25. EZRA: BEAR ATTACK

“Can we rest?”
I growled. “The more we stop, the longer it’s going to take us to get there.”
“Where are we going?” she questioned. “I’m following you through a forest. You’re a stranger and for all I know you’re probably planning on killing me and—”
I spun around to face her. She stumbled to a stop and stared at me with wide eyes.
“If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it when he demanded it, but I saved you instead.”
“You didn’t even ask me for my name,” she muttered.
“Iris.” I started walking again. “Everyone in town knows your name.”
“I didn’t know that I was going to get kidnapped within a few hours of stepping onto the island, okay?” Iris yelled. “I didn’t ask you to rescue me either!”
“Keep yelling and you’re going to be begging me to rescue you.” I glanced back at her. “There are a lot of wild animals out here, remember that the next time you have the urge to yell.”
She grumbled under her breath for a few minutes before she fell silent.
I wiped the sweat from my forehead as I silently cursed her in my mind. If she hadn’t been with me I would have reached them by now. At least she understood why we were travelling through the forest instead of town. I gave her water, food and a blanket to keep her warm at night, so what the hell was she complaining about?
Everything that happened to her was her own damn fault!
*Was it? She didn’t ask to be kidnapped.*
I could have left her behind but I didn’t because she was family to Vanya.
*But what if it’s a lie?*
“What’s your mother’s name?” I asked her.
“Monica. Why?”
I stopped and turned to face her. After glancing around for a moment, I pointed over to a rock a few feet to my right. Iris took a seat with a low groan. Reaching up, she pulled her long hair away from her neck.
“Why are you here?” I questioned. “You haven’t been in contact with Vanya for years so why suddenly show up and ask about her?”
“I didn’t know about her until a week ago.” Her eyes darted up to me. “I was searching for things to use for a school project when I found a photo of Mom and a woman she told me was her sister.”
“Melanie.”
She nodded. “Mom nearly had a panic attack when I asked her about her sister. She refused to tell me anything other than the fact that they hadn’t talked in years and that she died. I heard her talking to Dad later that night.”
I frowned at her. “What made you come here? Why not confront her about the lies?”
Iris shook her head as she stood and walked over to me. Stopping a few inches away from me, she tilted her head back to look up at me. “My whole life Mom had told me that I was different but that she still loved me. I had no idea what she meant and she always changed the topic when I questioned her.” She paused. “I noticed the changes a few months ago. It was small, barely noticeable. But it changed and it got harder to ignore. I tried talking to Mom but like I said, she kept changing the subject. I’m too scared to mention anything to anybody else because I’m sure that they’d think I’m crazy.”
The words died down when she blinked.
Iris was staring at me with a predator’s eyes—the same eyes I knew mine changed too when I was partly shifted. She raised her hand, making my eyes drop to it. A few seconds later her short nails turned into claws.
“I have great eyesight, especially at night and I heal twice as fast as I had. My sense of smell is still the same but I can grow claws and my eyes change.”
“Vanya is human. What made you think that she would have answers?” I asked her.
“What Mom doesn’t know is that I found an article about this island. It was about the facility that had been destroyed after you were freed,” Iris explained. “There weren’t a lot of details in it but they hinted at the fact that you were created with animal DNA. The chances of me finding answer here are bigger than at home.”
I swallowed. “Can you shift?”
She shook her head. “Not like you.”
A half-breed.
A human-panther breed.
I studied her. She looked normal—like a human—except for her bone structure that matched. . .ours.
Half-breed.
There was no way that Iris had been created in the facility. We would have known about it. She would have been considered a failure because she couldn’t shift and she wasn’t as strong as us. The only explanation was a mating between a human and a hybrid like us. It meant that a pregnancy between us and a human was possible. Vanya could get pregnant.
I stilled as it fully registered.
Obsidian knew about the bonding so I was sure that he knew about the pregnancy. He didn’t want pup so he would be taking precautions to prevent it. Devrim wasn’t one I had to worry about because Obsidian wouldn’t allow him anywhere near Vanya while he strengthened their bond.
“Ezra?”
I studied her silently for a few seconds before I turned away. “We have our own problems to deal with at the moment. But. . .I’m sure that once we sort it out that we might be able to help you find some answers about yourself.”
“Could Mom have been involved with one of your kind?”
“I’m not sure,” I muttered. “I don’t know your mother but maybe some of the pride might.”
Devrim had some files from the facility Melanie had managed to get hold of a few months before the facility was exposed for what it really was. It wasn’t much but it would be a good start to start searching.

***

Two hours away from nightfall.
We weren’t any closer to our destination like we should’ve been. Iris moved slower when she was tired or it might be because of the lack of proper food. There was only so much food you can carry in a bag so small for a long amount of time without it going bad.
“Ezra,” Iris gasped. “I can’t.”
I slowed and turned to face her. She had collapsed on the ground, panting. Sweat dripped down her face and her clothes clung to her skin.
Letting out a sigh, I pulled the bag from my shoulder and reached inside for water. Opening the bottle, I crouched in front of her and held the bottle out towards her.
“Thank you,” she breathed.
“We will rest for the night,” I told her, knowing that it would be too dangerous to travel at night. “But we start moving tomorrow morning the moment the sun starts to rise.”
She nodded.
I stood and glanced around. Staying out in the open wasn’t an option because it was too dangerous. We would attract attention. I could sleep in the tree and keep watched but I might reach her too late and besides, the night gets cold like we had learned last night. She needed my body heat. Iris wouldn’t be able to climb a tree.
Unless. . .
Taking a few steps back, I looked up at the closest tree.
“What are you doing?”
“Looking for a place to sleep,” I muttered.
“We’re going to sleep in a tree?” she gasped. “It’s too high up! I know I have claws but I’ll definitely fall to my death.”
“We’ll be protected from predators.”
“But not the cold,” she hissed.
“I’ll keep you warm.”
I ignored her as I studied each one of the trees. They were tall enough but the branches wouldn’t hold our weight. I froze when leave rustled behind me. The hair at the back of my neck rose as me senses alerted me about the danger. Licking my lips, I sucked in a breath.

*Fuck. *

From the corner of my eyes, I looked at Iris who was still unaware of the danger. My fingers twitched at my sides as I turned as slowly and as carefully as I could.
It was bigger than I had imagined it to be when I caught its scent.
“Hey Ezra, I have an idea.”
The bear’s ears twitched.
My eyes snapped to Iris. I nearly had a heart attack when I realized that she was walking towards me.
“Stop!” I hissed, making her freeze. “Don’t panic,” I whispered. “Don’t fucking run. Just stay silent and as still as you can.”
She frowned at me but followed my orders until the bear moved and stepped right into her line of sight.
Iris sucked in a breath.
And screamed.
I lunged at the bear as its head snapped in her direction.