The Beast Within

by S. C. Stephens

  Just as I was wondering if I should somehow get Arianna home—Dad’s car was still abandoned along the highway, his keys still in my pocket—a trio of vampires walked out the front door. Looking over, I stared at Gabriel, Jacen, and Starla with impassive eyes. Arianna didn’t even notice them. Gabriel tilted his head as he examined my girlfriend. “I could give her a sedative, if you like?”

  Not really wanting anything from him, I shook my head. “She’ll be fine. I just need to get her home.”

  Gabriel nodded at me, then turned to Starla and Jacen; both mixed vampires were worn and bloody, like they’d gone a round or two with an MMA fighter. Or a dozen of them. “Go get the cars, please. We’ll head back to L.A. at once. We’ll collect our things later.”

  They both nodded, then plodded off toward the garage. Gabriel watched them leave, sadness in his eyes, then his expression returned to neutrality as he looked at me again. “If you’d like, Julian, we could take her home before we leave.”

  A sharp voice behind him cracked the stillness in the night air. “No. I need to take her. Her family will need adjusting. It’s a miracle her parents haven’t come to collect her yet.” Halina strode from the open front door to stand by Gabriel.

  He quirked a smile. “Since you were preoccupied, and the girl wanted to stay, I had an acquaintance of mine in a neighboring city pay her parents a visit. I can assure you, they haven’t been missing her.”

  I flashed a glance at Arianna, hoping she didn’t understand what that meant. I didn’t think she’d be okay with her parents receiving visitors from strange vampires. Hell, I wasn’t entirely sure I was okay with it. I trusted Gabriel, though. In this, at least. He wouldn’t send anyone dangerous to her house.

  Halina agreed with my assessment. Her face remained cool, but her tone slightly warmed. “Oh, well, thank you. The last thing we needed tonight was frazzled parents at our door.” After a moment, she raised an eyebrow at him and said, “You stayed and fought with my family, protected them, even after I ordered you to leave. Why?”

  Gabriel looked over at me and smiled. It was a genuine smile, full of warmth. It was a little odd to see on him, since he was generally very guarded with his emotions. Turning back to Halina, he told her in a soft voice, “They are as much a family to me as my own. I would give my last breath to keep them from harm, my love.”

  Halina looked touched, then she frowned. “Not all of them.”

  Gabriel’s smile evaporated. Furrowing his brows, his lips mimicked Halina’s scowl. “With regards to Hunter, I am truly sorry I let jealousy cloud my judgment. That was most unlike me. I can’t even remember the last time I felt that way.” He looked over her shoulder, lost in thought for a second. When he refocused on her, his gaze was resolute. “It was wrong of me to attempt to break your connection with Hunter. You have my sincerest apologies. I am highly disappointed in my actions, and even though I do not deserve such a kindness, I pray that when I am gone, you will remember our good times together, and not how we ended. I would wish for your thoughts of me to not all be unkind, although, I would certainly understand if they were.” He flashed a glance at the tattered home behind him. “I’ll leave your family in peace now. Goodbye, my love.”

  He turned to leave, but Halina snatched his elbow. “Wait.” When he looked over at her, she rolled her eyes. “You may stay. We need help cleaning up anyway.” She shrugged.

  As Starla’s shiny BMW and Gabriel’s sleek sedan stopped right beside my pacing girlfriend, Gabriel gave my grandmother a cautious glance. “You have forgiven me?”

  Halina narrowed her eyes. “Not yet.” She sniffed. “But I will…in time.” With a sigh, she ran a hand down his arm and grabbed his fingers. “You have nothing to be jealous of with Hunter. He is my child, you are my lover.”

  “Are?” he asked, climbing a step to be equal with her again. “As in, I am still your lover?”

  Halina nodded as she grabbed his other hand. “For the time being.” She gave him a crooked smile. “Just make sure you don’t piss me off again.”

  His eyes lowered to her lips, and, sensing an intimate moment that I didn’t want to see, I turned away. After a few soft lip smacks, I heard Gabriel mutter, “Duly noted, my love. Duly noted.”

