At the door to the secret apartment, Mandy dug for the key. She unlocked the door which also opened the door. She pushed the door opened and half expected to find blood pooled and smeared everywhere. When she stepped inside, she was hit with the smell of animal blood. It was enough to make Mandy’s mouth water. It had been a long time since she was able to kill…
But this wasn’t about her.
This was about Debbie.
Mandy saw the blood on the floor and paused. She played it casual and placed her bag on the counter, looking around for Debbie.
“Debbie? Where are you?”
Mandy heard the gut wrenching sound of vomiting. She jumped over the mostly eaten animal carcass on the floor and rushed to the bathroom. She opened the door and found Debbie on her knees, over the toilet. One hand held her own hair back and the other hand was full of fresh meat.
“How long has it been?” Mandy asked.
Debbie looked back. Her face was covered in blood. “What are you doing here?”
“To check on you. To help.”
“Explain it then,” Debbie said. She closed her eyes and groaned.
“What are you feeling right now, Debbie?”
“I’m so hungry. Then I eat and get sick.”
“Okay,” Mandy said. “Let me help you.”
Mandy stepped forward and reached down for Debbie. She got Debbie to her feet and walked her to the sink so she could look in the mirror.
“Don’t do this to me,” Debbie said.
“It’s fine,” Mandy said. “This is your life right now, sweetheart. You have to accept it. Your body. Your urges. Do you understand what was given to you today?”
Debbie turned and looked at Mandy. “It’s a dead animal. It smells disgusting. Yet I can’t stop attacking it, wanting more.”
“I know,” Mandy said. “You have to fight it. To keep it down. If you keep throwing up, it won’t go away.”
Debbie lifted her hand up and showed Mandy the flesh in her hand. To Mandy, it smelled like a meal. She hid her reaction though, putting her hand under Debbie’s and slowly lifting it to Debbie’s mouth.
“Take a bite and enjoy.”
Debbie’s lips quivered as she bit down into the meat. Debbie was human and the instinct was to be grossed out by the raw flesh. But the beast growing inside Debbie’s stomach needed the meat.
Debbie chewed and swallowed, then she closed her eyes and started to hunch over.
“Fight it,” Mandy said. “You have to feed the life inside you.”
“Why?” Debbie asked. “What is it?”
“Come with me,” Mandy said.
She helped Debbie out of the bathroom and back to the animal carcass on the ground. Before Mandy could say another word, Debbie fell to her knees and began to indulge.
“That’s good,” Mandy said. “I’ll stay right here and wait.”
Mandy walked to the counter and sat down. She watched Debbie feast in amazement. After each big bite, Debbie looked to Mandy for support. All it took was a nod for Debbie to go back to her meal. Debbie’s body needed the meal, as did the life inside her.
Sitting alone gave Mandy time to think. She thought of how much this life meant to Vince. Mandy felt guilty about Vince’s feelings because of what they weren’t able to create together. Mandy couldn’t give Vince the exact same he couldn’t give her. The closest would be to claim Lucas and accept the unborn life in Debbie as part of the crew. No matter what, the life would be part of Full Moon Mercy, but being claimed through Vince would keep the true bloodline of the crew intact.
Mandy knew that Lucas was stubborn. On top of that, he was falling in love with Leah. The connection between them was more than obvious. Vince’s decision to get rid of Leah would hurt Lucas deeply. The only saving hope would be the connection between Lucas and Debbie. Whether Lucas liked it or not, creating life with another created a connection that would last forever.
The minutes soon turned into an hour and when Debbie finished her meal, she moved to her knees and looked up at Mandy.
“Help me,” she whispered.
“Of course.”
Mandy helped Debbie to her feet and sat her down on the couch. Mandy rushed to the kitchen area and then started to wipe up the entire apartment. She wiped Debbie clean and watched as she stared off into nothing as she cried. Mandy proceeded to clean the mess on the floor and then she took a seat next to Debbie on the couch.
