene. All men in the central village were ordered to report to the Great Hall to be tested. Those in surrounding areas had similar experiences. Minassus dispatched units of his personal guards to accompany his scientists from one village to the next, forcing men to undergo the test. Those with the gene were mandated to report to the shifter camp for training by Commander Ashborn, and later, to be trained by Xander himself. Every fall, the new draftees were transformed to Kodiak bear shifters.
Before that first winter was over, it became clear how little Minassus appreciated the shifters. First, curfews were implemented. After that, they could only leave the camps two days each spring and fall to visit their families. Every season, it got worse at the shifter camps.
During the third winter, Commander Ashborn had tried to organize the shifter soldiers to retaliate, but Minassus was clever. He had thousands of personal guards, all of whom were well armed at all times. He was also crafty and devious, planting several of his guards in the camp under the guise of being new 236-k trainees. One of them alerted Minassus to Ashborn’s plan. No one saw it coming. The revolt was a disaster. It led to the death of over fifty shifters and the imprisonment of many more. After that time, the shifter camp became more like jails.
How could the passage of three hundred years preserve equality in the region, yet only nine years under Minassus led to segregation and suffering? The answer was simple. Minassus was an evil, egotistical, narcissistic, selfish, power-hungry bastard of a sorcerer. And deep down, Minassus feared anyone who appeared to hold more power than him, be it witch, familiar, or the alpha of the shifters.
A sour taste rose up in Xander’s throat. It was time for a change. Minassus needed to be retired, one way or another. He had lived like royalty in his fortress for far too long, indulging in opulence while everyone else worked to the bone just to scratch out an existence. His voluntary or forced retirement would clear the way for new freedoms for all, better leadership and an improved quality of life. Before the Big Storm, there was power and running water. People lived comfortably. Sure, it was the destroyers that decimated the region’s infrastructure for the second time in three hundred years, but Minassus put no effort into the restoration of the region. He hoarded resources for himself, forgoing power and running water within the fortress to deceive citizens into believing that resources were too scarce to even try.
But now, change was coming.
Xander dismounted his horse at the camp gates and crossed the fence that separated his troops from the rest of the region. The enclosure was made of tall logs that stood on end, with wire mesh connecting them together. This barrier was also protected by magic, a constant, unnecessary reminder of their separation from the citizens. He only noticed that he had been stomping through his camp with clenched fists when several of his men stopped what they were doing to salute him. He pulled himself together. It was not the time for anger.
Especially not now.
With Kiera in the picture, Xander could see possibility again. She was the first witch Xander had met who had looked him in the eye, and set aside their differences, even if only for a few moments of this morning’s meeting. That alone was promising. Letting go of the past, he walked through camp with his mind on a new future. Kiera did not realize it yet, but her powers were not to be taken lightly. Minassus needed her to perform the shifting spell. She was stronger than him, a fact Minassus would inevitably downplay to her and to everyone in his coven.
She was fiery too, and beautiful.
And probably a virgin.
No…definitely.
She was a Chosen. She had to be a virgin.
It would be easy to show her the truth, and then seduce her.
Or vice versa.
Or both at the same time.
Whatever it took.
If it all went well, Kiera would not need convincing about the shifters’ plight. If she was strong enough, and an independent thinker, she would stand with them against Minassus. All the shifters needed was an ally among the fortress witches. The leader of the Nauru had already come around to the shifters’ way of thinking, but their sorcery was limited to containment spells. With Kiera’s openness, paired with her responsibility for this year’s transformation spell, Xander had found his missing piece of the puzzle. Kiera was potentially more than an ally. Time would soon tell, but for once, there was hope.
The only thing he had to worry about was remaining subtle—it had never been his strong suit. He was always ready to go, to push forward. He had never been good at biding his time, acting or playing it cool. Thankfully, only nine days remained before Kiera had to cast the transformation spell. Less than nine days to seduce her and bring her around to his way of thinking? He looked forward to this new challenge. One thing was for certain. He would not stand by and watch while another batch of young men became slaves.
“How was the meeting?” Liam, Xander’s best friend and most trusted advisor, asked when Xander crossed paths with him near the camp dining area.
“Promising.” It was the only answer he felt comfortable sharing. He was keyed up, filled with energy, optimistic for the first time in years. Already, he wished nine days would pass in the blink of an eye so he could see the outcome of putting his plan set in motion.
“You look like you need to shift,” Liam murmured. “Either that or you need to find a human female and get laid.”
Xander smiled and shook his head. Liam knew him well enough to register the caginess in his stance. The urge to give way to his animal trembled under his skin. It had been almost a week since his last shift, so his Kodiak bear was restless. Meeting Kiera today did not help. Right now, giving in to his beast was exactly what he needed to do.
“Shifting it is, but not for too long,” Xander told him. “Let’s go.”
They headed to the closed-in wooded area of the camp. The space had been set aside for letting their animals out and for tactical training while in shifter form. Removing his clothes and placing them on one of the nearby posts, Xander closed his eyes. His animal was rearing to take over. In mere moments, all human thought ceased, and his body yielded until he was all Kodiak bear.
He roared, and beside him, Liam’s animal echoed him. They wrestled and grappled for some time, then explored the woods, parting ways with their muzzles to the frosty ground. Invariably, they would meet up again near a tree or felled log, and would wrestle some more until they were both out of breath. After some time, when Xander’s Kodiak bear was ready to yield to his human side, he transformed back quickly. The tension had left his body. He could focus again, and his first thought was about seducing Kiera.
Liam shifted back to his human form shortly afterward. As they dressed, Liam studied his face. “How was that meeting? Really?”
“Just as I said,” Xander told him. “It was promising.”
His best friend grinned, but did not let up on the discerning glance. “Promising for our cause, or to get your dick out of your pants for a witch?”
