Beast In The Darkness (An Elighan Dragen Novelette) (Darkness Series) Read online

  Cooper turned back to his beer at my non-response. We drank in silence. Tonight the alcohol was not calming me down. My shoulders hunched more and my muscles twitched. The beast was hitting itself against the man-form I contained it in.

  I stood. “Come on, let’s ride.” Being on my bike was sometimes the only other way, besides drinking, to quiet my inner monster for a while.

  Cooper stood and slapped another bill on the counter. “Thanks, Mike.”

  Mike gave us a nod, and I could smell the relief he felt at our departure. My presence seemed to cause an air of tension, sensing at any moment I could violently turn. Humans seemed to feel the thin line of sanity I was walking.

  We went outside, my steel-tip boots kicking up dirt in the parking lot. My legs straddled my black beauty.

  “Where to?” Cooper hoped on his baby, next to me.

  “Let’s just ride.”

  He nodded in understanding. This is what we did when we needed an escape. No destination. No thought. Wherever the road took us.

  The tires squealed as I pulled out onto the pavement, my engine reviving high. The moment the wind brushed over my scalp, I felt better. I had shaved my head in one of my agro moments. The severe look suited me better now. People had always feared me, but this only made them know, instantly, I was not someone to mess with.

  My wheels flew over the asphalt. The high speed wasn’t enough tonight. The bike’s odometer shook, trying to reach the red. My hand twisted the throttle until it could no longer turn. The distance between Cooper and me widened. For miles I pushed it, barely staying on the road.

  Red and blue light came out of the darkness, swirling behind us. I knew who it was. He was out searching for me. This only upped my recklessness. Well, he found his man . . . let’s see if he can catch him. I sneered, almost willing Weiss to start shooting at me. The fact I wouldn’t die from his bullets only made me want to push the envelope more. What did it matter?

  “Pull over.” A voice came over the speakers on top the police car.

  My answer was to flip him off.

  He has a warrant out for you. You really want to piss him off? Cooper said through our link. Most had given up communicating with me through our link. Pointless when I ignored them.

  Let him try and catch me, I replied back. You’re a Dark Dweller, Cooper, get some fuckin’ balls.

  The sigh through the link was loud. I knew him and, no matter what, he would follow me down this road. We don’t leave brothers. Cooper hit the gas and came up even with me.

  Come on, it will be fun. I egged him on.

  If my bike gets impounded again . . . Cooper trailed off in warning.

  Stop being a baby.

  “Pull over immediately,” Weiss’ voice came from behind us.

  Ready?

  Yeah . . . sure.

  We both punched our gas pedals and the bikes lurched forward. We glided around the curves. The cop car losing pace as it tried to round the bends.

  Too easy. Just as the thought came out, I spotted two police cars blocking the road in front of us. Guns drawn as they hid behind their open doors.

  A gun shot rang through the air.

  “Shit!” Cooper yelled. The bullet ripped through his tire. His wheels came out from underneath him. He fell to the ground, cracking his shoulder. His bike skid across the pavement as he rolled. The motorcycle continued to slide, causing sparks to fly, crashing into the bumper of the police car.

  “Ciach ort!” I hit my brakes, curving in front of Cooper. My brother was down; my defenses to protect him went up.

  “Freeze!” One of the cops yelled.

  Ignoring him I reached down for Cooper’s injured arm. He was out. “Wake up, Coop.” I nudged him with my foot. Panic rose in my chest. The beast danced at the surface.

  Weiss’ vehicle halted close behind us, blocking us in a tighter circle, only pushing my instincts into a higher gear.

  “Stop, Mr. Dragen. Do not move!” Weiss pointed his gun as he climbed out of the car.

  My head turned to him, a roar involuntary coming out of me. Weiss stumbled back a little, shaking his head. I knew my eyes had flashed red. I could feel the heat rising in my skin, shifting, and my nails beginning to grow, my back hunching.

  Learned instinct still wanted me to hide my true self and push the change back down. Everything else in me didn’t care. I could tear through these guys in seconds without the other knowing. Why did I pretend they had the upper hand?