She touched Debbie’s leg. “How do you feel?”
“Gross,” Debbie said. “I just ate…”
“What you needed to eat,” Mandy said.
“Can you tell me what’s inside me? Or what I am right now?”
“I can’t do that,” Mandy said. She pushed from the couch and stood back up. “I wanted to come and check on you. The guys are planning to get you to a doctor soon.”
Debbie rubbed her stomach. “Can I get much bigger?”
“Yes, you can,” Mandy said with a smile. “Just take all this for what it’s worth. If you get hungry, we’ll feed you again. For now, just rest.”
Mandy eyed Debbie one more time and then left the apartment. She closed the door and locked it. She then touched her own stomach, feeling disappointed. She couldn’t give Vince a family, but she could help protect Lucas’s family.
15
Leah worked but felt like she was simply floating through the building. Room after room. Meal after meal. Call after call. Pointless conversation after pointless conversation. Life had seemed to run into nothing more than a simple routine. Those working at the center had the routine of keeping everyone alive, while those living at the center had the routine of waiting to die.
There were two incidents today and through both of them, Leah was like a rock.
The first was when a woman named Margie left toast in her toaster and continued to cook it until the smoke billowed through the room and the smell of something burning attracted the attentive noses of her neighbors. The call of FIRE! came, and when Leah opened the door to the room she saw smoke but didn’t care. She got to Margie and helped the woman from the room into the hall. She then found the toaster and brought that out, handing it to one of the maintenance workers. Everyone else around her was so worried. An hour later, another call came that Mr. Harelds had fallen while in the shower. The rooms had emergency call buttons in several locations, especially in the bathrooms. Leah was the first one in the room and found Mr. Harelds halfway out of the shower. Another worker came rushing in and let out a cry, but Leah remained calm and collected. After all, this was nothing compared to what she had seen with Lucas and Full Moon Mercy. Leah got Mr. Harelds to his back on the floor and covered him up with a towel. An ambulance came and they took him away just for observations.
While the day had been exciting, Leah continually felt empty and lost. Without Lucas near her, everything felt so pointless. She couldn’t figure out why, but a sadness existed in her when Lucas wasn’t around. Her boss, MaryAnne, called her into the main office near the end of her shift.
“Please, sit,” MaryAnne said.
MaryAnne had red hair, dark eyes, and the scowl of a bitch. She was only in her early fifties but looked close to seventy thanks to obvious smoking and boozing habits that were obvious.
“Is everything okay?” Leah asked.
“Yes. I just wanted to say how impressed I am with how you acted today. You were calm. Professional.”
“Just part of this job,” Leah said.
“Yeah. When you talk like that, you seem… a little off. Are you all the way here?”
“Is that something you should be asking me?”
“I’m not sure,” MaryAnne said. “I appreciate you acting smart and fast. It’s just… there was a guy on a motorcycle here a few times. Now there’s another guy circling the building since you showed up. Is everything okay with you?”
Leah smiled. “Everything will be okay once my shift if over. Are we done here?”
Leah stood and MaryAnne stared her dow
n. “You know, we do have a random drug test policy. If I feel I need…”
“Just tell me where you’d like me to piss,” Leah said.
She turned and left the office. The clock on the wall told her she still had a few more minutes before it was time to go. But today had been long enough already. Leah set her sights on the front door and left.
Within a minute of being outside, the big guy on the motorcycle appeared, stopping at the end of the parking lot. She balanced his motorcycle and then folded his arms, staring at Leah.
Now she would just have to wait for Lucas to come pick her up.
The man on the motorcycle never looked away from Leah. Even when he took out a cellphone and made a call, he stared at her. The man looked very dangerous and it bothered the hell out of Leah, but it wasn’t the same feeling she had from the other night. That was someone not only watching her, but planning on hurting her.
