Untamed Beast

by Jaden Sinclair

  Kane pretty much disappeared for the rest of the day. She fixed herself something to eat at lunch, cleaned up the mess, then sat around reading some magazines then tried to watch some television. After a while, she just gave up and headed up the stairs to check out Thorn’s old bedroom.

  The sun was starting to set and thunder boomed off in the distance. Katrina turned the light on, closed the door behind her and just looked around. Strangely, the room ended up being slightly what she expected a room of his to be. Not much in it, just the basics with a nice double bed in the middle of the room. No posters, no pictures, nothing to make it seem like his personal space.

  She got nosy. Opening dresser drawers, touching clothes of his, looking under shirts and socks. When she went down to the last drawer of the dresser she was snooping in, Katrina got a shock. The whole thing was lined with guns and ammunition. There were even knives in different sizes. But what caught her eye was an old piece of paper tucked away. She took it, closed the drawer and went to sit down on the bed to read it.

  Thorn,

  I’m so sorry that I must write this to you and not tell you in person. I don’t wish to be mated with you. I know about your father and there is no way I could be mated to a male whose bloodline was created. You must’ve known this information would one day come out.

  Please don’t try to come and change my mind. I don’t want to see you again and have already agreed to mate with another. I do wish you luck, you are going to need it.

  Frances

  The letter to Thorn was dated over ten years ago.

  “See he didn’t throw that letter away.” Katrina jumped and turned around. Kane stood in the doorway. “Guess I shouldn’t be surprised, and neither should you. It sort of explains a lot, doesn’t it?”

  “What are you doing up here?”

  “Checking on you one more time before I lock myself in my room for the night.”

  “Who is she?”

  “A cold hearted bitch that he hooked up with a very long time ago.” He walked into the room and sat down next to her, taking the letter. “He thought he was in love with her. He was only sixteen, went through his first heat with her, but didn’t mark her. Just lost himself in the need. They had sex and then she turned on him. Think she was his lover, and only one. This little bitch burned him bad.”

  “Why didn’t she want him?” Katrina asked.

  “She did, until she found out about me.” Kane fisted the letter in his hand. “Or at least that is what she told him. I doubt it very much. I think she is just the kind of girl that likes to fuck with a male’s head. Thorn wasn’t her first lover and I’m sure not the last. Sort of pity the poor bastard who does end up mated to her.”

  “Okay, so what’s this big thing about you? I’ve heard you say you’re different before.”

  “I was created, not born.” Kane sighed. “My sister, my twin sister that is, was born in a sense a few years after me. We didn’t have a normal life.”

  “Neither did Dannie and I.”

  “Yes, but I doubt you were tortured all of your life like we were.” The corner of his full lips cracked a half smile. “My sister was used against me. I was beaten, raped in a way, and experimented on. I did what they wanted to keep my sister safe. Then Jada came into the picture.”

  “That’s your wife, or mate, right?”

  “Right. One night she was there when I was to perform for them. It changed everything. And then a family I never knew I could have saved us both. Do you know that my own father is about the same age as I?”

  “Is that possible?”

  “Shouldn’t be, but it happened. He was a baby when they took stuff from him to make me. Anyway, it took a lot for me to become a man, not just an animal. Still messed up, even with Jada, many times. I never thought I’d ever have a child. Humans and shifters DNA are different and having children when you mate with a human lowers it big time. Think I was told one percent maybe is the likelihood of having kids. Something like that. Anyway, this girl broke my son’s heart. Crushed it I say, because of me.”

  “So is she the reason why he won’t mate with anyone then, or get close? And why he’s a prick most of the time.”

  Kane looked her right in the eye. “Yes. Her rejection changed him forever. He became cold inside, like I was before Jada came.”

  “Why you telling me all of this?”

  “Because I’m hoping you might be the one to bring him out of this darkness he’s wrapped around himself.”

  “Don’t go there, Kane.” She stood up and walked to the window. “I’m fucked up like a football bat in a hockey game. It won’t work.”

  Kane frowned and cocked his head to the side. “I don’t see where you can get a football bat. Never heard of them.”

  Katrina smiled, then laughed at him. “Never mind.”

  Kane also stood up and got serious. “Thorn won’t ever ask for anything, including help, and when he does then he really does need it. So if you want to help him, then you just do it and help him. Don’t wait to be asked.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Storm is coming. You should try to get some rest. I’m going to my room if you need me. I’ll be there the whole night.”

  Kane walked out of the room, leaving her standing there digesting all that he had told her. After some time passed, she left the bedroom and went back downstairs. She walked around the house, looked in a few places she knew she shouldn’t have and opened a few doors. One was a small office. Looking behind her, making sure that Kane wasn’t watching, she went in and sat down at the computer. Being in the woods for the past few days she wanted to know what might be going on in the world. As she started to surf the internet a ding sounded off then a folder came up with urgent written in bold letters. Katrina clicked on it and information spread out all over the screen.

