Beast Within (Loup-Garou Series Book 3) Read online

  Beast Within

  Sheritta Bitikofer

  Copyright © 2017 Sheritta Bitikofer

  Published by Moonstruck Writing

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means – except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews – without written permission from its author.

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious and a product of the author’s imagination. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Cover art by Angela Quincoces Rivera at http://www.dream-designz.com

  EBook ISBN: 978-1-946821-17-1

  Print ISBN: 978-1-946821-18-8

  Created with Vellum

  Dedicated to those who believe there’s a place for everyone and a purpose for every creature, even if we don’t readily see it.

  Also, big thanks to my husband for supporting me through the production of this novel, and for helping me out with certain aspects. I’d never know what a hollow-point bullet was without your guidance.

  And thank you to Amy Levinson who came in at the last minute and helped me put the final touches on this manuscript. You are a saint, dear lady.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Sneak Peek into Precedence

  Afterword

  About the Author

  Also by Sheritta Bitikofer

  Chapter One

  "We're proud of you, Katherine," the voice whispered, echoing within her mind and shattering the darkness of sleep.

  Katey fought through the grogginess to open her eyes. Her bedroom glowed with the amber sunlight that streamed through the window above her writing desk. The scent of prairie grasses and herbs permeated her room like incense. There, blocking some of the light, stood the tall man she had seen so many times in her dreams. He always came in the hour just before dawn, almost as if he were heralding the sun over the horizon and bringing with him the wild aroma.

  Gazing at him for what seemed the thousandth time, she marveled at how his presence could seem so real and yet so ethereal. Light seemed to bend around him as if he were the master of nature itself. His skin, as if tanned by years spent in the sun, offset a pair of brilliant green eyes. They were the same color of green that stared back at her every time she looked in the mirror. They shared that much in common, among so many other things. Ebony hair fell over the back of his neck, thick and glossy. His face had a boldness about it with a square jaw and high cheekbones.

  Not only did his presence command respect, but there was an air about him she couldn't help but envy. He exuded confidence and peace—something she thought she would have by now, but it eluded her just the same. There was also a wildness about him. Not dangerous, but free. Free from turmoil and strife, soaring above it all like it doesn’t exist. Katey wanted that badly.

  "You're going to do great things," he said. His voice was deep and husky, full of comfort and wisdom from centuries of roaming the earth. If only he were truly there now.

  Katey would not move, afraid that he would run away like the woman in white that appeared in other dreams. Her chest squeezed with desperation, and she reached out to the vision.

  "Dad, don't go," she begged. Her own voice sounded like a mere rumbling in her ears.

  As soon as she spoke, the man began to fade away, along with her bedroom and everything in it.

  Katey's eyes popped open again, and she was met by gauzy blue sheets draped over her canopy bed frame. Just as in her dream, the dawn was there to greet her with another day. She swallowed hard and tried to will away the tightness in her chest that lingered from the dream.

  It was a dream that had come so many times now. She should have been used to it. Her father, her real father, would appear and give some sage advice that she couldn't quite grasp, and then vanish.

  It had been a couple weeks since Katey saw them together - her mother and father - but even then, it was a bittersweet reunion. Later, Logan and the others told her that she had been dead for nearly a minute. A moment in the world of the living, seemed only seconds in the world of spirits. That was where she met her mother and father for the first time and was able to talk to them, but it wasn't enough. These dreams, these visions, weren't enough either.

  Katey found that when she slept in Logan's bed, the dreams didn't come, but those chances were few and far between. Nothing sexual ever took place on the nights she snuck into Logan's room and cuddled with him under the sheets, but they both knew the others were well aware of what they were doing.

  They were all aware of her movements every second of the day and night. None of them reprimanded her or Logan since they were to be mated soon anyway. When that would be exactly, no one knew for sure. So many factors played into setting the date.

  Not only did they have to get John—a high-ranking alpha who happened to live across the country—to officiate the ceremony, but both her and Logan had to be ready for what the mating ritual required. Both would need to change into their loup-garou forms in front of dozens of other people and have the clarity of mind to clasp hands – paws.

  However, neither of them were any closer to learning how. Logan had been trying for over a century and a half with no luck. Considering that the loup-garou gene was so diluted in his blood, this was no surprise, but it was nonetheless frustrating to Logan, who continually berated himself for his inability to change at will like any other born loup-garou.

  Katey draped her arm across her eyes and sighed deeply as she tried to calm her racing heart.

