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

by Ana W. Fawkes

  “Okay,” Leah said.

  Lucas kissed Leah on the cheek. “Feel free to grab a drink if you want.”

  “I’m okay.”

  Leah broke away and Lucas watched her as she walked. He had to smile at the way she tried to hold herself tall and unafraid. Eyes were upon her, including the two guys behind the bar. Lucas pointed to them and then to Leah. The two guys nodded and offered thumbs up.

  Leah would be watched and protected.

  The conference room door opened and Ian stood with a bottle of beer in his hand.

  “There you are,” Ian called out.

  “Let me get a drink,” Lucas said. “I’ll be right in.”

  Lucas went to the bar and asked for a shot and a beer. He took the shot and then carried the beer to the conference room.

  It was a full table.

  Vince, Cooper, Ian, Seth, Zayne, Ethan, and Nate.

  Lucas gave the nod to everyone and took his seat. He lit up a smoke, took a drag, then looked at Vince.

  The meeting was on now.

  “We’re here for the obvious reasons,” Vince said. “Lucas, Cooper, Ian, and myself met with Eli and worked out a deal. We have the Oreno roads to use for an meeting and drop off with Dr. Carane.” Vince reached out and squeezed Lucas’s shoulder. “New life and blood is coming to Full Moon Mercy, boys.”

  The table erupted in applause and whistles.

  “Calm down,” Lucas said. “It’s not the best of situations here…”

  “But it’s life and blood,” Cooper said. He raised his beer and smiled.

  “Here, here,” Zayne called out.

  The rest of the table lifted their bottles and Lucas nodded in appreciation.

  “We all know Lucas can… take care of things,” Vince said and laughed. “But it’s crucial we get this woman to Dr. Carane. We’re going to ride straight through Oreno territory. We have to do our best to make sure there’s no violence. The arrangement is in place so our plan is to drop off the woman and then come right back here. If all goes well, we’ll be back to celebrate with whiskey and women.”

  The table cheered and whistled again.

  “The key with this is to just focus on what we’re doing,” Vince said. “Any hard feelings have to be put aside. Any revenge you feel we deserve to give out to the Oreno crew has to be forgotten for right now. We’re not weak, we’re just smart. There’s a bigger end to all of this. We are bringing weapons. We have every right to defend ourselves if something were to happen. Again, we are not weak here.”

  “The offer to Eli is something he really needs,” Lucas said. “His guys are hungry. Their little towns don’t have much to offer. Trust me, this will keep them at bay. This will keep them happy for now.”

  “Feeding the enemy,” Zayne said. “Kind of risky, isn’t it?”

  “That’s a risk we’re willing to take,” Lucas said. He looked around the table. “Unless any of you disagree…”

  “Or have a better plan,” Vince said.

  “Let’s vote it then,” Lucas said. “Keep things fair.”

  “We don’t need to vote,” Vince said. “This is for the better…”

  “No,” Lucas said. He turned to face Vince. “We vote. We’re a club. What’s better for one may not be for the other. We can’t just make decisions on our own, can we?”

  Lucas smiled, cutting deep into Vince.

  Vince touched his chin and nodded. “Okay. Then we vote it.”

  “We’re voting to get the woman safely to the doctor which means we pass through Oreno territory and we make sure we do good on our deal with them. All in favor?”

  Hands shot up. The entire table, including Zayne.

  “Anyone opposed?” Vince asked.

  Everyone looked around. Nobody opposed it.

  “Good,” Lucas said.

  “Then it’s settled,” Vince said. “We do this.”

  “The only thing we have to do now is figure out when to do this,” Lucas said.

  “Right now,” Vince said. He stood from the table. “We’re leaving right now.”

  “Christ, it’s the middle of the night,” Lucas said.

  “I don’t give a shit,” Vince said. “By the time the sun breaks over the horizon, we need to be riding.”

  “Does the Oreno crew know this?”

  “Doesn’t matter.”

  “It does matter,” Lucas said.

  Vince sighed. “Why don’t we call this meeting done. You guys go out to the bar and try to relax. Get yourselves mentally ready for what we have to do.”

