The Beast Within

by D L Goddard

  “I thought the reason I couldn’t read his books was because mother only taught me the basics and the books were beyond me.”

  “And yet you could read sophisticated language in Seren. Your mother taught you well my love.” Mir continued. “Mia would have taught you Seren because she planned one day to take her family home and wanted you to have been brought up like any young Princess should have been.”

  Val blurted out before Anya could say anything.

  “Did your mother ever talk about returning home Anya?”

  “Yes …” the voice was thoughtful, “About a month before they died they were planning on returning and hoping her father and two brothers would accept her husband and me.”

  Tears threatened as she took in the full import of all that had been said to her. ‘How could she be a Princess?’ Things were moving so fast. Her mother was the King’s only daughter so he had to be her grandfather and Val and Mir were her Uncles. Not only that but she was in love and soul bonded to the Crown Prince or the rightful ruler of Serenor and who was the Keeper of the gateways and was carrying the heir to the throne. Suddenly, her legs couldn’t hold her up and she dropped to the chair in a crumpled heap.

  Val knelt at her head height.

  “Are you alright love? Which part overwhelmed you? Was it finding out you are of another world and race, or that your mother was a Princess? Wait … was it that you are a Princess and that you are carrying the heir to the throne? No … not that … it must be that you’re the niece of two of the most gorgeously handsome men you’ve ever seen and your naughty fantasies about us will never happen now. We will always love you though.”

  By the end of Val’s blathering … Anya was giggling and her Uncles smiled.

  “You’re right.” She declared. “It’s all true; I’ll never be able to think of you like that again.” And she burst into a fit of giggles joined by the beautiful deep laughter of the men she knew now to be her only real family.

  Feeling more refreshed … they went downstairs, one Uncle on either arm, escorting their lovely niece to finish lunch. Knowing Arahir was missing and that their separation meant trouble for the Beast and Anya, Mir and Val wanted her as well as possible and eating properly for hers and the child’s sake. Because if they were apart too long; Anya would stop eating, stop caring and begin to die one day at a time. They fervently hoped to have the couple reunited before that happened. So as matters stood, they took every opportunity to feed her tiny appetite.

  Emerson informed them as they entered that her friend apologized but said she couldn’t wait but she had to get back on time. Anya felt rude but Mir said they would make it up to her and thank her for her help. They did not tell Anya they could smell the Beast on Sally’s skin. Only sheer desperation on the part of the Beast at missing Anya would have pushed the Keeper to such an action. He would be craving Anya like a drug and any female that had been provided would have slaked his lust, what the woman looked like … old, young, hideous … the Beast would not have cared. The twins knew the Keeper would tell Anya in his own time, but they wondered if Anya knew already.

  A question occurred to Anya just then, and she turned to the twins.

  “How is it that when I first met you, Val only picked up on the Beast’s scent and not mine? You said I was covered in the scent of your people? Something like that? How is it you didn’t pick up my own scent seeing as I am of your world?”

  Val thought before answering.

  “When we first met you, you had been with the Beast for two days, then over a month … correct? But you also carried his child so the scent permeated your skin. We wanted to understand why a human carried the scent of our world. You see, our people not only carry their own scent but one who has been born on Serenor has the fragrance of our world forever imprinted in his or her skin until they die. Your parents would have had it, but you were not born in our world, in fact you are the only child of Serenor to have been born outside our world. Because of this … you do not smell of our world or our people. I wonder whether or not if you live there whether or not she would recognize you as one of her own and imprint you anyway. It will be interesting to see.”

  Anya opened her mouth to ask another question but Mir forestalled her. He held up his hand.

  “Your son will smell like one of us because his father is the Keeper, the Keeper is more of the land than any other and his scent is more recognizable than any other because of it. Maybe through carrying the child you will gain Serenor’s scent. But … what you do smell of to us my sweet is so intoxicating and so spicy sweet that you are almost irresistible. You are by far the most delicious female I have ever scented and if you weren’t already bound to another …” Mir and Val’s eyes darkened with desire and they gently pulled her to her feet surrounding her merely by the closeness of their bodies. The twins looked down at the beautiful luscious young woman who suddenly felt like a meal about to be devoured.

  “If you weren’t bound to another … “Val took over from his brother. “We would make you our mate, sharing your exquisite body with none other but ourselves. You would learn to pleasure us both as we both pleasured you. We have seen your passion; you are more than able to bring us both. We would be a trio, sharing everything together as we have sought the perfect mate to share between us.”

  Suddenly Anya was drowning in a scent that filled her mind and her heart. She saw images that somehow she knew they were all seeing … of how the three would be together. She saw how life with the twins would be the perfect fit for them all and how as one of their kind, she would live an almost immortal life being loved absolutely to the exclusion of all else. She saw how just living with the twins and being the only woman they craved for comfort and to work their daily problems through with, giving Anya their full and complete trust and attention in all they did. She felt so wanted, so complete and a part of her felt released. They opened their hearts to share how they would be joined together, teaching her, bringing her pleasure beyond want, beyond thought and eventually bearing the children of the two men. Fire inside Anya filled her as something deep inside her longed to be made love to as she had seen, to touch them as they wanted to be touched. She wanted to be with them, to be part of their life the way they needed. Her heart was pounding, her skin felt hot and needy as she realized Mir and Val had been kissing her deeply, passionately, devouring her lips and taking her into their world, while the heated images filled her mind.

