Bear with Me (#2, Completed)

40. The challenge

CALLUM

My surprise quickly turned into wild fury. 

It was hard to imagine that after everything that I had done for this person, the way to repay me was not only to steal my Alpha role but also to kidnap my mate and put her life in danger. But I should have known better- after all, it was less than two weeks ago that she tried to seduce me to get rid of Flame.

"What are you doing here, Jade?" I spat the words through gritted teeth, disgust wrapped in my question.

"Isn't it obvious, Callum? I'm here to challenge you for the Alpha title." Her smugness and unwavering smirk made eyes blaze with contempt and disdain. The fact that she no longer referred to me as her Alpha showed how cocky she felt about the whole thing.

It took all my self-restraint not to reach and snap her neck while she circled me like I was her intended prey. But I had Flame to think about, and I had serious doubts that Jade was the mastermind behind everything. Not just my mate's disappearance but also all the sabotages in the sleuth and Scarlett's previous kidnapping. Whoever was behind this was smart enough to use Jade as a pawn, lurking in the shadows while others got their hands dirty.

And, if anything, perhaps this was an opportunity- if I played my cards right, there was maybe a chance to get from the brunette she-bear the lead I needed to find the bastard responsible and, most importantly, to find Flame.

"So, let me guess- you are a scorned woman out for revenge because I didn't want to fuck you, is that it?" My attempt to rile her up clearly struck a nerve. A flicker of lividness flashed across her face, so I knew I was on the right track. "Are you so desperate for my cock that you decided to resort to this little stunt? For what, so that I could pay attention to you? Pathetic."

I watched as her nostrils flared with anger while her bright red lips pulled back, and she bared her teeth at me. Within a second, she was in my face, jabbing her finger in my chest.

"You are a fool, Callum, because you don't know what you missed out on. We could have been great- a bear power couple, if only you had allowed yourself to think beyond your narrow-minded vision. But no, instead, you chose to fuck that pathetic little human mate of yours." Her eyes burnt fanatically, her response laced with irritation. And then, her expression changed. Her face brightened up, and she smiled at me while she took a few steps back, before she continued with an innocent-like shrug. "And where is she now? Oh, that's right- nowhere to be seen. Who knows what might have happened to her."

Burning rage hissed through my body like a deadly poison, screeching a demanded release in the form of violence.

"Don't you fucking dare even mention my mate," I roared.

"Whoops," she faked a regret while her lips curled up in a pleased grin. "I didn't upset you, did I?"

With every word that left her mouth, I increasingly saw red, and I could feel the savage desire for revenge and violence permeate every muscle, every cell in my body. It was in my shifter nature, even if Mahon had been weakened so much that he was practically not there. However, my mate bond burnt fervently inside me, commanding me to retaliate against those that put Flame in harm's way.

"I'm giving you this one chance, Jade- tell me where Scarlett is, and I will let you go," I offered as calmly as I could, despite the feelings that raged in my mind.

"Wow, that's so generous of you, Callum," she mocked me in return while she flicked her hair around. "Except, you are in no position to make any threats, are you?" Her eyebrow arched, although she was not expecting any answer. "I know about the potion. Otherwise, I wouldn't even be here- I am not suicidal. So, you don't scare me. And anyway, I have no clue where your precious mate is."