“Then we arrange for a little hunt,” Vince said. “If that’s what it takes.”
“A hunt?” Lucas asked. “That’s not going to help. That’s only going to make them hungrier.”
“And what about you, son? Are you hungry?”
“You tell me.”
Vince made fists and put them on the table. He leaned and smiled. “You look pissed off but not so much at me. You’ve got yourself a little bit of an edge for me. That’s fine. All good father-son relationships have one. Builds muscle and character. But the rest of what’s going on in your mind and battling the shit out of your heart, it’s going to show to the rest of the club. Actually, it’ll show more than it already does, son. There’s no shame in love, but in who you love…”
“You think I should get rid of Leah?” Lucas asked. He stood up. “Maybe toss her out in the street? With all she knows? Better yet, maybe just have her set up.”
Lucas saw the flicker in Vince’s eyes. Lucas wasn’t afraid of Vince, even if he was now meant to obey him no matter what. That was part of the bond. It was an impossible bond to break, but somewhere in the back of Lucas’s mind he wondered what would happen if Vince were to meet his own fate.
“I think we’re all on edge,” Vince said. “Go take that edge off. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Let’s hope nobody else innocent dies,” Lucas said.
Vince laughed. “Innocent people die by the second in this world. I can’t control that, son. But in our world, right here, that much I can worry and fight for. Do the same.”
Lucas didn’t reply. He left the conference room and shut the door. He stood for a few seconds and looked left and right. One direction took him to Leah. Another direction took him to the bar and main part of the clubhouse. There would be plenty to drink, plenty to laugh about, and soon enough, the women would be everywhere.
Lucas walked down the hall toward Leah. His hands were in fists for what felt like the hundredth time today. His heart pounded like he wanted to shift. It wouldn’t have been the first time a wolf wandered these halls, but Lucas knew if he shifted, all his aggression and annoyances would be taken out on the wrong people at the wrong time.
At the door to his room, he touched the doorknob and froze. He put his head to the door and let out a long sigh. He touched the door with his other hand and felt emotion rip through him.
He loved her. Her really did. To fall in love like this, with a woman who couldn’t shift and a woman who could die from a bullet, it wasn’t unheard of. But it shouldn’t have been done. Not by the man who stood second in line to the table. He had plans to fully claim Leah and finally make her his own once and for all. If he did that, though, it would put he and Leah close for the rest of their lives.
More like for the rest of her life.
Leah was a true mortal, even though she had received immortal treatment to heal the wound from the bullet. She should have been dead right now. Thinking that pained Lucas to no end but in some way it brought him comfort.
That’s when Lucas backed away from the door. For a second he saw himself kicking the door in just because he wanted to. Instead, he calmed his wild body and rushed away from the room.
Facing Leah meant facing truths he wasn’t sure he wanted to handle right now.
*
Leah opened her eyes and her neck hurt. She touched and rubbed it, feeling her stiff muscles from sleeping sitting up. She’d done so on purpose to not fall asleep, but her body commanded it. Never before had she been so tired. Then again, never before had she been recovering from what should have been a fatal gunshot wound.
She put her hands on the bed and pushed, helping to slide to the edge of the bed. It seemed every muscle in her body ached for a few seconds. The achy feeling didn’t bother Leah as much as the feeling in her heart. She’d never seen Lucas look as upset as he had when he left the room. Leah wanted to feel loved, but she felt pushed away. This room would not become another prison to her. It had been bad enough she had to deal with Dr. Carane touching her and had to listen to Dr. Carane and Debbie pleasuring each other. Maybe that’s what had Lucas so upset. Could he be jealous of what was happening? Did that imply his feelings for Debbie?
Leah spotted the gun on the nightstand and she groaned. She didn’t want a gun. She didn’t want to have to protect herself. Yet it always seemed she dug herself into a hole. Just like that first night she met Lucas. It seemed like it was a lifetime ago, when she was with that violent drunk moron, Richie, who had pulled a gun and wanted to kill Leah and then himself. It was Lucas who saved Leah and it was in those moments Leah felt a connection. She had no idea what kind of connection it was, but now she knew it had something to do with what Lucas really was.
