Black Bear Fall: A BWWM Paranormal Romance (Black Bear Saga Book 2) (4 page)

T
he Doctor took
a flat plastic packet out of his bag and ripped the seam open. He unfolded the paper smock and put it on. He opened a second packet and then snapped on a pair of surgical gloves. He turned and faced Grace and did a small bow in her direction. “What we have here is a fine example of a female from the black bear clan. A women of her age is at her peak.I think you will enjoy what she has to offer,” The Doctor said and walked to the other side of the table. He picked up a scalpel and held it up to the light. He bent forward and made an incision in Annes side. Grace felt the colour drain from her face and her hands and fingers began to tingle as she watched the flesh separate easily under the blade.

Tulimak put his hand on Graces shoulder and she feel the strength in his fingertips. “See we learned from the humans. What if in their crazy ideas they had hit on something, they just had the wrong species. Bear bile does nothing, shifter bile, now that is a completely different thing. Its effects on the right type of person are, how should I put this,” he said and squeezed her shoulder tighter, “exotic and varied makes the most sense. Someone like you Grace, I think you are going to be in for a wild ride.”

Grace could feel the bones in her shoulder creak under the pressure Tulimak was exerting on her, he’s going to crush my shoulder she thought as she gritted her teeth in pain. He wants me to look away and through gritted teeth she said, “You’re hurting me. I can’t take it much longer.” He let go of her and a dull throb of pain emanated from her shoulder. She blinked tears from her eyes and looked at the Doctor at work, trying to shut out what she was seeing without looking away.

Blood oozed from the open wound on Annes side. The Doctors hands were inside her as he worked with a small device that Grace couldn’t make out. He picked up an instrument that looked like a thick black pen and a thin wisp of smoke rose from the wound. A sickening smell of cauterised flesh filled the room and Grace used all her will power not to look away and vomit onto the floor. I can’t look at this anymore she thought all fears of losing a finger fading away as her mind reeled at what she was seeing. The doctor moved to the other side of the table and Graces view was blocked. She clenched her jaw and her teeth creaked at the intensity of the pressure. She didn’t know how much longer she could last before she passed out.

“The Doctor is a genius. He’ll have your friend patched up in no time. She’ll be back on her feet in a day or two like nothing happened to her,” Tulimak said sounding excited as the Doctor finished up his job.

The Doctor snapped off his blood soaked gloves and ripped off his paper gown and threw them under the table. He stepped away from the table giving Grace a clear view.

A tube was inserted into the side of Annes body. The wound had been patched up and was covered in a layer of gauze. The tube hung over the edge of the table and was connected to a soft plastic pouch with a blue tap where the tube entered the pouch. The pouch hung off a metal hook hanging from the edge of the table.

The Doctor stood and smiled at Grace and said, “How is our star patient doing? I hope that wasn’t too graphic for you,” and he chuckled. The doctor pointed to the tube sticking into Annes body and pointed at a plastic lever where the tube entered the skin and said, “We open this here,” and he twisted it and a yellow green liquid began to flow into the tube. He then reached down to the tap on the pouch and said, “And this one here. Just like extracting maple syrup,” he said and chuckled again.

The bile began to drip into the plastic pouch and gather in the corner of it. Grace looked on in horror and all she wanted to do was scream. She couldn't even open her mouth as she felt numb to what she was seeing. The Doctor allowed the bile to drip in for a couple of seconds and then he closed both taps and stopped the flow. He unclipped the plastic pouch and held it up to the light and said, “There is maybe a tablespoon of bile here. The things so little of this wondrous liquid will do to you Grace. If it doesn’t kill you it can only make you stronger. I don’t actually believe that myself,” he said walking over to Grace and Tulimak.

“How long to prepare the dose?” Tulimak asked the Doctor.

“Thirty minutes tops. She’s not going anywhere,” he said and trailed a clammy finger along her cheek.

Grace jerked her head away from his touch and he simply laughed at her. “You have fight in you. That’s good, you’re going to need it where you’re going,” Tulimak said stepping back from her. “Rest your pretty little head, you have quite a ride ahead of you,” he said and snapped his fingers. Slattery looked up from his notebook and then left the room. “You know if you ever wanted to change sides we would welcome a strong woman such as yourself. My people were looking for you as long as the black bear clan. Maybe if we had of found you first you would be with me instead of Tom?” He said running his fingers through her hair.