  The table cleared out with the exception of Lucas. He sat, enjoying the rest of his smoke. When the door shut, Vince began to speak.

  “I’m not giving them the benefit,” Vince said. “We’re not a weak crew here.”

  “We told them…”

  “They gave us the okay,” Vince said. “We ride up to the doctor and deliver the woman you got pregnant. Then on our way back, we deliver the box truck and we come back here. Anything else just makes it too complicated.”

  Vince looked at the door, refusing to look at Lucas. Lucas felt the anger in his body. He wanted to punch Vince. Just once… just once…

  “You really think…”

  “Daybreak,” Vince said and walked from the table to the door.

  He opened and then slammed it shut behind him. Lucas sat at the table alone and shook his head. One thing he knew for sure was that with Vince, there was no plan that everyone knew.

  All Lucas could truly hope for was that everyone would somehow make it back in one piece.

  *

  Leah didn’t want to fall asleep, but her body tingled and ached from the way Lucas had touched her earlier. The second she sat on his bed, she crawled under the covers and closed her eyes. The next thing she remembered was the sound of the door opening. Stuck somewhere between reality and a dream, she thought it was Vince coming into the room. She imagined his beady eyes and the way his words fell from his mouth so smoothly, as though they were planned. When the bed moved and a hand touched her shoulder, Leah wiggled and moaned.

  “It’s just me, baby,” a voice whispered.

  The sexy, soothing voice of Lucas.

  Leah rolled to her back and saw Lucas hovering over her. She touched his face. “Hey. Is everything okay?”

  “Perfect,” Lucas said. “Get some sleep. We’re leaving in a little while.”

  “Right now?”

  “The second the sun starts to come up,” Lucas said.

  “Is that what you all agreed upon?”

  “That’s what’s going to happen. Roll back over.”

  Leah rolled to her side and felt Lucas slither up against her. He put an arm under her pillow and with the other hand, he moved the hair out of her face and caressed her cheek. She could feel his warm breath against her neck.

  “This life I have,” Lucas said, “doesn’t get any easier. There’s no end in sight to this.”

  “What do you mean?” Leah asked.

  “I’m going to be a father,” Lucas said. “I have to prepare for that. I don’t know what the club is going to decide to do with Debbie, or if she’ll live through all this. It really opens your eyes, you know?”

  “About me?”

  “Yes. You’re a human, baby. How can we… I mean, the life you’re living… is that what you want?”

  Leah reached up and touched Lucas’s hand against her face. “Lucas, if you’re in my life, then it’s a life I want to live.”

  “What about family? I may not be able to give you a family. And even if something were to happen, you see what it’s done to Debbie.”

  “All I want is you,” Leah said. Leah moved her hand along with Lucas’s hand down to her chest. She pressed tight against her heart. “My heart is beating so fast, Lucas. Because of you. Without you, I don’t know what would happen to me.”

  Lucas pressed his body tighter to Leah’s. “I’m falling so hard for you, Leah. So fucking hard.”

  “Speaking of
hard,” Leah whispered. She thrust back flirtatiously and giggled.

  “Don’t do that to me,” Lucas said. “Get some sleep, baby.”

  Leah closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep in the comfort of Lucas’s arms. She wished they could remain that way forever.

  When Leah woke up, Lucas stood at the side of the bed. The moment she saw his face she knew it was time to go. Leah threw the covers off herself. She was fully dressed, still in her shoes. She got out of the bed, yawned, stretched, and then walked with Lucas. The bar all wished them safe travels. Lucas shook hands and hugged almost everyone there as they left the club.

  Outside, a line of motorcycles rumbled. Leah recognized all of the guys. The box truck in the corner started and crept forward a few feet.

  “You’re up there,” Lucas said. “Sit with Debbie and keep her calm and safe. Talk to her.”

  “Okay,” Leah said.

  Lucas walked Leah to the truck and opened the passenger door. Leah waited and watched a few minutes later when the door opened to the club. It was the downstairs door and two men walked, helping Debbie as she took small steps. She looked like hell. Her skin was pale. She looked weak and tired. Her stomach was so engorged it stuck out from her shirt. The bare skin of her stomach had a purple and red tint to it.