  She had been a loup-garou for almost two months now, a miracle to the world as the first female to be bitten and changed. Even now, she could feel the wolf within her—a constant presence while she slept, ate, and tried to live her life as any normal high school senior, but she could sense something deeper, something that had been there ever since that fateful morning after Christmas.

  In front of a dozen or more witnesses, Katey revealed herself to be the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy. She had changed for the first time into a white loup-garou, towering above the vampires trying to kill her pack and her friends. It was that day that she ended the feud between the two races and, even though she was not conscious through the transformation, she was later told that it was only the beginning of a revolution in their culture. This revolution would not be driven by blood and violence . . . This was to a be a peaceful reform.

  The white wolf that appeared to everyone had commissioned Michael - her vampire grandfather - to seek out those whom he trusted and recreate the council that had been torn apart long ago. Soon, vampires and werewolves would come together to discuss grievances and settle laws about cohabitation with their kind and the humans who dominated the world as they knew it.

  That was all she knew. As she lay there in her bed, Katey still wondered what exactly she was supposed to do now. She had received no word, no guidance from anyone – werewolf or vampire. As far as she
knew it, the world might have been carrying on as it always did and didn’t care whether she was alive or not, but there was no way for her to forget all that happened that day.

  Ever since that day, she could feel something else coursing through her veins and humming in her core. It wasn't just the new knowledge that she had a home and a purpose for living, but also that she was a full loup-garou and the beast that dwelled within her gave her this life that she could be proud.

  Not only that, but a shift in perspective had taken place somehow. Katey had noticed it shortly after Logan had changed her, and more so since they all arrived back from Alaska. After doing a little internet research, Katey attributed her experiences to a newly developed empathic personality trait. She was more in tune with the feelings of those around her. She could not only smell their fear and sadness – as most loups-garous could do – but she felt it in her soul. Their pain was her own, and sometimes it became too overwhelming to ignore.

  At the same time, she noticed a change in the others. One morning while Ben and Dustin were arguing, Katey entered the room, and she could sense the ebb of hostilities immediately. Perhaps it was because they didn’t want her to see them arguing, but Katey suspected something different. Her presence had an effect – if only a mild one – on nearly everyone she met. Not only would their sadness become her own, but somehow, she would heal it and lessen the grief for others.

  Since she was the first female loup-garou in millennia, there was no one to ask if this was normal or if this had something to do with being the fulfiller of the ancient prophecy. She remembered that Michael said something about a Spirit of Peace that manifested itself within her. Perhaps that was what caused the strange changes in her body.

  As her acute senses began to drink in her surroundings, she could hear her pack downstairs cooking breakfast. The scent of succulent meats like bacon and sausage drifted to the second floor and infiltrated her room. Her stomach rumbled in response.

  Katey sat up and stretched out her lean, yet muscular arms over her head and yawned. The dreams, as tormenting and exciting as they were, stole away some of her much-needed sleep. Somehow, she managed to make it through the day without falling asleep on her desk as she used to when she was human.

  Many perks came with being a supernatural creature that Hollywood distorted to scare audiences. Heightened senses and unnatural stamina were just the start, but many responsibilities came along with it too.

  Katey learned these things the hard way when she spent her first few days as a loup-garou in an internal war against the wolf inside that hungered for raw meat. It was only until recently that she became accustomed to the idea and gave into the primal needs that kept her from becoming a raging monster. She had seen what hunger could do to a loup-garou and it wasn't pretty. It was down-right dangerous.

  Living in a world of humans wasn’t as difficult as she thought it would be, though. There were moments when she had to keep a tight rein on her temper, but other than that, spending time with her friends was a breeze. It was a good thing, too, because the past had come back to haunt her in a new and slightly unexpected way.

  Mary’s car accident and subsequent death had given her the freedom to live with Logan and the pack since she was eighteen, but for the first couple of weeks since they arrived back from Alaska, investigators and a well-meaning social worker had come to pay her a visit to make sure she was adjusting well after Mary’s death. If Mary hadn’t been her legal guardian, Katey might have been able to put that part or her past behind her. Luckily, the social worker promised no more visits as long as Katey claimed she was fine. Her business card was tucked away in her nightstand drawer, but Katey didn’t intend to ever pull it out.

  Katey pushed back the covers and slipped from her bed to quickly dress for the day ahead. School was back into full swing after winter break, and it was still months before graduation. Darren had offered for both her and Logan to continue their studies from their home outside of town, but Katey refused, knowing that she would be separated from her friends and any hope for social interaction with the outside world. Darren always meant well, but she knew that if he were given a chance, he would confine her to the house until her training as a loup-garou was complete. From what she understood that would take a very long time; maybe decades.

