With that singular thought, I charge at Weston.
“Shit!” he hisses, his arm coming up to aim the weapon at my head.
“Oh no, you don’t!” Goldie shouts and slams her elbow into his side. Weston doubles over, wheezing, the gun clattering to the ground.
“May Jesus protect us,” the priest whispers as he pulls Goldie aside.
But all my attention is now on Weston. I slam into him, his breath leaving his lungs in a gush of air. His breath is nauseating to my sharp bear senses, but I ignore it, roaring in his face. The smell of fresh urine becomes overwhelming as Weston’s bladder gives out.
This is for Goldie. This is for Sylvie,I think as I bite down on his face. His cry is cut short on a gurgle, his death coming all too soon.
“Merciful Mother Mary.” The priest again.
“It’s okay, Father,” Goldie soothes him in her sweet voice, cutting through the red haze of violence and blood. “These are good bears. Only demons need to fear them.”
“Goldie!” someone yells from the other side of the room. I hear Kieran and Marcus’s answering snarls.
“Wait, guys!” Goldie exclaims, rushing over to them as fast as she can with her hands still bound. “That’s my mom and dad.”
I fight to keep calm and not think about how Goldie’s parents mistreated her, how they were willing to sell her out to this monster who’s now dead at my paws.
“Oh, Goldie, we’re so glad you’re safe,” Goldie’s mom says, embracing her daughter. “We tried to get here as fast as we could.”
“We’re so sorry,” Goldie’s dad murmurs. “We didn’t know… We were blind.”
I watch Marcus skirt around the trio, heading in the direction of the grand staircase. He’s searching for the senior Westons, just like he said he would.
“Goldie, why are there bears here? And, oh my god, is that Thomas? What happened to him?”
“My bears happened to him,” Goldie says proudly. It does wonders to soothe my bloodlust. “He was a terrible person. He killed people, killed Adrian’s sister, Sylvie. He deserved to die.”
I let out a mournful howl at the confirmation of what my bear already suspected. I don’t think any amount of revenge will fill the hole my sister left behind.
“That’s terrible,” Goldie’s mom breathes. “We should call the police.”
“No!” Goldie cuts in. “They’re in the Westons’ pockets. No one here knows about my bears. We should just all get out of here.”
“Are you sure, sweetie?” Goldie’s mom asks, wringing her hands together. “There are… dead bodies,” she finishes on a barely audible whisper. I can’t help snorting.
“Yes,” Goldie confirms decisively. “Take the priest and get him to safety. Maybe get him some counseling.”
Kieran cackles at her muttered words, the animalistic sound making our mate’s parents shudder.
“What about you?” her father inquires, still looking between my brother and me with skepticism.
“Me?” Goldie takes a deep breath, then beams at us. “I’m riding my bears out, leaving this cursed place in style.”
21
MARCUS
After scouring the hideous mansion for Weston family members and their cohorts, I stand before Goldie’s parents. Dead bodies litter the halls, the bedrooms, the grounds. No one who had anything to do with Goldie’s kidnapping or Sylvie’s death was left alive. It was a promise I made to Adrian and myself. The guilt I carried for years finally begins to ease. Sylvie was avenged, and Goldie is safe.
We watch her, hooting hoorahs from Adrian’s back. She’s riding the giant polar bear like it’s a docile little pony. She looks like a tiny doll up there, and the scene warms my insides. Kieran is now in human form, walking beside them, naked as the day he was born, singing some boisterous tune I don’t recognize. I drag my eyes away from the people I love most to focus a hard stare on Goldie’s parents. They are staring at my brothers with fear and awe.
I clear my throat to get their attention, standing before them wearing a pair of shorts I found upstairs. Speaking to them in the nude wouldn’t have bothered me, but I want their full attention on my words, not my dick.
“You sold her,” I accuse them with a snarl.
