The Beast Within

by S. C. Stephens

  As he gulped down his meal, his free hand came out to clutch my thigh. Gently squeezing and releasing, he slid his hand up my leg. I was sure he wasn’t even conscious of what he was doing right now. I was sure conscious of it though. Every section he touched ignited my flesh more than the steamy water. I wanted him to keep going. I wanted him to give me another moment like last night. Julian was awake, though, and he’d definitely put a stop to this if it went that far. We’d have to wait. Maybe I could sneak down to Hunter’s room later?

  When Hunter’s hand wrapped around my hip, I forgot all about my brother. He pulled on me, like he wanted me closer, so I straddled him. Finished with his drink, he lowered the thermos and stared at me with hooded eyes. My heartbeat raced, and he tilted his head, listening to it. “You shouldn’t be here. You shouldn’t be so close to me,” he whispered. His hand slipped underneath my underwear though, to rest on my bare hipbone.

  Desire blossomed through my core, and I scooted up his lap. I needed to know if he was feeling this too. When our chests were flush together, I could tell that he was; his body was fully ready for me. All he’d have to do was rip my underwear away and he could have me. Breath heavier, I told him, “Quit trying to push me away.”

  He had blood on his lips, and I leaned down to lick it off. His grip on my hip tightened, his hips moved beneath mine. “Stop. We can’t.”

  I could hear blood sloshing in the thermos still in his hand. My words full of double meaning, I indicated his meal. “Do you want more?”

  He understood the double-entendre and seemed unsure how to answer me. Finally, he nodded and whispered, “Yes.”

  I rocked my hips against him; the feeling of his body so close to mine made the ache almost unbearable. I didn’t think I could wait until tonight. I didn’t think I could wait another second. I needed him, body and soul. Containing the moan I wanted to make, I said, “Then have some more.”

  Instead of caving, Hunter pushed me off his lap. I wanted to whimper at the loss of him. “Nika…you should go.”

  He set down the thermos, not partaking in that desire anymore either. I had to resist the urge to straddle him again. “I’m not going anywhere, Hunter, can’t you just accept that?”

  His face aged as he closed his eyes. When he reopened them, the sadness I saw there broke my heart. “And I’m not going to accept this life. Ever. So where does that leave you?” He looked away. “You deserve better.”

  Grabbing his cheek, I made him look at me. “You keep saying you won’t accept this life, but I see you acclimating. Day by day you’re getting better. You can get through this, Hunter, I know you can. And I want to help you. I’m not leaving you…like he did.”

  Pain and betrayal flashed over his features, and I wanted to cry for him. If his father had just stayed, just accepted him, Hunter’s pain wouldn’t be nearly as great. But instead of his father’s unconditional love, he had mine. I leaned into him and placed my lips against his, letting him feel how much I loved him, how serious I was about this. He wasn’t alone.

  His kiss was reluctant at first—he still wanted to push me away—but like he did so often, he melted under my touch. His hand came up to cradle my head as we tenderly moved our mouths together. I could tell his fangs were up as he kissed me, and I smiled against his lips. I could taste the residual blood in his mouth. He’d retracted his fangs despite that fact…and that took a great deal of effort. He was getting so much better at this.

  Being respectful of his wish to go slowly, I didn’t jump back onto his lap, and that took a great deal of effort for me. I did run my hand down his chest though. And I might have placed it low on his firm abdomen. Low enough that the back of his straining body touched the back of my hand. It killed me, in the best possible way. It affected him too. The longer I held my hand there, perfectly still against his belly, the more heated his kiss became. He was breathing heavier in no time, and his hand tangled into my hair, holding me against him.

  When he finally broke apart from my mouth, he could barely speak. “Do you know…what you’re doing to me?”

  I knew what he was doing to me, so I had to imagine that the fire raging through him was very similar. “Can I touch you?” I breathed in his ear.

  He dropped his head to my shoulder as a low groan escaped him. “Please,” he begged.

