The Beast Within

by S. C. Stephens

  Her pale eyes shimmered with red tears. “Don’t think I’m ever leaving you alone again after this.” I hung my head. I figured she wouldn’t. I’d royally messed up this time, and I was positive the short leash she’d given me had just retracted. Voice heated, I heard her tell Gabriel, “Make sure he stays here while I take care of this.”

  I snapped my head up. “No! You can’t kill him.”

  Halina leaned into me. “I can, and I will. I protect my family…every single member. Whether they want it or not.”

  She radiated power and confidence, and I was struck with an overwhelming feeling of humbleness as I stood before her. As much as I hated to admit it, Halina was the leader of our group, and a part of me wanted to fall on my knees and do whatever she asked. But I had a plan too, and I couldn’t let her mess this up for me. “Please, don’t kill him. I’ve done everything you’ve asked of me—everything. I’ve eaten, I’ve stayed here with you…I’ve lived for you.”

  “And you’ll remain alive,” she immediately responded, her voice soft. She inhaled a deep breath of my clothes, memorizing Markus’s scent, then she looked over at Gabriel. “With this stench, he shouldn’t be hard to find. I won’t be gone long.”

  Gabriel frowned. “I do not like you going alone. I’ll go with you.”

  Seeing an argument about to go down, I prepared myself to leave. Maybe I could get to Markus and hide him somehow before Halina could track him. Before I could move, though, Halina’s viselike grip cinched around my wrist. “No. He will bolt at the first opportunity. Only you are strong enough to handle him. I’ll take Imogen with me.”

  Gabriel ground his teeth. “You do not have long until the sun rises.”

  Halina smirked. “Like I said, this won’t take long.” She patted my chest. “Especially since he ordered the hunter not to harm us. That makes the task almost ridiculously easy. Starla could probably do it.”

  She smiled a little wider at her joke. Gabriel’s frown increased, along with my struggles. It was useless, though; I couldn’t remove myself from her grasp. Then Gabriel stepped behind me, locking my arms behind my back as effectively as shackles. He might be a mixed vampire, but his age made him stronger than all of us.

  Halina released my wrist when it was clear Gabriel had a firm hold on me. “Don’t do this!” I pleaded, but she was gone, and a hazy ghost image of her was the only thing that remained.

  Her daughter took off a second later, then it was just Gabriel and me standing alone in the entryway. I struggled against him, but he didn’t move a muscle as he held me. I could feel Halina’s presence getting farther and farther away. It made my bones ache to have her rushing away from me. I hated that it did.

  So that was it. Markus was as good as dead now, and my backup plan for finishing myself off had just gone up in smoke. A part of me was relieved that the time bomb was being defused. A part of me wanted to create another one. But first, I had to get to Flagstaff. My father was my priority, my mission, and I had no idea how long he’d stay there. I needed to act on this. I needed Gabriel’s concoction now more than ever.

  When I could feel Halina in the city, tracking poor, clueless, helpless Markus, I growled at Gabriel, “You can let me go now. There’s nothing I can do to stop her. I won’t run.”

  Gabriel squeezed me tighter instead. My shoulders were stretched more than was comfortable, and a trace amount of fear went up my spine. He wouldn’t hurt me, though. He wouldn’t dare. “If something should happen to her tonight…I will be very displeased.”

  “If something happens to her, you’ll finally be able to kill me. I would think you’d be happy about that,” I murmured.

  He let out a short, humorless laugh. “Double-edged sword.”

  He let me go, and I rolled my shoulders to relieve the discomfort. “Thanks.” By my tone, it was clear that what I really meant was, Go to hell.

  Gabriel gave me a brief, understanding smile. Tilting his head, he said something unexpected. “This was not your first solo encounter with hunters. How many have you run into since prom night?”

  I froze, not sure what to say. Since Gabriel was the one vampire I didn’t have any secrets from, I shrugged and told him the truth. “Including tonight, there have been three.”

  Gabriel nodded, expecting as much. “By your reaction to his impending death, I’m assuming you know these hunters?”

