* * *
Talen clicked a button on his communicator.
“Dylan,” he said, watching his friend pop up on the screen.
“What’s going on? How’s everything?”
“Not good. We need to talk. Meet me at the clan offices.”
“Just give me a few minutes and I’ll be there.” Dylan sounded like he’d been asleep so Talen knew he’d probably get there before Dylan did. Talen transported to the hills his headquarters and clan offices were located and found the building’s inside being torn apart by three younger bears he wasn’t familiar with. He roared, finally allowing his bear to take control.
The suns rose, bringing light into the dimly lit room. Talen dashed forward, knocking one of the young bears off his feet and clawing at the guy in the chest. His brown fur immediately matted with blood from the gash Talen cut across his chest.
He recognized their scents. They were friends of his brother. Younger clan members spending more time with Paxten, listening to his brother’s nonsense. Now he had no idea what had gotten into them.
“You can’t win,” one of the bears communicated through their animal link.
Talen was pushed from behind, bringing him down and breaking a very large and heavy table his father built many years ago.
Talen roared and got back on his feet, shaking off the wood clinging to his fur. He climbed over the nearest guy, clawing and biting at the kid’s claws. Unlike Talen’s paws, over a foot wide with claws five-inches long, the kid had small claws. That meant he had to work twice as hard to hurt Talen.
Talen was bigger than all three combined. His bear stood at almost eight feet tall and weighed in at almost 2500 pounds. He pushed the younger bear with the weight of his body and knocked him against the wall.
“Talen!” He heard Dylan yell from across the torn up room. The bear hit hard, his face slapping against the wall and a massive cracking sounding. Blood splattered all over. The body slid down the wall, leaving a bloody trail as it went.
His bear fell into an unconscious pile on the ground. Talen didn’t have time to worry about the kid or if he was dead. They knew the rules when they went against their leader. Kill or be killed.
A massive growl erupted in the room and Dylan’s bear joined in, picking up one of the kids and tossing him against the big window. Glass shattered and the bear Dylan tossed rolled into the forest.
Dylan rushed after him, picking him up and clawing at his face and chest. The kid tried to shove away, running backwards and hitting a large tree.
Talen was scratched on his back by the third guy. He shook him off, picking up the kid by the throat and roaring. His bear wouldn’t be controlled any longer. Paxten had started the kind of trouble Talen’s father had warned him about. He’d told him he’d need to establish his dominance and not let anyone destroy the close-knit clan, not even his brother.
He continued squeezing the other bear’s throat, ignoring the claws on his arms and chest and the way he tried to shake him off. Talen released the kid and watched him slump to the ground. He hoped that taught him not to mess with his leader. He turned to head to the forest, where he no longer saw Dylan and the other bear.
Suddenly, someone was biting him on the arm, digging needle-sharp claws into the back of his neck. Talen roared in fury. He reached over his shoulder and managed to grasp a hold of the other bear’s head. The anger burning inside him made the decisions for him at this point. He wasn’t giving the guy another chance.
He tossed him in front of him and watched the guy stagger to his feet. Then he swung his massive arm and the guy flew to the other side of the room from the hit. Bones cracked as his back his a brick wall. He landed on Talen’s desk, bloodying a lot of his work in progress.
Talen didn’t give a shit. He waited. The guy wobbled to his feet and Talen dropped down on all four, running as fast as possible and hitting the guy with the full weight of his bear. This time the other bear went down hard. Talen curled his claws around the side of his neck, digging deep and then pulled back, almost decapitating the guy and effectively ending his side of the fight.
Movement from the corner of his eye had him turning quickly. Dylan stood at the broken glass entrance, his blue fur covered in patches of blood and his eyes glowing blue.
“Are you okay?”
Talen grunted. He needed a little while to deal with his injuries, but he’d be fine. Paxten had no idea what was coming to him.
FOURTEEN
Cassie woke with a wide grin. She stretched on the bed, then let her body go limp. She tingled all over and could sleep another ten hours, but she needed to get ready to go. She never considered herself a one-night stand kind of girl, but if one was going to have a one-nighter, then one should do it with a man who could give her the orgasms Talen had. Her throat was raw from all the screaming she’d done.