What's Beyond the Trees?

Chapter 10 Fighting

Coleman's POV

That incredibly enticing woman, Raine, almost had me convinced to stay just because of her hypnotizing eyes and sweet words. I know she means well, but she doesn't need to get involved in all my bullsh*t because it would be a big possibility that this could get her killed.. These threats that are after me, mean business and if I stay with her longer, then she could be the next target on their list just by being guilty by association with me. I don't ever want to be the reason for an innocent's death.

I keep finding myself looking back at her looking so sad surprisingly enough, looking even more enticing than I thought she could from far away.. She looks even more beautiful soaking wet and up close with no make-up, just that natural beauty and concern for me. That is something I have never seen in a woman eyes just for me besides Mama Willow.. But we both need to cut whatever the hell this is off before it can even start. She doesn't even know what I really am and probably can't or won't accept it being a human.. Plus I have to find my brother. Like she said and I agree with, Family is more important than anything. So I turn back around, running up the hill and out of sight as I heard, along with the c*****g of a gun. "Well, I'm glad you decided to leave that safety net before I had to cut it down bear. Maybe I would do more to that little b*tch because of getting in the way before." It's the wolf from before.

I roll my eyes hating his words, but not trying to show that she means anything, so she won't get involved with this. I shift back into my human form, groaning out lightly because that hurts so much more in human form than in bear form.. but I have some questions for this guy that need answering. "Where is the rest of my crew that came with me?" I ask him ignoring his provoking threat to the woman invading my mind.

"Dead I bet.. why does it matter.. All that really matters is getting you back to my bosses." He states as if it's a fact, making sure I know there is no way out of this for myself, but that's not what I wanted to hear and not even remotely convincing. "Not happening." I state to him walking past without hesitation, before he points the gun at me head as I scoff at him before pushing the gun down. "You can't kill me.. You kill me and that mistake will probably be worth your life as well.. You know they don't care how they get me back just as long as I'm alive, so don't pretend like you're going to kill me. You can't scare me into this." I spat at him with so much irritation hearing him right behind me.

"You're going with me.. now." He spats as I laugh mocking him and shaking my head. "Oh yeah are you going to make me? I would like to see you try. You're so much smaller than me and the only reason you feel big is because of your cheater gun.. Be a man and fight me beast to beast." I egg him on trying to get him mad, so he makes mistakes and I can easily win this to get going.. He was stupid enough to come out here alone, so I have to take advantage of that mistake on his part.

"That isn't going to work on me because I know exactly what you're trying to do." He says as I shrug my shoulders and start walking up the mountain, but I'm having a hard time gripping the ground with no shoes, so I just shift back into bear form where I can walk easier on these terrains and warmer with it still continuously raining.

"Stop bear!" He spats at me as I just continue on ignoring him and his idle threats. "I mean it, you have to go with me.. This is not a suggestion, it's an order!" He gets mad as I continue to climb the mountain side that I slid down from before, to get all the way down there in the first place.. All I know is that my brother is in that direction where I came from and I won't believe that he is dead.. I don't think he is dead.

I instantly feel a pain accompanied by a boom ringing in my ears. "That was a warning, you're coming with me." I stop as I feel more pain in my ear than I ever imagined.. He has shot a bullet as a warning and it went straight through my ear. It's throbbing as I turn around swiping at his face as he quickly backs up and pointing the gun at me. I swipe again as he shoots and goes all the way through my arm. I grunt out in pain, but my claw makes contact with his arm as well, getting him groaning out in pain. I don't feel remotely bad for this assh*le.

He touches his pained arm, looking even more pissed off than when he started this aggressive conversation. "F*ck you asshole! You asked for it!" he spats as he takes the gun pointing it at me as I freeze, before diving at his feet, taking them out from under him as we both slide around, wrestling and scraping at each other trying to end this. The mud is so slippery on this steep hill that we don't really have a chance of gripping here so we just slide, scratch and hit as much as we can.

I swipe across the ground hitting away the gun, as he quickly grips mud into his hand and shoving it in my face but before I can get it all out of my eyes he is pointing the gun right at my head again. "We can sell a bear skin just as easily as the bear.. Don't you for one second think that I can't kill you and this is for fighting it." I freeze knowing this is it, He quickly shoots my leg causing me to groan out in so much pain because I don't have anywhere to go but down from here in more ways then one.. Being on the edge of this mountain when all I need is one good push by this enemy and I will roll far enough down to do some real damage.. That's why I got hurt before, but with all these wounds I have acquired I won't be able to just hop back up like before.

