Beast Within (Loup-Garou Series Book 3)

by Sheritta Bitikofer

  At a full run, Teddy changed into a lean, chestnut colored werewolf larger and bulkier than Katey in all respects. Michael crossed his arms and watched the two werewolves face off just near the slave quarters. Gregory and Will stepped forward, both of them ready to run to Teddy’s aid if needed.

  Teddy blocked her way with his body, but that didn’t stop her from ramming into him at top speed. They rolled a flurry of teeth and claw gnashing and slicing through flesh. Yelps and growls echoed through the forest around the plantation.

  Michael couldn’t tell which was winning as blood splattered on the grass and weeds. Finally, Teddy found himself beneath Katey with her jowls closed around his neck.

  A wave of shock and dismay flowed through the spectating werewolves and vampires.

  Teddy used his hind legs to kick Katey off but slunk away to nurse his wounds. Hushed murmurs spread through the crowd and no one could point out a single reason why Katey should have won out over Teddy. She was smaller and less experienced, but Michael knew her feral instincts would be a formidable force to be reckoned with.

  With an impatient grumbled, Gregory began to unbutton his shirt. “Damn fool didn’t know what he was doing,” he growled as he leaped off the back porch to change, leaving Michael and Will behind.

  Michael looked to Logan again and saw the grief written on the lover’s face. He could see, just as well as they all could see, the blood staining Katey’s pristine white pelt. She was in pain, however much she wouldn’t let on.

  Katey was still full of determination to stay wild and untamed. When Gregory bolted for her, a blur of black and silver fur in the moonlight, she was not the least bit tired after her fight with Teddy.

  Gregory was stronger and older by the coloration of his fur, but he wasn’t nearly as agile as Teddy had been. Every pair of nervous eyes watched the two size each other up.

  The werewolves paced in a wide circle, snapping and growling to one another as golden eyes locked in inhuman fury. Gregory was the first to strike, his heavy frame surprisingly fast.

  Katey let out a yelp and Michael winced as he heard bones cracking under the force of Gregory’s attack.

  Logan stepped out from the shadows, hands balled into tight fists by his sides. Will’s attention was momentarily diverted away from the fight to pin Logan where he stood. The younger werewolf obeyed but under silent protest.

  The two wolves rolled and took turns conquering one another. Gashes opened up around Katey’s throat and sides, spilling her lifeblood into the soil. It was difficult to tell on Gregory, but by the way he retaliated after every swipe of her claws, Michael knew he was dealt an equally harsh blow.

  Moments passed like hours, and there were several near misses when Katey looked to be tiring out. Each time Gregory had her beneath his massive paws, she would find a way to slither out of his grip and continue the fight.

  She was the offspring of two warriors, two stubborn people who would defy gravity itself to get what they wanted. This fight might have gone on forever if Gregory hadn’t made a fatal error.

  Logan shouted out in rage as Gregory found his way behind Katey and mounted her. Even Michael hissed at the alpha for his insolence.

  Katey was too fast. Before Gregory could take liberties that did not belong to him, Katey let out an ear-splitting roar and recoiled. With speed and strength Michael had never seen before in any werewolf – on the battlefield or not – Katey slashed and bit into Gregory’s core and neck until somewhere in the barrage, he conceded and slunk away with his tail between his legs.

  Although Michael and Logan were both relieved Katey had not let herself be dominated by Gregory, they all knew they were out of alphas.

  If the mighty and experienced Gregory could not tame her, what was left?

  Michael looked to Will who stood beside him, but he shook his head. By the surety in his eyes, Michael knew the werewolf refused to fight because he knew it would do no good. It had nothing to do with fear. He was simply not dominant enough to do the breaking alone.

  Michael heard Teddy give an order to his pack and one by one, the seasoned werewolves began to change. At this, Will leaped off the porch and joined the others. If he couldn’t break her alone, then he would join the fray with the others under Teddy’s command.

