Nature of the B*E*A*S*T*

by Rebecca Goings

  That was probably the last thing he'd expected to hear. Sudden images of that goddamned grizzly ripped through his head. “Do you remember me telling you about my friend Rogan and the man who wanted to kill him?"

  Keira nodded on the pillow.

  "He gave them to me. I was trying to keep Sean away from Marlie and Rogan when his claws dug into my skin."

  Gasping, Keira rolled over to look into his eyes. “You mean he swiped at you?"

  "Yeah. A cougar isn't much threat to a grizzly, I'm afraid."

  "Dear God, you could have killed yourself!” Her hands framed his face, pulling him closer to her. “Promise me you won't do that again."

  "Sean's dead, lady, so that's an easy promise to make."

  She scoffed. “You know what I mean, Wade McAllister."

  He took a deep breath and held it for a moment before letting it go. “If you're in trouble, Keira, I'll do everything in my power to save you, even if it means putting myself in the line of danger."

  "I can take care of myself, you know."

  "Oh, is that how I was able to kidnap you so easily?"

  Keira slapped his shoulder. “Don't be such an ass."

  Wade chuckled at her exasperation.

  "I'm serious!” she said.

  "So am I.” Leaning in close, Wade kissed her cheeks. “You've confessed that you're mine, or did I hear you wrong?"

  Her scent was suddenly laced with passion. “You heard what I said."

  "I protect what's mine, Keira. End of story."

  A long silence stretched between them as he stared at her. Damn, Keira was a beautiful woman.

  "That's a two way street, mister,” she growled right before she rolled over once more. Wade kissed her neck and smiled at her groan.

  "You don't play fair,” she whispered.

  "Damn straight."

  * * * *

  As Keira lay on her side, her head resting on one of Wade's biceps, she was somewhere between sleep and reality when a thought came to her. As quick as a flash, it was there and then gone, but she sat up regardless, glancing around the room.

  "Keira?” Wade's gritty voice drifted to her and his warm hand caressed the skin of her back. “You okay?"

  She turned on the mattress to look down at him. His face was so handsome. She'd been plagued with the idea she knew him from somewhere. She hadn't thought about it for a long time until her half-dream made her sit up straight.

  "Keira?” Wade said again, this time rising up on an elbow to get closer to her.

  "Oh my God.” Biting her lip, she touched his cheek, feeling his stubble prick her palms.

  "What is it?"

  She couldn't stop the tears from filling her eyes. “I think I know who you are, Wade."

  The room went silent as she watched him take in her words before fully sitting up himself. “Are you ... Are you sure?"

  Nodding, Keira sniffled. “I couldn't remember where I've seen you before, but that was because you look so much different now.” His eyes were as wide as saucers, and she could tell he was now trembling. “You used to have a beard, and your hair was shorter, cropped close to your head, but dear God, you have to be him!"

  "Who?” Wade's large hands grasped her upper arms, pulling her closer.

  "Brandon Cameron the Third."

  His eyebrows shot up. “Who the hell is that?"

  "You. I think ... Brandon Cameron was the son of Brandon Cameron Jr., a wealthy Texas oil tycoon. Almost too wealthy for his own good. He and my father were close friends. Until he died. I only saw Cameron's son ... er, I mean you, a few times, but you didn't seem too chummy with my dad. It was shortly thereafter the younger Cameron disappeared, but the police never found him."

  "Damn. Then I did know Covington.” Wade ran his hands through his hair and stared at the wall. “My God."

  "I can't believe I didn't see it before this, Wade. I ... I'm sorry. But you look so different."

  His eyes pierced hers and her heart leapt inside of her. This man was the heir to a fortune, if he was who she thought he was. But why would her father want to turn him into a shifter? It didn't make any sense. But then again, none of this made any damn sense.

  "So I'm not in the military?” His voice was low.

  "Not that I know of."

  Wade flopped back onto the pillows. “There's got to be a reason Covington sent me into the B*E*A*S*T* program. Why would he send the son of a friend to the agency?"

