.~*Chapter Ten*~.
She blinked and moaned softly, feeling the soft, warm object beneath her shift. She was so comfortable and relaxed. All she needed was a backrub and she'd be set.
Wait…
Jewel lifted her body slightly, arching her back and pressing her hips down. Feeling a strange sensation in her lower extremities, she looked at the object she was laying on top of. Her eyes widened in disbelief when she saw it was Beary. Very slowly, her breathing quickening, she turned her head and lifted the blanket, that she did not remember having last night, slightly. Almost immediately, she dropped it as her heart skipped a beat. Her breath hitched slightly and tears gathered in her eyes as she realized what she was seeing.
She and Beary had done it. They were still doing it. They had taken each other's virginity… They had mated… Become one for eternity.
There was no going back.
A choked sob escaped her lips as she rolled off of Beary, flinching at the feeling and the sudden pain that flared up, and curled up on her side, crying. Her entire body ached, especially her lower region. Moving just made her body hurt even more.
She felt so dirty. She knew they never should have done what they did, but now it was too late to take it back. Last night—or was it only a few hours ago?—she had been filled with pleasure; dirty pleasure. Feeling Beary not only on top of her, but inside of her… She had never felt so alive! The emotions… The beautiful feelings that had filled her when Beary had taken her as his own… She chose not to remember the pain.
They had announced their love for each other in this bed… They had shown their love for each other when they took each other as bonded mates. She had never been so happy.
But now? All she felt was disgust with herself. How dare she feel that pleasure?! Her father was going to shun her now. He would never accept her for what she had done. She was an outcast now and forever.
Jewel hugged herself, trembling as she continued to weep. She just wanted to go home and pretend this never happened.
Meanwhile, Beary groaned and slowly sat up, wondering why he was so sore. Hearing the crying, he turned his head to the left and his eyes widened when he saw Jewel's bare naked golden back, the silver collar and chain around her neck, and the blanket that was tangled around her hips and legs. He blinked and looked at his own body.
'Oh, sweet Ursute…'
Everything came rushing back to him. The moans, groans, and growls… the dirty pleasure he had felt… He could still feel the ghostly presence of her teeth nibbling his skin, nipping at his chest, shoulder, and ears. Their fur mixing together, creating friction that made them move faster, just to keep that feeling. He could hear her moans echoing in his mind urging him to move faster and harder against her… within her… The pleasure… Oh, Ursute! The wonderful pleasure he felt while moving against her… taking her as his own…
His eyes widened. He knew immediately why he was so sore and why Jewel was crying.
They had come together in a way that they could never break. Neither of them was ready for this, but now it was too late to take it back. Their lives would never be the same again.
'What have we done…? W-What have I done?!'
He closed his eyes, lay back, turn on his side, and let his tears flow. He had done what he had told himself that he wouldn't do until they were older. He had taken away her freedom of choice… He had hurt her!
He felt as if he had taken advantage of her. As if… he had raped her…
His entire body shook with almost-silent sobs. He felt so ashamed… so dirty… He never should have done what he did…
'I'm so sorry, Jewel… I'm so, so sorry… I've hurt you and can never take it back… I've… I've raped you…'
His eyes remained closed as he continued to cry. The shame of what he had done was overwhelming. All he wanted to do now is find a dark corner, curl up, and fade into nonexistence. He would never be able to rid himself of the shame he had.
He knew deep down that he had done what he had to, but he just couldn't rid himself of the guilt. He also knew that he had to remain strong, if only for Jewel, so he quickly wiped his tears away and sat up. He turned his head and looked at the crying she-cub… his bonded mate…
Beary gazed at Jewel with loving eyes. He quickly summoned up the courage to approach her and slowly reached out, placing his paw on her waist. "J-Jewel…" He scooted backward a bit, wincing at the pain that radiated throughout his entire body, and gathered her in his arms.
Jewel immediately stiffened, not recognizing him at first, but settled down when she took in his familiar scent. She opened her tearful eyes and turned her head, only to have her lips come in contact with his, if only for a brief moment.
He gently nuzzled her and pressed his cheek against hers. He reached down and made sure the blanket was covering her waist; it was the only thing he could do to make sure she kept her dignity in case someone came into the room. "Oh, Jewel…" he murmured as he closed his eyes. "It's going to be okay… I promise, it's going to be okay…" Unconsciously, he brushed a strand of hair from her face and tucked it behind her golden ear.
