The moon had slipped behind a cluster of clouds, the lack of light and the cover of the canopy making it hard to see again.
Edward walked toward the outline of the men and the truck. “That’s it? You feel like a big man knocking me down?”
The wind moved through the trees, the soft sound of it blowing carrying around him. An animal skittered across the forest floor. Every sound seemed amplified as he waited for the men to turn his way.
Slowly they twisted, their ridiculously big bodies easing around.
The light from the moon flashed between the cloud cover, giving him glimpses of the men he faced down.
Glimpses that had to be his mind playing tricks on him.
Suddenly the clouds passed, the full glow of the moon once again illuminating the forest.
The men.
“What the fuck?” It came out hushed. Shock and confusion made it impossible to do anything but stare.
The same low growl he heard before came again, and this time it sent a chill down his spine.
This time he knew where the sound came from.
What the sound came from.
It wasn’t men he was facing down. The two things standing in front of him were nothing anyone would confuse with human. Their bodies were covered in almost black fur. Hair?
Whatever it was, it covered every bit of them. Faces, arms, hands.
Feet.
They moved closer, advancing on him with what could only be described as glee filling their glowing eyes.
Edward couldn’t have run even if he wanted to. His feet were fused to the ground, glued in place by the sight of the things in front of him.
It couldn’t be real. It had to be the lingering effects of the tranquilizer. Edward’s hand went to his shoulder, pressing to the spot as a reminder it did happen.
This wasn’t real.
These things weren’t real.
It was just his brain tricking him into thinking he was seeing something he wasn’t.
Edward stood tall, straightening his shoulders and tipping his chin up. “Are you coming or not?”
This was mind over matter. That was all.
He was just dealing with two, normal-looking men.
Two normal-looking men who tried to hurt Sam.
Who would eventually try to hurt Alex if he couldn’t stop them now.
Edward spread his arms wide, fingers spread. “What’s wrong, boys? I thought you wanted to start some shit.”
One of the beast-men looked at the other before turning back to face him.
They started to walk his way, glowing eyes narrowing more with each step they took.
They were just men.
Men who were probably smaller than he was.
They definitely had less to lose.
Edward lowed his head as they came closer, keeping his eyes on theirs.
Suddenly they stopped, frozen in place.
The hesitation stoked his confidence, made him sure what he was seeing was not the reality of the situation. “That’s what I fucking thought.”
A soft sound came behind him.
The beast-men took a step back.
“Really?” Edward laughed, the bitter sound echoing through the trees. “You’re going to come all the way out here and then act like you’re fucking scared of me?”
One of the beast-men growled as they once again came his way.
Something fell from the tree branches over his head, falling a foot in front of him.
Alex slowly stood from the crouch she landed in, her eyes glowing stronger than the beast-men’s. “They’re not scared of you, Edward.” Her head tipped to one side as she stared the men down, a slow smirk twisting her lips. “They’re scared of us.”
A silent form seemed to bleed from the trees near the truck, emerging in complete silence before creeping toward the tailgate.
Alex’s lips pursed, a soft sound almost exactly like the breeze passing through them.
Another body dropped from the trees. Frankie landed on the ground completely upright, her glowing eyes fixed on the beast-men. “Well if it isn’t the Bellamy Brothers.” Her expression was cold a she looked them up and down. “I would have thought you learned your lesson about fucking with us last time.”
Edward squeezed his eyes closed. He had to get his head on straight if he was going to be able to protect Alex from whatever was really happening. The lingering effects of the tranquilizer made it impossible to know what was really going on.
He reached for her. “Al.”
“I’m going to need you to be quiet right now, Edward.’
“They drugged me. I can’t tell what’s really happening.” He shook his head, trying to clear out the images his brain was twisting this into.
“That explains a lot.” Frankie eased close to his side. “I was pretty impressed with how big your balls were.”
Alex’s chin lifted. It was a tiny amount. Almost not even enough to be noticeable, but right now his brain seemed to notice everything.
The soft scratch of an animal came again, this time closer.
Alex’s hand came back, reaching for him. “I need you to stick with me, Edward. No matter what.”
“Now you decide you want to stick with me?” He pulled her hand, trying to force her behind him. “I’ve been trying to convince you for two weeks.”
“Now is not the time to talk about this.” Alex’s eyes moved from side to side.
In a heartbeat she was moving, dragging him along with a strength that shocked his feet into moving.
The sound of growling was behind them, getting louder with each passing second.
“Faster, Edward. I need you to run faster.” Alex’s grip on his hand was so tight it was almost painful as they flew through the woods, dodging trees and jumping over downed logs.
“Faster?” He was struggling to keep pace with her as it was, barely managing not to lose his footing as she sailed through the woods.
Alex came to a sudden stop, dropping low to the ground, pulling him down with her. She wrapped both arms around him, covering his body with hers. After a few seconds her head lifted. “Shit.”
Then they were up again, this time running in a different direction. “You’re making this really hard, Edward.”
