Charmed by the Beast: an Adult Paranormal Shifter Romance (The Conduit Series Book 3)

by Conner Kressley

  Oh God. She was…she was going to curse him again. She was going to make Abram a beast.

  And doing it was going to kill her.

  Satina,” I screamed, running toward her. ‘Satina, don’t—”

  But my words were cut off in a flash of light so brilliant and glorious that I knew it wouldn’t come free.

  Chapter 28

  I woke with a pounding headache. I had been knocked out again. I was seriously starting to hate that.

  My body ached as I sat up, realizing that—as opposed to the last time I had gone unconscious—no one had dressed me in fresh clothes and moved me to a comfortable bed. As it was, I was lying on the floor.

  Looking over, I saw Ramsey staring back at me. My eyes were fuzzy and my head spinning, but my voice was strong as I asked, “What happened?”

  “Satina,” he said in a solemn voice. “She did it. She actually pulled it off.”

  “Pulled it off?” I asked, my mind lagging as I tried to catch up, to remember what had transpired before my world went black.

  My eyes widened as it all came back to me, slamming into my consciousness like an unwelcome and unstoppable wave. “Oh God…” I muttered. “She turned him again, didn’t she? She made Abram a beast.”

  Ramsey nodded slightly, his eyes moving slowly to the floor and settling there.

  Looking around, I saw that the place was in shambles. Tables were thrown over, the lamps atop them shattered and laying in pieces beside me on the floor. The carpet itself was torn and stained in what looked like blood. Even pieces of the windows were busted up, shards of glass scattered dangerously around the carpet.

  We definitely weren’t getting our security deposit back.

  “What happened here?” I asked.

  “The transformation,” Ramsey answered, still avoiding eye contact. “I had never actually seen one before this, not with my own eyes anyway. I always heard it could be messy, even violent. But I never imagined it was like that.”

  A shudder ran through his body, which sent shivers down my spine. If someone like Ramsey—someone who had spent his entire life studying things that go bump in the night and the reasons as to why and how they existed—could be affected in such a manner, then this had to be quite the gruesome ordeal.

  “Did it hurt?” I asked, assuming Abram was still sleeping it off as I looked past Ramsey toward the back room.

  “It had to,” he answered. “It distorted everything in his body. It changed him on a cellular level.”

  I stood, swaying a little as I got my bearings. “I need to see him,” I stammered. “What room is he in?”

  “Char, sit back down,” Ramsey said, his eyes still on the floor.

  “No, I need to see him,” I said, starting for the closest room. But Ramsey grabbed my arm, stopping me with his firm but gentle grasp.

  “You need to sit down, Charisse. You suffered a lot of blood loss earlier. Couple that with the magical draining you just experienced, and I’m surprised that you’re even conscious right now.”

  “I’m fine,” I answered. “I just… Wait. What magical draining?”

  “Satina tapped into your abilities. She used you to access the slipper, too. It was the only way she could channel the type of energy she needed to complete the curse. For a moment, it tied all of you together.” He shook his head. “And then it didn’t anymore. But that doesn’t matter right now. Regardless of the method used to achieve it, you’re weakened on both a physical and mystical level. I can see it all over you. You’ll get better, but you need to rest and replenish. I promised Abram I wouldn’t let you leave here. Given the things I just saw, I’m inclined not to break my promises to that man.”

  “Why would he ask you to do that?” I asked, crossing my arms and still very much standing. “He’d only say that if he was putting himself in danger on my behalf, if he knew I’d want to follow him into the thick of things.” I looked past Ramsey again, at the closed door of the back room. “He’s not here, is he?” I moved closer, my head still spinning and my stomach retching from hunger and anxiety. “Where is he?”

  “Char, please.”

  “Where is he?” I screamed, feeling power surge up through me and wincing as my weakened body threatened to collapse from the weight of it. I managed to stay standing, though, and that should have told Ramsey all it needed to about how serious I was with my question. “You will tell me where he is.”