She sank into his warm embrace and closed her eyes, letting her tears flow once again. "C-Bear… I love you…" she whispered as she clenched his paws tightly.
Love. It felt foreign. She may love him, and he may love her, but he could never take back the fact that he had harmed her. He could never love himself for what he'd done. For Jewel's sake, however, he would act like it. He slowly rocked her side to side as he whispered, "You know, Gem… You're beautiful… Even more beautiful now that you're mine."
The golden cub smiled at the thought. No matter how ashamed she was deep down, she felt… happy. She was Beary's, and Beary was hers. They were going to be together forever… Instead of tears of sorrow, tears of joy now rolled down her cheeks. Despite everything that had happened… Nothing could tear them apart now.
She let out a soft sigh and began to scoot backwards so that she was sitting on his lap. A small tremble ran through her body. Yesterday morning, she would have completely freaked at the mere thought of sitting naked in his lap, but now she couldn't get enough of it. Sure, it was shameful, but she didn't care anymore. She no longer cared about what her father would say, nor did she care about what rest of her family would do when they found out.
"I guess you're mine now," she murmured softly.
"I suppose you're right," he teased. "All yours and no one else's. Best friends to the end."
Jewel frowned. Best friends to the end? "Oh… Right…" She lowered her head, looking down and smoothing out the bed sheets. 'I guess I was mistaken last night. I thought I heard him say he loved me… He meant as a friend, not as… not as a lover.'
He glanced at her. "Did I say something wrong?"
The golden cub shook her head, trying to choke back the sobs she knew were coming.
Eyes widening, he lifted her face to his and looked into her eyes that swarmed with tears. "Oh, Jewel… I didn't mean it like that! I love you not only as my very best friend, but as my mate. Bonded. I know we're young, and this is so fast, but I want you to know that I've always loved you." Seeing as how she was starting to believe him, he smiled. "Do you remember the day we met?"
"First day of kindergarten," she grinned. "You were all alone."
"I usually was. I never really had any friends. Not even in preschool, believe it or not."
"I find that hard to believe."
"I was more or less shunned. I was a bit of an oddball. Always drawing. Coloring. Wacky ideas. I usually played by myself. But then I went on to kindergarten… and I saw the most glorious she-cub ever. And do you know who that was?"
She shook her head, a small grin on her face.
"She had the softest golden fur, fresh forest green eyes, and took no nonsense from anyone. Still don't ring a bell?"
Another shake.
Knowing she was just teasing him, he went on. "It was you, Jewel. You with your wacky ideas, and your eccentric attitude. You were the only one who came to say hello. When you first met my parents, you didn't laugh or tease me because they were human. You were the first to accept me and my, well, oddness." He kissed her nose and smiled softly. "That was the day I fell in love with you."
Her eyes widened as she cupped his cheeks with her paws. "Oh, Beary…" She started laughing loudly.
Blinking in surprise, he frowned and looked at her.
"I fell in love with you the day you tried to steal my crayons. Remember how much trouble we got into because we got into a wrestling match?"
He laughed and nodded. "Mhm. Sent to the principal's office. We got lucky our parents weren't called in."
"Mhm. Given a warning to stop messing around and pay attention."
"And of course we went right back to fighting."
"Well, you still had my gold and yellow crayons!"
"Nuh-uh. They were mine!"
"Mine!"
"Mi—oomph!"
Jewel planted a hot, wet kiss on his lips, cutting off his argument. Beary didn't mind, of course, eagerly returning it as he began to lay back, pulling her down with him, his paws slipping over her body.
"Hey, you two. I don't recommended doing that again… Unless you want to be extremely sore for the next few days."
The young lovers broke apart—Jewel backed off of Beary's lap and fumbled around for the blanket, but couldn't find it. Beary, meanwhile, turned and sat on the edge of the bed, blissfully unaware of the state of his nakedness.
Beary briefly registered the fact that Jewel had moved towards him, placing her paws on his shoulders. He sat up and reached backwards, placing his paws on Jewel's waist. His legs, pressed together, dangled off the side of the bed; Jewel was kneeling behind him, her knees on either side of his hips. Her naked body was pressed up tight to his own body, and her arms now wrapped around his waist. Her snout rested on his shoulder. She finally did find the blanket and wrapped it around her boyfri—no, mate's waist, hiding him from view.