  I rotated my wrist so my fingers could wrap around him. He fell apart under my caress. “God, you’re hotter than the water.” He let out a groan that was far too loud for how close we were to the main house. I didn’t care though. I also didn’t care that I was about to explode and Julian would surely feel it. As my fingers traveled up and down his body, I breathed in his ear, “Please touch me too.”

  His head came back up, and he stared at me so intensely, I thought I would die if he didn’t do it. “Nika,” he murmured, his lips seeking mine again. I didn’t think he was going to honor my request, but then I felt his hand up my thigh again. My body pulsed with need, and I leaned back in the water, giving him a better angle.

  His fingers snuck inside my underwear, and his tongue darted into my mouth. I ached so badly I could hardly think straight. My fingers caressing his body squeezed and pulled. He moaned in my mouth, then his finger ran between my legs. Oh. My. God. Lost in the moment, I laid my head back in the water as a long cry left my lips. It was the most wonderful, intense feeling having him directly touch me, so much better than everything we’d already done. I didn’t want it to end. I wanted to go all the way. Right now.

  “Nika…get back in the house. Now.”

  Reality crashed down on me like ice water as my mother’s voice shot through my brain. She was right outside the pool house, and I didn’t need to see her to know she was pissed. Her words woke up Hunter, too, and he blurred to the other side of the tub, as far away from me as he could get. He was panting, and his eyes were still heavy with desire. The lingering sensation of him touching me was still with me, and I had to rub my legs together as I cursed under my breath. Damn Mom.

  “Yeah, okay. I’ll be right there,” I yelled at her.

  “I’ll wait,” she replied.

  Hunter ran a hand through his hair. “You should go,” he told me again.

  Groaning, I hopped out of the water and grabbed a towel on a nearby rack so I could dry off enough to redress. Crap. My mom was gonna kill me if she’d heard all that. And then Dad was going to kill me again when she told him. Great.

  MY SISTER WAS trying to send me straight to the loony bin, I was sure. What I’d felt coming from her in the pool house was more than anything I ever wanted to feel again. Mom was handling the situation now, but there was a residual amount of disgust in my stomach that wasn’t leaving. Gabriel was standing to my right; he seemed deep in thought while he watched Halina laughing with her daughter. I hated to butt in on his thoughts, but I couldn’t take this anymore. Nika and I needed help.

  “Gabriel…please tell me you’ve found a way to break my bond with Nika.”

  His green eyes widened as he looked down at me. I couldn’t be sure, but I thought he looked alarmed. Maybe he thought I meant the familial bond. No, that one I wanted left in place. Strange as it sounded, I liked always knowing where Nika was. It was comforting.

  I shook my head and clarified what I meant. “The emotional bond. Please tell me you can break it.” I looked around the room and lowered my voice, not that it mattered; they could all still hear me. “We’re too old to keep sharing this connection.”

  Amusement lit Gabriel’s eyes as he looked in the direction of the pool house. He, and probably every other member of my family, could probably guess what Nika had been doing in there. Thanks to my squirming, sighing, and grimacing, they’d all figured it out pretty quickly. Nika was going to kill me for unintentionally tattling on her.

  When Gabriel looked back at me, the smile was gone from his eyes. “Unfortunately, I’ve had a lot on my plate, Julian, and haven’t had much time to devote to that particular problem.” He indicated the windows.
“I’m still working on giving the purebloods a bit more freedom.” He switched his finger to Starla. “And allowing Starla the chance to successfully go through her conversion.”

  Jacen heard him, and squeezed Starla a little tighter. Sometimes I forgot that she was aging because she had to. She wouldn’t survive the process of becoming an undead vampire. Some strange flaw in her blood.

  I hung my head while that sunk in. Those were pretty big problems to deal with first. Gabriel patted my back. “I have other…side projects, as well, but when I’m able, I will find a cure for the two of you. I give you my word.”

  I looked up at him, grateful that he was going to try to help us. “Thank you.”

  Starla exhaled in a puff. “Better help him quick, Father. They shouldn’t have to feel each other getting busy.”

