In which we take a closer look at the seedy past of our not-so heroic, morally grey, possibly-slightly-evil villain of our Ujurak story-because who doesn't like a hate-able antagonist?

Rated T for strong innuendo. Don't worry, I won't scar you. Too much...

The Seekers series belongs to Erin Hunter and her cohorts. I own nothing.

Two years before our previous chapters...

He sat back, silver ear studs glinting, stroking his beard.

"Tell me, Bethany," Mr. Rajveer began in his smooth, low voice. "How did a bright young woman like yourself find her way into such dire circumstances?" His piercing gaze bore into her, making her shift uncomfortably on the plush couch.

She hesitated for a moment, unsure of how much she should reveal to this man who'd befriended her after she came begging for work at various places in the town, to no avail. The man who, after sensing her depth of willingness, had promised to help her out of her financial woes.

But desperation won over caution, and she found herself pouring out her troubles to him. As she spoke of sleepless nights worrying about her future and the weight of student debt crushing her spirits, she noticed a flicker of something unreadable in Mr. Rajveer's dark eyes.

When she finally fell silent, he leaned forward, clasping his hands together. "I believe I can offer you a way out of this predicament, Bethany," he said slowly. "But know that my help comes with a price."

Bethany tried to keep her composure, but the worry and fear were etched across her face. Mr. Rajveer leaned in slightly, his piercing gaze fixed on her like a predator assessing its prey. The air in the room felt heavy with tension, the dim lights casting long shadows that danced on the walls.

As he stroked his beard thoughtfully, a sly smile tugged at the corners of Mr. Rajveer's lips. He could sense Bethany's vulnerability, her desperation palpable in the way she fidgeted nervously in her seat. But he was not a cruel man, at least, not terribly; he saw an opportunity to help her, to offer her a way out of her troubles.

"Sir, please. I'll do anything. I'll clean, I'll cook, I'll work at the Curry n Kebabs…"

Rajveer smiled enigmatically.

"Anything, you say?" He quirked his lips in the hint of a smile, and ran his tongue slowly across his lips.

Bethany's heart pounded in her chest as she searched Mr. Rajveer's face for any sign of what he truly meant by his offer. The dim light seemed to play tricks on her, casting eerie shadows across his features that made him look almost otherworldly.

Bethany's heart pounded in her chest as she stared at Mr. Rajveer, uncertainty mingling with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "I can clean. I'm good at cleaning..." Her voice fell away to nothing. Rajveer tutted. "I have servants for that, sweet Bethany."

He slowly reached out a hand, his touch surprisingly gentle as he lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his intense gaze. "There is a price for my help, Bethany," he murmured, his words hanging in the air like a tantalizing secret waiting to be revealed. Bethany's stared at him, eyes filling with tears.

Bethany's breath caught in her throat as she waited for Mr. Rajveer to lay out the terms of his proposition. The dim light played tricks on her, casting shadows that seemed to sway and dance around them, mirroring the swirling emotions in her mind.

With a voice like silk brushed against bare skin, Rajveer spoke again. "I offer you a way out of your troubles, but it requires a sacrifice." His words hung heavy in the air, laden with unspoken implications that made her pulse quicken.

She searched his face for any sign of what he truly meant, but his expression remained inscrutable, a mask of enigmatic charm that both intrigued and unsettled her. As she hesitated, uncertainty gnawing at her resolve, his grip on her chin tightened ever so slightly, a silent insistence that she listen and comply.

"What would go through your mind, if," he whispered, his breath warm against her ear. She closed her eyes and gripped the couch. He leaned in again. "I asked you to spend some time in my room with me?" he finished.

Mr. Rajveer's smile widened, a glint of satisfaction dancing in his eyes at her silent terror in hearing his terms. He released her chin and leaned back slightly, his presence commanding yet strangely alluring.

As he reached out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, Bethany felt her heart race. He unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt, and a few strands from an extremely hairy chest popped out and his paunch seemed to inflate. Bethany almost gagged. Rajveer seemed to sense her terror and revelled in it.

Bethany's mind raced, her heart pounding in her chest as she considered his proposition. The dimly lit room seemed to close in around her, the shadows whispering secrets that made her skin prickle with unease. She knew she was at a crossroads, a pivotal moment that could change the course of her life forever.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Bethany met Mr. Rajveer's gaze with a mixture of trepidation and defiance. "What exactly do you mean by spending time in your room?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, knowing the answer but trying to buy time by playing dumb.

Rajveer chuckled lowly, the sound sending shivers down Bethany's spine. "Oh, my dear Bethany, it's quite simple," he purred, his eyes glinting with a predatory gleam. "I have certain...needs that require fulfilling. And you, with your desperate situation and striking beauty, seem like the perfect candidate to assist me."

A wave of revulsion and fear washed over her.

"N-no. I can't. I'm sorry, Sir."

Rajveer raised an eyebrow. "Ah, what a shame. Then I hope you enjoy the struggles ahead of you, for that is the only thing I will accept of you."

She bent over, rocking herself. Her braid slipped over her shoulder as she rocked, taking deep breaths.

Mr. Rajveer seemed to think it was funny.

