Bear's Claim (Bear Heat Book 3) by Natalie Kristen

He should have held
on fast to her and not push her away.
    There were bears who lived
their whole lives without ever finding their true mates. Thor swore
as he floored the pedal. He was a bloody fool not to have claimed
her and made her his.
    His muscles throbbed and
pulsed painfully as he sped towards the hospital. His agitated,
furious bear rose and rippled just under the surface of his skin.
    A sudden streak of cold,
stark fear lanced his heart.
    He thought he heard a cry at
the back of his mind. It sounded too much like Aubrey's voice.
    Something had happened to
her.
    Thor's claws sliced out and
he almost shredded the leather off his steering wheel.
    “Aubrey,” he
growled.
    He should never have let her
go.

CHAPTER
FOURTEEN

    “Come out, Michael,”
Dr. Faizel commanded as he held the glass door open.
    Aubrey stared in horrified
fascination as Michael stepped out. The man was wearing only a pair
of boxers and he had a metal collar around his neck. A long chain
dangled from his collar.
    “This is Michael,”
Dr. Faizel said proudly, like he was showing off his creation. He
yanked Michael forward by the chain. “He's the first
prototype. He's worked well so far, but there are refinements to be
made.”
    Michael lifted his bloodshot
eyes to Aubrey. He was a well-built man with a face that had once
been handsome. But now it was covered with fresh cuts and bruises,
and his eyes were filled with regret and loathing.
    Aubrey squinted at the poor
man and she felt the instinctive urge to see to his injuries. “How
did you get those cuts? You need to get them cleaned up.” The
nurse in her spoke up. “Michael, how did you hurt yourself?”
she said in a gentle, soothing tone.
    Michael merely shook his head
at her. His black hair was short and disheveled, and there were dark
shadows under his eyes. He had been stripped down to his boxers and
chained and collared like an animal. But his eyes were human and
intelligent.
    Aubrey turned to Dr. Faizel
and was about to demand that he let the man go when the doctor's
phone chirped shrilly. Dr. Faizel turned away to take the call and
Aubrey could only hear his curt, short replies. “I'll be right
there,” he snapped. He clicked off his phone with a frustrated
grunt and hurriedly locked Michael's chain to the leg of Aubrey's
steel table. Michael had no choice but to crouch at the foot of
Aubrey's metal bed.
    “Hey! Hey, where are
you going? You're not leaving us here!” Aubrey yelled after
Dr. Faizel as he walked briskly out of the chamber. She heard his
impatient orders to the mercenaries just as the chamber door closed
leaving Aubrey alone in the chamber with Luke and Michael.
    Aubrey peered over the side
of her steel table and whispered, “Michael? Michael, can you
talk to me? Who are you? Were you a patient at the hospital too?
I'm a nurse, and Luke here is my patient. Did Dr. Faizel stick a
needle into you and drag you here? Talk to me. I can help you
escape.” When Michael didn't reply, Aubrey hissed, “You
don't want to be chained here forever, do you?”
    “I killed him.”
    Aubrey blinked.
    “Huh?”
    “I killed him,”
Michael repeated, staring straight into Aubrey's bugged eyes.
    Aubrey swallowed. “Who...who
did you kill?”
    “A good man. My boss.
He would have been my boss,” Michael said hoarsely.
    Aubrey gulped and took a
deep, steadying breath. “Can you...tell me why you killed him?
And why are you here? How did you…?”
    “Kill him?”
Michael cut in. “I ate him.”
    “Ha. Ha. Not funny.”
She stared at him for a few painful heartbeats. “Shit.
You're not joking,” she muttered.
    Aubrey whimpered and tried to
inch away when Michael pulled himself up and knelt at the side of her
table. “Has he given you the injection?” Michael's eyes
bore into hers as he growled out the question.
    Aubrey shook her head. “No,”
she squeaked. “Not me. Him.” She swiveled her eyes
towards Luke, who was moaning on the other table. “Dr.