  In an attempt to overwhelm her, they rushed in from all sides, werewolves of all colors and sizes uniting against Michael’s granddaughter.

  Katey broke into a frenzy and crashed through her assailants, sending them flying in all directions. It was as if with each fight, she grew stronger and smarter in her tactics. Even as a raving beast, she was intelligent beyond expectations.

  The werewolves made one last sweep in and tackled her, weighing down her body until she lay flat on the ground and muzzle pressed into the dirt.

  A sigh of relief was breathed, almost in unison. Logan stepped closer, now at the foot of the porch steps and watched, but he was not relieved with the others. He understood Katey better than anyone, and if he wasn’t convinced the fight was over, then neither was Michael.

  They were right.

  Katey let out another beastly roar and plunged upwards through the bodies of werewolves that tumbled to the wayside. Some were knocked out cold, others were disoriented and unable to defend themselves.

  The white werewolf stood on shaky limbs, her fur saturated in her own blood and the blood of her enemies. Golden eyes rolled wildly around in their sockets, looking for anyone else who would dare cross her. Her back and chest heaved with each breath that came out in a challenging growl between her sharp fangs. She would have her freedom at any cost.

  Logan sat down heavily on the bottom step, his eyes fixed on Katey. Anton looked to Michael for direction, his hands steady and jaw set for the assignment.

  Michael looked at the scene before him. The exhausted and wounded werewolves shied away from Katey, and the vampires wanted nothing to do with her. Only Anton remained, loyal and ready to carry out the orders he was given, even if it meant sacrificing his own life. When Michael hired him from the Russian Special Forces, he knew he would have a powerful ally and protector.

  He nodded, and Anton turned to the lone werewolf. The cuts and gashes on her body had healed, and her stamina was quickly returning. Every vampire who was able reached out with their minds and held Katey in place.

  When she tried to lift one paw or turn her head, their amalgamated powers held her still. Only her eyes moved from side to side, and her throat let out a shrill whine of fear.

  “What are you doing to her?” Logan asked Michael, his voice shaky with that same fear that gripped his lover.

  “Vampires can control the movements of others. It’s commonly misunderstood as mesmerizing, and we don’t use these abilities unless we have to.”

  Katey’s muscles twitched and bunched under her fur, and the whine turned into a threatening growl, but the guards held their ground against the beast.

  “You’re hurting her!” Logan exclaimed.

  Michael shook his head, but never took his eyes from his granddaughter. “On the contrary, I can feel her own mind fighting against me. She’s in no pain.”

  Logan turned away to inspect the grimacing faces of the other vampires. They all could feel Katey’s will bashing against the cage they had created for her. Even Michael struggled to keep his hold, feeling his blood sing with the effort.

  Suddenly, Katey tossed her head to the side. The few vampires that had surrounded her fell to the ground. Michael gasped in surprise that he seldom felt. The beast had broken their minds, and they now lay unconscious on the ground. When they awoke, they would need to recover from the blow Katey had dealt, but they would live.

  One by one, the guards were thrown aside by Katey’s sheer drive to be free. Only Michael and Anton’s hold was left, but it wasn’t enough.

  Her wolfish eyes turned on Michael, and she snarled maliciously. Even in her fear and confusion, she understood where the true authority lay. With jerky precision, Katey marched to
ward the backside of the mansion.

  A drop of blood seeped from Michael’s nose as he pulled on reserves of power he never thought he would need. Katey stopped, but she wouldn’t keep still for long.

  Michael didn’t need to tell his most trusted friend and adviser that the situation had become more serious than any of them could have imagined. Two alphas, an entire pack, and a team of vampires now lay by the sidelines. Everything done by one little girl.

  Anton snapped his fingers and ordered what few men were left of his forces to fan out around her with their guns trained on Katey. The guns were loaded with silver bullets, but Anton and all the others understood who Katey was and the enormous role she was to play. They knew better than to shoot in such a way that would cause permanent damage.

