The True Beast (A Full Moon Mercy Novel) (shifter / MC romance)

by Ana W. Fawkes

  “I heard your friend say that already,” Debbie said.

  Lucas didn’t respond to the friend comment. Instead, he leaned forward and kissed Debbie’s cheek. As he pulled back, Debbie grabbed at his jacket, keeping him close.

  “Please,” Debbie whispered. “Do that again. Kiss my lips. My body…”

  “I can’t,” Lucas said. “You’ll be okay, Debbie.”

  Lucas stood and walked away. Leah caught sight of Debbie staring at her. She could see tears glistening in her eyes. For a second it made Leah feel guilty, as though she had stepped between two people she couldn’t have. Before the thoughts could get to her, Lucas took Leah by the hand and led her from the secret apartment.

  They went upstairs to the club and Leah kept her head down as she walked through the small crowd of Full Moon Mercy members as they drank and enjoyed life. Once they were inside Lucas’s room and the door was shut and locked, Leah finally felt safe.

  “Tonight we’ll crash here,” Lucas said. “Tomorrow I have a big meeting. Going for a little ride. I’ll make sure you’re protected though.”

  “I don’t want to talk about tomorrow,” Leah said. She moved closer to Lucas. “I’m more interested in right now.”

  “Well, right now, I think we both could use a hot shower.”

  That was all Leah needed to hear. She walked to the bathroom and stepped inside, Lucas right behind her. His hands touched her sides and she quickly shuddered. He wasted not a second as he began to lift her shirt. Leah stared at herself in the mirror along with the reflection of Lucas as he lifted her shirt up. Before Leah’s shirt could hit the floor, Lucas’s fingers unsnapped her bra, leaving her feeling relieved and turned on. With her breasts exposed, Lucas’s strong hands cupped over her chest, holding her tight. He then kissed her shoulders, slowly and seductively before gently flicking his tongue. His fingers gently massaged her tender breasts as Leah reached back and pulled at Lucas’s belt. She managed to fumble her way enough to open his belt and pants, sliding her hands in until she felt the thickness he had for her. Once again, her small hand wrapped around his shaft and pulled, sliding along his impressive length, desperate to have to him inside her, pleasuring her.

  When Lucas broke away from Leah, she gripped the bathroom sink, her muscles tight and shaky. Lucas walked to the shower and turned the water on. He then turned and took his leather and t-shirt off, showing off his perfectly chiseled body. He stepped toward Leah and made fast work with her pants, easing them down, forcing Leah to step out of them. Lucas then took her by the thighs and put Leah on the sink. His hands slid down to her knees and pushed her legs open wide. Leah grabbed at Lucas’s thick shoulders, holding on tight.

  “You’re too beautiful for this life,” Lucas said. “You shouldn’t be here in all this, yet I can’t let you go.”

  “I wouldn’t go if you told me to,” Leah said. “I can’t be away from it.”

  “Even though you’re in danger?”

  “I’m only in danger when I’m not with you,” Leah said.

  Lucas’s left hand squeezed tight at Leah’s knee. His right hand moved up her leg and cut between, pressing against the warm fabric of her panties. As he massaged in small circles, Leah felt the moisture of her body soaking her panties. The running water from the shower started to let in more heat and a thin layer of steam.

  Lucas kissed Leah, offering his lips, then his tongue. As Leah kissed him back with more passion, Lucas’s fingers pulled at Leah’s panties, making room for two of his fingers to slip inside. The touch of his bare fingers against her sex made Leah thrust at him. This was her body once again losing control to the power Lucas possessed.

  “Don’t move, baby,” Lucas teased with his words as his fingers slid along Leah’s skin. “I’ll always take care of you.”

  Lucas took his hand away from Leah and pulled at the small of her back, taking her off the bathroom sink. When her feet touched the floor she thought she was going to fall. All the strength in her body had seemed to disappear for a few seconds. Lucas was there to keep her standing.

  Lucas commanded her with one word. “Naked.”

  Leah fought her way out of her panties, kicking them away, standing nude in front of Lucas.

  “Shower,” was his next single word command.

