Page 95 of Twinning and Sinning

We took our long strides together, running through the woods to keep up with the rest of the pack. The strongest stayed behind in the central courtyard, such as Lonato and Soren, in case of an ambush.

Jumping over streams, swimming through a wide river, we arrived at the North, bears growled, pacing, and foaming at the mouth. Not your typical Bear stance when threatening another tribe or pack. They were acting differently and not their usually fighting selves. Bears were known to be calm before a fight, saving their energy for the war.

"Jonas," Dimitri growled out. My brother’s venom dripped from the sharp fangs of his half form. His Wolf, Declan, trying to gain control to take over the situation. Declan wanted to rip the prick's head off, but Dimitri was too strategic for that. Dimitri liked to mess with his enemies, get into their heads, and lose themselves before finally pushing the final blow.

"What do you want, teddy bear?" Dimitri mocked. “Need your other eye back?” Jonas roared, the heat of his breath spun into the cold air while standing on his back legs, meeting us just under seven feet in height.

One bear stood in human form with just a pair of shorts. His body littered with fresh scratches that weren't healing like they should. The only scratches that didn't heal quickly were that of silver. He's been tortured.

"Jonas says you know what he wants. Bring Seraphina here, and the Bear tribe and Wolf pack go free," the man held his ground, not wavering in the slightest. His own mouth was foaming.

"Think again, cub; she's been mated and marked. Whatever sick twisted ways you wanted with her are now gone. She's ours," I shouted. My claws grew inches longer, ready to impale the stuffing out of the little teddy before me.

The bear looked at Jonas, having a silent conversation with him. "That does make things more difficult, but the demand still stands. Our boss wants her, and he will have her. Either by trade or by force. I also heard a young little bear cub misses her mommy." The man taunted. A small brown bear was dragged by her scruff, a silver chain dug into her neck tightly, drawing blood. The small growls could be heard across our warriors, who winced at the bear's cries. The cries were worse than nails on a chalkboard.

"Noooo, nooooo," the Bear, Deidra, tried to speak. Trying to shapeshift her face, she was kicked into her side. "Nooo," we heard the grunt again until her head lulled back to unconsciousness.

"Fucking bastard," I growled in our family link. My dad was a man of few words, but his steps digging into the dirt was a sign for both of my brother and me that we were about to strike. There weren't many rogues here at the line, but who knows how many were hidden in the trees.

"None hiding in the tree, your majesties," Alonso, one of our best trackers, stuck his nose in the air. "They travel alone; my suspicions they are testing to see what we will do." Dimitri nodded at Alonso, who pushed back into the crowd.

"Formation Pine Ridge 4," Dax mind-linked our forces making the Wolves lick the maws in anticipation.

"NOW!" Dad lunged forward first, ripping the arm off the unshifted Werebear; he was drug to a nearby tree tied and gagged. He would be the only survivor minus Diedra, the hostage. The battle was over in mere minutes. The entire platoon could have been taken out by just my brother and father; we let our comrades have some fun too. They were well trained in the ways of combat; they were the royal army.

Once the blood was spilled on the ground, the Wolves sated with the blood on their lips, we all panted in relief. There was no second wave coming, and that alone was worrisome. Dario could be watching our every move, studying how we fight. He may be much stronger than we realized, and he was just toying with us.

For sure, he would not get Seraphina or her mother. We would destroy all the weapons that threaten any shifter's existence, and we would succeed.

Chapter Fifty-One

Dimitri

I'mstandingabovetheworthless Bear. He calls himself Samuel, and he is completely bare. The claws my father had swiped had rid him of what little clothes he had. His body was riddled with scars, open cuts, and wounds that wept with infections. Why would a bear in this bad of shape come here to provoke the king and princes of the Cerulean Moon Kingdom?

My nose goes to the top of the Bear, his sores reek of tainted silver. Silver that had been tarnished and not worth enough to kill the Bear, but enough to leave oozing sores. My claws go to press on one of the sores; it is deep, still dripping in blood. He winces, not even begging for mercy as my maw stays inches from his neck.

"What game do you play?" I growled in Samuel's ear. "What does Dario want to accomplish with this worthless trade you have sought?" The bear shuddered, his skin prickled with fear.

"I-I don't know what you mean. Please just kill me, get it over with." I hummed, my claw tracing his throat; he did not blink, welcoming the sharp talon to rip open his neck.

"You want to be killed; why is that?" My voice grumbled in his ear. Drool dripped down my furred chin while my eyes never left his.

"Just don't send me back; I'll do anything," he shook again. The tied hands behind the tree pulled tightly, trying to be set free. My dad's presence behind me in his giant form put a clawed hand over my shoulder.

"What do you make of it," Torin and my father spoke harshly. I shook my head, not sure what to make of why the spokesman was in such ill shape. My claw began to smoke. "Silver," I rasp.

"His blood is tainted with silver," Dax threw a bucket of water on my hand as well as our prisoner.

"All of them have silver in the blood, not enough to kill them, but enough for their blood to be poisoned if ingested. If any of the Wolves got blood in their mouths, they need to be seen by the healer and pump their stomachs." Just then, Wolves threw up violently. "It's starting," Dax growled.

"The stomach is meant to absorb vitamins and minerals; the silver in the blood that drips into the stomach works faster than having the blood on the skin or in the blood," father spat. "It's clever. We need to get back, grab the prisoner and that Bear over there whining like a newborn cub."

Glancing around, I see the whining bear, none other than Jonas.

"Damnit. He is like a damn roach. He keeps coming back," Dax whined. "Think I can kill him real quick, and dad won't notice?"

"Don't kill him!" dad yelled from ahead of the group. "I have something special for him." Dax laughed loudly, causing Wolves to jeer and push each other around. The King of the shifters was known for his brutality, as long as his queen wasn't around. Mom would have a field day if she knew that he would touch the poor soul. Meaning, mom would be busy for the next several hours doing gods knows what.

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