Nature of the B*E*A*S*T*

by Rebecca Goings

  "How dare you insinuate that I ... that I..."

  "That you what?” he shot back, glaring at her. “That you still desire me, even after I told you to stay the hell away from me? That you can't seem to keep your gaze off of me when you think I'm not looking?"

  Keira gasped, covering her mouth. Apparently, she hadn't been as discrete as she'd hoped.

  "Don't flatter yourself,” she growled. “I think I might know you. I'm merely trying to remember from where."

  He didn't believe her. She knew it.

  "Whatever you think you know about me, it isn't the truth. I'm not a nice guy. You should be scared shitless, but you're sitting there sizing me up instead. It doesn't make any sense!"

  She scowled at him. “I just ... I know you're not an evil man."

  "You haven't even been in my presence for twenty-four hours."

  "True, but you're very familiar."

  "Maybe you do know me.” Wade sighed deeply. “I wouldn't know."

  Keira ran her fingers through her hair. “What do you remember?"

  "Not much. Only the last two years with any clarity. Needles, laboratories ... My cage."

  Keira gasped. “Your cage?"

  He glanced at her and appeared to regret what he'd just said. “Yeah. That's where we were kept."

  "We? There's more like you? Were you prisoners?"

  "Of sorts. More like experiments."

  Shivers raced down Keira's spine at his words. “What ... kind of experiments?"

  "You don't want to know."

  An uncomfortable silence descended inside the truck. Glancing out the passenger window, Keira jumped when she heard Wade's voice once again.

  "They would strap us to the tables. I remember being injected with ... something. It made every inch of my body burn, even on the inside."

  "Good Lord!"

  "I was scheduled for reprogramming before I escaped. I can remember flashes of my life before I was taken by B*E*A*S*T*. A small apartment; driving in a car. Those memories should have been permanently suppressed. But they weren't. They were going to brainwash me again."

  A sick feeling came over Keira. Covering her belly, she squeezed her eyes shut and breathed hard through her nose. Her father was mixed up in all of this? How was that even possible? Sure, the man worked hard, late hours in his line of work, but that was to be expected. Endless business trips to Washington, various public appearances ... But running an agency that brainwashed people? It was too much.

  "What makes you think my father is a part of all this?” Keira had to know. If Wade's words were true, she really didn't know her father at all.

  He seemed annoyed, as if her question was silly. But he answered regardless.

  "Your father sent a man to kill a good friend of mine, Rogan Wolfe. That man didn't succeed, but we were able to recover his cell phone. The only number he ever called was a direct line to your father. And when he didn't call Covington with an update on what was going on, your father called the cell and left a voice message. Said he wanted an update on Rogan, but didn't want me harmed. Have any idea why your father would put a hit on my friend but not me?"

  Keira simply stared at him, unable to fully comprehend his words.

  "Maybe it has something to do with the fact you think you know me,” Wade said, more to himself than to her. Tears filled Keira's eyes. It couldn't be true. Could it?

  "What ... why is the agency called ‘B*E*A*S*T*'?” Her entire body trembled. She feared Wade's answer.

  With a sigh, he said, “It stands for Bio-Engineering to Attain Shift Transformation."

  "Sh-shift transformation? What does that mean?"

  "It means your father funded a project that merged the DNA of men with the DNA of animals, turning his experiments into shifters—something less than human.” He glanced at her. “I'm not a normal man, Keira. I am a shifter."

  His eyes flashed a bright gold and she gasped in shock. “Who ... wh—what are you?"

  "Lady, I wish I knew.

  Seven

  Brett smiled, snapping his cell phone shut. The engine of his Jag roared as he stepped on the gas pedal, weaving in and out of traffic. The police had just gotten a tip from a waitress in some place called Cactus, south of Abilene. Wade and Keira had been sighted having breakfast in a small diner and had even asked for directions back to Dallas.

  Damn good thing Brett was already headed west on I-20.

  Gripping the steering wheel tight, he glanced at his speedometer and chuckled to himself. Only seventy miles per hour?

