The Beast Within

by T. L Smith

  Levi's head shot up in surprise and he stared at Adam, shocked at the permission he'd just received to release his wolf. Realizing that he was staring directly at his alpha a bit too long, he lowered his gaze to the desk and dipped his head in an act of apology and submission. Adam chuckled and told him it was ok, he understood his stare had been from surprise, not from questioning his decision.

  Adam once again came around to the front of the desk and motioned for Levi to stand as well. "Follow me. I have a better place than my office for you to release your wolf in." The two men went out the door, turning right and heading down a hall that Levi had never been in before. Adam opened a door, revealing a stairwell, and led the way down to the floor below. At the bottom he opened the door to reveal a very large room that resembled a gym but was much more. It had concrete walls and floor, no windows so it was artificially lit and no other exit but the one they entered through.

  "This is where we come to work out, where practices for battle take place and where we bring any of our troublesome cases. It allows for the privacy we need at times, as well as security to help assure that if anything goes wrong, there's no escape to the outdoors. I think this will do nicely for us to fully release your wolf for the first time since reintegration and test your control. If you do well here then you'll know, as well as myself, that you can handle stressful situations without losing control of your wolf. Go ahead and disrobe and we'll get started."

  Not waiting for Levi to finish removing his clothing, Adam stripped down and shifted into his wolf so that he'd be ready for trouble if it happened. Though he could access his alpha power in human form, his control and power were much stronger in wolf form. Having finished his shift in a blink, Adam's powerfully built, jet black wolf stood in front of Levi. Seeing him hesitating to release his wolf, he sent a mental message for Levi to trust him and to just let it happen. Levi took a deep breath and, allowing himself to trust in Adam, he let loose.

  Standing before Adam was a charcoal gray wolf with black streaks and hazel eyes. He wasn't anywhere near the size of the alpha wolf, but larger than the female wolves the pack had. This wolf, however, seemed a mix of many emotions and Adam prepared himself for any sign of disrespect. He knew if they were going to be successful in taming Levi's wolf, they would have to control it at the first sign of rebellion. Adam reached out to Levi to get a feel for what was happening inside, and he felt tension. Lots of it. Standing at his tallest height and with his broad chest out to its fullest, Adam moved up on Levi and stood over him to see if he'd recognize the alpha power and submit to it. Levi's wolf startled with the motion and took a step away, trying to gain balance in a very unbalanced mind. Levi called out to his wolf, softly soothing him and trying to regain control of the situation before it got out of hand. A growl rolled through Levi's chest and he wasn't sure if it was his or his beast's. Adam wanted to give Levi time to take control, but he wouldn't wait long. This situation was best cut short and not allowed to escalate.

  Levi concentrated more intensely, telling his wolf that he was no longer in charge and there was no need for aggression. He must submit to their new alpha or the Alpha himself would painfully make him do it. From Adam came a deep, threatening growl that slowly grew in intensity, as he stepped forward towards Levi, showing his agreement that he would in fact step in and force the issue if the wolf refused. "SUBMIT TO HIM", Levi yelled at his wolf. He pushed his own will onto the beast harder than he'd ever been able to do in the past. At first his wolf growled harder, trying to force his will to the front. Refusing to give up, Levi managed to push harder still and his practice paid off. His wolf submitted, whimpering, and slipped back into the recesses of his mind. Upon the moment of taking control, he dropped to his belly and rolled over, showing Adam there was no need for the pain he was about to inflict. With a dip of his head, Adam accepted his submission and stepped back, shifting into a man once more.

  "Well done, Levi!" Adam said as he smiled down on him. "Shift back now so we can talk." Levi got to all fours and concentrated on his own shift to return to human form. Once they had both returned, they retrieved their clothing and went back upstairs to the office to talk.

  "How do you feel?" Adam asked as they returned to their seats at his desk. Levi was smiling, delighted in his success at controlling his wolf. "I can't thank you enough!" he said, trying to control the width of his smile so he could talk. "I haven't felt like this since, . . . well, EVER I guess. I can't say I've ever had control over my wolf and it's like being reborn!"

  Adam laughed, enjoying the euphoric triumph that he felt from Levi. "I didn't do anything but back you up in there. It was all you, brother," he said, leaning back in his seat and relaxing his posture to a casual one. "So, you see, you've done it. You are not the creature that killed so many for so long. You are not the creature that killed Julie's family. Can you FEEL that now?" Adam asked, waiting for Levi to decide on his own that he now had a new beginning.

  Relaxing back into his own chair, Levi seemed to take inventory of what he was feeling. He knew his wolf was still there, but he could sense that it now saw it was no longer in control. His mind felt, . . . different. The need for violence was gone and the desire to be with others had grown immensely. With great happiness, he now understood that it was not HIM that had done all of the horrible things his beast had, and that he deserved to live and be happy as any other being. "I DO feel it," he said with a smile and a sense of peace. "I think my time has finally come for me to live and be happy."

