.~*Chapter Twelve*~.
Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months. It wasn't long before two months had passed since she had seen and held her boyfriend, no mate, in her arms. It felt like an eternity.
September, October, and November had come and gone. Beary and Jewel had been together in September, but after that… he had been stolen from her.
The golden cub remained in the infirmary, waiting for her lover to return to her. She missed his gentle touch, his soft caress of his paw on her cheek, and the love in his hazel eyes. However, all her dreams weren't able to block out her memory of what she had been forced to do, which was to pose for pictures, naked.
Every day for the past sixty days, she was forced to do more and more erotic poses while Thrasher snapped the pictures… and then he would touch her repeatedly, all over. Lei and Derek couldn't help her; they had been forced to make videos—she still had trouble getting the sounds out of her head. The grizzly had made them all do such terrible things, but he never went as far to force Derek onto her or make him and her do a video together; for that, she was grateful.
Pictures weren't the only thing she was forced to do. She had also been instructed in the art of pole dancing while stripping. The skills had been beaten into her. The grizzly would watch and record each "dance"; he told her that she had hundreds of viewers that loved her work. It made her sick inside that she was learning all these dirty trades at such a young age.
The older bears would try and comfort the young she-cub at the end of the day, after Thrasher had left, but that didn't stop the tears that rolled down her cheeks every night as she cried herself to sleep. She just wanted to go home…
The only thing that got her through her nightmares was thinking of Beary. If she were to close her eyes at this very moment, she would be able to see her Beary in her dreams… her ultimate fantasy…
They pranced through the tall grass. Beary was wearing a pair of black cargo shorts and a blackish-silver, leather, unzipped vest, revealing his bare, light brown chest that was almost gold in the sunlight. Jewel wore a billowing white dress and long white ribbons in her curled hair. The wind gently moved her white outfit like the waves of long grass caught in the breeze.
In the middle of the meadow was a large oak tree with an old fashioned rope and wood swing. Jewel sat on the wooden bench, placing her paws on the rope, and giggled when she felt his paws on her back, gently pushing her.
"I wanna go higher, Beary! Push me higher!" she smiled, her pure white teeth glinting in the sunlight.
His laugh was warm, lighthearted, soft, and full of joy. "All right, Jewel. All right." He gave her a few more hard pushes before the scene shifted.
The lovely meadow shifted to that of a white tent with a flower arch. A Mysta, a "priest" of sorts that studied bear culture, stood at the ready, book in his paws.
Beary was wearing an ebony tuxedo jacket, black bow tie, black pants, but no shirt. Once more, his light brown chest was showing. He held her paws and looked into her eyes, smiling brightly.
Jewel wore a long, strapless dress, laced intricately with pearls. A semi-large crystal bracelet donned on her right wrist. A lace shawl was draped across her back and both arms. A necklace made of diamonds was around her neck, and diamond earrings hung from her ears. A beautiful tiara made of clear crystals and a few diamonds and sapphires was set on top of her long curled hair.
In the audience, her birth parents and adopted parents, really her aunt and uncle, were smiling brightly, and next to them was Henry, Allison, and Norbert. Sitting behind them was Ted, Fred, and Zeb, all dressed in their Sunday best. Everyone was happy, their eyes lit up with joy.
"I do," she answered the Mysta.
"I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Beary wasted no time in kissing her, his soft lips touching hers. She returned the kiss, showing all her love for him in that simple gesture. Their noses touched as they both opened their eyes, looking into each other's. They silently communicated their love for each other before sharing another kiss.
The scene shifted again, this time to a bedroom with a queen size bed. The walls were painted a light blue, and had a few sketches that Beary had drawn. A single window allowed the sunshine into the room. A TV was set upon a red oak dresser in front of the bed.