  B*E*A*S*T* had clocked him in a dead run at seventy-five in his shifted state. Nothing on the planet could outrun a cheetah.

  Brett flipped open his phone once more and dialed Covington's number. It rang only once before the old man picked up.

  "What news?"

  "There's been a report of a sighting. Somewhere in a podunk town called Cactus."

  "Excellent. And Keira? Was she harmed in any way?"

  "I don't know, sir,” Brett said, merging into the fast lane. “They told me a waitress spotted them having breakfast at a diner. I doubt Keira was bound and gagged, if that's what you're worried about. I'm on the road right now. Won't take me long to get there."

  "Good. Keep your eye out for a black Hummer,” Covington said. “Wade might try to double back."

  "You got it."

  Brett closed his phone once more and tossed it on the passenger seat, right next to the other cell phone he'd procured from Dr. Lucian Carver when the scientist had returned from Oregon. The phone of a certain wolf who'd refused to die.

  He knew Rogan's cell phone held the numbers of both Wade McAllister and Noah Carpenter—he'd seen them for himself in Rogan's call history. He was tempted to call Wade right now, but Brett wanted to wait until he had the upper hand. Calling Wade now would likely spook him, and he'd get rid of the phone before Brett could pinpoint his location.

  Covington wanted his daughter retrieved that very minute, but Brett was content to bide his time. He'd call Wade when the cougar least expected it. Like when Brett was right on his ass.

  * * * *

  Wade's legs ached from being in one position for so long. Eating breakfast had given him a small reprieve from sitting in the driver's seat, but it didn't stop his eyes from burning. Every now and again, they went out of focus, prompting him to blink hard a few times. He needed sleep. His body was beginning to feel his fatigue.

  "Pull over, Wade."

  Keira's voice broke through the oppressive silence. After his confession to being a shifter, she hadn't said a word, choosing instead to look out the window, her scent laced with trepidation and concern. She probably didn't believe a word he'd said, and that was just as good. A woman like Keira didn't need to know the truth about men like him. What good would coming clean really do? Scare the living shit out of her, no doubt.

  "I'm serious. Pull over."

  Wade glanced at her. The look in her eyes almost floored him. If he'd been standing, he would have had to lean on something for support or risk falling on his ass. Her concern was for him. A wave of longing rippled through him with such force, the truck veered slightly on the road.

  "You're tired. There's a rest stop up ahead."

  "I'm fine."

  Keira scoffed. “No you're not! I just saw you almost nod off. Getting into an accident wasn't on my agenda."

  "Neither was getting kidnapped.” He grinned wryly and she grinned back. His heart leapt at the sight. Keira was truly a beautiful woman.

  At that thought, Wade's smile faded as he pulled off the highway at the next rest stop. He had no right to think of her like that. With a scowl, he found a parking space near some trees and turned off the engine.

  "I can drive if you want,” Keira said behind a yawn. Wade shook his head.

  "Uh uh, lady. You're probably just as tired as I am. You can conk out in the back, I won't bother you. There's a pillow and some blankets in the side compartments."

  "Where will you sleep?"
/>
  "I'll nap right here.” Finding the lever on his seat, he leaned back into a reclining position.

  After a moment of silence, her voice once again pierced his head. “Um, Wade?"

  "Yeah?"

  "Do you mind if ... well, if..."

  "What?"

  "Do you mind if I go use the little girl's room over there?” Keira pointed out the window to a small building not too far away.

  Turning his head slightly to look at her, he caught her eye. She bit her lip under his scrutiny and he could have sworn he smelled a hint of desire in the air. If she was unsettled by him, she was doing a good job of hiding it. But the faint scent had his body tightening, regardless.

  The memory of her lips underneath his made him cross his arms on his chest before he reached out and did something stupid.

  "Keira, I told you before, you can come and go as you please. I took you by mistake. You're not a prisoner.” He was happy his voice didn't waver.

  She nodded and opened her door. Once she was out of the truck, Wade watched the sway of her hips as she walked toward the restrooms.

