The Beast laughed softly. “You know you haven’t. This is as real as it gets.”
Tobias flexed his fingers again. They felt so odd! And yet so right, like the changes to his body when he had decided to get fit and work off all the extra pounds, with each passing week he had felt fitter, healthier, more like himself. This was beginning to feel like a natural extension of that.
“And this is me now?” he said. “I can’t change it?”
“Would you?” the Beast asked. “If you could?”
For the first time since the turning Tobias thought about that, thought about it properly. When he had known that something was happening to him, when the change had begun all those weeks ago, it had scared him shitless. He didn’t know what was going to happen, or how it might turn out, but now, in truth, it was not as terrifying as he had imagined it might be. But then, the anticipation was often worse than the reality, and for Tobias that was certainly the case.
“I don’t know,” he said honestly. “This is still so strange.”
“It will take some time to get used to it,” the Beast said. “I expected that, and Tobias, you have handled it admirably so far. I am proud of you.”
“Because of you,” Tobias said. “You’re here. Without you…” He shivered. “I don’t know how it would have been.”
“As I am supposed to be,” the Beast said. “This is my role as your mate, to guide you, to help you, to make you comfortable in your new skin.”
Tobias picked up a stone, he didn’t think it was granite, but he couldn’t be sure. Regardless it crumbled between his fingers. “This should feel odd,” he said. “But it doesn’t. It feels right.”
The Beast smiled, the moon illuminated it, and took his hand, their tawny hair almost exactly the same. “It was meant to be. And in the morning when the sun comes up, we’ll return home.”
Home. Tobias couldn’t help but look behind him to his building. There it stood, illuminated by the moonlight, the place that he loved, that he had put so much effort into making his home. But, for the first time ever, Tobias realized then why that building had become so important to him. When he had moved in he had still been lacking in confidence. He was chubby, out of shape, and convinced that was the reason he had yet to find someone he could love. He had turned his home into a sanctuary, a way to lock himself away from the world, and watch his true crime shows, and do whatever he liked without the judgment of society.
Once he’d gotten fit, and his shape had changed, Tobias hadn’t changed with it, because in the end, and this was so obvious to him now, the outside was nothing more than the dressing. It didn’t matter if he was fat, or it he was lithe and toned, or even if he now wore the skin of the beast, essentially, newfound confidence and resolve aside, he was still Tobias. He would still have the same likes and dislikes. The same desires and needs. And that was never going to change.
“I don’t know if I can imagine living below ground,” Tobias said honestly. “And I don’t know how much I’ll miss my home here.”
“It is where we have always lived,” the Beast said. “The sun doesn’t mean the same to us as it does to the humans. We live by the cycles of the moon. This time, when the moon is new, this is the time we spend above ground. We can’t help it. It calls to us. Can you feel it?” he asked. “The call?”
Yes, his mind whispered, but Tobias did not say that, instead he said, “I’ve always loved the sun.”
The Beast sighed. “You won’t anymore, Tobias. It will simply be an annoyance.”
“I don’t know how I feel about that.”
A squeeze on his hand and then, “For you this has been rushed. It is not always so. Ideally, you would have had a lot more time to get used to this, but you are an outsider. If you had been born below ground you would have had years to ready yourself for what was to come.”
“How often do you do this?”
“Bring people in from above ground?”
“Yes.”
“Rarely, Tobias. The trouble is, as I have already said, we have no choice over who our mate is. When we see them we know, and then what will happen has already been set in motion. When I first saw you I knew. It was set from there.”
“I feel that,” Tobias said honestly. “I felt it when you claimed me. Not just the last time but the first. Only, I didn’t realize it then.” He paused. “But living down there? And what you said earlier about your people…”
“You’re worried they won’t accept you?”
Was he? Tobias didn’t know. But one thing he was sure of, he didn’t want to be in a situation where he felt the need to shut himself away again. That was the old Tobias, not the new. “You said they expected you to take a mate from your own kind,” he said.
“Expectations,” the Beast sighed, “are a tricky thing.”
He squeezed Tobias’ hand again and silence settled between them, a silence broken only by the sound of the surf. It was so clear to Tobias, so familiar…and yet…the feel of the cliff below him, the call of the warmth of below ground…once again it was warring desires and Tobias wasn’t sure how they would resolve themselves this time…and then the Beast spoke.
“Tobias,” he said, “do you want to know what I realized earlier, as I was deep inside of you?”
“What?” Tobias asked.
“That I love you.”
The words made Tobias freeze. A heartbeat later and a riot of feelings shivered through him. He sucked in a shocked breath and turned his head so that he could lock eyes with the Beast, his mate, could that even be denied anymore? “I…”
“Deeply,” the Beast added. “The exact way that I should.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Tobias whispered, because he didn’t. He knew that he felt something intense for the Beast, something more than he had ever felt for anyone, and yet it was so wrapped up in everything else that was happening, so wrapped up in so many changes that it felt like he couldn’t pause for long enough to work it out.
