The B*E*A*S*T* Within

by Rebecca Goings

  Rogan sighed with relief and slumped against the wall. Now all hell would break loose for sure. And, as the horrifying screams of the shackled guards reached his ears, he couldn't help the stab of guilt that pierced his heart. No man deserved to be eaten by hungry, vengeful shifters.

  Oh, God. What have I done?

  Rogan doubled over and puked violently on the floor.

  * * * *

  After he'd recovered somewhat, Rogan waded through the throng of men and beasts to find the cage of his long-time friend, Wade McAllister. Wade, along with Justin and Noah, had been Rogan's friend there at the agency, but Wade hadn't been able to convince the scientists that he was a loyal shifter, and Rogan had been unable to help him escape.

  He'd felt horrible allowing one of his closest friends to continue enduring torture at the hands of these bastards, but he tried to push that to the back of his mind when he rounded a corner and saw Wade lying on the floor of his cage. The door was wide open, but he either didn't care or didn't have the strength to pull himself up.

  Rogan entered the cage and lifted his friend to a sitting position so he could look into his eyes. Wade's pupils were dilated, and his eyes were glassy.

  "Wade? Wade, can you hear me?” They'd drugged him, damn it. Rogan could barely keep his anger in check. “Wade?"

  "Wha...” Wade's head lolled forward as he blinked, trying to focus on Rogan's face.

  "I need you to stand, buddy. Do you think you can manage?"

  "Rogan?” Wade touched his face. “Is it really you, or am I dreaming again? If you're real, please don't let them hurt me anymore."

  Setting his jaw, Rogan stood and hooked an arm around Wade's waist. “Don't you worry about that, man. I just freed all the shifters, and I think the tide has turned here at the B*E*A*S*T* compound."

  "Did ... did Noah make it?"

  Both men limped out of the cell. “Noah escaped, but now he's back to rescue his mate. That bastard Tam stole her from him."

  "Wow, Noah has a mate? I'm out of it for a while, and all kinds of stuff happens."

  Wade staggered, stumbling to the floor and bringing Rogan along with him. Rogan got up and offered him a hand. “Yeah, it's a long story. Come with me and I'll tell you all about it later. Right now I need to find a computer terminal."

  "What for?” Wade asked, trying in vain to stand once more.

  Rogan sighed before he answered. “To find out who the hell the damned woman is that I dream about every night."

  Wade chuckled as he held on to Rogan. “Maybe that mysterious woman is your mate."

  Rogan smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. That's exactly what he was afraid of.

  Thirty-One

  "Mother ... of ... God."

  "They're all over the compound, sir. We need to get you out of here!"

  Dr. Lucian Carver couldn't believe his eyes. Shifters were everywhere, killing anyone in their path. Every monitor showed the carnage, and for the first time since he'd begun the B*E*A*S*T* project, he felt fear creep up his spine. Not even when he'd first mixed animal DNA with that of humans or when he'd watched the painful experiments being performed had he felt any twinge of fear or guilt. But now, here he was wondering if this was the last day he'd ever see.

  "Get the goddamned chopper ready!” he barked, walking briskly out the door and down the corridor to the elevator that would take him to the helipad on the surface. Without missing a beat, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed.

  "This is Covington,” a man's voice answered.

  "Clive, it's Lucian. We've been infiltrated."

  "What?"

  "The traitor—Noah Carpenter—he returned with a few of his friends and stormed the compound. They've set the shifters free!"

  Dead silence greeted him as he entered the elevator with his guards, including Brett Walker, his personal bodyguard and the very first subject he'd experimented on. Brett was a shifter like the others but loyal to a fault, almost as trustworthy as Tam himself, and having the bloodthirsty cheetah for a watchdog made Lucian feel a little more secure, especially with the compound falling down around his ears.

  "All of the shifters?” Clive wanted to know.

  "Holy Christ!” one of the men in Lucian's entourage yelled as he pointed his gun down the corridor. Charging the elevator was a giant silverback gorilla. He roared, and the entire passage shook.