The bed covers were on the floor next to a pile of clothes that had been hurriedly thrown aside. On the bed, however, Beary and Jewel were fiercely making love to each other. Beary's teeth were on Jewel's neck, and her teeth were embedded on his ear. She fiercely clawed at his back, leaving deep cuts in the skin, moaning as he continued to move against her. "More," she moaned. "More…"
Beary followed her wishes, doing everything she asked. He sucked on her neck and kissed her chest, neck, and lips. His claws dug into her hips as he continued with his thrusts.
Jewel had never felt better when they both hit their climax…
Once more, the scene changed, but the room was the same, yet some things had changed. For one thing, there were now a couple of drawings made by young minds.
Beary's arm was draped around Jewel's waist, his paw resting on her large belly underneath her large t-shirt. "Hey, baby," he whispered, leaning forwards and nibbling her neck playfully.
"Mmm, Beary," Jewel giggled. "That feels so good." She kept her eyes closed, not wanting to be awake. The baby had kept her up half the night, tossing and turning inside her womb.
He smiled and was about to become more intimate, he had started tugging on her shorts, when three voices cried out happily.
"Mama! Daddy!"
Jewel smiled and sat up; she knew she had lost her battle. She turned her head and looked at the cubs. "Jacob, you and Eric are looking more like your daddy every day," she smiled, looking at the Beary look alikes. Jacob and Eric were four-year-old identical twins with hazel eyes. Both wore shorts: Jacob wore black while Eric wore red. Standing next to them, with her little nightdress, was their two-year-old sister, golden furred, forest green eyed Emily.
Emily gurgled happily and smiled at her mama. She reached her tiny paws up, waiting for someone to lift her.
Beary lay down on his stomach next to Jewel, reached forward, and picked up his baby girl. "Hey, baby. How'd ya get out of your crib?" he questioned as he tickled the little two-year-old, who squealed with laughter. He held her in his arms, letting her legs dangle in the air.
Jacob and Eric, meanwhile, climbed on the bed and cuddled with their mother. Eric placed an ear on his mother's stomach, listening to the baby.
"She kickin!" he cried, grinning broadly.
Jewel smiled and ruffled his hair with her paw. "Been kicking all night, sweetheart. She's a little devil, just like her daddy."
"Hey!" Beary complained, laughing.
Jewel leaned over and gave him a quick kiss before looking at her cubs. "Okay, who's hungry?"
"ME! ME!" the four-year-olds shouted, jumping off the bed and running away towards the doorway.
Beary, laughing, set his daughter on the ground and grinned as she started following her older brothers. He looked at his wife. "I'm hungry too," he said sheepishly.
She gave him a playful cuff over the ear, smiling. "You're so pathetic. Come on, help me up."
He sat up and got off the bed, before moving over towards her, gripping her paws, and hauled her to her feet before enveloping her in a loving kiss. "Mmm, I love you, Jewel."
She returned the kiss. "Love you, too, Beary."
The bedroom scene melted away, leaving behind two rocking chairs side-by-side on an old porch.
Jewel's fur had turned silverish-gold, and her body was weakened. Next to her, Beary was rocking back and forth, holding her paw, and looking out in the front yard at their six children, ten grandcubs, and two great-grandcubs playing together.
Beary's fur had turned more pepper-colored, and his arm shook slightly. He turned his head and looked into her eyes. "I love you, Jewel," he whispered, leaning over and giving her a gentle kiss on her cheek.
Jewel smiled and-
A sudden shattering of glass interrupted her daydream. Jewel sat up straight and looked at the doorway in shock.
On the bed next to her, both Derek and Lei had done the same thing. Derek slowly got off the bed and looked at both of the females. "Shh," he whispered, gesturing for them to stay where they were. He slowly crept towards the other room, staying silent as he moved. Within moments, he had disappeared through the doorway.
Lei moved from her bed over towards Jewel's, ready to protect the cub in need be. "Just stay here, Jewel. If that bastard even tr-"
"LEI!" Derek shouted from the other room.
The silver she-bear glanced at Jewel for a moment before moving into the other room to help her mate. She let out a slue of swears upon entering the other room. "Quick! Pick him up and bring him inside!" she ordered.