  "Damn it,” he growled to himself. Closing his eyes, he breathed deeply to calm his wild heartbeat, but it was a mistake. Keira's scent still lingered and all he could smell was her. His erection pressed against his jeans, straining to be set free.

  This was going to be one hell of a long trip back to Dallas.

  * * * *

  Keira splashed water on her heated cheeks as she gazed at herself in the brushed metal that passed as a mirror in the women's restroom. Her hands shook and she wasn't sure how to calm down. Wade's look had been intense, threatening to burn her to a crisp. He'd appeared as if he wanted to pounce on her from across the Hummer and kiss her into oblivion.

  Despite what he'd told her about some strange DNA splicing, which she didn't entirely understand, Keira still found Wade an attractive man. She chuckled to herself and the sound of it echoed off the cinder block walls. Attractive? Try drop-dead-gorgeous, cream-in-your-panties-with-just-one-look kinda guy. Wade was a knuckle-biter. Problem was, he claimed he could smell her desire, and if she went back to the truck now, she was sure he'd have something to say about it.

  Could she really face that kind of embarrassment again? It was bad enough the man knew she lusted after him.

  But hearing him talk about what her father had done doused her arousal. Had he really ordered a hit on one of Wade's close friends? Why in God's name would her father do that? She desperately wanted to talk to her father, but she didn't dare. Not now, not yet. Not when she didn't know the whole story. Wade claimed to be a shifter. Keira wanted to know exactly what he meant by that.

  Taking a deep breath, she walked back out into the crisp morning air. The black Hummer was easy to spot, and she could see Wade through the windshield. He looked as if he'd fallen asleep. Stopping in her tracks, she simply stared at him, taking in his blank, beautiful face. His light-colored hair fell over his forehead, and she desperately wanted to smooth it away.

  What the hell was the matter with her? Wade was her kidnapper and the man who'd claimed her father had tortured him. Even if he didn't kill her father, how could she even consider getting closer to a man who wanted his blood?

  Then again, if what Wade said was true, her father would be the monster, not Wade. Keira shuddered in confusion. She swallowed hard and walked the rest of the way to the truck. Climbing in, she was careful not to rock it too much and wake him. His breathing was deep and even, with his arms crossed over his chest.

  She could stare at him all day long and not get bored. His arms were well-defined, his muscles seeming to go on forever. He wasn't built like a body builder, but rather, like a man who did a lot of work outdoors. She found herself wondering what he would look like without his shirt on. Her mouth watered.

  Perhaps her fascination with him was due to the fact that it had been a damned long time since she'd been with a man. Her last steady boyfriend had been over two years ago, with a few dates every now and again, but nothing serious. She was jonesin’ for some good sex. Wade, in all his glory, would be a sight to behold. And he would be rough and wild. She just knew it. The way his eyes flashed scared her, yet thrilled her at the same time. He was a powerful, sexy man who seemed to be attracted to her, too.

  There wouldn't be anything wrong with a little harmless sex, would there?

  Good lord, Keira! What the hell was she thinking? Wade was no better than a stranger. A fricken’ hot stranger, but a stranger nonetheless. But damn, his mouth on hers had felt like Heaven. What would it feel like elsewhere?

  Crap. She was turned on again.

  Leaning back in her seat, Keira closed her eyes, refusing to look at Wade another moment longer. Her thoughts wandered to the condom she always kept in the pocket of her purse. Was it still there?

  Growling to herself, she banged her head against the head rest. She seriously needed a man.

  No, you need to get laid.

  Biting her lip, Keira tried her hardest to ignore her puckering nipples.

  Eight

  Keira couldn't sleep. Wade's head tossed on his seat and he moaned every now and again. Glancing at him, she watched as his face contorted with what looked like pain. A sheen of sweat covered his skin and his muscles twitched.

  Was he having a bad dream?

  "Please ... plea—no."

  Keira bit her lip. “Wade?"

  He tossed his head.

  "No, don't,” he murmured.

  "Wade?” Reaching across the Hummer, Keira touched his shoulder. He jumped but didn't awaken.