  Outraged roaring filled her mind … it sounded so loud she was sure they could all hear it. She was right … as soon as Arahir’s furious roar filled her mind, her Uncles very reluctantly stopped.

  “But … you are bound … and we are too late.”

  The words were whispered, Mir was so sad when he said it that Anya realized the twins had wanted her for a mate for their lives to be complete. They had not been joking when they had told Adam they needed only one female … it just had to be the right female. They had hoped the night they had first inhaled Anya’s delicious tempting fragrance, in spite of the scent that clung to her; they had felt a resonating heat that shook them to the core and were sure she was their intended mate. Whether human or no, the way she made them feel wiped out any doubt from their minds. When they discovered her bond, the twins were absolutely shattered; how could they feel all they did from her when she was very powerfully bound to the Keeper. It had seemed so unfair, and the twins had left her then to settle themselves so they could deal with their grief. It was as if something in them had died; it was tearing their hearts apart.

  She looked into their beautiful eyes, feeling such real regret. If not for her wonderful Beast; a bond she couldn’t regret … she loved him heart and soul. But these two had stolen a piece of her heart and that part of her wished she had been the right mate. She would love to have made them happy for the way they had rescued her, and all they had done for her. She admitted it would have been just so wonderful because the twins were quite simply so wonderful and their life together would have
been amazing. It certainly would have been no real hardship being the woman in the lives of two such magnificent beautiful men. She sighed.

  Mir looked down at her, surprise showing on his face. “You would have wanted to be ours?”

  Anya looked at him strangely.

  “Of course I would. What red-blooded woman in her right mind would not want to be the woman for you both?

  Val laughed; his deep sensuous voice stroked her skin.

  “Anya my love, not many women could have handled the ‘Sending’ let alone the love we make between the three of us. Twins in our world have a special ‘connection’ shall we say, and the level of ecstasy they create can kill another less inclined. So you can imagine our excitement when we found you were one so shaped and of our world, only to find you bound to the very one we were seeking. To say we were disappointed was a vast understatement.”

  They both kissed her thoroughly, leaving her gasping.

  Mir spoke looking thoughtful. “We had better stop playing Val.” His brother nodded. “We are making Arahir very, very angry and that will make the beast harder to control. But Anya, you taste and smell so unbelievably delicious, it makes it so very difficult to behave.”

  Anya curtsied batting her eyelashes. “Yes Uncles.”

  Val smiled, but his words shook her.

  “Don’t get too cheeky my love … don’t push the limits of our control too hard … in our world, you being our niece would not be a problem if the fit was this perfect. Everyone would see that our bond was meant to be and the close relationship would not prevent the joining. So think on that little snippet of information next time you want to look so beautiful and act so coy.”

  He kissed her on the cheek almost chastely and grinned. “The rules we play by in this world have no such bearing in ours my dear, mates are picked for very different reasons.”

  Just then, Emerson walked into the room. Anya was immensely grateful for his presence; she had no idea how to respond to that last comment. It put her bath time in an entirely different light. Suddenly … Anya felt incredibly tired. Like hawks the twins swooped down on the startled young woman.

  “Time for bed my sweet.”

  “But, it’s … only …”

  Mir shushed her.

  “It’s alright Anya, don’t worry. Our offspring grow very swiftly and need lots of sleep. In a few moments, you will be yawning and half asleep. We want you tucked into bed well before then.”

  She knew in her heart they were right. Rather than argue, she nodded smiling sweetly and let them bundle her back upstairs. Before long she was fast asleep, smiling softly as she felt them kiss her gently whispering their love.

  **********

  The twins sat in plush high-backed wing chairs almost facing one another staring into the fire. They were trying to think rationally. They had intended to tease Anya by showing her what life with them could have offered her. They both knew Anya would never belong to them. When Mir and Val had discovered Anya’s bond they had fled into the night. Transforming themselves they found the closest forest. Feeling the life of the trees and the pure air breathed, they relaxed. They shimmered as they faced one another. Mir and Val flickered in the night. Mir was humanoid in shape but burned a white flame. It was as if his whole body was on fire with it, although his body was untouched, just continually burning. Val was the same, burning with a black flame but not consumed.

  The two held out their hands and touched, mingling as they clung to one another. All their pain and loss was in the touch and they screamed in agony as they mingled feeling the pain in the heart of the other. Before long Mir and Val had healed the other, bringing peace and calm to their brother. In this way only could they take the pain from their twin and be able to come before Anya once more and be the men she knew and loved and have the self-control they had always shown.

