She knew she didn’t have much time left as the moon rose higher into the sky. Breslin would be onto her before long, and she didn’t have a doubt in her mind that he would kill her without hesitation. She’d betrayed him, just like she betrayed her family. It’s what she was known for, wasn’t it? A traitor; however, she’d taken it too far this time. Where the ursithropes might have shown mercy, Breslin Connor would show none. Her death sentence was signed the moment she started showing compassion for Presley and the Bamey boy.
Oh, if only she could’ve spared Greg’s life, too.
It’s too late to think about it now, she thought. Wrapping her arms tightly around herself, Natalie stepped out onto the rooftop of the hospital, gazing out at Kadenburg in all its glory. It was a small town, but there were huge possibilities for it as well.
In the beginning, when ursithropes first came into existence, they’d had a promising future. They would flourish and thrive in the world of humans, remaining kind and tolerant of their more vulnerable side while also staying in tune with the bears from which they were made. Things had been so peaceful until werewolves decided the world wasn’t big enough for the both of them.
What vile creatures the lycanthropes could be. She had witnessed their brutality on more than one occasion; the first time being when they murdered her little brother. It was a memory that haunted her, always.
“Run, Natty, Run!” Pierce shouted as he fought against the two werewolves trying to sink their teeth into his flesh. He threw a punch, hitting his first attacker right on his bloody little snout. The wolf hit the ground and whined before pushing itself back up and growling at him.
“I can’t just leave you!” Natalie sobbed as she reached out towards him. “Come on, Pierce! We can make it back together!”
The night wasn’t supposed to turn out like this. The Carroll siblings had ventured out into the woods to do something they had been doing for years, only to be ambushed by the werewolves who were supposed to be sleeping soundly in the homes of fellow ursithropes. The eve of a peaceful day had quickly turned into a nightmare as Pierce motioned for his sister to get away.
“Go, Natalie. I mean it! You need to get back to town and warn the others.”
“I can’t leave you,” She repeated as tears streamed down her cheeks. “What about Caroline and the baby?”
Pierce jammed his elbow into the ribs of the wolf jumping at him, glancing at his sister briefly before frowning. “Tell Caroline I love her,” He stated hoarsely. “Now get the hell out of here, damn it.”
For the first time in her life, she listened. She turned on her heels, ready to make a dash for it when she collided with a hard chest. Falling back against the ground, Natalie gazed up into the dark, cold eyes of Breslin Connor-the leader of the lycanthropes. He was the man who had shaken hands with the elder ursithropes earlier that evening, promising that he wanted to call a truce.
“Hello there, Honeycomb,” He flashed a devious smirk. “You’re just the pretty little bear I was looking for…..”
Natalie shoved that horrible memory to the darkest corner of her mind, blinking away the tears forming in her eyes as she leaned over the rail. She felt so sick. Her brother’s death always made her sick; she couldn’t help it. Pierce shouldn’t have died.
And I shouldn’t have caved just to stay alive, she thought bitterly. She hung her head, releasing a shaky breath as her tears fell freely, plummeting towards the ground three stories below.
Every muscle in her body tensed and quivered as the sobs bubbled up in her throat. She clenched her teeth together, whimpering as the pain grew stronger than ever before.
“I’m sorry,” She whispered. “I’m so sorry.”
Her sadness flowed freely from her eyes as numerous heart wrenching sobs echoed into the night air. She was defeated. After so many years of running; so many years of being afraid; so many years of being repulsed by the beast that longed to be close….this was how it was going to end.
“Please forgive me, Urseth,” She lifted her eyes towards the night sky, watching as clouds rolled past the bright illuminated circle staring right back at her. “I have forsaken you and I am not worthy of your mercy, but please let it happen quickly. I don’t want to suffer anymore…..I don’t want to hurt anymore.”
She wasn’t sure if he would even listen to her. Why should he? She’d turned her back on him when he’d chosen her for such an important task. Her brother’s sacrifice had been for nothing. She didn’t deserve Urseth’s mercy, or his forgiveness. She deserved to be tortured in the Great Wilderness for the rest of eternity, and she knew that it would happen very soon.