  Hurt flashed through Ramsey’s eyes. He obviously took my declaration as a threat, and maybe it was. I didn’t think I would hurt Ramsey. He was my friend, after all. But given all we had been through, all the things I did that I never thought I would, even I didn’t know what I was capable of anymore.

  “He left,” Ramsey answered, blinking hard. “He went to end this. He went after Charlie.”

  “What?” I narrowed my eyes. “By himself?”

  “Listen,” Ramsey said, standing up to meet me. “You don’t understand. What happened while you were—”

  “I understand plenty,” I said, an edge to my voice I didn’t recognize. “That moron just got his powers back, so now he feels invincible. Well, he’s not. Despite the fur, muscles, and teeth, he’s still very mortal. He’s breakable, Ramsey. And I sure as hell don’t want to see him broken.”

  “He’s more powerful than you think.”

  “I don’t give a damn if he has the power to throw the whole god damn world up on his shoulders like fucking Atlas. You shouldn’t have let him go! What the hell were you thinking?”

  “He didn’t exactly ask my permission, Charisse. Besides, I couldn’t have stopped him if I wanted to.”

  “I can,” I answered.

  “And why would you? People are dying out there. People have been murdered. There’s a woman in the kitchen right now—a kind, caring woman—who deserves a chance at a happy life. She won’t have that if we fail.”

  “Except it’s not us who would be failing,” I answered, full of power and hubris. “Because we’re sitting here like useless bastards with our fingers up our asses.” I grunted, dropping my hands to my sides. “If he fails, he dies. And I can’t live with that.”

  “And what if he succeeds?” Ramsey countered.

  “Then Charlie dies, and I’m not sure I could live with that, either.”

  “Charisse.”

  A voice from behind me startled me back into the moment. Turning, I saw Cindy standing there, nursing a cup of hot tea.

  “I’m glad you’re okay.”

  “I’m glad you’re okay, too,” I answered. “But we don’t really have time to compare war stories, Cindy. If I don’t do something, then either one or both of our guys is going to die tonight.” I snapped my fingers. “So we need to get moving.”

  “Charisse,” she said, her tone solemn as she placed her tea on the table next to her. “How well do you know Charlie?”

  “We were engaged. So I would say that I know him pretty damn well,” I answered. “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “A lot actually,” Cindy responded. “Because the person you knew…the Charlie you were engaged to all those years ago…he doesn’t exist anymore. He hasn’t existed in a very long time. That was the boy, and I’m going to venture a guess and say that you don’t know the man he is now at all.”

  “If you’ve got a point, you better get to it quick,” I warned.

  “I do know him, Charisse. I know him better than anyone in the world maybe. Certainly a lot better than you.” Tears filled her eyes as she continued. “He wouldn’t want this. He wouldn’t want to be kept alive on the off chance that whatever thing has his body might decide to up and let him go. And he certainly wouldn’t want to do it if he thought there was even a chance someone would get hurt.”

  “The Charlie I knew was a fighter,” I answered, shaking my head. “And that is something about him that would never change. You’re wrong, Cindy. You’re just wrong.”

  “I’m not, and you know it. People have died by his hands. It migh
t not have been his will, but it was his hands. I know him. He couldn’t live with that. He wouldn’t want to.”

  “So I’m just supposed to let him die?”

  “I’m telling you it’s what he would want.”

  “I don’t give a damn what he wants,” I scoffed, waving her off. “What about what I want?” I moved closer to her, and she stepped backward, pressing her back against the wall. I didn’t let up. “In case you guys haven’t realized yet, this isn’t your show. None of this is happening because of you. This is about me and nobody else. So yeah, while I appreciate the fact that all of you have your own little ideas and ideals about what should or could happen to put an end to all this, you’ll have to forgive me when I say I couldn’t care less.”

