Black Bear Rising: A BWWM Paranormal Romance (Black Bear Saga Book 1) by Tia Wilson

like a voice calling from beneath the earth. The men looked at each with panicked eyes. We have to go the leader said.

    They mounted the sleds and the dogs barely moved forward under shouted commands. The men pulled cruelly on the leash and cracked the whip against the dogs hinds legs. The exhausted animals picked up speed. Men ran alongside the sleds shouting and coaxing the dogs, anything to keep them moving forward. A sound like an explosion went off behind the men. They looked back in fear to see huge sections of ice buckling and cracking. Sheets of ice sticking vertically into the air. A crack as black as soot spread across the ice and splintered outwards like the branches of a tree. Pressure had been released and now the ice was beginning to break off in great wrenching chunks. The mens eyes where wide with horror. The dogs found a burst of energy because of the cracking and exploding behind them, spooking the animals as they pushed on in fear.

    The first handful of men made it to the shore and collapsed on to the ground coughing and hacking and some of them vomiting. The three sleds began to slow again as the dogs ran out of energy. They were barely pulling the sleds quicker than walking pace. Water bubbled up in cracks from the ice all around them. The men could feel the shifting sheets of ice through the runners of the sled. The men already safely ashore began to scream and shout as a massive black crack began to spread wide open like the mouth of a demon ready to swallow everything in its path. If the sleds did not make one final burst of sped all would be lost. The drivers screamed and shouted at the dogs, cracking the whips painfully at the dogs hides. The relationship between man and dog that had made it possible for countless generations to survive in the cold arctic winters came to a head. The dogs being true of heart gave it one final push and broke into a jog and the other dog packs followed suit. The sleds made it to the safe ground as the rushing sound of water was heard as the last of the ice broke up behind them.

    The dogs collapsed on the ground, legs twitching and backs arching painfully. One by one the men watched as each dog died a slow painful death from exhaustion. The dogs hearts gave out after giving it all and saving not only the hunting party but the whole village for the season to come.

    Tannis had never forgotten the sacrifice of those dogs and he could see his own pack was being pushed dangerously close to the limits. He knew he had only two choices left, continue to try and outrun the bear or stand his ground and try to kill it. He looked at his dog lying motionless on the ground and knew they only had one or two hours of hard running in them before they collapsed. He dug his spear into the soft snow and ran his finger across the tip. He looked grimly at his son. Words did not need to be said to him yet. His son knew what to do and grabbed his spear and stood shoulder to shoulder with his father as they watched the approaching bear. It walked on all four with a bouncing gait as it moved easily across the crystal crust of snow.

    The tree line was an hour away and across open and exposed tundra. If they ran for it the bear would easily cross the distance and catch them before they made it. Tannis turned to his son and said, “You have to make a run for the trees. I will stay back and hold the bear off.”

    His son stood tall and stiff beside him. He had been taught to obey his elders and he knew how dire the situation was and yet he still didn't want to go alone. “Cant we go together? Maybe the bear is after the dogs and once he gets them he won’t come after us.”

    Tannis stared off at the bear, not wanting to meet his sons eyes. “This bear is a man eater. I saw it in his eyes, he wont stop until he gets one of us. You can’t waste any more time. Go,” he said shouting in his sons face.

    His son turned and began to run towards the trees. The bear saw this and increased his