B*E*A*S*T* of Burden

by Rebecca Goings

  Suddenly, Rogan pulled away roughly and inhaled.

  "What's the matter?” she asked, caressing his face.

  "Shit! Marlie, get up—now!"

  "But, Rogan..."

  "Now!" Rogan pushed her off his lap. “Grab our clothes and get the hell upstairs!"

  "What's going on?” she yelled.

  Before he could answer, a thunderous crash suddenly shook the house. A deep, growling roar could be heard from the dining room, making every hair on Marlie's body stand on end.

  "It's Sean!” Rogan screamed.

  Nineteen

  Rogan watched as Marlie scrambled up the stairs with her arms full of their clothes. She fell a few times, crying her eyes out and screaming in terror. Rogan didn't blame her. A bolt of fear had raced up his spine the moment he'd seen that giant bear growling at him from the edge of the living room.

  Sean wasn't advancing—not yet anyway. He stood there snarling, probably trying his best to intimidate Rogan with his long, sharp teeth. Rogan just hoped he'd be able to preoccupy Sean long enough for Marlie to get herself dressed.

  "You want to kill me. Don't you, Sean?” Rogan taunted him, knowing full well the bear could understand his words. A loud growl filled the room in reply. “Then I dare you to do it!"

  Sean stood on his hind legs with a roar, but was hindered by the ceiling. He dropped to all fours and began to charge. Rogan leapt away, shifting at the same time.

  The sound of his bones popping in his ears was deafening as they morphed and changed shape. His skin itched when the heavy grey fur grew, and suddenly he was more agile, leaping over the side table just as the bear swiped at him. Rogan's new wolf body raced through the lower floor of the house, keeping the bear occupied. He knew he didn't have much time to get to Marlie. The house had too many places where the great bear could corner him.

  But as Rogan bounded over the counter in the kitchen, he realized sending Marlie upstairs hadn't been his brightest idea. Just how the hell were they supposed to escape? Growling to himself, he skidded on the Pergo floor, leaving long claw marks behind him. He could almost feel Sean breathing down his neck as he sprang up the stairs, sending up a prayer of thanks that the staircase wasn't wide enough for a Kodiak grizzly.

  But it wouldn't take Sean long to figure out that all he had to do was shift in order to race up the stairs after him.

  * * * *

  Sean roared with rage. White foam dangled from his mouth as he tried to shoulder his way up the stairs to no avail. He'd have to shift. Goddamn it!

  Shaking the house once again with his mighty roar, Sean's body began changing shape. He couldn't shift fast enough. Without waiting for his body to fully transform back into his human state, Sean raced up the stairs, his arms and legs still covered with grizzly hair, his face halfway elongated into a bear's snout.

  "Rogan!” he yelled, the sound of his voice not quite human.

  The moment he'd picked up Rogan's scent in the woods, his vision had turned red. Nothing else in the world mattered at that point. He'd been choked with fury, pounding through the snow with a vengeance. Once he saw the dark house in front of him, he'd known it was where they were holed up. And the stench of their disgusting sexcapades had almost made him vomit.

  Regardless, Sean grinned evilly. He knew he would be victorious. There would be no escape this time.

  * * * *

  Marlie had quickly donned her sweater and still-wet pants without bothering with her bra or undies. She even managed to slip on her soggy shoes. While she'd frantically dressed at the top of the stairs, one of the syringes of serum had dropped out of Rogan's pocket and fallen onto the floor. She stared at it for a moment before snatching it up in her shaking hand along with the rest of their clothing.

  With frightened tears in her eyes, she remembered what Rogan had told her. This serum prevented the shifters from changing their shape. Maybe it could work to their advantage!

  Rogan thundered up the stairs with Sean hot on his tail. Marlie watched in horror as Sean began to shift, not bothering to return completely to his human form. She could hardly hold back a scream as he slowly climbed the stairs growling Rogan's name.

  The huge wolf beside her put his body between her and the advancing bear. Rogan snarled, pushing her back against the far wall.

  "Rogan, I have the serum!” she yelled, wondering whether or not her husband could truly understand her.

  Instantly the wolf began to shift, and within moments, the form of Rogan stood in front of her once again. He took the syringe from her hand.

