What's Beyond the Trees?

Chapter 3 King Bear

Coleson's POV

"We need to go.. are you even remotely ready yet?" Easton my best friend, yells at me through my door as his fists bang upon it like an alarm, waking me up abruptly. I pry my eyes open, looking directly at the window, to see it's still dark but some light is coming in, showing me it's early morning.. and I forgot we needed to leave before the sun started coming up to make sure we got there on time.. Honestly I didn't forget, I just don't want to do this. But I completely understand why I need to do this.

"Um.. Sure.. No.. I need a minute.. actually." I state stuttering through my answer.. making it as unbelievable to hear as it sounded in my head. I hear the door opening as I see Easton wrapping his flexed arms across his chest looking irritated already.. This is not the way I felt like starting this morning off.

I put my hands up in surrender before stating, "I'm sorry, I forgot to set an alarm and obviously slept in." He glares over at me with disbelief on his face as he spats right back at me. "No you didn't, now don't lie to me.. I know you don't want to do this, but it's best for you to have someone to make heirs with.. As much as you don't want to believe it.. You're rare and need some type of family stability to ensure the future of your race." He has told me this with statistics meshed in with all of his words time and time again. I groan out knowing I'm supposed to do this, but I don't want to at all.. It doesn't feel right.

"This doesn't feel right in my heart to meet up with some random girl to get her pregnant like some breeding hound.. I'm the last of my family and the heir to the land you see as King Werebear.. Why can't I just be that for now? Why do we have to find the only other female werebear and get her pregnant? That just seems stupid and reckless, putting my trust into someone I don't know at all.. And somehow my future for my family and I'm suppose to be ok with the only option I have? This is stupid." I explain my feelings for the billionth time as I watch Easton groan out and rolling his eyes.

"Fine.. you don't have to go there and f*ck her, but you need to go and meet her.. Who knows she might be all you ever wanted and needed." he says to me as I roll my eyes at him. "Why can't I just be happy living my life alone and when I die then I die.. If I have babies in the process, then that's it.. but if not then too bad.. There is a reason I'm the last of my kind.. We have all been killed off for so many years and how do I not know once I have babies that they won't be hunted? Because we both know they will be because of how rare they are. So I'm supposed to bring babies into this world to be killed? Or just be killed off as the last one not endangering anyone else because of what I am?" I state plainly to him because he knows I'm right and I can tell that by the way his gaze is softening.

"Please just come with me to meet her." he asks me softly I shake my head as he adds, "It took me years to find her and months to negotiate a time to see her. You might as well not waste my time please." I roll my eyes and get out of bed as I stretch out, hitting my hands on the ceiling.. Being a werebear means I'm going to be bigger than most and since my friends are all werewolves they are smaller than I am.. Standing at a 6'9.

"Fine.. can we at least run there?" I ask with annoyance in my tone as he rolls his eyes and states as if this should be obvious. "No, you have to look presentable.. You can't go up to her naked and just hope everything works out because you were running in bear form. We will be taking a car and meeting them there at the meeting point." Easton states as he throws me my shirt and pants that were laying on my desk. I catch them with one hand as I roll my eyes. "Why not? She might like what she sees when I'm naked." I playfully state to him as he sends a glare my way.

"You're lucky we were raised together like brothers or I wouldn't deal with your bullsh*t." He states as I flip him off and say back. "You love me, that's why you have done all of this for me.. Don't deny it." I say this in the most playful tone as his eyes squint like he wants to object but nothing comes out. That tells me I won this.

"Get dressed Cole.. We are leaving in 15 minutes." He demands of me as I roll my eyes watching him leave the room. I groan out, grabbing a pair of boxer briefs and putting on all the clothing I have in my hands. I push my hair out of my face as I stare into the lifeless reflection that is me.. I know why he wants me to do this because he wants me to have the sole purpose of something to work for. I don't want to be king, I don't want a mate or a family.. I just want to be with my 'pack'.

If that's what you want to call it.. This pack, Onyx Pine Pack, was always good to my pack and were actually there for the ceremony where my family was ambushed and killed off.. They were only able to save me as a cub and took me under their wing to raise as one of their own.. I couldn't be anymore grateful for their generosity.. but now they are getting impatient. They want me to take my rightful place and create a bear-filled forest.