"Hello, Lei," Jewel said softly.
"Good morning, Jewel," the silver she-bear replied, walking towards them.
A low growl emanated from Beary's throat, causing the she-bear to stop. "Who are you?" he asked, still growling.
"My name is Lei." She then pointed at the panda in the bed. "And this is my bonded mate, Derek."
Beary blinked. "Didn't he have an affair with Tri-"
"Long time ago…" the panda answered. "Biggest mistake I eva made." He slowly sat up, with Lei's help, and looked directly at Jewel. "I sowi fo wha I said ta ya… I know Trix luvs her daughtah."
The she-cub didn't know for sure whether she should believe his apology, but she gave him a small smile.
Derek then looked at Beary. "I'm sowi fo hittin' ya 'ike I did… I was… Havin' a bad day…" He looked directly at Lei when he said the last part.
"Hey, I forgave you, Derry. The past is the past."
Beary blinked, not sure of what he should say. After a moment, he, too, smiled. "It's okay. Besides, Jewel hits harder than you do."
"Ouch. Tres ha'sh, kid."
Both cubs snickered quietly, only joined by Lei, who softly giggled. After a few minutes, Lei cleared her throat.
"Anyway… Derek? This is Beary and Jewel," she said. She glanced at the cubs again. "Derek and I have been together for fifty years."
Derek nodded his head at them, acknowledging them.
The cubs, however, blinked. "F-F-fifty y-ye-years?!" they both exclaimed.
The two elder bears looked at them sadly. "Yeah. We've been here since… uh…" Lei glanced at her mate. It had been so many years… "I believe 1954."
Jewel glanced at Beary and he looked at her. "Uh… Y-You're joking, right?" Beary asked, praying that it was indeed the case.
Derek slowly shook his head. "I weesh."
"Shh, baby," Lei whispered, gently stroking his head. She then looked at the younger cubs. "Yes, we've been here since the fifties…"
"How have you survived so long? Haven't your parents looked for you?" Jewel questioned.
"We… We don't know…"
"If zey 'ave, fat lotta good it did zem or us. We still 'ere," Derek growled. "We ain't nevah leavin'."
"Derek!" Lei chastised. "Enough!"
"It's true… We ain't nevah gonna be f'ee."
She cuffed his ear. "Quiet." She then looked at the two cubs, both of which looked like they wanted to cry. "None of that. We're going to get out of here. Soon. I promise. You're going to see your family again." Lei then took a deep breath. It was time for a subject change. "Who's hungry?" she asked, moving away from Derek's bed and towards the door. "We may not have much in the infirmary, but… I can find us something… I have hidden some packets of food in here for emergencies, like when one of the she-bears went into labor and I had to watch over them…"
Beary's stomach growled, causing Jewel to giggle.
"It's about time you got hungry, C-Bear," Jewel sighed, gently kissing the side of his snout.
"Hungry for some more action with you? Yup," he said, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Nuh-uh. You have to earn it, C-Bear," she laughed before poking him in the side, causing him to squeal with laughter. She knew exactly where all his weak spots were, and she was going to exploit them. She poked him a couple more times before going all out and tickled tortured him.
"AH! HAHAHA! JEWEL, STOP IT!" he squealed, laughing loudly as he fell on his side—Jewel made sure he didn't fall off the bed.
The golden she-cub was relentless as she tortured him, running her paws and claws up and down his body. She was being as gentle as possible to not harm him further. She was surprised he wasn't crying out in pain from his legs. Maybe Lei had given him something?
Lei, laughing, went into the other room in order to find something for them to eat.
Derek remained in his bed, pain still radiating throughout his entire body from his ordeal. He did, however, turn his head and watch the two cubs with a small smile on his face. He thought back to the past, remembering the way he and Lei had acted after they had taken each other as mates…
Their reactions had been pretty much the same as these two youngens, what with the tears and the realization that they were never going to go home. They had been so young… A year younger than Beary and Jewel were now. Lei hadn't been able to move for almost a day, she was so sore. Derek, however, had immediately been forced onto at least twelve other females… But that was after they had been branded.
He shook his head, not wanting to remember the pain, but he couldn't help it. He and Lei hadn't been in love when they took each other as mates; they hadn't even been dating! They were just friends, eager for school to end and for summer vacation.
