14 MMA Bears One - Part 3

"A pure blood, what's that?" Lacey asked, delighted that Gage seemed open to her questions.

"A pure blood is a creature with one form, such as a bear, a wolf, or a human. All my life I've felt caught between the two, unable to embrace either fully." Gage turned and looked out of his window to the night outside, and it was the first time that Lacey truly sensed a conflict deep within him. It was as if he looked out to the wilderness and yearned to be truly part of it.

"I would have thought it would be amazing to be a shifter?" Lacey said.

Gage remained transfixed by the outside world. "To many, that is the case. But in my mind I am neither an animal nor human; I'm caught in a no man's land between both, looked upon suspiciously by all. That's why I live out here, my clan lives several miles away, deeper in the forest. Yes, they have homes, and they often keep human form, but they are happy to change between the two, giving themselves up fully to the beast within when called upon. I prefer to stay here, half-way between Wild Cove and my tribe, because that's exactly what I am, a half blood. And I do not know of which world I feel more a part."

"Well, I think it's wonderful. People used to talk about such things as if they were myths, and I think it's nice to know there's something magical out there, makes me feel like a kid again," Lacey said, trying to make Gage feel better about the situation.

"That's very sweet of you, Lacey," Gage turned and smiled once more. "But what about you, why are you here?"

Lacey felt that it was only right that she tell Gage about her situation, especially considering Gage had felt open enough to talk about being a shifter. If there was one thing Lacey knew about shifters, from those in the know, it was that they guarded their privacy, so it was a great honor to be part of the conversation.

And so, Lacey told Gage about Miles, her husband, and the last few months of life which had been spent running. She told Gage about the violence which preceded Lacey's decision to go on the run, and how she was now, running so low on money that she couldn't even afford a hotel room in Wild Cove, which had brought her to the forest.

As Lacey described the horrors of her marriage and resulting abuse, Gage stood up, turning his back to her and standing staring out the window to the approaching night.

There was an anger boiling under his voice, an almost animal quality: "There is something I need to attend to tonight, Lacey. But when I return, I'll give you enough money to rent a room in the town. Then we will discuss what to do with your husband. Does that sound okay to you?"

As he turned to face Lacey, it was as if his face was shifting back momentarily to human. As if the animal had broken free, showing a glimpse of his beast form.

"You've been too kind to me, Gage. But I don't want to drag you into this. Miles is a dangerous man, and anyone who has helped me so far has met with violence."

Gage stepped forward and knelt in front of where Lacey was sitting. He gently picked up her hand and held it in his. Staring intently, with his glistening golden eyes, Gage spoke softly: "My life is complicated, Lacey. But I want you to know something, when a shifter makes a friend, he does not leave them to face their enemies alone. Please, allow me to at least assist. You don't need to keep running forever."

Something stirred in Lacey. She stared at Gage, fighting the feelings deep down which had been growing over the previous three days. She had never quite met anyone like him, his strength, his nobility, and of course, the animal within. Yet Lacey was hesitant, she did not want Gage to be hurt, nor was she sure she was ready to open her heart to another man, no matter how unusual. Miles himself also had an animal within, a different breed, and while he did not shift physically, when he showed his real self to Lacey, it was terrifying and violent. While Gage was the antithesis of Miles, softly spoken and with kind piercing eyes; she did not wish to take the risk of exposing him to the criminal underbelly where her husband ruled supreme. Shifter or no shifter, he was just as mortal as anyone else.

"Gage, I appreciate your help, and I've loved my time here over the last few days, but I think in the morning I should leave."

"You must do what you think is right." Gage turned and looked out of the window, intently staring for a moment as if he'd seen something outside in the woods. He stood up tall and broad. "I must attend to something, Lacey. I wish that I did not. But, I have duties which call. I'll return later and we can talk about this again. You'll be quite safe in the cabin." Gage laughed for a moment. "Just stay away from the berries, there's plenty of food in the fridge, okay?"

Lacey returned the laugh and, in that moment, felt the connection between them growing at a frightening rate. "Where do you have to go?"

"That's a question which must be answered another time. It's complicated. I'll be back soon."

Gage left the cabin, and Lacey, while alone, felt safe in the comforting surroundings of Gage's solitary life. After fixing herself some food, she sat on the wooden steps outside the cabin, and looked into the woods. There was something enticing about them, and her time with Gage had left her appreciative of the outdoors world. In many ways, she felt like she could call the wilderness home one day, perhaps, when all the horrors of Miles and his men were hopefully far behind.