  I eyed him warily. I’d only confessed that to Nika and Julian. “Yes, I knew them…in my other life.”

  Gabriel’s gaze penetrated my very soul. “This city has been relatively quiet prior to your arrival. Five hunters this close together tells me something…is your father sending assassins to kill you?”

  His question stung worse than I thought it would; it hurt more than the silver that had grazed my cheek earlier. “Yes,” I whispered. “And those five won’t be the last he sends. When my father wants something, he stops at nothing to get it.”

  Gabriel frowned. “Then what Halina is doing tonight is only a patch, and won’t solve the larger issue. The only real way to stop these killers is to stop your father. He should be our primary focus.”

  I nodded. “I know…that’s one of the main reasons I want to be away from her. I’ll find my father, and I’ll stop him. Permanently. I want vengeance for what he did to me, and it’s mine to have—mine and mine alone. You okay with that?”

  He thought for a moment, then gave me a slight incline of his head. “So long as you can give me your word that you will end him, and quickly, I will let you have your revenge.”

  “Good. Now, before any of that can happen, I need you to free me.” I looked around the elegant home that was my prison. “I need out of here, Gabriel. Now.”

  Gabriel lifted a cool eyebrow. “Agreed. And I have made a tremendous amount of progress in the last two weeks. I believe the shot is nearly ready for you to take. Unfortunately, I have no real way to test it, since Halina will be alerted to what we’re doing the second you inject it.”

  I walked past him, toward the entrance to the lower levels of the home. “Just give it to me when you feel it’s ready. I know where to find my father. I’ll get there as soon as possible, and deal with him once and for all. And hopefully the shot will last long enough that Halina won’t have any idea where I am when I…”

  “When you die?” he asked, following me.

  I glanced back at him. “That’s the plan.”

  He only nodded in response. Once we were in the lowest level, we headed to his laboratory. There were a ton of things bubbling and percolating down there. I only knew what one of them was—the shot that kept mixed vampires as alive as humans for an indefinite amount of time. The rest? No friggin’ clue.

  Gabriel led me over to a beaker full of something puce colored. It smelled awful, like sulfur. My nose crinkled as I stared down at the opening. It was smoking a little as it sat atop a bright blue flame. “That’s not the one I have to take, is it?”

  Gabriel lifted the beaker and swirled the purple liquid around, making the smell even worse. “Yes. This is the one you will need to take.” He looked around the beaker to study me. “And as bad as it smells, it will hurt infinitely more.”

  My mood sank as I stared at my liquid freedom. Of course it was going to hurt. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d engineered it that way. “Okay. What do I do? I want to be prepared, when the time is right.”

  Setting the glass back upon the burner, Gabriel grabbed my arm. I flinched a little at him grabbing me, but made myself relax. He could probably kill me with about three dozen things in this room if he really wanted. He’d just have a lot of explaining to do to his girlfriend if he did.

  Pushing my shirt up, he exposed my arm. “It’s quite simple. Puncture the skin anywhere on your body and inject the liquid. The results are nearly instantaneous, so don’t use it until you’re ready.”

  I yanked my arm away, nodding. His jade eyes studying me, he added, “The bond is hard to break, and will return without constant interfer
ence.” He pointed to the bubbling liquid. “I’ve enhanced the original version of this, but you will still need to take a shot every twenty-four hours. I wouldn’t go past twenty if I were you.”

  I frowned at this new information. “I have to inject myself with a painful shot every day? You failed to mention this before. Can’t you make one that breaks it forever?”

  His lip curled into a smile. “Of course I could. It would just also kill you in the process.” His expression turned inquisitive. “Would you like that one? Maybe you could take it with you?”

  Not answering, I looked away from him. Trancing hunters to hunt me down was one thing. Injecting myself with poison, quite another. Just like facing the sun or staking myself…I couldn’t take my own life. And that fact was truly my greatest weakness.

  Gabriel silently mused over my response, then said, “I’ll include a vial in your pack. It will be clearly labeled. Then, if you find that this life is just too much for you to handle, you’ll have a reprieve available to you.”