  "Get out of here, Marlie."

  "But—"

  "Do NOT argue with me. I'll find you. Take my clothes and jump out the window. I'll find you!” As he spoke, he pushed her through the door of the master bedroom right before he launched himself at Sean.

  Marlie clutched the clothing to her chest and raced for the bedroom window. She could hear the two men as they crashed down the stairs, and more tears blurred her vision. Her heart raced and she found herself praying that Rogan would make it out alive. She could not lose him now!

  As she tried to open the window, it finally cracked open. With a shove, she pushed it up, rejoicing when she saw the roof of the garage right outside. Frantic sobs racked her as she punched out the screen and scrambled out onto the shingles. More than once, she almost lost her footing, and when the cold air hit her, she realized she'd left Wade's jacket in the living room. Damn it!

  Instantly her shivers returned, and her wet pants became uncomfortable. The soft, powdery snow on the rooftop clung to her legs, and she gasped as she wandered closer to the ledge. Dear God, she was supposed to jump? She didn't know if she could, and she began to hyperventilate.

  "I can't do this. I can't do this!"

  Swallowing hard, she scooted closer to the edge, her heart thundering in her chest. But before she could muster the courage to jump, her foot slipped out from under her and removed the need for courage. With a shriek, Marlie fell over the side into the snow on the front lawn.

  A blinding pain shot through her ankle. She could barely catch her breath as she lay there sobbing and clutching at her leg, but the commotion inside the house made her scramble to her feet. As soon as she tried to put weight on her right ankle, she fell over, screaming in the process. Setting her jaw, Marlie got up again and grabbed the clothing she'd dropped. If she could just make it to the tree line, she'd be okay. At least, that's what she hoped. With the throbbing in her leg, she doubted she'd be able to get much father than that.

  It was dark outside. More clouds were in the sky, obstructing the moon's glow. She would have given anything to have some moonlight reflecting off the snow. Each step was excruciating as she tried to run. The trees were so close, but they seemed so damned far away!

  Marlie stumbled over a rock hidden in the snow and fell, crying dejectedly. She had no idea what was going on with Rogan, if he was winning or losing. Her ankle ached like a son of a bitch, and she seriously doubted she could make it to the tree line on her own.

  A chirping sound suddenly emerged from Rogan's pants, making her squeal and jump. When it chirped again, she realized it was a ring tone. Rogan's cell phone was ringing!

  As she sat there in the snow, Marlie fumbled with his pants until she finally pulled the phone out and flipped it open.

  "Hello?” she answered breathlessly.

  * * * *

  Just as Rogan leapt at Sean, he bit the plastic covering off the syringe of serum and turned it in his hand. Launching himself off the first step, he crashed into Sean's body, making him fall backward down the stairs. Sean's half-shifted body was as solid as a rock as they crashed down hard, and Rogan couldn't help his howl of satisfaction when he felt the tip of the needle pierce Sean's neck and heard him scream with rage. Rogan pushed the serum directly into his bloodstream.

  Once they'd tumbled to the bottom of the stairs, Sean landed on top of him, snarling and snapping at his face. Rogan rolled back and forth, just barely avoiding Sean
's horrifying visage.

  "What did you do to me, you bastard?” Sean yelled with a growl, his deep, unnatural voice raising the hair on the back of Rogan's neck.

  "I made sure you couldn't shift!"

  Out of nowhere, one of Sean's meaty fists slammed into Rogan's cheek so hard he saw stars explode behind his eyes. With a mighty heave, Rogan pushed him off, shoving him back just enough to crawl out from under him. Sean tried to slam into Rogan once more, but Rogan was quicker and leapt over the couch. As he hit the floor, he rolled toward the wall and came face to face with Marlie's shotgun—still propped up right where he'd left it!

  Rogan grabbed it and pointed it at Sean before the bastard could even round the couch. The sound of the cocking hammer filled the room. Sean was visibly seething, and Rogan could see the foam dripping from his mouth as he stood there in apparent indecision.

  "You better kill me first, Wolfe,” Sean said as he advanced. “Otherwise I'm going to rip you to pieces, then what will that pretty wife of yours do when I come for her?"

  "Leave her out of this."

  "Not a chance."