  EPILOGUE

  Luke and Julie traveled the last bit of their journey home side by side. Adam had reached out to Luke to tell him of Levi's success and he'd relayed it on to Julie. She was very happy to hear of Levi's success and hoped that she would be as strong. Luke picked up on Julie's apprehension and slowing to a walk, leaned over to her to rub his muzzle against hers in support. "I know you'll do great, Julie. You have it in you, I've seen it many times already. Trust in who you are, BE who you are, and you'll have nothing to worry about," he assured her. "I hope so," was her only response.

  As they neared town and could see the lights, Luke pushed his calm towards Julie and saw her visibly relax. He couldn't wait for Adam to meet her and finally understand why he felt so strongly for her so quickly. He knew that this night would be the beginning to their new lives, HER new life, and he was eager to get on with it. Luke knew that Julie had a lot to learn about the ways of the pack and it would take time to adjust, but they were a great group, and he knew she'd love them once she knew them.

  Luke pondered imprinting. He hadn't instantly fallen for her the second he'd laid eyes on her from afar, but once he'd watched her and gotten closer, she had woven into his being so quickly that he had to wonder if it was just a delayed imprinting. COULD they instantly imprint from afar? He didn't know, but he decided that it didn't matter. He was lost to her now and that's all that mattered. He couldn't imagine his life without her, nor would he allow it. They'd only had a small taste of intimacy and he couldn't wait to totally bond with her completely. He only hoped that she felt as strongly as he did.

  Crossing the boundary just before town, they came across a set of clothing for each of them with a note that said to shift back, get dressed and meet them in Adam's office. It took a LOT of concentration, and a mental, guiding push from him, for her to be able to shift back to human, but she found it wasn't nearly as painful and it felt like her body had a sense of "memory" as it slid back into human form. He handed her clothing to her and they both got dressed before continuing on into town.

  They slowed to a walk. He grabbed her hand and confidently led her towards Adams office. Sophie had been called to his office as well and, upon seeing him, she smiled and called out to him, "HEY Luke! Glad to see you back!" She intercepted their path and drew up on the other side of him, leaning forward to address Julie. "HI, I'm Sophie. You're Julie aren't you!" She was bubbly and full of energy and it felt contagious to her as she answered, " Why, Yes, I am! It's nice to me
et you, Sophie!"

  Sophie seemed to have more energy in her than would allow her to walk. She seemed to skip in place, or just ahead of them as she'd turned her back to the direction they were traveling to be able to continue chatting. "I'm SO glad you're here. I've heard so much about you and I just think that we could be such good friends!" she gushed. Luke just chuckled, shaking his head a bit yet glad that she was the first one Julie would meet. "My uncle, who is the Alpha by the way, - though I'm not bragging. It's just been suggested that I let people know, so they don't feel like I'm a spy or anything, NOT that I would ever do that of course, and NOT that my uncle would think that I could ever consider a position like that, like I'd be too afraid to . . ."

  "SOPHIE," Luke called out. "Take a breath!" he said, laughing at her exuberance. Sophie blushed, dropping her head while saying, "I'm so sorry. You know how the new moon amps me up! Also, have you heard about the success that Levi had? Isn't it Wonderful!!? He was able to control his wolf and shift back without any help from Uncle Adam!" She seemed to glow with talk of Levi, and he had to wonder if maybe Levi would have his hands full very soon.

  Julie just laughed at her bubbly personality and excitement. Then, instantly it dawned on her that if someone as sweet as Sophie seemed to be, could like Levi, he couldn't be all that bad. Seeing her obvious attraction to him encouraged her all the more to give him a chance and not condemn him for his wolf's previous actions. It hadn't been his choice to be a wolf, nor had it been his fault with the way it had turned out, having had no guidance during his shift. She could have been the same violent wolf he had been if it weren't for Luke and his pack family. She had to get a grip on her emotions and not allow her wolf to influence her reaction to meeting him!

  Still holding Julie's hand, Luke led her up the steps to Adam's building and towards his office. Sophie had seemed to calm down and was quietly walking behind them, smiling at the affection she could see and feel coming off of them both. She was happy for him to have finally found his mate. Whether he or she knew it or not, Sophie could feel that they belonged to each other. Luke knocked twice on Adam's door and waited for permission to enter. Upon getting it, he opened the door and led Julie in with Sophie coming in and closing the door behind them.

  In front of them sat a large, powerful looking man who was seated behind a desk just as intimidating as he was. Julie's eyes widened a bit, but she held her ground next to Luke and waited to be addressed. Adam smiled warmly and reached a hand out to her saying, "Welcome to our little community, Julie! I'm very pleased to finally get to meet you!"