It took a few years before they realized that they were in truly in love. Sure, they had said "I love you" to each other before, but it had never really meant anything. When they finally figured realized that they were in love… Lei was pregnant with their first child, a son.
Derek had had other children before little Matthew, but none of them were created out of love. Matthew had been, as had every cub they had after that. And when their first daughter had been born… They had been in their late twenties… She was such a beautiful cub… It shamed him that he had to give her up.
That's why he had snuck out one night to take the infant she-cub to a loving family he knew. He wanted to make sure that his baby girl would be raised in a family that loved her. He didn't let Lei keep her for the two years before she would have been sold—he didn't want to put Lei through that torment of having to say goodbye… Especially when the infant would be sold into slavery. Only the lucky ones got illegally adopted.
A sudden shriek, followed by a loud clang of something crashing to the ground, interrupted his thoughts.
"Get away! Get out!"
"Shuddup!"
The panda immediately sat up, confused as to what was going on. He recognized Thrasher's voice, but was confused as to why he was here.
Meanwhile, Beary and Jewel stopped their tickle-torture session and sat still, their eyes wide. Jewel coward behind her friend, once again pressing her body tight against his while kneeling behind him with her legs on either side of him. She tightly wrapped her arms around his waist, trembling at the familiar voice.
The silver she-bear entered the room, struggling against the familiar grizzly, trying to keep him away from both her and the panda that rested on the bed.
"Stay away! You've hurt him enough!" she shrieked, pushing him away from the bed.
"Shuddup, ya dumb bitch!" the grizzly snarled, gripping both her wrists with one of his paw and tried again to make her move. When she refused to take another step, he kneed her in the stomach, causing the elder she-bear to double over. Using this to his advantage, he roughly pushed her back, making her fall backwards against the nightstand, where she promptly struck her head. Blood oozed out of the wound, quickly creating a small pool beneath her cranium.
She didn't get back up.
"Lei!" Derek cried, his voice full of both anger and terror. He began to get off the bed, only to be struck across the face and then chained to the bed posts.
"Ya basta'd!" the panda snarled, weakly struggling against the restraint, now realizing the real reason why Thrasher had come in. "Don't ya touch dem!"
Thrasher paid no attention as he began to walk towards the two cubs in the opposite bed. "Hey, pretty boy," he grinned lustfully, sizing the young male up. His eyes came to rest on Beary's lap, and he licked his lips.
Beary, with his legs dangling off the side of the bed, snarled with his teeth bared and his ear flat against his head. Behind him, Jewel trembled, truly afraid of this bear. She buried her snout against his back, tightly holding the blanket around his waist.
Thrasher placed a paw on Beary's leg, slowly rubbing it before his fingers and claws dipped into the crevice between the pair of legs, underneath the blanket, roughly digging into his inner thighs.
The light brown twelve-year-old winced and trembled slightly, pulling his leg away, but it was futile as the grizzly tightly gripped his right leg.
"Stop movin', ya fuggah," he growled as he reached down with one paw and gripped the makeshift cast before undoing it and roughly yanking it off. He grinned at Beary's scream of pain, loving the sound.
"Ya sadi'tic basta'd! 'eave dem a'one!" the panda yelled. "Are ya t'ying to make suwr 'is leg nevah heals?!"
"Of course. Means he can't run away." For extra measure, he kicked the injured leg and pulled the cub off the bed, shoving him to the floor.
Jewel, not expecting her support to disappear, fell forward, landing on top of the already injured cub. She let out a startled yelp that was barely heard over Beary's pained shout.
Thrasher, meanwhile, laughed loudly as he looked them over. "Idiots." His laughter died out and he reached down, grabbing the chain that connected the cubs' collars, and gave it a hard yank. Both cubs let out pained barks at the sharp tug on their necks, and immediately struggled as they were dragged across the floor towards the door.
"Stop! Whew are ya takin' dem?!" Derek shouted, still pulling at his bonds.
"Ya know damn well where I'm takin' them. They gonna be marked as mine." With that, Thrasher disappeared, dragging the terrified cubs behind him.
The panda's eyes widened in horror. The memory of hurting filled his mind, causing him to remember the searing pain from the white hot iron melting his fur and touching his skin. His body shook just thinking of it.