  "This is between you and me. Marlie has nothing to do with any of it!"

  "Oh, she has everything to do with it,” Sean said with a sneer, slowly advancing. “You don't seem to understand. I get to you through her."

  "You son of a—"

  Rogan lifted the gun and aimed, but he hesitated as he remembered the sound of the screaming guards he'd shackled to the wall at the B*E*A*S*T* compound not too long ago. He hadn't killed them, but he might as well have. He'd released all the shifters from their cells, and they were the ones who'd ripped those men apart. Now the memory of it forced bile to rise in the back of his throat.

  He wasn't a killer. Even though he knew Sean wouldn't hesitate to shoot him if the tables were turned, Rogan couldn't bring himself to kill the man before him. Sean continued to advance, the smile on his twisted face looking more like a grimace.

  "Look at you. You're a pussy,” Sean said. “Do it, Wolfe. Or don't you have the balls to kill me?"

  "I'm not like you. I don't kill people."

  "That's too damn bad. You know, I remember your friend Justin. Tasted like chicken. Mmm, that pretty bird tasted so good. I must admit though, I've never had a wolf. And my belly is growling."

  Sean flew through the air, clearly intent on bringing Rogan down. Making a split-second decision, Rogan swung the shotgun at him like a baseball bat, hitting him square in the temple. Sean went down hard, smacking into the floor with a resounding thud.

  He didn't appear to be moving, but Rogan wasn't taking any chances. Turning the gun in his hands, he struck the butt of the weapon against Sean's head again with a sickening crack. If he wasn't out before, he certainly was now.

  "That's for Justin, you son of a bitch,” Rogan said through a snarl, wiping a few drops of blood from his nose.

  He raced through the house and found a few towels in the linen closet that he ripped to shreds and used to bind Sean's wrists behind his back. Then he bound his ankles. Rogan had no idea how long that would hold him, but he hoped to God it would be long enough.

  Twenty

  "Marlie? Is that you?"

  "Wade!” Marlie's eyes were open wide as she gasped into the phone, recognizing the voice on the other end. “Where are you? Are you all right?"

  "Yeah, yeah. Don't worry about me. Sean tied me up and left me, but I was able to break free and steal his truck. Where are you guys?"

  "I ... I don't know!” Marlie wailed, glancing behind her at the house a few yards away. “We're in some housing tract. Rogan's fighting with Sean!"

  "Shit! You don't have a clue where you are? I can come get you!"

  Looking around frantically, Marlie wiped the tears from her eyes and squinted as she saw a sign not too far away from her.

  "The Willow Brook housing development,” she said. “That's what the sign says."

  "Willow Brook? I passed that turnoff just a few minutes ago. Let me flip this bitch and I'll be right there. Hang on, Marlie. Okay? I'll be right there."

  "Hurry, Wade. I don't know if he's ... he's...” She couldn't get any further as more sobs choked her.

  "I will, sweetie. Just hang on."

  Marlie snapped the phone shut, trembling more with fear than at the chilly air. “Please. Please hurry, Wade,” she whispered.

  * * * *

  It didn't take long for Wade to find the turnoff to Willow Brook. He raced down the winding road probably faster than was safe, but he didn't care. If Sean was beating on Rogan, Wade had no time to lose.

  Marlie had sounded terrified on the phone, and Wade pressed a little harder on the accelerator. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if Sean somehow managed to hurt Rogan or his wife.

  After a few minutes of driving, he finally saw houses in the distance. There, on the snow a few dozen yards from one of the houses, sat Marlie, waving her arms at him. Wade didn't waste any time barreling up the snowy grass, circling her so that the Hummer sat between her and the dark house behind her. If Sean came running out of the house, he didn't want him to have a clear line to Marlie.

  Wade ripped open the driver side door and dropped to the snow. “What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

  Marlie was crying too hard to speak. She merely nodded and pointed to her ankle. He could smell her pain, so he scooped her up into his arms and walked to the back of the truck to open the rear doors.