“You need not say anything yet,” the Beast said. “Just know that my feelings for you are as real as your yellow eyes. I love you, Tobias, and I always will, and because of that I am willing to compromise in a way that I should not.”
“What do you mean?”
“If you need more time,” the Beast said. “If you need to experience time above ground, then I will not stop you. I can learn from the mistakes we made with Layla. So long as you find your way back below. So long as you come back to me.”
It was more than Tobias had expected. He had thought the choice was clear. The Beast and life below ground, life with these yellow eyes, or nothing. Except there wasn’t a choice at all really, because it was already done, and so this was not something the Beast needed to offer, Tobias knew that, and yet he had to ask, “Do you do that for all outsiders?”
“No,” the Beast whispered. “Just for you. But then you are special.”
“I’m just me.”
The Beast tucked a finger under his chin and pulled his head forward. Their lips, differently shaped now, met a moment later and desire stirred inside of Tobias. And it was a desire unfettered by any kind of confusion. The way he wanted the Beast had never been in question, only everything else.
“You’re the Alpha’s mate,” the Beast said as they pulled apart. “That makes you special.”
“But it will hardly endear me to your people,” Tobias said.
“Let me worry about that.”
“The way I feel for you…” Tobias began. “The way you make me feel…I don’t know what to call it, I don’t know how to describe it, but if this is what love feels like, then that is what it is.”
The Beast laughed softly. “Ah, Tobias, I shall take that as a declaration.”
“It might be,” Tobias said. “If not for the newness of everything...”
Another kiss and then, “Soon it will be everyday life, Tobias. And I want you to be with me. Just give me a chance.”
A chance…Tobias opened his mouth to speak
, but closed it a moment later, because in the end, confusion or not, he had no idea what to say. For the first time since the turning he searched his soul for the answers to the myriad of questions rolling through him. In the end, after several minutes, the sound of the waves approaching closer and closer, and the Beast waiting patiently beside him, Tobias knew only one thing for sure. The Beast loved him, and Tobias was almost sure he felt the same way.
So, he was going to take a chance, because in reality, there was nothing else he could do.
Chapter Thirteen
The Beast was a combination of both nerves and happiness as he tugged his mate with him through one of the tunnels that led below ground. It was almost morning now, the sun making its way back into the sky, the moon disappearing.
Both the Beast and Tobias had started to revert to their human forms, their limbs shortening, their tawny hair and claws receding. It was the same for all his people, and the Beast knew that many of them would already be back below ground now. They were used to the phases of the moon and some did not always venture out. The call of the outside was strong only during the full moon, but for some it could be ignored, if they had other plans, if they simply wanted to curl up with their mate. Of course, it wouldn’t be that way for Tobias. The Beast knew that his mate would want to spend every full moon above ground simply because the turning was so new to him. He would want to run, to swim, to feel the ground beneath him, and the Beast was happy to allow that. Whatever it took to make Tobias happy. Perhaps then…
His smile, the one he had worn for hours as they ran through the surrounding forests and swam in the sea, dimmed slightly at that thought, because if Tobias did want to live above ground all of the time he saw no way not to let him. Despite being Alpha, despite being in the position where he should enforce the will of his pack, it was different with Tobias. The Beast wanted him to be happy. The instinct to please his mate was strong and jostled with that of his duties as Alpha. He was not sure how he was going to reconcile the two, or what his people would think when he did, especially considering the fact that they were already confused by Tobias being an outsider. As Gregovitch had suggested it might take a lot for his people to accept his mate, and though the Beast knew that they would at some point, he didn’t want their attitude to affect Tobias. For him to feel like the outsider he had once been. It would only strengthen his desire to remain above ground instead of integrating directly with the pack.
He tugged Tobias along, his heart thumping in his chest, confusion from those thoughts intruding on the happiness that being with Tobias gave him. A moment later and he turned the corner of the tunnel they were in and entered one of the lengthy ones that led directly into the main cavern. It was maybe a mile long, sculpted out of granite, and was bare of any sort of adornment. Tobias walked alongside him, and the Beast couldn’t help but reach out at various times to stroke his mate, to pet him, to drop a kiss on his head. Tobias responded with smiles, with small moans, and sometimes even by stroking back.
“Almost there,” the Beast said.
“And what will we do once we’re there?” Tobias asked.
“We will rest up for a while,” the Beast replied. “Give you a chance to get used to these changes, and then?” He shot Tobias a smile. “We’ll do whatever makes you happy.”
Tobias nodded slowly but did not say anything. He looked more thoughtful than the Beast had ever seen him.
They were coming to the end of the tunnel now. This was obvious due to the fact that the sconces were more closely spaced and the original granite flooring gave way to flagstones. As they approached the mouth of the tunnel the Beast became aware of an odd, rhythmic noise. He frowned, cocked his ear, and slowed his steps.