Jewel's eyes widened and her heart filled with a faint hope. Slowly, she climbed off the bed and began walking towards the doorway, only to back away when Derek and Lei reentered the room, holding a body between them. Derek held the body by the ankles, while Lei had the head and arms.
She knew immediately who they were carrying.
"Quick! Get him onto the bed. Jewel, go grab my med bag!" Lei ordered, not giving the golden cub a chance to say anything.
The twelve-year-old nodded and went over to the other side of Derek and Lei's bed. She reached down and grabbed the brown medical bag; by the time she looked back up, Beary was on the bed, moaning in pain. Scars covered his body, tufts of fur were missing, and blood matted his fur. His fur, which had grown in length, was grimy and absolutely filthy; it really, really smelled. He was in dire need of a bath.
"Uh, Lei… I don't tink ya can even see his wounds… he's too dirty…" Derek commented.
Lei paused in what she was doing, which was taking the bag from Jewel, and looked at him. "You're right… I… I guess I just got a little carried away…" She sighed softly. "I'll go draw a bath for him…"
"No, Lei-Lei. I go make the bath fo 'im," Derek said. "Ya tak care of 'im." He didn't give her a chance to reply before leaving the room.
She nodded and began checking the young male over.
Jewel, meanwhile, went over to her mate and tightly held his paw with one of hers, while her other paw gently brushed his greasy hair out of his face. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she surveyed the damaged done to her best friend. "Oh, Beary," she whispered, removing her paw from his head and gently running it over his chest; one of her claws got caught on a knot. So many scents were mixed with his. "Why would they do this to you…?" Briefly, she wondered if he even remembered her; it had been so long… "Beary? C-Bear, open your eyes…"
A pained whimper was her only response.
Lei looked at the cub sadly. "Jewel… Right now, he's too weak at the moment, sweetie. After his bath, maybe, he'll be feeling well enough to answer."
The she-cub only gave her a small nod.
"Bath's 'eady," Derek said when he came back into the room a few minutes later. He helped Lei pick up the young male and, together, they carried the cub into the bathroom and carefully lowered him into the tub.
The bathroom wasn't fancy—it was just a normal bathroom at just ten by ten foot. The tub was more like an old fashioned, tin wash bin. The water was room temperature, yet Beary trembled upon entering it.
Almost immediately, the water turned dark as a layer of dirt was pulled off his fur.
Jewel, who was standing behind them, blinked several times at what happened. "Maybe he should take a shower, instead," she commented softly.
Derek and Lei glanced at each other. "She's right," Lei noted.
"I ain't gettin' in da s'owah wit 'im. No way," Derek growled.
"I'll do it," Jewel volunteered softly.
"Oh, grow up, Derek," Lei replied, not hearing Jewel.
"It's juzz w'ong, okay?" the panda complained.
"I'll do it!" Jewel nearly shouted.
Both adults blinked and looked at her, slightly surprised.
"He's my mate. It's my job to take care of him," she went on. "Though, I'm gonna need some help getting him in there…"
"Actually, that's not such a bad idea," Lei said, glancing at Derek, who nodded. She knew what he was thinking: it was time for their escape. She wasn't about to tell Jewel, but several, if not all, of the females that Beary had been forced upon were pregnant—Lei had been the one to check them out and confirm the pregnancies. She knew that Beary would finally be allowed to leave with them.
"All 'ight, let's get 'im into da s'owah."
.~*~.
Jewel slowly ran her paws over his body, digging her claws into the fur, trying to undo the tangles and knots. She had brought a pair of scissors into the shower with her, and so far, she had to use them twice to cut out the most horrible knots that she couldn't untangle. The water fell like rain from the shower head, neither warm nor cold. It was just right as it soaked their fur.
She was on her knees, letting Beary lay back against her. His head was resting against her chest, and his paws were upside down on the tile floor. His legs were bent at the shower wall. He was wheezing, finding it rather difficult to breathe.