  “She’s really hungry again,” Lucas said. “That’s why we have to do this right now.”

  “It’s fine,” Leah said.

  When Debbie was close enough, Leah touched her shoulder. Debbie looked at her, her eyes looking so deep and lost.

  “It hurts again,” Debbie said. “I’m so hungry.”

  “Soon,” Leah said. “Come on, let’s get you comfortable.”

  It took three men to get Debbie into the truck. Leah climbed up next and Lucas shut the door. Debbie put her head on Leah’s shoulder and groaned.

  “Holy shit,” the guy driving the truck said.

  “It’s fine,” Leah said. “She’s just pregnant.”

  The guy nodded. When Leah looked at the guy, her body shivered. She couldn’t figure out why but that deep fearful feeling ran through her body.

  “What’s your name?” Leah asked.

  “Seth.”

  Seth.

  Something about that name… and the way he looked…

  Leah turned her head and watched Lucas get on his motorcycle. A few of the motorcycles started to move. The box truck then started moving.

  Leah was afraid. Very afraid. She wondered if she would ever see the town of Mercy again.

  23

  Everything was in place. Riding up front was Vince, Lucas, and Ian. Then Seth was in the box truck with Debbie and Leah. On each side of the box truck was Zayne and Ethan. And finally, Nate rode behind the box truck. Everyone was equipped with a gun and the ability to shift into a wolf, if need be.

  It was like the sound of a storm rolling through Mercy, so early in the morning. The same feeling came over Lucas when they exited Mercy again. The feeling of danger and emptiness. But the feeling of freedom was even greater, watching the open road before his eyes, the feel of the motorcycle.

  The crew made their way into Oreno territory and Lucas kept his eyes open, wondering if something would happen. They should have called Eli and informed him of their plan, but Vince didn’t want to do that. Vince wanted to keep power and if that meant disrespecting another crew, Vince didn’t care.

  Through the small towns that made up the Oreno territory, Lucas caught sight of a few suspicious cars. It had to be guys on the lookout. The sounds of the motorcycles were certainly heard from miles away. Lucas checked more than once to see if someone was following them, but they were in the clear. The ride was actually easier than Lucas ever thought it would be.

  Once beyond the initial town and territory of Oreno, it was a lot of hills and trees. The aura was ominous, leaving the notion that danger could quite literally be waiting around any twist or turn, but it was highly unlikely any of the Oreno crew would be this far north. Not without actual cause. There was some outlander bikers camping out in the woods, but it would be a suicide march if they dared to mess with another crew. Especially Full Moon Mercy. This mission was about protection and Lucas wouldn’t hesitate for a second to shift and kill anyone or anything that threatened the safety of Leah and Debbie.

  After a good hour of riding, Vince signaled to pull over. All the motorcycles and the box truck came to a stop. Vince gave the thumbs up to everyone, letting them know to keep their engines running. He reached for Lucas and pulled him.

  “We’re about two minutes away,” Vince said. “Just a heads up.”

  “Do I need a heads up?” Lucas asked.

  “Listen… this doctor is smart. He knows everything about us. There’s no secrets with him. That’s why we’re coming to him.”

  “Okay.”

  “He’s an interesting man,” Vince said. “Just hold my back for me when we get there. We make the drop and we get the hell out of there.”

  “Is this guy a friend or an enemy?” Lucas asked.

  “Depends on who you ask,” Vince said.

  He moved away from Lucas and signaled to ride again. Feeling another pulse of anger through his body, Lucas tightly gripped the handlebars on his motorcycle as he started to ride again. Being next to Vince felt like being next to a bomb that was going to go off without a warning.

  But more than all that, Lucas needed to keep focused on his surroundings.

  The road turned, but Vince took the crew straight. They were now off road on a bumpy and dirty path, cruising through the wooded area at a slow pace. A minute into the ride, the woods opened and revealed what looked like a log cabin and a series of cages next to the log cabin. It made Lucas feel uneasy, but if this was the only way to protect Debbie then so be it.