* * *

Gage ran at full speed through the forest. The trees flew by at pace. At first he was upright, his feet breaking against the undergrowth, but soon hair covered his skin, his bones cracked and changed as he grew twice as large; and as golden eyes pierced the woodland scene, he was now on all fours, a wild and ferocious bear, the likes of which even most shifters would be afraid.

The animal heart beat within him, the domineering and aggressive traits of a beast unimpeded, but he never fully gave himself up to the transformation. Not really. For he valued that piece of him which thought, and could feel the pain and anguish of others. That was his humanity, and it was for that reason above all else that he could not entirely integrate with the others in his clan, those who would relish in their beast forms.

Regardless of this difference, Gage was his clan's most fearsome warrior. And out of duty to his brethren, and under orders from the Elder who led his clan, Gage always returned when called by his people. He'd be there when they needed him most.

Finally, the trees parted, and he entered a large clearing. It was a meeting of two clans, of the warriors who had been chosen to do battle. Two groups of shifters stood on either side of the clearing, staring each other down. One, a group of large hulking bears, those of Gage's clan. And on the other side, a group of strong and imposing wolves.

On the periphery around both groups were a number of men and women dressed in impeccable suits, their city appearance starkly contrasted against the wilderness of the forest. They sat on comfortable chairs, brought by their servants, as they drank expensive wine. And then they placed their bets with The Cabal, the shadowy group which ran the tournament.

A gong rang out. And when it did all shifters returned to their human form. This was the preparation for the upcoming fight. While there weren't many rules, one was that they must begin their struggle as human, and end it as beast.

One of Gage's clan members, a tall slender man by the name of Bran, stepped forward to greet Gage. Bran was younger than him, perhaps even more athletic, but Gage's physical power gave him a special place within the clan. While he wasn't the clan's leader, he was their best fighter. And that was why, whenever other shifter clans put their best forward, it was Gage who had to answer the call.

Bran embraced Gage heartily. They hadn't seen each other for some time, but this bout of the tournament was to take place on their own turf.

"It's good to see you, you old fool," Bran said, laughing.

"And you, child." Gage smiled, he'd always liked Bran. He was full of life, and full of jokes. And he was one of the clan members who didn't take umbrage to Gage removing himself from their homeland and living alone.

Bran leaned in and whispered: "There are some rumours that you've taken a pure blood women into your home. I'm not one to question who you spend time with, but it's caused a few discussions with the others, some of them heated."

Gage remained noncommittal. "What I do and do not do, is my business. And certainly, who I choose as a friend is surely a choice made up to me."

Then another voice spoke. This one was gritty somehow, it spoke with the air of age and experience. "It is not that you have welcomed a pure blood into your cabin that is the problem, Gage."

Gage turned his head and saw the Elder, the leader of his clan. No one knew his age, for the lifespan of a shifter was indeterminate. Some lived a similar lifespan to pure blood humans, but others, a lucky few, seemed to continue on for much longer. The Elder was one of these. His grey hair rested gently on his shoulders, and while he had sternness in his voice, in his eyes anyone could see a well of kindness and wisdom.

The Elder continued: "Tread carefully, Gage. It is easy to fall in love with such a woman. But they do not understand our ways, and there are those amongst our clan, who would prefer that we remain with our own kind."

"Everyone is my kind," Gage said with authority.

"That's good to hear," said a younger voice. "I must have plenty of kin then!"

It was Gage's brother, Marlow. Gage almost cheered as he wrapped his arms around his younger brother and lifted him off the ground in pure jubilation. Marlow had been touring the world so to speak, studying at a pure blood University hoping to understand more closely the genetic aspects of shifting. He was one of the only members of his clan who had been given temporary permission to live in the outside world. His work revolved around Dark Shifters, for there were some shifters who were unstable in their form and mind, and no one wished to cross paths with them. It was Marlow's hope that, with the help of some pure blood scientists, he could treat such individuals, and reduce their rabbid rage.

"It's so good to see you, brother." Marlow continued hugging Gage.

"I had no idea you had returned!" Gage said, enthused.

"I know, but it's difficult to keep in touch with you when you're not living with the clan. But you've always done your own thing, and I wouldn't expect any less. I'm just here for a couple of months on a break from university, and I was informed that you are competing tonight."

Marlow had never entirely embraced the tournament. In fact within the clan he was a dissenting voice regarding it. He was everything Gage wasn't, slight in stature (at least for a shifter, he still dwarfed most men), wearing glasses; and yet with the fertile and sharp mind which he did share with his brother.