TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Other Books You May Enjoy from Limitless Publishing
THE BEAST WITHIN
BY JONATHAN YANEZ
The Beast Within
Copyright © 2013 by Jonathan Yanez. All rights reserved.
First Kindle Edition: March 2013
Limitless Publishing, LLC
Kailua, HI 96734
www.limitlesspublishing.com
Cover: Eden Crane Designs
Formatting: Streetlight Graphics
All rights reserved. This eBook is licensed for the personal enjoyment of the original purchaser only. This eBook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this eBook and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to my wife and family for always believing in and supporting me.
CHAPTER 1
WITH EACH PASSING HEARTBEAT EVERYTHING faded away. The once bright lights of the lamps were dim and grey. The figures around him became fuzzy and blurred. Connor’s tall athletic frame—normally muscular and solid—lay sprawled face-up. His jeans and white t-shirt were soaked with both the blood of his assailants and his own. Burning from the tear in his shoulder wasn’t even the worst part. The pain from the violent claw marks in his chest seemed to consume him. Breathing was painful and laborious.
A howl of agony along with a sickening crunch met his ears, and he knew the fight was over. Although broken and dying, he succeeded in saving them. The howl belonged to their last remaining attacker.
A small sense of satisfaction crept its way into his mind, but Connor knew he was dying. These would be his last moments on earth before he was thrust into the unknown. His eyes fought in vain to find her, to look on her one more time. Where was she? Blood fought its way up through his throat, blocking any chance for air. A violent cough raked his body and a new wave of pain threatened to steal his consciousness.
When he thought he had taken his last breath and was ready to give in to the open arms of the blackness, he heard her voice.
“Connor? Connor! No!”
Panting for breath, struggling to see her one last time, he forced his eyes to focus. She was there kneeling next to him, tears filling the most gorgeous pair of green eyes he’d ever seen. Gently, she lifted his head and laid it in her lap. Disregarding the dark blood that seeped from his wounds, she ran her fingers over his cheeks and through his thick hair, trying to soothe him.
“You’re going to be okay, Connor,” she whispered to him, tears running freely down her softly tanned skin. “I’m not going to let you die.”
“Laren, let him go. We owe him our thanks but there’s nothing we can do.”
“No,” Laren replied firmly, turning her gaze from Connor and fixing her older brother with a vicious stare. “He saved our lives!”
“Let him go. His kind are destined for this end.”
“I can’t. I won’t let him die.”
Her brother finally realized what she was going to do. “Laren, it is forbidden. Who are we to play God? If this is how he meets his end, then let him. You know the Law. You know the consequences.”
“And I accept them.”
Laren turned her attention back to Connor, her long brown hair brushing his face. “Connor, you’re special. You carry the gene in your blood,” she paused for a moment hoping her last statement was true. “I know you’re going to survive this. I’m going to save you. I need you to understand this process will be the worst pain you’ve ever experienced. I’ll be there for you every step of the way. I need you to know it’s going to get worse before it gets better.”
Connor managed a weak smile. “Sounds great.” The exertion of this simple statement brought on another savage bout of blood-filled coughs. His mind raced to catch up with his reality. Three days ago his biggest problem had been what college to attend or how to deal with his ex-girlfriend, now he was struggling to survive.
Three Days Ago
Connor Moore ran on one of his favorite trails in the Catskill Forest Preserve. The leaves of the trees lining the path shimmered in the bright June sun. Sparrows and rabbits went about their morning routines, ignoring him as if he were part of the forest and belonged among them. Connor lived a few hours away from the preserve in a suburb of New York City, but he loved nature enough that he was willing to get up at 6 a.m. to make the drive.
His black hair was matted with sweat. It gathered on his brow, threatening to blur his vision. Connor was used to physical exertion. Physical activity was therapeutic; it calmed a beast that sometimes raged to get out. Channeling this inner passion made him a true athlete. Once he learned to harness this intensity and use it as a tool rather than a hindrance, he was nearly unstoppable at any sport.
The forest was a haven for Connor. He listened to his favorite mix of rock and rap music on his iPod and ran his worries away. As an eighteen-year-old high school graduate, he had a lot on his mind. Not only was he worried about college and a career, his personal life seemed more confusing than ever.
Katie, his girlfriend of two years, broke up with him just before graduation. She was concerned that her moving away to college would make their relationship too hard to continue. On top of all of that, Katie said the worst thing a girl can say after breaking up with her boyfriend. She said she still wanted to remain “friends.” Connor couldn’t grasp the concept that two people who had felt so much for each other could just turn those emotions off and be completely platonic.