  "I ... I don't know.” Keira's heart rate shot up the more she thought about it. What she remembered of Brandon Cameron was that he was aloof and spoiled, as if he were entitled to the money his father had bestowed upon him. But Wade McAllister was far from that man. If it was true they brainwashed the men they experimented on, then their personalities must also be wiped along with their memories.

  "Brandon. Brandon Cameron. Do I look like a Brandon to you?"

  Keira shrugged. “I don't know. What does a Brandon look like?"

  "You tell me,” he said, giving her a nervous chuckle. “I wonder if Wade is my middle name? Both Noah and Rogan's names were their middle names."

  "If that's how they identified you, then probably."

  "Do me a favor?"

  Snuggling down into his warmth, Keira laid her head on his shoulder. “What?"

  "Don't ever call me Brandon."

  "Not a problem. You'll always be Wade to me."

  He brought his hand up to his face and rubbed his eyes, then pulled her tighter against him. “Don't let me go, Keira,” he said, his voice cracking. “You're the only one who knows me, really knows me. Christ. What am I going to do?"

  She embraced him, allowing him to roll over to hug her back. She knew he was trying hard to hold back the tears that wanted to come. “It's all right to cry,” she whispered in his ear. “I'm not going anywhere."

  A sob shook his large frame, followed by another and another. “I'm so tired of crying!” he exclaimed, startling her.

  "You just need to let it out."

  "No. No more.” Wade pushed her back, wiping his cheeks of moisture. “I'm not going to shed another tear for what that asshole did to me. He may have stolen my past, but I'm taking hold of my future. Covington no longer controls my life. It's about damn time I start living like it. Right now."

  Without warning, he pounced on her, driving her back into the mattress, kissing her mouth with wild abandon. Keira didn't fight him; she welcomed him, opening her legs, allowing him to settle on top of her. She knew what he needed from her, solace and acceptance.

  And she was more than willing to give him both.

  Seventeen

  It was a new experience, sleeping with a woman in his arms. But Wade wasn't complaining. Far from it. He was warm and comfortable, and for the first time that he could remember, he felt safe. Holding Keira close soothed his fears and made him think of other things—things he'd never thought of before. A wife. A family. A normal life.

  Even his dreams were peaceful, a far cry from the nightmares he'd been having. Her skin caressed his, even in sleep, and Wade savored the feeling. He'd been awakened a few moments before, by what, he couldn't say. But watching Keira sleep beside him filled his heart with an emotion he was unfamiliar with.

  It couldn't be love—he hadn't known her for that long. But if it wasn't love, then what was it? Wade swept one of her fiery locks away from her face and smiled when she sighed. She'd rolled against him, facing his chest, and it was all he could do not to kiss her cheek. He didn't want to wake her. She'd had a long night. He'd kept her awake with his lovemaking, rolling away from her only to roll right back, his need still burning strong.

  Even now, he felt the urge to take her slowly, as each of their encounters had been rushed, heated, and almost ... desperate. But Keira hadn't complained. She'd been almost as fierce as he, and Wade knew he never wanted to let her go. Perhaps he was in love with her. That realization made his eyes sting. She'd wanted him so badly that she'd confessed to being his. There was no way i
n hell he'd let her go now. Not when every time he made love to her he felt complete, like a real man should.

  The digital clock by the bed read 3:17 a.m. Laying his head on the pillow, he tried to go back to sleep. But the sound of car engines and the flash of red and blue lights through the curtains made his heart leap into his throat.

  The police.

  "Keira, wake up."

  "Hmm?” She opened her eyes and smiled at him, stretching lazily, her bare breasts exposed to his view.

  "Get up, lady, we have company."

  Keira sat up and glanced around, taking in the flashing lights and the voices beyond the door. A sudden, loud banging could be heard on the neighboring door, the room that would have been hers. Wade silently thanked Keira's horny libido for coming to his room that evening instead of staying in her own. He wasn't sure what he would have done if the cops had taken her away from him.

  They both scrambled out of bed, dressing as quickly as they could. Marching to the bathroom, Wade punched out the screen in the tiny, frosted window. It would still be a tight squeeze for her, but he wasn't about to let the police take Keira back to her father.

  "You've got to escape,” he whispered, pointing to the window.

  "What about you?” she asked breathlessly, pulling her shirt over her head.