  I threw my hand out, looking from Ramsey to Cindy, and back again. “You might have been through things, but this isn’t on you. It’s not on your head, and it doesn’t weigh on your shoulders. If anyone dies, it’s because I couldn’t save them. It’s because I’m alive in the first place. And, while I appreciate that Charlie is a bleeding heart who’ll feel really bad about what the asshat who hijacked his body has done, he’s just going to have to get over it. Because, if he dies, then it’s my fault, and I will not have that. I will not have it.”

  I blinked hard as my voice took on a softer tone. “And if Abram dies…” I pursed my lips. “If Abram dies, I’ll set fire to this whole fucking world, and I won’t think twice about it. That’s all there is to it. So if you two are quite finished voicing your opinions, tell me where the hell he went.”

  “To find Charlie,” Ramsey said in a quiet voice.

  “Ramsey,” Cindy warned.

  “She’s right,” he answered. “This isn’t our fight. It’s hers.” He turned back to me. “I put a tracer on him—a magical one. Focus on his aura and you’ll be able to tap into it. But Charisse?”

  “Yes?”

  “There’s something you should know.”

  “What now?” I asked.

  “The Brothers enhanced Mr. Mandrake’s powers. You know that.”

  “It’s why this has to end tonight,” I answered. “We can only save Charlie tonight. After that, his body will die.”

  “Well, to fight him, Satina had to do something very similar.”

  “Abram is dying?” I asked, my heart leaping into my throat.

  “No,” he answered. “He’s fine, but only because she tied his powers into something more stable.”

  “What did she tie them to, Ramsey?” I asked, my tone sinking with my heart.

  “Not what… Who.” He swallowed hard. “She tied them to you.”

  My eyes went wide.

  “He’s okay so long as you are.”

  “Oh my God,” I said. “Damn it, Satina!”

  Ramsey grimaced. “I’m afraid that’s not the worst of it. His powers…they’re different now. Stronger. More potent. You should…you should keep that in mind.”

  “I will,” I answered. “And tell Satina thank you. If I don’t get a chance to show my appreciation myself, let her know how grateful I am for everything she did.”

  “Char…” Ramsey said, his face falling. “Char, don’t you remember?”

  He looked over. Following his gaze, I saw a mass lying on the ground with a blanket over it.

  “Oh no…” I said, tears flowing freely down my cheeks. “No, no, no.”

  “She made her choice, Charisse,” Ramsey said with finality.

  “Her choice sucks,” I sobbed. “Damn it!”

  Looking at Ramsey, I said, “There has to be a way to get her back. She always comes back. We can bring her back again.”

  “To what end?” he asked. “To invalidate her sacrifice? To annul her hero’s death? To make her suffer even more than she already has? She did her work, Charisse. She’s earned her peace. Let her have it.”

  “Her father?” I asked, my cheeks wet. “He was waking up.”

  “He’s not anymore. The power she emitted saw to that. It also imprinted the chains with magic stronger than I could have hoped for. Edwin is our prisoner. He’s not going anywhere anytime soon.”

  “Good,” I answered. “Keep him here. I’m going to go save Abram and Charlie, and when I get back, I’m going to kill that bastard and hand deliver his body to The Brothers myself.”

  Chapter 29

  I moved through the streets of New York City, feeling more out of place than I ever had in this wonderland of lights and manmade magic.

  When I first came here, fresh from the farming town of New Haven, Connecticut, I felt as though I had finally found my place. This was where I belonged, in the hustle and bustle, in the beauty and wonder. But I was a child then. I knew nothing of the world, nothing of life, and nothing of myself.

  After everything I had been through, after losing my mother and almost losing my mind, I realized that home wasn’t some abstract set of street signs and landmarks. Home wasn’t even a building or a room. Home was the people around you, the way they made you feel and the way they stuck up for you and stayed with you when no one else would.

  That was home, and right now, my home was lost somewhere in this behemoth of a city, probably minutes away from dying.

  I tried to do what Ramsey told me. I tried to tap into Abram’s aura, to remember everything about him that made him the person he was, but that turned out to be harder than I ever thought it could be.