Once Jewel was sure all the tangles were gone from his body, she pulled him out of the water, reached over and grabbed the shampoo. She filled her paw with the soapy substance, and began mixing it with fur, forming a thick lather that she then spread around his body, enjoying the feel of his skin beneath her paws.
"J-Jewel…"
The she-cub's eyes widened slightly and she looked into his eyes. "B-Beary…" A single tear rolled down her cheek, mixing with water from her already soaked fur.
His head turned to the side, he was looking at the wall now, and moaned. "J-Jewel… wh-where…"
Jewel gently touched his face. "Shh, baby. I'm here…" She lowered her head and brushed her lips along his snout.
Beary pulled away from her, curling up in a ball. "No… Can't…"
She reached out, gently rested her paw on his hip, and scooted closer to him. "Can't what, C-Bear?"
"L-Love you," he whispered. "N-Not wo-worthy…" His body trembled and gazed at the tile floor, feeling tainted and unworthy of his mate or her love.
Jewel turned him towards her, cupped his face with her paws, and gently forced him to look at her. "Beary, it's okay," she said softly.
Beary's eyes glistened as tears sprang to his eyes. "Don't touch me!" he screamed. "I'm nothing now! I'm not your mate! I'm not worthy!"
The she-cub was frozen with shock at the words her Beary said. 'He didn't mean it… did he?' she wondered. She moved slowly towards her broken lover, hesitant to scare him again. "Beary, you don't mean that," she said. "What's been done isn't your fault." She brushed his shoulder with her paw, when Beary slapped her paw away. She backed away, shocked and hurt.
"What did I just say, Jewel?! Leave me alone! I'm not your mate anymore! I'm a whore, a sinner! I'm nothing!"
Jewel felt tears spring to her eyes. "B-Beary… Please… We'll get through this together… I'm yours and you're mine, remember? I love you, no one else… I never will…"
He turned to her, hatred and anger in his eyes. "GET OUT!"
She wasted no time, getting up and began walking backwards quickly, forgetting about the wet floor. One moment she was backing away crying, and the next, she had crashed through the glass shower door and was lying on the floor, bleeding and not responding.
Beary immediately sat up, his eyes widening. His anger had changed to terror in an instant. "J-Jewel?" he whispered, scooting a bit closer to her and gently shaking her arm.
Jewel was on her side, her right arm bent and her left arm straight. Her legs were crooked, still inside the shower. The water continued to soak one half of her body, while blood pooled under the other half. Her mouth was partially open.
"Jewel? JEWEL!"
Beary looked up and saw a silver shape practically running towards them. He growled and backed into the shower wall. He knew he had done this to Jewel; he knew he didn't deserve to help her. He had killed her.
He remained in the shower, convinced that he would be no help to his… friend. The water continued to cascade down onto him, continuing to soak his fur. He stayed there for heaven knows how long, thinking. He didn't even notice when the water turned cold.
Jewel was gone, but her blood remained in a pool of crimson liquid surrounded by broken glass.
The twelve-year-old looked at the blood with no emotion whatsoever.
He was a whore. He didn't deserve Jewel. He didn't deserve to live.
Without giving it a second thought, he crawled towards the broken glass, picked up one of the larger pieces, and sliced it across his left wrist. It was deep enough to bleed a lot, but not deep enough to severe any tendons.
Beary sat back, watching the blood drain out of his wrist. He felt weird… yet, joyful… He took a deep breath, watching as his life slowly ebbed away in the form of crimson liquid.
All around him was darkness. His mind was wrapped in it. Nothing made sense.
How had it all come down to this? How had everything been ruined? Only a few months ago, everything had been fine and dandy. Just him and Jewel playing together, kissing… making out… All in secret, of course.
A movie screen appeared in front of him, in his mind's eye. He could see everything in his life. His birth parents… His adopted parents… His brother… meeting his best friend… Meeting his heroes… Learning that they weren't all he thought they would be… Then, finding out that he had changed them… Getting kidnapped… Waking up and finding Jewel sleeping next to him… building the tree house… Kissing her… The fun they had… falling asleep next to her… Feeling her lips on his… Making out… Her telling him that she loved him… Taking each other as bonded mates…
The movie stopped and he blinked. The image on the imaginary screen was stuck on Jewel's face. She was looking at him sadly, eyes glistening with tears.