Pushing from the bed, Leah stood. She bent her knees and kept her balance. She stood like this for a few seconds before she slowly turned and reached for the gun. Leah took it and then began what felt like a mile long journey to the bathroom. Each step hurt and each step made her tired. But she forged on. If Lucas was going to be busy for now - or for the whole night - the least Leah could do was take a hot shower. The rushing water, the feeling of being clean, it would help. It had to help.
Leah opened the bathroom door and fell forward. She screamed as her eyes watched the gun. She had no control of her body as she fell forward. The gun hit the bathroom sink and she closed her eyes. At the very least she expected the gun to go off. Worst case, a bullet would rip through her body again.
It was then silent.
Leah opened her eyes and saw the gun in the sink, the barrel pointing right at her. She gripped the counter with her right hand and quickly grabbed the gun and placed it on the counter, the barrel facing the wall. Leah looked at herself in the mirror and was appalled. Her face was ghostly white, her eyes big, her hair a mess. She couldn’t believe that Lucas even dared to touch her when she looked like this. Her body tingled, thinking of what he had done to her back at Dr. Carane’s house. The touch of his fingers, the flick of his tongue, the stare from his eyes.
Taking deep breaths, Leah desperately tried to calm her body and mind down. She wondered if this all was some kind of shock wearing off within her body - or getting worse. The same for Lucas, too. He had promised to keep her safe and that hadn’t come true. She knew his blood ran as beast and alpha, and it was no surprise to see that he hated to be wrong or feel defeated.
The enemies of Full Moon Mercy seemed to be circling around, waiting for the right time to strike. Leah closed her eyes and wished her thoughts and her aches away. She parted her feet and stood without touching the sink. She needed to undress herself and shower. In the hot water, she would weep freely and nobody, including herself, would see her tears then.
*
He was back in town. This shit little town that had such a perfect appeal to it. Nestled between small valleys, running rich with residential, and commercial buildings, had that overall postcard feeling of friendly small town home, that made him sick.
How could they all stand this?
There were just people everywhere. People walking their dogs. People running to stay fit. Lovers holding hands, each holding an ice cream cone, their tongues trying to win the battle against the heat and melting ice cream.
It made his mouth water, too.
Not the heat. Not the ice cream. The people.
He wanted to lick their bloody flesh as though it were his own personal ice cream cone. He’d crunch their bones like the sweet crunch of a fresh waffle cone.
Yes.
Maybe someday soon the barriers of Mercy would finally come down. Nobody would know and nobody would care. It would simply be the fall of a small town. Nothing more, nothing less, but the feasts would be great.
A woman walked by, looked at him, and hurried to look away.
He smiled and licked his tongue.
“Be afraid, dear,” he whispered and blew a kiss.
The woman looked back at him. He waved. She hurried faster until she turned a corner and was go
ne. He touched his chest and felt his heart racing. Maybe that was love. Maybe it was just lust.
Or maybe he was just hungry.
He turned and walked back down the side street. He closed his eyes and sniffed the air. It was lingering with fresh meat, warm blood, and a hearty desire. But there was more to it. More that kept him drawn here. This was risky, but it felt right. He wanted to stay away, but he couldn’t. He slept outside of Mercy, but woke inside its invisible boundaries.
It was intense.
The feeling moved through his body, coming from everywhere.
Tonight he needed to send another message. He needed to make sure they all knew he was here and that it wasn’t going to stop. This instinctive feeling wasn’t going to allow it.
He stood a few steps from the end of the side street and he crouched down. The later it got, the more the people dissipated. Soon it was just a few walking or running.
He stayed down and waited.
A man walked by and did a double-take.
“Help,” he whispered to the man. “Just… help…”
“What’s wrong, buddy?” the man asked.
He smiled without the man being able to see.