  When Weiss looked back, he re-gripped his gun, swallowing hard. Like every human he dismissed what he saw.

  “Let’s not make this hard. You are surrounded. If you surrender without a fight, I’ll be sure to make a note in your report.”

  I laughed. My nails were still longer than normal, and they dug into Cooper. The pain woke him up. He groaned, using my arm to pull himself up, he saddled in behind me.

  “I am going to fuckin’ kill you later,” he mumbled.

  “Let’s get out of here first.” Again my own words rubbed me wrong. Why was I running from them? What could they actually do to me?

  “Mr. Dragen, I said don’t move. I will shoot you.”

  A sardonic grin crept up my lips. “Oh, please do.” I climbed off the bike.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Cooper took the handles, procuring the weight of the bike from me.

  “Giving the officer what he wants.” I held my arms out wide. “Go ahead.” I tapped the middle of my chest.

  As I stepped toward Weiss, his finger seemed to itch to pull the trigger. “What happened to Ember Brycin, Mr. Dragen? She’s been missing for three years. The last time I saw her she was covered in blood and her friends had gone missing.”

  My boots froze mid-step.

  “Did she finally turn against you? See you for what you really are? Is her body, along with her father’s and her friends’, buried in a shallow grave on this allusive property of yours?”

  It was like an axe had been driven into my chest. His theory once again was way off, but his words, of her being dead, hit too close to home.

  I heard Cooper swear. My back started to curve again, my clothes began to tear. A menacing growl vibrated my vocal chords. Cooper revved the engine turning the bike towards me.

  From there everything went sharply south. Cooper’s movement had the other two officers shooting at us. My slightly altered shape, high-tailing it for Weiss’ throat, had him firing. I felt each and every bullet dig into my skin, and I welcomed the pain.

  Cooper sped up next to me.

  “Get on,” he screamed.

  I hesitated. The need to tear the sheriff’s throat out was so strong. I needed to kill, to have his blood dripping from my teeth.

  NOW! The volume from Cooper’s link split my head, breaking my bond to kill Weiss. Another bullet plowed into my side. With a roar I turned instead and began to run down the side of the mountain. My hands and legs becoming more equal in length as my body changed. My clothes ripped completely away as the beast emerged.

  With one last look over my shoulder, I saw Cooper pop a wheelie and break past Weiss, knocking him to the ground. The two other officers shot at the back of him, but the bike disappeared before they even got back to their cars.

  I turned back and tore through the forest. I roared again, anger and guilt thundered in me. Once again I had screwed everything up because someone uttered her name. She was dead, and I not only hated her, I resented her ever coming into my life.

  Chapter Three

  The morning light brought no brightness to my day. I craved the dark nights. Most days I remained in my room, staying there till night fall.

  I rolled over with a groan, rubbing at the healing scars where each bullet had been. Remaining in my Dark Dweller form the rest of the night had helped heal me, but the bruises and soreness were still raw and painful.

  I needed to check on Cooper. I paused remembering he lost his bike in the ordeal last night. Yeah . . . I’ll wait a bit longer. I leaned agains
t the headboard. He was gonna be so pissed. I’d have to buy him a new Harley next time we got paid.

  “Eli.” A fist pounded on my door. “Get up, it’s time to go,” Gabby said through my door.

  Right. The drop.

  “I’ll be out in a minute.” I snarled, swinging my legs over the bed. I stood, rubbing my bare ass as I walked to the dresser. I yanked it open and looked for my least dirty jeans.

  My fingers stopped on a t-shirt, and I caressed the fabric with the familiar paint stains on it. Even though I knew I was alone, my gaze still darted around the room. If anyone caught me . . .

  No one knew about this. No one ever would. It was the last thing I had of her.

  The bank had just taken possession of her house when I snuck in. Her smell was rich and thick through the house. It had taken me to my knees the first time I had entered. The crushing pain of her loss had made it hard to breath. My brain kept thinking that she would walk out of her room at any moment, put her hands on her hips, and ask what the hell I was doing there?