  Starla was waiting in her car for Gabriel. She looked hopeful and happy as she stared at Gabriel and my grandmother making out through the window. For all her complaining, she liked being a part of our nest. Cracking open her door, she stood up. “Father? Are we really staying? Can we go home?”

  Halina groaned, and Gabriel chuckled. Looking back at Starla, he nodded. “Yes, you and Jacen are free to go home now. We’ll be staying in Utah after all, it seems. Please leave the sedan, Jacen. Halina and I will be returning the girl momentarily.”

  Jacen nodded and stepped out of the car, leaving it running. With a wide smile, he politely told Halina, “Thank you,” then rushed over to Starla’s car. Pulling her into his arms, he spun her in a circle; both were laughing, relieved by Halina’s decision.

  When they drove off a few seconds later, spinning the sports car’s tires in their exuberance, Arianna broke out of her pacing-induced trance and looked up at me. “I want to go home, Julian.”

  My brief humor at seeing Starla and Jacen’s joy vanished as I was reminded of my own situation. I sighed as I walked down the steps to join Arianna, and fervently hoped that she could handle everything that had just been thrown at her recently. I swished my hand toward the running car. “Come on, we’ll take you home.”

  Halina and Gabriel took the front seats while I walked Arianna to the back. Pausing in the open car door, I told the house, “I’m taking Arianna home.” One of the vampires inside would hear me and inform my grief-stricken parents that I was leaving. Not that they wouldn’t know by the bond. They’d know the second Halina and I left the property, and as long as I was with her, they wouldn’t worry. Too much.

  Alanna appeared at the door and waved goodbye. She wiped a tear from her cheek; her hand was shaking. This night had put everyone through the wringer. Reaching into my pocket, I tossed her Dad’s car keys, so he could fetch it later, then I slid into the seat beside Arianna. She was silent on the ride home. Silent and contemplative. It worried me. I tried holding her hand, kissing her fingers, but she ignored my affections. My heartbeat was fast with dread by the time we reached the city.

  I endlessly searched my girlfriend’s face while Gabriel drove us to her house. Her brows were knotted as she stared straight in front of her, and her green-flecked eyes shimmered with moisture. She had bags under her eyes and her cheeks seemed hollow, like stress, lack of food, and lack of sleep had sucked in her features. She’d had to deal with so much in such a short span of time. Was she okay? Or still on the verge of a collapse?

  An ache ran through my injured leg, and I idly rubbed it. Arianna’s eyes flashed to the movement. Her expression changed, and she suddenly looked very afraid. I could almost see her replaying the terrifying ordeal in her mind. Her heart raced, and her breath picked up. Abandoning my leg, I reached out for her face. “Hey, it’s okay. We’re okay. It’s over.”

  “It will never be over,” she muttered, panic rising in her voice.

  I rubbed my hand over her cheek. “Yes, it will,” I soothed, hoping that was true.

  Her honey-brown locks flicked around my hand as she violently shook her head. “No. There will always be something, someone trying to kill you. I’ll always be in danger with you. I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die. Nika died. Oh God, Nika died…”

  Sensing she was about to seriously lose it, I pulled her in for a hug. In the rearview mirror, I caught eyes with my grandmother. She had an eyebrow raised as she appraised my girlfriend. I had to be very careful here. One wrong step and I could lose everything. “The man chasing us is dead. We’re safe. We won’t be hunted anymore.” I had no idea if those words were true, but it was all I could think to say.

  Arianna was stiff in my arms, resisting my comfort. “I thou
ght it was over when Nika’s boyfriend was killed, when my mom’s car was shot at. I thought that would be as bad as it got…” She pulled back, and her face was ghostly white. “They tried to burn us alive. They shot at us. They destroyed the ranch trying to get to us. They killed Nika…they killed my best friend.”

  Terror rose in her voice, and I ran my hand through her hair to try to sooth her. “They won’t hurt us anymore. You’re safe.”

  She pushed my hand away. I could sense the fear oozing from her, and I knew her reaction was based from exhaustion and terror, and not from her true feelings, but in her turmoil, she said the absolute worst thing she could have possibly said. “I can’t be with you. You’re dangerous. And I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die…”

  My vision swam as her words sunk in. I clutched for her hands, but she pushed me away. “You don’t mean that. You’re just tired, scared.”