  Lucian knew who it was—Jack Washington, a man who'd always had murder in his eyes whenever he was on the experimentation table.

  "Shoot him!” Lucian ordered just as the man next to him pulled the trigger.

  Again and again, the guard fired rounds into the creature, until the gorilla finally went down, sliding along the floor until his black arm slipped into the elevator, preventing it from closing. One of the guards kicked the arm out of the doorway, and the elevator began its ascent.

  Lucian's heart was in his throat. For years, he'd assured the benefactors that his experiments were safe, that nothing could possibly go wrong. He almost laughed at the absurdity of his own ignorance.

  "Yes, Clive.” Lucian sneered into the phone. “All of the shifters!"

  He snapped his phone closed and dropped it into the pocket of his lab coat. Grinding his teeth, he ran his hands through his greasy hair and wondered how the hell he was going to explain this if they managed to get out alive.

  * * * *

  Noah stepped over the threshold of the lab, shocked at the scene that greeted him. Lanie was strapped to one of the tables, and it was standing upright facing the door. Her arms and legs were tightly bound, she was unconscious, and she was completely naked. Noah's hackles rose at the sight, his possessiveness almost overcoming him. He should be the only one to see her bare skin!

  Tam stood to her right, grinning like the madman he was. Next to him was Sean, a shifter Noah was very familiar with. On Sean's arm was Justin in his shifted state, squawking and attempting to flee despite the strap on his claw that Sean held in his iron grip.

  "We meet again, Noah,” Tam said, running his hand up and down Lanie's bare skin. Noah took a step forward in spite of himself, but Tam's hiss of breath stopped him when he saw a bead of blood on Lanie's chest.

  "I wouldn't come any closer if I were you,” Tam whispered.

  "What do you want, Tam?” Noah said, glancing back and forth between the two men in front of him.

  "I want you dead,” Tam said without a trace of remorse. “But since the benefactors won't allow it, I'll have to settle for torturing you a bit before you're reprogrammed."

  "Oh, haven't you heard?” Noah asked, his eyes wide in mock concern. “Rogan has released all the shifters. I seriously doubt there'll be anyone around to reprogram me or anyone else before too long, not to mention there won't be anyone to finish what you've started on Lanie. She will never be yours."

  Tam growled and his eyes flashed, giving Noah a glimpse of the panther within him as he barely controlled the urge to shift. “You lie."

  "Now why would I do that?” Noah asked. “I stormed this compound with Rogan, you know that. Where is he if not freeing the others? I suggest you start running and save yourself before the others find you. I'm sure they'll have a few scores to settle. That is, if you can get through me."

  He leveled his gun and took aim at Tam. Glancing at Sean, Tam nodded and Sean shifted into a giant Kodiak grizzly.

  Justin never had a chance. The hawk on his arm fluttered a few times as Sean shifted, but no sooner did it shriek than Sean pounced, tearing into the bird's fragile body with a vengeance. It didn't take long before the tile was stained blood. Sean shook his head back and forth with the bird in his mouth.

  "Justin!” Noah couldn't believe his eyes. "No!"

  He pointed the gun at the bear and fired, but his shots went astray when the beast began to charge.

  "Find the wolf!” Tam screamed. “Leave the traitor to me!"

  At the last moment before colliding with Noah, Sean changed course and slammed through the locked doors, m
aking them crash into the passage beyond. Then he was gone.

  And that's when Tam pounced.

  Thirty-Two

  Rogan found the control room easily enough, having spent countless hours in there himself, poring over notes of where Noah might have gone after his initial escape. He stood there now with Wade still leaning on him and his gun pointed at the head of a terrified technician.

  "Enter the access code exactly as I told you, and you won't get hurt. And I don't have to shoot you, you know. I could tear your throat out before you could even scream."

  The man's eyes were as big as silver dollars and his hands shook violently, but he complied, opening the files Justin had said would be on the mainframe.

  "Find the file for Rogan Wolfe,” he demanded.

  Licking his lips, the technician nodded furiously, having to retype the name three times due to his trembling fingers. Finally, Rogan's file opened, and he gazed upon his real name for the first time.

