he was starting to worry because he couldn’t find out who was behind it. His mind drifted off to Pearl and Laura, and the way both of them seemed to share the same pain. His sister’s memory flashed in front of him and he clenched his jaw. Her beautiful smiling face as she stood in her white wedding dress, beaming brightly at everyone around her. And then her tired, but happy-looking face as she held a tiny, little baby in her arms. And then he remembered her face, with her eyes wide as blood pooled around her.
He sat up, panting as the sweat rolled over his body. He would never be able to get over the death of his beloved sister, and it still haunted him to this day.
Suddenly, the bear in him gave a heart-wrenching howl and started to twist in pure agony and pain. He gasped, grabbing his heart as the agony burned throughout his body. His mind started over-working as he tried to figure out why he was feeling such a way. An image flashed before his eyes and he suddenly had an idea what was wrong. Pearl was in trouble; he just knew it. He didn’t have time to wonder how he knew it or why his bear was howling in agony at something that was happening to her. He had to find her and get to her, otherwise he would be too late.
“Greg!” he shouted, opening the door. One of his bodyguards instantly ran over, alert and ready to handle any situation. “I need you to stay behind and protect Laura at all costs. I want Bane and Larry to come with me, right this instant!”
He ran out of the mansion, trying to figure out where she could have gone. He had her address in the company records and he gave a quick order to Larry to find out. He ran out of the building, feeling grateful that everyone else was asleep by then.
He ran out onto the streets, trying to use his superhuman sense of smell to see if he could find any trace of Pearl’s familiar scent. He found a faint trace rather quickly, and followed it, with his guards closely following him.
He turned into a dark alleyway, the scent getting stronger every step he took. He heard a breathless scream and then a choking sound and he accelerated. His eyes spotted her in the dark, struggling against a tall, sleazy looking man. Rio started to run faster, reaching the injured girl just before she fell down and grabbing her in his arms. He could hear his guards attacking the man behind him as he quickly tried to assess her injuries.
“He tried-” she stammered, choking and trying to breathe. “-tried to kidnap- wanted to take-”
“It’s alright,” he said, trying to calm her down. “Don’t worry about it. Calm down. You are safe now, okay?” he said, slowly stroking her hair.
She continued to look at him with wide eyes as he tried to sum up her injuries. A loud roar alerted him, and he turned around to find both his guards on the floor. The man, who he had mistaken for a human, had shifted into a bear. Rio should have sensed it and alerted his bodyguards beforehand, but he had been so distracted by Pearl that he hadn’t realized. The man had clearly taken advantage of their surprise and managed to attack them.
He carefully placed Pearl on the floor and turned around to face his enemy.
“You guys alright?” Rio said, looking at his guards. “Any serious injuries?”
“I am fine,” Larry said. “This bastard just caught me by surprise, that’s all.”
“I think I fractured my arm,” Bane said, standing up.
“Right. Bane, I want you to protect Pearl,” Rio ordered. “Let’s take him down, Larry.”
With that, he started to shift, slowly turning into his bear form. He felt his body contort as his muscles and bones started to change into that of a bear.
“You are about to be very sorry!” Rio growled, landing on all four feet before running to attack his enemy. Pearl's life was in danger, and he was going to protect her at all costs. The fight was swift, and despite being a shifter, the man offered no challenge to Rio. He was the alpha of the clan for a reason. It wasn’t long before the man was held down by Larry.
“I want him alive,” Rio ordered. “Throw him in the pit and I will deal with him tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir!” Larry replied,