"I'm yours and you're mine… I love you, no one else… I never will…"
The sentence kept repeating in his mind, and a small light appeared in his darkness. The light gradually grew as Jewel's face appeared.
Beary suddenly wondered how Jewel would react if he killed himself. She would cry… He hated it when she cried, yet he had made her cry several times recently. However, none of that compared to how much she would cry if he died.
He could picture her tears clear as day, and her begging for him to come back to her. He knew that if he died, she would have no protection from… from that monster.
Part of him thought about this, while the other part of him thought about what he had done…
He had been forced into bed every day with a new female, one per day. There were twenty total. He spent three days with each. The nights, however… He spent with the grizzly known as Thrasher.
Beary refused to remember the nights. The only thing that got him through both the day and night was the thought of Jewel, but slowly those thoughts were warped with worry for how Jewel would treat him.
His mind began to get sluggish and his vision wavered. The blood continued to seep out of the wound and was washed down the drain by the shower water.
"Beary… Please… I love you…"
Jewel's voice came out of nowhere, and he wasn't sure if he heard it in his head or not. However, it was enough to pull him out of his funk.
'W-What have I done…?' he wondered, his eyes widening. He attempted to get up, but found himself too weak. He knew he was going to die here alone.
Jewel was gonna cry, and it was all his fault.
'Jewel… I… I'm so sorry…'
His eyelids drooped before fully closing.
.~*The Country Bears*~.
Derek glared angrily across the room at the tall, lean, and mean grizzly. He couldn't believe what the monster had done to the cub. He and Lei wouldn't have even known about it, save for the fact that they had been forced to give Beary a thorough examination after he nearly bled to death in the shower. It had been a miracle that they had even gotten to him on time.
Almost immediately after treating him—and after they had found out that he had been raped—Derek had left the infirmary in search of his "master." He had, of course, found him in his "office"—which contained a small bed, a desk, and a chair—smoking a cigar and as cheerful as ever, which meant this was one of his more stable days, where he wasn't a raging maniac.
"How dare ya. He ain't yers, and ya touched 'im anyway, ya basta'd," he growled.
"Now, now, Derek." The voice was patronizing, like Derek was a child throwing a fit about a bad call in a game of kickball. "Ya know it comes with the territory," Thrasher chuckled darkly. "Yer lucky I didn't go after yer gurl. After all, she injured my slave. I consider this payment."
"WHAT?! He's jus' a cub! He ain't-" Derek was cut off abruptly.
The grizzly's eyes darkened and he slammed his fist on the desk between them. "Don't ya dare tell me what I can and can't do! He belongs to me, as do ya, yer mate, and his mate. Ya all belong to me! I can do what I want to whomever I choose!" He stood up and backhanded the panda. "Ya forget yer place," he snarled.
Derek continued to glare at him, furious. "I know mah place. It'z between ya and da boy." He clenched his fists tightly, the anger spreading through his body like wildfire.
"Brave words for a slave."
The panda's lips curled, hating the term, and he had to fight to control his temper. Through clenched teeth, he continued speaking. "Are ya finished wit 'im, zen?"
"If ya don't keep yer anger in check, I won't be. I could go a couple more rounds with him. In fact, I may just have him stay here with me while ya take the gurl and yer bitch of a mate wit ya when ya leave for yer damn cabin." Thrasher knew that he could track them easily any time he wanted to, and that was the only reason why he was going to let them go. He also knew exactly where the cabin was and planned on visiting his new male slave every once in a while.
"Use me, not the cub. 'eave 'im out of it f'om now on. I'll take his place."
Thrasher rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He preferred the younger members of society, but if he had to, he wouldn't object to the offer. "Maybe…" He suddenly grinned. "Git on the bed. Time for the first session." He might as well see if the panda was worth trading the cub for. Even if he wasn't, that didn't mean he wouldn't have "fun" with him when he visited the cabin.