  Vince stopped and killed his engine. Lucas and Cooper did the same. The box truck crept up behind them, the tires crunching on rocks on the path. Zayne, Ethan, and Nate came up and stopped next to Cooper, leaving a line of motorcycles.

  “What’s the plan?” Lucas asked Vince.

  “You come with me to the door. Let me talk.”

  Lucas proceeded to follow Vince to the door. There was a strange feeling about the log cabin, and the cages next to the place did not settle well with Lucas at all. He looked over his shoulder and saw Seth, Debbie, and Leah in the box truck. Guilt hit Lucas in the heart, putting Seth and Leah so close together. It seemed cruel but in reality it was the smartest thing to do. Debbie was the one Vince wanted to protect more than anyone else. By putting Seth and Leah together with Debbie, that meant their safety too. Just in case Vince had something up his sleeve.

  At the door, Vince knocked and called out, “Hey, Doc!”

  The door opened a moment later and there stood a tall, skinny man with long black hair, big eyes, and wearing leather. He wasn’t patched anywhere from what Lucas could tell, but this guy did not look like a doctor.

  “Vincent,” the doctor said.

  “Dr. Carane,” Vince said. “We’re here with a little trouble.”

  The doctor stretched his neck and touched a small scar on his neck. “You remember the last time we saw each other, Vincent?”

  “I do,” Vince said. “My emotions got the best of me.”

  “Are we here to revisit the past?” Lucas asked.

  The doctor looked at Lucas and curled his lip. He then moved fast, pulling out a knife. Lucas returned by drawing his gun.

  “Not for you,” Dr. Carane said.

  “Calm down, Lucas,” Vince said.

  “What the hell…”

  Dr. Carane spun the knife in his hand and then stabbed Vince in the leg.

  “Oh fuck,” Lucas said.

  He moved forward and put his gun to the doctor’s head. Behind him the crew started to come forward, ready to defend Vince.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Vince called out. “Everyone just calm the fuck down.”

  “He stabbed you, bro,” Lucas said.

  “I deserved i
t,” Vince said. “Put the gun down, Lucas.”

  Lucas thought for a second and then slowly lowered his gun. He tucked it away and put up his hands in defeat.

  “I’ll need my knife back,” Dr. Carane said.

  “Sure,” Vince said.

  Vince wrapped his hand around the handle of the knife and pulled it out of his leg. He let out a growling cry as he did so. He spun the knife around and handed it back to the doctor.

  “Are we settled now?” Vince asked.

  “What do you have for me, Vincent?”

  “A human. Pregnant. The life inside her isn’t growing like a human.”

  “Who did it?” Dr. Carane asked.

  “I did,” Lucas said. “One of those nights. The cycles lined up. It was supposed to be a one night stand with a stripper.”

  “You had sex during a full moon cycle,” Dr. Carane said. “You never thought to check the calendars? You never thought to… how do you say it… wrap it up?”

  “I’m not here to get scolded,” Lucas said. “I’m here for help.”

  “Does the woman know anything?” Dr. Carane asked.

  “No,” Vince said. “She knows something isn’t right with the pregnancy. That’s it.”

  “So we’re not sure if the life born is going to be human or shifter?”

  “No, we don’t,” Lucas said. “We can’t take her to a doctor in Mercy… or anywhere.”

  “Except here,” Vince said.

  “Bring her to me,” Dr. Carane said.

  The doctor turned and went back into the house. Lucas elbowed Vince and shook his head.

  “He stabbed you,” Lucas said.

  “I slit his throat last time I saw him,” Vince said.

  “What? Why?”

  “Personal reason,” Vince said. “He gave me a truth I wasn’t ready to handle.”

  “Shit,” Lucas said.

  Lucas, Vince, and Cooper all helped Debbie from the box truck. Her stomach was even bigger. Her moans were louder. The look in her eyes was desperation and hunger.

  “Where’s Leah?” Debbie asked.

  “I’m right here,” Leah said.

  They walked Debbie up to the house and inside. Dr. Carane stood with a glass of whiskey in his hand.