As he pushed his body to run faster, Connor replayed the conversation in his head.
“You know I love you, Connor. I’m doing this for us. Why can’t you see that?”
“Because it doesn’t have to be like this. We can make this work. Things are great between us and I don’t want to lose you.”
Katie sighed, her blue eyes looking sadly into his. “If it was meant to be, then—things will work out. I know you and I are supposed to be together. That’s why this is all going to work. You and I are going to be hundreds of miles away from each other focusing on school. Don’t think of it as a break-up, instead think of it as a break. We can still be friends. That will never change.”
Connor shook his head. He knew she’d made up her mind and he wasn’t one to beg. “Friends, huh?”
“Friends,” she agreed. “We can still talk and hang out before I leave for school, and I’ll be there if you ever need me.”
Connor ran faster, just shy of a full sprint. What did “just friends” mean, anyway? In the months since their break-up, Connor and Katie talked on the phone and even saw each other a few times, but there was no denying it was very different now. Where on
ce warm hugs and kisses passed freely, now awkward embraces and unsure high fives took their place.
With his frustration rising over the whole ordeal, he forced himself to a sprint, losing himself in the feeling of pushing his body to its limit. His favorite place was the line between what his body told him he couldn’t do and what his inner drive told him was possible. Having already run for forty minutes, his body insisted on a rest. His legs burned, his lungs screamed for more air, and his heart felt as though it might pound out of his chest.
At this point most athletes would take a break, but not Connor. Now he called on his beast within—that power, that drive—that would not let him fail. Legs pumping, he flew through the forest. Nothing else existed except the amount of effort he could put forth. Gone were the worries of being a teenager, gone were the nagging questions he didn’t have answers to and instead there was something he could control. He could push himself harder, and when his body asked him to stop, he could provide a simple answer, “No.”
After a few minutes of this dead sprint, Connor slowed down to give his body a much-needed rest. Laughter rang out from his heaving chest, he was never happier than when he allowed himself to lose control. He loved the feeling of freedom. Alone in the woods, he let himself revel in the joy.
Jogging over to a worn wooden bench, he removed his earphones and began to stretch his aching muscles. As his body recovered from the run, Connor lapsed in being conscious of his surroundings. The sound of a snapping twig made him jump. He turned and saw a female figure standing behind him.
She was about his own age, and dressed in a knee-length black business suit. Lightly tanned, she had long brown hair that fell in soft curls and the most intense green eyes he’d ever seen.
Neither one of them spoke for what seemed an eternity. She finally broke the silence.
“Stare much?”
Still pouring sweat and panting, Connor searched for words. “I… I was running and… I didn’t know anyone else was here.” He was shocked not only by her presence but by her sarcasm.
“Do you usually laugh when you stop to take a break?”
Connor stood up straight, wiped the sweat from his forehead and gathered himself. “Only if it’s a really good run.”
She nodded slightly as if she understood.
“I’m Connor.” Walking toward her, he extended a hand.
“Connor, I’m Laren, and I’d love to shake your hand but—” Glancing at his sweaty palm, she raised an eyebrow and gave him an amused smile.
“Oh, right,” Connor said, lowering his hand and wiping the perspiration on his already soaked hoodie. “What are you doing out here? It seems like the wrong place for someone dressed so nicely.”
“Apparently. I was supposed to meet someone here for a business meeting. He didn’t show.”
Connor was about to ask what type of business meeting would take place in the forest but instead was drawn to her necklace. The bronze emblem that hung from the gold chain around her neck was a symbol he had never seen before. It looked to be a family heirloom, hundreds of years old.
Noticing his gaze on her necklace, she looked down and cupped the small symbol in her hand. “It was a gift from my father.”
“It looks great on you.”
“Well, thank you, Connor.” She searched him up and down. “Your running shoes look… quite becoming on you as well.”
They both smiled at this and shared a laugh.
“Where are you from, Laren?”
“New York mostly. And you?”
“Same, born and raised. I love it, but sometimes it can be overwhelming and I need to get away. So I come here.”
“It’s gorgeous, isn’t it?” Laren said.
“It is… everything about it,” he said more to himself than to Laren.
Laren looked at him and as their eyes met, she blushed.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I just meant—”
“No,” she stopped him. “That was a very sweet thing to say.”
Before Connor could get another word out, the sound of someone running through the forest interrupted them.
CHAPTER 2
BOTH OF THEM TURNED AND saw a huge man, also dressed in business attire, maneuvering through the trees and making his way toward Laren.
“Are you okay, Laren?” He turned his dark green eyes on Connor. “Who’s this?”