  In the hand she reached out to grab, was a friendly warmth and a feeling of safety and security. She could understand how this very large man in front of her was the Alpha of this pack. "It's very nice to meet you as well," she said, smiling, then dropped her gaze, being careful not to keep her eyes trained on his for too long out of respect for his status.

  Adam chuckled, "I see Luke has told you a bit about our ways. I want to put you at ease and say I understand that in the human world it is only being polite and courteous to keep eye contact when speaking with someone. You won't be in trouble if you do the same here. The most important time not to push it will be when in wolf form and if you are . . . how shall I say this? . . . called on the carpet for a wrong doing. Until you are a full time member of this pack, and have transitioned out of the human world, your human ways will be accepted as normal, as long as they are respectful." His eyes seemed to weigh her character and she could feel his mind reaching out to hers, sort of testing the waters of her receptivity. She smiled and withdrew her hand saying, "Thank you, sir. I will do my best to try to uphold all the standards set for your pack." Nodding, Adam said, "Very well, then, let's get on with what we need to do.

  Nodding to Sophie, she turned and left the room, only to come back a moment later trailed by a man just a bit taller than herself. Julie noted that he wasn't as large as the two males in front of her but he had a muscular build, a peppered charcoal gray and black head of hair hanging to his shoulders and smiling, dark chocolate brown eyes. She smiled at him as she was turning back to Luke when something familiar within her brain flashed through her mind. Something about his eyes, familiar yet not. She turned back towards him and studied his face, his build, trying her best to figure out what it was about him that seemed to be familiar. She didn't recall ever seeing or meeting him before. She hadn't met anyone from Oakville that looked like him. Maybe he had been a hiker she'd crossed paths with in the forest sometime.

  From next to her she could feel calm rushing forth and she knew Luke was trying to keep her calm. Why would he need to do that now? Nothing was threatening her, everyone was nice enough. Even the man that had just joined them seemed . . . wait, the man that had just come in . . . he was now staring at her with a look of uneasiness. "What's going on here?" she quietly asked of no one in particular. Then, she remembered. LEVI. She was suppose to be meeting Levi. She slowly turned her head in his direction and did little more than mouth a question, "Levi?" while turning her body to face him as Luke let go of her right hand, only to grab the left after her turning.

  Levi closed his eyes as his shoulders dropped a bit and he nodded slightly in the affirmative. He stood there, not looking up at Julie, or anyone, and waited for the fate that was meant to be his. If Julie attacked him, he wouldn't fight her. He'd caused her enough damage and grief for one lifetime. Sophie came to stand next to him, taking his hand in hers, lending him her support and encouragement. He could tell that she'd not allow Julie to hurt him, whether he deserved it or not.

  From behind them all, Adam cleared his throat and spoke out in a voice that commanded respect, "Julie McCallister, I'd like you to meet Levi Rigland. Levi, this is Julie, the girl that your wolf almost killed 17 years ago." Adam wasn't going to sugar coat it and have everyone ignore the elephant in the room - the fact was Levi's wolf almost killed her - but it wasn't the man who stood before her now. "Julie, the man before you had nothing to do with what happened 17 years ago and I will expect that both of you come to terms with that and let the past go. His wolf has been brought to heel, he can control it now, and he's not to be punished for something he had no control over so long ago."

  Everyone stood painfully still and quiet, waiting to see how this would unfold. Julie's mind was racing, trying to come to terms with it all, HER terms. She was still determined not to let her wolf control how she felt about things, or how she reacted to stress. Looking at Levi, she could see his inner turmoil, trying to come to terms with the horror of his past and his inability to change any of it - as well as his hope for future happiness. Could she give that to him? Could she forgive him?

  Remembering family and the loss of it, she knew what she had to do and she stepped forward with Luke releasing her hand, allowing her the action of her decision. Reaching her hand out, she said, "Hello Levi, I'm Julie. It's nice to meet you. I think it's time we moved away from our loss and started fresh, don't you?"

  Smiling, she shook his hand and her heart warmed at the joyful smile that slowly slid across his face, guiding him into their new future.

  ​The End

  ​. . . . For now

  From the Author:

  If you want to know where and how this all started, be sure you've read the novella prequel to this story "The Evil Within"! You can find it on createspace.com or Amazon.com

  There's more to come so keep checking back. You can also check the status on my website at: www.terrilvest.com

  Author Terri L Vest - (AKA Terri L Smith)

  All of Terri's works available at:

  www.terrilvest.com

  Children:

  The Adventures of Sunny the Mouse (author's website)

  Stormer, The White Shepherd

  NEW: Jenny's Magic Spell

  Coming: Jenny's Big Lesson

  Young Adult paranormal:

  The Evil Within

  The Beast Within

  The Sweetwater pack series:

  Trad
itions

  The Alliance - Traditions, Book 2