  Files came up quickly. Information about a family who was attacked and in red letters the word shifter. The parents killed and two young sons missing. Their home burnt to the ground, but no sign of the boys bodies anywhere. Katrina’s stomach dropped. She had this strange feeling she just knew it had something to do with her mother.

  Bringing up the name of the family she found photos and knew her mother was behind it. The boys were the type that she liked to take. She swore under her breath and was about to close the computer when another file caught her eye. This one had chills running down her spine.

  She clicked on the folder, and pictures began to flood the screen. Pictures of a house that she hadn’t been in since she was a little girl. Her old childhood home. Clicking through the photos, the very last one had her full attention. It looked like the house had some work done on it, which had Katrina wondering if her mother might have gone back there. Only one way for her to find out though, and that was by going there. Alone. Thorn needed to stay here and let her finish this shit with her mother. It was her responsibility, not his, and she didn’t give a shit what he thought.

  Closing up the computer, she sat back in the chair staring at nothing, thinking for a minute. A plan was forming, one that would be somewhat dangerous if she got caught. Leaving the room, she went in search of keys to something she could drive out of here. It took a bit of time going through drawers in the kitchen, but she finally found the keys to the truck they came in. Slipping those in her pocket, she walked quickly back to Thorn’s bedroom. He had some weapons that she was going to need. No way in hell she was going back to that house unarmed this time. She had learned her lesson the first time, there wouldn’t be a repeat.

  Working to keep her steps as natural as possible, just in case Kane might be listening, she went into the room and right to the dresser. Pulling the drawer out, she picked up one of the guns, pressed the tiny button for the clip to drop into her hand. She cocked, checked the chamber then shoved the clip back in. Slipping the gun in the back of her waistband and the clip in her back pocket, Katrina looked around the room for something that she could use to try to keep Kane put. One thing she didn’t need was for him to
come chasing after her. Only thing in the room she saw was a chair, so shrugging her shoulders she picked it up and tip-toeing out, she went to the room that she hoped was Kane’s. Shoving the chair up against the knob, she backed up and waited for him to start banging on it. He didn’t. That gave her a small amount of hope. Turning, Katrina went down the stairs and out the door as fast as she could, not even bothering to look back while running towards the shed where she was pretty sure the truck was kept.

  They were only a couple of hours into the full moon thing, but that didn’t stop her from looking over her shoulder. She had to get out of here before it was over, before Thorn came back and stopped her. And that was the last thing she wanted, given how he felt about her. The man hated her guts. If Dannie hadn’t begged him to come and get her, Thorn would’ve left her there to die.

  Getting the double doors of the shed open to get to the truck ended up being more of a challenge than what she thought it would be. Kane really had hidden it well and made sure anyone who wanted it had to be strong to get it. What should’ve taken maybe a few minutes at the most ended up being over an hour. And that was mostly to get the right key into the lock and then working to open the doors. Hell, she hadn’t even realize that she had been at it for so long until she looked up and saw that the full moon was gone and that the sun was starting to show up.

  Once she had them finally opened, Katrina went inside, opened the driver’s door and got in. Then she just sat there. If I go back, will I live through it? The question filled her head and made it hard to turn the key and start the engine to drive away. She hated being scared of her own mother. Hated how the fear had her not moving.

  “Come on, girl,” she said to herself, shaking the fear away. “Move your ass.”

  Reaching for the key, turning it, she started the truck, put it in reverse and backed away. Stopping, slipping into drive, she floored it as her heart started to pound.

  Driving away from the cabin felt like it was the hardest thing she had ever had to do. She didn’t understand the pull that she had towards the place, but she did understand the pull she was having to go and confront her mother. This shit had to end. Vintina Scott could no longer take young men and use them up. Just like she could no longer hurt Dannie, or herself. No more. It had to end and it had to end right now.

  * * * *

  Thorn stumbled out of the thick trees just in time to see his truck speeding off with Katrina behind the wheel. He took two steps towards it and fell down to his knees, panting, sweaty and so drained. It took several deep breaths before he was able to stop the spinning in his head and able to lift it.

  “Katrina!” he yelled, but it was pointless. She didn’t hear him.

  “Thorn!” Kane stood at his bedroom window, a pissed expression all over his face. “Get up here. She’s locked me in!”

  Thorn had a hard time getting back up to his feet. He swayed a few times as he walked and almost fell back down. By the time he reached the stairs he was breathing hard and fast. This was the time when he was supposed to be sleeping, not still moving. But hearing the sound of the truck had him coming out before he was ready and now he paid for it.

  At his father’s bedroom door, he saw a chair. When he reached it, he did fall to the floor. Crawling towards the chair, it took him a few times to be able to hit the thing away. Kane came out of the room looking ready to kill.

  “Where—where’s she going?” he panted. Talking was difficult to do also.

  “Don’t know. But I swear, if you don’t beat her ass I will.” Kane bent over and slung Thorn up over his shoulder then walked him towards his old bedroom. “She picked the best time to do this shit. You’re too damn weak to go after her right now.”