  To their surprise, she didn’t bolt into a run once Michael and Anton released their hold on her. No, she wanted to fight and wanted to feel the thrill of conquering another foe. If Anton were leading the charge, she would find herself disappointed. Anton never failed a mission in his life, nor did he let an enemy slip through his grasp.

  Michael wiped the blood from his upper lip and stared down the beast. He tried to understand how she could have done it. With no training and operating on pure instinct, Katey managed to defend herself against all odds.

  Katey had not given up on her mission. She was willing to attack Michael, her own grandfather, to gain her freedom.

  Before his men could fire a shot, Logan jumped to his feet and sniffed the air as the growl in Katey’s throat rose.

  Sidetracked from the battle, Michael tested the air as well. Someone had snuck through their defenses. Either snuck through or had been permitted onto the property. They were making their way through the woods at great speed, heading straight for the mansion.

  “Anton!” Michael yelled.

  The vampire turned toward the intruders, and the vampires pointed their weapons in the direction of the forest.

  Three figures were soon loping through the trees. Three werewolves emerged, and Michael knew exactly who they were by their scents.

  The silver werewolf, Darren, led his two other pack members into the clearing. Dustin, the dark brown and beige wolf, and Ben, the black wolf, fell back as their alpha stormed forward. With golden eyes fixed on his target, he was on a collision course headed straight for Katey.

  Anton ordered his men aside, and Katey scrambled to gain her footing on the slippery grass coated in fresh blood. Darren collided with Katey without hesitance.

  The world seemed to stand still as Katey and Darren tore at one another. Upon closer examination of the odds, Darren seemed to be as equal of a foe as Gregory might have been. Where Gregory used brute force to get his way with Katey, Darren implemented cunning. He dodged instead of attacking and caught her off guard when she could have been more alert.

  Not once did Darren use the same tactics to deal a crushing blow on his subordinate. He kept changing his moves, using her own weight against her and if necessary, he retreated to make her think she had won before turning on her again.

  Dustin and Ben moved closer, ready to defend their alpha. Their organization was remarkable and more sophisticated than how Teddy’s pack functioned. They were truly a well-oiled machine in combat. When Katey was getting too close, Ben nipped at her heels to divert her. When Katey tried to run, Dustin drove her back into Darren’s range.

  The longer the breaking took, the easier everyone became. Katey no longer seemed the confident beast that nearly ripped them apart. Michael sensed her doubt, and there was a feeling of defeat growing in her heart and violent mind.

  Katey’s movements became slower and the number of times she tried to flee escalated. Darren wouldn’t let her off so simply and would almost goad her into defending herself for a little longer.

  Finally, when her tail drooped between her hind legs when her hackles were no longer raised in aggression, Katey slunk along the ground with her muzzle between her front paws.

  Darren sprang upon her, pinning her entire body down to the ground and his deadly fangs pressing into the mane of fur around her neck. Katey struggled a few times, whimpering as his teeth punctured into her neck with every movement.

  Michael watched her shiver, and then go slack under her alpha, his legs straddling either side of her. Her head stretched, giving more of her neck to Darren in a sign of true submission.

  Logan passed a hand over his face, and Michael knew everyone shared the overwhelming feeling of relief as Katey was finally broken. One stage of her training had been completed.

  One look into Katey’s eyes, however, told Michael the battle wasn’t over. Yes, she was broken, but it had been over a thousand years since a female werewolf had been broken. In her eyes, Michael could see more damage had been done this night than a few cuts and bruises. They had broken her, but at what cost?

  Chapter Eighteen

  The mansion and the surrounding property fell into an eerie silence as the morning progressed. The sun had risen above the tree line, chasing the vampires into the dark rooms they had made for themselves in the big house and slave quarters. Loups-garous were still sleeping, exhausted from the late-night entertainment that Katey had provided.

  From the plush wingback chair in the parlor, Logan could hear the stirring of a few loups-garous on the second floor. Darren, Katey, Dustin, and Ben came in from the forest about an hour ago, and they were still trying to get themselves settled.

