Falling for the Beast

by Victorine E. Lieske

  A dark figure slipped over to the man on the sidewalk. He bent over him, maybe assessing his wound. She turned off her living room light to see better. Thaddeus stayed by the man on the sidewalk for a few minutes. Then the next moment he was gone.

  She waited, holding her breath. He’d come back, right? He’d be hurt. Surely he wouldn’t get on his motorcycle and race off. She waited, counting the seconds until her front door opened and Thaddeus slipped inside, hunched over.

  “What happened? Where was he hurt?” She peered at him in the dark, her heart thumping wildly in her chest.

  “Drunk guy stabbed him in the abdomen.”

  Aribelle motioned to the couch. “Lie down. Let me see.”

  He slid onto the couch and she opened his jacket. A dark red stain was forming on his T-shirt, and she pulled it up. The cut wasn’t wide but it looked deep. “You need stitches.”

  He laughed and then winced. “You’re still thinking of me as human.”

  She frowned, unable to voice what was going through her head. She grabbed a towel from the kitchen and handed it to him. “Press down on it. Let’s try to stop the bleeding.”

  He did as she said, closing his eyes. His face screwed up in pain as he coughed.

  “You okay?” she asked, and then mentally smacked herself. Of course he wasn’t okay. He had a gaping hole in his gut.

  “I’ll be fine,” he said. “This is nothing.”

  Nothing. He had to be joking. She turned away from the sight of the bloody towel pressed to his skin. Her stomach flipped and she felt light headed.

  “Hey,” he said, his eyes apologetic. “I’m sorry. I should have gone home.”

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be riding your motorcycle like that.”

  He pulled the towel away to show her the bleeding had stopped already. He stood. “Belle. I’m fine. This is what I do.”

  A knock pounded on her door and she jumped. Thaddeus gave her a meaningful glance before walking into the kitchen and out of sight. She opened the door and Gavin brushed his way past her. “Where is he?”

  Fear, worry, and panic all rose up inside her. “Who?”

  He glanced around her tiny apartment. “The guy. He came in here.”

  She frowned. “You’re drunk, Gavin. Go home.”

  “No!” He rounded on her. “I saw him messing with Peter.”

  “What, the guy you stabbed? What were you even doing?”

  Gavin wagged his finger in her face. “You saw it too.”

  Crud. She hadn’t meant to confirm what had happened. “No.”

  “There was blood. But there’s no wound. That guy…he did somethin’. He’s like a witch or something.”

  “He didn’t do anything.” Why was she still talking?

  “So you know this guy?” Gavin started to walk into the kitchen but she stopped him.

  “Go home.”

  He grabbed her like he’d done the other morning and pulled her to him. “You’re sure cute when you’re bossy.”

  She wriggled away.

  Thaddeus came at him like a pouncing lion, knocking him down. His eyes were murderous and he clenched his jaw so tight she could see the tendons sticking out. Gavin struggled beneath him, but Thaddeus had him pinned. “Go. Now!” He turned a furious gaze on her, and she backed up into the kitchen. She turned and fled into her bedroom and shut the door.

  She heard a scuffle, a thump, and then the front door slammed. A few moments later a knock sounded on her bedroom door. She opened it to find Thaddeus leaning on the door jam, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. “You okay?” he asked, his voice measured.

  “Yes.”

  He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. “You know him?”

  “Yes.” She didn’t want to elaborate and make Thaddeus even angrier. When he didn’t comment, she tentatively asked, “Is he all right?”

  “He’s in one piece.”

  She took in a deep breath and let it out. “And what about you?”

  “I should go.”

  She was about to protest when he said, “I’ll stop by to get you in the morning.” And then he was gone. She heard his motorcycle start up and take off down the street.

  Chapter 13

  Thaddeus cursed himself for his stupidity. Not only had he been seen, but now he’d gotten Aribelle mixed up into everything. He shouldn’t have been so reckless. At least he’d been able to control himself enough to not fully change. That would have scared her.

  What was wrong with him? It wasn’t like him to let a girl get to him like this. He was smarter than that. He knew better. And yet, here he was, indulging himself in fantasies.

  He gripped the handlebars tighter and picked up speed. This was a dangerous slope he was on. If he were found, he would become a science experiment. They would lock him up. He needed to be more careful, and that meant staying away from Aribelle.

  But it seemed that he didn’t have much willpower when it came to her. She was…amazing. She saw past the ugly scars. She made him feel wanted. Needed.

  When he was with her, he felt like he could do anything. Be anything.

  And that was dangerous, because he needed to remember who he really was.

  Aribelle peered down the dark alley. Nothing was as it seemed, like she was in a dream. Movement near the trash bin caught her eye. Something urged her forward. “Thaddeus?” she called as she walked.

  She saw his biking boots sticking out and raced to him. He was slumped up against the building, his head flopped to the side like he didn’t have enough strength to lift it. He moaned and she put her hands on his face. “Where are you injured?”

  He pointed to his stomach and she lifted his shirt. His skin was gone, and a bloody mass of organs pulsed. She screamed and shrank back.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, getting up. His arm twisted and fell to the pavement.