Derek gulped, wondering just what he had gotten himself into. It was for Beary, though, so he had to go through with it. He couldn't leave the cub to this grizzly's torture. This wasn't about to happen because of punishment, but because he wanted to do this. The idea was absurd. It just sounded so odd. Slowly, he nodded. Dragging his feet, he began walking towards the bed, stripping on the way.
The clothes lay in a path, showing the way he'd taken to get to the small bed. He knew he had to do this. Had to. It would give Lei a chance to finish taking care of Beary and then get out. Not only that, but he had to protect them. Forcing himself to think only of protecting them, Derek lay down, spread-eagled on the small bed. He closed his eyes, jaw clenched tight against the pain that was going to come soon.
He felt the bed shift slightly as new weight joined him on the mattress. Thrasher. He could feel the grizzly's paws examining his body, touching, feeling, prodding, poking, before the larger male placed his legs on either side of the panda's hips and pressed his member against Derek's inner thighs, slowly getting closer and closer to its destination. Derek couldn't hold back the tears that silently streamed down his cheek as Thrasher gave a vicious thrust and entered him.
He knew that this was for the best; better him than Beary. He had to protect the cub and his mate.
.~*The Country Bears*~.
Lei sighed sadly as she waited for her lover to return. She changed Beary's bandage on his wrist and then checked the blood flow. She had been forced to give Beary a transfusion, due to the fact that he had lost so much blood because of some stupid idea. Like Derek, she was worried about the cub's mental state. On top of everything that he had been forced to do, being forced to sleep with Thrasher would have damaged him the most. That was something that no child should have to ever go through. Thrasher was brutal in bed, judging by the conditions Derek had come back to her in after his "sessions" with the grizzly.
She had no idea how the cub was going to act now.
After making sure that the blood flow was still steady, she glanced at the bed on the right, where the unconscious Jewel was lying. Jewel had suffered a mild concussion, several lacerations on her back and side, both deep and shallow. It was a miracle that none of the glass shards had "shanked" the young she-cub or caused further damage.
The she-cub was sleeping soundly now, though, because of her head injury. Lei kept a close eye on her, just to make sure that she was, in fact, all right.
The silver she-bear felt another headache coming on and she moaned softly, placing a paw on her head. "Damn headaches," she muttered. The headaches usually started when she was under too much stress, like now. 'Where's Derek? Why isn't he back yet? He better not have done anything stupid,' she thought to herself. She glanced at the doorway again, waiting for her knight in shining armor to appear and sweep her off her feet, then take her to his bed, making sweet, passionate love to her as he lathered her with kisses—"Whoa. Down girl," she grinned, speaking to herself aloud. "Save it for the bedroom."
"Turn off the light…" Jewel moaned softly. "Hurts…"
Lei turned her head and blinked. "You're supposed to be sleeping, young one." She did, however, go over to the light switch and dimmed the bright lights. "You want your head to hurt anymore?" She returned to her post between the two beds, not letting Jewel see the person on the other bed.
The she-cub kept her eyes closed and sighed. "Why… Why doesn't he love me anymore? What have I done wrong?" she asked softly after a few minutes.
The sixty-one-year old looked at the young cub and sighed. She had no idea how to comfort the heartbroken she-cub, having never been in the situation before. After all, Derek and she hadn't even loved each other when they took each other as mates, so she had no clue what Jewel was going through at the moment. However, she wasn't just going to stand there and watch her suffer like that.
"Jewel… I know exactly how you feel," she lied. "I was too young to understand, just like you. I couldn't understand what my mate had gone through or why he wanted to be alone. I thought that he was just being rude." She chose her words carefully, knowing that some of what she said was true, while some of it was not; she didn't want Jewel to know, however. "He told me that he wasn't worthy of being my mate, saying that it was because he was a whore and that's why I couldn't be with him. He didn't want me to get hurt."