He knew that Beary and Jewel were in real trouble.
Once again, he pulled at his bonds, and turned his head, trying to see his mate. "Lei-Lei? Can ya 'ear me?" he asked.
There was no reply.
.~*The Country Bears*~.
Beary and Jewel were chained to the wall, their arms stretched above them with little slack. Their legs were spread apart with their ankles shackled to the floor; there was no chain between the cuffs and the ground. Their backs were to the rest of the room, but that didn't stop them from turning their heads to look at each other, fear contorting their faces. Beary glanced up, studying the shiny metal holding him captive. His eyes followed the chain until he noticed a D shaped ring at the end, attached to the wall. Hoping he could break the chain, he pulled with all his might, only to yelp loudly when the cuffs dug into his skin.
They could smell the crispy scent of fire, as well as hear the crackling of the flames. Other than the flickering light of the fire, the room was dark. Their eyes glowed due to the light and their fur seemed to turn ghost like. Even in this dire situation, Beary couldn't help but notice that the firelight made his mate look gorgeous.
Jewel could swear she could see heat waves were visible, rising from the floor, the unbearable temperature matting her sweaty fur, her mate in much the same condition. It was at times like this that both lovers wished they weren't bears. Not only that, but with the positions they were in left them vulnerable to any attack.
The fact that the heavy chain collars had been removed was but a small consolation; at least they didn't have to feel the awful tug and pull of the harsh metal around their necks any more. However, it was only after the collars were removed that Jewel realized her necklace, the very necklace that Beary had given her only a few days ago was gone.
"I-I'm s-sorry, B-Beary," Jewel whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek.
"They probably took it when they kidnapped us," he replied softly. His right leg was killing him, the pain from it almost rendering him unconscious. He just knew that his leg was broken, if not from what Mark had done, then from what the grizzly had done to him when he kicked it. He turned his head so he was no longer looking at his mate, letting his body simply hang from the chains, no will left to hold himself up. This, however, did make breathing more difficult.
At least the bandages he'd had on were no longer restricting his breathing, though the fact that his wounds were left open and exposed to the air could pose a problem. The used bandages were lying on the floor nearby, covered in rust-colored blood. It was old and flaking, a fact for which the young bear was grateful. None of it was fresh.
Beary was struck by the fear he saw deep in Jewel's forest green eyes. All he wanted to do was break free and wrap his arms around his lover. He knew full well that she was as scared as he was. That's why he never turned to look at her again; he couldn't let her see the terror in his eyes.
The fear in the room was thick. Beary tell that Jewel quaking alongside him. He couldn't help but feel the panic as well. He had no idea what was going to happen to them now. They had each other to depend on, but at the moment, he wasn't sure if that would be enough for them to endure another minute. More pain was coming, at least that much was obvious.
Jewel looked at him, concerned. She knew he was trying to hide the pain from her, but she could hear it in his voice and see it in his eyes. He had been hurt so much… It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair. Since they were chained up side by side, with about eight inches between the pair of them, she began straining against the chain as much as she could, trying to reach him, even though it was really painful to do so. "Kiss me, Beary… Make everything all right," she murmured. The pain was rushing through her limbs, her paws starting to numb. She didn't care as she continued to pull against the chain.
He lifted his head and looked at her, slightly surprised, before pulling against his own chain and leaned towards her. The cuffs continued to pierce the tender skin on his wrists, and blood began to stream down his arms, staining the rest of his fur a rustic brown. He tried not to think of the pain, but it was nearly impossible.
Their lips were almost half an inch apart, and neither lover could move any closer. Try as they might, the chains wouldn't give anymore slack as the cuffs began to dig into their soft skin. That didn't stop them from trying as they stretched their necks to the fullest extent, their lips finally just barely brushing against each other. Both felt themselves beginning to relax, the comfort of the kiss surrounding them with security.
At that exact moment, the loud, booming voice of the grizzly made itself known. "Sharin' a last kiss, are we?" he asked sarcastically.
Beary and Jewel broke apart, a small shudder running through both of their bodies. They still had no idea who this guy was, and the fact that their backs were now towards him meant that he could attack them at any moment and the chains made them helpless to stop him.