Graces skin crawled under his touch. “I would never be with someone like you, I’m repulsed by you,” Grace said, the words coming out filled with white hot rage. “Nobody in the black bear clan would do something like this to me. They are good people. Everything I heard about you and your type is true,” she said and was interrupted as Tulimak grabbed her by the shoulders and squeezed. His face was inches from Graces face and she could see a web of burst blood vessels in the corner of each eye.

“They know nothing about my family. They have fed you propaganda and you’ve fell for it completely. This whole peace loving vibe they are trying on. It’s nothing but show, those bears are worse than anybody from my side. Bloodlust runs in their veins, you have been duped by them,” he said sneering at her. His lips were pulled back and Grace could see his lower incisor sharp and elongated extending over his top lip.

“I’ve no reason to believe anything you say. Release me if you want to prove your honour,” Grace said looking him dead in the eyes. She could picture herself jerking forward and biting a chunk out of his cheek, but where would that get me she thought. I’d still be strapped to this chair and who knows how many other members there were of this clan waiting in the shadows to to hurt me.

“Where would the fun be in that. You and I we are going to become fast friends. I think you might come around to my side after you see what the black bears are truly capable of,” Tulimak said as he moved out of striking distance. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. I want ring side seats,” he said and then turned and left the tiled room.

Grace twisted and turned her wrist in the leather bounds and felt her skin shred as she tried to free herself. The leather cuffs strapping her to the chair didn’t seem to be loosening anymore. Her wrist throbbed with a dull ache and she gave up her struggles. “Anne. Can you hear me?” she called out to her unconscious friend. Anne lay perfectly still on the cold metal table. Grace looked around at the cold sterile room and felt all the fight go out of her body. There was no way to escape and she was at the mercy of the shifter called Tulimak. Is this part of the prophecy she wondered as she looked over at Anne and the surgical tubing snaking out from the side of her body. Am I about to lose a friend to these animals as part of the painful trials I have to go through? I can’t be the one that the black bears have stories about she thought her head slumping on her chest with exhaustion. I’m nothing but an ordinary woman who up until a short time ago lead a very ordinary life. I can’t be who they think I am she thought as she could feel tears roll down her cheeks. Grace wanted to throw back her head and shout at the world, “Why me?”

“Grace,” Anne said in a dry croaky voice, startling her.

“Anne try not to move too much you are injured,” Grace said.

Annes head slowly rolled to the side and her eyes fluttered open as she looked across at Grace. “We are in serious trouble,” she said as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

Grace didn't know what to say to her friend, she felt beat down and beyond frightened as the desperation of their situation sank in with every passing minute. “It’s not looking too good. I don’t know what to do. I’m real scared Anne,” Grace said.

Annes eyelids closed and she spoke barely above a whisper, “The clan will come and find us. We have to hold onto that. They can track us, try not to give up hope.” She lifted her arm up and it jerked about as if she had very little control over it. Her fingers grazed against the area with the tubing and she winced in pain. “What have they don't to me,” she said trying and failing to lift her head to look at her wound.

Grace locked eyes with Anne and she could fell her fear rise as she told her about the doctor and the procedure for removing her bile. “Why did they do that to you?” Grace asked.

Anne groaned in pain, an elongated brittle sounding moan as she squeezed her eyes tight and bit down on her bottom lip. “It’s like a drug to those who can handle it. Our clan banned the extraction and use of it hundreds of years ago,” Anne said and then paused as another wave of pain immobilised her.

“Don’t Anne, save your strength” Grace said as she looked at her friend writhing in pain. She looked away, couldn’t take it anymore to see Anne going through so much.

Annes eyes fluttered open again, her skin was parchment white, her lips looked almost blue. “It’s unreliable. One person can take a dose of it and drop dead from heart failure, another can do it and have the high of their lives. It’s the other effects that are the most shrouded in mystery. If the right person takes it they can,” and she was cut short as Tulimak entered the room.