  Logan could not sleep. He had tried for hours, but the comfortable poster bed wasn’t enough to block out the subtle sounds of Katey’s movements outside the mansion. Her grunts, whimpers, yips of glee, and the soft rustling of paws beating against grass lingered in his ears almost as much as what finally snapped him awake at dawn.

  Katey’s wailing and weeping as she changed back into her human form wrapped around his mind and refused to let him rest while she was in such pain. Even after she was done changing, Logan heard the echoes of her agony.

  To find some relief, he came to the parlor, but there was no rest for him in Michael’s chair. Louder than Katey’s screams was another repeating nuisance that he simply could not shake.

  You failed. You failed. You failed.

  Logan rubbed his knuckles against his brow and squeezed his eyes shut. The coaching Michael had given him seemed eons away, and there was no pushing off the heavy weight on his chest.

  If he had been able to change, Katey might not have gotten so out of control. Perhaps he couldn’t break her but possibly deflect her attention. They wouldn’t have known one another in their wolf forms, but it would have softened the contact. As she was, Katey’s wolf would have balked at the approach of a human. There was no way he could have gotten close unless he appeared as she did.

  She had no bond, no connections with Teddy, Gregory or the other loups-garous. She would never have let them close, but the mating bond between her and Logan might have been enough if only he could have changed with her.

  Darren’s entrance was a blessing. Obviously, he was the only one who could handle Katey and her tenacious temper, even as a wolf. Logan had never personally witnessed a breaking, but he knew from experience that Teddy’s approach was too carefree, too unorganized. It was a wonder any of his subordinates obeyed him at all.

  Gregory’s tactic was much too cruel, and his brute strength got him nowhere with Katey, especially when he tried to mount her. Logan’s blood boiled at the thought and his fists tightened until his nails bit into his palm.

  Darren’s style was calculated and subtle. When he broke Logan, it had taken hours before he finally wore himself out trying to chase and attack the alpha. Katey’s breaking didn’t take nearly as long, but Logan wondered if the key lay in collaboration with Dustin and Ben. If they hadn’t been there, Katey might not have given in so easily. It wasn’t that she was outnumbered, but that she wasn’t sure who to fight and where.

  A corner of Logan’s lip curled up in a smirk. Katey was a force to be reckoned with, a reckless
hurricane of wrath and stamina that none of them would have ever guessed. She was smaller than the normal loup-garou, but ten times as feisty and vicious. The way she fought off the mental manipulation of the vampires astounded the whole assembly.

  Katey amazed him nearly every day since they met and Logan knew that even in a thousand years, she would still be blowing him away with her courage and spirit.

  Now, sitting in the darkness with only the dying embers of the fire to keep him company, Logan didn’t feel amazed. The guilt for not being there for her on one of the most important days of her life, was like a rope around his neck, tightening with every breath he took.

  No matter how good his reasons, instead of trying to calm her down, he stood by the porch like a dumb animal while she suffered in her fear and anger.

  Logan pulled out Marie’s business care from his jean pocket. If this had been another time, another place, he would have shredded it to pieces as soon as they left the voodoo shop. He was thankful he hadn’t.

  All these years, he had stopped trying to change at will. He stopped trying to control the beast within him or even think it was possible. Logan felt himself to be destined for this cursed uniqueness, and there was no point in trying to change anything. Now that he wanted so desperately to learn what Katey had picked up so quickly, Logan felt the expectations loom over him like a dark cloud.

  He didn’t even know where to start anymore or how to try. Even now, his wolf sulked in the shadows. Logan’s commands fell on deaf ears, and nothing would get his wolf’s attention for a moment.

  The phone number written in the plain font on the card glared back at him, taunting him. His phone had just enough juice to make the call.

  Footsteps sounded down the foyer, drawing closer to the parlor door. Logan stuffed the card away and turned toward the ashes and cinders in the fireplace. One sniff told him who was coming to pay him a visit, but Logan wasn’t sure if he was a welcome guest or not.