The brown bear approached them and ran his paws slowly up and down Jewel's back, causing her to whimper when he knelt behind her. He wrapped his arms around her middle, pulling her body against him slightly, causing the cuffs to dig into her skin once again as he continued to feel her all over: Her chest, legs, and especially her inner thighs. His paws came to rest on her hips and he pulled her back against his pelvis.
She could feel him pressing against her backside, a low quiet whine breaking from her throat, the fear she felt making her heart slam against her chest and her limbs tremble despite the heat.
A snarl rumbled in Beary's throat. He wanted nothing more than to attack the bear for touching his friend and mate like that. "Get away from her!" he growled, struggling against his chains. The anger he felt at this moment canceled out all the fear he had felt before.
Thrasher paid him no attention, and continued feeling the young she-cub before getting up. "Yer healthy enough. Ya'll have a lot of cubs."
Beary was grateful that the monster got off of Jewel, but now terror began to fill him once more as the maniac moved towards him.
Thrasher knelt behind Beary, one large paw running down the young bear's body, stopping at his hips. He leaned forward, burying his nose in the fur along Beary's neckline. His teeth nipped at the skin as his paw slid forward, brushing against the younger bear's privates. Thrasher pushed his pelvis forward against Beary's backside, not entering him, but just pushing up against the coarse fur that felt so good against his. He touched and stroked, loving every moment of it. He wanted nothing more than to take this cub into bed and have his way with him.
Beary's eyes were wide at this uncomfortable arrangement. This… didn't feel so good. It felt so wrong… He could feel the other bear's privates pressing up against him, and it caused him to whimper loudly. He didn't know how long he was trapped there, being touched inappropriately, but finally, the grizzly left him alone and backed away.
"Ya gonna be good, too. Gonna get many pregnant. Many cubs."
The twelve-year-old male's eyes widened at the implication. "J-Jewel's my m-mate."
"Yer bonded mate. Ya decided ta breed. Ya gonna breed. I 'ready got yer whores."
Beary looked over at Jewel with eyes full of anguish. A million thoughts raced through his mind, each more petrifying than the next. Had he really made the right decision when he had decided to mate with Jewel in order to not be sold? Or had he put himself into a worse hell? He was going to be forced to be disloyal to Jewel?! The mere thought of it made him feel more ashamed of himself than ever before.
Jewel looked at her best friend and bonded mate. Was what the grizzly said true? Was Beary going to be forced onto other she-cubs? A few tears rolled down her cheeks at the mere notion. Beary was going to sleep with another female, more than likely multiple females, from the sounds of it. He was going to be taken away from her!
The she-cub began struggling against her bonds, wanting to attack this monster who dared suggest Beary betray her. "You leave him alone, you dim-witted ape!" she screeched.
Thrasher looked at her and grinned. "Yer a fiesty one. Ya gonna be branded first. That'll teach ya to not mouth off." He moved away from them, but not before flipping a switch that caused them to lose what little slack they had in the chains that bound their arms; how the chain was tightened, neither knew. Both cried out at the sudden pull that all but dislocated their shoulders and their faces were pushed against the wall. Their arms were pulled tight against their skulls and they could no longer move their heads to look at each other.
Both cubs were instantly filled with dread; they had a feeling that they were about to be in a lot of pain. Neither liked the sound of "branding", nor did they know exactly what it meant. The word sounded familiar, but it couldn't mean that, could it? He wasn't talking about branding as in the kind of branding ranchers use to mark their cattle as their own, was he?
They soon found out that, yes, that was the type of branding the grizzly had been talking about.
Thrasher approached them with the iron pole. The end of it was red hot and in the shape of a cat-of-nine-tails whip. He had used this on many and never got weary of their screams.
Jewel's scream were deafening when the hot iron pressed against her back, right between her shoulder blades. White hot pain filled her body, and the cuffs bit into her skin, making blood stream down her arms. It felt like an eternity before the iron was lifted away, leaving behind the melted fur and burning flesh.
"JEWEL!" Beary screamed when all fell silent. He didn't know if she had passed out or not; he hoped she did, so that she wouldn't feel any more pain. He finally decided to direct his anger on the sadistic monster that had done this to his friend. "How dare you! What the hell is wrong with you?!" he snarled. "You have no rig—AH!" He let out an ear-splitting scream as he felt the sting of the red hot metal against his back, melting his fur and skin.
He could only take the pain for a few more moments before blacking out.
.~*The Country Bears*~.