“I’m fine, and this is Connor. He was just out for a jog.” Laren turned to Connor. “I’m sorry, my brother can be quite rude sometimes. This is Lu.”
Connor gave the man a friendly smile. Sensing the tension, he tried to think of something to say. “Hello, Lu. Is that short for something? Lewis or Luke?”
“Yep, it is short for something.” He turned to his sister and whispered, “They didn’t show. More than likely this means trouble. We need to contact Father and see what our next move is. Come on, let’s go.” Lu turned his back and without a second glance, stalked off into the forest.
“It was nice meting you,” Connor half shouted to his back.
“Sorry, don’t take it personally. I actually think he likes you. You were talking to his little sister and he didn’t threaten to kill you.”
“So, does that mean I have his approval?”
“Shouldn’t you be worrying about my approval?”
“You’re right. So, do I?”
“Laren, come on!” Lu, although out of sight, was apparently not out of yelling range.
“I really have to go now, Connor, but it was very nice meeting you.”
“Wait, am I going to see you again?”
Laren hesitated a moment before replying, “Usually I’d just say no. My family isn’t big on me dating outside of their approved circle. But if we meet again, then we’ll know it’s fate and you’ll have yourself a date.” She then turned and disappeared among the trees.
Connor was stunned. Not only had he met an incredibly attractive and witty woman, but he was powerless to do anything about seeing her again. His boldness at asking her out surprised even him. He had never been good at striking up conversations with complete strangers, especially those of the opposite sex.
In his truck on the drive home, Connor couldn’t get Laren out of his head. He kept wondering what type of business meeting would take place in the woods, but mostly he wondered how he could feel so drawn to a stranger after one short exchange, and why he kept thinking about her necklace.
Shaking off these thoughts, he pulled into his driveway. His single story, three-bedroom house was in a middle-class suburban neighborhood just outside of New York City. The dark brown fence and freshly trimmed yard gave him a sense of greetingas he walked to the front door.
An only child, Connor lived with his mother. His father left them when he was just a baby. Connor didn’t have any memories of his father, nor any desire to find him, and his mother rarely mentioned him; a clue for Connor to leave the topic alone.
Connor had decided to take the summer between his senior year of high school and his freshman year of college off from his normal job at the gym to help his mother with her store. He didn’t ask her for any compensation but he knew she would eventually insist or find some excuse to give him money.
After taking a quick shower and throwing on his favorite pair of old jeans and a black shirt, he was off again. Connor’s tastes had never been expensive. His vehicle embodied this trait. He owned an older model pickup, but it was reliable and quicker than it looked. Within minutes, he pulled up to his mother’s shop.
The store was located on Park Avenue, the main business street of town, a perfect location for enticing the everyday passersby with sales and new products. The store boasted a huge brightly colored sign that read Moore’s Flowers and More. Connor warned his mother that the store name was cliché but she insisted it was catchy. He pulled into the back parking lot and headed into the tastefully decorated store.
The sign on the door that should have read “Open” at this time of day was flipped over to “Closed.”
That’s odd, he thought as he unlocked the door. A familiar jingle met his ears as he entered the building. The smell of fresh flowers, newly delivered mulch, and insect repellent greeted him like old friends.
Aisle after aisle was lined with everything imaginable needed for landscaping. Posts, pots, shovels, rakes, and hoses stood like rows of Spartan soldiers waiting to be deployed.
“Connor, is that you?”
“I’m here, Mom.”
Walking to the rear of the store, he saw his mother. At forty-two, Rebecca Moore hadn’t lost a bit of her youthful charm and elegance. She was average height, with shoulder length light brown hair that was just beginning to turn white.
She smiled and motioned him to follow her to the back.
“Why did you close the store?”
“We have a guest,” Rebecca explained. “Come and say hello.”
Connor followed his mother to the small back office, which held a desk and three folding chairs. Ledgers lined the walls and a tall lamp stood guard in the corner. Entering the office, Connor did a double take when he saw his mother’s guest. There, sipping on a cup of tea and wearing the same suit she’d worn earlier that day, sat Connor’s mystery woman.
“Connor, this is Laren. Her family owns most of the real estate in the area, including this location. Since we opened the shop, they have been very generous landlords.”
Both Connor and Laren were dumbfounded. Laren set her tea cup on the desk and was the first to find her voice.
“Hello, Connor.” She stood and extended her hand, “It’s very nice to meet you.”
As her intense green eyes met his, she shook her head slightly, indicating she didn’t want Connor to show recognition. But why?
For the time being, he chose to play along. “It’s a pleasure, Laren.” Connor stopped his hand mid-reach and looked at her palm. “And I would love to shake your hand but—”
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