  I looked back at him. Reprieve? Interesting way to phrase it. Shrugging off the moroseness of our conversation, I asked, “How will I get more…of the other shot? I can’t exactly call in an order.”

  Gabriel tilted his head. “I’ll send some to L.A. every few months with instructions that you are to be allowed to pick it up.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “I assume you remember where that nest is?”

  Sniffing, I told him, “Yeah.” That nest had been the first domino in the chain of events that had killed me. And now it was going to be my source of freedom. Great. “I don’t expect to need the shot for long, but I don’t want to suddenly pop up on Halina’s radar if things with my father take some time.” I knew where Dad was now, but if Gabriel took too long, I’d lose him again.

  Gabriel smiled. It wasn’t comforting. “I suggest you handle that situation expediently, otherwise, your supply may all be the lethal shot one day. Just something to keep in mind.”

  Double great. Well, surviving this had never been my intention anyway. If Gabriel slipped me a shot that would instantly kill me and I unknowingly took it, that wouldn’t necessarily be killing myself. He was simply another sleeper agent working for me. One who would kill me when I least expected it. I could live with that. I returned his smile. “I’ll keep that in mind every time I stick myself.”

  His expression turned genuinely pleased. “I appreciate the fact that we understand each other perfectly. That simplifies things a great deal.”

  I nodded again. Yes, it certainly did.

  I was lying on my bed in my dark bedroom, watching the way the glow of my eyes reflected on the hills and valleys of the white plaster above me when Halina returned. Closing my eyes, I both cherished and hated the feel of her approaching. When she was downstairs, she hesitated beside my door. I held my breath. Right would take her to Gabriel’s lab, where I knew he was still plugging away at my cure. Left would take her to my room. I wasn’t sure which one of us she wanted to see, and I couldn’t help but hope it was me.

  Since the individual rooms were all soundproof, I couldn’t hear her until she cracked open my door. “Hunter?” she softly asked. “Are you still awake?”

  Even though a flush of relief coursed through me that she’d picked my room, I considered leaving my eyes closed, not exhaling my breath…acting asleep. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stop myself from answering her. “Yes,” I whispered, opening my eyes.

  I turned to look at her as she stepped into the room and closed the door. She seemed the same as before—tight dress in a deep purple color, knee-high boots in shiny black vinyl. No apparent injuries, tears, fresh blood. No sign of a struggle. Of course, there wouldn’t be any. I’d made Markus as docile as a lamb. No challenge for a predator like Halina.

  “So, he’s dead then,” I said, as she sat on the bed beside me.

  Giving me a soft smile, she grabbed my hand. “No.”

  Sure I’d heard wrong, I sat up. “You left him alive? Why?”

  She ran the back of her fingers down my cheek. “It was important to you that he lived, and you’re important to me.” She cupped my cheek, her thumb stroking the rough stubble along my jaw. “We’re not as bad as you think we are, Hunter. I want you to see that.”

  I was dumbfounded. I’d truly believed she would rip him apart and bury the pieces. “Thank you,” was all I could think to say.

  She nodded, removing her hand to her lap. “I did, however, wipe his mind completely blank and give him the distinct impression that his life would best be spent cataloging the mating rituals of penguins in the Antarctic. I hope he doesn’t mind the cold,” she laughed.

  Surprisingly, I laughed with her. Her content expression grew at seeing a trace amount of mirth on me. Then a wistful sigh escaped her. “I hope…I hope you come to find peace, Hunter. I would hate to see you do something…rash…to yourself. I’ve grown rather fond of you.” She rolled her eyes. “Even if you do give me gray hairs and worry lines.” She added something in Russian that I was pretty sure was very descriptive profanity.

  I had a lump in my throat that I couldn’t get rid of. I hated how she could reduce me to an emotional wreck with just a few tender words. Her parenting style was much different from my father’s. His was duty wrapped in steel. Hers was warmth wrapped in steel. I’d wanted to please my father for his approval. I wanted to please Halina because I couldn’t stomach the thought of letting her down. It made what I had to do that much harder.