“What is it?” Tobias asked, also coming to a halt.
“I’m not sure,” the Beast said. “Something…”
“Are we okay?” Tobias asked.
“You will always be okay,” the Beast said. “I rule here, Tobias. That means you will always be safe.”
“But your people,” Tobias said. “They—”
“Will accept you as their own,” the Beast said. “Because you are mine.”
He took Tobias’ hand again and pulled him alongside him. A quick kiss on his head and the Beast strode forwards, curiosity assailing him. What was that noise? A moment later and he found out.
The cavern, though usually busy, was absolutely packed. The lights were on, the stalls open, and there were people everywhere. They lined up alongside the walls of the main cavern, filled the middle, hundreds and hundreds of them. Some were back in full human form, some were in the process of changing, but all had one thing in common, females, males and children alike. They were chanting, feet stamping a rhythm, hands clapping a beat, and when the Beast realized exactly what they were saying he was overcome with a feeling unlike anything he had ever experienced before.
“Tobias, Tobias, Tobias.”
His mate’s name… and his people were saying it, and their arms were open, smiles stamped on their faces, welcome in their eyes.
The Beast looked around, almost overcome with the feelings that were rolling off his people and towards him.
Excitement.
Curiosity.
Welcome.
Tobias gasped as he too realized what was happening. “What are they…”
“They’re here for you,” the Beast said.
“Me?”
“Your family,” he added. “Welcoming you home.”
“Home.” Tobias said the word almost as though he was testing it on his lips, and as he did so, the Beast became aware of the emotions his mate was feeling.
Excitement.
Curiosity.
Wonder.
“They accept you,” the Beast sighed. “Why did I ever imagine otherwise?”
He looked across the cavern and locked eyes with the male who had clearly made this happen. Gregovitch, and he was grinning with a combination of pride and amusement. He bent down, sweeping a bow, and gestured the Beast and Tobias forward.
Together they moved…and were pulled into a tangle of human and beast arms, hands and claws, hair and skin. The Beast touched his people, thanked them with a look and a gesture, but not words, because there was no need, he knew what they were feeling, and just by looking into his yellow eyes they knew too.
“Welcome, Tobias,” they said. “Welcome home.”
And then there was Layla, a wry grin on her face, and Karl, an apology on his lips, and everyone else the Beast cared about. By the time they made it to the far side of the cavern and up the twisting tunnels to the Beast’s private rooms, and it took a while, the Beast was both humbled and overwhelmingly happy. Tobias felt the same. The Beast knew that instinctively.
“That was…” Tobias sighed. “I didn’t expect anything like it.”
“Neither did I,” the Beast said honestly. “And yet I should have expected it.”
“They don’t mind me being here,” Tobias said. “That you and I…”
“Are mated?”
Tobias lowered his head and shrugged. “Yes.”
“You’re one of us now,” the Beast said. “I have claimed you and you are mine, Tobias.”
A pause and then Tobias stepped forward, straight into the Beast’s arms. It was the first time he had willingly done such a thing, had expressed himself in such a way, and the Beast felt his heart thud as he enfolded Tobias into his arms. “Tobias,” he sighed. “This is where you belong.”
“Then I have no choice,” Tobias whispered. “Not now. Not after feeling their love and acceptance. I didn’t realize,” he added. “That it would feel like that. That I would feel part of it all.”
“We’re all part of one another,” the Beast said. “It truly is a community here.”
And then Tobias said the words that the Beast had longed to hear from the moment Tobias had awoken manacled to his bed. “I will stay.”
“You’re sure?” the Beast asked.
“For now I am
,” Tobias said. “In a month? In a year? I don’t know. But for now.”
That was enough for the Beast. It was the start of a promise, the start of a future, and coming from his human mate, it was more than he had begun to hope for. He knew then that he would be able to persuade Tobias to stay forever. He knew it because there was no other option, and once Tobias became part of their community? Why would he ever want to be anywhere else? He wouldn’t.
“I love you, Tobias,” he whispered, placing a kiss on his mate’s head.
“I love you, too,” Tobias breathed. “I do. Which is strange considering I don’t even know your name.”
The Beast couldn’t help but laugh. “You do. You always have.”
“I…”
“You call me the Beast,” he said. “And it is to the Beast that you have submitted, and so…”
“The Beast.”
“Your Beast,” he said. “For as long as you will have me.”
Tobias lifted his head for a kiss, and yellow eyes met. “I think that is going to be a very long time.”
THE END
COMING SOON
The Hunt
OUT NOW BY APRIL ANDREWS
The Warriors of the World Series
By April Andrews
The Gladiator’s Prize
The Gladiator’s Bargain
The Gladiator’s Sacrifice
The Gladiator’s Surrender
A Warriors of the World Story…
The Queen’s Pet
The Mating Season Series
By April Andrews
Taken by Two
Captured by Three
Chased by Four
Owned by One
Submit to the Beast Page 7