Just then, the door to the stairs opened and she knew that Breslin knew. She could feel his anger radiating from his body as a low growl sounded in the air all around her. She slowly turned away from the railing, meeting his silver hues as he bared his fangs.
“What did you do?” He asked through his clenched teeth. “Where is she?”
As her legs trembled, Natalie held her head high. “She’s back where she belongs.”
“You stupid little bitch!” He was seething as he approached her. His fingers wrapped around her throat, pushing her towards the railing again as saliva glistened upon his teeth in the moonlight. “You dare to betray me?” He hissed. “Do you think you are excluded from my punishment? Let me assure you that you are not. I will kill you for this.”
Please have mercy, Urseth. She gasped, feeling his fingers crushing her windpipe as she sputtered and choked. She could feel the oxygen leaving her brain as her ears buzzed. “Go…..ahead…”
She knew there were more wolves on the rooftop. She knew Breslin would once again set an example for those who dared to betray him. It was how he operated; it was what he had done to countless others who questioned his authority. She would be his best example yet.
At least, that’s what she thought until she heard the howl of pain escaping one of his right hand men. Breslin immediately released his grip on her throat, turning to see what the commotion was about as the other wolves scattered. Natalie pushed herself away from the railing, rubbing her neck vigorously. Her eyes fell on a shocking sight.
Theo wasn’t a wolf she’d ever cared to speak to. He was just as cruel as Breslin and his thirst for bloodshed had no limit. She’d seen him do horrible things to innocent humans, but at the moment, she took satisfaction in watching the blood gush from his body. A small hatchet was deeply embedded in his shoulder. Though she had no idea where it’d come from, she knew that whoever was responsible for throwing it intended to kill a werewolf-that was good enough for her.
“What the hell is this?” Breslin demanded, watching as Theo slumped against the rooftop. Blood pooled around the wolf’s body as his foot twitched; he was dead. “Are you doing this?” Breslin asked as he turned to glare at her. “Did you trick me? You little…..”
Natalie closed her eyes, bracing herself for whatever he was about to do, only to hear something zoom by her head before Breslin released a frustrated yell. Her eyes snapped open and she watched as he stumbled backwards, desperately trying to pull an arrow from the left side of his chest.
What in the world……?
Someone suddenly ran past her and Natalie was barely able to catch a glimpse of the dark figure as Breslin turned to run. He leapt over the railing and disappeared; the figure gracefully jumped after him.
“What the fu-mmf!” A hand suddenly clamped over her mouth and Natalie immediately thrust her elbow into ribs. She heard the pained grunt of her assailant and whirled about as she was released. “Get away from me!” She shrieked, kicking at whatever her foot could find.
The figure fell backwards, hitting the rooftop with a thud, and then he groaned.
“Is that how you repay your rescuer?” He asked, lifting his head to stare at her. The hoodie he wore fell away from his dark hair and his equally dark eyes stared at her angrily. “I’m not sure if you are welcome.”
Natalie blinked in confusion, lifting a
hand to rest against her burning cheek as her eyes met his. “Jon?” She asked softly, frowning.
“I am Beau. Jon was my father,” He stated calmly, pushing himself up from the rooftop before dusting off the back of his pants.
“Was?” Natalie swallowed hard. He most certainly was his father’s son. He looked exactly like the man she remembered from her childhood and early adolescence. Jon Xiong was one of the greatest ursithropes she’d ever had the pleasure of knowing.
“We thought you were in distress. We came to your aid.”
“We?” Natalie’s head turned towards the railing where Breslin had disappeared and the other figured had followed. “How many of you are there?”
“Just my cousin and I,” Beau cracked his neck gently before gazing at her once again, sizing her up. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” Natalie nodded. “What about your cousin? Don’t you think you should go help him?”
“She will be fine,” Beau smirked. “She can take care of herself.”