  “Yes, scared of being chased, scared of being hunted. They wanted to kill me just because I was with you.” She pointed at the bullet wound in my leg. “They shot you!”

  “Arianna,” I pleaded, “I love you. Please don’t do this.”

  I tried to hug her, and she immediately started slapping me away; she’d completely gone over whatever slim edge of sanity she’d been keeping. “I don’t want this! I don’t want to die! I want to go home! Take me home!”

  We were just about to her home anyway. I stopped trying to soothe her, and she huddled into a ball, murmuring, “I’m sixteen, I don’t want to die.”

  Sighing, I glanced in the rearview mirror again. Halina’s face was impassive as she watched Arianna, then her gaze shifted to me. I saw steel in her eyes, and I knew what it meant. She was firming her resolve to do something difficult. The car stopped in Arianna’s driveway a few seconds later, and Arianna bolted. I wanted to run after her, but Halina cracked open her door. I grabbed her shoulder over the seat. “Please, don’t. She’ll be fine; just give her time to adjust.”

  Halina looked back at me, firmness on her face. “She’s not strong enough, Julian. She’s not the one for you.”

  I glanced Arianna’s way. She was pounding on the front door, yelling for her parents. If they weren’t worried before, they would be now. “Then make her strong enough. Make her calm down, make her be okay with what happened.” I looked back at Halina; I could feel the tears dripping down my cheeks, but I was too worried to brush them away. “Please, I love her.”

  Halina’s face softened for a second, but then her mask returned. “I’m sorry, Julian, but I won’t alter her to suit you. If she can’t handle our life, then she must be cut free. It’s our way.”

  She began to move, and I panicked and followed her out the car door. Standing in front of her, I grabbed her shoulders. “Don’t take it all. Take the girlfriend part away, but let her remember me. Please, at least do that for me.”

  Halina sighed as she looked down at me. From behind me, I could hear Arianna’s parents opening the door, asking her what was wrong. Arianna started sobbing, and telling them…everything. Halina clenched her jaw as she listened to all our secrets being exposed. “I’m sorry, Julian. If I let her remember you, she’ll remember her feelings for you. We’ll be right back where we are now.” She brought her chilly hand to my cheek. “And I have no desire to hurt you like this twice. It is best to completely sever the tie. Then you’ll begin to heal.”

  She looked behind her at Gabriel. He blurred to my side a second later. Arianna’s disbelieving parents saw the supernatural movement and started panicking along with their daughter. I heard the front door slam as they all darted inside. Even though I knew she needed to fix this, I fought against my grandmother when she tried to move around me. But then Gabriel’s steel fingers locked around my arms, freeing Halina, and I knew I was powerless to stop this.

  “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” I wasn’t sure who I was shouting to—my soon-to-be ex-girlfriend, or my grandmother.

  I watched in horror as Halina casually strode to the door, pushed it inward as if it were made of cardboard, and disappeared into the depths of the home. There was shouting, pleading, then absolute silence. I knew it was over, and I sank to my knees. Gabriel let me fall. There was nothing to be done now. He patted my shoulder in sympathy. “It is for the best, Julian. You’ll find another.”

  Dejected, I stared at the ground. “I don’t want another,” I muttered. “I want her. She was in shock…her best friend was just killed. She should have been given time to mourn, to grieve…to adjust. This wasn’t fair.”

  He removed his hand. “Many things in life are not fair.”

  I knew that, but knowing it didn’t make anything any easier.

  I stayed on the ground until Halina returned; I was still on my knees when she stood before me. I remained there, looking at the clumps of grass around my legs. I couldn’t look at her yet. Not without anger. She lowered herself into a squat and waited. When I still didn’t move, her hand forcibly raised my chin. Reluctantly, I looked up at her. As gently as she could, she told me, “I know you don’t understand, but I did this for you, for all of us. We cannot afford to let those who cannot handle our lives keep their knowledge. And she will be safer this way, for she was right, our lives are dangerous. There is no denying that.”

  Lifting my chin, I spat back, “She was in shock. She would have been fine if you’d given her time. But you didn’t, and now you’ll never get the grandchildren you want. Nika can’t create them, and I’ll never love another woman. You just destroyed the line.”