This was going to be awesome.
The man approached with some caution, but little did the man know that by taking just the first step, fate had been sealed. There was no escaping. There was only death.
When the man was just a couple feet away, it was time.
Still crouching, he jumped up and turned. The man let out a yell.
He then had both feet off the ground and with that, he began to shift. Big hands turned to massive paws. Well trimmed fingernails were now razor sharp claws. His body grew, his nose became longer, and when he came down to the ground, he was just a few inches from the man.
The man was frozen, shaking in shock.
Now it was time to attack.
The wolf jumped and bit the man’s neck. It was a mortal wound and the man crumbled to the ground. He was still alive and would be until he bled out. But that’s all this attack needed.
The wolf resisted the urge to feast. It stood and shifted back into his human form with the exception of his right hand. It was still a wolf paw. He needed the claw to finish the job.
To send another message to Full Moon Mercy.
9
Lucas downed two strong shots and ordered a beer. The muttering chatter of his brothers around him droned like rough background. There were explosions of laughter and a couple of the guys started to push and shove, betting on pool games and women.
Cooper slithered onto a barstool next to Lucas and slapped his beer bottle against Lucas’s.
“Cheers, brother,” Cooper said.
“Yeah, right,” Lucas said. “Cheers.”
“You stayed in the conference room after we all left. Everything okay?”
“Just a rough time,” Lucas said. “Everywhere we turn there’s an enemy. I put Leah’s life on the line twice now and I can’t help but wonder when it’ll happen again.” Lucas looked at Cooper. “She’s not like us, bro.”
“I know that,” Cooper said. “That’s the risk, man. You know that.”
“Yeah. But that doesn’t mean shit to my feelings.”
“You? Have feelings?” Cooper laughed.
“Thanks.”
Lucas drank his beer and lit up a fresh smoke. He’d do anything to keep his buzz going even though it wasn’t the right kind of buzz. Leah was the right kind. She was the ultimate high. Her body, her eyes, her words. Yet Lucas feared she would end up dead. Unless, of course, he could help her become like him. But that was insane. It wasn’t like the damn movies. You didn’t just bite someone and run away and watch them slowly shift into a wolf.
If only it were that easy…
“Come on,” Cooper said, “relax a little, like Vince said.”
“You hold onto every word he speaks?”
“Shouldn’t I?” Cooper asked.
“Yeah, you should. I just keep thinking of it all playing together. A body with a message. A black car following us. Oreno trying to stir up some shit. It’s all connected somehow. I think.”
“Sure it is,” Cooper said. “Those are people who want us dead.”
“But that black car wasn’t a wolf,” Lucas said. “I could smell it.”
“I know, brother, I know.”
Cooper drank and Lucas inhaled on his cigarette. The noise, the life, the party all continued around them.
“What do you fear?” Cooper asked.
“I fear Leah dying as a cost of this,” Lucas said. “She didn’t ask for it. I promised something else.”
“We can’t control fate. Even as wolves. We can only walk with our eyes open. And fuck, man, we all have urges. Needs. Wants. You saw what happened to me. Same thing happened to Ian and it’s the same thing happening to Zayne. It’s hard to always be in control.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Lucas said. “Listen, bro, get out there and have fun. Don’t let me waste your night.”
Cooper finished his beer and slid his bottle to the other side of the bar. The beer bottle stopped, rocked gently, and then fell, shattering on the floor.
“Damn,” Cooper said as he stood. “I was so close.” One of the guys behind the bar looked at Cooper. “What are you looking at? Get me another one. Now.”
Cooper made a fist and punched the bar. Everyone’s drinks jumped.
The guy behind the bar rushed to get a beer for Cooper.
Lucas smiled and shook his head. “You’re going to make them shit themselves.”
“Good,” Cooper said. “They’ll never get out from behind the bar.”
“Nope.”
The guys behind the bar wanted in on Full Moon Mercy. They weren’t able to patch in because they weren’t shifters. They didn’t know and it didn’t matter. They did what they were told and they received protection in return. It was like being on the outside of a rock band. Close enough to enjoy the free show, but never close enough to be in the band.