Jewel, by this time, was half-sitting, half-laying on her bed, propped up by a couple of pillows. She listened to Lei's every word attentively, hoping that she would get some advice on how she could help Beary. Her eyes remained closed the entire time.
"He became distant with me, barely looking at me and rarely acknowledging me. Every day I longed for him… He was the only source of comfort I had… I felt so alone when he ignored me…" She sighed softly, remembering the pain of being alone. "Anyway, he eventually got over it and let me back in." She wasn't about to tell Jewel that the night Derek had finally acknowledged her again was the night that she had been beaten by Jackson—Thrasher's father and Derek and Lei's owner—for misbehaving; she had been crying so hard…
She hadn't realized how much time had passed before she felt a pair of warm arms wrap around her waist as she was pulled against her mate's body; he had held her as she cried and for the rest of the night, soothing her and trying to calm her down. Lei shook her head and sighed again, forcing herself out of the memory. She looked at Jewel again. "Just give him time… If he really loves you, he'll come back to you that much sooner, and if you really love him, then give him the chance."
Jewel opened her eyes and looked at the older she-bear. "You mean it?"
"I know he doesn't hate you. He'll come back, I promise."
Still unsure, Jewel sighed softly and decided to change the subject. "When are we getting out of here…?"
Lei glanced at the door, hoping to see her mate walking through it, but nothing happened.
She didn't know how to answer Jewel.
.~*The Country Bears*~.
Derek slowly ventured down the hallway, heading for the infirmary. He was sorer than he had ever been before. Thrasher had kept him all night, trying to see if the panda was worth trading the cub for, and Derek couldn't help but hope that he was worth it. He couldn't believe Beary had gone through those… sessions for the past sixty days. No wonder the cub had tried to kill himself.
Derek's sessions with the grizzly had been few and far in between, having not made the grizzly very angry often. The pain of those sessions always wore off in the next few days or so… but for Beary… Forced to sleep with the grizzly every night… It was surreal. The last time Thrasher had gone after a cub, besides his own slave, was when he had repeatedly raped Derek's son, Jason, for almost thirteen years. The damage done to the cub's mind… It wasn't pretty.
The panda sighed and leaned against the wall, trying to gather his strength. Thrasher had told him to get the hell out along with his mate and the two cubs, something he found surprising. It confused him, for he thought that Thrasher was going to choose between him and the boy… Or maybe he already had. Thrasher had left the "office" before he had…
Heart filled with panic, Derek began walking again this time his pace much faster. He knew that Thrasher had been lying when he said that Derek could take the two cubs. He would probably only be allowed to take the one, Jewel. Throwing open the door, Derek passed through the outer room of the infirmary and entered the patient area with the beds. "Lei?" he called.
"Shh!" Lei complained, walking towards him. "You'll wake them!"
Derek didn't wait for her to reach him before he pulled her into a tight hug. "Ya okay, baby?" he questioned, giving her a quick kiss.
"Why wouldn't I be?" The silver she-bear sniffed the air, recognizing Thrasher's scent mingling with her mate's. Her lip curled slightly, her eyes glinting with anger. "He did it again, didn't he." It was more of a statement than a question.
The panda frowned. "I offahed," he replied softly, looking away.
The answer startled her. "Y-You… offered…?" she whispered, backing out of his arms. "Why?"
Not answering her at first, he pulled her into the other room, keeping his voice low. "He wan'ed ta keep da boy," he said softly. "He wan'ed 'im as 'is new bi'ch." The growl in his throat was filled with anger and hatred. "I offahed myself in da boy's place. I… I cou'dn't let 'im 'ave da boy…" He looked away from her, afraid to see the disgust in her eyes.
Lei placed a paw on her mate's cheek and looked at him with love and understanding. "You're a big softie, you know that?" she asked, giving him a gentle kiss. She then looked at him worriedly. "D-Does this mean… you aren't coming with us…?"
"I don't know… He didn't make a choice…" He sighed softly and looked towards the doorway. "We need ta get out of 'ere… Now." He clutched her paws tightly, holding them against his chest.