  Every vampire in the room had been politely ignoring my conversation with Gabriel, but they all stopped and stared after Starla said that. I dropped my head into my hands. God, the lack of privacy in this family was mortifying. Nika looked just as embarrassed as me when she entered the room. Her hair was soaked, she reeked of chlorine, and her shirt and jeans were damp from her underwear. I lifted an eyebrow in question. Were they almost having sex in the pool? I’d have to remember to never use it again.

  Mom pointed to the cushion beside me on the couch. “Sit. Stay.”

  Nika huffed, but did what she was told. I looked over at her and mouthed, Sorry. Her feelings had just been too strong to ignore. Color rushed to her cheeks and she stared straight out the window. Her mood flooded with horror; my mood matched hers. This couldn’t keep going on. We’d both die of shame.

  Nobody said anything until Dad returned. When I felt him in the driveway, I shot up off the chair, nervous and excited. Arianna was with him. Nika started to rise too, until Mom pointed a long finger at her. “Stay.” Nika rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. She silently fumed, but did as Mom commanded.

  I hurried into the entryway to greet my girlfriend. Well, I hoped she was still my girlfriend. She was here, so I took that as a good sign. Unless she’d refused to go and Dad had come back alone. Nerves sizzled through me at that thought. Was he coming back alone?

  I paced back and forth until Grandma Alanna put a hand on my shoulder. “Relax, Julian. Everything will be fine.” I inhaled and exhaled a deep breath, hoping that was true. Once my nerves settled a little, I heard Arianna’s voice outside and smiled. She was here.

  I opened the front door right as Dad approached it. He grinned at me. “Thanks, son.”

  I told him, “You’re welcome,” but my sight was already locked onto the person right behind him. “Hey, I’m glad you came.”

  Dad walked through the door while I held my hand out to Arianna. She bit her lip, and looked hesitant to take it. I held my breath. She had to…I couldn’t lose her. Eventually, she exhaled in frustration and grabbed my fingers. It wasn’t exactly a romantic gesture, but it was better than her refusing to touch me.

  Arianna’s green-brown eyes surveyed my family’s fineries while I surveyed her. There were slight red, spidery veins in her eyes, and a bluish discoloration under them. While she was covering it well, she looked exhausted. Had I done that to her? I hadn’t meant to. I hadn’t meant for anyone to get hurt.

  Dad was already walking into the living room, his bond to Mom naturally pulling him that way. I tugged on Arianna’s hand. “Hungry? Dinner’s just about ready.”

  Some of the color left Arianna’s cheeks, and she swallowed. “Yeah, a little.” I could sense the unease in her. I hoped Halina wouldn’t tease her. Sometimes Halina liked to test people’s fortitude—see if they would stay or run. I wasn’t sure which one Arianna would do right now, and I didn’t really want to find out.

  When all of us were in the living room, everyone waved a greeting at Arianna. Nika gave her friend a brief smile; she was still pretty irritated. The tense mood in the air hadn’t alleviated in the short amount of time I’d been gone. Dad noticed. After giving Mom a tender kiss, he asked, “Everything okay while I was gone?”

  Mom looked over at Nika on the couch. “We need to have a talk with our daughter. Privately.”

  Nika laid her head back on the couch. “You’re overreacting, Mom. Nothing happened.” By the look on her face and her tone of voice, she was clearly disappointed about that fact.

  Mom narrowed her eyes. “That didn’t sound like nothing, and the look on your brother’s face didn’t seem like nothing.” Arianna bunched her brows and looked up at me. I glanced back at her, nervous. Arianna didn’t know about the emotional bond yet. I wasn’t eager to tell her about it, either.

  Dad narrowed his eyes as he looked over at Nika. “What happened?” He sighed and looked toward the pool house, where Hunter was.

  Nika shot up off the couch. “Nothing happened. I brought Hunter something to eat, because he can’t do sit-down meals yet, and we…kissed. That’s it.”

  I cleared my throat and looked away. Some kiss, if that was all they’d been doing. Mom and Dad both looked at me, then back to Nika. “For some reason, I don’t quite believe that,” Dad murmured.