  Leah went to the shower and when the hot water pelted against her body, her skin tightened and she moaned. It seemed Lucas was able to engage every inch of her body, even when he wasn’t touching her.

  Leah watched as Lucas dropped his pants and boxers, stepping from the rest of his clothes. He then joined her in the shower, eager to scoop her up in his arms. A second later, her back was pressed against the chilly tile as the hot water still rushed against their bodies. Lucas was aggressive, his tongue tasting her mouth, her neck, and finally down to her sensitive breasts. As his tongue tickled against Leah’s nipples, she thrust the lower half of her body, demanding Lucas have her. She couldn't wait any longer for him.

  Understanding her needs, Lucas positioned himself to Leah and with a hard push, he entered her. Leah cried out, battling the sounds of the rushing water for attention. Lucas’s hands held her tightly in place as he loved her, moving faster with each passing second. He kissed his way back to her mouth where their lips gently touched but they didn’t kiss. Instead, they stared at each other, Leah losing her breath and losing all sense of feeling other than pleasure. She accepted Lucas over and over, even as he began to climax. He hurried to exit her body, leaving Leah quivering for more and reaching down to hold him and slide her hand along his shaft, welcoming his release against her leg.

  The moment had been so dangerous and so close. For a second, as Leah stared at Lucas, she thought of Debbie. If Lucas had stayed inside her… how many times could they chance it before Leah would end up like Debbie?

  After the moment passed, Lucas continued to touch Leah, but they were romantic touches, proving to Leah he would protect her no matter what.

  They showered and Lucas stepped from the shower first. He took a towel and wrapped it around Leah’s shoulders. He then lifted her and carried her to the bed. There she closed her eyes to the sweet and clean smell of Lucas’s skin. Yet, with her head to his chest, Leah could hear something deeper in his body. The beast that lived within Lucas. The man and beast that kept her safe.

  16

  Ian opened the door to the office and Chief Charlie jumped to his feet. He reached for his coffee and knocked it over. A few drops spilled but he managed to save most of the coffee from spilling all over his desk.

  “Sleeping?” Ian asked.

  “No. I’m always up this late. Or early. Or whatever the hell you want to call it.”

  “You got what Vince asked for?”

  Ian hated dealing with authority, even if the authority was on the side of Full Moon Mercy. Anyone too organized and who carried a badge made him worry.

  “I got you a coffee, too,” Charlie said and pointed to a second cup on the desk.

  “I don’t drink that shit,” Ian said. “You should know that.”

  “Well, it was the gesture.”

  “Gesture? Just give me two names I can round up here.”

  Charlie put his hand to the desk. “I can get two out of lockup.”

  “No,” Ian said. “We’re not cashing that in just yet.”

  “Yet?”

  Ian smiled. “This is the first trip of ours. Talk to Vince on that. I just need to know where to find two guys.”

  “Okay,” Charlie said. “I don’t like this shit at all.”

  “I don’t like a lot of things, but I’m here.”

  Ian watched as the Chief opened a folder and pointed to a picture. “This guy right here. They call him Ralphie.”

  “Seriously?”

  “He’s big time in small shit. But he’s wanted in questioning of a murder. Six months ago we found the burnt shell of a car with a woman’s body in the front seat. Long story short, the woman had been dating Ralphie, but allegedly broke thing
s off when she found out he was dealing.”

  “Good motive. Why haven’t you brought him in?”

  “Didn’t have a strong enough case,” Charlie said. “He comes and goes through town. He’s in town right now. And his right hand man, Dickie, is with him. That guy is one bad guy. Murder and drugs.”

  “Where are they?” Ian asked.

  Charlie wrote down an address on a piece of paper and handed it to Ian. “Make this quiet.”

  “I’ll do my best. You stay put in case we need to make a call or someone else makes a call.”

  Charlie sipped from his coffee. “I’ll be here doing paperwork all night and all morning.”

  Ian left the office and the station. He called Seth and gave him the address. They would need to use Seth’s pickup truck to hide the bodies.

  Ian rode up to the house and circled the block once. There was a small driveway with a one car garage. The lights were on in the garage and the rest of the house was empty. Ralphie and Dickie were probably either getting high or cutting up supplies to sell in Mercy.