  When the men took once more to the air, two strange lights were seen in the breaking dawn sky, but none saw what became of them. But the foresters were called out by an early riser who liked to walk in the forest with his dogs as dawn broke. The foresters were stunned to see a circle of blackened earth about thirty feet in diameter. The ground had been cleared of everything, it was a new clearing and their boots crunched on the morning frost as it covered the blackened ground.

  But what confused the forest workers the most was the trees surrounding the ring of fire. They were totally burned to a crisp on one side. Trees were burned to the trunk as efficiently as if they had been cut down the middle leaving nothing on the inside except a black scar; the side facing outward was green and lush. How such a thing had happened without setting the entire forest ablaze was a mystery they knew they would never solve. They shook their heads and crossed themselves figuring whatever had happened here was better left alone.

  Exhausted from their exertions, the twins collapsed sleeping the clock round.

  Now … they simply didn’t know what to do. Val looked up at his brother. Mir’s eyes reflected the misery he himself felt.

  “What happened back there? Please tell me it was just my imagination.”

  Mir shook his head slowly, thinking hard.

  “Somehow … Seren only knows … Anya has connected us. We are tied to her in a way I have never even heard of. I don’t even know if it’s possible.”

  Mir stood, indicating his brother do the same. They each placed a hand flat over the heart of their brother. Closing their eyes they sent their thoughts back to the ‘Sending’ with Anya. They had laughed it off when Arahir had gotten angry. They had told Anya they were playing, but what had started out as playing had gotten well and truly out of hand. Anya herself had entered the Sending and that should have been impossible unless she was their mate. They had wanted to give her a taste of what they could offer her if she belonged to them.

  It was a daft thing to do, but with Anya filling their hearts and minds day in and day out … and then, there was her intoxicating scent. Playing with the Sending in the first place was totally reprehensible, but when Anya joined in … it was the most incredible feeling either of them had ever felt. They knew the moment she had linked minds with them that she truly was their mate. She left part of herself with them in that moment … when they made love inside the heat of the union of minds, she became their mate. Not soul-joined the way she was to Arahir, but something that just never happened. It was as if she was proclaiming the twins hers. Never could they look for another mate. If they could not have Anya … they would not be able to have anyone. She had bound them to her so securely; they were mated without any of the intimate benefits.

  It made being around her without touching her, kissing her an almost superhuman effort because it was all they wanted to do. She had proclaimed them ‘hers’ in the Sending, and as a result … they needed to be one with her, to touch her, kiss her, be one in every sense of the word. She was everything to them, but she belonged to another. They were being sent conflicting signals; their heart and minds were at war and they didn’t know what to do.

  “How are we supposed to go away with her into the wilderness until we reach Castle Barshael and then, calmly hand her over to another? I want to kill Arahir not rescue him. I want Anya! In Seren’s name … how is this possible? We can’t be joined to someone else’s soul-mate. It just doesn’t happen.”

  Val stared at his brother, knowing he felt the same.

  “You do realize that Arahir felt what had happened, don’t you? That’s why we all heard the roar. We wouldn’t have heard the Beast speak to his Lady if we hadn’t connected? Somehow he is soul-bonded and we are heart-touched. I have heard of couples who were in love being heart-touched but never when any other bonds were in place. So how have we done it between us?”

  Mir shrugged unhappily.

  “So what do you suggest we do?”

  Val’s eyes darkened with his need for Anya.

  “I’ll tell you what I want to do. Right now I want us to go up to her room and to slide into bed with the most enticing naked bo
dy I have ever seen, and I want us to make love to her until not one of us can stand. Anya could take us where we’ve always dreamed with a partner and still want more. I want her so badly … don’t look at me like that, I can sense your need of her as well, and even asleep, we are sending her erotic dreams. She is dreaming of us right now because we both need her and whether she realizes it or not, her body wants us almost as much as her body craves her Beast. And she is sooo … delicious.”

  Mir moaned, his need for Anya riding him hard. Val dropped to his chair, uncomfortable with the restraints they had to place on themselves and fighting with the stress on his body.”

  Mir dropped his head in his hands.

  “In Seren’s name … I want her Val … my body is craving the sweet silk of her skin, I want to lick down her body tasting every part of her, finding her secret places, hearing her moan our names as she takes us both. The images are so vivid I can actually scent her fragrance in my nostrils. What in Seren’s name are we going to do?”

  Val twisted uncomfortably.

  “Could we at least stop talking about her naked, otherwise one or both of us are going to explode. And the material of our pants doesn’t stretch and I’m beginning to really hurt. Come on Mir … we have to do better than this.”

  Just then, they caught a glimpse of Anya as she stood silently in the doorway. She wore a sheer nightgown … soft and silky with lace on the hem and bodice. It was the very first nightdress they had placed on her. She wore nothing on her feet and her hair was wild in disarray. Looking into her beautiful eyes they realized she was close to panic, radiating distress. The twins stood and as one they made a single circle of their open arms. Anya ran to them falling into their linked arms sobbing. She was clinging to them as if her life depended on it, terrified as to what was happening to her.

  “I’m sorry … I don’t know what is wrong with me but … but …”