  Nika shot me a glare, and I raised my hands. “Sorry. I tried, but I’m sure you can imagine how…weird it was for me.” Arianna looked even more baffled, and I clamped my mouth shut. Damn bond.

  Dad’s mouth compressed into a firm line. “Nika, would you please join your mom and me upstairs for a minute?”

  Nika exhaled in a rush. “This is totally unfair. I’m sixteen, practically an adult. If I want to fool around with my boyfriend—”

  Cringing, Dad held his hand up. “Upstairs. Please.”

  Furious, Nika brushed by him. I was enormously grateful there were soundproof rooms upstairs, because I was sure they’d be talking about things I never wanted to hear. Halina stepped forward when Dad turned to follow Nika. “Wait, Teren. Before you go off to chastise your daughter for something you actively participated in at her age, I need to tell you something.”

  Nika and I exchanged a victorious glance while Dad closed his eyes. He didn’t like being called out for being a hypocrite, but hey, if the shoe fits….

  “What is it?” he asked, his eyes still closed.

  “Hunter stopped a predator in your neighborhood last night. Hunter was injured in the fight…but the man he stopped won’t be a problem anymore. Even still, you should be cautious.”

  Concern flashed through Nika, and Dad’s eyes sprang open as Halina’s words sunk in. “A hunter? In our neighborhood?” Then his eyes narrowed, and he twisted to look at Nika. “And Hunter stopped him? What was Hunter doing in our neighborhood?” All good questions. I knew the answer to one, but not the other. Vampire hunters were near our home? While we were sleeping? I didn’t like that thought at all.

  Nika couldn’t have looked guiltier if she tried. Dad snapped his head to the doors leading outside. “Hunter? If you can hear me, get your ass in here now!”

  Halina folded her arms across her chest. “You’re sort of missing the point of my warning.”

  Dad pointed a finger at her. “You’re supposed to be watching him. Where were you?”

  Halina lifted her chin. “I was here.” Her tone fully implied that she wouldn’t tolerate Dad questioning her decisions. Dad clenched his hand into a fist, but didn’t say anything more.

  Hunter appeared at the door. When he opened it, the scent of chlorine wafted into the room. He was just as wet as Nika. Yep. They’d definitely almost had sex in the pool. Never swimming again. Hunter’s eyes scanned the group, then he glanced toward the kitchen, where blood was warming for dinner. “Could we do this outside?” he asked. “I’d rather not be in here right now.”

  Irritated, Dad walked over to him. “And I’d rather you not ever touch my daughter again. But I have a feeling that’s not going to happen either. Unless I stake you in the next twenty seconds.”

  Nika stormed across the room toward him. “Dad!” she snapped. Dad ignored her as he glared
at Hunter.

  Halina rolled her eyes and looked over at Arianna. “Men,” she muttered. “Everything’s a pissing contest.” Arianna clenched my hand and stepped into my body as she tittered nervously. Halina made her a bit uneasy. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder. At least the excuse to snuggle with her was one positive in all this drama.

  Hunter lifted a corner of his lip at Dad. “You’re still mad at me for shooting you, aren’t you?”

  “It didn’t feel good,” Dad stated. “But I’m more concerned about what you found last night than what you’re doing with my daughter.” He glanced back at Nika. “Just fractionally more concerned.”

  Hunter glanced at Nika. Pain washed over his face, and Nika’s mood slipped. Whatever was between them was still rocky at best. Looking back at Dad, Hunter shrugged. “I was in the neighborhood. I smelled him, followed him, and took care of him.

  Dad raised an eyebrow. “You killed another hunter? The first time was self-defense, but this? You’re hunting hunters now? Isn’t that…against what you believe?”

  Hunter gave him an unflinching stare. “He was hunting your family. My family. I wasn’t okay with that.”

  Dad appraised Hunter, then asked him, “And what exactly were you doing in our neighborhood in the middle of the night?”

  Practically broadcasting his intentions like a flashing neon sign, Hunter flicked a glance at Nika. “Uh…I…”

  Something clicked into place for me while I waited for Hunter to think up an excuse for stalking my sister. “Did you know this hunter too? Like the last ones?”