“She was good, I have to admit it,” Lawrance said. “She tried to enter the bell tower. In fact, she was almost inside before I got to her. Jake, the tower was surrounded by an ancient spell. If she had made her way in, we would never have been able to catch her. The spell would have kept us out, and the ruby would have been lost.”
Jake Cane leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. He had been the mage of the bear clan for over ten years now. No one had attempted to steal the fire ruby for a hundred years.
“If we had lost the ruby it would have been a severe loss,” Zao, one of Jake’s generals, said. “That ruby provides the fire that allows us to melt the metal of Alor. Without the ruby, our foundries would collapse. We must punish this criminal severely. This was a truly horrendous crime, and we must not let her go.”
Jake didn’t reply, still thinking over the possible ways to handle this. It was well-known that he took his time making decisions. He thought over every possible solution and the pros and cons of each before selecting one.
It was this meticulous thinking of his that had resulted in him raising the clan to new heights. For years the bear clan has been using the fire ruby to forge the strongest weapons and armors known to the world. Their metal was the strongest, the most malleable and ductile; it was the kind of metal that no one has ever seen before.
Discovered hundreds of years ago by the bears after an asteroid crashed into earth, the metal could only be melted by the fire ruby. Ever since, the metal had been used to make the armors and weapons for his clan.
“Bring the girl,” Jake said, eventually. “I want to talk to her myself.”
“Sir, I don’t think you should waste your time talking to her,” Zao said. “I think you need to take immediate action.” Jake got up and slowly walked towards Zao. His relaxed body language had changed. He seemed stronger and more powerful.
“Don’t forget, Zao, that I am your leader.” He growled in a deep low voice. “I will make the decisions, not you!”
Zao glared back, looking straight in Jake’s eyes. Jake took another step forward, till he was nose to nose with Zao. Zao glared at him for a minute before finally taking a step back and looking away.
Jake turned around and repeated his order. “Bring the girl to me.”
His soldiers rushed to follow his orders and just a few seconds later the thief was dragged in, the chains still wrapped around her.
Jake turned around to look at her, and the moment he laid eyes on her, his heart stopped. Her beautiful ocean blue eyes glared at him from across the room, ensnaring him with the power and emotions they displayed. Her beautiful black hair cascaded down her back, like a waterfall, and framed her beautiful pale face. Her luscious pink lips were trembling with emotions, matching the anger in her eyes.
Jake’s gaze traveled downwards, instantly taking in her thick curves and tiny waist. She wore a simple white shirt, which had been tucked into a pair of brown trousers. She wore no jewelry or ornaments; her outfit was completed with a pair of black boots.
Jake looked up again, his eyes meeting hers. He couldn’t ignore the attraction he felt, or the powerful force calling him towards her. Despite himself, Jake found himself walking towards the prisoner until he was just a few steps away from her.
“Do you know who I am?” he asked, crossing his arms across his chest. He struggled with the sudden rush of emotions he felt for this girl and the strong desire that spread through his body.
“No,” the girl said, snarkily. “Am I supposed to? You famous or something?”
“You insolent brat!” Zao shouted. “How dare you speak like that to the leader of the Bear clan of Alor! He is the most powerful bear shifter of our clan! Control your language, you wench!”
“Enough!” Jake snapped.
“What’s your name?” he asked the girl.
“Jazz,” the girl said, grinning. “What you gonna do about it, all-powerful and mighty bear shifter?”
He liked everything about this girl. Her beauty entranced him, and her personality just made her more likable. He walked closer and knelt, so he was looking into her eyes. He could smell her scent; it bewitched his senses, and a thrill of excitement ran through his body.
“Why did you steal the fire ruby?” Jake asked in a deep and threatening voice. As much as he wanted to lean over and kiss her, he couldn’t. He had to protect his clan and this girl was a threat to it.
“That gem?” Jazz asked, tilting her head. Her hair shifted as she did so, and Jake clenched his hand to control an urge to touch it. “You guys call it the fire ruby? Real original.”
“I said, why did you steal it,” Jake asked, gazing deep into her eyes. “Answer me.”
She scoffed. “You must think I am really stupid. I ain’t spilling. Do your fucking best,” she said, a fake smile plastered on her face.
“You will answer,” Jake said, reaching forward to grab her chin. He looked into her eyes and forced himself into her mind, making her feel the power of his bear. She visibly flinched, her pale complexion becoming paler as she saw a glimpse of his power. “You can answer me now, or I can get it out of you later.”
The girl glared back, refusing to answer. No matter, Jake was going to have his answers.
“Take her to the dungeons,” he ordered, getting up. “And show her our best hospitality.”
Chapter 3
