Beasts Awakened

by Full Moon Publishing

  We moved closer, chest to chest, hip to hip. My heart beat even harder.

  His hand cupped my cheek. At this point, our faces were so close that I could feel his hot breath on mine. They quivered in anticipation, already yearning for a sweet, sweet kiss. A part of me wondered why I was acting this way. Sure, I was one of the biggest flirts ever, but usually, I always pulled away before I could get too close. There was just something about this man that was… different.

  “You two will never win if you keep staring at each other like that.” Kirk appeared next us, rocking back and forth on his heels.

  “Get lost,” Allen growled, his hands on my hips, his fingers digging into my skin. “Can’t you see that we are in the middle of something?”

  “Yes, but you two should be playing the game.” He thrust his thumb in the direction of Ebony and Chris. “Those two are getting very close to figuring it out. You wouldn’t want to lose to your siblings, would you?”

  My need to surpass Ebony snapped me out of my lust-filled trance. Leaving Allen in my wake, I headed to the back of the room, trying to act nonchalant. I knew if my sister saw me, she would try to shoo me away.

  I studied the objects on the desk but none of them seemed connected to birth. Hmm, what could it be? I picked up the globe and turned it upside down, hoping for a miracle but there was no red dot to be found. Maybe the calendar… that has birthdays on it. I flipped through the pages but to no avail.

  “Any luck?” Allen asked, coming up behind me, his voice snaking into my ear and wrapping around my mind. God, he had such a sexy voice…

  “No…”

  “Here, let me help.” He started opening the drawers, rummaging through the various items that looked like they had been dumped there. “I hope Kirk has the intention to clean all this when he’s done…” he mumbled under his breath.

  As Allen searched the drawers, I got down on my hands and knees, thinking that maybe they had hidden the item underneath the desk. I patted the sides, looking for secret compartments but it seemed it was just a regular old desk.

  About to give up, I started to crawl out, only to bump heads with Allen. I lost my balance and fell forward, landing right on top of him. Again, the second our eyes locked the world seemed to stop. Our faces gravitated together like a couple of magnets.

  Without thinking about it, I closed my eyes and leaned forward, finally giving into the desire. As soon as our lips collided, my soul exploded with euphoria. I kissed him harder, feeling like I could never get enough of him. One simple taste and I was already addicted.

  He held me close, his tongue sneaking into my mouth and tangling with mine.

  I moaned softly, my back arching. Against my thigh, I could feel his hardening member. My lust was so great that I almost forgot that we were in a room filled with people. I was tempted to sneak my hand into his pants anyway…

  Allen was the first to break the kiss, holding my face in his hands. There was a sincere smile painted on his lips as he leaned forward, about to kiss me again.

  “I found it!”

  Chapter 10

  ALLEN

  The sudden exclamation ruined the moment. I sighed, getting up. I offered Essie a hand, keeping her close as we watched Heidi Klum holding up an ankh. All her jumping around caused her Jessica Rabbit boobs to jiggle every which way. I couldn’t understand how some men could enjoy humungous breasts. There came a point when they were simply obscene.

  Slyly, I snuck a peek at Essie. To me, she was the perfect size. Not too big, not too small. Perfect enough to fit in my hand, filling my palm. I could already imagine their silkiness, her perky little nipples. Oh, what I wouldn’t do to pinch them between my fingers, to hear her moan under her breath in ecstasy.

  “So you have!” Kirk waltzed up to her, stealing the Egyptian cross out of her hand. “In ancient times, this used to symbolize life.”

  “But, I thought the clue was birth,” Chris pointed out, a stickler for technicalities.

  “It was!” Kirk reeled around, holding the cross above his head like he was about to sacrifice it to the gods. “But, what is life without birth?” He grinned in triumph.

  “Do I win something?” Heidi asked, growing impatient.

  “Of course!” he bellowed, tossing the ankh necklace over her head. The pendant hung right between her breasts, causing almost every man in the room to ogle at her.

  “You think she’s dressed like that for attention?” Essie asked under her breath so no one else could hear.

  “No doubt about it. Can’t you see every guy in the room staring at her?”

  “You’re not,” she pointed out.

  “Well, why would I look at her when I already have the most beautiful woman in the world in my arms?”

  She blushed, about to say something when Kirk’s twirl of movement caught our attention. We looked up to find him balancing a bright red opera mask on his middle finger. He threw it into the air and caught the ribbon between two fingers before effortlessly tying it around Heidi’s head. “There you are, Madame. Now, you are one of the elite. Stick around and you’ll find fame and fortune at the end of our little game.” He winked before marching off to the door.

  It unlocked before him, as if by magic. Without an ounce of hesitation, he stepped into the darkness, disappearing from sight.