Leah took a chance and walked toward the man on the motorcycle. She stood at the front wheel and folded her arms. The man looked at her. Leah knew he was just like Lucas. If someone were to attempt to harm Leah, he could turn into a wolf.
“I wanted to thank you for doing this,” Leah said. “Wasting your day driving in circles, making sure I’m okay.”
Of course the man didn’t respond.
“You could say something to me,” Leah said. “I won’t tell Lucas.”
The man leaned forward and put his hands to the grips on the motorcycle. He started the motorcycle.
“I understand,” Leah called out. “Just wanted to say thanks.”
The man let the engine roar and then started to move. Leah jumped out of the way and he took off. She watched him speed through the parking lot and then cut out to the road. Just as she felt her heart starting to panic, Lucas came into the parking lot and raced to her.
He stopped and smiled at Leah, then reached for a helmet for her.
“Let’s get out of here,” Lucas said.
The words were beautiful to Leah’s ears. She couldn’t help herself as she kissed Lucas before climbing on the back of the motorcycle. They were then off, Leah’s fingers interlocked around Lucas’s body and the two wheels of the motorcycle taking her far away from work. If it were up to Leah she would never go back to that place again. She had enough of dealing with death and those waiting to die. She preferred to be with Lucas all the time, even if he lived on the same edge of life as the elderly she took care of. The difference was that Lucas had the fight to keep alive. He would kill to keep himself alive. There was something about it that was sexy and beautiful at the same time.
When Lucas pulled into the parking lot of the motorcycle club, Leah cringed. She didn’t want to be surrounded by a bunch of bikers tonight. She wanted the comfort of Lucas alone, to herself.
Lucas killed the engine and Leah got off the bike.
“Listen to me,” he said as he took Leah’s wrist. “We need to visit Debbie.”
“Right now?”
“Yes,” Lucas said. “It’s important.”
“I know it is. Last time though…”
“She’ll be better this time,” Lucas said. “What’s happening to her…”
“She’s going to be like you,” Leah said. “That’s why she wanted to kill me, right?”
“Debbie doesn’t understand her urges,” Lucas said.
“The ones for you? She understands.”
Lucas sighed. “I tried telling you about all that shit, Leah. It’s instinctive right now.”
“And I wouldn’t understand because I’m human?”
“Don’t be like that,” Lucas said. “I need you. We all need you. We have an important meeting coming up and then Debbie will be gone. Forever.”
“She’ll never be gone forever,” Leah said. “She’s carrying your child. You’re not going to abandon it, are you?”
Lucas broke away from Leah and started to walk to the building. Not answering the question got to Leah. She chased after Lucas and grabbed at the back of his leather jacket.
“Answer me,” she yelled.
Lucas spun and had his hands at Leah’s waist. He lifted and turned her, placing her against the building. Leah swallowed hard as she looked into Lucas’s eyes. Perhaps she had just crossed a line with the man she was falling in love with.
“You have to go with this,” Lucas said. “You’ve seen enough to know how dangerous my life is. We were attacked today, Leah. That wasn’t even the crew we’re going to deal with soon. Okay? The last thing I need on my mind is how you feel about Debbie. This shit happened before you and I were together. Someone - or something - is out there waiting for you. I can’t protect you unless you’re here and unless you listen to me.”
Leah nodded. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Lucas. Okay?”
Leah swallowed again as tears rushed to her eyes. She blinked fast, wanting to hold them back but she couldn’t stop them. Tears ran down her cheeks and Lucas just stared at her.
“Shit, Leah,” he finally whispered. “I don’t want you upset right now.”
“It’s my fault,” Leah said. “Just so much on my mind.”
“What is on your mind?”
“I was going to die,” Leah said. “I know it. Whatever was supposed to happen… if I hadn’t gotten into my car and rushed away…”
“I know,” Lucas said. “But that won’t happen now. You have me. You have the club. We’re going to make sure you’re safe. Once Debbie is sent away, we can focus on the Reckingdune crew and then all of this will settle.”