  She gave me a patient smile. “Never say never, child.”

  I sprang to my feet. “I’m going home. I have school tomorrow, and I want to be alone.”

  Halina seamlessly stood up. “Yes, school. There are other adjustments I will need to make before morning. It does us no good if Arianna no longer remembers you being together, but everyone around her does.” I stared at Halina in defiance, and she gave me a soft smile. “I already have the information, I got it from Arianna before I wiped her, so your stubbornness won’t stop anything.”

  I stormed back to the car and slammed my door shut. Gabriel joined me, but Halina stayed outside. To Gabriel, she said, “I’ll do this faster on my own. Take him back to the ranch.”

  I glared at her through the window. “I said I want to go home.”

  She gave me a smile that was clearly forced. “I am not leaving you in an empty house all night.”

  Narrowing my eyes, I muttered, “I’m sixteen, not six.” When she didn’t appear swayed by my argument, I exhaled in a huff. “Fine, then take me to Starla and Jacen’s.” In a softer voice, I whispered, “I can’t be around Nika right now. I just…can’t.” It hurt too much.

  Halina titled her head as she examined me, then she slowly nodded. “I’ll let your parents know where you…”

  Her voice trailed off as she turned to stare in the direction of our house. “What is it?” I tentatively asked her. I really couldn’t handle any more tonight. I just needed a bed. And maybe a wall to punch.

  Brows furrowed, she replied, “Hunter. He left the ranch, and is heading toward your neighborhood.”

  As I tuned in to the mental blip that belonged to Hunter—a blip I generally ignored—I discovered she was right. That surprised me, and then I was surprised that anything could still surprise me. “He left Nika? Why?” And even more odd, now that I was paying attention, I could sense that my father was moving too. What was going on now?

  Still staring off in Hunter’s direction, Halina murmured, “I don’t know.” She looked up at the dark, twilight sky, then her eyes returned to Gabriel. “I have time. I’m going to find out what Hunter is doing. Take the boy to Starla’s.”

  She said Starla’s name with a slight sneer, and Gabriel smiled at hearing it. “With pleasure.” Lifting his eyebrows, he added, “Be careful, love.”

  She nodded at him. “You, as well.”

  Halina blurred away, and Gabriel started driving. I stared at Arianna’s house until
I couldn’t see it anymore. She was gone. I could knock on her door right now and she wouldn’t recognize me. It would be like the first day of school all over again. She’d had a class with both Nika and me back then. Arianna and Nika had hit it off instantly, and Arianna had just always been around after that. She’d always been flirty with me, and a part of me had known she’d liked me, but it had taken me far too long to realize just how much I liked her too.

  I laid my head against the window in despair. I’d wasted so much time obsessing over Raquel. And now, oddly, Raquel was all I had. But she wasn’t what I wanted, she wasn’t who I loved. I wanted Arianna. But maybe all wasn’t lost. Halina might have wiped Arianna’s mind clean, but she wouldn’t have touched her natural instincts—that wasn’t Halina’s style. She wouldn’t change Arianna, make it so she was never attracted to me, and if Arianna had been interested in me from day one, then I was sure she could be interested in me again.

  Sitting up in my seat, I mulled over my options. I could admit defeat, let Arianna go, and move on with my life. Or…I could get her back. I could start over and win her back. Halina wouldn’t like it, she might even attempt to wipe her again, but then, I’d just start over again. A slow smile spread over my face as I stared out the window. I’d start over as many times as I needed. I wouldn’t stop, and I wouldn’t give up. I couldn’t. I loved her.

  I WANTED TO stay with Nika. I wanted it more than anything I’d ever wanted before. The bond was strengthening in me, molding itself around my very being. I could almost feel the ethereal tendrils of it wrapping around me, like steel links of chainmail encasing me in armor. It made the thought of leaving her difficult to bear, but I had something to do, and I needed to attend to it before the sun came up. My guests wouldn’t wait forever.

  Knocking on my bedroom door, I intruded on Teren and Emma’s sanctuary with their daughter. “Teren,” I whispered. “I need to meet my father’s men. Would you…want to come with me?”