She? Natalie stared at him, wide eyed. “If you say so. Breslin isn’t just any werewolf. He’s sort of insane.”
“A man with nothing left to lose is more dangerous than a man who suffers from insanity,” Beau commented as he stepped closer to her. He was tall and thin, but she could tell he had some muscles beneath his hoodie. He possessed surprisingly broad shoulders for a man of his stature. Yes, he resembled his father greatly.
“I hope I didn’t hurt you,” Natalie said apologetically, running her fingers through her hair nervously. “I didn’t know you would make it here so fast. I thought I’d be long gone before anyone actually arrived.”
“Well, you are not,” He said pointedly, rubbing his chest. “Very much alive and kicking, I see,” He wrinkled his nose. “Besides, we were in South Carolina. We did not have to travel far.”
“South Carolina?” Natalie frowned. “I thought your family was still living in China.”
Beau dropped his gaze to the rooftop. She could see the corner of his mouth twitching as his hand fell to his side. “My family does not live anymore,” He whispered. “Breslin Connor made sure of that.”
“What?!” Natalie’s heart fell into her stomach as she covered her mouth with her hand. She shook her head furiously. “No! That cannot be. You mean….”
“Yes,” He lifted his eyes to meet hers once more. “He attacked during the summer. Only a few of us managed to escape. My family is dead.”
“I am so sorry,” She whispered, blinking back fresh tears. “I didn’t know.”
“How could you know?” He tilted his head to the side. “You were here, away from the devastation. I doubt a lycanthrope would tell you of such things,” His brows lifted significantly high on his forehead. “But something tells me you were closer to him than the laws of nature have intended-not that it matters. You are one of us. I was obligated to spare your life.”
She watched in silence as he stepped over to the fallen wolf, pressing his boot against the dead man’s shoulder as he pulled his hatchet free and wiped the blood off with his hand. He studied the dark liquid on his fingertips before lifting his eyes to meet hers. “I hope that I will not regret saving you.”
Natalie could feel the guilt eating at her soul. Jon Xiong and the ursithropes he led had been killed. Was this poor boy an orphan because of Breslin’s madness? She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to say. Breslin Connor truly was a monster. She suddenly realized that he wasn’t just after the ursithropes of Kadenburg.
He was after all of them.
Fourteen
As the morning light flooded the bedroom, Presley groaned in protest. She was not ready to wake up just yet. She was warm, comfortable, and wrapped in the arms of an amazing man. She smiled to herself, sighing happily as she rolled over to snuggle closer to him.
“Morning,” Lorcan murmured.
“Morning,” She responded, opening her eyes to see that he was staring at her. “What time is it?”
“Late, actually,” He replied as he rolled over and glanced at the clock on the night stand. “Nine seventeen. Got somewhere you need to be?”
She laughed gently, burying her face against his chest. “No.”
“Good. I think my mom is waiting for us to get up so she can feed us.”
Presley bolted up in the bed, clutching the blankets against her naked chest. “What do you mean?” She asked frantically, pressing her palm against her forehead. “Oh my god! You mean she knows we’re in here together?”
Lorcan smirked, his eyes roaming over her face as he quirked a brow. “Would it be such a bad thing if she does?”
Presley hid her face behind her hands, shaking her head. “She’s going to think I’m a hussy,” She replied in a muffled voice.
“Hey,” Lorcan said sharply, gently curling his fingers around her wrists before tugging her hands away from her face. “You are not a hussy. You are so far from being something like that, Pretz. Do you hear me?”
She stared at him with wide eyes. Was he actually mad that she said that? She couldn’t be sure. It was hard to read his expression.
“Do you think you’re a hussy because of what we did last night?” He asked quietly, his expression softening.
Presley dropped her gaze to her lap, frowning. “Well, I mean….Don’t you think it’s a little questionable given that I had a boyfriend this time last month and now I’m here with you?”
“No,” Lorcan replied quickly. “No, I don’t think it’s questionable at all.”
She tilted her head to the side, unsure of how to respond to him as the corner of his lips twitched and relaxed. Is he seriously that upset over my comment? Why?