  Then the slight stink of the Strighoul and a mix of Vek’s and Ember’s blood, stained on the wood floor, would remind me. The smell and sight of her blood had me exiting the house. I swore to never go back. But the need for her, to be near her again, if only by her smell and possessions, pulled me back. I’m not sentimental, but I found myself stuffing the paint stained t-shirt she slept in, her sketch pad, baby book, and a few other keepsakes into my bag. The bank would sell or donate it all, glad to get rid of it. It would be gone forever. Brycin would officially disappear from my life.

  I stuffed her shirt farther back in my drawer and snatched a pair of jeans and light weight t-shirt. The summer in Olympia had been unseasonably hot. Usually it stayed pretty mild, but it was as if my personal hell had come to life.

  Shading my eyes from the glaring sun, I walked out on the porch. Cooper leaned against the rail, his arms crossed.

  “Hey man . . . I am so . . .” I was stopped when his fist smashed into my face. The force took me to the ground, blood gushing from my nose.

  Cooper stepped on either side of me, grabbing my shirt. His fist poised to punch again. “If you ever do something like that again—I will challenge you.”

  To “challenge” me meant he would fight me for my position in the clan. It didn’t have to be a fight to the death, but it got close enough. If I lost, it would be worse than death. I didn’t think Cooper could take me in a fight; I was sure he knew it, too. But that made it even worse. Even if he knew he’d lose, he’d rather challenge me than continue under my authority. I never imagined losing Cooper’s respect. It hit me hard. Shocking me.

  “You got it?” He tugged at my shirt again.

  “Yeah. I got it.” I let the blood trail out of my nose, my eyes locked with his.

  “You scared the fuck out of me last night. Reckless and stupid. If you had done that to anyone else but me, this wouldn’t have been a warning this morning. It would have been a challenge.”

  I took in his words and nodded in understanding.

  He opened his palm out to me. I grabbed it as he yanked me back up.

  “You owe me a bike, fucker.”

  I patted his back. “Yeah, I do.”

  “Hey girls, if you’re done making out can we go?” Gabby yelled from the cab of Cole’s SUV. The merchandise was already packed in the back.

  “Cole’s letting me take his bike today. So we got Gabby covered front and back.”

  I nodded and headed out for my bike, pushing on my sunglasses.

  There was a long scrape on the side of my bike, ripping the sleek, black paint. “Dammit,” I mumbled, rubbing at the chipped paint.

  “You’re lucky that was all. I just skimmed Weiss’ door.” Cooper climbed onto Cole’s bike. “You know they are gonna be out in full force looking for us. We need to be on guard today.” Cooper slipped on his helmet. We didn’t wear them often. But today, hiding our faces was a good plan.

  “Let’s keep off of any main roads or ones he knows we use.” I grabbed my helmet and slid it on.

  Cooper nodded and started the engine.

  I swung my leg over my bike, which fitted me perfectly.

  Just like Brycin.

  The thought was already out before I could squash it. Plenty of times I had thought about her on the bike with me. Her back pressed between the handle bars, her legs wrapped around me, the engine vibrating and humming beneath us as I rode her so deep.

  My dick went hard at the thought, tightening with need.

  “Eli?” Cooper’s voice broke into my fantasy.

  I looked up at him.

  “Let’s go man.” He hit the gas and took off down the road, following the SUV.

  With a deep breath, I pushed all thoughts of her back down and followed them. She had been leaking through too often lately. It had to stop. My teeth ground together, my resentment of her building even higher. She did this to me. She was something I should hate anyway. Her kind. Her name. Everything. I would not let some woman, especially a Dae, turn me into such a pansy. She was dead. She had affected me enough in life; I could not let her reach out from whatever grave she was in as well.

  At a stop light, my phone buzzed against my leg. Natasha’s face stared back up at me. “Yeah?” I answered.

  “Hey baby. Where are you?” she purred through the phone

  “We’re on our way. Be there in five.” I hung up.

  She really was a good screw when I desired one, but I needed to end it. She would always want more, and I felt nothing for her.