  "My name is Matthew Silver,” he said to himself, leaning far over the technician and tossing him out of the seat.

  The man wasted no time in running out the door as fast as his legs could carry him.

  Scrolling through the notes, Rogan came across a picture of himself and one of a woman—the same woman he'd been dreaming about for days. He hadn't told anyone of his dreams, but he knew they had to be memories. Every night it was the same, making love to her beneath the light of the moon. Even now, he had to close his eyes to rid his mind of his torrid thoughts. Scrolling a bit more, he stopped dead in his tracks.

  "What is it?” Wade asked, trying to look over Rogan's shoulder.

  "Her name is Marlie. Marlie Silver."

  "Is she related to you?"

  "Um, yeah,” Rogan said, his entire body quaking. “She's my wife."

  Wade whistled through his teeth. “Hot damn!"

  Rogan turned to scowl at him before turning back to the computer. “Looks like she ... I ... we used to live in Alaska."

  "Beautiful country up there,” Wade said, his head on Rogan's shoulder.

  Rogan sighed but continued to scroll through the file, chewing on his lip. He had a wife. Dear Lord, what had they told her? Like the woman Noah had dreamt of, she had to think he was dead. He stopped scrolling again, his mouth hanging open at what he saw on the computer screen.

  "Oh my God, Justin was right!"

  "About what?” Wade asked, cracking open his eye.

  "I was in the military—the Marines. Just like Noah; just like Justin. Holy shit, this can't possibly be coincidence. Christ, what the hell is the government doing?"

  "Hey, can you look up my file on that thing?” Wade asked, trying to stand upright.

  Rogan ran his hands through his hair so hard that he winced. “Yeah, sure. Hang on."

  A deafening roar filled one of the corridors that connected with the room, and Rogan's head whipped up as he grabbed Wade around the waist.

  "Actually, I think that's our cue to run—now!"

  Racing to the opposite end of the room, Rogan and Wade disappeared through one of the rear doors of the command center just as a huge grizzly crashed into the room behind them in hot pursuit.

  * * * *

  Noah dropped his gun as the huge panther landed on him, knocking the wind out of his lungs. Tam yowled, and the sound was deafening in the enclosed lab. Twisting this way and that, Noah barely avoided Tam's gaping maw as he viciously snapped and snarled above him. Noah knew he wouldn't be able to fight Tam in his human state, so he shifted.

  His clothing ripped as his body became that of a white tiger, taking less than a couple of seconds to complete the transformation. Instantly, he grabbed hold of Tam's throat with his teeth and clamped down hard as he kicked him from underneath with his claws. The soft skin of Tam's belly gave away easily.

  With one mighty heave, Noah threw Tam off of him, but not without leaving a tuft of his black fur behind in Noah's mouth. Noah spit it out with silent satisfaction. He knew Tam could see the loathing in his eyes as he roared, urging the panther to pounce on him once more.

  The two cats circled each other until Tam suddenly stopped, seeming to shake his head. He growled low in his throat right before he sprang again, but Noah was ready for him. Raising up on his hind legs, Noah caught him within his powerful limbs and crashed to the floor, both of them rolling and biting as they tried to tear each other apart.

  Tam managed to wrestle out of Noah's grasp and stood a split second before he crashed down on Noah again, this time digging his sharp claws into his back. Again and again he bit Noah on the neck, drawing blood.

  Noah growled and twirled around, catching Tam on the side of his face. His sharp fangs raked across his eyeball, eliciting a sharp howl of pain from the panther. When Tam pulled away with his left eye mangled, fat drops of blood hit the floor, and he charged again.

  Noah ducked right as Tam launched at him, missing him completely. Tam instead smashed into the countertops on the far wall, crashing beakers, books, and notes to the floor. But once he got his bearings, he launched himself again. Noah rolled with it, still biting and clawing, trying to hit the panther's injured eye.

  But Tam was strong, and Noah was beginning to tire. Both of them were covered in blood. Noah knew Tam hadn't originally intended to kill him, but perhaps Noah's boasting of releasing the shifters had changed his mind, because now Noah could tell from the murderous light in the panther's eyes that he wanted to spill all of his blood.