Derek winced at the piercing screams that echoed throughout the entire "base". There was feminine scream and one masculine one, and both were full of pain and anguish. He knew that they had been branded and now they belonged to the breeding program. They would never go home now.
He knew what was to happen next. Beary wouldn't be allowed another night to prepare himself for what was about to happen. He knew full well that the boy was going to be forced onto his first female—one that wasn't Jewel. He would wake up in bed with another slave.
The rage smoldering in his gut was enough for him to use all his strength to break the chains of the cuffs that imprisoned him. Thankfully, it was easier than it should have been, due to the fact that they were a bit rusty. Without delay, he got off the bed and knelt next to his mate. "Lei? Baby, can ya 'ear me?" He gripped her paw with one of his securely, happy that it was still warm. "P'ease, baby… P'ease wake up…"
She had been like this for almost fifteen minutes, lying in the ever-growing pool of blood. The silver she-bear didn't appear to be breathing, but as he held her paw, he knew she was. Otherwise she wouldn't be as warm as she was. He looked around for a spare roll of bandages, and, after finding one on the night stand, he reached up, took it, and carefully began wrap her head wound with it. "It, uh, may nawt be pe'fect, but it's gonna ha'fta do," he whispered as he finished. He then proceeded to check over her other wounds and, seeing that none were as severe as the head one, he let out a relieved sigh.
Once done, he carefully picked her up, straining with the effort, and set her on the bed he had previously occupied. "I'll be back, Lei-Lei… I have sum unfineeshed stuff ta do with zat monstah."
He gave her one last kiss on the lips before leaving the room.
.~*~.
The panda stealthily crept down the hallway, completely ignoring the fact that he was naked—he hadn't seen his vest since Thrasher had had his way with him—slowly making his way towards the source of the screams, which had since died out. The hallway was almost completely silent. The only sound was of his paw pads and claws padding across the floor.
He finally reached the room where the screams had come from, and ducked inside. The room was all but completely dark, save for the dying embers in the fireplace.
Thrasher was nowhere to be found.
Beary and Jewel, however, were chained up with steam rising from their backs from the grotesque burns. Derek wouldn't have even noticed them if not for the reflection of the flames on the chains that bound the two cubs to the wall.
Looking at them, he knew immediately that they were in bad shape. Beary's wounds had reopened and the crimson blood slowly made its way down his back, staining his fur a rustic brown in the process.
Jewel's brand contrasted horribly with her golden fur. The deep red of the burn looked disgusting—not to mention the smell of burned flesh was terrible.
He shook his head and approached them, preparing to free them, only to freeze and run for cover. He hid in the corner nearest the fireplace, his black and dirty white fur allowing him to blend in somewhat with the dark corner.
The seven foot, four hundred fifty pound grizzly, Thrasher, entered the room once more and promptly went over to where Beary was chained up. He pulled a pair of keys out of his pocket and unlocked the cub.
The light brown cub, still out cold, fell backwards and didn't move until Thrasher roughly shoved him to the side, and then unlocked the cuffs around his ankles and began dragging the barely five foot tall, one hundred eighty-five pound cub, Beary, behind him. He continued pulling him down the hall before turning left and disappearing down another hallway.
He had left the keys still in the lock.
'Oh, no!' Derek mentally cried. He knew he wouldn't be any help to the small twelve-year-old, not now that Thrasher had him. That didn't stop him, however, from moving over to Jewel and, after grabbing the keys, unlocking her from her "prison".
The golden she-cub fell forward, however the panda caught her in his arms before she could injure herself further. He pulled her close to his body, being mindful of her injuries, and looked her over. He carefully leaned her forward and examined her back before moving her back against his stomach. "Ya injury ain't so bad… I zink…" he muttered before slowly getting up, struggling slightly under the she-cub's weight. "Fo such a youngen'… ya sure weigh a lot…"
Jewel remained still, the only movement was of her chest rising and falling. Her head rested against his chest and her right arm dangled. Every so often, as he carried her through the hallways heading towards the safety of the infirmary, she would moan and shift slightly in his arms.
"Shh…" he whispered as he entered the pure white sanctuary that was the infirmary. He passed through the medicine room and entered the patient ward of the makeshift hospital. Beds lined the twenty foot long walls, but only one was occupied by the silver she-bear, his lovely mate, Lei.