  "No!"

  "Good Lord,” Keira said under her breath. What was he dreaming about?

  Climbing out of her seat, she was intent on waking him. He couldn't possibly be getting any rest.

  "Wade?” Keira grabbed his arm and shook him.

  Without warning, his eyes snapped open and he seized her shoulders in an iron grip, yanking her down into his lap. His eyes were fierce, flashing at her with such hurt and anger that she yelped once her backside hit his thighs.

  Keira's heart was in her throat when he growled at her, and her skin prickled with fear.

  After a moment, recognition dawned on his face. “Keira?"

  She nodded, and instantly tears were in his eyes.

  "Jesus!"

  Before she knew his intent, Wade embraced her, hiding his face in her neck. His entire body shook, but no sound escaped him. Keira couldn't leave the circle of his arms—even if she'd wanted to.

  "Are you all right?” she whispered in his ear. Wade simply drew her closer, finally allowing a sob to break through his firm countenance.

  Without knowing what else to do, Keira threaded her fingers through his hair and held him in return.

  "They cut me,” he said, his voice wavering.

  "You're safe."

  "I'll never be safe. Not when I can remember every damn thing they did to me."

  Keira took a deep breath. “What did they do?"

  Wade pulled back to look into her eyes. His beautiful hazel depths were wet and red-rimmed. “They tortured me. Cut my head open. Did things to my brain ... While I was still awake."

  Keira's eyes widened in shock. “It ... it was just a dream. It's over now."

  "No.” Wade shook his head. “It was not just a dream, Keira."

  "What are you...” Before she could finish her sentence, he took her right hand and straightened her fingers. Bringing them to his scalp, he ran them along his hairline. She could clearly feel a scar along the top of his forehead.

  "It goes into my scalp, too."

  Disbelief rushed through Keira's body like a whirlwind. Goosebumps raced up her arms as she stared at Wade, her breath coming in short gasps. Tracing his scar into his hair, she felt it continue on.

  "Oh my God,” she whispered.

  She should have been more concerned with being on his lap at the moment or wondering about the look of yearning on his face. But she was too damned shocked
to do much more than sit there and gawk at him.

  "B*E*A*S*T* did this to you?"

  Wade nodded, not taking his eyes off her for a second. “Your father's agency."

  "But ... but can't you go to the police and—"

  "No,” he said, interrupting her. “They'll know. If I go to the authorities, B*E*A*S*T* will know and find me within an hour. If I'm caught again, there's nothing left for me but reprogramming."

  While he talked, one of his hands wandered to rest on Keira's thigh while his other one traveled upward, tucking underneath her hair to the nape of her neck.

  Suddenly, her body responded to his, as if there were some invisible force pulling them together. She shivered and stroked his cheek.

  "How did you survive?” she asked.

  "One day at a time."

  "It must have been hell."

  "You have no idea.” The hand on her neck began bringing her face closer to his. She did not resist. “Keira.” His voice sounded gritty and a little strained.

  "What?"

  "Get off my lap."

  "No."

  He looked shocked.

  "Why the hell not?"

  She shrugged. “I'm comfortable."

  Wade snorted. “Well that makes one of us."

  She smiled at him, but noticed he did nothing to make her vacate his space.

  "If you don't get off, I'm going to do something I'll regret,” he said.

  "What, like kiss me?” She raised a brow.

  "Among other things. God, lady, if we keep going on like this, I won't be able to keep my hands off you."

  "I'm a grown woman, Wade,” she reminded him. “If I didn't want you to kiss me, I wouldn't still be in your lap."

  That seemed to stun him into silence. She could tell by the look on his face. Taking the initiative, Keira leaned in and pressed her mouth to his.

  His lips were soft under hers, but the kiss was a chaste one, nothing more than a few gentle pecks. Keira didn't want to push him any further than he wanted to go, despite her state of arousal.

  Releasing his mouth, she whispered, “Can you smell me?"

  He barely nodded, his eyes flashing as they had before.

  "You don't want to do this."