“How am I making this hard?” He chased after her, the fingers of his hand going numb from the circulation she was cutting off. “What are we running from?”
Alex pulled him down a steep incline before shoving him into a carved-out section of earth, pressing her back into his front. “Why do you breathe so loud?”
“Because you just made me run through the damn woods.” Edward grunted as she pressed her hip into him, shoving him farther into the dirt.
He sucked in a breath, ready to say more. Alex’s palm slapped over his mouth, cutting off any chance he might have had to continue their conversation.
A familiar sound came from the spot above their heads. It was the soft, footstep like noise he’d heard that night on Alex’s porch.
The steps stopped, the silence filled by a deep male voice.
“I know you’re here, Alex.”
TWENTY-THREE
THAT VOICE.
She hadn’t heard it in so long she hoped it was forgotten.
Lost to time.
It was the voice of a dead man.
“You can only hide from me so long, girl.”
Alex slowed her breathing, eyes falling closed as she focused. Hiding herself was simple, smothering out her own signs of life easy.
Edward was another story. Not because she wasn’t capable, because she was.
Under normal circumstances.
But a drugged-up Edward was a totally different story.
Even if he wasn’t really still drugged up.
Alex pressed into him more, using all her focus to contain the emotions around her. The hormones raging though Edward’s body.
It was an impossible task, but she had to at least try. Hope she could keep the man hu
nting her at bay until her sisters came.
And they would come. They always did.
“I don’t know what you’re running from, girl.” Soft footsteps moved above her head, pressing into the soft dirt helping camouflage the scent and vibrations of Edward’s location. “I’m not tryin’ to hurt ya. I never was.”
The footsteps stopped and a familiar wave passed around them.
He didn’t know where she was. He might know she was close, but her father was struggling to find her, just like when she was little.
He never caught them. Not once.
She planned to keep that record going.
“It’s time for you and your sisters to fulfill your purpose.” She could hear the pride in his voice. The confidence that led so many women to fall under his spell.
“You are the chosen ones.”
His steps began again, the sound fading as he moved away. “I was gonna let you bring your man friend. I’ll even let you keep him to yourself.”
She resisted the shiver trying to snake down her spine.
It was what her purpose was always intended to be. At least as far as her father was concerned.
Breeding.
Building the new humanity he believed would belong to him.
“Not saying you won’t be expected to complete the duties required of your position.” A twisted chuckle cut through the trees. “But I’m sure he won’t mind havin’ to share you on occasion.”
It took all she had to keep her focus where it needed to be. Edward stood perfectly still behind her back, one arm wrapped tight around her middle like he still believed he would have anything to offer if her father found their location.
It would be a split second before Edward came face to face with another of the things he believed to be an illusion.
Only this one was much different than the ones he faced down before. It was different from Lance. Different from her and her sisters.
This one was whole. A complete beast, born of a mother and father of like kind.
He believed it made him something he would never be.
Superior.
She felt his inhale as much as she heard it.
It was the only thing she couldn’t hide. The only way he would be able to find where they were hidden away.
“Come on, girl. You’re wasting my time.” Frustration edged into the words. “We have things to do before the day of reconing.”
She’d heard the story hundreds of times. Listened to her father’s twisted belief that he alone would save humanity. That they would exist in the darkness until it was time to emerge and claim their place.
The soft sound of the wind blowing through the trees whispered past. Alex dug deep, putting all she had into obscuring her hiding place a few seconds longer.
The scrape of an animal across the dirt.
The shift of the leaves.
The call of a bird.
Alex took a deep breath.
It was time.
She stepped from the shadows, walking tall and unafraid toward the center of the circle.
“I knew you would come around.”
Alex took another step before slowly turning to face the man she vowed to end if the chance ever became hers. “Hello, Mehir.”
His brows immediate lowered. “Don’t start this on the wrong foot, girl. Show your leader respect.”
It was so easy to hate him. So simple to despise every breath that fed his body.
But the thin line of his frame and the sunken hood of his eyes stole that hatred, replacing it with something she could feel guilty about later.
Joy.
Mehir Karlson was clearly suffering. Hopefully from something painfully deadly.
“I have no respect to give you.” She couldn’t stop the smile easing onto her lips. “And it’s still more than you deserve.”
Mehir’s eyes narrowed. “You ungrateful little bitch.”
The word used to sting. Used to push her to prove she was more than he claimed. It sent her to college. Pushed her to the top of her class.
Led her to work every minute she could. All to prove she had value, the monetary amount recorded in obsessively neat spreadsheets. Tallies of her worth.
“You son of a bi—” Edward jumped from the spot she’d shoved him into. Alex lifted one hand his way, her eyes staying fixed on the man who sired her and any number of children like her.
Bred for nothing more than to further his twisted plans. Feed his sickness.
Mehir snorted, his gaze going to rest on Edward. “Maybe it’s not you who’s the bitch here, girl.”
Any amusement she felt at her father’s deteriorated state evaporated. “Take that back.”
Mehir’s smirk widened. “You gonna let her fight your battles, son? Like a bitch?”