  “Do you think we should follow him?” Essie asked.

  “Of course we are going to follow them,” Ebony butted in. “Heidi got lucky with the ankh.”

  Essie smirked. “You’re just mad you lost. You’ve always been a sore loser.”

  “I’m not a sore loser.” She crossed her arms over her chest with a pout painting her face. “I’m just curious about what’s in the next room.”

  “I thought this was just a stupid, childish game.” I laid my head on Essie’s shoulder, a coy look on my face.

  Ebony’s pout just grew deeper as she pushed past me, barging into the other room. Chris shrugged, following after her.

  I watched them until they disappeared before I turned to Essie, taking her hand in mine. “What do you say we sneak out of here and have us some fun?” I trailed my fingers along her collarbone, enjoying the feeling of her soft skin. I nearly stripped her down right then and there but I controlled the impulse, knowing I’d have to wait for her to make the first move. It was the only way to make sure that fire that burned inside of me, burned inside of her as well.

  For now, I’d be patient.

  “Find the next item and you can do whatever you want with me…” She batted her eyelashes in mock innocence. Seeing her body shimmy closer to mine, trying to tempt me, was almost too much to ignore.

  My hands tightened around her hips. I wanted nothing more than to slam her against the wall and have my way with her… all night long.

  “And, you mean anything…?” I questioned, thinking the offer was too good to be true.

  “Anything,” she said, her voice as sweet as honey. Her hand was on my chest, just over my beating heart. I wondered if she could feel the effect she was having on me. No other woman had ever affected me in such a manner. “But, I suggest you hurry. Ebony and Chris have been in there for a while. You wouldn’t want them to find it first.”

  “Over my dead body.” I turned on my heels and charged into the room, determined to tear it upside down if I needed to.

  Just like the drawing room, this room had also been given a fresh coat of paint. The walls were a gentle lavender that made the dining room look even bigger than it was. I furrowed my brows together, wondering why Kirk and Gretchen had gone through so much effort. Were the colors of the walls significant to the game somehow?

  “Welcome,” Gretchen’s monotonous voice broke my train of thought. “Can I offer to make you a plate?” She gestured to the table. There, most of the guests were enjoying what looked like a feast. Roasted chickens, pork chops, stuffed pig, quail, and even octopus covered nearly every inch of the table’s surface. At the
head of the table, Steve Harvey, dressed as a clown, tore into a chicken leg before someone cracked a joke and his iconic laughter echoed through the room.

  “Has the scavenger hunt started yet?”

  “Do you really think I would start without you?” Kirk slapped me on the back. “Go on, sit down, eat, relax, enjoy yourself! It’s Halloween. You’re allowed to be a glutton. I won’t tell.” He snickered, grabbing a fried green bean and popping it into his mouth.

  “Fine.”

  Essie came up behind me, her arms wrapping around my torso. She playfully nibbled my ear lobe, her soft hair tickling my cheek. “I guess you’ll just have to wait…”

  “I don’t know if I can…” I turned, grabbed her by the hips and pulled her close. “You have no idea how badly I want you.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  I responded by trailing my hand up the slit of her dress. “If you’re not careful, I might just snap your panties right off… and you’ll have to play the rest of the game without them.” As I spoke, my lips lingered on her shoulder, pushing down the strap of her dress.

  “Mmm, tempting, but I’m going to have to pass.” She pushed me away, sitting beside her sister. Gretchen immediately made her plate, piling together a little bit of everything.

  Knowing I would truly have to wait, I joined her at the table. For the most part, everyone had settled down. Heidi Klum still wore her red mask, gloating about her victory.

  I wondered what it all meant. What was the point of the colored rooms? Why make a mask a prize? It didn’t make sense. I glanced over at Kirk, trying to figure it out, but his expression was unreadable, especially with all the makeup on his face.

  “Sir.” Gretchen handed me a plate of food.

  “Thank you.” I nodded my head at her, glad to have such a faithful and hardworking woman as one of my employees. It really made things a lot easier for me.

  For a while, everything was quiet. Everyone seemed to be enjoying their food. Light chatter floated through the room, filling it with a soft hum.

  “What are you thinking about?” Essie asked, leaning toward me so our faces nearly touched. “You’ve had this serious look on your face for a while now.”

  “Nothing… I was just zoning out.”

  “Daydreaming about me?” she teased, her fingers crawling up my leg.

  “You know it,” I smirked. “You’re becoming a greater and greater temptation by the minute. If the doors weren’t locked, I’d whisk you out of here in a heartbeat.”

  She laughed, a sweet and innocent sound that filled my heart, making it beat ten times faster. Was everything about this woman perfect?

  “Have you noticed Chris and Ebony?” She turned in her chair so I could see.