  "I'm going to stay behind and distract them. They won't be expecting a mountain lion in a motel room."

  "No!” Keira's response shocked him. “I'm not going to let you sacrifice yourself."

  "If I'm successful, I'll escape and come looking for you."

  "They'll shoot you, Wade!” Her words hung in the air as someone pounded on their door. There was no more time to waste.

  "I'm not arguing with you, lady. Get through the damned window!"

  Keira stood her ground. Wade grabbed her shoulders and shoved her to the window himself, lifting and pushing her through it.

  "Wait,” she exclaimed, trying to fight him but having no room to do so.

  "Run, Keira,” he said once she'd landed heavily on the ground outside. “Don't look back, sweetheart. I promise I'll find you."

  With that, he closed the window and locked it, ensuring she couldn't climb back through. Keira pounded on the glass, but her fists didn't break it. He didn't have time to wonder if she could.

  Racing back out into the bedroom, he tossed his clothes aside and shifted only seconds before the door was kicked in. There stood Brett on the other side, glancing around the room until his flashing eyes found him. Wade growled low in his throat a moment before he leapt at him. Brett could only duck, apparently surprised at his blatant attack. Barreling through the officers behind Brett, Wade ran outside, dodging cops who were yelling and cussing to get the hell away from the insane cougar.

  Leaping on top of the hood of a nearby cruiser, Wade roared as loud as he could, crunching on the red and blue lights with his massive teeth. Within seconds, he bounded off the trunk of the car, aiming at a few more officers.

  Jesus, did Brett bring an army? There were at least eight cop cars crowded in the parking lot of the Tumbleweed Inn, and more than one curious patron had popped their head out to see what was going on. Wade barely heard Brett shouting at the top of his lungs not to kill him. Glancing over his shoulder, he could see Brett himself limping to a car and sliding into the driver's seat. Savage pleasure rippled through him at the sight, knowing that bastard was too wounded to shift and chase him himself. But damn, that cheetah had made a mess of things. He should have known to be stealthier when it came to trapping a shifter. Perhaps he hadn't counted on Wade being alone. Whatever Brett's blunder, Keira was safe for the time being, and all Wade had to do was run for the hills.

  But that was easier said than done.

  The streets of the sleepy town they'd stopped in were lined with shops and buildings. He'd have to run quite a ways to escape. And already, Brett was in hot pursuit, chasing him down the street in his cop cruiser like a madman.

  Wade tried weaving on the road, desperately looking for a way to shake Brett by ducking behind a nearby building or down an alley, but Brett's car was gaining too fast. He wasn't intent on stopping. Sweet Christ!

  Pain erupted within Wade's body as he flew through the air, landing on the windshield, cracking it into a thousand tiny shards. Brett braked hard and Wade kept on going, hitting the ground with a sickening crack, rolling until he skidded to a stop. Light exploded behind his eyes a split second before he fell back into darkness.

  * * * *

  Keira screamed.

  She'd run around the motel, determined to see for herself what was happening to Wade. She wasn't about to be tossed aside and let him fight her father on his own. He should have known better. She'd told him she'd protect what was hers, too. And Wade was hers, damn it.

  But Keira could only stand like a statue watching the spectacle unfold as he attempted to race down the road as a cougar. Brett wouldn't let him get away, however, chasing after him in a cop car. Within seconds, Brett hit him—hard. Wade smashed the windshield only to fall back to the ground, rolling limply on the asphalt.

  "Wade!"

  Uncaring for the chill in the air or the myriad of policemen clustered in the parking lot, Keira began to run toward the scene, intent on helping the man who'd just loved her throughout half the night. She couldn't lose him. Not now.

  "Wade!"

  Before she made it twenty steps, large arms wrapped around her waist, preventing her from going any further. She kicked and screamed and bit at the one holding her, only to be slammed down on the hood of another nearby cruiser.

  "Don't make me take you in on assault, missy!” the man yelled, yanking her arms behind her.

  Tears flowed down her cheeks as handcuffs tightened on her wrists. All she could think about was Wade. Was he alive? Dead? God, don't let him be dead!

