Page 25 of Polar Fates
“Only a handful of people have managed that. All of them have brought disaster upon us. Upon the world. Believe me, you don’t want to be one ofthem.”
“Then wake up my men,” I snarl, running my hand through Húnn’s fur, willing him to come back to me. I need him. I need all of them. I reach out and touch Ràn as well. A slight tingle runs through my arm. The bond, maybe? It doesn’t happen when I touch Húnn, so it has tobe.
Clotho sighs in exasperation. “If youinsist.”
She waves her hand dismissively and Húnn takes a deep breath and opens his eyes. Ràn starts tosnore.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, I have to laugh. A bear snore isloud.
Húnn stretches his front paws and looks around. He doesn’t seem aware that he’s in a new place and in potential danger. He stands up and shakes hisfur.
Ràn continue to sleep, but it’s a more normal sleep now compared to the coma-like state they were in before. I stroke the soft fur on his forehead and behind his ears. He takes a deep breath but doesn’t wakeup.
“You said you’d wake them up!” I accuse Clotho, who’s watching uscuriously.
“He doesn’t seem to wantto.”
Húnn turns around and looks at me. It’s strange… I don’t think he recognisesme.
“Pelja?” I ask hesitantly. “It’s me,Isla.”
He sniffs my legs. I hold out my hand and he sniffs that too. Usually, he’d lick it; it’s become a bit of a ritual between us. This time, he opens his mouth andgrowls.
I step back, astonished at the aggression showing in his stance. Why would he behave likethat?
“Húnn, it’s me! YourIsla!”
Alis! I shout inside my head. I needyou.
She doesn’t respond. If I can’t reach her and Pelja isn’thimself…
“What have youdone?”
“Precautions.”
The bear that isn’t really Pelja approaches me and growls again. There’s no recognition in hiseyes.
Fuck.
He doesn’t know who I am. And he looks pissed. He was so calm a moment ago, but now… I’m getting a littlescared.
“Pelja, calm down. You know me… try andremember…”
He lifts himself onto his hind legs, presenting his chest, before letting himself fall down onto all fours again. He’s showing how strong he is. Badsign.
“Clotho, it won’t help anyone if he attacks me now. Or you. Just turn him back to normal,please!”
She sighs. “I told youso.”
Pelja begins to blink and wipes a paw over his eyes. He’s wavering, losing control of his legs. He sinks to the floor and a moment later, he’s fast asleep again. Ràn is stillsnoring.
Only now do I notice that I’m shaking. And that I have no idea what to do. My bears aren’t recognising me. Two of them aren’t here. And I’m stuck with three creepy women who apparently want something from me. And I can’t trust them. They’ve made a mess already, who is to say they actually want to resolve the situation? Maybe they’re glad the bear shifters are dying out. Or they just don’t care. Either way, I need to becareful.
“That was fun,” Clotho says with a satisfied smile. That bitch. Why would she do that to my bear? Just to amuse herself? Are the Fates really thatbored?
“Ready to go back?” she asks and this time, I follow her. Asking her to wake up Húnn and Ràn again seems pointless. Not if they’re not recognisingme.
Let’s get down tobusiness.