“Don’t ever call yourself that again,” Lorcan said in a lower voice. “I mean it, Presley. There’s no set time frame one must follow between one lover to the next,” He seemed pained to even think about the possibility of her being with someone else, but it quickly passed as he licked his lips. “The ways of the ursithropes work differently anyway. Even if you were in a committed relationship with someone else right now, the moment we kissed that night would’ve changed everything. You’d go crazy from your attraction for me. You’d leave him to be with me. That’s just how it works. Once you choose an ursithrope-that’s that. Even if you were married to a human….you’d be filing divorce papers at this very moment to be completely mine.”
“I would?” Presley asked, her eyes darting back and forth between his. “Isn’t that a little insane?”
He chuckled gently. “Not really,” He shook his head. “Our love is more powerful than anything else in the world. Once you chose me…..the rest was history. And besides…..” He lifted her hand to his lips, kissing over her knuckles gently as he kept his eyes on hers. “I don’t necessarily think it’s right for a woman to be called something so derogatory when men do the exact same thing and are hailed as heroes.”
Well, that was shocking; and a little infuriating. Presley found herself despising the thought of Lorcan being with another woman. Of course, that was ridiculous. There was no way that Lorcan hadn’t been with other women before. That was just nature. Sex was a completely healthy, normal thing for people to experience. Still…..
“Hey now, none of that,” Lorcan murmured, leaning in to kiss the tip of her nose. “They didn’t mean anything to me.”
She relished in the wave of heat caressing her skin as his lips found hers, returning his kiss with just as much gentleness-until a thought struck her. She pulled away quickly to stare at him.
“I didn’t say anything,” She blinked.
Lorcan chewed his lower lip for a second. His eyes sparkled as he grinned and ran his fingers through his hair. “And that’s another part you’ve not been taught yet,” He stated as he leaned back on the mattress and stared at her. “Close your eyes.”
“What?”
“Close your eyes,” He repeated with a chuckle. “Just do it, please?”
Presley sighed, doing as he asked. She clo
sed her eyes and lifted a brow. “Okay…..”
“Now clear your mind.”
She waited a few seconds, tapping her fingertips against her knee. “Okay. It’s clear.”
This is so ridiculous. What is he on about? She wondered, waiting for his next instruction.
“It is not clear,” Lorcan laughed. “You think I’m crazy.”
“I do not!” She argued with a smile. “It’s clear, I swear it.”
“No, it isn’t. You think it’s ridiculous.”
Presley’s eyes snapped open and she stared at him. He was grinning from ear to ear, looking gorgeous as he rested his head against his arm.
“Wait a second,” She blinked. “Are you insinuating you can hear what I’m thinking?”
“I’m not insinuating anything. It’s common knowledge, Darlin’,” He gazed at her lazily, another smile playing coyly at his lips. “Just close your eyes and concentrate.”
“No way,” Presley muttered, feeling absolutely silly for entertaining the idea. Just remember, you can turn into Smokey the bear. Nothing is impossible at this point.
Lorcan snickered.
“Shut up!” She laughed. “I’m going to try it now.”
“Okay,” He replied. “I’m waiting.”
Capturing her bottom lip between her teeth, Presley closed her eyes again and attempted to clear her mind. It was actually sort of amazing how quickly the fog of worries and thoughts dissipated. She relaxed, allowing her mind to wander. How would she know if it worked?
‘You look absolutely beautiful when you’re trying to concentrate.’
Her eyes popped open and she met Lorcan’s gaze. Her mouth fell open, but no words escaped as she tilted her head to the side.
‘Can you hear me?’ She asked in her mind.
He nodded slowly. ‘Loud and clear, Pretz.’
“No way,” She repeated in disbelief. “This is weird.”
‘Is it really that weird? We can turn into Smokey the Bear, remember?’ He chuckled, flashing another brilliant smile as he shifted on the bed and rested a hand against his ripped stomach. God, the muscles he possessed……
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