  She clung to him, hugging him with a vengeance as she cried over and over, “Wade, Wade! You've got to help Rogan. You've got to—"

  "Right now, I'm going to get you looked after,” he said, making sure she was sitting back on the floor. “Are you comfortable?” She nodded, and he grabbed Sean's tranquilizer gun lying next to her. Making sure it was loaded, he handed it to her and said, “You shoot anything that comes through that door that isn't a wolf or a cougar. You got that?"

  Marlie nodded again as she snatched the gun, holding it to her chest like a frightened child. But just as Wade turned to charge into the house and save the day, Rogan bounded out of the front door, his wolf paws decimating the snow as he ran with a shotgun in his mouth. Wade couldn't help the wide smile that lit up his face.

  "Rogan!” he exclaimed.

  "Rogan!" Marlie sounded desperate, and she would have scooted out of the Hummer if Wade hadn't stopped her.

  Rogan bounded toward them, dropping the gun in the snow at Wade's feet just before he leapt into the back of the truck. Wade could see Marlie hugging him before he even had a chance to shift, throwing her arms around his furry neck. Wade grabbed the gun and threw it in after him, slamming the rear doors and rounding the truck to the driver's side. Once he'd climbed in, he glanced into the rearview mirror. Rogan had shifted back into his human form and was hugging his wife while he cried with her.

  Wade didn't say a word, he merely put the Hummer in drive and raced back up Willow Brook Drive, snow flying into the air behind them.

  * * * *

  Marlie's entire body trembled as she held on to Rogan, refusing to let him go even for a second. He'd shifted in her arms, a sensation that had been so foreign to her, but she didn't question it. She was just relieved to be holding him again. She heard him murmuring in her ear, telling her they were safe and were all right now. She calmed down somewhat, taking in deep gulps of air.

  "Are ... are you huh-hurt?” she asked, her teeth chattering.

  "No, baby. I'm not.” His soothing voice washed over her like a caress.

  She looked up at him and gasped when she saw an angry purple bruise on his cheek. She covered it with her palm and said, “But you are hurt!"

  Rogan took her hand away, bringing it to his mouth. “Not really. I'll be fully healed in a few hours, sweetheart. It's nothing to worry about. Sean punched me, that's all."

  "Did you kill the bastard?” Wade's voice drifted over to them from behind the wheel.

  Rogan hesitated a moment before he answered. “No. I didn't kill him. Knock
ed him out cold, but I didn't kill him."

  "But he'll keep coming—"

  "I'm not a killer, Wade!” Rogan's muscles tensed visibly, and Marlie's eyes widened at his sudden change in demeanor. “I refuse to become the animal B*E*A*S*T* engineered me to be. I tied him up and left him."

  After Rogan's outburst, an oppressive silence overcame them all.

  * * * *

  After a few minutes of basking in Marlie's embrace, Rogan moved her aside to root around for his clothing.

  "How'd you find us?” he asked Wade, his tone calmer as he donned his jeans.

  "I called your cell. Marlie answered."

  "Good thing we bought these phones, eh?"

  "No doubt,” Wade agreed, nodding.

  "How did you escape?"

  Wade told them how he freed himself, and Rogan looked impressed. “Must have taken you forever."

  Wade shrugged. “I don't remember how long it took. I just remember praying that Sean wouldn't come back."

  Rogan took a deep breath and sighed, reaching into one of the bins lining the walls of the Hummer. He pulled out a B*E*A*S*T* issued black T-shirt, lifting it up and over his head. The agency was always sure to provide extra clothing in their trucks for the shifters in case they were needed after an “assignment."

  "Sean wants me dead,” Rogan said.

  "That much is obvious.” Wade chuckled, glancing at him in the rearview mirror.

  "He wants Marlie dead too."

  Marlie gasped and covered her mouth, and Rogan saw her begin to shiver again. Once he was fully dressed, he reached for her. She collapsed against him, as if being close to him could melt away all of her terror.

  "Why is he ... so hell-bent on killing me as well?” she asked in a small voice.

  Rogan stroked her hair, and she closed her eyes. “I think in his mind you and I are one unit. He wants you to get to me. If he kills you, he'll be torturing me. But even if he gets to me first, I think he'd still come after you. The man's not stable, honey."

  "Then what the hell are we going to do?"

  Leaning back to look into her dark brown eyes, he saw them swimming with tears. Biting her lip, Marlie stroked his cheek.