"Stop! Back away now!" I hear from behind me as I quickly look to see it's the gorgeous queen I like to refer to as my savior. She looks terrified and soaking wet but she has that gun again and looking more determined than before, probably because she has been there before with this same man. So maybe not as intimidating the second time around. "Look it's the stupid nosey b*tch once again. Putting her nose where it doesn't belong." The wolf spats at her as I instinctively growl at his comment getting his attention.. s**t.

"Oh.. so you like your little protector then, huh King bear?" Without hesitation he points his gun at her head, causing a deep in the chest growl to emerge as a warning. "You know you were right before.. I can't kill you because you're too valuable, but her.. she means nothing.. she is disposable." he says c*****g the gun again, making the growl in my chest louder then ever, creating a chilling laugh from him in response.

"What a pleasant surprise.. come with me bear and she won't have to die.. it's that simple." he spats at me still pointing the gun at her as she looks confused and spats at him. "He is not going anywhere with you and I'm not dying.. This is national park territory you don't realize how many laws you're breaking being here right now, let alone doing all this.. If you go now and don't come back, I'll forget about all of it.. I swear." She says to him as he looks like he might be believing her, even though I know he is not. I try to scoot closer to her but it's more noticeable than anything.

He starts to put his gun down as she does the same, being so innocent hoping for the best within people. She glances over at me as she gasps in shock saying outloud, "You shot his ear?! Poor guy!" The wolf laughs before taking advantage of her being distracted as he hits her cheek, slapping away her gun, gripping her shoulder before pulling her into his chest. She gasps and struggles more in his hold as he laughs and says into her ear. "I shot his arm and leg too.. Oh and by the way I don't give a f*ck about the laws, they don't effect me and you have no idea who you're dealing with."

I growl louder than before, limping because of all my wounds, really taking a toll on my body and strength. She struggles in his hold as she tries to fight his tight grip, making him laugh at her expense. "You're a fiesty little cunt aren't you? I like it." he says to her as she squeaks out, trying to push away as he just pulls her closer to him, it doesn't look like there is any space between them. "I'm not a CUNT and I'm not NOTHING!" She commands his attention as she headbutts him. He let's go of her groaning in pain before she flips around and kicking him in the face sending him to the ground. She kicks his gun out of his hand to get it away from him as he grips her legs throwing her to the ground. She yelps and kicks at him as they wrestle in the mud. I swipe at his leg that's just in arms length, right by me, making contact as he yells out and kicks me in the face.

I try to stand up but my leg is making this harder to move, but I'm doing it anyway for her. I stand before pulling him from on top of her, saving her from his threats. He starts to wrestle me around as I swipe and he hits, sending us rolling close to the edge. Until I feel the ground collapsing under us, There is no way to stop this since we are both mid-hit.. So we slip and fall down the mountainside as I just use this assh*le as cushioning. I can hear Raine yelling but I don't know if the yelling is at us or because she got caught up in the little mudslide as well.

We come to a complete stop, out of breath and hurting but I still push him away from me. "You need to go now! GO!" Raine yells at the man holding his gun in her hands.. You can see the gun trembling in her hands, obviously not being that experienced with guns. He laughs at her again as she quickly shoots him in the leg. He yells out in pain as she yells again. "Get the f*ck out of here and don't come back!" He flips her off and reaches for the gun she swipes it away from him but that doesn't stop him. He trips her legs again and with this slippery mud helping, ist's so much easier to accomplish.

She yelps as he hovers over her, fighting her for the gun. I pull myself up as I drag myself over to them, clawing at his leg, as we hear another gun shot booming. I freeze not knowing who got hurt as I stare intently at Raine as she looks just as shocked as I am. Until the man slips off of the top of her and to the side, looking lifeless. She still looks completely shocked and by the look on her face I would say that this is the first man she has killed.

I pull his leg to get him off of her as she pushes herself away from the dead body, gasping for air. Once she hits the tree with her back she closes her eyes pointing her face away from the body. I feel so bad for her, I never wanted to involve her in this.