Page 142 of Bruised MC Bear

“Everyone stop,” Xander ordered from his spot at the back of the group. “Kiera. Where are we going? Why are you doing this?”

“We’re close,” she answered without pausing to look back at him.

“I said stop!” He barked. The sound echoed along the long, wide stone tunnel and froze her and Reena in place. “Liam is right to be skeptical. It does not add up.”

“This is not a trap, Xander. Please, just come with us. We are all taking a risk here. Do you even know what this could mean for me? And Reena? The truth is, we are not embarking on a plan to free the shifters…we are doing this for the Sector. No one on this island is really free, not while we all operate under Minassus’ reign of deception, control, and repression. But having said that, we all still face a common threat, whether Minassus continues to rule or not. We must work together to defend ourselves against the ravagers. This is why we asked you to come here. Are you ready to see what we’ve discovered or not?”

As much as he wanted to turn and leave, Xander could not argue with her logic. It was the only reason he and his men had not just picked up and left the Sector. This was their home too, and their families were here, all needing protection from the ravagers.

“Yes,” he finally managed. “Proceed.”

“You sense them, don’t you?”

“I know danger is nearby, yes, but I don’t know exactly what.”

“It’s best if you see for yourself. Reena will explain everything. She made a massive discovery.”

“I found a way to stun the ravagers,” Reena added, continuing along the corridor.

“You did what exactly?” Liam shouted. “How?”

Reena stopped again and turned to face everyone. “Okay, gentlemen. There is no easy way to explain this without shocking the hell out of you two. Remember that summer when Commander Ashborn, rest his soul, led you all to Charles Mound Island to kill off the ravagers while they slept?”

Xander nodded.

“Do you remember he had some of the soldiers bring back the carcasses of four of the newborns?”

“Yes. What of it?”

“They were alive… and they still are…well, three of them are.”

“You are not serious.” Liam shouted.

“Will you just let me finish, for Christ’s sake? Minassus had the witches’ blacksmiths build cells to hold them, and reinforced chains to keep them locked up. As they grew, new bindings were made, and now, well, they are full grown monsters. As crazy as you think it sounds, it has allowed me to understand their physiology. And now, I believe I’ve made a breakthrough that can stop them.”

Xander could not mask his skepticism, but most of it drained away when he looked over at Kiera. Her eyes shone with hope and excitement. “It’s true. You need to see this.”

Liam shook his head and raised his clenched fists to his waist. “You witches are all crazy! Trapping ravagers? Keeping them here in the fortress? It’s evil sorcery, I tell you!”

“Liam, we’re here,” Xander said to him. “We might as well see what they’ve done.” He turned to Reena. “Carry on.”

“I found a way to sedate them for days at a time. I’ll show you. It will be easier to kill them.”

Xander was cautiously excited now. “How?”

“It’s a plant. The essence of wild indigo. Gentlemen, we’re about to enter the area where we keep the…test subjects.”

“We know.” Xander did not have to be told a second time. He could smell the creatures now. Every instinct inside of him told him to shift to his bear form and fight, but he held back his beast. “Go ahead.”

With a nod, she led them to the large room. Three ravagers came into view on the other side of the room, shackled and imprisoned behind three sets of wrought iron jail cell walls. At the sight of their almost lifeless bodies, Xander relaxed. These ravagers were practically dead. Easy to kill. He glanced over at Liam, who had also calmed down.

“Wild indigo knocked them out like this?” Xander asked Reena.

“Not the plant itself. The essence. It takes some time to dry and prepare the concentrated powder, but I have already produced enough for the Sector to defend ourselves, no matter how many of them show up this winter. And there’s more.” She motioned to Kiera. “Show them.”

Kiera took a few steps toward the cells, facing one of the unconscious ravagers. “I have only tried this once, but look.” She lifted her arms to shoulder height, pointed her palms toward the creature, and a moment later, lifted it and the other two ravagers a foot off the ground. With a wave of her hands, all three ravagers were shoved backward into the stone wall, and fell to the floor again. “Oh my. Did you see that, Reena?”

“I did. That was way better.”