  Spying the gun out of the corner of his eye, Noah tried to make his way over to it. If he could just reach it, he might be able to shift in time to grab it and use it. But Tam attacked again and again, jumping atop him and continuing to rip his flesh. With a heave, Noah succeeded in pushing Tam back just enough to escape from beneath him, but instead of trying to tear him apart, Tam leapt for the gun himself, landing on it before shifting and grabbing it with his hands.

  "I'll make you pay, traitor!” Tam yelled. “And if I can't kill you, I'll take away the one thing you love!"

  Noah glanced at Lanie in terror, not believing what Tam was about to do. He didn't even think before he acted next. Perhaps things would have turned out differently if he had thought about it, but Tam had obviously underestimated exactly what Noah would do if his mate's life were threatened.

  Just as the gun fired three short bursts, Noah jumped into the line of fire, taking the bullets meant for Lanie. Flames of pain exploded through his right shoulder and down his leg, and instantly he collapsed in a heap on top of the rags of his own clothes.

  Unable to hold his shifted state any longer, he turned back into his human form and tried not to look at the blood that pumped out of his wounds. But seeing the expression on Tam's face made shivers race down Noah's spine as he realized another thought had crossed the madman's mind.

  Hunger.

  "Then again,” Tam said, lowering the gun and looking as though he'd just had another brilliant idea, “my belly has been growling for hours. Perhaps it's time to fill it."

  Swallowing hard, Noah tried to backpedal away from him, but another eruption of flame shot through his shoulder and spread to his entire body. Noah cried out and fell back to the floor, watching with horror as the room began to spin.

  He saw Tam walk over to where he lay and hover over him like a conquering hero. Noah took short, labored breaths as tears pooled in his eyes. This wasn't how things were supposed to end, damn it! Tam wasn't supposed to get the better of him.

  Crouching low, Tam buried the hot barrel of the gun into one of Noah's bullet wounds and laughed when Noah cried out in agony.

  "I'm going to eat you alive, Tiger.” Tam sneered, tossing the gun away while licking his lips at the same time. “Then I'm going to eat her, but in a much different way."

  Noah closed his eyes and groaned while beads of sweat dotted his brow.

  This was the end.

  Thirty-Three

  Rogan could barely draw breath as he hauled himself and Wade down the lon
g hallway. After stumbling twice, he was actually shocked that Sean hadn't caught up with them. Yeah, he'd recognized that bear instantly despite knowing there were three Kodiak grizzlies at the B*E*A*S*T* compound. Sean was the only one who had a scar across his snout—a scar Rogan had given him.

  The scientists had once thought it might be interesting to spar a timber wolf against a bear, but of course they'd stopped the fight before things had gotten too ugly. Rogan had gotten his ass handed to him, but not before he'd scratched the hell out of Sean's face. Ever since then, neither shifter could look at the other without wanting to rip out his opponent's throat.

  Tam had sent Sean. Rogan had no doubt about that. Tam must know that Rogan had split from Noah in order to free the others. And Sean would have been only too happy to oblige and find him. Sean didn't want revenge, he wanted blood. And his roars were getting closer as Rogan and Wade tried to stagger away.

  A few more twists and turns awaited them before they came to the elevator that would take them back to the vehicle bay. Rogan couldn't afford to go looking for Noah—the tiger was on his own. He just hoped he'd be able to take on Tam and live.

  A group of four men suddenly rounded the corner at a full run, looking as if they wanted to rip something to shreds. Rogan recognized them as shifters he'd freed not too long ago.

  "Hey, you there!"

  "Rogan!” one of them shouted with a grin. His mouth was bloody, and Rogan shuddered to think where he'd been and what he'd done.

  "I need some help!” Rogan shouted.

  The men rallied around him, clearly eager to do anything for the man who'd released them from their prisons. “What's the problem?"

  "That!” Pointing back down the hall, Rogan's eyes widened at the bear charging them with his mouth covered in foam and his eyes full of murder.