  She grew dizzy and she screamed again, running down the alley, but the end stretched even further the more she ran.

  Aribelle awoke with a jerk and sat upright in bed. She clutched the covers, her heart pounding against her rib cage. She gasped for air.

  She stumbled into the bathroom and turned on the cold water. It pricked at her fingers like needles. She splashed it on her face and toweled off. Her hands shook as she looked at herself in the mirror.

  It was only a dream. Nothing more. Thaddeus wasn’t a scary monster. He was a good man. He had risked his life to save her. And risked that plus his anonymity every night to heal people.

  She turned off the faucet and crawled back into bed and glanced at the clock. Four-thirty. She tried to go back to sleep, but the vision of him in her dream wouldn’t go away.

  She finally got up around five and made some coffee. She needed to stop thinking about Thaddeus. About his powers. About everything.

  The hot liquid burned her tongue and she set it down to cool. Maybe he was right. Maybe she needed to stay away from Thaddeus. If she started looking for other work, she could forget about her growing feelings for a man who didn’t return them. A man who didn’t even think of himself as a man. But the thought of working somewhere else—of not seeing Thaddeus again—soured her stomach.

  The sun lit the windows and she decided she’d better get ready before Thaddeus showed up. She showered and dressed in leggings and a tunic top, finishing off the look with a belt and her black boots. The knock on her door sent her heart into her throat.

  She rushed to open it and let Thaddeus in. He looked like he belonged on the pages of a biker magazine — if she ignored the scars on his face. His leather jacket hung open, revealing a clean white T-shirt.

  “How are you?” she asked, glancing at his middle.

  “Almost new.” He stepped inside and shut the door.

  Her heart beat in her ears. “Mind if I…?” S
he pointed to his abdomen.

  He lifted his shirt to reveal a scar where the wound had been. Last night she hadn’t taken the time to look at the other scars there, but today, she couldn’t help but notice. His skin was covered with them. She also couldn’t help noticing the sculpted abs he sported. She gently fingered the scar from last night. He got a pained look on his face and she dropped her hand, trying to ignore the zaps of electricity flowing into her fingertips.

  “Did you go home last night, or did you go roaming the streets?” she asked.

  “I rode for a while to let off steam. Then I went home and fell asleep.”

  “Good,” she said, a little too quickly, and she blushed. She didn’t mean to be selfish. Healing others was noble, but she hated to see him hurt. “I mean, I’m glad you got some sleep.”

  He stepped closer to her. “I know what you meant.” The silence stretched between them before he motioned to the door. “You ready to go?”

  “Yes.”

  She grabbed her jacket and followed him out the door. Riding on the back of his motorcycle was like an amusement park ride, only more dangerous and exciting. He surprised her by not turning toward Carson. Instead, he headed up into the northern hills of the national forest.

  “Where are we going?” she yelled over the roar of the bike.

  “You’ll see,” he called back.

  They rode for about an hour before he pulled off the paved road and headed onto a dirt path. He drove for another ten minutes before coming to a clearing where he stopped and dismounted. A few logs lay in a row, indicating places you could park. A small path led into the woods, and he motioned for her to join him.

  The trees in this area were mostly tall evergreens, which shaded the path more than the ones near his home. As soon as they entered the wooded area, the sun was blocked off and it felt like they were walking at dusk. The path was littered with pine needles and an occasional pine cone. She walked alongside him, wondering why he’d brought her there.

  “My friends and I would come up here sometimes when we were in high school.” He stepped over a tree root and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

  “It’s beautiful.”

  “Secluded,” he said.

  For some reason, the word sounded sad and she glanced up at him. “A good place to hide from people.”

  “Yes.”

  She wondered what it was like for him, thinking he couldn’t be seen. Couldn’t go out and even do his own grocery shopping. How sad it must be for him.

  He led her down the path, the hill turning steeper. She stumbled a little and he reached out his hand to steady her. “Watch your step.”

  He didn’t let go, and they continued to walk, hand in hand. She liked the feel of it. His skin was warm, his muscles strong. She felt secure. Safe.

  As they walked, she noticed the sound of rushing water. “Are we near a river?”

  “Quite close, yes.” His eyes smiled at her.

  They rounded a tree and the view opened up. They were on the side of a hill. The river cascaded down in a waterfall, crashing into the ravine below. The blue sky stretched above them. It looked like a scene from one of her father’s puzzles, and she gasped. “Incredible.”

  She could imagine writing about this place. A large rock sat near the edge, and he helped her climb up on it to sit. “I thought you might like the view here.”

  “It’s amazing.”

  He sat next to her. “When I’d come here with the guys, we’d just throw stuff down there.”

  “Sounds like teenaged boys.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah.”

  “My father would have loved this.”

  They sat in silence, enjoying the splashing of the waterfall and the occasional bird that chirped. She could feel his body close to hers. Could feel the power in his muscles. He had such a sweet side to him, to bring her here. She’d seen glimpses of it before. She put her hand on his. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

  A noise sounded from behind them and she turned to see Gavin step out of the forest. Her heart leaped into her throat. “Gavin? What are you doing here?”

  “I followed you.” He sneered. “I wanted to see what that thing was up to.”