  He couldn’t fight with his father, either. He didn’t have the energy or the strength required. When his body touched the cool sheets, he wanted to bolt back up but he couldn’t. This heat had drained him of everything and it was a first. Normally, the night of his heat he came out of it angry, almost in an animal rage, mad and ready to take on the world. Not this time. This round left him without the strength to even lift up his hand.

  Kane washed his body like he had done when Thorn was a boy. He also dressed him and covered his shivering body up. When Thorn woke up his father was there with cool water to drink and a bit of food to eat.

  How long he slept, he didn’t know. But when he finally opened his eyes, focused on the ceiling overhead, he felt like himself once more.

  “About time.” Kane’s voice had Thorn turning his head to the right. His father sat in a chair, elbows on knees just watching Thorn. “Was starting to wonder how long you were going to sleep it off.”

  “How long have I been out?”

  “Few hours.”

  With a groan, Thorn tossed the covers off, swung his legs to the side and sat up. “I’ve never felt drained like that before.”

  “Maybe it’s your punishment for not doing what is natural.”

  Thorn looked over his shoulder at his father. “What are you talking about?”

  “I mean…” Kane stood up. “You had a female here to help you with your heat. Males don’t get that, Thorn. We have to hunt and take. The animal inside might be punishing you for rejecting the gift.”

  “Where is she?”

  “Don’t know. Didn’t even know she was sneaking off with the truck until you yelled for her. I did find some information that she looked up on the computer. There was a photo of a house. I called Logan and he said that Dannie told him that it was like a childhood home, but they hadn’t been there for years.”

  Thorn rubbed his face before standing up. “That’s where she’s going and she’s going to get herself killed.” He walked out of his bedroom and as quickly as he could down the stairs. His father followed him.

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “She’s going back to her mother,” Thorn snapped before yanking the door open and going outside.

  Back to his cabin he went for clothes and for his weapons. He just got his pants on when his father strolled in.

  “What are you going to do?” Kane asked.

  “Stop her.”

  “And if you can’t?”

  Thorn stopped with his boots in hand. “This is just as much her fight as it is yours. If she needs to make a stand, then don’t stand in her way.”

  “That bitch almost killed her once. I’m not going to stand aside and let her try again.”

  “Didn’t tell you to.”

  “Then what are you telling me?”

  “I’m telling you to use your head. Think, don’t just storm in there firing shit. We still need answers.” Kane turned and walked back out, leaving Thorn to finish getting dressed on his own.

  After he was dressed, he went back to the house where he left his weapons. Jerking the drawer open he started loading up with the weapons then stopped when he noticed that he was missing a gun as well as a clip. That meant she took one. Shit! When he got his damn hands back on her he’d beat her. Plain and simple.

  Leaving his room, back down the stairs and out the front door he stopped. His father stood next to his bike. Kane tossed the keys to Thorn.

  “Take it. It’ll get you there faster.” Kane said.

  “Thanks,” Thorn went up to the bike, swung his leg over it and was about to start it up when Kane came up to him again. He put a cell phone in his pocket.

  “You need backup, you call. Only have one number, so I made it easy for you.” Thorn nodded. “And when you get home, you go claim your mate. They don’t land in your lap every day. Now go.”

  Turning the key, pressing the button, the bike started right up. He gunned it a couple of times, then put it in gear and took off fast, leaving dust behind him.

  Chapter Eight

  Katrina pulled up to her old home, but parked a bit away from the house so her mother wouldn’t know she was there. She knew that her mother had already come back. Her car was parked right up to the front and lights were on in j
ust about every room. The sight of the old house gave her the chills also. She didn’t have many good childhood memories and this house sure as hell didn’t hold any either. What she remembered about this place was screaming in the night, followed by lots of people coming and going. She didn’t know it then, but back when she and Dannie were just little girls, Vintina Scott had run her little sex trade from under that roof.

  Turning the truck off and slowly getting out, she never took her eyes off the house. She wanted to see her mother in one of those windows. Needed to see her to know that she was indeed here and not fucking with them again.

  She only got to take a few steps towards the house when she was grabbed from behind, a hand going over her mouth, arm around her own, picking her up and taking her away. She screamed against the hand but the sound was muffled.

  Away from the house and the truck, she was taken. Kicking and twisting did her no good. The hold that whomever it was had on her was very tight.

  Back into the woods, behind the house, they went and just as she thought she couldn’t take any more of this the person holding her spoke.

  “Shut up,” Thorn growled low in her ear. He put her down and let go. Katrina swung on him, breathing hard and fast, glaring at him. “Are you out of your fucking mind?” he snapped angrily, but low.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” she charged back at him.

  “Saving your ass, once more.”

  “I didn’t ask for you to come. Go home. This is my fight.”

  “Oh, really? What the fuck are you going to do? Knock on the God damn door!” He ran a hand through his hair. “The place is filled with her men. Please tell me what your great plan might be.” When she said nothing he just dropped his hand. “No plan. Even better.’

  “How’d you find me?”

  “Wasn’t hard. I know about this place. I know about her! I’ve been studying everything there is to know since I got away from her. And my father found the information on the computer. You didn’t cover your damn tracks very well.”