I have tried to be nice and just ask them to leave it alone and they won't.. They think since I'm 'royalty' that I have to be there at the head of all, my whole life.. Even though being bear and royalty is what got my family killed in the first place, so I feel taking my rightful place would be practically putting my head on a spike for the enemies. Setting myself and anyone I bring with me, to death and that's not fair if you ask me.

But they are all I have for means of family so I want to make them happy.. This is just not what I want at all... I button up my shirt as I tuck it into my pants, putting the belt on but leaving my first couple buttons of my shirt undone.. I'm trying to look nice but there is no way that I'm putting a tie on.. It makes me feel like I'm wearing a leash and believe me, you can't restrain a bear even if you tried.

I look at my reflection, seeing the shirt sleeves tighter than I thought on my arms looking like it might rip with sudden movement, but I hope not or Luna Mother Willow would be mad at me.. I'm so much bigger than everyone else, so it's hard to find clothing that would fit me properly and I hate wasting her money and time she spent trying to find me these or make me these.

I hear a soft knocking upon the door now showing me it's not my friend.. but probably his mother. "Come in." I say softly as I keep looking in the mirror trying to fix my mess of hair on my head. I hear the door knob turning as Luna Mother Willow makes her entrance as elegant as always. "Hey Cole.. I hear you're having a hard time with this... Come here and talk with me please." She says in her motherly tone that I can't escape. They give me the comforting feeling that waves over me like a blanket with her kind words every single time.

I turn around and do exactly what she asks, heading straight to my bed, having a seat at her side. "Now what's going on? I thought you would be excited to meet another bear.. and maybe make her your mate and have cubs.. Just like your mother would have always wanted for you." She says in the sweetest tone. I let my guard down for her as I let out the biggest breath before saying. "I'm afraid mama Willow.."

"Afraid of what? Not liking her?" She asks me as I feel her hand rubbing over my back making me relax under her gentle touch. I shake my head before putting my head into my hands to cradle it as if it's a baby. "No.. I'm afraid that maybe I will like her.. But what if I do?" I ask her as confusion is evident upon her face, so I continue. "What if I fall for her and we have cubs and then we are hunted for the rest of our lives because of what we are.. I can't have that.. I can't force that life upon anyone.. If I stay away that's a guarantee that they won't be hunted, but if I go for her and take her as my choice, then we both would be looking over our shoulders for the rest of our lives.. But.. my biggest fear is that what if I hate her? I don't want to be forced to be with someone just because she is the same kind as me.. I want to be with who I chose to be my chosen, since I will never have a mate given to me like you guys do... But then my fears just come right back to the start.. What if I find her and like her and she is taken from me because of what I am or what we are I should say?"

She lets out a deep breath as well before her hand lands on top of mine. "Cole.. You really don't have to do this if you don't want to.. I swear.. I just want you to have someone of your own.. I know you won't be given a mate like us, hence why I got Easton to look for you, because I knew you wouldn't look for yourself.. But you should never put your life on hold for something that may never even happen.. You cannot let fear rule your life or you will never be happy.. Packs and people get attacked all the time and yes people die.. but this has been life since the beginning.. You cannot change that.. But what you can do is just live life to the fullest.. Do what YOU want because I want YOU to be happy.. I know I never bore you myself, but you will always be my son and all I want for you is everlasting happiness.. and those types of moments never last forever in time, but where they do last forever is in your heart and mind.. You need these precious moments to be able to look back on, to give you happiness and motivation for your days to come.. Don't you remember how happy your mother and father were together?" she asks me as I smirk and nod before she adds. "That's all I want for you is to be happy.. Maybe you won't want this shebear, but maybe you will want a shewolf.. That's ok, there is no judgement here.. Whatever makes you happy.. Live the life you want, when you can, because it doesn't last forever. Please just meet her for me and I'll never harass you again."

I suck in a sharp breath before responding. "Of course mama Willow.. I will.. Thank you." I say leaning in and pulling her in for a hug. She giggles as she looks at my shirt and says playfully. "Anytime teddybear... You look amazing by the way, but it looks like I'm just going to have to go back to making you your shirts huh? This one looks tight.. But it looks nice like it's showing off your big muscles.. Maybe this shebear will like that."

I scoff at that comment as she giggles then stands up before saying. "Have a safe trip and no matter what happens, keep your head up and you always have a place here. I love you Cole." I stand up, pulling her into my embrace before kissing the top of her head that's under my chin. "Love you too mama."

"So are you ok to go now?" Easton asks as I chuckle and nod. "Yes let's go before I change my mind." I say walking past him and out the door to get this done and over with.