“The bunker,” Fergus answered.
“Of course,” Niall replied.
They continued on and slipped into the entrance of the cave, making their way along until it opened up into a large cathedral. To their right was a lot of rubble, no doubt the cave-in that had blocked the exit into the forest. They knew that the left would lead them into the now filled-in dungeon.
Ronan took the lead, taking them toward a large wooden door on the opposite side of the cathedral. They stood outside, listening, but there was no sound from inside. After a few moments, Niall slid the door sideways and they went inside, noting that a dim light came on automatically as they did so. So much for any element of surprise.
“No one here,” Fergus groaned.
“He’s been here, though. This food wrapper has an expiration day of today like the unfinished one out in the tunnel. My guess is he slips out to steal them from the Tesco. I doubt he has a stash of money down here.”
“You never know, he might,” Niall commented, looking around at the crates of empty cans and bottles he’d no doubt depleted before being forced to emerge to find more food.
In one corner, there was an old mattress with a dirty pillow and duvet lying across it. It didn’t appear used, as it was covered with dust. Of course, it was fairly cool, so he was likely sleeping in bear form if he was holed up down here at night.
Ronan took a step forward and felt the dirt beneath him give slightly. A small creak filled the air around him. He looked toward Fergus, who was looking back at him. He had heard it too. Ronan looked down to see that there was a faint outline around the dirt there. He reached down and realized that the top of the hatch below him was cleverly painted to appear like it was a part of the dirt around it.
He motioned at the others to shift as he stepped off of it and knelt down to feel around the edges. Sure enough, there was a thin length of twine at one edge. He prepared to pull it upward as his brothers finished shifting into bears, but he wasn’t quick enough. Martin had heard them. The door was shooting upward and he was flying backward, the weight of a large black bear on top of him.
He threw up his arm to protect his neck as the bear bore down on him. Then it was being hauled backward, pulled off of him by the largest of the three ginger bears, Fergus. Ronan seized the opportunity to run around behind his other brothers for protection while he shifted.
He charged forward, tearing the bear free of Fergus’s iron jaws and shoving him against a side wall. Fergus let him have him, stepping aside in preparation to intervene, but otherwise knowing his brother needed to do this for himself.
They rolled about, their loud roars filling the echo chamber around them. Martin was strong for a shifter who had been hiding in a cave for weeks, but Ronan was full of adrenaline as he tore at his fur and flesh, finally getting a firm grip on his neck and biting down hard.
Martin let out a howl of pain and tried to roll to one side to avoid further damage, but it was too late. Ronan had him in a death grip. He yanked his head sideways, a loud snap filling the air as Martin collapsed beneath him. Ronan snatched his limp body upward again, making sure he was dead, and then slammed him against a nearby wall.
Olcan let out a loud roar, a command for him to stop, that it was done, but now that Ronan had him, his rage had taken over. Fergus was the first to shift, calling him down.
“Ronan, it’s done. It’s done.”
Ronan dropped the dead bear he still held in his jaws and watched as his body shifted back into human form, revealing a dirty, unkempt figure. Fergus held up his hand for the others to stay in bear form and went to the still open hatch to look inside for a moment before nodding in their direction.
“It’s just an empty hole.”
The other brothers shifted and began making their way out of the tunnel and into the other one that had brought them to the ledges. They exited into the forest and shifted back into bear form to get back to the compound a bit quicker.
“Who’s going to get our clothes?” Fergus laughed.
They had shredded the clothes they had put back on when they’d found themselves under attack, so someone had to knock on the compound door naked to get their luggage.
“Fuck it. We’ll all go. Omega can get a cheap thrill,” Niall said.
The four brothers laughed as they walked across the front grass of the Omega compound in their birthday suits and knocked on the door.