  After brushing out her hair in the bathroom she and her pack shared, Katey followed the voices downstairs. There, she was greeted by a sight that she had become all too familiar with. Darren, Dustin, Ben, and Logan were congregated in the kitchen, each holding their own plate of breakfast meats and leaning against the expansive counters.

  Katey walked in just as Dustin was finishing an amusing story about a troublesome student in one of his classes. They all gave a hearty laugh before turning to her with wide grins.

  Katey couldn't help but smile back. In all the years she had been an orphan, all the years she had spent with foster families, never once did she think that she would find a place where she was so openly welcomed. After Mary died and before she was loup-garou, Darren had welcomed her into their home as if she were one of them. They were all just as warm and caring as they had been then and Katey hated to think that one day that may change.

  However, Katey also noticed that they seemed to take special care when it came to her. Except for sleeping and showering, Katey was never alone. Logan was always with her, every waking hour of the day and one of the other pack members were always close by. Since Darren, Dustin, and Ben were also her teachers, it was convenient for them to keep an eye on her. Yet, they were always professional within the classroom and didn’t let on to anyone that there was more between them and Katey.

  They were protective - maybe a little overly so - and Logan, especially. Katey had a mind to be offended by their constant hovering and badgering questions about her well-being. Upon further thought, she realized that they were right in their behavior. Not only was she the youngest and least experienced in the loup-garou ways, but she was far too valuable for her security to be neglected.

  Whether they were aware or not, she heard their whispered conversations about possible assassinations and unwanted harassment from both vampires and werewolves. It wasn’t surprising that some of their kind didn’t want peace. There were plenty of Yaveriks out in the world, lusting after an all-out war between the two races. Her existence defied these plans, and there might have been plenty of people who would pay top dollar for her head on a platter.

  There was no evidence of an assassination attempt, yet. Maybe it was too soon to tell, or the guys were doing such a good job that she never knew there was trouble brewing outside her perfect world.

  "Good morning, Katey Kat!" Dustin greeted before stuffing a slice of sausage in his mouth.

  Logan was by her side in an instant, and Katey felt a pleasant shiver run up her spine when his breath tickled the tiny stray hairs on the top of her head. His presence—powerful and yet gentle—had such an effect on her. She was about to greet her future mate, but the words fell from her tongue when she looked up into his piercing blue eyes. Instead, her smile broadened, and all she could do was slightly blush under his loving gaze.

  Each time she met his stare, she was reminded of the lake in Alaska where they rolled around in the snow and where he proposed. She remembered their first kiss and how he had touched her so softly in places she never thought any man would touch. The memory kindled a fire in her belly that only he could control. Even her wolf could feel his desire for her and whimpered for attention.

  As if he could hear Katey’s wolf begging for his touch, Logan slipped his arm around her waist, and their lips met for the first time since last night before they parted for bed. Each kiss felt like the first, sensual and fully expressive of his love and devotion for her. Katey knew there would be decades, centuries, maybe a millennia of kisses to come, but she vowed to value each one as if it were the last she would ever get. What they went through in Alaska showed them how fragile their lives could be.

  He
pulled away and brushed his nose against hers. "Good morning," he murmured. His voice was the only one that could thrill her soul with just a whisper. Just one word, if it was the right one, could make her melt.

  Katey did melt into his arms, her hand resting on his chest that was - to her dismay - covered by a gray shirt. He appeared to be ready for school, just as she was.

  "Good morning, Logan," she replied a little breathlessly.

  "If you think you can pry yourselves apart for a moment," Darren interrupted, his words marked by a sophisticated British accent, "Katey needs to eat breakfast."

  "Of course," Logan said before ushering his lady into the kitchen.

  The others were dressed in their typical school attire; the kind of outfits she had seen them wear so often before. If someone had told her months ago that she would have seen them in anything else, like pajamas, for example, she would have thought they had been sniffing the bleach a little too much.

  But, here she was, preparing a meal of raw beef chunks and tomato soup in their kitchen, where they had once stood in nothing but flannel pajama pants. It was an image that was permanently burned into her mind, but she was sure she would see worse in the many years to come.

  She took her place beside Logan as they continued their meals and conversations. As always, she stayed quiet while the others exchanged stories and opinions about things that she knew nothing about. Most of it related to the school board administration, their classes, or even other loup-garou affairs in the city or across the state that they had heard of. In time, Katey was sure that she would meet these alphas and betas that they spoke of and then she would feel more at ease to ask questions and join in the talk. Until then, she leaned into Logan's side and savored the feel of his body against hers.