She nodded and rubbed noses with him. "Derry…" She gave him a quick kiss. "It would be better to not wake them… I'll sedate them, just to make sure they stay that way." She broke away from him, going to get the sedatives. A million thoughts raced through her head. If Thrasher did choose to take Derek as his new toy, then she would never see him again and he would be tortured for as long as the grizzly found him useful. Then, he would be killed and his pelt sold; he was too old to be sold as a slave.
On the other hand, if Thrasher chose Beary as his new toy… Jewel would be devastated… Beary would never be the same… Since he was young, Thrasher would get many years out of him.
Derek or Beary. The choice was insane and she didn't want to lose either of them.
Sensing that his mate needed a hug, Derek moved towards her, wincing at the pain in his muscles from Thrasher's rigorous movements, and gathered her in his arms, hugging her from behind. He rested his chin on her shoulder and pressed his head against hers. "Hey… It's gonna be okay…" he whispered.
She sank into his hug, letting the tears fall from her cheeks. "Wha-What's the point in running… He's going to find us, anyway…"
"Don't t'ink 'ike zat," Derek replied softly. "We'll git 'way… I'll keep ya and da cubs 'afe… I won' let 'im git da boy…"
"I don't want to lose you, though…"
"Ya won'. I p'omise."
For some reason, Lei didn't find comfort in his promise; she knew that there were some things that Derek promised… that never came true.
.~*The Country Bears*~.
"Hey, wake up, you two. C'mon, up and at 'em!"
Beary and Jewel both moaned softly and blinked sleepily. Both cubs were riding piggy back style, their arms hanging over Lei and Derek's shoulders. Derek was carrying Beary while Lei carried Jewel.
Jewel looked around, super confused. All around her were trees, fresh air, and sunlight. 'Wait…' Her eyes widened and she did a double take. "I-I'm… outside…" she whispered, shocked.
Lei chuckled softly. "Yes, yes you are," she said, smiling. "We're taking you to our cabin."
At that very instant, they cleared the trees and entered a small meadow. Situated on the other side of the meadow was a little log cabin. The cabin must have been there for quite a while, due to the logs having faded to gray. On the left side of the cabin was a gray brick chimney and the roof was made of tin. Small pillars held up the porch roof and two steps led up to the porch, which was quite small. The door was a faded green and there were two windows.
"It has a loft for you two," Lei commented. "There's also a hot tub in the shed out back."
"Don' 'eave da meadow. Bad idea. We can't p'otect ya if ya 'eave," Derek went on.
"That, and there's no civilization for miles. It's very easy to get lost in these woods. Do not go wandering off. There are mountain lions, cliffs, rivers… We don't want either of you getting hurt."
"We'll git ya inside an' ya can s'eep fo a bit."
Beary sighed and didn't say anything. Sure, he was grateful to be outside again, but… that didn't change things… He glanced over at Jewel, who had turned her head and glanced at him. He looked away, ashamed of what he had done to her. He had hurt her both physically and mentally. He didn't deserve her, but he had to stay around to keep her safe… The world was cruel. He couldn't stand to see her mad her at him, which he knew she was. He knew she didn't truly love him. After all, who could love a whore? And now, they were going to have to share the loft… "D-Do you have a couch or something I can sleep on instead?"
Derek blinked. "Yeah, but it's fo sittin'…"
Lei glanced at her mate and shook her head.
"But… I guess ya could use it fo now…" the panda finished.
Beary nodded. He wouldn't be able to hurt Jewel if he was away from her, he was sure of it. He had to keep her safe and not make her cry.
The golden she-cub frowned when Beary looked away from her and when he said he wanted to sleep on the couch instead of with her in the loft. She didn't understand. Why wouldn't he give her a chance? What did she do wrong? All she wanted to do was love him… why wouldn't he let her? Then she remembered what Lei had told her earlier. She had to give Beary time to come back to her.
She couldn't help but wonder that if she gave him too much time, she would lose him forever.