“You think that’s who wanted to hurt me?”
“Has to be,” Lucas said. “You were there for that mess on the mountain. Then that asshole chased us into the woods today. It’s all part of history, that’s all. Nothing you did.”
“But they want me,” Leah said. “Because I’m weak.”
“You’re not weak.”
“I am. I’m not like you. I’m not like the motorcycle club. I can’t change into…”
“You’re going to be safe,” Lucas said. “I’ll guard you with my life. That’s why you’re coming with us when we take Debbie out of Mercy. Right now we need to keep Debbie comfortable and you safe. Can you trust me, Leah?”
“I do trust you,” Leah said. “I swear.”
“Then let’s go downstairs and check on Debbie. I need you to see her. I need you to understand more.”
What else could there be to understand?
Leah realized she was in no position to question anything else. She followed Lucas into the building and down to the secret apartment. He opened the door and brought Leah in. When he looked around he seemed surprised.
“Debbie? Are you okay?”
Leah saw Debbie on the couch. She was just sitting there, hands on her stomach, looking almost like she was stoned. Debbie slowly nodded and smiled.
“It’s calm now,” Debbie said. “I ate and now everything is calm. I’m okay now.”
“You ate?” Lucas asked.
“Yes.”
“Where is…?”
“Mandy cleaned up,” Debbie said.
Lucas sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Okay. Good. I brought Leah here. She wanted to check on you.”
Leah stepped away from Lucas and went to Debbie. The woman’s stomach was even bigger. She looked at Leah and her eyes weren’t the same. They were glazed. When she smiled, Leah swore she saw blood in her teeth.
“How are you feeling?” Leah asked.
“I’m good now. I just said that. I ate. I’m okay.”
“Does it still hurt?” Leah asked.
“Not right now. It will soon. I’ll need more food.”
“Okay,” Leah said. “What can we get you?”
Debbie looked at Lucas. Leah looked back and Lucas came to her side. For a second Leah thought she was being set up. But she swore she trusted Lucas. She swore on it.
“Does she know?” Debbie asked. “What I’m hungry for.”
“You want raw meat,” Leah said.
“That’s why you tried to kill me.”
Debbie smiled. “You’re tough. And crazy.”
“She is,” Lucas said. “She gets it, Debbie. You have to trust Leah.”
Leah’s heart raced even though she kept herself calm on the outside. “I’m not going to judge you for what you need, Debbie. If helping you helps Lucas and Full Moon Mercy, then I’ll help.”
Lucas put a hand to Leah’s waist and pulled at her.
Leah put her head on Lucas’s shoulder.
“Look at the happy fucking couple,” Debbie said. “Just be careful, Leah, he might toss you aside when you’re knocked up.”
Leah felt Lucas tense and she stepped in front of Lucas to prevent anything from happening.
“I think we’re done here,” Leah said. “If you need anything, Debbie, you know how to find me. Or Lucas. Only a little bit longer and you’ll be safe with a doctor.”
“Or maybe I’ll just explode before then,” Debbie said.
“We don’t let that happen,” Lucas said. He pulled at Leah and stepped back with her against him. “Listen, I have to talk to her alone for a second.”
Leah nodded. She slithered away to the door but made it so she could still see and hear everything that was going to happen. It was torture to herself but she couldn’t help but watch.
Lucas crouched down in front of Debbie and touched her hands. “You’re doing great, Debbie.”
“Like I have much of a choice,” Debbie said. “Maybe I should just kill myself.”
“That’s smart? You want to kill yourself and the life inside you?”
“What life is inside me? The things I feel. The things I want. This isn’t…”
Lucas touched Debbie’s face. “It doesn’t matter what it is and isn’t. What matters is that you safely get to the doctor. We’re close to that happening.”
The True Beast (A Full Moon Mercy Novel) (shifter / MC romance) Page 11