He chuckled softly, the sound sending shivers down Bethany's spine. "Oh, Bethany," he murmured, his voice dripping with amusement. "Your fear is great. But remember this offer stands only once. Do not come back to me when the struggles become too much to bear." With a final smirk, Rajveer rose from his seat and strolled leisurely towards the door, leaving Bethany alone in the dimly lit room. Before leaving, he glanced back at her. "A young woman of principles. Admirable, really. It's too bad you can't pay your debts with your precious morals, girl."

As the heavy wooden door closed behind him with a resounding thud, Bethany was left in silence, her heart still racing from the encounter. She sat there for a moment, trying to process the whirlwind of emotions that had just washed over her. The weight of Rajveer's offer hung heavily in the air, a tempting yet dangerous proposition that lingered in her thoughts like a shadow.

Eventually, Bethany rose unsteadily to her feet, her legs feeling like jelly beneath her. She steadied herself, opened the front door, hesitated. Turned back and shut the door. She found Mr. Rajveer in his bedroom, taking off his watch and ear studs in front of a dresser that held a statue of Ganesh the elephant god.

"Sir."

He looked up and saw her standing in the doorway, her expression a mix of uncertainty and a steely determination. His gaze lingered on her, assessing the resolve that seemed to have replaced the initial fear in her eyes. There was a tense silence between them, charged with unspoken words and unexplored possibilities.

Without a word, feeling as though she was dying, she started to undo the buttons of her own shirt. Slowly, feeling as though her soul was leaving her body.

His lips quirked in a faint smile, a silent encouragement that spurred her on. Letting her shirt fall to the floor, Bethany closed her eyes and bowed her head in submission.

With a flick of his wrist, Mr. Rajveer sent his watch and ear studs clattering onto the dresser, the sound echoing in the stillness of the room. He took a step towards her, his movements graceful and predatory, like a panther stalking its prey. Bethany felt a shiver run down her spine.

He reached out and wiped away a tear that rolled down her face. He kissed her gently, insistently.

"You know what must be done," he said, his voice low and steady. "Take off your bra." Bethany hesitated for a moment, her hands trembling at her sides. She had never felt so exposed, so vulnerable, yet she knew she had no choice.

Several hours after the last chapter ended...

Bethany halted in her story's retelling, seemingly unable to go on. The man she was relating this to looked at her sadly as she buried her face in her hands. Ujurak stared at a flock of starlings making their way over the trees around them and sighed, wishing he was a bird right now and could escape from the horrible revelations this girl was stating. She took a deep breath and looked up, meeting his gaze.

"The man you know as Malik is hiding his real name under a pseudonym, but his birth name is Jasdev Rajveer. I heard from my cousin, the park ranger, that you were asking him about the curry shop and the man who ran it. I also know..I also know that you brought a girl here. I know from...sources, that Rajveer wants her for his next victim, now that he's done with me. You can't let it happen, no matter what he promises you. I understand that you want to help his bear, and give it a better life, but whatever he promises you, don't trust him. Cut off all ties. He'll tell you anything to get to your lady friend."

Ujurak groaned and slumped over. Why him? And why wasn't this quest easier? The ones he'd had before, to find the Endless Ice, to save the wilderness, all seemed easy compared to what he was dealing with now. This hodge podge of human emotions and dark motives left him feeling as though he'd been punched in the gut.

"What's your cousin's name?" He asked, still staring at the ground.

"David Carrigan," she answered. "He used to be a sergeant in the RCMP. Now he's retired from that and spends all his time in the forest. Samir has been talking to him about you and Sally, and David passed on the info to me. It's a small town..."

Ujurak frowned. "Samir? From the Kebabs and Curry place?"

The girl nodded eagerly, blue eyes serious. "Samir is the only one Rajveer trusts to walk his bear. The bear acts like a dog, and he's trained it to do things like beg, fetch, oh, lots of stuff. One time when Samir was exercising him, he pulled the leash out of Samir's hands. The poor guy was so afraid of Rajveer, I remember him cowering when he went to tell him...anyway, David managed to get ahold of Raja and bring him back to Rajveer's house. Samir was so grateful that he hasn't stopped trying to do favors for David, help him fix mechanical stuff, learn animal facts, that sort of thing. In fact it was Samir who spilled the beans about me and his boss to David." Bethany sighed and pulled her jacket more tightly around her. "He was so furious when he found out that I wasn't just the cleaner and garden caretaker I'd told him, at first. He was so mad, he told me that Rajveer had committed extortion, and that I had degraded myself for nothing, and, oh, dear God. What have I done to myself?" She took deep breaths, her hands shaking as she smoothed them over her knees. Ujurak wished Sally was still with him, and hadn't left for her motel room yet. He couldn't help but feel a deep sense of sadness for the young woman who had been forever changed by her experiences with Rajveer. He also wondered how he could possibly help her and the girl he had brought along without exposing them both to even greater danger.

Right. Time to plan, yet again.

"You say Samir might be with David right now?" He asked her.

Bethany shrugged. "No idea. David's probably at his house now, playing video games. Samir loves animals, believe it or not, and so he idolizes David and his gift with them."

Ujurak smiled faintly. There were still glimmers of unexpected goodness in the world. "Oh, I can believe it."