  Thaddeus tensed, and Aribelle whispered, “It’s okay. I’ll take care of it.”

  She stood and hopped down from the rock. “We don’t want any trouble.”

  Gavin ignored her and squinted at Thaddeus. “What are you, anyway? I saw what you can do, and it’s not right.”

  “That’s enough,” she said, taking a step toward Gavin. “You need to leave.”

  Three of Gavin’s friends stepped out into the clearing, joining him. One of them held a baseball bat and he slapped it against the palm of his hand. Gavin grinned, and fear slithered down her spine.

  “I don’t think so, sweetheart.”

  Thaddeus jumped down from the rock in one fluid motion, stepping in front of her, shielding her. “That’s fine. You stay. We’ll go.” He threaded his fingers through hers and moved to go around them.

  Gavin took a step to intercept them. “I asked you a question. What are you? A witch? Or some kind of government experiment?”

  “He’s none of your concern,” Aribelle said, wishing her voice hadn’t squeaked to betray her fear.

  Ignoring her once again, Gavin looked Thaddeus up and down. “Something must have gone wrong with the experiment.” One of his goons laughed.

  Thaddeus squeezed her hand and whispered. “I’ll distract them. You run into the woods.”

  She wanted to tell him no. Wanted to scream that one of them had a baseball bat and he hadn’t brought it to play sports. But she didn’t know what sticking around would do to help him. Her heart beat fast and her palms grew sweaty. She nodded.

  Thaddeus let go of her hand and closed the distance between him and Gavin. “Leave us alone.”

  Gavin scoffed and looked at his buddies. “He wants us to leave him alone.” He turned back to Thaddeus. “Not a chance.” He swung a fist, connecting with Thaddeus’s jaw. A sickening snap rang out and Aribelle screamed.

  A low growl sounded and Thaddeus grabbed Gavin by the jacket. He tossed him aside like he weighed nothing. Gavin flew, landing on the tree-line yards away. The man with the baseball bat swung it at Thaddeus, but he caught it mid-air, then snapped it in half, a loud crack echoing.

  Aribelle was too stunned at first to move, but while the other men came at Thaddeus, she knew he could take care of himself and started her sprint toward the trail.

  Sounds of the scuffle faded as she ran, trying not to trip over any tree roots. Her breath came in short bursts, the cool autumn air stinging her throat. Her boots crunched on pine needles as she ran. She turned to glance behind her. Was he okay? She slowed her steps, wondering how long he would be.

  She stopped to listen, but couldn’t hear anything except her rapid breathing and her racing heart. This was the only path to the motorcycle. He had to come this way, so she sat down on a log and waited to hear something.

  After a few minutes, her anxiety grew too much, and she stood. She couldn’t sit there while the idiots fought with Thaddeus. She needed to make sure he was okay. If they were able to overpower him…she didn’t finish the thought. It wouldn’t have a good outcome.

  She began walking back toward them, slowly making her way along the trail. Thaddeus was much stronger than those men. He could handle himself, couldn’t he? She didn’t want to think about the alternative.

  A shadow materialized up ahead and she breathed out a sigh of relief. “Thaddeus.” She ran toward him.

  But as she neared, the man’s face came into view. Gavin. Her heart stopped.

  Chapter 14

  Gavin grabbed her arm. “Your freak boyfriend almost killed me.” He twisted her arm and she cried out in pain.

  “Let go.”

>   “No.” Gavin pulled her along the trail toward the parking lot.

  Where was Thaddeus? Had something happened to him? “Where are you taking me?” she asked, glancing behind them.

  Gavin didn’t say anything. He continued to pull her along the trail, fury in his eyes. His grip on her tightened when she slowed. “Keep up,” he demanded.

  “You can’t force me to go with you.”

  He glared at her but didn’t let her go.

  Her mouth went dry and she glanced wildly around. “What did you do to him?”

  An evil look came across Gavin’s face. “My friends took care of him.”

  “No!” She tried to wiggle free, but he held her arm in a vice grip. She needed to go back. To see what had happened. Were they still beating him up? Would they kill him? Her foot landed on a rock, and her ankle twisted. A sharp pain stabbed through her leg. Her knees buckled and she fell to the dirt path.

  Gavin yanked on her arm, trying to tug her to her feet, but she crumpled to the ground. “Get up.”

  “Let me go!” she yelled, but her voice gave out and it didn’t have the power she was hoping.

  The trees beside the path rustled and Thaddeus jumped out, his face murderous. Blood trickled down the side of his face from a cut on his forehead. His muscles bulged and he looked like he wanted to rip Gavin apart. He pounced on Gavin, who finally let go of Aribelle’s arm. She scrambled back, a small rock biting into the palm of her left hand.

  Thaddeus punched Gavin in the face, and Gavin dropped, unconscious. Thaddeus turned to her, crouching beside her. His eyebrows pulled together in worry. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes. What happened?” She reached up to his forehead. “How bad are you hurt?”

  “I’m fine.” He gently touched her ankle and she winced. “I think it’s broken.” He picked her up and started walking down the path.

  “Are they…?” She couldn’t ask the question.

  “They’re alive,” he said simply and left it at that.