Gently, he lowered the golden she-cub onto the bed she had occupied the night before, and went back into the medicine room. He had to find the burn ointment. Hopefully, Thrasher hadn't gotten rid of it.
The black and white elder searched through all the cabinets, yet he couldn't find what he sought. "Th'asha 'eally iz a sick basta'd," he muttered. Just about every cabinet was empty. There were no pain killers, no burn ointments, hell, there wasn't even an asprin! "Damn it… Lei-Lei… Ya beddah wake soon… I… I don't know wha ta do…" As much as he detested admitting it, he truly had no control over the situation, something he hated.
For so long, he had had no control over his life or what happened around him, and now that he had… He didn't want to lose it.
.~*The Country Bears*~.
Two weeks.
It had been two weeks since Jewel had held Beary in her arms. Two weeks since she had seen his striking hazel eyes gazing into her own. Fourteen days and three hours since she had felt his gentle and loving touch. Three hundred thirty-nine hours since she had kissed his lips.
Jewel was curled up on her bed in the infirmary. On the bed next to hers was Derek and Lei, who were sleeping side by side with their arms wrapped around each other. Their expressions were peaceful, something that she deeply envied. Derek's arm was wrapped around his mate's waist and Lei was snuggled up against him, her nose pressed against his chest.
Lei had thankfully been okay, despite her head wound. She had ended up with a mild concussion; however, she was able to take care of Jewel's burn thanks to some ointment that she had hidden away a long time ago. It was a miracle that Jewel's burn hadn't been extremely serious.
Thrasher had arrived not long after Jewel's burn had been treated, and had cornered Lei. Lei had had no other choice than to tell him that Beary was an epileptic when asked; if she hadn't, Thrasher might have hurt Derek even further. However, she was able to convince him that Beary's condition had been brought on by trauma and was not genetic.
Jewel didn't know anything about what had happened, considering she had been unconscious at the time.
Time had passed and neither Beary nor Thrasher was heard from again.
Derek and Lei had been talking last night, talking about finally escaping this place and taking the two cubs with them.
They had told Jewel about this beautiful cabin they had out in the wilderness, away from here. It was their safe haven from this place, given to them from their old master, before Thrasher had come onto the scene. It was where they went when they weren't needed. Yes, Thrasher could track them down, but he wouldn't; not when he didn't have any use for them at the moment.
FLASHBACK
"However," Lei told her, "you won't be able to go home… He will track you down and bring you back, and kill anyone who tries to stop him. You see, he marked you and Beary as his own. There's nothing anyone can do. That's why you can't go home. It's too dangerous." She sighed. "That's why we are going to take you back to our place, so that when… When Beary is finished with what Thrasher is forcing him to do… We'll leave."
"But why not free Beary?!" Jewel cried. "Why are you letting this happen?!"
"He's doin' dis ta protect ya, gurl!" Derek interrupted. "Th'ashah is usin' ya ta his advantage! He t'eatened ya ta make suw the boy behaved!" His eyes turned soft. "He… He and his fazzur… did the same to me… They used Lei-Lei against me ta get me ta cooperate." He glanced at his mate sadly before looking at Jewel. "I weesh the same doesn't happen to you. Dat is why we take ya and da boy away."
"You can be safe there," the silver she-bear said softly, gently placing a paw on Derek's shoulder. "He can't touch you there."
"But-" Jewel began, but was interrupted when Lei placed a finger on her lips.
"Shh, kiddo. It's going to be okay… I promise," she whispered. She wrapped her arms around the cub, holding her in her arms as Jewel cried. "Shh…" Lei rocked the young bear back and forth, doing everything she could to sooth the cub's broken heart…
END FLASHBACK
A single tear rolled down the young she-cub's cheek as she tightly wrapped the blanket around her small frame. The mere thought of what her mate was going through tore her heart in two. Was Beary really doing this to protect her? Did… Did he really care that much that he would go through hell for her?
Jewel knew that this shouldn't surprise her, and she knew that Beary would go to hell and back for her… She just couldn't understand why he would do that.
'I suppose it's because he loves me, but… I… I just wish he wouldn't… He shouldn't have to do this just to protect me… Oh, Beary… Please… Please just come back to me… Don't put yourself through any more pain…' she silently prayed. Softly, she spoke aloud. "My Beary… Come back to me…"