  When Ian saw Seth’s pickup truck, he rode to the driver’s window.

  “Back up the driveway right to the doors,” Ian said.

  “Won’t that attract attention?” Seth asked.

  “That’s the point,” Ian said. “We’ll ambush them. Nobody else is around.”

  “If they have guns…”

  Ian laughed. “You know what we are, Seth. Any sign of danger and we shift. We have to take them alive though. It’s the only way we could offer this to the Oreno crew for safe passage.”

  Seth nodded. “Okay.”

  Seth pulled the truck up to the driveway and started to back in. Ian coasted to the sidewalk and climbed from his motorcycle. He reached back for his gun and walked to the garage door. Seth was backed up close and then he revved the engine, calling attention to the truck.

  Ian hurried and started to pound on the door.

  “Open up!” he bellowed.

  The garage door opened a second later and Seth joined Ian, both men holding guns. A man stood with his hand on the garage door while the other sat at a table holding cards in his hands.

  “What the fuck is this?” the man at the door asked.

  “Ralphie?” Ian asked.

  “Who’s asking?”

  “Dickie?” Ian asked the man at the table.

  “Fuck off.”

  “Get them,” Ian said.

  Ralphie tried to close the garage door, but Ian kicked him before he could pull the door shut enough to block Ian and Seth. Ralphie fell back with an aching cry and Ian pounced on him, hitting him in the face over and over until he wasn’t moving any longer. Seth rushed to the card table and Dickie flipped it. Seth jumped and in a matter of seconds, his clothing fell from his body as he crashed down to Dickie and the table as a wolf.

  “Seth,” Ian yelled. “What are you doing?”

  Dickie climbed up and had his hands above his head. He stared at the massive wolf before him and he started to shake.

  “Oh, he’s pissing himself,” Ian said with a laugh as he pointed to the growing wet spot on Dickie’s pants.

  “What… what is this?” Dickie asked.

  “Simple,” Ian said. “Keep your hands up and my hungry friend won’t bite your head off. Deal?”

  “D…Deal,” Dickie said. “Whatever you want.”

  Ian walked to Dickie and knew he had to knock the guy out. “You’re a murderer and drug dealer.”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Dickie said.

  “Yeah, I do.”

  Ian swung the handgun and hit Dickie in the head. He collapsed to the ground. Both men were out cold. Ian turned to Seth and shook his head at the sight of the massive wolf.

  “I should have been the one to shift,” Ian said. “This is my gig here.”

  Seth backed away from the body and table. He stood and shifted back to human form and dressed himself. Ian took Dickie and Ralphie by their shirts and dragged them to the back of the pickup truck. Together, Ian and Seth loaded up the bodies and covered them with tarps.

  “How are we going to keep them down for a while?” Seth asked.

  “Vince has something to inject them with,” Ian said. “No worries there.”

  Seth closed the back of the pickup truck and sighed. “Who is going tomorrow?”

  “None of your damn business,” Ian said.

  He patted Seth on the back and walked to his motorcycle. He started the bike and pointed to Seth.

  “What?” Seth asked.

  “Turn out the lights and shut the door,” Ian said. “Then get those two to the club and let Vince know we’re ready.”

  Ian started to ride and let the night consume him. The feel of the road and the sound of the motorcycle. It didn’t cure all the pain rushing through his body, but it was a comfort. The only comfort he knew.

  *

  Vince woke before the sun was up. He looked over to Mandy and smiled. He’d never seen a woman sleep so beautiful before in his life. She slept with one arm above her head. A little hair draped down her shoulders. It was almost as though she were lifeless. It looked so that Vince reached across and put his hand to Mandy’s chest to feel for her heartbeat.

  There was a heartbeat.

  Mandy’s hand clamped down on Vince’s hand.

  “Not now,” she whispered in a purring voice. “You have business.”

  “Yes, I do,” Vince said.

  He leaned down and kissed Mandy.

  “Be careful.”

  “I always am,” Vince said. “Get some rest.”