  It wasn’t remembering him. Abram was branded into me like a permanent mark. But Ramsey had told me something else. He said I was physically and magically drained after severe blood loss and being tied to the slipper. It was proving to hurt me more than I could have imagined.

  I was tired and loopy, unable to focus my energy on what I needed to. I had hours before midnight, hours until the power that The Brothers placed in Charlie’s body killed him.

  Of course, that wouldn’t stop them. Charlie’s death would only be a momentary setback for them. They would find someone else, another body to toss Mr. Mandrake’s psyche and heart into, and give the entire thing another go.

  But if Abram ripped that heart out of Charlie’s chest before they had the chance, it would all be over. Mr. Mandrake would be destroyed and, future vengeance aside, The Brothers would be foiled.

  For now.

  But it would also mean Charlie’s death.

  I needed to find a way around that. I wasn’t sure what that would be just yet, but until I found out, the slipper would go with me wherever I went. It might be the most evil tool I had, but it was also the only one I had.

  This had undoubtedly been the hardest fight of my life. My entire team, my whole support system, was gone. Satina was dead. I had just read Ramsey the riot act, and, worst of all, Satina had turned Abram into a more beastly beast than ever in hopes of finishing this once and for all.

  Or maybe it had been Abram’s idea. He didn’t want her to sacrifice herself, but he seemed pretty on board about that Vector. He must have hoped they could use that to change him back to a beast. And when that failed…

  My throat pinched. I couldn’t think about that right now. I had to focus.

  I had no one to help me and no idea of what to do. All I knew for sure was that I couldn’t suffer any more losses. Too many people had died already, and if I had to add either Abram or Charlie to that body count, I wasn’t sure I would be able to go on.

  I tried to focus again, but I was only able to tap into a small glimmer of Abram. This should have been easier. Ramsey said that Satina tied Abram’s energy to me. Shouldn’t that mean I should be able to find him anywhere he was? Shouldn’t it make us closer somehow, like we shared a mind, brain, or heart?

  But it didn’t. At least, not now. I could barely feel him or track him. Did that mean that he was dying, that the uber power that Satina gave her life to gift wasn’t enough to stop Mr. Mandrake? Was it all for nothing?

  I shook my head. It couldn’t be. I wouldn’t allow it. Death wouldn’t come to anyone else I loved. Not one more damn per
son. I had been serious about setting the world on fire if I needed to, but I’d have been better satisfied to just watch The Brothers burn.

  But to do that, I would have to end this. I would have to find Abram and stop him from killing Charlie or vice versa. After that, I would have to find a way to rid Charlie’s body of Mr. Mandrake and then send him and Edwin back to whatever otherworldly hole The Brothers now resided in. I would let them know that the people I cared about weren’t to be messed with, and neither was I.

  I stopped, realizing I needed to find another way to gather myself if I was going to make this happen.

  But how?

  I was so weak, so tired. It was almost as if I had no power at all, like everything I had been through had never happened, and I was starting over from scratch.

  And that was when it hit me.

  When I was starting all of this, Abram told me how to tap into my power. It wasn’t about focus. It was about the opposite. I had to lose control, to let the emotions and the abstract feelings take me over.

  Maybe if I did that again, I’d reactivate the thing inside of me that made me so powerful. Maybe my emotions would drive me if I just let them.

  I forced myself to stop, which felt really counterintuitive with the urgent feelings storming inside me, and then I took a seat outside a coffee shop. I sat there and thought about everything I had been through, all the people I loved, all the amazingly, mind-altering sex that was now a stalwart part of my life, and every damn reason that I was so happy to wake up in the morning.

  And I did it all while the shop’s speakers behind me played the saddest Adele song I had ever heard.

  It was on now.

  The emotion flowed through me like a river, and, with it, my power surged beyond belief.

  I felt all of it—the wind, the moisture in the air…and then, him.

  Abram and his connection to me were as true and clear as the street signs in front of me. What had been a faint glow was now a pulsing spotlight guiding me to him like a compass.