“Now now, we cant have you ruining the surprise for Grace,” Tulimak said as he walked over to the operating table. Slattery and the doctor joined him beside the table. “If she says another word, shoot her,” Tulimak said and Slattery withdrew a pistol from a holster.

He pressed the barrel of the gun against Annes temple and leaned in close and said, “Shhhhhh.”

Anne let out a moan of pain and fear as she looked over at Grace.

“Don’t hurt her,” Grace shouted and it echoed loudly off the white tile walls.

“That’s up to her now,” Tulimak said. “What your friend told you is partly true. People have been known to drop dead when they first taste bile. I’ve seen grown men keel over with one drop administered to the tongue. Massive heart failure, brain aneurisms, organ failure, what was it that happened to the truck driver a few months ago?” Tulimak said turning to the Doctor.

“Liquefaction,” Doctor Clancy said.

Tulimak slapped his thigh and grinned broadly at Grace, “That’s the one. Liquefaction. You know what that is?” he asked looking over at Grace.

“I can guess,” she said.

“I suppose you can. It still wouldn’t prepare you for seeing it in person. The mans organs began to turn into a thick soup within minutes of taking a dose of the bile. We were spraying down this room for weeks,” Tulimak said enjoying it as Grace squirmed in her chair. “Don’t worry. We burnt the chair he died on, there was no cleaning him off that. Are we ready?” he said turning to the doctor.

“As ever,” the doctor said and removed a small glass vial from his jacket pocket. “This is a weakened dose and nothing to be afraid of,” the doctor said screwing off the cap. Attached to the lid was a small dropper and it was filled with liquid with a greenish tint.

Tulimak put his hand on Graces shoulder and dug his fingers into her flesh and said, “One drop on the tongue and it will be all done. If you try anything funny Slattery will put a bullet through your friends skull. Isn’t that right,” Tulimak said motioning over to Slattery.

“Nothing would make me happier than reducing the numbers of the black bear clan,” Slattery said with a manic grin on his face.

“He’s always been a go getter our Slattery. I wouldn’t do anything to upset him,” Tulimak said and dug his fingers in harder, “now stick out your tongue” he ordered Grace.

Grace let out a low moan of pain as Tulimak's fingers dug into her flesh. She looked wildly at each man in the tiled room, Slattery grinning as he pressed his gun against Annes temple, the doctor licking his lips as he approached with the glass vial of poisonous bile and Tulimak standing tall above her and looking at her with a cruel smirk on his face. This is how it is going to end for me Grace thought as the utter desperation of the situation hit her like a punch to the stomach. I am never going to see Tom again and feel safe in his arms. Grace cursed the evil men standing around her and felt crushed and broken by their evil deeds. “Will you let my friend go if I’m the one that you want,” Grace said in desperation.

Tulimak relaxed the pressure on her shoulder and said, “Sure. We can do that. Once we extract some more bile from her, she is free to go. I’m a man of my word.” Tulimak smiled down at her, an elongated canine jutting out over his bottom lip.

You’re the real monster Grace thought as she looked up into his face, the broken creatures that brought us here were misguided by a desire for home. You are nothing but a cruel warped beast who obviously gets joy out of hurting others she thought as she looked into the dark pools of his eyes. Grace was never a violent person but her mind was filled with images of killing Tulimak the first chance she got. She could feel his power and menace this close to him, it felt like being in a zoo and only a sheet separated you from a tiger or other large predator. You knew if given a chance the animal would rip you apart. Only now there was no safety barrier between them and every cell in Graces body protested at his closeness to her. Grace had been in trouble before, a guy in a bar had started to get too hands on with her and she had to push him away, he was then dragged outside and taken care of by two huge bouncers. She had been afraid in that situation, being close to Tulimak was completely different. She felt paralysed with fear and at the same time she wanted to destroy Tulimak, a very human desire to kill something we didn’t understand but could feel in our gut.

Grace closed her eyes and stuck out her tongue and focused on the first time she saw Tom at the cafe. How cocky he was walking straight up to her and introducing himself. I will see you again she thought to herself as she heard the Doctor walk up beside her.