Worshiped By The Bear Kings - Complete (5 page)

CHAPTER
FIFTEEN

There was a fork in the river ahead
of them. Some of the bears went one way, the rest went the other. They were
beginning to branch out. Go their separate ways. Jasmine didn’t completely
understand it. Perhaps because nothing was said between the tribe. They just
knew now was the time to go back … to wherever they’d individually come from.

After half an
hour had passed, they’d lost sight of all other bears completely. They were
still following one part of the river and from where they were Jasmine could
see the immersion of mountains on the horizon.

The sun was
so big. It went from yellow to orange to pink. The day was dying. They
eventually left the river behind them and moved out to another path into the
forest. Just Jasmine and Brad alone out here. And he was going to be able to do
whatever he wanted with her. Anything at all.

For some
reason, the concept of escape, had not even entered Jasmine’s mind…

Between the
trunks of two gigantic trees which reached towards the sky further than Jasmine
could see, there was the hidden opening of the cave. Inside, along the walls,
there were several small cylinder torches, each with a blue flame burning
behind the glass. This gave the walls of the cave a glowing effect. Almost as
though, the cave itself was alive…

Eventually
the pathway pandered out into the shape of a small cavern. There wasn’t
anything on the ground. No objects, food, or bedding. It was completely bare.

Brad bowed
his head and Jasmine slid off his side. Brad then shifted into human form.

He was
shirtless.

As he had
been when they’d first seen each other.

Jasmine
backed away from him, until she was against the wall.

“I loved my
wife,” Thunder Brad said. “But now that you’re here, I want you to know I will
hide that sadness from you. And I won’t blame you for what your friend has
done.”

Jasmine
opened her mouth. She had to force her words.

“Then … then
why have you … brought me here?”

“I meant to
say to you that I won’t look down on you because of that. I won’t treat you badly.
As long as you fulfill your duty to me, I will fulfill my duty to you.”

Jasmine
clasped her hands together. “I don’t know what any of that is.”

Brad’s dark
eyes burrowed into her. “Do you find me attractive? In a lustful, animalistic
sense?”

“Oh,” Jasmine
said, her mouth hanging in shock. “What a question.”

“I looked at
you and knew it when I first saw you. I felt as though I knew you. That I’d
dreamed about you. In bear culture, we believe in things like destiny.”

“But…”
Jasmine mumbled, as he inched closer, “what does that mean for your wife?”

“She met with
the world’s evil. Evil will always spill the blood of innocents. Our job, in
service to the earth, is to combat those evils. Wherever they may be.”

He’d stopped
clear of touching her, but his scent was rapid. Jasmine couldn’t explain it.
She was involuntarily getting turned on like crazy.

“But how is
it I’m part of your destiny, but she wasn’t?”

Brad looked
at her carefully. It seemed as though he was searching for the answer to her
question.

“You have
special people around you,” he said. “Your life has been blessed already.”

“Do I?”
Jasmine murmured.

“But you’ve
also never fully lived life. You’ve never been in love before.”

Jasmine’s jaw
dropped. She pulled it back quickly.

“But that’s
not because you don’t have love inside. You do. You have valleys of it. All
this time. All these years … and you haven’t had anyone to share it with. Not …
in the way it should be shared.”

“Uh…” Jasmine
mumbled. “You’re making me really nervous now.”

“Why?”

“You’re like
… seeing into my past or something. Reading my thoughts.”

“No,” Brad
whispered.

“No?”

“All I’m
doing,” he said, “is looking into your eyes.”

His last word
eyes
gave a quiet echo through the cave. Like there was wind behind it.
Atmosphere.

And perhaps
he understood it better than she did…

Or maybe he
didn’t understand any better at all…

But now it
was time, for Jasmine and Thunder Brad to have their first kiss.

CHAPTER
SIXTEEN

As Brad’s body pressed against
Jasmine’s, the cavern wall behind her no longer felt like a wall at all. It
felt silky. Soft. Like if he pressed against her any harder she would find
herself falling into water.

He ran his
fingers along the edges of her mouth. She was stirred. Prickled all over. He
parted her lips with his fingers then bent down to kiss her there.

She received
him.

He was
forceful. Dominating with his movements of the lips and tongue.

But a skill
behind it. A talent. Almost … a rhythm that he was moving to…

Jasmine could
hear the song. Inside his head. Inside hers. Their song. The sound of rich,
quiet orchestration. Immersed in the sounds of nature. He laid her down to the
floor, and it was as though she was floating along a block of ice. The sound of
dolphins laughing, jumping through the water…

He had
removed her clothes. His clothes. She wasn’t even aware of it happening. His
chest, so hard and firm against her breasts. His arms behind her back on the
floor, holding her up to him, so he could smother her with more kisses.

Was there a
meaning behind it?

Did she believe
his view of destiny?

Hard to
explain, but in the rare sober moment her mind had, she knew she was being
swept up in this. Normally she wouldn’t be so surrendering. She’d want to ask
questions. Find out all the details so she could feel safe.

But with him,
she just knew that she was safe.

And after a
life of struggle and pointless direction, she’d finally arrived at her true
destination.

There would
be time for talk later.

Right now,
his cock was inside her. His hands had moved all the way around her buttocks
and he was thrusting her towards him, his mouth all over the rest of her body
as he did so. She watched the blue light reflect of his body and as she touched
his skin, and saw that light transferred to hers, Jasmine couldn’t feel
anything but bliss.

The sex
didn’t last long.