  She spoke more foreign words to me as she kissed my head. These words were soft, tender. I wanted to know they meant, but I also feared what they meant. I was already struggling with guilt; how much more could I add to the pile. “Halina?” My voice quavered, and I swallowed past the knot.

  “Hmmm?”

  I met her eyes; her face was content, at peace. Would I ever look like that? Not able to ask what I wanted, not able to give her tender words in return, I could only instead say, “I know I messed up tonight, but I would still like my freedom.”

  Disappointment immediately replaced her happiness. She sat up straighter on the bed, and her lips shifted to a frown. “No. I cannot trust you to not harm yourself, so I will not leave you or let you leave me. You will just have to suffer through my presence.” She immediately stood and stormed from the room.

  I exhaled a stuttered breath once my soundproof protection was back in place. “I care about you too,” I whispered into the darkness. Eyes glued on the door, I added, “But I can’t stay.”

  MY BROTHER WAS pacing his bedroom, anxious. The family was getting ready to head out to the ranch. I was ecstatic—I’d get to see a lot more of Hunter than our short, secret, midnight rendezvous. Julian, however, didn’t want to leave town. He was acting like being away for a couple of days was the end of the world. And all because of the women in his life.

  Arianna hadn’t called him last night. She hadn’t come over either. He’d called her at least four dozen times, but her phone was always off. He’d even tried calling her mom, but all she’d told him was that she’d gone out with friends. Julian was gutted.

  I was worried. If we didn’t fix this fast, I was going to lose my best friend forever. And all because of freaking Raquel Johnson. I couldn’t believe it. I also couldn’t believe it when Julian called her after he couldn’t get a hold of Arianna. They’d still been talking when I’d fallen asleep. My brother seriously needed an intervention.

  I silently watched him wearing a circular pattern into the floor as he paced. He looked up at me, his face and mood distressed. “Why didn’t she call me? I told her I would explain what happened on prom night if she called me. So why didn’t she call? Or come over? Why would she…go out?” He tossed his hands into the air.

  Folding my arms across my chest, I leaned against the doorframe. “I don’t know, maybe she’s making you sweat it out. You know, because you basically ignored her all week.”

  His feelings turned droll as he stopped and stared at me. “I didn’t ignore h
er. I was just…a little preoccupied.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “A little? Talking to you was like talking to a wall.”

  He ran his hands back through his hair. “I just felt bad for what happened to Raquel. I felt responsible. I still feel responsible.”

  I lowered my gaze. It wasn’t Julian’s fault, and I told him as much. “You didn’t have anything to do with what happened to her.”

  His voice hardened. “I know.” He sighed. “I can’t shake the feeling though. It was a member of my family who caused the situation. That kind of, sort of, makes it my doing.”

  My heart skipped a beat and surprise washed through me. Julian bunched his brows as my emotions flowed into him. “What?” he cautiously asked.

  I couldn’t contain my happiness, or my smile. “You just called Hunter family.”

  Julian looked away. “Well, he is…isn’t he?” Getting a mischievous grin on his face, he looked over at me and added, “Which means you can’t date him. Incest and all.”

  I grimaced at his words, then chucked a hairbrush at his head. He easily dodged. Heat flashed through my body as I remembered the explosion Hunter had given me last night. Epic didn’t even begin to describe it. And while it had been exceedingly satisfying, it hadn’t been enough. I wanted him, body and soul. I wanted to share every last intimacy with him, which was yet another reason why I wanted to go to the ranch. Hunter had a soundproof room…

  Julian’s mood turned curious while he examined my flustered feelings. When he figured out what I was thinking about, his curiosity instantly shifted to horror. “Nika, did you…?”

  Our parents were downstairs, so he didn’t finish his question. Instead, he acted out the movement with his hands. My face flamed brighter than the sun, and I wished I had another hairbrush to throw at him. “No!” I hissed. “And stop asking me that question.”

  Julian turned over my words with disgust on his face; he was filled to the brim with disbelief. He knew we’d done something last night. Thank God he’d been asleep. I bit my lip as Hunter’s hard body swept over my thoughts. Julian held up his hand. “Whatever you’re thinking about, please stop.”