“Need another one?” the guy asked Lucas.
“Yeah,” Lucas said.
“Make it two,” a voice said.
Lucas looked and saw a beautiful woman sitting next to him. She had blonde hair pulled back and an almost angelic face. Her eyes were dirty eyes, the way they were dark and flickering. They were only matched by the way the woman gripped the dripping cold beer bottle as she lifted it to her dark, red lips.
The woman was walking seduction.
Lucas felt his rage growing already. He didn’t need this right now.
“Sitting alone,” the woman said. “Doesn’t seem very fair with the rest of your friends having fun.”
“I’m having plenty of fun,” Lucas said. “Right here. Alone.”
The woman inched closer. “I could show you some real fun.”
Lucas smiled. He sipped the cold beer and it was mildly satisfying. He ignored the woman for the moment, although he didn’t mind the smell of her perfume, the hint of soap on her skin, and her sweat. She didn't know who or what Lucas truly was, but Lucas could sense every possible desire coming off her body. She wanted him and she would do anything to him, for him, and she would allow Lucas to do anything to her.
It was so damn tempting.
Lucas reached for a smoke and lit it. He had the cigarette between his lips and asked, “Want one?”
“No,” the woman said. “I’d rather get out of this bar and go somewhere private. There’s better things I can do with my mouth than smoke a cigarette.”
The woman touched Lucas’s arm. Her fingers ran down and moved over his hand. Her hands were so damn small she probably couldn’t even hold Lucas’s hand. Her fingernails matched her lips, the same color. This routine was all planned out.
Lucas looked at the woman and wondered just how many guys had been inside her. It was an inappropriate thought, but it was one Lucas enjoyed. If he decided to fuck this woman, she would never have sex the same again. It would all
be compared to Lucas, and none of it would match up.
Leah burned in the back of his mind but Lucas couldn't help but stare at this woman. She was right there, ready and willing. She had no ties to him or to Full Moon Mercy. She would take care of his needs and then disappear. Right now, she was the absolute perfect woman.
“How did you get up here?” Lucas asked.
“What does it matter? I’m already here.”
Lucas smirked. He took a deep drag on his smoke and then put it out. He stood and looked around the clubhouse. Everyone else was knee deep in their own business and that was just fine by Lucas. He put his hand out to the woman and nodded.
“Let’s go, babe,” he said. “You better not be lying about your fucking mouth.”
“I don’t lie,” she said. “Well, not about that.”
She stood and a wicked, short dress climbed up her legs. Everything was slender and put into place perfectly, to keep the image of wasted seduction. Lucas pulled the woman so she was a step or two in front of him. He put his hand to her lower back to guide her along the bar and beyond it. When she walked, her dress pulled up higher and higher. More than once Lucas caught the quick glimpse of her ass.
“Stop here,” he ordered and placed both hands to her waist.
The woman stopped and opened her legs. The dress cut up even more and with her legs spread Lucas saw that she wasn’t wearing panties. Christ, most of his work had been done for him. All he needed to do now was bend the chick over and take himself out. He could fuck her right here in the hallway and it wouldn’t matter one bit. He was man; he was beast, and in either form, he had his own needs. There was no true claim with Leah, and even if there was, the MC rules for women were very different from the bullshit relationships most people had.
Lucas’s hands squeezed and the woman put her hands to his.
“Easy now,” she whispered. “You’re going to hurt me.”
“You want me to fucking hurt you?” Lucas asked.
The woman slowly turned and broke from Lucas’s grip. She put her hand to his chest and pushed. She couldn’t move Lucas, even if she was driving a car, but Lucas fell back to the wall just to make her feel good. She moved in on Lucas, her lips inching in. Lucas turned his head and the woman’s lips grazed his cheeks.
The Dark Monster (A Full Moon Mercy Novel) (shifter / MC romance) Page 8