After only a
couple of minutes, Brad shot his load into her and rolled onto the floor beside
her.

As she lay
with him, the cold and hard of the floor behind her returning, she couldn’t
help but feel less than satisfied. She wanted more from him. Not just
physically as well. She wanted to know and love him.

Outside the
cave meanwhile, crickets had started to stir. The sun was gone and the moon and
stars were out in all their visible glory. Jasmine looked across to Brad and
knew she wanted to tell him something. But it was important that he hear her.

“Let’s not
ruin it,” she said. “Let’s make this our end. Let’s be like this forever.”

Thunder Brad
breathed in. He seemed dissatisfied by her words.

“The love
isn’t real,” Brad said, “if you don’t have to fight for it.”

Jasmine would
remember that later.

CHAPTER
SEVENTEEN

“Don’t worry,” Thunder Brad said
pulling Jasmine to her feet. “Our night isn’t over yet.”

“Why would I
be worried?” Jasmine mumbled.

Brad kissed
her neck hotly whilst they dressed.

They then
ventured outside the cave together.

Jasmine stood
with Brad and let her eyes gaze out to the trail towards the river. She
couldn’t pin point anything specific, but the forest seemed to have ignited.

“Come on,”
Brad said, and started down the trail together. As they walked, he shared a few
things with her. “Our tribe is known as the Uthuro. Across this area in the
forest all the bears are spread out, each with their own caves. While there are
other bear shifters nearby, we do not associate with them. If anything, we stay
well out of their way. Fortunately we’ve heard that they’ve moved on for this
season and won’t be back for some time. The Uthuro know about other bear tribes
as well, but again, we stay away from them. We are very set on protecting this
area of the forest and no other. All creatures in here are our friends.”

“Are they
shifters too?” Jasmine asked.

“No,” Brad
said. “But as humans might form connections with certain animals, we have a
connection with all the animals in this forest. That includes the occasional
‘normal’ bear, as well as deer, rabbits, squirrels, mice and birds.”

“What about
the people?”

“We welcome
all humans into the forest. We only ask they do not disturb the animals. And of
course hunting –”

“Is prohibited
in this area,” Jasmine finished for him.

Brad glared
at her. “That isn’t funny. Imagine how your kind would feel if a bear was
running around their neighborhood, breaking into their houses, and killing
innocents in the name of sport.”

“Oh,” Jasmine
said, caught off guard. “I fully agree. I’m all for animal rights.”

“But not
everyone is sadly…”

They reached
the river bed. They turned right and followed in the direction they were
heading earlier, towards the mountains.

They looked
so beautiful now.

“I am King of
the Uthuro,” Brad continued. “In times of tragedy, when leadership is required,
I lead. As you know I have secured an identity in the human world, and I use
that to further the protection of the area here. As you are now my mate, you
will be shown that part of my life also.”

“How does it
work though?” Jasmine asked. “How can I be your mate if I’m not a bear?”

“Our shifters
have the biological nature to mate with humans as well as shifters as long as
they are in shifter form.”

“So you don’t
mate in bear form?”

“Some types
of bear have been known to. The … Destair bears for one. But not the Uthuro.”

“How many
mates have you had before your wife?”

“That’s an
impolite question,” Brad said. “I haven’t requested knowledge of your past
experiences.”

“Right…”
Jasmine said, realizing she’d put her foot in her mouth.

“The life you
had before this one belongs to you,” Brad said. “As my past belongs to me. It
is in the present, and the future, which we share.”

Jasmine
looked up at him. She smiled.

He took her hand
and squeezed it tightly.

“So where are
we going now?” Jasmine asked. “Or are we just wandering?”

“We’re going
to the secret temple of the Uthuro. It is a place that is sacred to the kings.”

Jasmine
blinked. “How many kings are there?”

“Two. Myself.
And my cousin Spike. There are two of us, so if something happens to the other,
there will always be leadership amongst the bears.”

“What happens
if something happens to both of you?” Jasmine couldn’t help but ask.

“It is very
rare that Spike and I are even in the same parts of the forest. We only meet at
the temple, and no one knows its location but us. And our mate.”

Jasmine and
Brad kept walking, with his last words not properly registering.

After a
moment, her confusion clicked in.

“
Our
mate?
Who is that? Do you have another mate?”

“We did. She
was our wife and queen.”

“Wait, wait,
wait… But I’m not a queen. Right…?”

Brad laughed
to himself. “Of course not. You would need to be married to us first. And we
just met.”

“But … who is
Spike’s mate?”

“She was the
queen,” Brad said. “And now she is you.”

Jasmine
stopped. She wasn’t sure she heard him right.

“But who is
Spike’s queen? I know you lost your queen but who is Spike’s.”

“She was
Spike’s queen as well,” Brad answered. “We kings only have the one bride. It
would be selfish of us to deprive the rest of the tribe of a potential mate,
when one is already enough for us.”

Jasmine heard
what he was saying now. She was a little freaked out.

“It’s
completely normal in bear culture, for the female to have more than one
husband. To us, we worship our brides, and expect to live our lives in service
for them. I understand this isn’t a often a human custom, but it is ours.”

“Uh…” Jasmine
said between breaths. “But I haven’t met Spike, so…”

“It’s okay,”
Brad said. “We’re going to meet him now. If you don’t find him attractive, you
don’t have to be with him.”

“And what if
I do?” Jasmine asked.

“Then we
shall all mate together. While the moon is still full tonight.”