  Vince got out the bed and skipped food and coffee. He went right outside and right to his motorcycle. He loved riding in the predawn hours, when the town of Mercy was mostly asleep. The first glimpse of daybreak across the horizon and the fresh smell of the cool air poured into his body. His mind raced in ten different directions. Thinking of how to claim Lucas as his own, making the life in Debbie’s body part of the club. How to get rid of Leah without killing Lucas too much. More so, the journey for today. To get to the Oreno crew and cut a deal. They would need to satisfy the Oreno with the deal and then would need to get Debbie to Dr. Carane without any bloodshed.

  Like hell…

  Vince pulled into the back of the club and saw the line of motorcycles there. Most were from the guys partying too hard and crashing over night. Others were from those hoping to become part of Full Moon Mercy, desperate to cook, clean, tend to anyone’s needs.

  When Vince got off his motorcycle he looked around and let out a breath.

  There was no way this would go off easily.

  It wasn’t in the blood of a shifter. And it certainly wasn’t in the deep seeded relationship between crews. No way Oreno would let Full Moon Mercy pass through and back with ease.

  Vince went to the club and when the door slammed, it sounded like a hundred moans echoed around him. There were men and women on tables, couches, and the floor. It made Vince smile. There had been a time in his life when the long nights seemed endless. Then he met Mandy and took the leadership role of the motorcycle club and life became dangerous and serious.

  Behind the bar, two guys were quickly moving, making coffee and food.

  “Vince?” one called out. He held a bottle of whiskey and coffee mug.

  “Just the coffee,” Vince said.

  “Okay.”

  Vince walked around the bodies on the floor and took a seat at the bar. A few seconds later Cooper came stumbling from the back. He rubbed his face and he looked like hell.

  “Hey, Vince,” Cooper said.

  “Coop,” Vince said and offered his hand.

  They shook hands and Cooper sat next to Vince.

  “I got a truck ready,” Cooper said.

  “Let’s get through this trip first,” Vince said.

  “Confident?”

  Vince looked at Cooper. His eyes were always inquisitive. Vince learned a long time ago it was better to just gi
ve those around what he felt they needed and nothing more.

  “We’ll survive this,” Vince said.

  “Oreno or Reckingdune?”

  Vince smiled. “Both. There’s no club around us that could touch us. These are all just minor occurrences, that’s all.”

  “You think Lucas is going to claim the pregnant woman?”

  “Doesn’t matter to me, Cooper. All that matters is that baby is brought safely into our world. There’s only one man who can ensure that will happen.”

  “We just have to get there first,” Cooper said.

  Vince sipped his coffee. “Getting there isn’t the problem. Getting back is.”

  Vince stood and took his coffee mug into the conference room. It was empty and quiet. He took to his seat and looked at the clock on the wall. Another hour or so and they would be able to travel. The first trip would be kept simple. A few guys and an offer. The second trip would be much more dangerous because of the life at stake. There would be bloodshed on the second trip. It made Vince really start to think about things. Lucas was insistent that Leah came on the trip, to assist with Debbie. Maybe that would work to the benefit of the club after all. If a stray bullet were to hit Leah and take her down during that second trip…

  Vince finished his coffee and nodded. It was amazing how sometimes plans just worked themselves out.

  That meant it was time for a real drink. Vince reached down and grabbed the bottle of booze next to the table. One or two shots were just enough to get the heart pumping. As long as Vince could remember, going into important meetings and decisions life with booze never did any harm… well, too much harm.

  17

  Lucas hated the idea of the having weapons on himself. A gun here, a gun there, it all felt too much like the club was heading out to settle a score or cause some big time trouble. A bullet could be traced and it never came with any real threat, thanks to having the authorities in Mercy in place. A body destroyed by some kind of large animal may not have sent a clear message, but it never fell back on the club.

  But today Lucas needed heat and he needed to get through this negotiation with the Oreno crew. Staring at Leah as she slept reminded him of just how much he needed this disaster to work itself out. In the back of his mind, he vaguely remembered someone once telling him that time would always cure things. Storms would pass. Days would come and go. All that same poetic bullshit that fathers spoke to their sons because their fathers said the same to them. Lucas didn't need that kind of stuff rolling through his mind. He needed to just remain focused.