  The two of them were forehead to forehead as they whispered to one another. Underneath the table, their fingers were locked. Chris’ cheeks were dyed a subtle shade of red. He was actually blushing. I couldn’t remember the last time I had seen him blush. He must really like Ebony.

  “They seem to be getting along.”

  “Getting along? They are completely smitten with one another. I’ve never seen my sister look at someone the same way she looks at Chris.”

  I watched them a moment longer. Everything about them seemed intimate. There was no doubt that a fire was smoldering between them, flaring into an inferno that would soon consume them.

  “I’m surprised,” I said, finally looking away, my eyes settling on Essie’s face.

  “Why?”

  “My brother is pretty antisocial. He hasn’t had a girlfriend in a long, long time.”

  She chuckled. “Antisocial? I’m lucky if I can get my sister out of the house without dragging her.”

  “Then, I guess they really are perfect for each other,” I said, about to get back to my food when Kirk suddenly jumped on the table. His combat boots were inches away from my hand. I dropped my fork and looked up at him. Such an angle made his face look dark and sinister.

  “I hope you all had a nice meal because it is time to start the hunt!” He marched down the table, destroying perfectly good food in his wake. “This room’s clue is ‘youth’.” He pulled his hair into two pigtails and wagged his head wildly. “The youth of your childhood. Running through the neighborhood. Swinging on swings. Sliding down slides. Riding your bike. Scraping your knees. Afternoon naps in Kindergarten. Think of this as you look for an item wrapped in a bright red scarf.”

  Eyes started to roam the room, looking for the said item.

  “And, go!” he commanded, jumping off the table and disappearing into the mass of people who had gotten out of their seats.

  “Come on, we have to find that scarf!” I pulled Essie to her feet.

  “Not before us!” Ebony butted in with a wild grin on her face.

  We exchanged glares before heading in opposite directions.

  “Keep your eyes peeled.”

  “What do you think I’m doing?” We searched the China cabinet first, but there wasn’t a spec of red to be seen.

  “This should be blatantly obvious. Why can’t we find it?”

  “Maybe it’s hidden in plain sight,” Essie suggested.

  “Hmm, you might be right.” I tried to clear my mind so I could look at the room with fresh eyes. That didn’t help because before I could survey the room someone plucked a teddy bear off the couch. It wore a tiny red scarf around its neck.

  “I found it!”

  Kirk immediately tied a red mask to their face. “Congratulations, my friend, you have advanced into the elite.”

  Still, no one knew what that meant.

  Chapter 11

  ESSIE

  “Bummer,” I said, laying a hand on Allen’s shoulder. “At this rate, you might never get your chance with me.”

  He shook his head. “One way or another, you’ll be mine, I’m sure of it.”

  I shivered with desire. Deep down, I wanted him more than anything. Hell, I would have stowed away in a tiny broom closet if only to feel his hands roaming every inch of my body. His hips on mine. Mouth to mouth. Member raging between my thighs. But, I knew if I kept taunting and teasing him, things would only get better. I wanted him at the point of desperation – to the point where he could do nothing but ravish me.

  “Come on, everyone is moving into a different room.” I pulled him toward the line of people filing into a narrow doorway. Chris and Ebony were right on our heels, holding hands like they were a long-time couple.

  Once we crossed the threshold, we were met by a bright green room.

  “Ah! I’ve finally figured it out,” Chris said.

  “It was so obvious…” Ebony added.

  Allen and I both turned to look at them. “What are you talking about?” I asked.

  “I should have seen it from the beginning. The colors... The clues... The red masks...” Chris shook his head, disappointed with himself.

  “Just tell us what it is already,” Allen demanded, getting a little annoyed with his brother. “I don’t need all the suspense.”

  “And for this room, your clue is ‘adolescence’.” Kirk’s voice reached my ears but I didn’t pay him much attention.

  “Don’t tell me you guys don’t know.” Ebony had a smug look on her face like she always did when she knew something I didn’t.

  “No,” Allen answered, his lips pressed together in a hard line. “But I would love some enlightenment.”

  “This whole game is just a recreation of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death,” Chris answered.

  “And… what’s that?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. There were already goosebumps prickling my arms. Something about the Red Death just sent a shiver running through my spine.

  Was this game about to take a deadly edge?

  “Well, in summary, this guy has this party where everyone wears masks. His house is considered a fortress against a plague that is going on outside of it. But then, someone wearing a red mask c
omes in and infects everyone with scarlet fever.” Ebony’s voice took on a dull tone as she droned on like she was a professor giving us a lecture.

  I faked a yawn, much to her irritation.

  “If you didn’t want to know, why did you ask?” she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. “Next time, Google it instead of asking me.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You’re so childish sometimes.”