  We pulled up in our designated meeting spot near an abandoned warehouse in an area which I even considered dodgy. The moment I climbed off my bike and the helmet was off, Natasha had her arms wrapped around me, her lips devouring mine.

  “I missed you last night,” she whispered in my ear.

  I pulled back. “Uh, yeah, something came up.”

  Her hand moved down my chest, she looked quickly over her shoulder. The group was not looking in our direction. Her hand crept lower.

  “Did you miss me?” Her fingers slide down my pants.

  “Natasha, not now.” I tried to step back, but her fingers wrapped hungrily around my cock. It reacted instantly. Memories of the fantasy with Brycin, I played out in my head earlier, flooded back.

  Having her in my head, and not the girl standing in front of me, sent anger through my limbs. I grabbed Natasha shoulders and pushed her back. “I said not now.”

  My dick was not pleased with me. Even though it never seemed to be fulfilled with Natasha, she was at least a release.

  She bit her lip. Pain flashed quickly through her expression before she forced her mouth into a smile and winked. “Sure. Later.”

  “Dragen.” Bobby, the leader of the Apocalypse Riders, sauntered over to me. “Haven’t seen you in a while. Good of you to come.”

  I shook his hand. “Been busy.”

  “I am looking forward to this partnership. Hope we’ll have more future runs with you guys. Take over some of the leg work.”

  Since Lorcan had left, taking more than half of our group, we couldn’t do as much. Apocalypse was a new club and wanted to start making their mark. We needed men; they needed our status. It was a mutual collaboration.

  Natasha’s hand again filtered across my ass. “I’m sure our partnership will be very gratifying.”

  Bobby pressed his lips together at his daughter’s not-so-subtle insinuation. My reputation with women was no secret around the biker community. He knew he couldn’t stop her from seeing me, but as a father, he hated it. He and I both knew his little girl was gonna get hurt.

  “All right, let’s get going. The drop off is an hour away.” I clasped by hands together. “Bobby, I’d like you and two of your men to ride in front with Cooper and two other to ride in back with me. Gabby will be in the middle.”

  Bobby nodded. “Sounds good.” He went back to his men getting them organized.

  “I’ll ride with you.” Na
tasha turned to face me, her arms wrapping around my middle. No matter how long it had been or how many times Natasha had touched me, my first reaction was always to push her away. I wondered why. We were both getting what we wanted out of this. But it pissed me off somewhere inside me I felt like I was betraying her. We had never claimed “rights” on each other. Hell, before I fucked Brycin, she had been playing around with an Incubus asshole. I was free to do who and whatever the hell I wanted.

  “You’re frowning again.” Natasha stood on her tip toes and kissed me. I didn’t fight it. Nor did I fight her riding with me. I didn’t have it in me to fight. If I wasn’t angry, I was numb. Those seemed to be the only two emotions I felt anymore.

  As we rode out, Natasha’s need to capture me through sex was relentless. It was the only way she thought I would fall for her. If she was good in bed, I wouldn’t be able to stay away from her. Girls like her didn’t understand that sex was just sex to us. We could always find it somewhere else. It was the girl who made us want to come back, not the pussy.

  Natasha was nice enough but boring as hell. She wanted to please me too much to ever risk challenging me. There was nothing to talk about. Not that I felt like talking to anyone lately. The only thing which got her huffy with me was my lack of commitment to her. She would get all pouty and irritating. I would just leave and in a day she would be calling, begging me back into her bed. Brycin would have been furious at the way I was treating her or the fact I was taking advantage of Natasha’s insecurity. She would kick my ass across the state and back.

  I grinned at the image of Brycin all huffed up, pushing at my chest, as she laid into me. Her two different eyes would glow bright with anger. The vision was so crisp and clear I almost imagined I could smell her. The deep rich campfire scent, mixed with earth and cinnamon.

  A hand pushed at the button of my jeans, bringing me back to reality. My cock was starting to get restless. The beast in me needed to let off steam. But I pushed her hand away. I had a job to finish. I was already in the dog house with my family. I needed to complete this job without incident . . . then my dick could take over.