“Don’t call him that.” Charlie stepped from the brush, her lean body moving in languid steps that seemed to blend in with the movement of the leaves. “He’s not a bitch.”
Mehir’s eyes moved over Charlie. “Well lookie here. Seems like this might work out after all.” His smirk spread to a smile. “I thought you might not want to let the brother funding that little town of yours to disappear.”
Charlie’s nostrils flared. “Lance doesn’t fund our town.” Her chin lifted.
“We do.”
Mehir laughed, the sound crackly and hoarse. “Don’t try to lie to me, girl. A woman is good for one thing and one thing only.” He pointed to Edward. “Remember that, son.”
“I’m not your son.” Edward moved toward their father, stepping in front of Alex and Charlie. “It’s over. You don’t have anything you came for.” He turned to Alex. “Why are we standing here listening to him?” He snagged her hand, trying to pull her along. “We’re giving him what he wants.”
“What I want is for these girls of mine to do what they were made to do.” Mehir jumped down incline, landing on his feet with no trouble. “They owe me.”
“For what?” Edward stood taller as their father closed in on him. “For ruining their lives? For forcing them to live in poverty?” He stared down Mehir as they came nose to nose. “They don’t owe you shit.”
“Seems like you don’t know what you’re dealing with, son.” Mehir clicked his tongue, his eyes moving to rest on Alex. “Didn’t you tell your bitch what you are, girl?” The corner of his mouth lifted. “Didn’t you think he’d want to know what kind of children you’d give him?” Her father scoffed. “I thought you’d be proud of the glory you have to offer mankind.”
Edward didn’t flinch, didn’t react. “It doesn’t matter.” He stayed put as Mehir crept closer. “She’s fucking perfect.” He shook his head, a little smile playing at his lips. “And she’s mine. You can’t have her.”
“You think you can take her from me, son?” Mehir turned away, taking a few steps. “Better men than you have tried.”
Alex grabbed the back of Edward’s shirt as he tried to lunge after her father. “No.”
She knew it was only a matter of time. Her father used the beast to intimidate. Bring fear and panic.
Because when charm failed terror always won.
As his body bulged, shoulders widening as his muscles expanded.
But a movement caught his attention, stalling the change he incorrectly believed would force his daughters into line.
Danny pushed away the branches hiding her position and stepped into the open. “Hello, Mehir.”
Their father grunted a snort. “Another ungrateful bitch.”
Danny was unfazed by his growled insult. “Hardly.”
Frankie dropped from the tree above his head. She tipped her chin his way. “Mehir.” Her blue eyes skimmed down his half shifted body. “You’re looking old.”
Mehir’s glowing eyes narrowed as he snarled Frankie’s way. “You look like a boy.”
Frankie rested one hand over her heart. “Ouchie. However will I sleep at night knowing I don’t fit your expectations?” Her lips pulled into a smile. “The answer is l
ike a fucking baby.”
Mehir’s sneer tightened. “You think that word makes you sound important, girl?”
Frankie’s head tilted. “I don’t care how you think that word make me sound.” Her smile widened. “I fucking like it.”
Mehir twisted, turning to look between his four daughters. “Weren’t there six of you?” His eyes sparkled. “Pretty sure I knocked your mamma up six times before she gave out on me.”
It was just like him. Push one button and if it didn’t get the desired reaction move on.
Sam stepped in at Alex’s side. She, Alex, and Charlie moved forward together, pulling themselves between Edward and the half-beast he was still gaping at.
Sam’s gaze was icy as it took in the ailing man-beast in front of them. “You were supposed to be dead.”
Mehir cackled, his head falling back as he did. “I can’t die, girl. I’m the chosen one.”
“I think you can die.” Sam stepped toward him. “And I think it’s long past time for that to happen.” She lunged at him, catching Mehir with one hand around his throat. The glow of her eyes intensified, cool blue light emanating from where they locked onto Mehir’s twisting face.
Alex and the rest of her sisters circled around them. This is what they agreed would happen. What they decided was the only way to end this.
The only way to finally be free.
“You ruined our lives.” Sam’s knuckles turned white as their father gasped for air, fear and rage warring in his expression. His body twisted, the beast fighting for freedom. “You ruined our souls.” She held fast, even as the beast pushed through, trying to win a fight he never saw coming.
Never believed was possible.
Because women were weak.
Moldable.
Meant only to further the agenda of men.
“How does it feel, Mehir? To know you are weaker than the women you brought into this world.” Sam leaned her face close to his, staring the beast down. “To know we will continue to be here after you’re gone.”
His hands latched onto her arm, fingers wrapping around her wrist as he struggled to free himself of her hold.
Sam’s fingers twitched, the exertion wearing on her strength.
It was the moment Mehir was waiting for. A feral growl broke from his chest as he ripped Sam’s arm away, the nails of the beasts fingers cutting into her flesh as he gripped her tight, shoving her body back, sending her tumbling across the forest floor.
Alex (BIG Northwest Book 2) Page 22