  Keira couldn't remember the last time she'd prayed, but as the cop shoved her into the back of his car after reciting her rights, she closed her eyes and prayed for all she was worth.

  "Please, please, God, let him be okay. Don't take him. Don't take him!"

  The cop started his engine and pulled out onto the road, passing the scene of the accident slowly. The last thing she saw through the window was Brett hunched over Wade's lifeless body, injecting him with something.

  "Get away from him!” she yelled through the glass. Brett glanced up at her as they drove by and had the nerve to smile at her. It wasn't a happy smile, but a cruel one. Once she saw it, more tears fell and Keira watched helplessly out the back window as Brett dragged the cougar's body toward the rear of his car.

  Now, both she and Wade would most likely be taken back to her father. Keira shivered violently at the thought. Wade had been terrified of returning to her father, as he'd talked of reprogramming if he was ever caught again. Dear God, what were they going to do to him? Was he even all right? Keira had no idea whether Wade was alive or dead, and that thought made her stomach roil.

  She attempted to look out the rear window once again, but they turned a corner and she lost sight of Brett and Wade. With deep sobs, Keira shuddered from head to toe, wondering what she was going to do now.

  "You cold?” the cop asked, turning up the heat.

  Keira gave him a withering look when he glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “Go to hell,” she growled.

  Eighteen

  "Jesus H. Christ!” Rogan's eyes bulged at the sight of all the cop cars surrounding the Tumbleweed Inn. Wade had gone and gotten himself caught. “Damn cougar. Can't do anything right."

  "You can say that again.” Noah crouched beside Rogan in the bushes with a sigh of his own. They'd left their wives in the car about half a mile up the road, deciding to check out the excitement for themselves. It was for the best anyhow, as the ladies had been dead tired. “Brett's down there."

  "What a shocker,” Rogan said, rolling his eyes.

  Noah chuckled. “Seems as if Keira really cares for Wade."

  "Yeah.” Rogan grinn
ed. “She really cared for him tonight."

  "What do you mean by that?"

  "Can't you smell it? Wade and Keira got cozy in that motel room, if you know what I mean."

  "You can smell that? From here?"

  Noah shook his head with a grin and turned his gaze back to the cops. Rogan snickered.

  "So. What are we going to do now? I wasn't exactly expecting a B*E*A*S*T* reunion when Wade told us to meet him here."

  Noah rubbed his face. “I don't know. Brett's going to take Wade and Keira back to Covington, no doubt. I shudder to think what the old man has in store for them."

  Rogan chewed his lip until an idea struck him. “What if we call the guys?"

  Noah looked at him quizzically, arching a brow. “You mean Trevor, Mac, and Jet?"

  "Yup. They've been dying to stick it to the man."

  "But they have that woman shifter with them now, Robyn something-or-other."

  Rogan shrugged. “They can bring her along."

  Noah sighed, but pulled out his cell phone and flipped it open. “Worth a try."

  * * * *

  "You have got to be shitting me!"

  Dr. Lucian Carver sat on a brown leather sofa in Covington's office and raised a brow at the Senator's tone. It was early in the morning—the sun hadn't even risen yet—but apparently, Brett had nabbed Wade McAllister, much to Covington's delight. However it appeared as if not everything was rainbows and butterflies. Clive's face turned beet-red and his eyes widened so far, Lucian wondered what kept them in their sockets.

  He ran a hand over his thinning salt-and-pepper hair, adjusting his round glasses to sit higher on his nose. He'd been a lucky son of a bitch, finally making it back to Dallas despite being held captive by Noah Carpenter and his slew of shifter buddies. Lucian had escaped, thanks to his secret safe word, a word Covington himself didn't even know existed. If the Senator knew he'd programmed each of B*E*A*S*T*'s shifters with a word that would make them catatonic at the drop of a hat, he'd be killed for insubordination without another thought.

  Lucian shivered, but remembered that no one knew of his deception except himself and a few other scientists, who, thankfully, had been killed when Noah and his friend Rogan Wolfe had stormed the facility in the Colorado Rockies. For now, his secret was safe. And regardless of the events that had turned the shifters against the agency, Lucian was still determined to steal the project out from under the pissed off man before him.